Moonlight filtered through the cave entrance, casting mottled patterns on the ground.
Feng Mian lay on a pile of soft grass, unable to sleep, his mind buzzing with Li Heng’s words.
“Li Zhu likes good-looking…”
He raised a hand to touch his face; his golden-red hair shimmered in the moonlight.
“I’m clearly good-looking…”
“Atmosphere… is silly?”
He frowned at the cave wall, trying to look composed, but it felt awkward no matter what he did.
Eventually, he gave up and rolled over, sinking into a heavy sleep.
Dawn filtered through the leaves, scattering speckled light across the tribal clearing.
Feng Mian sat beneath the familiar large tree, his mind turning over how he could “drop hints” later.
During breakfast, he kept trying to signal Li Heng, but the guy didn’t even glance his way, as if completely forgetting the plan!
Finally, lunchtime arrived.
The wooden table was laid with steaming bowls of beast-meat porridge and pan-fried meat, the aroma alone whetting appetites.
Feng Mian held his bowl, eyes darting repeatedly to Li Zhu’s face, finally finding the moment to speak.
“Sigh…”
He let out a heavy, deliberate sigh, just loud enough for those at the table to hear.
Li Zhu looked up from adding wild vegetables to her porridge, curiosity lighting her amber eyes.
“What’s the matter, Feng Mian? Not to your taste?”
“No, no…”
Feng Mian waved his hands quickly, pretending to casually rub his eyes.
“It’s just… I didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Didn’t sleep well?”
Ming Yuan asked with concern.
“Was the nest too hard? Too cold?”
“Not really…”
Feng Mian scratched his head, glancing toward the direction of his cave, his tone tinged with slight grievance.
“The cave is just… too big. Empty. I live alone… and it feels a bit lonely.”
He emphasized “lonely,” sneaking a glance at Li Zhu with his peripheral vision, his heart hammering like a drum.
Across the table, Li Heng nearly spat out his porridge.
Damn, he’d completely forgotten what he promised Feng Mian yesterday!
Still, Feng Mian was acting the part convincingly.
Li Heng cleared his throat, following the thread.
“Lonely, huh? So where do you want to sleep? You can’t stay out in the open, right?”
Here it comes! Feng Mian’s heart thumped, though his face still carried an expression of innocence.
“I… I don’t know…”
He hesitated, then, as if he had no other option, finally spoke up.
“Maybe… Li Heng, I can stay with you guys?”
“No!”
Two voices echoed in unison.
Li Heng glared at Feng Mian in anger.
He had wanted to help, yet this guy actually wanted to take over his spot!
Eating and drinking at his house every day was one thing, but now he wanted to live there too? No way!
“You’re a male, and we still have Ming Yuan here! It wouldn’t be appropriate for you to stay with us—you should stay in your own cave!”
Li Cheng frowned. He had already given Feng Mian a place in the tribe—it was more than generous. And now this guy actually wanted to live in his house? Not a chance!
In this, father and son were surprisingly aligned.
“Honestly, I also think it’s not appropriate, sigh…”
Feng Mian let out a heavy sigh, then lowered his head, putting on a heartbroken expression, and subtly glanced at Li Heng.
Li Heng paused, his gaze pretending to casually sweep toward the direction of Li Zhu and Ze Yu’s cave, then he said lightly,
“I see… the cave where Li Zhu and the others live seems quite big, and it’s just Li Zhu and Ze Yu there…”
Feng Mian’s eyes lit up instantly. He looked at Li Zhu expectantly.
“Right, Li Zhu, can I? Can I stay in the same cave as you?”
No sooner had he spoken than the atmosphere at the wooden table shifted strangely.
Ming Yuan’s wooden spoon clanged back into her bowl. She stared at Feng Mian, her mouth opening in surprise, but no words came out.
Li Cheng put down his chopsticks, eyebrows furrowed. Was this kid truly naive, or just pretending?
Li Zhu was stunned, too. She had forgotten to bite into her pan-fried meat, her wide eyes full of astonishment.
In the beast world, a female’s cave is the most private space. The only ones allowed inside are either her mate or family.
Feng Mian’s words were practically saying, “I want to be your beast husband!”
But looking at his expression—those golden-red eyes full of innocent loneliness—it didn’t seem deliberate at all.
Li Zhu’s mind raced. Could it be… he really didn’t know the rules? After all, he was from another tribe; maybe their customs were different?
“Feng Mian, you…”
She was about to explain when Ze Yu gently pressed her hand, stopping her.
Ze Yu had barely spoken since the beginning, calmly sipping his porridge.
Yet the knowing look in his eyes was unmistakable. This kid had been holding back yesterday at dinner, and today he finally found his chance, even learning to be tactful about it.
He looked up at Feng Mian. His dark eyes were calm, but carried an invisible pressure.
“You’re not Li Zhu’s beast husband. Do you think it’s appropriate for you to live here with us?”
The words were light, but they hit Feng Mian like a stone.
Of course he knew it wasn’t appropriate—but thinking carefully, now was the perfect opportunity!
“It’s not appropriate… but if I become Li Zhu’s beast husband… then… would it be okay?”
Feng Mian said this cautiously, keeping a close eye on Li Zhu’s reaction.
Li Zhu’s eyes widened. They instinctively fell on Feng Mian.
There was no denying that he was truly handsome, though in a completely different way from Ze Yu.
If Ze Yu was like a jade refined and mellowed by time, then Feng Mian was a vivid red rose, blooming boldly under the sun.
She admitted, when she first saw him, her heart had skipped a beat.
Before she had a beast husband, she had cared more about strength than affection when choosing one.
But now, with Ze Yu as a powerful and capable mate, the most important thing was that they liked each other.
So if she were ever to choose another beast husband, she wanted mutual affection. Naturally, she would also consult Ze Yu.
Otherwise, how could the household avoid conflicts between the mates? She didn’t like that kind of family tension.
“Um… Feng Mian, becoming mates isn’t a small matter. I want to know… why do you want to be my beast husband? If it’s just because you like our tribe’s food, I can have Ze Yu teach you. Then you wouldn’t have to live alone in our cave…”
The more Li Zhu spoke, the heavier Feng Mian’s heart felt.
It seemed she didn’t want him to become her beast husband…
Sniff, sniff…
“No… that’s not it… I want to be your beast husband because… because… I like you!”
Feng Mian shut his eyes and shouted the words aloud, unable to open them again.
Li Zhu froze at his answer, her heart skipping a beat.
She couldn’t deny it—the answer brought her joy.
At the very least, she now knew: he wanted to be with her, purely because he liked her.