Of course, Lu Xi'an didn't fire. Knowing how poor his aim was, he didn't want to waste bullets, or reveal his true abilities in front of Yao Wei.
He only wanted to demonstrate what to do.
But Yao Wei didn't pick up a gun. Instead, she held Lu Xi'an back, telling him not to act rashly.
Then Lu Xi'an saw Yao Wei duck down, spring forward, and dart from the front seat to the back. She turned around and rummaged briefly in the trunk, then pulled out a bow.
It must have been hidden under something. Lu Xi'an hadn't seen it earlier.
The bow had a sight window and an arrow rest. Its blend of industrial and traditional craftsmanship gave it a sturdy, reliable look, as if it would be easy to use.
It seemed to be an American Hunting Bow.
Was that how archery had developed in this world? He wondered whether this world had Compound Bows or Recurve Bows.
Yao Wei used her other hand to pull out a quiver full of arrows.
She said to Lu Xi'an, "Use this. It's safer."
By safer, she meant that it wouldn't make noise and attract the attention of whatever unknown dangers might be nearby.
Lu Xi'an immediately put his gun away and said, "You do it."
Yao Wei stayed in the back seat and rolled down the window.
She didn't open the door and get out, afraid of startling the wild boar up ahead.
She took three arrows from the quiver. She held two of them between her teeth and one in her hand, then bent down and leaned her upper body out of the back seat, hooking her legs over the headrest at the top of the rear seatback to steady herself.
Damn, that was cool!
Lu Xi'an marveled inwardly. He wanted to try that move, too.
He couldn't see Yao Wei draw and nock the arrow outside the car. All he could see were her hooked legs and bent back, taut with effort. Her clothes stretched tight over her body, showing off her long, smooth curves and rounded, powerful shape—healthy and beautiful.
"Whoosh—"
The arrow sliced through the air outside the car.
Lu Xi'an looked toward the sound. The arrow had struck the wild boar in the neck.
"Grunt—"
The boar let out a cry of pain, but it didn't fall. It turned and staggered away.
Blood seeped from its neck, though, and it couldn't run fast.
Yao Wei released her legs from the headrest, braced a hand against the window frame, then ducked and sprang, darting out of the car.
There was no need to stay quiet now, so Lu Xi'an got out, too. Turning around, he saw Yao Wei take an arrow from her mouth, draw and nock it again, then loose it with a "whoosh."
This arrow hit the boar's hind leg. It stumbled, then finally collapsed.
Yao Wei took the last arrow from her mouth, set it against the bowstring through the sight window, and walked slowly toward the boar.
Lu Xi'an followed. When they reached it, he saw that the boar had stopped breathing, and finally relaxed.
"Impressive."
He praised her.
Back at the gas station, Yao Wei had praised his dog like this. Now it was his turn to praise her.
Yao Wei didn't say anything. She simply retrieved the arrows in silence.
After pulling them out, she inspected them carefully to make sure they were all intact. Then, looking pleased, she went to the car, found a piece of cloth, and wiped the blood and flesh off the arrows.
But she kept her happiness to herself. She wouldn't show it to Lu Xi'an.
Lu Xi'an wasn't paying attention to her anyway.
The Mechanical Dog had changed back from a box into a dog and jumped out of the car. Lu Xi'an sent it over to inspect the boar's carcass. After confirming it was safe to eat, he asked Yao Wei, "Do you want to butcher it, or should I?"
"I'll do it."
Yao Wei was eager to help.
Lu Xi'an suspected she was afraid he'd poison the meat.
Fine by him. He had his dog, so he didn't need to worry about Yao Wei secretly poisoning him. He could leave the job to her.
"Then I'll build a cooking fire."
Lu Xi'an said.
He thought for a moment, then asked, "Should we wash the meat? We can go back to that villa we passed earlier and get more water afterward."
After living in this world for so long, he'd sometimes had to prepare meat without water when supplies were scarce.
Back then, the most important thing had been getting enough protein and fat, and cooking the meat over a fire to kill germs. The taste and whether the surface was clean had been minor concerns.
But they weren't far from Villa 272 now, and water was easy enough to get. There was no need to be so frugal.
Washing the Wild Boar Meat would remove the gamey smell and make it taste much better. Then eating meat wouldn't just be about replenishing energy; it would also satisfy his taste buds and lift his spirits.
Yao Wei shook her head without speaking. She had already taken out a knife and started bleeding the boar.
Lu Xi'an tried to persuade her. "We've passed by the villa twice and haven't seen any hyenas. Those things may have scattered by now. Maybe your shot killed their leader.
"Either way, they won't stay there forever.
"And if we drive back in that big vehicle of yours, those things will be cautious. They won't attack us lightly.
"We'll just get the water and leave. It'll be safe, no problem. As for the gas we use, with the dog around, powering up the gas station won't drain your device. We can fill the tank back up afterward.
"We live in a world like this. If we have the chance to make things easier, we shouldn't make life so hard for ourselves. If we stay tense all the time, we'll go crazy."
Yao Wei suddenly turned to look at Lu Xi'an. The knife in her hand was bright red and dripping blood. The way she stared at him made him feel a little uneasy.
But for some reason, Lu Xi'an sensed a hint of warmth in her gaze.
After staring at him for a long moment, Yao Wei turned back to the boar carcass and continued working. As she did, she said just one word: "Okay."
Lu Xi'an studied Yao Wei carefully, then went to the car and took half the water from his bag. "I'll use half of mine, and you use half of yours. Is that okay?"
Yao Wei shook her head to show that it was fine, but added, "I'll get my own." She didn't want Lu Xi'an going through her bag and seeing what she had.
So Yao Wei went to get her water and continued butchering the boar.
Lu Xi'an built the cooking fire.
He had a lighter he'd scavenged, and he'd already collected several, so lighting the fire wouldn't be a problem.
By the time he'd finished building the fire, Yao Wei had skinned the boar and separated the meat and organs. Blood was all over the ground, but hardly any had gotten on her.
She worked fast—much better than he did.
Lu Xi'an thought about it, then remembered something and asked Yao Wei, "Has someone said what I just said to you before?"
Yao Wei was silent for a while, then nodded. "My mother."
That figured. No wonder she'd suddenly changed her attitude.
All those novels and TV shows he'd watched in his previous life hadn't been for nothing. In a situation like this, he could always figure out a thing or two.
"Which part?"
Lu Xi'an asked. He guessed it was probably the last thing he'd said, but asked anyway.
"Don't stay tense all the time. Do your best to make things easier for yourself. Be a little kinder to yourself."
Yao Wei said quietly, "She said it before she died."
Before you continue