| GB | First Time | 5
The room was quiet, and Yu Bai instinctively held his breath and concentrated.
His heartbeat quickened, his long eyelashes trembled up and down, and his round eyes stared at the giant.
He stayed silent for a while, not saying a word.
The giant had been lying there for less than half a month. His facial features were completely hidden by the messy hair and the beard that had grown, but his cold, indifferent gray-white eyes stared directly at Yu Bai.
After a moment, Yu Bai's thoughts stirred slightly.
He kept his gaze fixed on the giant's unmoving gray eyes and gently moved his slender, pale fingers. The giant showed no reaction.
Yu Bai quickly drew a conclusion: the giant was blind.
After confirming that the giant orc had no intention to attack him, Yu Bai swallowed and suppressed his racing heartbeat, saying, "I saved you."
Then he glanced at the arm covered in patterns and said, "Let go of me."
Although the giant orc before him was injured, the strength in his hands was no joke.
When he was released, Yu Bai looked at his wrist and saw a clear red mark on his skin.
Had he not spoken up in time, his wrist might have been broken by the orc.
He unexpectedly arrived in the wilderness continent, and the first orc he encountered was a kind and gentle old gray sheep orc.
Over the course of more than two months, he gradually interacted with more orcs.
Aside from the warm and friendly A’Li, the other orcs would occasionally look at him with disdain, but none of them had ever used their strength to harm him.
Yu Bai rubbed his aching wrist, deeply aware of the vast difference in strength between himself and the orcs.
Even if these orcs were injured, subduing him would be a piece of cake.
He remained somewhat cautious, walking over to stand behind the door.
The giant orc glanced sideways at him, listening to his movements, and seemed to have figured out his movement.
In a low, deep voice, the giant orc spoke: "I didn’t mean to hurt you."
Then he added, "Thank you for saving me."
The giant orc half-raised his upper body. His shoulders, abdomen, and thighs were all injured. As soon as he moved, it immediately pulled at his wounds, and he let out a low grunt of pain.
Yu Bai: "......"
Out of goodwill, he gently reminded him, "Your wounds haven't fully healed. It's best not to move around too much."
The giant orc insisted on getting up, and Yu Bai hesitated for a moment before going over to help him.
"If you want something, just say it. If your wounds tear open, you'll start bleeding again."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Bai's eyes widened, staring directly at the half-sitting giant orc. He fell silent.
He felt an overwhelming pressure and instinctively took several steps back.
The orc in front of him was from the giant tribe. A few days ago, he had been unconscious on the stone bed, and Yu Bai hadn't felt much at the time.
Now, just watching him sit up, the physical pressure from the giant orc's imposing stature instantly made Yu Bai feel a sense of fear.
If this giant stood up, how tall would he be?
Yu Bai's mind felt a little chaotic, not yet processing everything, when he heard the giant orc speak.
"Where am I?"
Yu Bai: "……The edge of the Yan tribe's territory."
The tribe was home to several different orc clans. Yu Bai had occasionally heard A’Li mention them, but he hadn't heard of any giant tribe living nearby.
Though he was curious about the giant tribe, Yu Bai didn't ask further.
The giant orc spoke again, his tone cold and detached.
"What day is it?"
Yu Bai: "Autumn is nearly over. It's just past dawn."
He studied the giant orc's dark, lifeless eyes, which clearly confirmed his suspicion.
The giant orc was indeed blind.
Yu Bai had always been sickly, and whether in the modern world or the wilderness, he had rarely interacted with others. While still thinking about how to phrase his response, he heard the giant orc speak again.
"My name is Huo Duo’er."
Yu Bai was momentarily stunned. The orc telling him his name—did this mean the danger had passed?
He quietly responded, "My name is Yu Bai."
A heavy silence hung in the air.
It wasn't until a cold draft slipped through the crack in the door that Yu Bai shivered, startled.
He had been so focused on avoiding the giant orc that he hadn't fully dressed himself, and now he was rubbing his nose, which had become itchy from the cold, sneezing several times.
Yu Bai hurried back to his small wooden bed, picking up the unfinished hempen robe he had left behind.
Though Huo Duo’er was blind, his hearing was exceptionally sharp.
He tilted his head slightly, listening closely to Yu Bai's movements.
Yu Bai picked up two unevenly fired clay bowls from the stone, then lifted the lid off the stone pot that had been left on the coals.
Inside the pot was warm water that had been heated through the night, still at the perfect temperature to drink.
He poured half a bowl of water and drank slowly. Once his throat wasn't so dry, his gaze shifted and he continued to study the unmoving giant orc.
He hesitated for a moment, then gently held the other bowl of water out toward the giant orc.
"......Would you like some?"
Seeing the giant orc open his fingers, Yu Bai carefully placed the bowl in his hand and softly reminded him, "The water's not too hot. You can drink it now."
Huo Duo’er silently drank the water.
Although his sight was swallowed by endless dimness, he could roughly make out the shape of his host from the sounds he heard and the way he could discern the air around him.
The host was a sub-female, and they seemed quite young.
He slowed his movements, nodding slightly.
Yu Bai watched the giant orc finish the water and then took the clay bowl back.
He didn't have much experience in conversation, so he stared at the muddy ground for a while before quietly observing the sharp and calm eyes hidden beneath the giant orc's messy black hair.
He licked his lips nervously. "Your... injuries haven't fully healed. It's best to lie down and rest more."
"I'll go prepare some food."
With that, he moved his gaze away from the orc's eyes and landed on the intricate tattoos on his arm.
Huo Duo’er nodded again, very lightly. Yu Bai smiled faintly and turned to leave.
—
The morning light was gentle. Yu Bai went to the riverbank to fetch some water.
Just as Yu Bai stepped outside the door, he saw A’Li running from a distance, his brown beast ears flicking up and down.
"Bai!"
Yu Bai gave a faint smile. "What brings you here so early?"
A’Li grinned widely. "My mother took the medicine you gave her last time, and her illness is completely gone. She ate the roast meat and flatbread you made yesterday and said it was delicious!"
"Bai, you're amazing. How come you can do everything?"
Yu Bai, who was usually reserved by nature, felt his ears turn red at A’Li's enthusiastic praise.
"It's nothing complicated. If you like it, I'll make more jam in a couple of days and send it to you."
A’Li licked his lips hungrily. "Then I'll go gather two bundles of firewood and some fruit for you today!"
After saying this, he handed Yu Bai a jar of pink beans.
"My mother said we can't just take your things without giving anything in return. We have a lot of beans stored up, so I brought some for you."
Yu Bai didn't refuse. His own stock of pink beans was almost gone, so he accepted A’Li's kind gesture for now, planning to find an opportunity to repay him next time.
A'Li stood outside and chatted with Yu Bai for a while before quickly joining the other male orcs to go out and work.
Yu Bai still needed to prepare breakfast. He cooked a pot of pink beans, washed some vegetables, and cut a piece of meat.
He used a small portion of the meat to stir-fry with the vegetables, while most of it was set aside for roasting. Afterward, he sliced some fruit and brought it into the room.
He poured the stir-fried meat and its sauce over the pink beans and mixed it together. Then, he took a spoonful of fruit jam, spread it on one side of the roasted meat, and handed it to the giant orc who had been leaning motionless against the stone bed.
"I was worried you might not be full, so I roasted a piece of meat. The jam on it can help cut through the richness and provide some vitamins."
Yu Bai quietly added, "Sick people should eat something lighter."
Huo Duo'er’s gaze grew dim, his tone filled with confusion. "Vitamins..."
Yu Bai nodded. "Vitamins."
His voice was still soft, carrying a hint of awkwardness and bashfulness as he struggled to find the right words.
"You can eat more vegetables and fruits; they help with your recovery."
Huo Duo'er asked, "Are you a witch doctor?"
Yu Bai quickly shook his head. "No."
He thought for a moment before continuing, "The old gray sheep orc who used to live here might have been a witch doctor. He was the one who saved me."
The old gray sheep orc, being elderly and a sub-female, wasn't well-liked by the other orcs. He lived alone in this dilapidated stone house, spending his days tending to herbs or climbing to the mountains behind to bask in the sun.
Thinking of the old orc, Yu Bai couldn't help but recall his mother and grandfather from the modern world.
His mood dropped, and after a while, he started to feel a sense of suffocation.
Huo Duo'er tilted his head slightly, concerned. "Bai, what's wrong?"
Yu Bai covered his neck and took a few deep breaths. He felt around in his pocket and expertly pulled out a small packet of herbs.
He placed a few herb leaves in his mouth and chewed until the taste seeped through, then kept it in his mouth.
The herbal flavor spread down his throat and into his internal organs. After a while, his heart palpitations and shortness of breath gradually subsided.
In a hoarse voice, Yu Bai spoke, "I'm fine."
He didn't want to elaborate further, so Huo Duo'er didn't press the matter.
—
The cold morning mist slowly dissipated as the day began to warm up.
The leaves Yu Bai had brought back last time had been drying for a few days. He had planned to patch up the roof with some of the wood and cover the gaps before noon.
But after taking the medicine, he felt exhausted. Now, his energy was low, and all he wanted to do was sleep.
Yu Bai sniffled and carried the remaining herbs outside to continue drying. Afterward, he returned to his small bed, lifted the orc bedding, and lay down inside.
He turned his head to glance at the giant orc, who remained sitting motionless. "I'm going to take a nap. If any part of your injury hurts, you can wake me up."
There was a deep, calm response, "Okay."
Yu Bai wanted to say something else, but his eyelids felt incredibly heavy. Before he could get the words out, he was quickly pulled into darkness and fell asleep.
—
Yu Bai woke up just after midday. The sun was tilting toward the west, casting heat that dried and scorched the soil in the yard.
He was sweating, so he turned his back to remove the outermost hempen robe and quietly walked into the yard.
On one side of the wall, there were two large bundles of firewood and a pile of fruit that A'Li had sent over.
Yu Bai looked around but didn’t see him, so he picked up the firewood and stacked it in the corner.
Inside the house, the giant orc's voice called out, "Bai."
Yu Bai asked, "Did I wake you up?"
Huo Duo'er shook his head, bracing himself with one arm to sit up. "Are you going out?"
Yu Bai said, "I'm going to the river to wash the fruit and beans. Later, I'll make some jam and grind the beans into powder."
Huo Duo'er asked, "Is your body feeling better?"
Yu Bai replied, "I feel much better after a nap."
Before leaving, Yu Bai poured a bowl of water for Huo Duo'er. Out of curiosity, he quietly glanced at the giant orc's left arm again.
Upon closer inspection, Yu Bai noticed that the intricate patterns were likely some sort of totem. The complex designs almost entirely wrapped around the giant orc's left arm. Yu Bai stared at it, his body instinctively leaning closer toward him.
His gaze traveled from the giant orc's shoulder down to the clearly defined, muscular build, briefly passing over areas covered by the bedding, with his gaze catching a glimpse of the dark, coiled hair on the giant orc's stomach…
Yu Bai, having been sick and frail in the past, had never clearly seen such a strong and powerful body. He was filled with both surprise and admiration, and for a long moment, he didn't speak.
—
The faint, warm scent of herbs lingered in the air, but Huo Duo'er remained still.
A faint gray shadow appeared in front of him, leaning toward him. The sub-female seemed to be curious about the totem on his arm.
Huo Duo'er remained silent.
He guessed that this young sub-female must be shy by nature, and if he spoke now, it might disturb him.
It wasn't until Yu Bai lifted his head and realized he'd lost his composure that he quickly averted his gaze, feeling guilty.
"I... I’ll go wash things by the river now."
Huo Duo'er's tone remained steady. "Okay."
Yu Bai hurriedly left without wasting any more time. He needed to grind the beans and cook the jam before nightfall, and once the herbs were fully dried, he might even need to go to the tribe’s main city to find the priest.
He quickly stepped outside, but just before leaving, he turned around and caught a glimpse of the giant orc’s eyes, seemingly fixed in his direction, as if watching him leave.
Even though the giant orc couldn't see, the sensation of being "watched" still made his heart skip a beat.
Huo Duo'er called out, "Bai?"
Yu Bai quickly averted his gaze, and for the first time, he realized that the giant orc was not just about brute force and strength.
From Huo Duo'er, the seemingly cold and powerful giant orc, Yu Bai felt a calm and peaceful aura that contrasted sharply with his imposing exterior.
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