Shen Ningning did not wait for him to respond.
She walked straight to the stone table near the fire pit and swept her gaze across the items laid out there. Animal skins of different thicknesses were stacked neatly to one side. There was a bone needle, rough thread twisted from plant fibers, and even a sharp stone knife polished smooth from use.
Her eyes lit up.
At least she wouldn't have to keep parading around like this.
She grabbed a thicker hide and draped it over herself experimentally, then frowned.
It was too stiff.
She swapped it for a softer one, pressing it against her waist and chest, mentally calculating how much she needed.
Back in her old life, she wasn't exactly skilled at sewing but survival was a powerful teacher.
She sat down cross-legged and began cutting.
The knife sliced through the hide with surprising ease. She trimmed, folded, and stitched, her movements clumsy but focused. The sound of thread pulling through leather filled the cave, steady and calming.
As she worked, her voice broke the silence.
"Weijie."
"Yes?"
She didn't look up. "Is there a way to stop those men from approaching me?"
He paused.
Her fingers tightened around the needle. "I'm not that pretty.." she continued bluntly. "They wouldn't want to come close to me at first glance."
Weijie looked at her then.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Finally, he spoke. "That is not how it works."
She frowned. "Then how does it work?"
"In beast tribes.." he said slowly, choosing his words, "a female without protection is considered unclaimed."
Her stitching paused.
"And the way to… claim?" she asked carefully.
Weijie's golden eyes darkened slightly.
"Markings.." he said.
Her heart skipped. "…Markings?"
"Yes. Male beastmen mark their females." His gaze drifted briefly to her neck, then away again. "It tells others she is already taken."
Shen Ningning swallowed. "And in the snake tribe…?"
The cave seemed to grow quieter.
Weijie's voice dropped. "We bite."
Her hand slipped.
The needle stabbed into her finger.
"Ow—!"
She hissed, quickly sucking the blood away, her face burning.
"Bite?" she repeated incredulously. "Like—bite bite?"
"Yes."
Her scalp tingled.
"Where?" she asked cautiously.
He did not answer immediately.
When he did, his voice was calm, but unmistakably firm. "Neck. Shoulder. Anywhere that cannot be hidden."
Shen Ningning's stomach tightened.
She glanced down at her exposed skin, then instinctively tugged the half-finished garment closer around herself.
"…That sounds permanent," she muttered.
"It is."
She went silent.
The thread slid through the hide again as she resumed sewing, her thoughts racing.
A visible mark meant safety.
But it also meant being bound, to him, to this tribe, to this world.
She wasn't ready for that.
Not yet.
After a while, she spoke again, more casually this time. "Is there… a temporary way?"
Weijie watched her bent figure, the way she concentrated so fiercely on such a small task.
"There are symbols.." he said. "Painted markings. They can fool the weaker ones."
"Paint?" Her eyes flickered up briefly. "Like dye?"
"Yes."
Relief washed through her chest.
"That'll do.." she said decisively. "Temporary is good."
Weijie nodded. "I will get it."
As he turned to leave, Shen Ningning lowered her head again, stitching faster now.
Inside her mind, Doudou's interface blinked quietly.
[Doudou records: Host has chosen delayed risk mitigation.]
She snorted softly.
"Of course I have.." she muttered. "I'm not stupid enough to get bitten on day one."
But as the needle moved and the fire crackled softly nearby, she couldn't help but think.
In this world, even safety came with a price.
And she was only just beginning to understand how expensive survival could be.
Shen Ningning finished the last stitch and let out a long breath.
She lifted the newly made robe and draped it over herself, tying it securely at the waist.
The animal hide was soft and loose, covering everything that needed to be covered.
Finally.
There was absolutely no way she was stepping outside again in that ridiculous skirt especially when she hadn't even made underwear yet.
Her lips twitched.
Forget belly rolls.
Panties were a matter of survival.
She gathered another piece of softer hide and began cutting again, her movements smaller and more cautious this time.
Weijie, who had been quietly watching her from across the cave, finally spoke.
"What are you making now?"
Her hands froze.
"…Clothes.." she said stiffly.
"What kind?"
Her ears burned.
She glared at the hide like it had personally betrayed her. "Just… clothes."
Weijie stepped closer, his shadow falling over the stone table. He studied the pieces for a moment, then tilted his head slightly.
"It looks like what some females wear underneath."
Her heart skipped.
"You know what this is?" she blurted.
"Yes.." he replied calmly. "But I don't know your size."
Before she could react, his hand reached out.
And rested on her waist.
Shen Ningning yelped. "Hey—!"
She slapped his hand away. "Pervert!"
Weijie blinked, genuinely confused. "Why?"
"You just touched me!"
"You are my mate.." he said matter-of-factly. "I am not harming you. This is for your benefit."
Her face turned red from her ears all the way down her neck.
"That doesn't make it okay!"
He paused, then tried again, this time more carefully, his fingers hovering briefly before lightly measuring the width of her waist through the robe.
"This size will do.." he concluded. "You won't need to prick your hands anymore." he said as he handed her a pair.
As to why he had ladies underwear with him, Ningning turned a blind eye to it.
It was better not knowing.
He reached for the knife.
"I will finish this one."
She stared at him. "You… what? No you don't have to do it"
"I don't like seeing your hands hurt.." he said simply. "They should remain just as beautiful as you are."
Her chest tightened.
Beautiful?
She scoffed before she could stop herself.
"Why do you keep saying that?" she snapped. "I'm obviously not pretty. I'm chubby. I'm ugly."
Her voice rose despite herself.
"Are you just saying that just to get between my legs?"
The cave went silent.
Weijie stopped moving.
Slowly, he turned to look at her.
The warmth in his golden eyes vanished.
"So that is what you think of me," he said quietly.
She opened her mouth, then closed it.
"I…"
He clenched his jaw.
"All this time," he continued, his voice was low "you thought I was only after that?"
The hurt in his expression was unmistakable.
"I will go for a walk."
He turned and left the cave without another word.
The sound of his footsteps faded.
Shen Ningning sagged back against the stone table.
She rubbed her face with both hands and let out a heavy sigh.
This was the first time someone had ever called her pretty so easily.
So often and sincerely.
And yet… she couldn't believe it.
She knew how she looked.
She had lived with her body for years, endured the stares, the comments, the unspoken judgments.
If the population of women here were higher, she knew it.
He wouldn't have chosen her.
She was just… available.
Inside her mind, Doudou's interface flickered to life.
[Doudou initiates a new mission.]
She stiffened.
[Mission: Building Self-Confidence and Self-Love]