It's all up to you

Viperus gently caressed Kite's hair with his left hand, not speaking, as he continued his work. His little female was so adorable, content with digging bamboo shoots. If she felt like this now, how would she react to other things? He wanted to see it.

At an angle Kite couldn't see, Viperus's ears, usually expressionless, were tinged with a faint scarlet. The cold-blooded snake beast felt his blood boiling a little.

Viperus moved quickly, and before long, Kite's space was filled with spring bamboo shoots.

Expansion was imminent!

Kite, in a good mood, hummed a song while wandering around, looking for wild vegetables.

The sound from the little female was pleasant, like a spell. Viperus thought secretly.

In the inherited memory of the snake beast, wizards were rare in the beast world, chanting incantations during major ceremonies to pray to the beast gods. But the little female's spell was more cheerful and melodious.

Viperus's eyes grew softer as he watched Kite's back.

If he looked in a mirror, he'd be surprised to see his usually cold, indifferent eyes had become almost unrecognizable. But this was only for the little female; the rest of the time, he was still the ruthless snake beast.

"Found it!" Kite's voice of surprise came from not far away.

Amidst the weeds, she found a plant resembling a shepherd's purse, with clumps of wild onions nearby.

Viperus picked it up and smelled it. The taste was strange but not poisonous. Did little females really like this weed?

He couldn't understand it, but he pulled some out and stored them in his space.

The meadow was also filled with vibrant wildflowers, blooming vigorously, the size of a bowl. Kite decided to give Viperus's claws something to do.

She found an oval cyan stone and handed it to Viperus.

Following her prompts, Viperus conjured his claws and with a few swift motions, crafted a natural stone vase.

Kite loved it, finding the original vase very artistic. She stuffed the flowers into it and showed Viperus, "With a little water, these can bloom for several days."

Viperus marveled at her intelligence. His little female was so clever, knowing so much.

Back in the cave, Kite instructed Viperus to make a stone table to place the vase on. The cave's tone improved instantly.

Kite observed Viperus quietly. Seeing no impatience, she asked him to make a big wooden bed. She felt uncomfortable sleeping on the floor, always feeling bugs crawling.

The big bed was ready, and it was getting late.

Kite approached the busy Viperus and patted his shoulder. "Viperus, this bed is quite spacious. Let's sleep separately at night, with an animal skin in the middle."

After spending a few days together, Kite found that although Viperus appeared cold and indifferent, he had always been good to her, fulfilling her requests and taking care of her as best he could. She could feel it.

And he was particularly handsome.

Since she couldn't return to the modern world, as long as Viperus didn't commit domestic violence, she would live a good life with him.

Feeling the little female's intimacy, Viperus's heart warmed.

He turned around, took her soft hand, and kissed it gently. His cold eyes held a hint of affection. "It's all up to you."

Viperus crafted a stone pot, a spatula, and two pairs of chopsticks from branches according to Kite's instructions.

A fire was set under the pot. Kite cut a piece of fatty meat, fried it, and added green onions, followed by pork belly. When the heat was right, she added the blanched bamboo shoots and some salt. She exchanged for a bottle of light soy sauce, adding a few drops, making the dish golden and shiny, even more appetizing.

The aroma was overwhelming. Viperus, who didn't usually care about food, wanted to taste it.

Kite also blanched the shepherd's purse and mixed it cold, the emerald green color looking very appetizing.

Viperus watched Kite's movements, memorizing the steps to do it next time. The little female's delicate hands shouldn't be rough.

After serving the dish, Kite realized there was no staple food. Paired with a bowl of white rice, it would be perfect!

She picked up a piece of pork belly and offered it to Viperus. "Is it delicious?"

The snake beast opened his mouth, took it in, and stared at Kite, chewing slowly. His cold eyes were filled with madness as he licked his thin lips.

Kite's heart raced. It felt like the meat in Viperus's mouth was herself, being savored and devoured.

She buried her head in her food, not daring to look at him anymore.

The two enjoyed the freshly fried pork belly, stir-fried bamboo shoots, and cold shepherd's purse.

Kite touched her satisfied belly and muttered, "If only there were rice or noodles."

Viperus didn't speak, having never heard of these foods. But he could look for them, perhaps at the Horned Sheep Tribe.

Early the next morning, Viperus wrapped Kite warmly, carried her, and went to the Horned Sheep Tribe.

The leader of the tribe trembled when he saw Viperus and listened to his request. He noted the little female in Viperus's arms and thought this terrible stray beast wasn't so bad to her.

However, this year's rice was not yet ripe, and they didn't have much left from last year. The beast world's yield was low, and even the diligent harvesters often had to gnaw on roots and bark.

They had never heard of noodles.

As Viperus prepared to leave, the leader kindly reminded, "This rice is very hard. The little female may not be able to chew it. You can soak it in water until it softens. But don't eat too much at once; it's not easy to digest."

Viperus noted this advice. Back in the cave, he soaked a small handful of rice grains in a bowl of water. He checked them occasionally to see if they had softened.

When Kite woke up and saw Viperus's actions, she inspected the stone bowl. The rice grains were not as full and crystalline as modern ones but were still of good quality, pure and pollution-free.

Kite picked one up and chewed it, savoring the taste.

Viperus saw her eat it directly and grew anxious. He quickly took the bowl away. "Kite, this rice needs to soak until it's soft before you eat it. Otherwise, you'll get sick."

Kite almost laughed, finding the beast world people so cute. "Rice isn't eaten like this. It needs to be cooked to be delicious."

Seeing the sun rising, Kite decided to make lunch early. She instructed Viperus to make a small stone pot with a thin lid and a bamboo handle.

They washed the rice and added water in a 1:1.5 ratio. Setting up a fire, they steamed the rice. After about ten minutes, a popping sound and the aroma of rice filled the air. After more than half an hour, the rice was ready.

When they opened the lid, the rice was slightly browned on the side, and the middle was fragrant, with full, clear grains.

Kite couldn't resist trying a piece. It was delicious—pure, natural rice flavor.

Viperus, seeing her delighted expression, casually took out a handful of green things from his space. "What do you think this is?"