Chapter 27: Catch Me and Have a Barbecue

In her previous life, Si Shuo learned quiet hobbies that cultivated her character and helped her pass the time.

She wasn't especially talented at painting. She could paint accurately, but her work lacked the spirit and charm that defined true artistry.

The truth was that she had been trapped in a small world. Everything she knew came from what others said, from books, or from TV. Without experiencing the world firsthand, how could her imagination and creativity truly flourish?

But now, this skill was enough to send a message to Zhile.

Si Shuo held the eyebrow pencil, thought for a moment, and then began to draw after Zhile left. One picture depicted her daily life. Another showed Ji Liang's arrival. The third illustrated the stray orcs' attack and her abduction. The last one portrayed her escape and meeting with Xu Chi.

Finally, she drew a smiley face and marked her beast seal, signaling that she was waiting for Zhile to come.

Si Shuo tied the pictures together with dry grass and placed them into her spatial storage.

She gently stroked the beast mark on her wrist...

In the distant jungle, a snow leopard sprinting through the trees suddenly halted. His heart, which had been racing from fear and anxiety, calmed instantly.

He took a deep breath, opened his spatial storage with hope, and found the stack of pictures.

Zhile lowered his eyes, studying each one carefully, as if trying to hear her voice narrating every scene.

Si Shuo's drawings were simple and cartoonish, but her few strokes vividly conveyed her thoughts and experiences.

Seeing that she was safe for the time being, Zhile felt only slightly relieved. Without wasting a moment, he placed some fruits into the spatial storage and resumed his journey, transforming back into a snow leopard and running in her direction.

---

Meanwhile, with Si Shuo and Xu Chi...

Not long after Si Shuo stored the drawings, Xu Chi returned from the forest carrying a long-eared rabbit, a bamboo rat, a striped chicken, and a half-grown piglet.

He also brought back a bundle of firewood.

Xu Chi cleared a patch of grass, swiftly pulling out the weeds, and started a fire with the drill technique. In just a couple of minutes, flames crackled brightly.

Si Shuo was stunned by his efficiency and skill.

Silently, Xu Chi skinned and cleaned the prey, placing the meat on large leaves before roasting them one by one.

When the rabbit was ready, he tore off a hind leg and offered it to her.

Si Shuo took it eagerly, but the freshly roasted meat was scorching hot. She let out a yelp and accidentally dropped it.

Xu Chi caught the leg, then, noticing the blisters forming on her delicate fingers, pursed his lips. Without a word, he pulled her to the riverbank and pressed her injured hand into the cool water.

The cold water immediately soothed the burning pain, and Si Shuo sighed in relief.

"...Sorry," Xu Chi murmured, lowering his eyes slightly.

"It's okay. I was impatient and forgot how hot it would be," Si Shuo reassured him with a soft smile. Seeing he was still holding her hand in the water, she added with a helpless chuckle, "Xu Chi, you can let go. I can soak it myself."

Xu Chi nodded and returned to the fire to continue roasting.

Meanwhile, Si Shuo secretly channeled her special ability into her fingertips. Within twenty seconds, the blisters faded, and the pain disappeared. However, she kept her hand in the water for another five or six minutes to avoid suspicion before pulling it out and shaking it dry.

"Good thing I soaked it quickly—no blisters!" she said, pretending.

Xu Chi glanced at her hand briefly, then handed the rabbit leg back to her, now skewered on a branch.

Si Shuo didn't hesitate this time. She took the leg and started eating.

The long-eared rabbit meat was delicious—crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. But what amazed her most was his skill. Whatever he had added to the fire erased the gamey smell, replacing it with a pleasant herbal aroma. A thin layer of honey glazed the skin, adding a rich sweetness.

Who could resist honey-glazed barbecue?

However, the rabbit leg was large—so large that she had to hold it with both hands, and she only managed to finish half.

Xu Chi, on the other hand, ate heartily. He left her a piece from each animal and devoured the rest without hesitation.

Si Shuo silently sighed. The males of this world truly had enormous appetites. No wonder the orcs gathered food like crazy once the winter frost thawed.

After finishing his meal, Xu Chi disappeared briefly into the woods, returning with a small animal-skin bag filled with fruits.

---

Exhaustion Takes Over

Si Shuo chewed on a piece of fruit, her eyelids growing impossibly heavy. Her head nodded forward, and just as she was about to topple over, a pair of strong hands caught her.

Her energy was completely drained from the day's struggles—physically, mentally, and even her supernatural reserves. She was running on empty.

Xu Chi watched her fighting to keep her eyes open. Without hesitation, he squatted in front of her.

"I'll carry you," he said simply.

Si Shuo, too tired to argue or resist, wrapped her arms loosely around his neck and let him lift her onto his back.

Xu Chi's frame wasn't especially bulky, but his back felt solid—stable and protective. She nestled her head against his shoulder, and the warmth of his presence lulled her into sleep.

Xu Chi adjusted his grip, collected their belongings, and began moving through the forest with her on his back.

The little female was incredibly light—so light that he barely felt her weight. Her body was soft and delicate, completely different from the rough, hard frames of males.

However...

She didn't smell great.

Since meeting her, he had deliberately stopped breathing through his nose, relying entirely on his mouth for air.

---

Si Shuo's Nap

Si Shuo had always kept a strict habit of taking a midday nap. She only needed about an hour to recharge, a routine she had followed for years.

So, after about an hour, she stirred.

The sensation was strange, as if she were on an e-scooter—wind whipping through her hair, trees blurring past her vision.

In her half-awake state, she rubbed her cheek against the "pillow" beneath her head. The "pillow" moved slightly.

Her eyes shot open.

Realizing she was still on Xu Chi's back, a faint blush crept across her face. She quickly glanced at the sky—the sun was lower now, meaning she'd slept for quite some time.

"Xu Chi..." she started, her voice laced with guilt, "Have you been carrying me this whole time?"

Xu Chi's steady voice replied, "The tribe is far. We need to reach it before sunset."

Si Shuo's lips twitched.

At this speed—easily thirty miles an hour—what would have taken her days, he would cover in hours.

Part of her wanted to tell him to rest, but she felt too awkward. She had dozed off without permission, but it wasn't as if she had climbed on his back out of laziness—just exhaustion.

So, she kept her mouth shut.

---

The Mystery of Xu Chi's Beast Form

Curiosity got the better of her.

"Xu Chi," she asked, her voice playful but probing, "what kind of orc are you, exactly? Why is your beast form so... problematic?"

Xu Chi didn't slow down, but his voice, calm and matter-of-fact, carried to her ears:

"It's rare. The tribe knows about it and wants to capture me."

Si Shuo's curiosity only burned hotter.

The more evasive he was, the more intrigued she became.

"Can't you give me a tiny hint? Like... your color?"

Xu Chi, ever straightforward, answered plainly:

"Hair color."

Si Shuo was just about to press him for more details when—

A piercing cry split the sky above them.

Her face paled instantly.

"Xu Chi!" she gasped, her voice urgent. "Hide! That crowned eagle orc is back—he wants to catch me and have a barbecue!"

She clutched his shoulder tightly. "He's a level 4 orc—one level higher than you!"

Xu Chi's steps halted briefly. His sharp gaze flicked upward.

In mere seconds, the crowned eagle orc was already upon them .....