She picked up a fish, weighing it in her hand, feeling its solid weight.
It should be enough to last her several days.
Grabbing the bone knife that Mo Lin had tossed by the riverbank, she skillfully cleaned the fish and then carried several with her, ready to head back.
She caught sight of a set of washing and bathing supplies left on the shore and bent down to tuck them under her arm.
She didn't roast the fish by the river.
If Mo Lin saw her lingering too long, he might think she was deliberately trying to seduce him—and that would only make him dislike her more.
And then it would be even harder to win him over.
Su Xiyue first returned the washing set to the cave.
By now, Ye Ling had already left—she didn't even notice when.
Surprisingly, she felt a sense of relief. She didn't want to face that cold expression, and she was afraid the man might even kill her.
Thinking about the kick she had given earlier, she felt a bit guilty—not sure if there would be consequences.
After putting the washing supplies down, she carried the fish and left the cave.
She remembered there was a small valley near the tribe that hardly anyone visited, and no wild beasts roamed there. She planned to go there to roast the fish.
It was a rather secluded spot—the original owner would come here alone whenever she felt down.
Following her memory, she reached the valley, overgrown with weeds. Huge trees surrounded the area—each so wide that it took five or six people to wrap their arms around the trunk. The shade blocked out the sunlight, making the place quite cool.
A perfect spot for roasting fish.
Without a lighter, she had to make fire the old-fashioned way—by friction.
Actually, the tribal square had a bonfire pit.
Every night, men, women, and children of the tribe would gather to roast meat, singing and dancing merrily.
But she didn't want to go there now.
After some effort, the fire finally caught.
Watching the flames flicker, Su Xiyue skewered the cleaned fish on sharpened sticks and placed them over the fire to roast slowly.
As the flames grew, the fish sizzled, filling the air with a rich aroma.
Her mouth watered, making her even hungrier.
Though she had no seasoning, the fish was fresh and pure, unpolluted by the apocalypse. Roasted until crispy and fragrant, it tasted incredible.
In this post-apocalyptic world, finding unpolluted fish was like winning the lottery.
Not just fish—shrimp and various seafood were all nearly impossible to find uncontaminated.
Everything to eat, wear, or use was either polluted or infected by viruses—completely unusable.
Su Xiyue sighed helplessly, savoring the delicious taste.
Before long, she finished one fish but wasn't even half full. She barely stuffed herself and went back to roast a second.
After eating three large fish, she finally felt somewhat full.
The original owner's appetite was extraordinary—no wonder she was so overweight; her stomach must've been stretched out.
But going hungry was even worse.
She wrapped the remaining fish in leaves to take back as breakfast for the next day.
As for tonight, she'd just stay hungry—consider it a diet.
By now, the sun was dipping westward. She extinguished the fire and got ready to leave.
Just as she took a few steps, suddenly someone dropped from the sky with a loud thud—right in front of her. The shock made her jump back instinctively.
Her eyes fell on the figure—a woman in a dress, the style typical of the post-apocalyptic era.
Lying face down, she revealed pale arms and white, flawless legs. One high heel was still on her foot; the other had flown off somewhere.
This outfit made Su Xiyue immediately understand who she was.
But… wasn't Chu Youyou supposed to have been brought back by Ye Ling? How did she appear like this—falling right at her feet?
Su Xiyue looked up at the sky—could someone really fall from that height without being killed?
She doubted it.
She approached and flipped the woman over. Her skin was quite fair, her features delicate—not beautiful but not ugly either, just an ordinary girl.
She looked about fresh out of college.
But in this beastly, rough, and dark world, she was a rare beauty.
Su Xiyue checked her breath—steady and even. The woman must have been knocked out but was alive.
Her mind tangled in indecision. Should she bring the woman back to the tribe, or just dump her far away?
Chu Youyou was the heroine. If she stayed in the tribe, all the beast men there—including the original owner's five mates—would revolve around her.
With Chu Youyou around, they would probably dislike Su Xiyue even more.
Though Su Xiyue wouldn't recklessly get herself killed like the original owner, she wouldn't allow any threats to exist.
Especially since her task was to win over those five beast mates—Chu Youyou could never be allowed to stay.
Decision made, she bent down, hoisted Chu Youyou onto her shoulders, and headed deep into the forest, planning to leave her far away.
Whether the woman lived or died was none of her concern.
After surviving so many years in this apocalypse, she had long learned to be cold and selfish—because it was the only way to survive.
The forest was dense, the trees so thick they blocked out the sky, with only small patches of sunlight filtering through the leaves.
She deliberately walked far, fearing Ye Ling might find her and bring her back.
Actually, killing her would have been safer, but deep down, her conscience wouldn't allow it.
She found a hidden spot, far from the tribe and where no one usually hunted, and dropped Chu Youyou onto the ground.
"You're on your own," Su Xiyue said coldly.
Seeing that the sky was getting dark and not daring to stay longer in the forest, she turned and left.
On the way back, she picked a lot of wild fruits and, with some luck, found a nest with eight bird eggs.
She also discovered plenty of wild vegetables but didn't dare pick any—too afraid a wild beast might jump out from the shadows as night fell.
Planning to come back tomorrow to gather more—and to check whether Chu Youyou was dead or alive, or still around here.
By the time she returned to the tribe, night had fully fallen.
The bonfire in the tribal square blazed brightly, lighting up the surroundings and driving away the chill of the night.
Men, women, and children gathered around the fire, roasting meat, chatting, and laughing—it was lively and festive.
Just as she was about to walk over, Mia spotted her and paused briefly before approaching.
Mia was the most beautiful female in the tribe—fiery curves, an open personality, and seven beast mates, all among the tribe's finest warriors.
But she wasn't satisfied; she still coveted the original owner's mates.
Especially Ye Ling and Mo Lin, whom she particularly despised the original owner for, often causing trouble for her.
Su Xiyue saw Mia coming and didn't even need to guess what was coming—just some mocking and degrading words.
"Su Xiyue, everyone knows you slipped the love-fruit to Ye Ling today. You're shameless! Ye Ling doesn't even like you, yet you have to use such dirty tricks," Mia said, her voice dripping with disdain and ridicule.
Her voice was loud enough for nearby people to hear, and many turned their eyes toward them, expressions full of contempt and disgust.
Su Xiyue paid no mind to the stares, looking at Mia calmly. "And? What's it to you?"
Mia was infuriated by Su Xiyue's indifferent tone, her face quickly darkening.
Then, catching sight of the wild fruits and bird eggs in her hands, she sneered, "Pathetic. A female who has to scavenge for food herself. If I were you, I'd have smashed my own head in by now."
Laughter erupted around them instantly.