Chapter 15

Cheng Youyou took a small step back to put some distance between them, then glanced at him. “Good thing you were here today. Otherwise, I’d have been dragged off by that… whatever-it-was.”

Mu Feng looked at her half-hearted expression and felt a pang. That was some seriously perfunctory gratitude. Still, he played along. “As your beast-husband, protecting you is my duty. It’s not too late yet—we should leave the forest soon…”

Seeing that Mu Feng didn’t question her story, Cheng Youyou breathed a sigh of relief, then felt a surge of smug satisfaction. Her acting? Flawless.

She nodded. Today’s haul was more than enough. Besides, with Mu Feng tagging along, it was hard to use her powers freely.

Mu Feng caught her smug little expression and twitched at the corner of his eye. Did she really think she’d hidden her fox tail that well?

With a thought, the massive white fox transformed into a strikingly refined human form.

“Ahhh—!” A scream rang out from deep in the forest, echoing through the sky. Birds and beasts that had just calmed down scattered again in fright.

Cheng Youyou clamped her hands over her eyes, her cheeks and ears flushing bright red. She was definitely going to get a stye. This time, she’d seen it clearly.

So white. So big. So… much.

“Where’s your beast-hide? Put something on!”

Mu Feng raised an eyebrow, watching Cheng Youyou blush all the way to her ears.

His beast-hide had shredded during his rushed transformation. He picked up a bone knife and swiftly skinned a gray wolf with practiced ease—no blood left on the pelt. He wrapped it around himself. Though the raw hide reeked, it was tolerable. Then he cut some vines and tied the three gray wolves together. Once done, he said, “Mistress, let’s go.”

Hearing his voice, Cheng Youyou peeked through her fingers. Seeing he’d covered the essentials, she finally lowered her hands.

Beastfolk had no concept of shame—nudity was common. But she couldn’t handle it. Watching that thing swing around like it was nothing? Absolutely not.

Looking at the neatly bound wolves, she gave a guilty, dry laugh. “Haha—what luck! We totally scored with these wolves.”

Mu Feng’s gaze burned into her.

Under his stare, Cheng Youyou instantly regretted speaking. Just as she was drowning in regret, laughter rang out above her.

She looked up and met a pair of silver eyes, glowing like a river of stars in the night sky—dazzling and impossible to look away from. It wasn’t the usual flawless, superficial smile. It was a genuine one, straight from the heart.

In that moment, Mu Feng looked like a forest spirit—so breathtakingly beautiful that Cheng Youyou was utterly entranced.

Mu Feng’s gaze landed on her face. Still not pretty, but he had to admit—she was easier on the eyes now. Even that lovestruck look she gave him didn’t feel repulsive anymore.

A soft cough from Mu Feng snapped her out of it. Beauty really was dangerous.

The three gray wolves weighed at least 300 pounds, but Mu Feng tossed them onto his back with one hand like they were weightless.

Cheng Youyou took the bone knife from his hand and crouched down, confusing him. She carefully pried up a plant with the knife, trying not to damage its roots. Of course, she was being cautious. This evodia wasn’t chili, but it had a spicy kick—and she wasn’t about to give up her flavorful meals. She planned to transplant it by her cave entrance—easy access for daily cooking. She gently placed the plant in her basket and followed Mu Feng.

The forest was overflowing with edible and useful treasures. She even found a century-old ginseng. That was a real prize. She quickly dug it up with her bone knife.

When Mu Feng turned around, he saw her squatting happily, digging up another plant. He had no choice but to stop and wait.

Eventually, Mu Feng—still carrying the three wolves—walked behind her, afraid she’d vanish again if he blinked.

Her basket was stuffed full, and there were still so many good things left uncollected—such a shame. She considered weaving a bigger basket with her powers, but Mu Feng trailing her so closely made her abandon the idea. So she only picked the best of the best: no wild greens, no ordinary mushrooms—only premium forest delicacies: Termite mushrooms, morels, porcini, and rare, precious medicinal herbs, etc. There was no end to it.

She planned to weave a larger backpack tomorrow. These gourmet ingredients and rare herbs were too valuable to leave behind. The food could be dried and stored. The herbs could be brewed and preserved for emergencies.

Finally, she led Mu Feng to the vine where she’d hidden the potatoes and pulled out the backpack.

Looking at the haul—potatoes and forest delicacies—she felt a deep sense of satisfaction. In the apocalypse, such abundance was unimaginable. Just as she slung the backpack over her shoulders, she felt it lighten. She turned her head.

Mu Feng had picked it up effortlessly, as if it weighed nothing. His elegant face showed no emotion. “Let’s go. It’s about to get completely dark.”

Cheng Youyou was thrilled to have a free laborer.

Mu Feng’s long legs meant one stride equaled two of hers. But he always stayed two steps behind, silently following her. They finally stepped out of the Ural Forest, the setting sun stretching their shadows long across the ground.

Cheng Youyou hadn’t stopped smiling.

Mu Feng watched her cheerful mood with curiosity. She’d picked up a bunch of strange things—was that really enough to make her this happy?

He couldn’t help but ask, “Why did you gather so many inedible things? They’re all poisonous.”

In the beast world, the rainy season brought warmth and plenty. However, winter was bitterly cold, and plants withered, making food scarce. Some weaker tribes had tried eating these things and died from poisoning. Since then, no one dared touch the forest’s unknown flora.

Cheng Youyou glanced at Mu Feng. Seeing his genuine curiosity, she casually picked up a porcini and explained softly, “This one is poisonous, yes.”

“But if you cook it at high temperatures, the toxins break down, and it becomes a delicious ingredient.”

“And once dried, it can be stored for a long time.”

Mu Feng watched Cheng Youyou speak with such confidence and clarity. A realization dawned. She was definitely no longer the lazy, clueless Cheng Youyou he once knew.