Oops! Slipped

[Host, wake up, wake up! It's time to work. Why do you sleep in every day?! How will you complete your tasks like this? You've been focused on finding food but haven't looked for medicinal herbs yet!]

Early in the morning, the system, Little Six, shouted, making Kite's ears ache.

Kite patted her head and said, "Stop shouting!"

Just then, Viperus entered with freshly roasted meat and saw the scene. He immediately approached, gently taking Kite's hand. "Kite, why are you hurting yourself again?" He extended his hand to gently rub the spot she had patted.

Such a gentle snake beast was rare, and Kite felt a bit overwhelmed. She quickly said, "Let's go search for wild vegetables and medicinal herbs today."

"You know about medicinal herbs?" Viperus asked in surprise. His little female knew so much; where did she come from? What kind of beast was she?

"Well, I learned a bit from someone," she replied. It wasn't a lie. Her adoptive parents in the modern world were famous herbalists, and she had picked up some knowledge from them.

...

The two of them arrived at another part of the forest. Kite jumped to the ground and began identifying the wild plants one by one.

It was a challenging task, as there were countless wild plants, tall and lush, growing in dense clumps. She occasionally pulled some out to inspect, smell, and even wanted to taste them.

Viperus firmly refused. What if she ate something harmful? If anyone had to taste it, it should be him.

[Host, our store has a herb identification device. It costs only 100,000 love points,] the system suggested, seizing the opportunity to make a sale.

100,000 points? That's daylight robbery!

[Our device doesn't just identify herbs; it also identifies vegetables and fruits. It's a worthwhile investment,] the system added, seeing her hesitation.

Kite hesitated for a while but eventually bit the bullet and bought it.

She checked the store again and saw she had only 100 love points left. She swore not to buy anything else for now. Her priority was to expand her storage space as much as possible.

The next moment, Viperus saw Kite take out a strange device from somewhere. It had a flat surface, and when brought close to the plants, it made a beep, displaying text he couldn't understand.

His Kite's origins were truly mysterious!

Kite wanted to take notes but couldn't afford to buy a pen. Luckily, the device was solar-powered and could be used continuously. If she forgot the effects of a plant, she could always check the prompts again.

She diligently identified the wild plants, occasionally using the device.

After a while, Kite was drawn to a dense clump of green leaves with several red flowers in the middle. They looked familiar.

Beep! Wild ginseng discovered!

Effects: Replenishes vital energy, aids the spleen and lungs, promotes saliva and blood production, and has a certain probability of reviving severely injured or dying orcs.

"Oh my gosh! It's wild ginseng!"

Kite was overjoyed, practically jumping with excitement. She immediately turned around and grabbed Viperus's arm, her lively, sparkling eyes gazing at him pleadingly.

The snake beast quickly caught on, chuckling inwardly. A sharp claw appeared in his hand.

"Be gentle and slow..." Kite reminded him softly, her curiosity brimming. She couldn't wait to see what a fully intact wild ginseng looked like in this beastly world.

"Mm," Viperus responded. He slowed his movements, carefully digging a circle around the ginseng's perimeter. Bit by bit, he removed the soil that clung to it. Finally, a pristine and complete wild ginseng was revealed before Kite's eager eyes.

It looked just like a tiny human, its stubby white limbs chubby and adorable. Thin roots extended out from its hands and feet, and as she leaned closer, a sweet and earthy aroma wafted into her nose. It was impressively large, nearly as long as her forearm.

"This... this would be museum-worthy in the modern world!" Luo Yinyin thought.

With a squeal of delight, she scooped the wild ginseng into her arms. Like a little puppy, she buried her nose in it, taking in deep whiffs of its natural fragrance.

The wild ginseng was brimming with vitality, and Kite secretly thought, If I keep inhaling this, maybe I'll even live a few extra years!

Beside her, Viperus watched with a mix of amusement and jealousy. He gestured toward a nearby spot.

"There might be another one over there. Want to check it out?"

"Yes, yes! I want them all!" Kite nodded fervently, her little head bobbing enthusiastically.

These are treasures! How could I leave them wandering out here in the wild? Of course, I'll take them all home!

Though wild ginseng was rare, they managed to find a total of three. Considering their size, they would last quite a while.

After a fruitful day of harvesting, Kite sat back in their cave, gazing contentedly at the piles of herbs and spices they had gathered.

Other than the exciting wild ginseng, they had also found hemostatic herbs like crane grass and yellow cress, anti-inflammatory plants like blue root and eight-petal lotus, and spices such as fragrant bay leaves, fennel leaves, and even some small red berries that could substitute for chili peppers.

On their way back, Viperus had caught a few wild rabbits. Outside the cave, he lit a bonfire and began roasting the meat for Kite.

Kite picked a handful of fragrant bay leaves, squeezing their juice onto the roasting meat. As the juices seeped into the meat, the aroma became even more tantalizing.

Viperus took a bite and nodded in satisfaction—it was indeed tastier this way. However, when he tried the piece with the spicy red berry juice, his tongue burned, and he couldn't handle the intense flavor.

After finishing their meal, Kite glanced at her dusty clothes and suddenly realized something. She hadn't had a proper bath since arriving in the beast world! The thought of it made her whole body itch.

"I… I want to take a bath…" she said hesitantly, glancing at Viperus, who was busy preparing her bed.

"Alright," Viperus replied without hesitation. He turned around, scooped her up into his arms, and started walking.

"Where are we going?" Kite asked, startled.

"To the river," he said matter-of-factly. "For your bath."

Kite: "…"

What?! The water's going to be freezing! How can I bathe in such cold water?

The mere thought of plunging into icy water made her shiver.

Noticing her discomfort, Viperus suddenly realized that she might be afraid of the cold—after all, females were more delicate than males, and she couldn't just jump into the river like he did. How had he overlooked something so simple?

He quickly reassured her. "Don't worry. I'll fetch water from the river and heat it for you to bathe in."

Kite let out a sigh of relief. She had Viperus cut down a massive tree—so thick that it would take both of them to wrap their arms around it. He carved out two one-meter-tall sections and hollowed them out to create makeshift bathtubs.

Viperus went to the river, filled the tubs with water, and stored them in his spatial space.

Half an hour later…

Kite was soaking in a warm, wooden tub of steaming water.

Ah, this feels amazing!

She leaned back, swaying her head in relaxation and humming a cheerful tune.

Outside the cave, Viperus listened to the sound of her splashing water. Beastmen had heightened senses, so even with his eyes closed, he could picture what she was doing. In his mind, he saw the warm water cascading over her delicate skin, the gentle steam making her fair complexion glow pink.

Turning slightly, he caught a glimpse of her little head, her hair tied into a playful bun, bobbing as she hummed. She seemed to be in an excellent mood.

I want to bathe with her, Viperus thought, frustrated.

The tub's too small. What a miscalculation!

Without a sound, Viperus approached her.

Kite looked up and was startled. "W-what are you doing here?! I told you to wait outside!"

She immediately curled her legs up, hugging her chest to cover her two "little white rabbits," glaring at Qingjue with wide, panicked eyes.

Beads of water paused momentarily on her skin before trickling down her graceful neck, disappearing into the alluring valley below. Her skin, shrouded in steam, seemed to glow with a hazy beauty—her fair complexion tinged with pink, like a crystal kissed by morning dew.

At this moment, she looked fragile yet captivating, stirring something primal in Viperus. His body tensed, heat surging through him, his mind roaring in chaos.

Suppressing his instincts, Viperus's Adam's apple bobbed as he croaked in a hoarse voice, "I just came to add more hot water."

Oh… I misunderstood him!

Kite's face turned even redder. Embarrassed, she looked like a ripe, juicy peach, ready to burst with sweet nectar at the slightest touch.

Viperus stared at her, his claws digging into his palms to maintain control.

After adding the hot water, he silently left the cave.

Kite let out a long sigh of relief and hurried to finish her bath. In her rush, she didn't notice that water had spilled over the sides of the tub, pooling on the stone floor.

As she stepped out of the tub to grab her nightgown, her foot slipped—

"Ah!" she cried out as her body pitched forward, heading straight for the ground.