"Zhuoya, what are you doing?!" I asked.
"What's wrong?" Zhuoya replied indignantly. "Little Ye Gege and I are friends now. Isn't this how friends express affection?"
My mind was blown...
Who taught her this nonsense?
I was momentarily speechless, unsure how to explain things to Zhuoya.
Perhaps it was her years of surviving in the wild, lacking any concept of male-female relationships, that led her to such an outrageous act.
I couldn't be blunt, so I decided to guide her gently.
"Zhuoya, do you know the difference between boys and girls?"
Zhuoya nodded firmly. "I know! Boys pee standing up, and girls squat. That's how it was in my tribe."
I couldn't help but cover my face. Zhuoya was just too naive.
If she hadn't met me, I couldn't imagine what might have happened if she encountered someone else.
Sigh, but you have to take things one step at a time. A person's worldview can't change overnight.
I decided to properly teach her about gender differences. "Zhuoya, Gege will give you your first lesson. First, Gege is a boy, and you are a girl. You can't express liking me by kissing me directly, understand?"
Zhuoya shook her head, then obediently nodded and handed me a bowl of soup from the pot.
Well, seeing her expression, it was clear she didn't understand. I'd have to teach her slowly later.
After finishing the soup, I tried to stand up and walk to the cave entrance to look outside. But as soon as I got up, a tearing pain shot through my thigh.
Damn it!
I groaned and fell back to the ground.
Seeing this, Zhuoya rushed over to help me up and reached out to lift the animal hide I was wearing.
"Little Ye Gege, don't move. Your thigh is seriously injured. I just applied medicine to you yesterday. You need to rest for two days."
"Okay, I know. You don't need to look, the wound hasn't split open!"
I quickly stopped her. My lower body was only covered by a piece of animal hide. If she lifted it, I'd be exposing myself in broad daylight.
Zhuoya, seeing me holding her hand and preventing her from moving, suddenly had a realization. She rummaged around and pulled out a green jar filled with a grayish-brown ointment.
She smiled, "Grandma forgot to bring the medicine out earlier."
Fearing Zhuoya might do something even more surprising, I quickly took the medicine from her and said, "Zhuoya, go find me a pair of trousers. I'm clear-headed now and can apply the medicine myself."
As I smeared the ointment on my thigh, I felt a sense of urgency.
I wondered how Shangguan Yao and the others were doing. I couldn't return anytime soon, and it would be terrible if they encountered any savages!
Despite my burning anxiety, I had to wait for the wound to heal.
So, I spent the next period recovering in Zhuoya's cave.
During this time, Zhuoya and I got along very well. She would often pester me to tell her about the outside world. In return, I learned about the island from her.
Just like that, after two full days, my injury had mostly healed.
Impatiently, I went to the cave entrance, eager to return to Shangguan Yao and the others.
Only then did I realize that the cave entrance was on a cliff!
Below me was a bottomless abyss!
The thin mist obscured my vision, and I could only vaguely see what looked like a rushing river far below.
Zhuoya actually lived high up on this precipice!
Was this even a place humans could reach?!
Just looking down into the abyss made my legs tremble, and I quickly took a few steps back.
"Little Wei Gege, why are you standing at the cave entrance?"
Zhuoya walked up behind me and reached the cave entrance. Suddenly, she exclaimed, "Oh, it's my fault, I have such a bad memory. I'll take you out now."
I felt a pang of unease, but maintained a calm demeanor on the surface.
"Zhuoya, you've chosen a great spot. But... how do we get out?"
Zhuoya chuckled and felt along the cave wall outside the cave. In no time, she found a simple rope ladder made of vines!
"My mother told me about this place. If I hadn't needed to hide from people in the tribe, I wouldn't have settled here."
Saying that, Zhuoya steadily climbed onto the rope ladder and reached out her hand to me.
I swallowed hard. Ascend this high through a rope ladder?
If I slipped, wouldn't I be pulverized?
But seeing Zhuoya's nonchalant expression, I gritted my teeth and also climbed onto the rope ladder.
If a girl like Zhuoya could do it, how could I, a man, back down!
I had no idea how this rope ladder was woven. It looked incredibly old and fragile from the outside, as if it would break at any moment. But when I actually grabbed it, I found it to be exceptionally sturdy.
I followed Zhuoya, climbing up inch by inch.
If given the choice, I would have gladly fought savages again rather than engage in such a thrilling, high-altitude activity.
Though Zhuoya's cave was only tens of meters below the summit, it felt like an eternity to me.
On this abyss, with every movement, I felt as if a thousand pounds of gravity were pulling me down. Birds occasionally flew past behind me, startling me and making me break out in a cold sweat.
Finally, Zhuoya and I reached the mountaintop. I sat on the ground, gasping for breath, my clothes soaked in sweat.
I silently gave Zhuoya a thumbs-up. You're a true warrior, Zhuoya!
Zhuoya, not understanding my gesture, smiled and returned the thumbs-up.
After resting for a while on the mountaintop, I oriented myself and led Zhuoya back towards our cave.
Fortunately, Zhuoya's cave was not far from where we were originally. We soon arrived.
Along the way, a nagging premonition filled me. I had been missing for two whole days. Had something happened to Shangguan Yao and the others in my absence?
As soon as I entered the cave, the scene before me sent my heart into disarray!