I Was Sold to My Mortal Enemy (Double Transmigrations)

The next day, they didn’t rise until the sun was high in the sky. The house had a kang*, and they found a few straw mats to place on it.

‘Kang – an old bed made from brick or stone could be stuffed with firewood or charcoal.’

Pei Xing rummaged through their belongings, retrieved his mobile phone, tablet, and solar charger, and set them outside in hopes of recharging them for lighting.

Then he ventured to the neighboring house and found three wooden basins and a machete, along with discarded wood. Most of the houses in the village were constructed from wood and in various states of disrepair. Firewood was scattered everywhere.

The fire in the kitchen had not gone out, and he located a well-preserved clay pot and two wooden spoons. He proceeded to clean, chop, and stew a fish, along with several crabs. The sea fish had a salty taste in the soup, it was good enough as natural seasoning.

When Shi Yi awoke and saw Pei Xing busy in the kitchen, he rushed over to hug him.

“Baby, you’re awake. You can have some soup.”

Pei Xing turned and embraced him.

Shi Yi nestled in his arms without a word. The weather in this place was peculiar, scorching during the day and chilly at night.

They were still clad in the same clothes from when they fell into the water, which were now worn and drenched with sweat, making them extremely uncomfortable.

Pei Xing led Shi Yi to the courtyard and filled three large wooden basins with water to let them warm in the sun. He planned to wash when the water wasn’t so cold around noon.

The basins were quite large; and Shi Yi could fit in one. After their meal, they refreshed themselves at noon.

They washed their clothes with water and hung them to dry in the yard. After donning clean attire, Pei Xing took Shi Yi to the forest behind the mountain.

The jungle in the rear was dense, and sunlight filtered through the thick canopy, casting dappled patterns on the ground. It seemed like no one had treaded there in a long time. Animals roamed the mountain fearlessly, and honey locusts grew in abundance. They collected some and also gathered wild fruits.

Although they didn’t venture deep into the forest, they managed to shoot a considerable number of pheasants and rabbits, finding two nests with a total of twenty-three pheasant eggs. With these plentiful resources, they wouldn’t starve. Shi Yi also gathered a variety of wild vegetables.

These catches of food could sustain them for five days. Upon returning to their house with their bounty, they carried the barrels to the beach, retrieved their fishing nets, and caught five fish. Afterward, they reset the nets, carried the fish back to their house, and placed the fish in a large wooden tray. This time, they made chicken soup and boiled four eggs.

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After an early dinner, the sun had not yet set. Pei Xing and Shi Yi washed their hair with honey locusts, washed their clothes once more, and boiled the collected quilts and sheets several times.

They left the linens to dry in the yard. To their surprise, Pei Xing’s mobile phone, left outside for the day, still powered on, and the solar power bank was functional. However, the tablet appeared to be completely irreparable.

“It’s probably beyond repair.” Shi Yi commented as he touched the cracked screen, feeling a tinge of regret.

“If it’s unusable, we’ll just discard it. There wasn’t much on it.” Pei Xing replied as he played a video on his phone. The audio was fine, and everything seemed to be in working order after a recharge.

Shi Yi shook his head in disbelief. “It’s astonishing that it still works after being soaked in seawater for so long.”

“Our company’s products are known for their durability,” Pei Xing quipped. “This solar power bank was a project I worked on when I took over the company.”

“It was wrapped in a package and didn’t get too wet,” Shi Yi reasoned. He then hugged Pei Xing and raised a concern, “What if, on the other side of the mountain, there’s just more sea? What if we can’t get out?”

“Then let’s stay here for now and build our world together.” Pei Xing reassured Shi Yi.

He had no concerns. Even though this place appeared abandoned, with over twenty houses standing, it indicated a significant past population. There might even be a farmland nearby. However, even without it, they wouldn’t starve. The resources in the forest behind the mountain were so abundant that they could sustain themselves indefinitely.

“I wish it weren’t so hot here during the day.” Shi Yi confessed, unable to tolerate the scorching sun.

“Baby, do you plan to spend the rest of your life here with me?” Pei Xing asked as he kissed him.

“Well, if we can’t leave, I’m fine with just being here with you. As long as you’re with me, everything will be fine.” Shi Yi admitted, expressing his true feelings unintentionally.

Pei Xing fell silent for a moment, then pressed Shi Yi and kissed him passionately, sliding his hands beneath Shi Yi’s clothing.

Shi Yi stopped his eager advance, gently bit Pei Xing’s tongue, and released Pei Xing after a soft hum.

“Let’s not get carried away. We have to go up the mountain tomorrow.”

Pei Xing buried his face in Shi Yi’s neck, gently biting his fair and round shoulder with the tips of his teeth. After a while, he asked a question.

“Baby, can you tell me how you got into the car accident?”

“It’s been so long; I can’t remember it clearly.” Shi Yi replied, hugging Pei Xing’s strong body. His eyes trembled slightly, not expecting Pei Xing to bring up this topic after all this time, “We’re together now, so why dwell on what happened in the past life?”

Pei Xing sighed inwardly, uncertain of what he hoped to uncover. When he first arrived in this world, he dreamt of a car accident and felt compelled to purchase something—a rose. He envisioned that Shi Yi covered in blood, cursing in front of his tombstone and vowing to meet him in the next life. At that time, he was ecstatic, almost losing his sanity.

Now, he feared that the dream held some truth. Whenever he thought of Shi Yi having a car accident and dying in front of his tombstone, the pain in his heart was like being stabbing by a knife, making it difficult to breathe.