Chapter 65: The Path of Exile, Part VII

Shi Xianyu ultimately decided to lend a helping hand.

To be honest, even she thought herself a bit of a softie. That giant lizard had chased her for so long, broke her car window, scratched the paint, and nearly scared her half to death—so why was she still going to save it?

After some serious thought, she realized she was probably moved by its perseverance.

—Under the blazing sun, it had followed her for dozens of kilometers without food or water, clinging to the RV for half an hour without letting go, losing countless teeth, its body covered in scrapes and cuts. Now, even though night had fallen, it was still doggedly following her. If it reincarnated as a human, it would surely be a model of the modern 996 work ethic.

Shi Xianyu climbed down from her bed to change clothes, put on goggles and a face mask, strapped pepper spray to her waist, and, fully armed, sat in the driver’s seat. With utmost caution, she reversed the RV, inching closer to the giant lizard.

It was about a hundred meters away. She drove up, stuck her head out the window, and peered out carefully.

Lu Li was a bit nervous too, clinging to the rear window for a look.

The giant lizard lay sprawled on the ground like a dead dog, tongue lolling out as it panted, its eyes half-open. It cast them a listless glance, seeming to disdain the strong smell of chili drifting from the RV, struggling with difficulty to twist its neck and change position, but its head was too heavy—after a few feeble movements, it gave up.

“Are you about to die?” Shi Xianyu asked.

The lizard: “……”

Of course, Shi Xianyu didn’t expect the lizard to speak. She just thought it would be better, in front of the child, to create a fairy-tale atmosphere, so that when the child remembered this experience later in life, it would be a fond memory, not a nightmare of a desperate escape.

“You broke our window and did something bad. We didn’t want to bother with you, but since you look so pitiful, we’ve decided to give you a chance to mend your ways,” Shi Xianyu said solemnly to the lizard. “Do you know you were wrong?”

The lizard: “……”

Shi Xianyu took the opportunity to instruct the child: “For stubborn wrongdoers who refuse to repent, we don’t need to pity them!”

Lu Li nodded gravely.

Shi Xianyu continued in earnest, “I’ll ask it again—if it still won’t admit its mistake, we’ll just leave it be.”

Lu Li thought Shi Xianyu was right.

Shi Xianyu craned her neck out the window and called to the lizard, “Do you know you were wrong?”

After calling out, she even honked the horn twice.

The lizard, disturbed by the noise, let out a low grunt from its throat.

“It seems to know it was wrong,” Shi Xianyu told Lu Li. “Admitting a mistake and changing is a good thing—I think we can give it another chance.”

Lu Li nodded in complete agreement.

Shi Xianyu left the driver’s seat, picked up the basin of bathwater she’d planned to flush down the toilet, and carefully got out of the RV.

She set the basin down beside the lizard’s head, scooped up some water with her hands, and sprinkled it over the lizard. Seeing no reaction, she grew bolder, took hold of its thick, pinkish-purple tongue, and placed it in the basin.

This trick worked: the lizard’s fat tongue twitched, and its whole head strained toward the basin.

Shi Xianyu suspected that if it kept pushing, it might overturn the basin.

Just as she was about to advise it, the very vines that had entangled the RV earlier reappeared—finger-thick, a vivid crimson, thrusting out from the large flower on the lizard’s back, jostling to plunge into the basin and slurp up the water!

Did those vines double as straws?

Shi Xianyu stood by and watched as the vines drank. She counted: there were six in total, the ones near the lizard’s head being the longest, with four shorter ones behind.

How could a giant lizard have flowers and vines growing from its body?

Though curious, she dared not touch the vines—their bright color made her wary of poison.

…In fact, the lizard’s tongue was vividly colored too. Why had she so carelessly grabbed it just now?

Shi Xianyu suddenly felt uneasy about her hands.

She quickly climbed back into the RV, washed her hands thoroughly with disinfectant, and told Lu Li, “Let’s go. The water basin can be a gift to it; we don’t need it anymore.”

Lu Li nodded obediently.

While the lizard was preoccupied with drinking, Shi Xianyu sped away, anxious lest the lizard pursue them again.

Under the endless night sky, the stars blazed. In the vast expanse, aside from the starry vault above, there was only a single RV traversing the boundless desert.

No one knew where the straight road would lead. Shi Xianyu gripped the wheel, and after driving a long while without finding shelter, simply parked by the roadside, locked up tight, switched off the lights, and settled down to sleep.

At first, her mind buzzed with worries: sandstorms, mutant beasts, whether Lu Li would struggle sleeping away from home… But exhaustion soon overtook her, and she drifted into a muddled slumber.

……

The next day dawned bright and clear.

The sky was as pure as the sea, without a wisp of cloud. In the distance, mountains shimmered in the heat, and all around, apart from the yellow sand, only the wind-worn rocks remained.

Shi Xianyu admired the scenery for a while, got up to change clothes, and took Lu Li to brush their teeth and wash up.

She suspected Lu Li hadn’t formed the habit of washing up with her parents before—otherwise, why would she swallow that first mouthful of toothpaste?

Shi Xianyu spent some time teaching her to brush properly, then used the RV’s induction cooker to fry two eggs. With milk and bread, that made their breakfast.

During breakfast, Lu Li kept curiously peering out the window.

Shi Xianyu, unconcerned, glanced outside—and saw the tail of a lizard.

Shi Xianyu: “……”

Her expression froze, and she suddenly felt a bit choked.

Lu Li cocked her head, her large dark eyes blinking with innocent inquiry, as if asking: What do we do?

“Never mind…” Shi Xianyu swallowed her food and smiled reassuringly at Lu Li. “If it wants to follow us, let it. We don’t need to worry about it.”

Lu Li nodded and took another small bite of bread.

Lu Li ate slowly and with great care. Unlike other children who left crumbs everywhere, she finished every bit of food Shi Xianyu gave her, never wasting a morsel.

Shi Xianyu didn’t rush her. After finishing her own meal, she found a few new outfits for Lu Li: a cream-colored blouse with ruffled collar, mint-patterned balloon pants—cool and sun-protective.

Considering that Lu Li couldn’t speak, Shi Xianyu also brought out some sketchbooks and colored pens, a pencil case, and a little backpack—everything ready to hand.

After breakfast, Lu Li quietly sat at the table, writing and drawing, never making a fuss.

The weather was fine and Shi Xianyu wasn’t in a hurry to get on the road. First, the RV’s battery needed charging; second, she decided to wash and dry yesterday’s dirty clothes.

She opened the door—a wave of heat hit her, the air so dry it instantly evaporated sweat from her skin.

Shi Xianyu checked her watch. It was only nine in the morning, yet already so hot—by noon, would they be roasted alive?

Thank goodness for the air conditioning.