After Being Stranded in the Wilderness, I Became the Bride of the Giant Tribe - 18

 

| GB | Bond | 18

The setting sun stretched their shadows long, and the evening breeze tousled the loose strands of hair around Yu Bai’s ears.

He squinted slightly, his pale lips gently pressed together as he stared ahead in silence. 

He hadn’t spoken a word along the way, yet the tips of his ears, hidden in his hair, were gradually turning red.

As they passed a cluster of withered trees, Huo Duo’er bent down slightly to make sure the branches wouldn’t scratch the little sub-female’s head.

Just as they were about to pass through, Yu Bai reached out his arm and casually pulled off a twig.

Huo Duo’er looked puzzled. “Bai?”

The little sub-female seemed upset about something, but not quite. It wasn’t obvious. Huo Duo’er couldn’t figure it out, nor could he tell if he had done something wrong to make Yu Bai unhappy.

As he was thinking, a tingling sensation crept up his neck.

Yu Bai was using the twig he’d just grabbed to scrape at Huo Duo’er’s neck, sometimes poking, sometimes tapping lightly, like he was tickling him.

Huo Duo’er: “...Bai, are you hitting me?”

Yu Bai’s face flushed red. He quickly pulled his arm back and flung the twig far behind him.

“No.”

He mumbled, “Don’t ask.”

Maybe he was just being too sensitive. Huo Duo’er didn’t say much and seemed dull, but his way of doing things was always so direct.

Besides, the other’s actions came from genuine concern, and yet he was getting moody over it, it really did make him seem overly delicate and fussy.

Huo Duo’er lowered his head a little, trying to get a better look at his expression.

Yu Bai turned his face away, hiding it, but both arms lifted again, wrapping back around him.

“I’m not upset.”

The fingers resting behind his neck were soft. Huo Duo’er let out a rare smile and tightened his arms around the little sub-female, hurrying the rest of the way back to the cabin.

Before sunset, they returned to where they were living.

Far off on the horizon, the clouds had taken on a somber gray hue, and the wind had started to pick up.

Huo Duo'er led Yu Bai to the eaves of the house, motioning for him to go inside and rest first.

Leaning against the doorway, Yu Bai couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, both amused and helpless.

He cleared his throat. “Huo Duo'er, I’m not as fragile as you think.”

He’d spent the entire afternoon digging things up at the foot of the mountain—sure, he was a bit tired, but he wasn’t about to be blown over by a gust of wind.

Huo Duo'er replied calmly, “The wind’s strong. Go in and take cover.”

Yu Bai was prone to catching colds when exposed to wind. Now that it was picking up and looked serious, he weighed the situation and finally gave a small nod.

Inside the house were two stone stools. He sat down on one to catch his breath. Though his body felt somewhat tired, his spirits were still high.

Huo Duo'er brought him a bowl of freshly heated water. Yu Bai took it with both hands and slowly drank it all.

The wild chickens Huo Duo'er had hunted from the mountain were all penned up in a corner. They were making quite a ruckus. When Huo Duo'er stepped back outside and scared them, the noisy birds quickly fell silent again.

Yu Bai sat at the door like he was watching a show, dragging over a stone stool and settling down. While sorting through the melons and tubers he’d dug up that afternoon, he craned his neck to glance around the courtyard, keeping an eye on the commotion.

Wild chickens were hard to tame, so Huo Duo'er had tied their legs together. Then, with practiced efficiency, he carried over a few bundles of wood and stacked them underfoot, quickly fencing off two separate areas in the corner of the yard, herding the wild chickens into one section and the rabbits into the other.

With a nest of rabbits and a nest of chickens, the small yard seemed a bit crowded.

Yu Bai beamed. “We should go down by the river sometime and gather a few bundles of wild greens. Feed them a little each day.”

It was rare for orcs to tame or raise chickens and livestock; most would hunt them and eat them on the spot.

Huo Duo'er responded with a nod, washed his hands, cleaned out the stone pot, and began preparing to light the fire.

They were having boar meat again that evening. Yu Bai had saved a piece of smoked meat earlier, and now they were finishing it off before it spoiled. Afterward, they'd start using the poultry they’d saved up.

He picked up four or five muddy wild potatoes and headed toward the stove. At that moment, he didn’t notice a few vine roots lying on the ground and almost tripped straight into the stove.

Huo Duo'er reacted instantly, catching him just in time, one hand braced under Yu Bai’s arm.

“Bai, are you alright? Did you hit anything?”

Yu Bai, still a bit shaken, said, “N-no, I’m fine.”

Huo Duo'er steadied him, then bent his knees into a slight squat and gently brushed off the ash that had clung to the hem of Yu Bai’s coarse robe.

Yu Bai’s heart felt as if it had been warmed by hot water. He mumbled softly, “I really didn’t bump into anything.”

He raised a slender finger as if to reassure him, his expression bashful. When he smiled, faint dimples appeared at the corners of his mouth.

“It’s just the wild potatoes that fell to the ground,” he added, tone tinged with a bit of distress.

Huo Duo'er quickly gathered the potatoes back up, and Yu Bai followed closely behind him. “We can roast them in the embers. If dinner’s not enough, they’ll make a good late-night snack.”

He gave another little laugh after saying that, but then noticed Huo Duo'er watching him intently. Instinctively, Yu Bai turned his face away, lowering his gaze to the floor.

Huo Duo'er’s eyes softened.

“It’s cold outside. Go back in and stay warm.”

Yu Bai’s nose turned red and itchy the moment the wind hit, so he didn’t argue. Rubbing his nose, he headed back into the house.

As night deepened, Huo Duo'er took on all the heavy chores and physical labor. Yu Bai wasn’t idle either, he gave the entire house a thorough cleaning.

Huo Duo'er’s stone bed was far too hard, with only a layer of straw matting. Now that the weather was getting colder, Yu Bai added an old animal-fur blanket on top. He dug out a bone needle and carefully mended everything that needed fixing.

A warm fire lit up the stone house. Huo Duo'er came in, crouching slightly as he carried a steaming pot of meat broth. In the flickering firelight, Yu Bai was stitching the animal blanket with a bone needle, and beside him lay a newly made pig-bristle toothbrush.

“Bai,” Huo Duo'er called.

“Coming...” Yu Bai rubbed his eyes and set down the needle.

Huo Duo'er paused, then added a few more sticks of firewood to make the room brighter.

“No need to save on firewood. If we run out, I’ll just go out and get more.”

Yu Bai responded obediently, “It’s okay, it’s just for a little while.”

“I used the pig bristles A’Jiao gave me to make you a toothbrush. Try it when you have time.”

As he spoke, Yu Bai rubbed his hands together for warmth and took the steaming bowl of soup that Huo Duo'er handed him.

After a full meal and some hot water infused with medicinal herbs, the effects of the medicine began to kick in, and Yu Bai grew drowsy.

Huo Duo'er brought in a basin of freshly heated water.

Orcs didn’t typically wash up every night, but Huo Duo'er knew Yu Bai’s habits. He was always clean, carrying a subtle, pleasant scent on him.

“Huo Duo'er, how is it that you’ve got everything ready, every time?”

“It’s my duty to take care of you.”

Sub-females were naturally delicate. Yu Bai was even more fragile than most. Without an orc to look after him, it would be difficult for him to survive the winter.

On this early winter night, aside from the howling wind, everything around them was still and quiet.

Through the firelight, freshly washed and wrapped snugly in the animal-fur blanket, Yu Bai lay down and gazed toward the stone bed.

Coincidentally, the giant was looking right at him.

Yu Bai pulled the blanket up to cover his eyes, then, slowly, lowered it halfway again.

He realized that Huo Duo'er seemed to really enjoy looking at him. He didn’t dislike it, it just made him feel awkward. And there was something else too, something vague and hard to put into words.

Huo Duo'er was still watching…

Unable to hold his gaze, Yu Bai quietly turned over, hiding his burning ears beneath the covers as he drifted off to sleep.

—

By midday the next day, the sun finally broke through the clouds, casting a bit of warmth that chased away the damp chill.

Huo Duo'er had previously used the pancreas from several gray wolves, combined with egg yolk, to tan the wolf hides he’d skinned. After several days of airing, the leather was finally ready. He gathered it up to bring down to the river for a thorough rinse.

The wet wolf pelts were heavy and tough to wash. Yu Bai couldn’t be much help with that, so he simply headed back to the courtyard. Picking up a small hoe from the corner, he began to loosen the soil.

He wanted to enrich the land, get it ready for spring next year, so he could plant some vegetables and medicinal herbs.

Halfway through turning the soil, someone knocked at the gate and called out cheerfully, 

“Bai!”

Yu Bai turned his head and saw A’Li, his thick arms slung with a basket. The guy grinned as he grabbed something muddy from the basket and waved it in the air.

“Ginger?” Yu Bai asked, then quickly corrected himself, “Wait, why’d you dig up so many spicy roots?”

A’Li beamed. “My mother used those spicy roots to cook fish. Just like you said, it really cut down the fishy smell. It tasted way better than before! She told me to head over to the Chizu tribe and dig up a bunch more.”

As he finished, a flicker of frustration passed across A’Li’s face.

“I was just digging up some spicy roots, not looking for trouble, but those leopard orcs from the Chizu tribe surrounded me and nearly beat me up!”

Yu Bai was taken aback. “You weren’t hurt, were you?”

A’Li shook his head. “I just got scratched up a little. It’s nothing serious. I told them what the spicy roots were for, and as a trade, they let me go.”

He continued, “But I only told them that the spicy roots can be used for cooking meat. I didn’t tell them that they can be used in water to ward off the cold. Serves them right for being so aggressive and wanting to beat me up!”

“I’m glad you’re not hurt,” Yu Bai said, about to offer a few comforting words. But before he could speak further, A’Li handed him three or four handfuls of ginger roots.

“Bai, take these,” A’Li said.

Yu Bai had gotten only a small amount of ginger from his mother last time, so he didn’t hesitate.

“Thank you.”

“If it weren’t for you telling us about the spicy roots, we wouldn’t have known they were edible. If anyone should be thanked, it’s you. Bai, how do you know so much?” A’Li asked with a puzzled expression.

Yu Bai was taken aback by the question.

“I… that’s something the old orc taught me.”

He continued, “The old sub-female orc lived a lonely life, and many orcs didn’t pay him any mind, so he ended up studying many things on his own. Later, he shared all of it with me.”

The gray sheep elder had already passed away, so there was no way for A’Li to verify the truth of Yu Bai’s words. But he believed it quickly enough.

After chatting for a moment, A’Li glanced around hesitantly, his tone revealing a bit of uncertainty.

“Is the giant not here?”

Yu Bai’s eyes curved into a smile. “He’s down by the river washing wolf pelts. He hunted a few wolves last time and brought back several skins.”

A’Li: “...”

A’Li just stared at Yu Bai’s smile, momentarily dazed, his throat dry and thirsty.

Yu Bai noticed the silence and let his smile fade. “What’s wrong?”

A’Li clenched his fist, as though making up his mind, then gathered his courage to ask.

“Bai, with how that male orc is taking care of you… are you… planning to form a bond with him?”

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