Chapter 10

When she opened her eyes, daylight was already streaming in—the sun had climbed high overhead. She struggled to sit up, shook her groggy head, and swallowed. Her throat burned with pain.

Was she sick? Ever since awakening her healing ability in the post-apocalyptic world, she hadn’t caught a single cold. How was it that she’d become a golden leopard in the beast-world and still managed to get sick?

Back in the apocalypse, illness was terrifying. With society collapsed, medicine was scarce. Healing abilities became incredibly rare, and awakening them required an intense survival instinct.

Cheng Youyou had awakened both wood and healing abilities early on, serving as a doctor in a small base. Her wood ability let her sense natural energy and identify plant properties. So when medicine couldn’t be found, she relied on her healing power and herbs to treat illness.

Her gaze fell on the clear pool nearby. As a barefoot doctor, she knew better than to drink raw water. This body had accumulated too many toxins, weakening its immunity. And last night’s depletion of her healing ability had tipped the balance completely.

Her body was already heavy and sluggish—now, with the cold, her limbs felt like jelly. Just carrying the stone pot from the pool to the fire pit made her dizzy and deafened by the ringing in her ears.

But she couldn’t pass out. If she did, she might rot before anyone noticed.

She finally boiled the water and let it cool slightly. A few sips of warm water eased the pain in her throat. Her eyes drifted to the chunk of roasted meat in the corner.

Seriously—this body was unbelievable. Even with a raging cold, her appetite hadn’t diminished at all. She boiled some meat to make soup to regain her strength. Then she planned to go into the forest to gather herbs. With a body this weak, she couldn’t recover from a severe cold on her own. She might even die.

That was unacceptable.

There were herbs in the cave, but once picked, they lost their natural energy. Her wood ability couldn’t identify their properties anymore. It was safer to gather fresh ones herself.

Just as she stood up, fighting off dizziness, she heard footsteps—and then a voice like jade striking stone drifted in from outside the cave.

“Female…”

Cheng Youyou’s head spun. Hearing that voice nearly made her collapse. Her already aching head now throbbed violently. She really needed to stay far away from these beast-husbands. They were toxic. Everything hurt. Nothing felt right.

It had only been a few days, and at this rate, she might not survive.

Expression blank, she turned lifelessly toward Mu Feng, who was approaching. He stepped into the sunlight, his features angelically refined. Waist-length silver hair shimmered brilliantly. His silver eyes sparkled with allure, and his rosy lips curved into a perfect smile.

Up close, she realized how tall he was. Beneath his pale skin were smooth, powerful muscles—beauty and strength in one. He radiated pressure and danger, though his delicate face made people instinctively overlook the threat.

Mu Feng’s gaze swept over the strange stone object by the fire pit—still carrying the tiger’s scent. A flicker of darkness passed through his silver eyes. Then his gaze returned to Cheng Youyou. He held something out to her. “Female, I’m sorry. I was useless today—I only managed to hunt this.”

As if afraid she’d reject it, he spoke faster: “I’ll definitely bring you better food tomorrow…”

Cheng Youyou stared at his face, her mouth twitching. Something felt off. In the original host’s memories, Mu Feng had never looked her in the eye. Most of the food came from Mu Yu. Even when he did deliver food, he’d toss it from a distance to land at her feet.

This gentle, soft-spoken Mu Feng with a warm smile—she hadn’t dared to dream of such a version.

Oh no. She’d really broken him with her healing.

RIP, her life.

But then her gaze dropped to what he was holding—and her eyes lit up. Wasn’t that perfect for chicken-and-mushroom stew?

Food first, existential crisis later. She quickly accepted it. “Thank you.”

Her voice was crisp, no longer sticky or cloying—unexpectedly pleasant. Only after the weight settled in her hands did she realize how naturally that “thank you” had slipped out.

Being too polite was a problem, too.

She snuck a glance at Mu Feng. His expression hadn’t changed—he probably hadn’t noticed. She exhaled in relief.

But deep in Mu Feng’s eyes, where she couldn’t see, that flicker of darkness deepened.

Cheng Youyou was definitely acting strange. Before, her gaze had been disgusting—like she wanted to glue herself to him. Her words were vulgar and unbearable. Now, food seemed to interest her more than he did. And the food she’d just accepted? It was the kind she used to hate—bony and lean. Back then, if the meat had bones, she’d throw tantrums on the floor. Today, she accepted it with joy and even said “thank you.” Was the sun rising in the west?

Mu Feng reached for the item in her hands. “Female, wait a moment—I’ll roast the sky-bird for you…”

So, this chicken-like creature was called a skybird in the beast world?

Honestly, kind of fitting.

Cheng Youyou quickly shook her head. She didn’t want roasted meat anymore—she wanted fragrant chicken soup. “No need. I’ve already eaten.”

Mu Feng’s eyes flickered—no wonder the cave smelled different from typical roasted meat.

“This… this sky-bird, I’ll eat it tonight. Do you need anything else?” She stared directly at him.

The meaning was clear: you’ve delivered the goods, now kindly take your divine presence elsewhere.

Mu Feng’s smile faltered. The perfect expression on his face nearly cracked. Was Cheng Youyou kicking him out?

She used to chase after him with a hideous face, tailing him like a puppy. She’d even drugged his food with sweetgrass to climb into his bed. And now she wanted him gone?

Pretending not to understand, Mu Feng quickly adjusted his expression. His gaze shifted to the beast-hide skirt under the bed, now so dirty its original color was unrecognizable.

“Female, I noticed your skirt hasn’t been washed. I’ll take it to the river for you.”

His expression was so natural, it almost made her doubt her own sanity. Was this really the same Mu Feng from the original host’s memories?

If it was, then the one who needed medical attention wasn’t her with the cold—it was Mu Feng, whose brain had clearly short-circuited.