Chapter 34: Not a Cherry Tomato?

Dogri hoisted the remaining reeds onto his shoulder, while Mutong stayed by the river to wash the changed clothes and keep watch over the konjac root that had yet to be moved. The two brothers finished carrying all the reed stalks, but there were still many konjac roots by the shore, so they had to make another trip.

Before long, the brothers returned again. This time, besides A Yu carrying a basket on his back, Dogri also had one strapped to him—borrowed from Aku. Each member of the group greeting Mutong had their own basket, so Dogri borrowed one from Aku to carry more konjac roots.

With both baskets filled and several large konjac roots held in their arms, all the konjac was finally transported. Mutong followed behind the brothers, carrying her freshly washed clothes, as they walked back to the tribe.

Aku was waiting at A Yu’s doorstep and, upon seeing the three return, happily ran up: “Divine Envoy, A Yu said you found something edible again, right?”

Mutong glanced at A Yu: that guy sure has a quick tongue! But she hadn’t intended to hide anything from the tribe, so since Aku asked, she told the truth: “Yes, it’s called konjac, but it can’t be eaten raw; it needs to be processed first.”

Aku looked at the konjac with hope: “I heard this is the root of a wild grass pulled from the riverbank? I never thought something we see every day could be edible.”

“I heard it can’t be eaten raw. When you process the konjac, can my mother watch?”

“Of course.” It was no big deal, and Mutong agreed immediately. The tribe already regarded her as some kind of divine envoy. Even if she didn’t teach them, they would pester her anyway, so it was better to be straightforward. Besides, if the primitive people lived a little better, she herself would be more at ease. After all, she didn’t know how long she would stay here.

Aku took back the basket, joyfully heading home: “Early tomorrow morning, I’ll take my mother and father to gather that konjac by the river. When the Divine Envoy processes the konjac, I’ll have my mother learn alongside. Oh, and we need to cut some reeds too. Seeing how much A Yu carried back, I guess the Divine Envoy said they have some special use.”

After Aku told his parents, they agreed wholeheartedly: Following the Divine Envoy’s guidance would surely be right. As for Aku, he would join the hunting party as usual.

Mutong hung her washed clothes over the wooden fence outside the door: “Sigh, there isn’t even a single clothesline. Tomorrow I must find some sturdy vines to make one for drying clothes.”

Inside her small hut, Mutong saw the bed linens dirtied to a gray-black color and sighed inwardly. Seeing A Yu and Dogri in another room and not by the door, she hurriedly put the dirty items away and then took out identical clean bed linens she had brought from the big city, laying them out anew.

These linens were all collected from the large marketplace—many exactly alike—so Mutong had no fear of exposure. The room was so dark that even if someone came in, they wouldn’t see clearly. As for the dirty linens, she would find a chance to wash them later.

Lying on the bed, Mutong exhaled deeply. After a whole day’s work, she could finally rest. This was her first day in this strange world, her first day in the primitive tribe, and somehow she had become the tribe’s divine envoy?

The blood bead from Shen Kai, after merging into A Yu’s body, had shown no further reaction, leaving Mutong uncertain about what to do next. At this point, she could only take it one step at a time.

Gradually, sleepiness crept over her. Without spiritual energy to sustain her, her body grew very drowsy. Mutong finally closed her eyes and slipped into sleep.

In a hazy dream, her entire body began to burn with heat, an unfamiliar sensation rising from her lower abdomen and spreading throughout. This feeling was not unknown—after all, she had been with Shen Kai for so long; it was too familiar.

Yet, under the current circumstances, how could she have such a sensation? Drowsy but startled, Mutong awoke, feeling the intense heat coursing through her. The uncontrollable emotion made her wonder: how could this be?

An arm wrapped around her waist, bringing a faint coolness that startled her anew: “Who?”

“It’s me, Tong,” came a gentle voice, as tender as when they first met—Kai.

“Kai? A Kai?” Mutong turned, and those eyes, soft and deep like the sea, could only belong to Shen Kai.

“Give me you!” Shen Kai pulled Mutong close, pressing a deep kiss on her long-missed lips: still so alluring, still making his heart race…

The night was deep and enchanting.

Dawn’s light spilled into the grass hut, illuminating two entwined figures.

“Who are you?” Mutong, now fully awake, looked up to see eyes full of laughter. The features were unmistakably Shen Kai’s, and just last night they had been so inseparable. Yet, why did she feel this was not really Shen Kai?

“I’m A Yu,” A Yu said, puzzled by Mutong’s blank expression. They had been so intimate last night—why was she acting as if she didn’t recognize him? Was she just shy?

Mutong said nothing. Was last night truly Shen Kai, or was it A Yu before her eyes? She had seen Shen Kai and heard his sweet words they had shared in intimacy before. But when she opened her eyes just now, the man before her carried a distinctly different aura.

Could it be Shen Kai last night but A Yu this morning? What was going on with Kai? Wasn’t this supposed to be possession? How could he appear and vanish at will? Was this possession a success or a failure?

Seeing Mutong stunned, A Yu pulled her tightly into his chest and bent down to kiss her again.

“No…” Mutong had no idea who the person before her really was, so how could she be intimate with him again? Unfortunately, he was as strong as an ox. Even though she had martial training and had conditioned her body, she was no match for his strength.

Feeling wave after wave of passionate kisses, the familiar sensation linked to Shen Kai rose again. This made Mutong feel very strange: though there were two men, sometimes she felt it was Shen Kai, sometimes A Yu—had they merged into one? The thought sent a chill down her spine; it was simply unbelievable.

Also, why had she been uncontrollably aroused last night, as if under the influence of some aphrodisiac?

Mutong turned her face away from the lips—whether A Yu or Shen Kai she could not tell—and asked, “Why last night? I mean, why did I feel so hot all over for no reason?”

“Last night?” A Yu’s thoughts oddly synchronized with hers. “That was because we ate the Lover’s Fruit given by the shaman. Not everyone in the tribe gets a share of this fruit—only those favored by the shaman. The Lover’s Fruit naturally makes lovers more affectionate, blending their hearts and bodies.”

“That’s not a tomato, is it?” Knowing that last night’s fruit acted like an aphrodisiac, Mutong’s heart surged with emotion: she had known this broken place wouldn’t have a single thing like on Earth! How deceitful!