Seeing Long Mo remain silent, Hu Jiao Jiao started feeling uneasy.

Oh no, could it be that the villain was already angry?

Lowering her head, she looked a little downcast. Of course, she had messed up again. She had only wanted to help Long Mo, but it seemed like she had made him upset instead. At this rate, when would she ever clear her name?

“You can do it on purpose.” A deep, sultry voice softly echoed above her head.

Hu Jiao Jiao froze for a moment, then realized it was Long Mo speaking.

“W-What?” she stammered, clearly confused. What had Long Mo just said?

Like Hu Jiao Jiao, Long Mo had his gaze fixed firmly on the ground, his eyes not daring to wander elsewhere. His face was still cold, and he quickly repeated, “I said, you can touch me on purpose.”

After saying this, he immediately felt the need to clarify, lest Hu Jiao Jiao take advantage of his words. He quickly added, “That’s what being mates is about.”

Hu Jiao Jiao was even more stunned, her mind going blank for a moment.

But soon, her lips curved upwards, and a bright, joyful smile blossomed on her face.

So Long Mo wasn’t angry, and he didn’t mind her touching him anymore! Did this mean she was finally making progress in redeeming herself?

Excitement filled her as she thought back to the situation earlier. Hurriedly, she explained, “Just now, I saw everyone heading over there, so I went to check it out. I don’t know that male, and I definitely didn’t expect him to say all that…”

She remembered that the villain held grudges and had little patience. She couldn’t let something like that narcissistic beastman ruin her chances of redemption.

“Mm.” Long Mo responded in a low voice, his gaze shifting slightly to her face.

Her fair skin was flushed, her alluring yet delicate face now carrying a touch of innocence. It reminded him of the soft moonlight peeking through a crack in the stone walls of a dark cave—pure, captivating, but out of reach.

His deep, dark eyes flickered with an unreadable emotion. How could the same female change so drastically?

Which one of these personas was the real her?

After her excitement faded, Hu Jiao Jiao suddenly remembered she had something else to do.

“I need to go find the Chief. D-Do you want to come with me?” She peeked up at Long Mo’s handsome profile, her voice soft and tentative.

Honestly, the villain was really nice to look at.

His high nose bridge, those thin lips, and the sharp, chiseled jawline—his cold and imposing demeanor exuded an aura of danger and power, as if he was a god who held life and death in his hands with just a flick of his fingers.

If the author hadn’t favored Ying Yuan and cast Long Mo as the villain, he surely would have been portrayed as a noble, regal male worthy of admiration.

“Hu Jiao Jiao?” Long Mo’s icy voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

She looked up, startled, to see him frowning at her. “Huh? What’s wrong?”

“Aren’t we going to see the Chief? Are you still going or not?” Long Mo’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.

Why did it feel like this female had not only become strange, but also a bit foolish? She kept spacing out, and there had been talk of her hitting her head when Lu Mian’er pushed her over. Had she really damaged her brain?

“Yes, yes, let’s go right now!” Hu Jiao Jiao nodded quickly, her face heating up as she buried her head and hurried forward.

What was she thinking just now? Was she seriously daydreaming about the villain?

Hu Jiao Jiao, get a grip! That’s the villain we’re talking about—one wrong move, and he could chop you into pieces!

Long Mo followed behind her, his steps unhurried.

Hu Jiao Jiao was walking so quickly that she soon put some distance between them, which made Long Mo’s face darken even more.

Why was she walking so fast? Was everything she said earlier just a lie? Did she really not want to be close to him at all?

The two eventually arrived at the Chief’s house.

“Hu Jiao Jiao, what brings you here?” The Chief was just about to leave when he saw both Hu Jiao Jiao and Long Mo at his door. He was surprised.

Hu Jiao Jiao had truly changed. She was now going out together with Long Mo. In the past, she would never have allowed Long Mo to be anywhere near her, let alone be seen together with him in public.

“I have something to discuss with you, Chief,” Hu Jiao Jiao said with a polite smile, stepping forward.

Seeing her smile, the Chief’s curiosity was piqued. It reminded him of the time she had shared the method for planting the earth fruit, so he was eager to hear what she had to say.

“What is it? Go ahead.”

“I need to find some specific types of stones—a lot of them. Do you know where I can find them?” Hu Jiao Jiao described the building materials she had in mind for constructing a stone house.

Stone houses were warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and the best material for them was bluestone, which was both durable and resistant to weathering. She had seen survival experts use stone to build homes in the wild, and it inspired her idea.

She also mentioned a few other types of stones necessary for construction.

“What do you need these stones for? I’ve never seen the kind you’re describing,” the Chief asked, puzzled.

“I want to build a house with them,” Hu Jiao Jiao answered truthfully.

The Chief frowned in confusion. “A house? Aren’t houses usually built with wood? If you want a new house, I can have the males help you—it won’t be that much trouble.”

Hu Jiao Jiao shook her head and explained the benefits of stone houses.

“Wooden houses aren’t suitable for winter. With stone houses, we wouldn’t have to move to the caves during the cold season.”

She didn’t want to keep the idea to herself. There were too many eyes in the tribe, and if she tried to gather materials on her own, it would take forever. Others would eventually copy her idea anyway. But if everyone worked together, they could all benefit.

After hearing her explanation, the Chief’s eyes lit up.

“You’re saying that if we build houses from stone, we won’t need to move to the caves during winter? That would be incredible!”

The caves were cold and damp, and many beastmen had fallen ill or died mysteriously after trying to start fires inside. Being able to stay in proper homes during winter would be a game-changer.

“Yes,” Hu Jiao Jiao nodded.

The Chief clapped her on the shoulder enthusiastically. “Leave it to me. I’ll organize a search for these stones, but right now, many of our males are preparing for the salt trade, so we’re a bit short on manpower.”

“If we find them, I’ll let you know right away.”

Having seen how trustworthy Hu Jiao Jiao’s advice was with the earth fruit, the Chief had no doubts about the accuracy or origin of her knowledge.

As the tribe’s leader, his greatest wish was to see his people grow stronger and more prosperous.

“Thank you, Chief.”

After thanking him, Hu Jiao Jiao said her goodbyes and turned to leave.

The Chief then called out to Long Mo, motioning for him to come over.

“Long Mo, Hu Jiao Jiao has really changed for the better. You should work hard too, so you don’t let her down,” the Chief advised earnestly.

Long Mo’s expression turned strange.

It wasn’t just the cubs who were siding with Hu Jiao Jiao—now even the Chief was supporting her.

What kind of spell had she cast on everyone?

“I understand,” Long Mo nodded, his gaze flickering. Then, after a moment, he added, “Chief, can you tell me what she just asked you about?”