When the water heated, Sasha cracked the eggs, poured them into the pot, and added salt.
Soon, the egg drop soup was done. She filled a bowl with it. The taste, enhanced by the powdered salt, was perfectly balanced—not too salty, not too bland. She drank quite a bit.
Nolan also tried a bowl. The flavor surprised him, and he couldn't help feeling impressed.
But when he saw how much Sasha enjoyed it, he stopped drinking and waited until she was full before finishing the remaining soup in the pot.
Of course, such a small amount of egg drop soup couldn't fill him. Seeing the plump fish, he decided not to grill them—it was too much trouble. He used to eat them raw.
Knowing she didn't like watching him tear and drink blood in his beast form, Nolan quietly swallowed the fish raw while she wasn't paying attention.
The next day, there was no need to hunt, so Nolan continued making the wooden bed. By noon, it was completed.
Seeing the finished result, Sasha couldn't help admiring him. Nolan really was skillful—whatever she asked, he managed instantly.
After the bed, he followed her instructions to build a wardrobe. These days, besides occasionally hunting, he spends his time crafting various things she wanted—wooden bowls, chopsticks, a dining table with stools, and even a wooden barrel for bathing.
Because it had been inconvenient, Sasha previously used a big leaf to hold water to wash herself. Now, with the wooden barrel, she could finally bathe comfortably again.
Nolan even made a dressing table based on her wishes, carving simple patterns into it, giving it a quaint, antique feeling.
Sasha placed her cosmetics neatly on it, though it still lacked a proper mirror, so she used her small, round one for now.
With the wooden bed, cabinets, and other furniture placed around, the house finally felt like a home.
She also discovered a brownish-red gum that hardened when dry and wouldn't melt unless heated. It worked well as a natural paint substitute.
She and Nolan coated the bed, cabinet, and dressing table with it. Though simple in style, the furniture looked almost like something from the modern world. Sasha nodded in satisfaction.
She had originally wanted two wooden beds so she could sleep separately from Nolan, but he absolutely refused, leaving her no choice but to compromise.
After all, in this strange world of beastmen, he was the only one she truly knew—the first person she met. If she could never return home and had to live here forever without choosing another beastman, she felt that accepting Nolan might not be such a bad thing after all.
That night, light rain began falling. Sleeping on the grass nest would have been miserable—the ground would be soaked, and she would surely catch a cold.
Now she had a big wooden bed and several thick layers of fur. The top layer was soft, warm gray rabbit fur, and the quilt was a huge white rabbit fur of the same kind. She even made two pillows with animal skins.
In this chilly weather, lying in bed was cozy and warm. Sasha couldn't help rolling around comfortably.
Living in such a peaceful place wasn't bad at all. No scheming, no need to work from morning to night, no endless overtime or sleepless nights. Without all that stress, she found her mind feeling much younger.
Watching her small, adorable movements, Nolan happily transformed into his beast form and used his big tongue to lick the drool from her face.
"Tsk, that hurts." Sasha winced.
Nolan froze, startled. Her soft little face was flushed, and seeing it, he instantly felt distressed. He was sure he had been gentle. She was simply too delicate.
Seeing the worry in his green beast eyes, Sasha waved her hands as if unconcerned. "It'll fade soon, but don't lick me anymore. Your tongue really scratches."
Nolan lowered his furry head guiltily, making Sasha feel he was unexpectedly adorable.
In his beast form, Nolan was basically an oversized black cat. As a cat lover, Sasha couldn't help picking him up.
She reached out to stroke his chin. Nolan let out a deep, satisfied purr, clearly enjoying it. Sasha couldn't help laughing softly. He really was a cat.
They played around for a while before falling asleep. Nolan lay on his side and wrapped his arms around her, placing a paw over her body. He liked holding her that way.
Sasha, treating him like a giant plush toy, drifted into a sweet sleep in his warm embrace.
After the rain, the air became fresher and more pleasant, carrying the unique scent of damp soil. A few deeper breaths made it feel as though the stale air inside the body had been swept clean, leaving a faint sense of lightness.
Sasha stepped out of the stone house after finishing breakfast and instinctively took several slow breaths. The warm morning sun fell across her skin, easing her muscles. With such lovely weather, she felt like taking a walk behind the stone house and going for a morning run to keep her body active.
After circling the back of the stone house a few times, fine beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Slightly out of breath, she sat on a large rock to rest. When she spotted Quinn's figure from afar, she lifted her arm and waved in greeting.
Quinn noticed her and responded with an enthusiastic wave before walking toward her.
She carried a bamboo-woven basket on her arm — simple yet pretty. Inside were several green, round fruits, resembling crisp modern jujubes.
When she reached Sasha, she grabbed a generous handful of the fruits and offered them with a bright smile. "Sasha, these taste great. Try them."
Sasha thanked her and accepted the handful, picking one to pop into her mouth.
The fruit was exceptionally crisp, fragrant, and sweet — far better than the crisp jujubes she remembered.
Blinking in delight, she glanced at Quinn and spoke while chewing. "Mm, it's really tasty."
"If you like it, eat more. I gathered plenty. By the way, what are you doing out here alone?" Quinn asked curiously.
"I'm not doing anything special. Just taking a walk after eating and moving around a bit," Sasha replied with mild boredom.
"That's so. Then come with me to the flower field behind the tribe. All the females go there to play. It's beautiful." Quinn extended the invitation cheerfully.
Sasha figured she had nothing planned for the day anyway, so going along with Quinn sounded nice. It would help her become more familiar with the tribe as well. This was also the only female who took the initiative to befriend her — something she wasn't used to.
In the modern world, she never had many close female friends. Her face often drew unwanted assumptions; many worried she would steal their boyfriends or husbands and avoided befriending her entirely.
She had felt puzzled and hurt at first, but eventually grew to understand. Life gave her certain advantages while quietly taking others away.
Looking at Quinn, Sasha rose from the rock, curved her lips into a slight smile, and said, "Alright."
They walked together toward the back of the tribe. The ground was muddy after the rain and difficult to navigate.
Within minutes, her white sneakers were coated in thick mud — very messy, though easily washable later. Quinn, on the other hand, wore only straw sandals. Her feet were splattered in mud, yet she didn't seem to mind at all.