226: Chapter 226 His leg rested on his thigh

"Don't be afraid, I'm right in front of you."

"Mhm, okay."

Jin Yi didn't say anything else and continued walking forward.

But before long, Bai Wanwan called out to him again from behind.

Jin Yi's voice drifted back once more, soothing Bai Wanwan's heart.

Bai Wanwan gave an embarrassed chuckle. "I just wanted to make sure you were still there."

After speaking, she continued waving her hands, feeling her way forward.

Several times, she even touched Jin Yi's back.

The rock-hard muscles caused her palm to bounce back slightly upon impact.

After this happened a few times, when Bai Wanwan called out "Jin Yi" again, a pair of hot, dry hands grasped hers.

"Let's go."

At this, Bai Wanwan's heart finally found an anchor, no longer feeling like a lonely boat on a vast ocean.

She knew that as long as she held onto him, she could follow him out of this dark place.

For a while, both remained silent, with only the warmth from their palms conveying each other's presence, letting them know they weren't walking alone in the darkness—there was another person silently accompanying them.

After a very long time, Bai Wanwan's legs and feet grew sore, yet the surroundings remained unchanged—pitch black, without a sliver of light.

"Jin Yi, how much longer do we have to walk?"

Jin Yi hesitated. If he were walking alone, he might arrive in half a day, but with a Female, it would likely take at least two days.

Many parts of the Cave were too narrow, making it inconvenient to carry a Female on his back.

"I estimate it will take two days."

Two days...

Fine.

She would grit her teeth and endure it.

She had to stay safe and survive in one piece.

Zhu Xiu, Xin Feng, and Yan Lie... they would definitely be fine too!

Bai Wanwan persevered for another long distance, but the path inside the Cave was particularly difficult to traverse.

It rose and fell, the ground uneven and full of potholes; she twisted her ankle several times.

However, the sprains weren't serious, just minor strains, so she didn't mention them and continued to keep pace with Jin Yi.

Eventually, she was relying purely on willpower, her legs lifting and falling mechanically.

The pain from the strains became increasingly obvious.

Jin Yi noticed her breathing was off and immediately stopped. "What's wrong?"

Bai Wanwan was so tired her mouth was parched. "It's... nothing."

In the darkness, a Male's vision was much better than a Female's; he could faintly see Bai Wanwan's pretty brows furrowed.

She was lying to him!

"There's still a long distance ahead. If anything happens, you must tell me immediately..."

The pain in her ankle reminded Bai Wanwan that it was actually unwise to continue walking with such intensity.

She hesitated for a moment. "How about... we stop and rest for a bit?"

Jin Yi didn't hesitate. "Alright. If you feel unwell, you can tell me directly. There's no need to rush. If we go slower, perhaps the beast tide will have completely subsided by the time we get out."

Bai Wanwan sat down against the wall, panting. "You're right. It's nothing serious, just that I've been walking for so long, I've strained my foot a bit. Just wait for me to recover a little."

She was also very tired and thirsty.

She took water and meat from her system space, kept some for herself, and handed the rest to Jin Yi. "Take this chance to rest and eat something to regain your strength."

Bai Wanwan knew Jin Yi ate quickly, so she also sped up her eating pace.

She knew in her heart that the Male before her was being polite to her because of the Clan Leader's orders.

But that didn't mean he had to constantly accommodate her, so she didn't want to become a burden and make him annoyed.

She had to go back alive; her Beast Husbands would surely be waiting for her.

Just as Jin Yi finished eating, he heard the Female beside him say, "I'm done eating. I'm fine now, we can set off."

Jin Yi's brows furrowed. That distance just now was nothing to a Male, but for a Female, it must have exhausted her strength.

Not to mention she had just said her foot was strained.

She even deliberately sped up her eating.

Was she that afraid of causing him trouble?

Jin Yi pursed his lips, his golden eyes locked onto Bai Wanwan's face in the dark.

"Even though I'm not your Beast Husband, I still have... this much patience for a Female."

Bai Wanwan's movement to stand up paused.

She knew Jin Yi had seen through her thoughts, so she didn't hide them. "I don't want to cause you any more trouble."

Jin Yi looked at her. "You aren't troubling me. You can kill mountain cats on your own, and you can even provide me with food..."

She had walked for so long and injured her leg without even complaining of being tired.

Since he said so, Bai Wanwan sat back down, trying to relax her body as much as possible to rest and conserve her strength.

After resting for about half an hour, Bai Wanwan's legs were still sore, but she felt much of her exhaustion had dissipated.

"Jin Yi, I'm ready."

Jin Yi had been sitting silently by her side waiting, without uttering a single word to rush her.

Bai Wanwan's heart was filled with gratitude toward him.

She admitted that when she first heard the name of the Young Chief of the Golden Lion Tribe from Zhuo Ling, she thought he was just a sucker being manipulated by Females.

He didn't seem very bright.

But after spending time together, she discovered that the real Jin Yi was a completely different Male from the one she had first heard about from Zhuo Ling.

"Then let's go..."

As he spoke, Jin Yi bent his long legs and crouched in front of her.

Bai Wanwan was about to take a step when her foot kicked his back. She quickly reached out to feel, only to touch his broad shoulders.

"Jin Yi?"

She was suspicious; hadn't they said they were leaving? Why was he still sitting there without moving?

"Your foot is injured. Get on, I'll carry you."

"I've rested for a bit, it's much better..."

Before she could finish, Jin Yi spoke again, "Get on. We can only feel at ease once we return to the Tribe earlier. Once the beast tide recedes, I can also take some Males to help you look for your Beast Husbands..."

A warm body pressed against his back. Jin Yi stiffened, knowing his last sentence had worked.

He exerted a little force and stood up from the ground.

The Female was petite; even in the narrow Cave, it wasn't cramped with him carrying her.

Without having to slow down to match the Female's pace, Jin Yi's steps noticeably quickened.

Bai Wanwan was jostled into a drowse and eventually drifted off to sleep.

When she woke up again, it was still pitch black when she opened her eyes.

As her consciousness returned, she remembered she was on Jin Yi's back, but the place her palms touched was hard.

"Awake?"

Jin Yi's figure was not far away by her side.

Hearing the familiar voice, Bai Wanwan breathed a sigh of relief.

She propped herself up with her arms and sat up slowly, about to ask a question.

Jin Yi spoke up first: "Further out is the Underground River mouth closest to the Tribe. But the situation tonight is unclear, so I plan to rest for the night. We'll return to the Tribe tomorrow morning."

It was already late outside, and he had a Female with him; there was no need to take that risk.

"Alright. Are you hungry? I'll give you some food."

Bai Wanwan handed him the food, having no appetite herself.

She rolled over and closed her eyes again.

Jin Yi hadn't expected that after saying only two sentences to him, Bai Wanwan would actually roll over and fall back asleep.

Jin Yi, on the other hand, had no desire to sleep. Even if he were tired, he couldn't sleep; he had to protect the Female's safety.

He leaned against the Cliff wall and quietly listened to the Female's soft breathing beside him, sitting there until dawn.

When the first ray of morning sunlight spilled in, the Female in the dimness murmured something and rolled over, her slender arm resting on his thigh...