Chapter 9: Getting on Good Terms with Him

Mo Lie froze.

Lin Manzhi turned her head, saw Mo Lie not moving, she twitched her fingers and reached out to touch his drooping head: "I was also in that city back then; if it weren't for you, the Exotic Beast would have already stormed the city, and I might have died."

Lin Manzhi's hand was light, touching with just the right warmth; Mo Lie reflexively lifted his head slightly.

He glared at Lin Manzhi's ink-black eyes: "No, the male beasts in the city will fight to the death to protect the females, so you'll be fine."

Lin Manzhi chuckled: "Who knows? Since I don't have a Beast Husband, when the city descends into chaos, male beasts will naturally prioritize protecting their own Wife Master at a life-or-death moment—who has the energy to look after other females?"

Such a situation has occurred in cities breached by Exotic Beasts.

Mo Lie couldn't articulate what he felt at that moment.

Thinking of the scene Lin Manzhi described.

The lone female before him fell into danger, unprotected, and was torn apart by the Exotic Beast.

His heart only stirred during life-or-death hunts and battles—feeling intense emotional waves; since his injury, he hadn't felt any inner ripples.

This was merely a supposition; an uncomfortable sensation like fine prickles welled up in his heart, making Mo Lie frown.

He propped himself up, his blue eyes looking like sea water with a thin frost; he gazed steadily at Lin Manzhi and said softly, "Wife Master, I will protect you from now on."

Great, affection increased, right?!

Lin Manzhi felt very satisfied; being alone with Mo Lie no longer felt as restrained as before.

She observed Mo Lie's condition; the medicine was working, and even his pallid lips now had a hint of color.

Perhaps his discomfort was aggravated by her; Lin Manzhi felt a lightness in her chest, as if a stone had been moved.

Outside the sun shone brightly; inside it was cool. The fatigue from days of travel surged up as her mind relaxed.

Lin Manzhi hadn't rested well for days; drowsiness came like storm clouds in summer, and now she wanted nothing but to sleep.

Especially after just experiencing death from staying up late, sleep now ranked as top priority in her heart.

She raised a hand to cover her mouth and let out an uncontrollable yawn; her black eyes grew misty, she gazed at Mo Lie with watery eyes and blinked lightly.

Wait, Mo Lie is also sleeping here… does that mean we have to share a bed again?

Before there was no choice, but now there are three rooms; Lin Manzhi thought it over, feeling it wrong to drive out the injured, and with some drowsiness said, "This room will be yours from now on; I'll go to the next room."

Separate rooms?

Mo Lie had originally hoped for this, but now he changed his mind—his Wife Master should naturally sleep beside him.

Mo Lie lifted his gaze; his blue eyes were as deep as the sea, his brows slightly furrowed, his handsome face bearing an expression that made one reluctant to harden their heart.

He grabbed Lin Manzhi's wrist, gently using force to keep her in place, then, showing a pained expression, slowly moved his legs to the bedside and planted his feet on the floor.

"We only have one bed and a warm blanket; nights here are cold, so I'll leave this for you—Mo Lie cannot let the Wife Master sleep on the floor."

Mo Lie released his hand, propping up his body, long accustomed to pain, his voice tight with self-reproach: "This is also my fault; previously I was severely injured and couldn't protect my belongings, nor could I go out to hunt and earn Beast Coins."

Lin Manzhi hadn't expected Mo Lie to react so strongly; it seemed he intended to drag his sick body outside himself.

How could one let a sick person sleep on the ground...

She felt a twinge of guilt thinking this; besides, their poverty wasn't Mo Lie's fault—if anyone was to blame, it was the other male beasts who took advantage of the chaos.

Lin Manzhi yawned, exhausted, and collapsed onto the bed, half her face sinking into the soft blanket; she patted the mattress beneath her and said, "If you sleep on the floor without a blanket you'll be cold—don't go, just stay as before."

Mo Lie obediently lay back down; a soft smile flickered in his blue eyes as he replied softly, "Yes, Wife Master."

The female's beauty and gentleness were exactly as he had imagined.

Male beasts can shift into Beast Form at will; his true form is a black leopard, and his thick fur can withstand winter storms—so why would he fear the mild nights of warm season?

Mo Lie put on a pitiful expression, longing to return to the Wife Master's side; he heard the nearby, steady thump of a heartbeat and slowly closed his eyes.

His body, which had felt like it was running through a sea of fire enduring torture these past days, now seemed to have found a cool refuge; his pain dissipated largely.

……

Next day.

Lin Manzhi woke after a long sleep to find it already bright outside; upon waking in the unfamiliar room, her eyes were still a bit dazed.

Just then, a faint push came from the outer room, and a tall, handsome man entered.

He held a Small Ceramic Pot, walked to the bedside, and handed over the pot filled with clear water: "Wife Master, would you like some water?"

That familiar address and the handsome Mo Lie instantly pulled the drowsy Lin Manzhi back to awareness.

She slowly sat up, stretched, took the water from Mo Lie's hand, drank a few sips, and turned to glance at the sun outside.

Lin Manzhi smiled and asked, "I want to go outside to get familiar with this place, and maybe wander around—will you rest at home?"

Mo Lie shook his head slightly; his originally painful, restless Spirit Core oddly calmed, leaving only a heaviness in his body as if bound by iron sand.

He said, "I will accompany the Wife Master."

When females go out, most are accompanied by a male.

Lin Manzhi looked at him: "You're injured, you don't need to come with me; this tribe is quite safe, I'll be right back."

Mo Lie had already donned his black cloak, his hoarse voice carrying a hint of stubbornness: "I will accompany the Wife Master."

Lin Manzhi felt that if she refused again, he would secretly follow her.

She glanced at Mo Lie, resigned, and nodded: "Alright."

The morning sun outside was also harsh; Mo Lie picked up the ochre Headscarf placed by the window, draped it over her shoulders, then pulled it from behind to cover her head, winding it over her mouth and nose, his fingertips inadvertently brushing her ear tip.

A cool sensation flashed from her ear tip and vanished; Lin Manzhi's Headscarf was wrapped tightly, leaving only her black eyes exposed, which blinked.

Probably unaccustomed to others' care, she felt her ear tip a bit hot; she lowered her gaze, lifted her hand to adjust the Headscarf to hide that unnatural feeling, then followed Mo Lie out the door.

In Lin Manzhi's current space there is only a plot of land; the river nearby hasn't been unlocked yet, so there is no water.

Water is the most important thing here; she decided to first check out the tribe's water source, and since Mo Lie never objected to her decisions, the two headed toward the center.