Hu Jiao Jiao was deeply focused on explaining the building plans to Hou Xiaotiao when a bowl of water appeared before her.

She looked up to see Long Mo’s familiar face, staring at her with a serious expression.

“If you’re tired, take a break,” he said, pushing the bowl toward her while discreetly positioning himself between her and the other beastmen.

Since when was the big villain this considerate?

“Th-thank you,” Hu Jiao Jiao stammered, caught off guard as her cheeks turned a faint shade of pink. A little flustered, she took the bowl and drank a few quick gulps, trying to hide her surprise.

Watching her, Long Mo’s gaze deepened, and he took the opportunity to suggest, “That’s enough for today. We can pick up again tomorrow.”

He had noticed how close she’d been standing with them, hands nearly touching—it was best he intervene now before anyone got the wrong idea.

Hu Jiao Jiao glanced around at the considerable progress they’d made and nodded. “Alright, that works.”

The stone house wasn’t a rush job. Even though beastmen were strong, they also got tired and needed rest.

“But… I still don’t understand some parts!” Hou Xiaotiao grumbled, scratching his head.

Long Mo shot him a cold glance. “With your brain, you’re not going to get it today.”

“What’s wrong with my brain, I…” Hou Xiaotiao huffed, ready to argue, but one of the other beastmen quickly grabbed his arm, signaling him to keep quiet.

“Let’s leave it for now, Xiaotiao. We’ll figure it out tomorrow,” the beastman said, giving Long Mo and Hu Jiao Jiao a polite nod.

The others followed suit and quickly left.

Hu Jiao Jiao watched them go, surprised by their speed. “Why are you in such a hurry to leave?”

Long Mo, aware of their motives, replied evenly, “They probably just want to rest early.”

“Oh, good point. They must be exhausted today,” she agreed, thinking of how hard everyone had been working. She then turned to Long Mo, adding, “Thanks for all the help. I’ll go and prepare dinner!”

She had been so excited about the new house that she hadn’t felt tired at all, and her energy was still high.

Long Mo, seeing the beads of sweat on her forehead, gently placed his hand on her shoulder. He moved as if to wipe the sweat away, but noticing the dirt on his own hands, he instead took the empty bowl from her.

“You rest,” he said in his calm, steady voice. “I’ll go take care of the prey.”

Long Mo retracted his hand and looked at Lu Mian’er not far away, “There is a female looking for you.”

She has been busy all day. If she continues to be busy, her small body will not be able to bear it.

Hu Jiao Jiao was about to insist, but looking back, she noticed Lu Mian’er waiting nearby. Before she could say anything more, Long Mo had already walked off with the bowl.

---

Elsewhere, deep within the woods…

“Why’d you guys pull me away like that?” Hou Xiaotiao finally asked clearly annoyed.

“Didn’t you see that Long Mo was practically on fire back there? You’re lucky you didn’t get torched.”

“What? Long Mo can breathe fire?” Hou Xiaotiao’s eyes went wide with shock.

“…”

The beastmen were speechless for a moment.

“You know what, he’s got a point, Hou Xiaotiao. Your brain really wasn’t keeping up today.” One of them clapped him on the shoulder. “Forget it. I’m going home to see my mate.”

One by one, the beastmen dispersed, leaving Hou Xiaotiao scratching his head. “Long Mo breathes fire? How come I didn’t know?” he muttered to himself as he ambled home.

---

Meanwhile, Hu Jiao Jiao spotted Lu Mian’er approaching.

“Mian’er! I didn’t expect you to drop by.”

Lu Mian’er smiled warmly as she set down her water bowl. “Hu Jing and I wanted to see if there was anything we could help with. If you ever need a hand, just say the word.”

Hu Jiao Jiao raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Hu Jing is here too?”

“Yep, she just had to step away for a moment,” Lu Mian’er said, trying to paint a good picture of her friend. “Actually, Hu Jing is a really kind person—she just comes off a bit intense. If it weren’t for Hu Jing taking care of me before…”

As Lu Mian’er was speaking, she suddenly remembered that Hu Jing used to helped her scold Hu Jiaojiao many times before, and she stopped talking immediately.

Hu Jiao Jiao could guess what she meant. Back in the day, Hu Jing had often put the original Hu Jiao Jiao in her place.

“Right,” Hu Jiao Jiao said dismissively. “She has just got a strong personality.”

Lu Mian’er, surprised at her lack of resentment, looked at Hu Jiao Jiao with admiration.

“Oh, and by the way…” Lu Mian’er leaned in closer, a knowing grin on her face. “Who knew that Long Mo, for all his coldness, could be so thoughtful with you?”

“Th-thoughtful?” Hu Jiao Jiao blinked, skeptical.

“Definitely! He’s got that same stern look as Ying Yuan, but I can tell he really cares for you,” Lu Mian’er said, her smile widening. “You two are so sweet together!”

“That’s not… how it is,” Hu Jiao Jiao murmured, a little flustered. She hadn’t thought much beyond finding a way to coexist peacefully with him—certainly not anything more.

Lu Mian’er looked completely unconvinced. “Jiao Jiao, I know what I saw. You two already have such a strong connection. Who knows, maybe by winter, you’ll have another little one on the way.”

Hu Jiao Jiao’s mind spun at her words. Another little one?

Just then, Hu Jing joined them.

“There you are!” she said, relieved. She had just managed to shake off Hu Jiao Jiao’s mischievous cubs when she heard a familiar, voice behind her.

“Mom!”

Hu Jing turned to find the four little cubs right on her heels, looking up at her with innocent eyes that hid all their mischief.

Her mind reeled—how did these little troublemakers manage to follow her here too?