You Eat This?

Jianyue and Batu immediately put on expressions of eager anticipation, ready to watch the drama unfold.

Feng Rumeng could hardly believe her ears. He had actually said he had come to take her as his mate?

The person before her looked to be about 1.9 meters tall, with extraordinarily long, bewitching violet hair. The wisps over his forehead were parted naturally to either side, as though they had been curled.

A long imperial-purple earring hung from his left ear past his shoulder. His skin was like jade, and his upturned phoenix eyes held pupils the same color as his hair. A high nose and thin pink lips curved in a smile completed his delicate, oval face.

Below his long neck, he wore a high-collared, wide-sleeved robe in shades of violet and pinkish purple. It was cropped at the ribs, revealing a stretch of firm abdominal muscles.

A long skirt fell straight to his ankles, held loosely at the waist by a belt set with purple gemstones the size of eggs.

He looked like a seductive young master of the demonic path, completely out of place beside Hu Feng and Batu in their beast hides. And was this guy wearing shoes?

Feng Rumeng spoke coldly. "If you wanted to take me as your mate, why didn't you come before winter?"

Ling's thin lips curved upward. "I only came of age today."

Feng Rumeng asked bluntly, "I heard snake beastmen hit females."

Ling looked at her, somewhat at a loss for words. "I don't hit my own female."

Feng Rumeng's mind raced. "Are you serious?"

"Mm."

"I'm ugly and can't reproduce. Don't make fun of me. Go do whatever you should be doing." Feng Rumeng raised her chin. "Look behind you. Any one of them would be better than me."

Ling's gaze remained fixed on her. "What a coincidence. I don't like cubs, and I've never thought you were ugly."

Hu Feng looked at Ling. "Ling, are you sure?"

Ling's cool voice held a laugh. "I'm already here. How could I not be?" With that, he walked into the cave without looking back.

Feng Rumeng froze for a moment. "Hey, wait. You'll regret it..."

Ling had already entered the cave.

"Rumeng," Jianyue said, looking relieved that Feng Rumeng was finally no longer single,

"Eat more meat today. Otherwise, with your build, you won't be able to take it. We won't disturb you."

Hu Feng seemed about to speak but stopped himself. He glanced at the cave, then shot Feng Rumeng a sharp look.

Jianyue waved at the beastmen watching nearby. "Move along, move along! Go do whatever you should be doing!"

Feng Rumeng took a deep breath and entered the cave. She sat on the edge of the bed. "Your name is Ling?"

Ling was looking at the tally marks Meng had carved on the cave wall. "Mm. Your name is Rumeng?"

"My name is Feng Rumeng. Were you the one who brought me back to the cave during the cold season?"

"Mm."

"Were you the one who brought me prey?"

"Mm."

"Why didn't you come back after that?"

"I was too sleepy, so I hibernated."

"Then after we become mates, won't you have to hibernate during the cold season too?"

"I'll work hard to advance. Once I reach the sixth rank, I won't need to hibernate."

"What rank are you now?"

"Third rank!"

"Third rank?"

Ling looked back. "Although I'm only third rank, I'm a great hunter. I'll never let you go hungry."

He would even feed her until she was nice and plump.

"That's not it. Are you really serious? I've had a male before," Feng Rumeng admitted.

"I know!"

"You know?" Feng Rumeng suddenly remembered the dream she had after falling asleep in the snow. She stood up. "Could it be that when I had that high fever, you..."

"No. I only helped bring down your fever."

"Oh." Feng Rumeng sat down again.

Ling's magnetic voice was enticing. "When do we start?"

Feng Rumeng's beautiful eyes flickered. "Start what?"

Ling bent down and drew close, his nose almost touching hers. Feng Rumeng instinctively leaned back, bracing her hands on the stone bed. "W-what are you doing?"

"Of course..." Ling lowered his picturesque brows and eyes slightly.

Feng Rumeng's eyes widened, dark as strong tea. "W-w-what?"

Ling's throat bobbed gently. He withdrew his gaze from her neck and straightened up. "Of course, we're going to tidy up the cave."

Feng Rumeng breathed a sigh of relief, her lashes trembling slightly. "Oh, we're tidying the cave."

She had just sat up straight when Ling lowered his head again. "What did you think it was?"

Feng Rumeng waved both hands and smiled guiltily. "Nothing." She pushed Ling away. "Let's tidy the cave."

Feng Rumeng looked around. The cave was already very clean, but to ease the awkwardness, she still made a show of throwing out a few inconsequential things.

On her way back, she ran into Lina in the square.

Lina said snidely, "Well, who did I think it was? It's the ugly female even the ferocious beast wouldn't have."

Feng Rumeng gave her a cold look. "How do you know? Did the ferocious beast tell you, or were you there too?"

Lina nearly jumped. "Who are you saying was there? You were carried off by a ferocious beast and then sent back. If it didn't reject you, what else could it be?"

"What it was is none of your concern. It's not like I eat your family's meat." Feng Rumeng couldn't be bothered with her.

Lina planted her hands on her hips. "I wouldn't give you my family's meat to eat! Are you trying to seduce my beast husband, you shameless ugly female?"

Feng Rumeng didn't turn around. Her voice was languid. "My standards aren't so low that I'd compete with you."

Lina's face went from pale to livid. She clenched her fists and charged at Feng Rumeng, but Hu Yang, quick of eye and hand, grabbed her. "Na, she has a beast husband now. It's that guy Ling."

(´･ω･`)?

A chill ran down Lina's back. "Ling?"

Feng Rumeng had just reached the cave when Ling appeared at the entrance. "Did someone bully you?"

"No." Feng Rumeng entered the cave, her eyes shining. Wow. Going there and back, I was gone for half an hour at most.

The cave had taken on a completely different appearance. A stone table and stone stools stood in the center, the cave entrance was fully equipped with beast-world kitchen utensils, and a window had even been opened in one side of the cave. Even the beast hide on the stone bed had been replaced with a white one.

Could this guy really be serious? He gave him food, and she gave her food, so they were even. Then he saved her and even offered himself to her. Didn't he think he was getting the short end of the stick?

Ling's voice was deep and pleasant. "See if anything else is missing. I'll go trade for it."

Feng Rumeng turned to look at him. "Ling, with your looks, you shouldn't lack females, right? Because of my health, I really can't bear cubs. You should leave. I don't want to hold you back."

"You're driving me away?" Ling's eyes darkened.

Feng Rumeng looked uncomfortable. "I'm not driving you away. I just think you should..."

"I'm not leaving." Ling cut her off. "I told you, I don't want cubs. I just want a home."

Feng Rumeng's gaze shifted. Since that's the case...

Getting to enjoy a handsome man without even paying crystals—what was there to hesitate about? With that face and that body, no matter how I look at it, I'm not losing out.

Since he wanted to be her second mate, she would do as the locals did. At worst, when he wanted to leave, they could dissolve their mate contract peacefully.

Feng Rumeng sorted out her thoughts, picked up a dagger, and peeled a potato.

Ling came over and took the potato in his large, slender hand. "You eat this?"

"Mm. The food you hunted for me ran out long ago. If I hadn't had this to fill my stomach, I would have starved to death during the cold season!"

Ling waved his hand, and a Kaka Beast appeared. "From now on, I'll make sure you have meat every day."

Feng Rumeng looked delighted. "Shall we have meat stewed with potatoes for lunch?"

"Meat stewed with potatoes?"

"A potato is what you're holding. Cut it and the meat into small pieces and stew them in a clay pot."

Feng Rumeng pointed at the flour. "Then make some flatbreads to eat with it."

Ling looked at the things she pointed to. In the past, he wouldn't have eaten them even if he had gone hungry. "Are you from the Goat Tribe?"

"You're the goat!" Oh no. Feng Rumeng hurried to cover for herself. "I mean, I'm not from the Goat Tribe."

Ling looked at her. The little female's face was very dark, but not only did he not think her ugly, he also found her every movement adorable.

Feng Rumeng took a basin to scoop up water and knead the dough. Ling had brought the water jar too, and it was filled with water.

Ling worked on the prey. He couldn't smell what tribe she belonged to, but her scent was so fragrant.

When he had been close to her just now, he had felt an urge to swallow her whole, just as though he wanted to eat the most delicious prey.