Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Warmhearted Chen Rong

“Changxia, you can eat bird eggs like this?” Chen Rong asked in surprise.

Seeing the shock on his handsome face, Changxia laughed and waved her muddy hands. “It’s delicious, you’ll see when you try it. I never got used to the tribe’s roasted or stewed meat—roast bird eggs were my only comfort and daily joy.”

Her body was far too weak.

She spent most of her years lying in the beast den, bedridden by illness. Occasionally, when she was lucid, Nan Feng would carry her outside to bask in the sun. At those times, let alone eating roasted or stewed meat, she could only manage a bit of fruit paste. Before she came of age, the things Chang Xia ate most were medicinal soups and fruit paste. No matter how many thoughts she had, limited by her frail body, she could only live like a useless person, cared for by the tribe.

Roasting bird eggs was Chang Xia’s only act of rebellion.

She would secretly stash away bird eggs, and when the elders weren’t paying attention, she’d bury them in the stove to cook.

“Did the chief know?” Chen Rong asked.

Given how much Gen and the others cared for Chang Xia, they would never have allowed her to try something so unknown. Otherwise, why would she have had to wait until adulthood to leave the tribe? Beast cubs were the pride and joy of the beast people—every young one was precious.

Especially someone as frail as Chang Xia.

The whole tribe kept a close eye on her, terrified she might die young.

“What do you think?” Chang Xia rolled her eyes playfully at Chen Rong. If Gen ever found out she was sneaking food, he’d have a fit.

In some ways, Gen was even more nagging than Mu Qin and Nan Feng.

Outside the beast den, the sky was painted with brilliant red clouds at dusk, casting a rosy glow over the entire Heluo tribe.

“Chang Xia, are you in a hurry to build the kiln because you’re worried about the rainy season?” Chen Rong asked in a low voice.

He’d been away from the Twilight Forest for many years, but…the impression the rainy season left on him was just as deep as the terrifying cold season.

During the rainy season, rivers and lakes in the forest would swell dramatically. Floods, landslides, mudslides—various natural disasters would follow in its wake.

And along with these disasters came all sorts of fierce beasts.

“Is the rainy season really that scary?” Chang Xia hesitated.

Before she came of age, she’d been confined to a corner of the Heluo tribe. She’d only ever heard about the rainy season from others; she’d never experienced it herself.

“It’s scary,” Chen Rong said seriously. “During the warm season, the earth revives and everything flourishes. But when the rainy season comes, the forest floods, and the beast people have to cut back on hunting trips.”

In truth, it was never easy for the beast people to thrive.

Aside from their own limitations, the harsh environment was an even bigger challenge.

The brutal conditions kept squeezing the space in which the beast people could live. Beast cubs had little ability to survive on their own—if they got lost in the wild, their chances of survival were slim.

Chang Xia managed to reach adulthood thanks to her stubborn will to live, and the careful care of the shaman and the Heluo tribe.

“They…never told me any of this,” Chang Xia murmured.

No wonder Gen was so excited when she showed him how to make fish balls, and didn’t even ask about building the kiln. The rainy season might bring plenty of food, but with all the disasters and beasts, it was no less dangerous than the cold winter.

“They probably just didn’t want you to worry,” Chen Rong comforted her.

In private, aside from the chief Gen, several other tribe members had come to Chen Rong under the pretense of sparring or bonding, but really to ask him to look after Chang Xia.

Even Nan Feng was no exception.

Just yesterday morning, the two of them had sparred at White Lake. The bruises on Chen Rong’s stomach were Nan Feng’s handiwork.

But neither Chen Rong nor the tribe ever mentioned these things.

“We need to finish the kiln as soon as possible,” Chang Xia said seriously.

Seeing the worry on her face, Chen Rong regretted bringing up the rainy season.

“Don’t worry. You’ve lived in the tribe for years, and nothing’s ever happened during the rainy season, right? I was just talking…” he tried to reassure her.

The Heluo tribe was one of the strongest in the Twilight Forest. There was no way the rainy season would defeat them.

“I know,” Chang Xia waved her hand, no longer dwelling on whether the rainy season was dangerous or not.

Building the kiln, identifying plants, gathering supplies—those were the most important things.

As for the rest, just as Chen Rong said, the Heluo tribe had survived countless rainy seasons in the Twilight Forest. They surely had their own ways of coping.

“Here, try this—”

Chen Rong smiled as he handed her some roasted meat.

He could tell Chang Xia liked to eat, especially tasty food. This time, he’d added the ginger, scallions, and garlic she’d mentioned, and the meat turned out even better than usual. He was sure she’d love it.

“This is amazing!” Chang Xia put aside her worries, took a bite, and gave Chen Rong a big thumbs-up, showering him with praise.

Chen Rong was so clever—he could always draw inferences and figure things out. Luckily, she didn’t have any grand ambitions, or she’d be stifled to death.

Even in the warm season, she had to wash with hot water.

Among the beast people, it was normal to go ten days or half a month without bathing.

But the Heluo tribe had Chang Xia, who was a bit of an oddball. Even in the cold season, she’d bathe every other day. In the warm season, even more so.

Chen Rong himself wasn’t particular—since the beast den was close to White Lake, he could bathe there anytime. Chang Xia couldn’t. In the innermost corner of the den was a big wooden tub, which she used for soaking.

In fact, the tub was one of the few large pieces of furniture she owned.

“Who told you about that?” Chang Xia asked, a little embarrassed, her cheeks tinged pink.

It really wasn’t because she was spoiled.

Bathing was one of the few hobbies she’d kept from the apocalypse. Over the years, it had become a habit.

Before coming of age, she was watched over by the chief and Nan Feng at every turn. Bathing became her only real pleasure.

“I saw…that tub,” Chen Rong said, nodding toward the corner. He didn’t mention that Gen and the others had told him—there was no need.

The long summer blushed and explained, “Frequent bathing is good for your physical and mental health. You should do the same—remember to rinse your mouth, wash your hands, and wash your face often…”

“After meals, I go to White Lake,” Chen Rong replied.

Like Chang Xia, Chen Rong was a bit of a neat freak.

But his tendencies weren’t that obvious.

For now, Chang Xia hadn’t noticed.

“That’s a good habit. You should keep it up,” Chang Xia smiled. “When we build our kiln, we’ll need to add a bathhouse and a toilet.”

At the mention of toilets, Chang Xia showed a complicated expression.

She had spent half a year persuading the tribe to get used to using toilets, instead of just digging holes wherever they pleased.

Because of this, both the shaman and the tribe members often teased her.

“Whatever you say,” Chen Rong replied instinctively, repeating those three words.

The longer he knew Chang Xia, the more he realized how different she was from the other beastfolk. Someone else might have been curious and asked more questions, but Chen Rong never did.

And that was exactly what Chang Xia liked most about him.

After dinner, the two didn’t do anything else. Chang Xia soaked in the beast den’s bath, while Chen Rong headed to White Lake. When he returned, Chang Xia had already laid out the rattan mat and animal skins, getting ready for bed.

These past two days had been the busiest in Chang Xia’s life.

Although her body was gradually adapting, her mind was still struggling to keep up.

After a hot bath, she felt drowsy.

When Chen Rong entered the beast den, Chang Xia mumbled a greeting and promptly fell into a deep sleep.

“Good night!” Chen Rong echoed her, wishing her good night as well.

Then he lay down on the rattan mat beside her. The sound of her gentle breathing brought a sense of peace to Chen Rong, who had suffered from insomnia for so long. Someone once told him: “Home is where your heart feels at peace.”

Now, he finally had a home of his own.

How wonderful!