'There's no going back to that world anyway. I might as well focus on living a good life here in this Beast World. At the very least, I should try to make fewer enemies.'
Xuyue stared into her eyes for a long time. The look of utter disgust he used to have was gone.
Gazing into those clear, limpid eyes, Xuyue suddenly felt his heart begin to race.
The sensation was both surprising and bewildering to him.
He hastily looked away.
"I'll take that as a yes to letting me check your wound."
...
"Female Master, I've finished making the pot! And I built that stand thing you mentioned!"
Jiang Ji's happy, pride-filled voice called out from a short distance away.
At that moment, Chu Jing had just finished the final step of treating Xuyue's injury.
She gently set down Xuyue's hand, then stood up and walked outside.
Lying half-propped up on the bed, Xuyue looked down at his palm, where the warmth from Chu Jing's touch seemed to linger.
「Outside the cave.」
As soon as she stepped out, Chu Jing saw two stoves and two large stone pots arranged neatly in the clearing.
She immediately praised Jiang Ji and Bai Ling.
"You two are so capable. They look practically identical."
Jiang Ji, long accustomed to praise, had already heard such compliments many times today. He simply responded with a polite smile, his expression unchanging.
But Bai Ling, who was being praised by Chu Jing for the first time, blushed.
Chu Jing didn't think much of it.
After all, saying a few words was much easier than doing the work herself.
She didn't want to waste too much energy on it either.
Then, she walked behind a tree, took out some spices she had stored, and prepared to start a fire to cook. She planned to treat everyone to a good meal.
Chu Jing had no intention of using some old-fashioned method.
'That's too much trouble.'
So she turned and asked, "Which of you knows how to start a fire?"
Jiang Ji and Bai Ling looked at each other, speechless for a moment.
Neither of them had considered this problem.
After a moment, Jiang Ji reminded her, "Female Master, have you forgotten? Gu Si can use the Flame Element."
Hearing this, Chu Jing finally remembered their individual abilities and instantly felt a bit rude.
She scratched her head, pretending to have a sudden realization. "Oh, is that right? I must be so hungry my brain isn't working straight."
Then, Chu Jing sent Jiang Ji to find Gu Si and ask for a light.
Once the flames in the stove began to flicker to life, Chu Jing got busy, directing Bai Ling and Jiang Ji to help her prepare the ingredients.
Before long, a large pot of fragrant fish soup began to release waves of an enticing aroma.
The rich scent wafted through the air, making one's mouth water uncontrollably.
Next, she took out a small portion of the fish and carefully sliced it into fillets.
She then placed them in a pre-prepared mix of seasonings to make a large dish of spicy and numbing fish.
All the remaining fish were set aside for grilling.
As time went on, that distinct, piquant aroma also began to fill the air.
The pungent, spicy smell was so strong it went straight to their heads, making Jiang Ji and Bai Ling cough.
The fumes made both of their eyes water, and even the rims of their eyes turned red.
Even the Beastmen, who were used to all sorts of food smells, couldn't help but frown at such a strong stimulus, and they all took a few steps back to avoid the direct fumes.
The three people inside the cave had been chatting leisurely.
But when the scent drifted into the cave on the wind, it caught everyone off guard.
Rong Kai, unable to restrain his curiosity, finally rushed out.
He was just in time to see Chu Jing's bright eyes twinkling with light.
Chu Jing looked at Rong Kai with a grin and said in a gentle tone, "You smelled the aroma, didn't you?"
"Here, I set this aside to cool especially for you."
The novel she'd read had mentioned that cold-blooded Beastmen weren't suited to eating piping hot food right away.
So she had specially instructed Jiang Ji and the others to make a few bowls.
As soon as the food was ready, she had portioned some out and placed it in a drafty spot to ensure it would cool down quickly.
However, Rong Kai didn't seem to appreciate the gesture.
He merely gave the thoughtfully prepared meal a cool glance.
Then, with a flick of his hand, he unhesitatingly knocked the bowl to the ground.
The carefully prepared food was wasted just like that, spilled all over the ground.
"Are you trying to curry favor with me using this? Don't waste your effort."
After dropping that line, Rong Kai turned and walked back into the cave without a second glance.
'I made that with my own hands!'
Chu Jing fought to suppress her rage.
"If you don't want to eat it, fine, but why waste food like that?"
'From now on, I'd rather feed it to a dog than give it to him!'
Just then, Jiang Ji, who was standing nearby, gently tugged on Chu Jing's sleeve and whispered a reminder, "Female Master, you have to try and understand Rong Kai. After all, he was once so proud, but now he's become like this. He must be in a lot of pain."
Hearing this, Chu Jing frowned and looked at Jiang Ji in confusion.
"How strong did you say he used to be?"
Her eyes were filled with puzzlement.
The truth was, when she read the original novel, the specific power Levels of these Beast Husbands were never clearly mentioned, so she didn't know the details.
'Could there be some plot point in the original novel that I have no idea about?' she wondered silently.
Jiang Ji swallowed, a nervous look on his face.
He hesitated for a moment before stammering, "Six Patterns... because of you, he dropped to Three Patterns..."
After saying this, he let out a sigh of relief.
What he didn't say was that if Rong Kai hadn't been strong enough, he might have frozen to death in the snow that night.
The thought kept replaying in Jiang Ji's mind, making him shiver with belated fear.
Chu Jing was stunned. It felt as if a heavy hammer had struck her heart.
The sudden shock left her speechless.
She had also been a Superpower User, so she naturally understood how difficult cultivation was.
Every single Level increase required immense effort and dedication.
'No wonder Rong Kai is in such a foul mood.'
A trace of pity welled up in her heart.
After dinner, Chu Jing sat outside watching the moon, not because she was bored, but because she was contemplating what to do next.
The moonlight draped over her like a silver veil.
Yet at this moment, her heart was in turmoil.
"Female Master—"
The sudden voice broke Chu Jing's train of thought.
She came back to her senses and found Jiang Ji watching her cautiously from the side.
She smiled.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?"
Jiang Ji was beyond flattered. He never expected the Female Master to actually show concern for him.
A wave of excitement washed over him, and he even started to stammer.
Jiang Ji scratched his head and mustered up the courage to ask, "Female Master, what you said in the cave today... was it true?"
Chu Jing nodded.
"It's true."
She didn't hesitate at all.
Suddenly, Chu Jing felt a little mischievous.
"You're asking me all this... is it because you can't bear to see me go?"
Her eyes curved into two crescents, and the corners of her mouth tilted up slightly.
Jiang Ji was young and inexperienced, after all. His face immediately turned red, and he said huffily, "Of course not! Don't accuse me of such things."
"I'm just afraid you'll lie to me again!"