Beichuan began working busily again.
Bai Ning sat nearby, watching the distant sunset and chatting with Tongtong. Occasionally, she would glance back at Beichuan. For some reason, a sense of “peaceful years” and quiet happiness began to settle over her.
What she didn’t realize was that while she was watching the scenery, she had become the scenery for someone else.
Beichuan watched the little female’s silhouette. A gentle breeze stirred the tips of her hair, sending strands dancing in the air. To Beichuan, it felt as if those strands were drifting across his own heart—ticklish, yet deeply comforting.
As the sun dipped below the horizon and the sky darkened, Beichuan set down the wooden blocks. After letting Bai Ning know, he got up and headed back into the cave.
He emerged a moment later holding something in his hand. As he drew closer, Bai Ning saw that he was clutching two pieces of flint.
Thinking of the fire-striking stones lying in her spatial storage, Bai Ning’s lips twitched slightly. Why does it feel like everything in that “Beginner Survival Kit” is useless baggage, except for the sanitary pads and disposable underwear? It seems like I can find a local replacement for everything in the Beast World!
Beichuan set the flint aside and went to fetch a large pile of wood. It was only then that Bai Ning noticed a smaller side-cave right next to the main one.
Noticing her gaze, Beichuan explained with a smile as he started the fire, “That’s where I keep firewood and miscellaneous things.”
“No wonder…”
Beichuan gently blew on the sparks. Once he saw the flames catch, he added more wood before looking up at her. “No wonder what?”
“No wonder your cave is so empty! At first, I thought it was an abandoned cave where nobody lived!”
“…” Beichuan fell silent.
How could he tell her that because he’d never planned on finding a mate, he viewed the cave as nothing more than a place to sleep? Even that small side-cave only existed because his parents thought his main cave was too messy and forced him to dig a hole to shove all his junk into.
Beichuan gritted his teeth. No way. He couldn’t let the little female think he was a lazy beastman. Even if he didn’t sleep tonight, he would finish making everything—he couldn’t let her look down on him!
Seeing Beichuan lapse into silence again, Bai Ning pursed her lips. This guy seems smart, but why does he only speak in half-sentences? It’s exhausting…
Oh well. If he wasn’t going to talk, she’d just go back inside, lie down, and browse the System Shop.
However, she still needed Beichuan’s help to get back. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke up: “Um… could I trouble you to carry me inside?”
Beichuan froze, instantly filled with self-reproach. I am so stupid!
The little female was injured, yet he had let her sit outside for so long without even asking if she wanted to go back! Her wounds needed fresh medicine, and he had completely forgotten something so important!
And food! He hadn’t even prepared a meal for her! He was incredibly dense!
Yet, despite his clumsiness, the little female hadn’t complained once. Any other female would have lost her temper by now. She is too kind, he thought. But since she’s so wonderful and I’m like this… will she ever accept me?
His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, but his movements didn’t slow down. Hearing her request, he immediately dropped the wood, told her to wait a moment, and ran into the cave to start the indoor fire.
Once the hearth was lit, he dashed back out, brushed the dust off his hands and clothes, and walked to her side. He leaned down and gently lifted her into his arms.
After settling her back in the cave and helping her wash her feet, he didn’t linger. He told her to rest well and immediately began preparing food at a frantic pace.
As for Bai Ning, she had been dying of embarrassment ever since he started washing her feet; she was currently lying on the bed wishing she could dig a hole and hide.
Dinner was the “long-eared beast” from this morning. To make the meat cook faster, Beichuan sliced it into small pieces and skewered them on clean sticks over the fire.
When the meat was almost done, he carefully produced a small piece of animal hide. He unwrapped it, pinched out a few grains of salt to sprinkle over the roast, then meticulously re-wrapped the salt and tucked it away.
Smelling the aroma wafting from outside, Bai Ning realized she hadn’t eaten. During her time in the apocalypse, she often had only one meager meal a day. Because she had eaten so much at lunch, she hadn’t felt hungry until now.
She heard Beichuan muffledly talking to another male outside, but she didn’t pay much attention. Feeling her stomach start to growl, she wondered when dinner would be ready.
Fortunately, Beichuan didn’t keep her waiting. He soon lifted the curtain and walked in, holding the skewers in one hand and a bunch of vibrant green, weed-like plants in the other.
As he set the meat down, he looked at her guiltily. “Bai Ning, I’m sorry. I was too careless. I prepared the food so late, and I even forgot to go get your medicine…”
Bai Ning didn’t quite understand his mindset; he was always taking the blame for everything. She hadn’t even remembered the medicine herself, so how could she blame him?
Recalling her earlier conversation with Tongtong, Bai Ning frowned. She needed to make things clear to Beichuan. She couldn’t let him harbor false hopes; it wasn’t fair to him.
Looking at the guilt-ridden Beichuan, she thought for a moment and said, “Beichuan, you don’t need to keep saying sorry. You saved me, and I am very grateful to you. I also know that typically, a female rescued from the wild will take her rescuer as a mate. But Beichuan… I don’t want to take a mate yet.“
She continued, “Partly because I’ve just been through some bad things, and partly because I hope that when I am with a future partner, it’s because we truly love each other—not because of gratitude or any other reason. Do you understand what I mean?”
Beichuan’s grip tightened on the wild herbs until his knuckles turned white. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he tried to speak, but for a long time, no words came out.
The bonfire in the cave was burning brightly, yet at that moment, the light seemed cold and dim, casting flickering shadows across his face.
After a long silence, his voice came out raspy: “I… I understand.”
Bai Ning breathed a small sigh of relief. It was better this way; “short pain is better than long pain,” and she didn’t want to lead him on. However, now that things were clear, it felt inappropriate to keep living here.
“Um… Beichuan, are there any other empty caves in the tribe? Since we’ve cleared things up, if I keep staying here, it might affect your future mate—”
“No!”
Before she could finish, Beichuan cut her off.
“There are no other caves!” he repeated. His heart felt as if it were being torn apart. Does she dislike me that much? Is she that desperate to leave?