Chapter 8

Her happy little life couldn’t exist without good food—and good food couldn’t be made without the right tools.

Her stone pot!

It was the fruit of her hard labor, and now her stomach was protesting violently. She’d planned to simmer fish and mushroom soup tonight—something brothy and filling, without too much fat. But Ji Xuan had ruined her perfect plan.

She put on a fresh set of beast-hide clothes and sat on the stone bed, growing angrier and hungrier by the minute. In the end, hunger won over fear.

She glanced toward the cave entrance. Night had quietly fallen. Ji Xuan and the others should be gone by now, right?

She crept out of the cave like a thief, glancing around nervously. Even the slightest rustle made her jump.

Honestly, Ji Xuan’s beast form and those abyss-like black eyes had left a deep impression on her—it was no wonder he’d been chosen as the tribe’s leader.

Though it was dark, her beast body now had night vision. It wasn’t as clear as daylight, but she could still see the path.

Back in the day, the tribe would be lively at this hour—dancing around bonfires, feasting on meat.

At these bonfire parties, if a beastman and a female hit it off, they’d head into the woods together. If the female was satisfied, they’d go to the shrine and form a bond, becoming official mates.

The beast-world was extremely open. Females even bragged about how many males they had, dragging them into the woods to flaunt their charm.

So the woods at night were not to be crossed—unless you didn’t care about your eyes or ears.

Cheng Youyou never understood why they didn’t just go back to their caves. Was this what they called “spice”?

Tonight, she deliberately passed by the woods to confirm that the tribe’s strong males had left. And now she was sure Ji Xuan was gone.

The woods, once filled with blush-inducing sounds, were now completely silent.

Sure, cutting through the woods would get her to the river faster, but she refused. What if she stepped into some mysterious fluid? How embarrassing would that be?

So she chose the long way around. Just as she turned, she heard rustling behind her. No way—were there still wild lovers out tonight?

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lu Xi, arms wrapped around a tall beastman’s neck, her face flushed with post-pleasure satisfaction.

And that tall beastman? None other than Lu Xi’s newly acquired beast-husband—Wu Kai, the bear-type beastman. The little beast in Lucy’s belly was his.

Cheng Youyou’s mouth twitched. Even pregnant, beast-world females still played this hard? Did they really have to seek thrills outdoors?

Their eyes met. Lu Xi’s expression shifted, her voice turning hoarse: “Hmph, can’t keep your own beast-husband’s heart, so you came to spy on me?”

Lounging against Wu Kai’s arm, Lu Xi looked Cheng Youyou up and down. “No matter how much you peek, it won’t help!”

Cheng Youyou was speechless. “I swear I was just passing by. Can you believe that?”

At that moment, the moon finally broke through the thick clouds, casting a silvery glow.

Seeing Cheng Youyou’s bruised body, Lu Xi burst into laughter. “If I were you, a female who has to find her own food and ends up covered in bruises—I’d have smashed my head on a rock ages ago.”

Wu Kai glanced sideways at Lu Xi. “I’d never let you go find food. Even if I starved, I wouldn’t let you or our little beast go hungry.”

Lu Xi ignored him, staring directly at Cheng Youyou. “See? That’s the difference between you and me. You’re not even worthy of the tribe leader…”

Cheng Youyou looked at the lovey-dovey pair, her mouth twitching harder. So she was just a side character in their play?

“Yes, yes, I’m not worthy…” Before the words were even finished, she turned and fled, leaving the lovebirds behind. By the time she reached the river where she’d shaped her stone pot earlier, she was stunned.

She swallowed hard. Was this her dream pot? That smooth curve, that polished surface… Was it really the same pot she’d clawed out this afternoon?

Inside the pot was a repaired bone knife. She picked it up. The handle was wrapped in beast-hide, making it incredibly comfortable to hold. Whoever fixed it had clearly been meticulous and patient.

Her eyes sparkled. That handsome, intimidating face flashed through her mind. Was it him? What was his motive?

Forget it. She sighed. First, she needed to eat—she had important things to do tonight.

Back in the cave, she sliced a piece of leftover roasted meat with the bone knife. Her gaze lingered on the handle. Wrapping it in beast-hide really did make a difference.

She shook her head, clearing away the messy thoughts, and got back to work. She chopped the semi-dried mushrooms and tossed them into the pot, adding a pinch of coarse salt.

She set the pot over the fire. Soon, the aroma of meat soup rose with the steam, filling the cave. On a cold night, one sip of hot, fragrant soup instantly chased away the chill. Even her nose began to sweat.

In the end, Cheng Youyou drank every last drop of soup and let out a loud, satisfied burp. After eating, her eyelids felt heavy as lead. She didn’t dare lie down—afraid she’d fall asleep instantly. So she sat cross-legged on the stone bed and began cultivating her powers.

The beast-world’s vegetation was rich in natural energy, far more abundant than in the apocalypse. Tiny green light particles soon surrounded her body. In a flash, all the green lights were absorbed into her body. When she opened her eyes again, her fatigue was completely gone. She exhaled deeply. It was time to act.

“It’s already the second half of the night. These beasts should be asleep by now.”

She snuck along the winding path, walking for ages until she finally neared Mu Feng and Mu Yu’s cave.

Back then, the two brothers had chosen the farthest corner of the tribe to avoid the original host’s harassment.

To avoid being seen, Cheng Youyou had taken a long detour. If any beastmen saw her sneaking to Mu Feng’s cave in the middle of the night, who knew what they’d say?

She didn’t care about others’ opinions, but those whispers were like mosquito buzzes—annoying. The long detour made her sweat in the cold night. She lowered her head and sniffed.

That smell was intense. “Ugh~”