Reborn in 72, I hunt to support my family and spoil my younger sister rotten.

Li Xiangyang walked ahead, occasionally glancing back at Li Xiaoyun.

This girl was quite capable of walking. Although her face was red from the cold and her breathing was a little rapid, she followed along without saying a word.

The mountain road became steeper and steeper, and the snow became thicker and thicker.

Li Xiangyang slowed his pace.

"Where are you going?" Li Xiaoyun finally couldn't help but ask.

“There’s a valley ahead,” Li Xiangyang said, pointing into the distance. “At this time of year, badgers and roe deer love to roam there.”

"A badger? Can you eat those?"

“Sure, badger meat is good for replenishing blood,” Li Xiangyang laughed. “But badgers are hibernating right now, so we should mainly look for roe deer.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than a gust of wind and snow swept in.

Caught off guard, Li Xiaoyun stumbled and almost fell, but fortunately Li Xiangyang reacted quickly and grabbed her arm.

“Be careful,” Li Xiangyang frowned. “It’s windy up here. If you don’t feel comfortable, we can go back.”

"No, no, no," Li Xiaoyun shook her head repeatedly, "I can do it, don't worry about me."

Li Xiangyang glanced at her helplessly, said nothing more, and continued walking forward.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, a rustling sound suddenly came from the woods ahead.

Li Xiangyang immediately stopped and made a shushing gesture.

Li Xiaoyun also stopped and held her breath.

Li Xiangyang slowly squatted down and carefully observed what was in front of him.

Through the dense foliage, a grayish-brown figure could be vaguely seen foraging for food in the snow.

It's a roe deer.

Li Xiangyang gently took the bow off his back and drew an arrow from the quiver.

Just then, Li Xiaoyun suddenly sneezed.

Achoo—

Although the sound was not loud, it was exceptionally clear in the quiet mountain forest.

The roe deer raised its head alertly and darted into the depths of the woods in the blink of an eye.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Li Xiaoyun said apologetically, "I...I just couldn't help it."

Li Xiangyang reluctantly put down his bow and arrows: "It's alright, let's try looking in another place."

The two continued walking forward. This time, Li Xiaoyun was smarter and walked very quietly.

Unfortunately, after visiting several places, they didn't encounter any prey.

"Why don't we go back?" Li Xiaoyun said somewhat apologetically. "It's all my fault for keeping you from hunting."

"No rush," Li Xiangyang reassured him, "Hunting is all about patience."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Xiangyang suddenly saw a figure moving quickly deep in the woods ahead.

"It's a big roe deer!" His eyes lit up. "Let's follow!"

Without thinking twice, Li Xiangyang quickly followed.

Although Li Xiaoyun was a little out of breath, she followed closely behind.

The mountain became steeper and the snow thicker.

With his extensive hunting experience, Li Xiangyang kept his eyes firmly on the target ahead.

It was an exceptionally large male roe deer, the kind with the best meat and the most valuable fur.

As the roe deer turned into a valley, Li Xiangyang stopped and carefully examined the surrounding terrain.

This valley is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and the snow is very deep, so there is not much room for the roe deer to retreat once it enters.

“We need to be careful,” Li Xiangyang said to Li Xiaoyun in a low voice. “You wait here, I’ll go…”

Before he could finish speaking, a muffled thunderous sound suddenly came from afar.

Li Xiangyang's expression changed drastically.

Why is there thunder at this time of year?

unless......

"Run!" Li Xiangyang grabbed Li Xiaoyun's hand. "It's an avalanche!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a rumbling sound came from above, and large swaths of snow began to pour down.

Li Xiangyang grabbed Li Xiaoyun and ran back, but soon found that the road they came from was blocked.

As the snowball grew larger and closer, Li Xiangyang had a sudden inspiration and pulled Li Xiaoyun to hide under a recessed cliff.

"Hold me tight!" Li Xiangyang held Li Xiaoyun in his arms, his back to the outside.

The rumbling sound grew louder and louder as large amounts of snow poured down from overhead.

Li Xiangyang could feel Li Xiaoyun trembling, unsure whether it was from fear or cold.

“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered reassuringly, “I’m here.”

After an unknown amount of time, the noise outside finally subsided.

Only after confirming that it was safe did Li Xiangyang let go of her hand.

"Are you...are you alright?" Li Xiaoyun asked him worriedly.

Li Xiangyang shook his head: "I'm fine."

Looking around, they realized that the hollow they were hiding in had been sealed off by thick snow, leaving only a small vent.

"This is troublesome," Li Xiangyang frowned. "We need to find a way out."

"It's all my fault," Li Xiaoyun said remorsefully, "If I hadn't insisted on coming along..."

"Let's not talk about that," Li Xiangyang interrupted her. "The most important thing now is to keep your body warm." As he spoke, he took off his cotton-padded coat and draped it over Li Xiaoyun.

"how about you?"

"I'm fine, I'm not afraid of the cold," Li Xiangyang said with a smile. "You rest for a while, I'll think of something."

Li Xiaoyun wrapped her cotton-padded coat tighter and watched Li Xiangyang's busy figure, a warm feeling welling up in her heart.

This man is truly different.

Li Xiangyang began clearing the snow with the machete he carried with him.

The cave wasn't large; the two people were almost pressed together, able to hear each other's breathing.

"We need to conserve our energy," Li Xiangyang said as he cleared the snow. "This snow is too thick; we probably won't be able to get out anytime soon."

Li Xiaoyun nodded; she was no longer as scared as before.

"Are you cold?" Li Xiangyang stopped what he was doing and turned to look at her.

"It's alright," Li Xiaoyun said, pulling her cotton-padded coat tighter around herself. "It's just... I'm a little hungry."

Li Xiangyang pulled a cloth bag from his pocket: "I happened to bring some dry food, you can have it all."

"how about you?"

"I'm not hungry."

Li Xiaoyun took the dry rations and broke them in half: "Half for each of us."

"Tell me," Li Xiaoyun said, taking a small bite of her dry rations, """Can we get out of here?"

"Yes, we can," Li Xiangyang said firmly, "but it will take some effort."

He carefully observed the snow at the cave entrance: "This snow is soft, which means there are gaps underneath. As long as we can find a suitable direction, we can dig a passage."

"What if...what if we're going in the wrong direction?"

“So we have to be careful,” Li Xiangyang said. “We can’t act recklessly; we have to find the right direction.”

Seeing his confident demeanor, Li Xiaoyun gradually felt at ease.

“You’re right,” she said softly, “with you here, I’m not afraid.”

Li Xiangyang paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Don't worry, I promised to bring you here, and I will definitely bring you back."

As time passed, the temperature inside the cave gradually decreased.

Even though Li Xiaoyun was wearing two cotton-padded jackets, she still couldn't help but shiver.

"You...you come a little closer," Li Xiangyang said after a moment's hesitation.

Li Xiaoyun blushed and moved closer to him.

“In this situation, we need to keep each other warm,” Li Xiangyang explained, “otherwise we’ll easily catch a cold.”

Li Xiaoyun softly hummed in agreement and rested her head on his shoulder.

The two of them leaned against each other quietly.

Li Xiangyang could smell the faint fragrance on Li Xiaoyun's body, and his heart beat faster involuntarily.

“Li Xiangyang,” Li Xiaoyun suddenly spoke up, “tell the truth, is it because I followed you that you’ve been so unlucky?”

"Why do you say that?"

"If I hadn't sneezed, you would have already caught your prey, and you wouldn't have..."

“Silly girl,” Li Xiangyang interrupted her, “how can you blame yourself? Who could have predicted an avalanche? Besides, if you hadn’t come along, wouldn’t it have been even more troublesome if I had encountered this myself?”

Li Xiaoyun looked up at him: "Are you trying to comfort me?"

“I’m serious,” Li Xiangyang said earnestly, “having someone to keep you company is always better than being alone.”

Hearing this, Li Xiaoyun felt a warmth in her heart.

"Then...can I still come with you in the future?"

Li Xiangyang was silent for a moment, then sighed, "You silly girl, even in this state you're still thinking about going up the mountain? Even if you want to come, you have to wait until we get outside."

“I just want to follow you,” Li Xiaoyun said softly.

These words were spoken very softly, but they were exceptionally clear in the confined space.

Li Xiangyang's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't know how to respond.

In the dim light, Li Xiangyang's lips were already turning purple, and his body was trembling slightly. He tried to move his body by clearing the snow, but his movements became slower and slower.

Li Xiaoyun saw this and was very anxious.

“Don’t move,” she suddenly said. “Come here.”

Li Xiangyang shook his head: "I'm fine, you should rest."

"Why are you so stubborn!" Li Xiaoyun exclaimed anxiously. "You're already this cold and you're still acting tough. What time is it now? What will I do if you really get sick from the cold?"

She spoke these words so quickly and urgently that even she herself was momentarily stunned.

Li Xiangyang was also stunned. Seeing the usually quick-witted girl suddenly showing such concern for him, he didn't know what to say for a moment.

"You...you come here quickly." Li Xiaoyun's voice softened as she opened a corner of her cotton-padded coat.

Moonlight streamed in through the small ventilation hole, illuminating her slightly flushed face. Her usually bright eyes were now filled with worry as she stared straight at him.

Li Xiangyang's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

“This…isn’t that a bit inappropriate?” He hesitated.

"What's wrong with it!" Li Xiaoyun glared at him. "What time is it? What can you possibly do to me?"

After he said that, both of them were stunned.

The air seemed to be frozen.