"Luma, does it look like it's going to rain?" Lin Yao asked.
Luma, who was leaning against the tree beside her and munching on berries, paused and looked up at the dark, heavy clouds above.
"Hm." She nodded, then went right back to eating.
Lin Yao couldn't help but stare at her.
The cub looked… fine. Too fine, considering they had almost died barely five hours ago.
And saved by an infuriating leopard beastman, who called her an idiot to her face. And she was being punished by the system again.
For being an idiot.
She sighed and plucked a small flower near the tree's roots, rolling the stem between her fingers.
Su Rui had disappeared an hour ago after dumping berries and fruit beside them, leaving them alone in this wide, open field. The grass here was the greenest she'd ever seen. The air was clean, crisp.
"Just an hour left," she muttered.
"An hour left for what?"
Lin Yao stiffened.
Her ears twitched sharply as she looked up. Luma's ears twitched too.
Su Rui approached calmly, a cloth bag slung over his shoulder.
Lin Yao blinked at him, then instinctively crossed her arms over her chest. It barely helped. This body was… unfairly well-built, and she hated how exposed she felt.
"None of your business," she said flatly.
Su Rui looked completely unfazed.
Instead, he crouched in front of Luma, who immediately brightened. He ruffled her hair lightly, earning a small grin.
"I brought clothes," he said, pulling items from the bag. "For you. And a smaller cleaner set for the cub."
Lin Yao froze. "…You did?"
He held them up. A strip of white fur meant to cover her chest, and a brown cloth for her lower body. Simple. Practical. Revealing but infinitely better than nothing.
"…Thank you," she said quietly.
She tried to move her legs.
Nothing.
They were still completely numb.
Her fingers tightened around the flower stem.
Su Rui watched her for a moment, then tilted his head slightly. "You still can't stand?"
Lin Yao met his gaze, her amber eyes catching the sunlight. "Look away."
"Why?" he asked.
"Because I'm about to put on the only piece of clothing I can manage right now," she snapped. "So look away."
A faint smile tugged at his lips. "I've already..."
"Look away, idiot!"
For the first time, Su Rui actually looked startled. Then he chuckled, closed his eyes, and calmly reached out to cover Luma's as well.
"Huh?" Luma tilted her head, one ear twitching.
Lin Yao pressed her lips together and worked quickly, tying the cloth over her chest, then struggling to secure the second piece around her waist.
"…Damn it. I wish there was underwear," she muttered.
"Underwear?" Su Rui echoed, curiosity clear in his voice.
She shot him a glare and caught the unmistakable smirk on his face. "Men."
His eyes were still closed, but his tail swayed lazily behind him, clearly amused.
"You can open your eyes now," she said.
Su Rui complied, lowering his hand from Luma's face. The cub immediately beamed at Lin Yao, while Su Rui simply studied her.
"They fit."
"Of course they fit!" Lin Yao snapped. Then, after a breath, added, "I'm grateful. But we need to talk."
"About what?" he asked, stepping closer and sitting directly in front of her.
She gasped, instinctively trying to pull her knees up only to remember she couldn't.
"Stay back!"
"You said we should talk."
"You can talk from over there," she shot back. "Don't you know anything about personal space?"
Her eyes flicked to Luma, who was happily rummaging through Su Rui's bag, completely uninterested in the tension.
"You're strange," Su Rui said suddenly.
Lin Yao froze. "What?"
He glanced at the cub, then back at her, his eyes sharp with curiosity rather than judgment.
"You walk around carrying prey," he said slowly, "like she's your own cub."
She frowned. "She's not prey. Like you said, she's a cub. There's nothing wrong with me taking care of my cub."
Su Rui blinked. "That's… abnormal."
Lin Yao snorted. "Abnormal? Since when is taking care of a cub abnormal?"
He sighed, planting his hands at his sides before tipping his head back to stare at the sky. "I don't mean it like that."
"You called me an idiot."
A quiet chuckle left him as he looked back down at her. "You took a rabbit cub into tiger territory. You would've died if I hadn't arrived in time."
[I like him. He's smart.]
If you like him so much, go to him, Lin Yao snapped internally. Make him the babysitter instead of me.
[Request denied.]
Lin Yao clicked her tongue. "Well… I'm already paying for my mistakes. Literally."
Su Rui studied her with those icy blue eyes. "If you're going to raise a cub, you need to be stable." His gaze sharpened. "But you're lost. That's the disturbing part."
"And who are you to tell me that?" she shot back, irritation flaring. She wished she could kick him. Unfortunately, her legs remained useless.
Suddenly, he smiled. Canines flashed.
Before she could react, Su Rui leaned in, placing his hands beside her on the tree. His face was suddenly far too close.
Lin Yao gasped, turning her head away. "Do you really need to talk this close to my face?!"
He only smiled wider.
She slammed her palm into his face. "Back off, you damn stalker!"
He recoiled instantly, more surprised than hurt. The sudden movement made Luma burst into giggles.
Lin Yao glared at him. "If I'm doing such a horrible job, then you take over. She seems to like you."
Su Rui pressed his lips together and glanced at Luma, who blinked back at him innocently.
"…No," he said finally. "Too stressful."
[He's right.]
"Shut up," Lin Yao muttered through clenched teeth.