Chapter Eighteen: I'll Stay With You Tonight

Because they were too noisy, the two of them were kicked out.

Mo Yin could no longer tolerate it and gave Mo Yue a good beating.

After the snake clan’s healer had applied the medicine to Ling Yinyin, Mo Lan dismissed everyone, intending to let her rest alone. For the next few days, he would sleep in the beastmen’s quarters.

By evening, Ling Yinyin woke up.

When she opened her eyes, she was surprised to find herself lying on Mo Lan’s bed.

“Yinyin, how do you feel?”

Mo Yue came in from outside the door, his face inexplicably bruised and swollen. Seeing this, Ling Yinyin asked in confusion, “Your face...?”

Mo Yue squatted by the bed, looking pitiful.

“It’s nothing. I said I wanted to take care of you, but my brother wasn’t happy and lightly hit me a few times. But it’s okay, I have thick skin and tough flesh—I’m not afraid of being hit.”

Hearing of Mo Yin’s misdeeds, Ling Yinyin frowned and muttered, “He’s such a villain.”

Mo Yue comforted her, “Brother isn’t really bad. I’m just afraid he’ll hurt you like that. If you develop a shadow in your mind from seeing him and it affects your body, then we’re in trouble…”

Ling Yinyin shook her head. “Don’t mention him.”

Mo Yue smiled. “Yinyin, are you hungry?”

“Not really.”

“The healer said your body is very weak and you need proper nutrition. I went out this afternoon and caught a rabbit. I’ll clean it and cook it for you later.”

“Thank you, Mo Yue.”

Ling Yinyin sighed. “But I can only eat cooked food. Do you know how to make a fire and roast meat?”

Hearing this, Mo Yue looked a bit troubled. “I’ll try.”

Then he went out.

Ling Yinyin got up and looked at her body. She found the wounds Mo Yin had left were covered in a thick, blackish medicinal paste—a classic formula with a familiar stench. She was practically marinated all over by now.

The healer’s medicine was a bit peculiar.

She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.

The past few days had been chaotic, and with Mo Yin gone for the moment, she could finally catch her breath and rest.

Ling Yinyin looked out the window; the sky was growing dark.

She missed home terribly, longed to return to the modern world, to her laboratory, and the research she had designed.

She wondered if there was any way to travel back.

She couldn’t very well jump off a cliff again, could she?

And that damned Mo Yin... She had to hurry and refine that ancient incense powder, so she wouldn’t be harassed any longer.

They were nothing but a one-night stand—there was no way she would let him bind her for life. Dream on.

Enduring the pain, Ling Yinyin got out of bed. She remembered the lavender petals she had laid out in the backyard a few days ago; they should be almost dry by now.

She carefully inspected all the petals, confirming they were fine, then put them away for future use.

Lavender was an essential ingredient in incense making—its linalool content had calming and soothing properties. Any incense of this kind had to have lavender.

Next was sandalwood, but unfortunately, the sandalwood trees had been burned in the big fire last night. Ling Yinyin would have to find more. Fortunately, the beast world was rich in resources, so it shouldn’t be hard.

As for the other ingredients, she would have to find time to go out and try her luck.

An hour later, Mo Yue returned.

He was holding a lump of something unidentifiable.

Ling Yinyin looked at the black, charcoal-like mass, her mouth twitching. “Is this a rabbit?”

Mo Yue nodded, looking dejected.

“Yinyin, is this what you want to eat?”

Ling Yinyin sighed again.

Poor rabbit, rest in peace.

She drew a cross and murmured a blessing.

May you be a delicious meal in your next life.

Mo Yue said, “Yinyin, I’m sorry... I’ll make you another one.”

“No need. I’ll do it myself.” Ling Yinyin wasn’t about to let him waste food. “You go make the fire.”

“How can I let you do the work?”

“You watch and learn first. Next time, you can do it.”

“...Alright.”

Ling Yinyin asked, “Is there anything else to eat?”

Mo Yue thought for a moment and replied, “It’s dark now. The animals outside are mostly small ones like mouse rabbits.”

“No need to catch anything. Do you have any stored meat?”

If she waited for him to catch something, she’d starve first.

“There is, but it’s not very fresh. The males eat it; the females can’t.”

“That’s fine. Go get it.”

“Okay.” Mo Yue obediently went to fetch it.

Soon, everything was prepared.

Following Ling Yinyin’s instructions, Mo Yue gathered all the usable tools in the house for her to choose from.

Since beastmen didn’t cook, there were no kitchen utensils. She cut the meat into uniform small chunks, alternating fat and lean, skewered them on cleaned branches, then built a grill out of stones. After lighting the fire, she neatly placed the skewers on top.

Mo Yue asked in doubt, “Will this work?”

Ling Yinyin responded, “Then how do you roast meat?”

Mo Yue answered, “I just throw the rabbit into the fire.”

Ling Yinyin was speechless.

Soon, the fat began to melt and the aroma of meat slowly wafted up. Ling Yinyin flipped the skewers to cook evenly.

“You can’t just throw meat into the fire,” she explained as she demonstrated.

“If you throw it in directly, it will burn. What we need is the heat from the flames to cook the food, not to let the food touch the flames directly. You also need to turn it so it cooks evenly and gradually.”

Sizzle—

The meat started changing color, the fat dripping with oil.

Mo Yue watched intently without blinking; his eagerness to learn was admirable.

“There, it’s done. Want to try some?”

Ling Yinyin handed him a skewer.

Mo Yue took it and stuffed it into his mouth, only to have his lips instantly burn and swell.

“Yinyin... it’s so hot,” he complained pitifully.

“Would it not be?” Ling Yinyin sighed. “Blow on it.”

Mo Yue pleaded, “Will you blow on it for me?”

“Blow it yourself.”

“My lips hurt...” he said, covering his mouth. His long lashes fluttered as his bright eyes shimmered with a faint moisture.

Ling Yinyin was speechless.

Quite the tease.

Not bad, she liked it.

There was a reason everyone loved savoring green tea.

Using his good looks to his advantage, Mo Yue made it hard for Ling Yinyin to refuse, and she ended up blowing on his food absentmindedly.

“Yinyin is so kind,” Mo Yue chuckled softly.

Then he tentatively put the meat into his mouth.

“Is it good?” Ling Yinyin asked.

Mo Yue chewed slowly, smiling.

“It’s delicious. Everything you make tastes good.”

Ling Yinyin was puzzled. “I thought you beastmen didn’t like cooked food.”

“I’m different from them.”

“Alright then, eat more.”

Ling Yinyin stopped worrying and began to eat heartily.

The meat was fragrant. Although no seasoning was added, the pure, original flavor had its own charm.

Mo Yue glanced away, and when Ling Yinyin wasn’t paying attention, he discreetly spat most of the meat into his hand several times.

His words were only to please her. In truth, cooked meat tasted like chewing on wax to him. Meat without blood was garbage in a beastman’s eyes and hard to swallow.

For male snake clan members, swallowing fresh, live prey whole was the finest delicacy.

After satisfying her hunger, Ling Yinyin lay back down on the bed.

Mo Yue tidied up and took out some pills made by the snake clan healer, handing them to Ling Yinyin.

“The healer said to take three a day. Your body will recover faster.”

“Okay.”

Ling Yinyin took them and instinctively sniffed.

“Ugh... it stinks!”

She quickly tossed them aside. “I won’t take these.”

Did the healer add manure or something?

Mo Yue hurriedly picked them up, wiped them, and offered them again. “Just swallow them in one gulp.”

“No.” She refused firmly.

She hadn’t expected that after mocking Mo Yin a few days ago, now it was her turn to suffer.

“Alright.” Mo Yue didn’t force her.

“How about I keep you company tonight?”