Chapter 72: A Little Guilty

Chapter 72: Chapter 72: A Little Guilty

Bai Wanwan saw that he was clearly repelled by the fire, but he forced a stoic expression, not letting it show.

"If you can’t get used to it yet, just sit off to the side."

’You have to take things one step at a time. There’s no need to force someone to accept everything at once.’

She didn’t press the issue. But when Zhu Xiu saw Xin Feng skillfully build and tend the fire, he fell silent for a moment. Instead of backing away, he moved closer, observing Xin Feng’s process to learn from him.

Bai Wanwan, in turn, took ingredients out of her System Space. With an extra male to feed, she pulled out several dozen pounds of meat.

As she was slicing the meat, a few cubs came bounding over to her feet. They caught the metallic scent of fresh meat and started whimpering excitedly, "WHINE, WHINE."

Bai Wanwan cut off a few small pieces, tossing one to each cub before continuing to slice the rest.

The Stone Knife required a lot of effort. She thought about exchanging her Points for a sharper knife in the System Space, but one look at her remaining balance...

...made her reconsider. ’I’ll hold off,’ she decided. ’I’ll buy it after the next litter.’

After slowly managing to cut six or seven slices, her arm was already growing weak.

A hand reached out from the side and took the Stone Knife from her.

"Let me."

Bai Wanwan turned to look at Zhu Xiu and saw him imitating her cutting style. She decided to step aside and happily let him take over.

"Wait. Try to slice it as thinly as you can. It cooks faster and tastes better that way."

Zhu Xiu was, after all, a male who possessed Talent Power. He was able to slice even the soft, limp meat into perfectly thin and even pieces.

"You’re amazing! Keep cutting them just like that."

At first, Zhu Xiu had thought slicing meat was no big deal. But the young female’s praise made him take it much more seriously, and he used his Talent Power to ensure every slice was perfectly uniform.

The fire was roaring, and the meat was sliced.

Bai Wanwan finished preparing the dipping sauce and called the two males over to sit. "I’m starving! Let’s eat."

From his time in the Cat Clan Tribe, Xin Feng had already become an expert at grilling meat.

He picked up a slice of meat and placed it on the hot plate. Once it began to change color, he quickly flipped it.

Because the slices were so thin, each one cooked in just a few tens of seconds. He picked one up, dipped it in the sauce, and placed it in Bai Wanwan’s bowl.

Bai Wanwan glanced at Zhu Xiu beside her. He hadn’t moved; he was just intently watching Xin Feng’s every move.

So she took the piece she had just grilled, dipped it in sauce, and held it to his lips. "Open up."

Zhu Xiu frowned, staring at the discolored meat before him.

In the eyes of a Beastman, it looked like rotten, spoiled food.

"It’s delicious. Just try it," Bai Wanwan urged.

Her eyes sparkled, and even though Zhu Xiu was internally resistant, he unconsciously opened his mouth and took the bite she offered.

He braced himself for the worst, but then the savory juices burst across his tongue—a flavor unlike anything he had ever tasted before.

He chewed tentatively. It was surprisingly delicious.

Bai Wanwan watched his expression closely. Seeing that he wasn’t repulsed, and was even a little pleasantly surprised, she smiled and pulled her chopsticks back. "Good, right? Once I have more Points... ahem, once I get the chance, I’ll make all sorts of other delicious things for you."

When she finished speaking, she turned to see Xin Feng grilling meat with his head lowered. In that short time, he had already piled several cooked slices into her bowl.

She grilled a fresh slice herself, dipped it in the sauce, and held it to Xin Feng’s lips. "Open up."

Seeing the meat offered to him, Xin Feng broke into a smile and immediately opened his mouth to take it.

Zhu Xiu watched this from the side. He then copied Xin Feng’s actions and began grilling meat for her as well, as if he were competing with him.

"I can’t eat all this! You two eat some yourselves."

Bai Wanwan took her bowl, now piled high with meat, and simply turned to one side.

The two of them seemed to be locked in a competition. As soon as Bai Wanwan turned away with her bowl, they both looked up and met each other’s gaze.

Zhu Xiu looked at the male before him. ’He’s Wanwan’s first Beast Husband. He must hold a special place in her heart.’

’Based on my observations just now, he not only takes excellent care of Wanwan’s daily needs, but he also knows just the right moment to capture her attention.’

The gazes of the two males met in mid-air. Zhu Xiu suddenly gave Xin Feng a small smile.

In truth, Xin Feng felt immense pressure. ’The male Wanwan brought back has a stronger Talent than I do, and he’s been quietly learning all the ways I take care of her.’

’He knew perfectly well that Wanwan would have many Beast Husbands in the future, and he genuinely hoped they would all treat her well.’

’But... looking at the male before him, a sudden fear gripped his heart. What if, one day, Wanwan comes to like him more than me?’

It wasn’t that Bai Wanwan failed to notice the tension between the two males, but she figured it was just because they were a newly formed family and hadn’t gotten used to each other yet.

After the meal, Xin Feng voluntarily made an offer. "Wanwan, let Zhu Xiu rest with you tonight. I’ll keep watch."

Bai Wanwan glanced at Zhu Xiu. ’Should I say something? Or should I just play dead?’

Zhu Xiu saw Bai Wanwan’s eyes darting about and let out a soft snort. "No need. You stay with her tonight. It’ll be my turn tomorrow."

Xin Feng was a little surprised. ’Males always compete for their female.’

’Zhu Xiu had just joined the family, and he didn’t want to put Wanwan in a difficult position, which was why he had made the offer.’

After saying this, Zhu Xiu transformed into his beast form and slithered to the mouth of the cave. He coiled his massive body there, forming a tight seal that blocked out the wind and snow.

Bai Wanwan had spent the last several days with Zhu Xiu; conversely, she hadn’t seen Xin Feng in a long time.

While Zhu Xiu’s back was turned, she tugged on Xin Feng’s hand. "You stay with me tonight. I have so much I want to tell you."

During the time Bai Wanwan was gone, not a day went by that Xin Feng wasn’t sick with worry.

He had just as much to say to her, and he yearned to hold her and lounge in their nest just like they used to.

Life in the wild was inconvenient, and Xin Feng knew how much she valued cleanliness. He took a stone basin outside, filled it with snow, and brought it back for her to wash up with.

Once she was clean, Bai Wanwan slipped off her leather skirt and dove into the warm down quilt, rolling over a couple of times in blissful comfort.

After Xin Feng had tidied everything up, he lifted the quilt to lie down, and Bai Wanwan immediately wriggled into his arms like a little eel.

"Xin Feng, did you miss me?" She tilted her head up, looking at him with a radiant smile.

"Yes," he said, tightening his arms and pulling her flush against him. "Thank goodness you’re back."

’If she hadn’t come back soon, I might have done something reckless to get her back by force.’

Bai Wanwan raised a hand and traced the collar of his tunic. "I want to go see the Super Tribe. Once the snow stops, let’s go together."

"Okay. Wherever you go, I’ll go."

’If not for Wanwan, I would have died at the claws of the Wandering Beastmen, just like the other males from the Cat Clan Tribe.’

’For the rest of this life, I’ll be wherever Wanwan is.’

"You’re too good to me!" Bai Wanwan sighed, nestled in his arms. She hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. "Xin Feng, there’s something else... something I haven’t told you."

Xin Feng’s gaze was gentle, as if nothing else in the world mattered as long as she was by his side.

Bai Wanwan’s lips parted and closed several times, but the words simply wouldn’t come out.

Sensing something was wrong, Xin Feng’s expression grew a little more serious. "Wanwan, as long as you’re not trying to send me away, I don’t mind anything else."

That only made her feel even guiltier!