Xue and Ziqian walked side by side in an awkward silence. For Xue, the stolen kiss still lingered in his mind, making it hard to meet the sub-beast's eyes. Meanwhile, Ziqian was already plotting his next move, wondering how he could push their closeness another step forward.
They had gone over today's itinerary while eating together the night before.
Ziqian described to Xue some of the simple tools used in cooking—a cauldron, a pan, a ladle, and a spatula. To make it clearer, he crouched down and sketched rough outlines in the dirt, explaining in detail how each one was used, recalling them as vividly as he could from memory.
He looked up to see Xue still watching, a faint furrow between his brows as if he were carefully committing every detail to memory. It stirred something warm in Ziqian's chest.
Xue immediately understood and, after a thoughtful pause, began listing some raw materials that could serve as alternatives.
Xue decided to use the branches of the tree called Cinna. It is a mushroom-shaped tree, and because of the special characteristic of its blood-red sap, the branches are ideal to use as a spatula or ladle because they will not mold even when soaked in water.
For the cauldron, Xue suggested using blackstone—found under the waterfalls in the southern part of the tribe. It can withstand fire without cracking.
As for the pan, Xue thought that the hide of a scaled beast, once hardened, might work, while the handles can be carved from ironwood.
Ziqian readily agreed. Compared to him, Xue knew far more about these kinds of things. Their destination for today was already finalized last night, but now, the memory of that conversation was colored by different expectations—one weighed down by shyness, the other fueled by playful anticipation.
Since they had already talked about all the things that needed to be talked about, Ziqian couldn't think of any new topic. Xue, being taciturn, could sit the entire day without speaking a word. Now that he'd been unsettled by the sub-beast's presence, his mind seemed to be wandering off to who knows where.
"Why don't you ask him about the health of the elders? Recently, many of the old and young in the tribe are getting sick," Phi suddenly suggested.
Ziqian stiffened, recalling what he'd observed the past few days. The coughs, the fevers, the weary eyes of both children and elders—symptoms that, back on Earth, would have been treated as a simple cold. But here, without medicine or proper care, the illness spread unchecked, worsening until it sometimes turned fatal.
His chest tightened. If it really is just the common cold, then something as small as herbs, warm soup, or proper rest could make the difference. But… what if I'm wrong?
He glanced at Xue, who was quietly walking beside him, his expression as unreadable as always. For the first time, Ziqian wondered if he dared to bring up such a delicate topic.
Just as Ziqian was about to ask Xue more about it, Ero's frantic voice suddenly rang in his mind. Ah-Zi! Two two-horned monsters are charging this way—fast!
Before Ziqian could even react, Xue's sharp eyes had already caught sight of two monsters closing in. Without a word, he scooped the sub-beast into his arms and vaulted up the nearest tree with effortless strength. Setting Ziqian down on a thick, sturdy branch, he made sure the sub-beast was balance and safe before moving away.
In the next breath, Xue was gone—his figure a blur as he leapt across branches, three trees away in the direction of the approaching monsters, ready to intercept them before they could draw closer.
Using their massive snouts, the two two-horned boars rooted noisily at the ground, stopping just beneath the tree where Xue lay in wait.
In the next instant, he moved. With explosive force, Xue dropped down from above, landing squarely behind one of the beasts. A sharp crack split the air as its hind leg snapped beneath the impact. Before the boar could even squeal, Xue drove a crushing blow into its skull. The beast collapsed, lifeless, its body trembling once before going still.
After killing one, Xue easily dealt with the other.
All of it happened in under a minute. Ziqian, though he had witnessed Xue fight before, still couldn't help but be struck with awe once more. The man hadn't even transformed, yet his strength alone was enough to dispatch the monster with terrifying ease.
After settling the two monsters, Xue leapt back to the tree and carefully carried Ziqian down. "Are you okay?" he asked, his tone steady but his gaze soft.
"How can I not be okay with you here?" Ziqian replied with a bright smile. Before Xue could react, the sub-beast tiptoed and stole another quick kiss.
The unexpected touch left Xue frozen in place once again, his mind blank, his heart unsteady. It wasn't until a deep, guttural roar echoed from the direction the killed monsters had come from that he snapped back to his senses.
Without hesitation, Xue lifted Ziqian with one arm and hefted the larger boar with the other. His strides were swift and unerring as he sped toward the waterfalls. The two-horned boars might be weak individually, but their violent nature—and tendency to roam in hordes—made them one of the more troublesome beasts to face head-on.
The first time Ziqian saw a two-horned monster, he had been scared witless, nearly bursting into tears. Even with the radar to guide them, the deeper they ventured into the forest, the more frequently monsters appeared. Yet every time danger loomed, Xue dispatched the monsters effortlessly.
What once made Ziqian's heart tremble now left him oddly excited. With Xue at his side, the forest no longer felt like a death trap—it felt like an adventure.
"Xue, you smell so good," Ziqian murmured, nuzzling into the man's neck and drawing in his refreshing scent.
"It's his pheromones, Ah-Zi," Ero explained. "Beasts use them either to attract or to intimidate. Right now, Xue is releasing his pheromones to keep the horde at bay."
Ziqian chuckled to himself. What should I do? I'm not intimidated at all—just even more attracted instead.
Ero rolled his non-existent eyes, unimpressed with the sub-beast's shamelessness, and returned to monitoring the radar. Phi, on the other hand, only giggled and curled up contentedly in Ziqian's hair.
Xue's pheromones carried the cool sharpness of mint softened by a hint of lavender. The refreshing scent held a faint floral sweetness, wrapping around Ziqian like a gentle breeze. It was calming, steadying—yet the longer he breathed it in, the more his body betrayed him. A faint heat spread through his chest, his thoughts turning hazy.
The pheromones were getting stronger. What was meant to intimidate the beasts instead left Ziqian lightheaded, almost drunk on the fragrance.
Xue's breathing grew ragged, each exhale hotter than the last. The playful kisses at his neck and the warm breath fanning across his scent glands made his control waver, a rare crack in the mask of calm he always wore. Heat surged through him, sharp and insistent, until even his steady heartbeat betrayed him, thundering in his chest. His body tensed, every muscle coiled as if straining against something invisible—against the urge to seize the sub-beast who was driving him insane.
"Ziqian…" Xue's voice was low, almost strained. He wanted to ask the sub-beast to stop, yet the words caught in his throat. His body was restless, every nerve alive under the feather-light kisses, but what unsettled him more was the turmoil in his chest. His heart, usually steady as stone, now pounded wildly as if it had finally broken free of his control.
Xue's steps began to falter under the sub-beast's relentless teasing, every brush of breath and kiss gnawing at his control. Just then, the roar of the waterfalls reached his ears—and the sight of its crest ahead was like a lifeline thrown to a drowning man. Gritting his teeth, he quickened his pace, forcing his restless body to move faster.
Xue looked back to check if they had already lost the monster horde before continuing toward the falls. The thunderous roar grew louder with every stride, yet it did little to drown out the pounding of his own heartbeat.
After arriving at the waterfalls, Xue gently placed Ziqian on a rock and said, "Stay. I will clean the carcass so they won't follow the scent of blood." His words were firm, allowing no space for protest, before he hurried away with the monster's corpse.
Ziqian stifled a laugh, watching the man's broad back retreat with uncharacteristic haste, as though he were being chased by a ghost.
Ziqian wanted to follow and tease the man more, but his steps froze as his eyes widened in astonishment. He drew in a sharp breath, utterly taken aback by the breathtaking view before him.
The waterfall cascaded like a blue satin threaded with silver from a towering cliff between a gorge-like valley, crashing into a crystal-clear pool that shimmered with reflected light.
The pounding of water against stone echoed like a monster's roar, powerful and commanding, yet strangely calming.
The mist that drifted upward softened the edges of the valley, blurring stone and sky into a dreamlike haze.
The lush green plants and vibrant flowers around it added to its tranquility and beauty, their delicate fragrance mingling with the crisp scent of fresh water.
It was a place both fierce and tranquil, a wild sanctuary untouched by time.
For a moment, Ziqian forgot about Xue and all the thoughts that had been weighing him down in the past few days.
"It's… so beautiful." It is the first time Ziqian has seen such scenery. On Earth, his days had been consumed by work and school; vacations, let alone moments like this, had been rare luxuries.
"You'll see even more breathtaking sights in the future, Ah-Zi," Phi said softly, his voice gentle but carrying an unshakable resolve.
Because of that despicable 'thing,' their ward had been denied even these simple joys. Ziqian deserved every bit of the beauty and goodness the world could offer.
"Yes, Ah-Zi. Unlike Earth, this world is still full of wonders waiting to be discovered," Ero agreed, his voice bright with excitement. With them present, nothing was impossible.
"One day, I want to see the whole world," he said, his voice soft and filled with innocent hope.
"You will," the two guardians said in unison.
A genuine smile blossomed across Ziqian's face, curving his peach-blossom eyes into crescent moons. It illuminated him from within, as if golden sunlight had settled over his entire being. The two guardians watched, hearts lifting, delighted to see the heavy clouds of worry and tension around him finally begin to dissipate.
Ero and Phi exchanged a glance, both silently agreeing that Ziqian's smile outshone any marvels the world could offer. To them, no scenery, no waterfall, and no flower could rival the radiance of his joy.
Not just the two fluff balls—Xue saw it too. After soaking in the icy pool, he was greeted by the radiant scene before him. Every curve of those peach-blossom eyes, every hint of unguarded joy, drew him in, stirring a warmth he could no longer deny. The flame Xue had struggled to suppress stirred once more, spreading through him like a slow, irresistible heat.