Su Yu, being blind, had no idea just how ferocious Shi Wei was in a fight.
He spammed his Fire Ability at Ness as if it cost him nothing, charring the lion's fur and burning his beautiful mane to cinders.
Ness, heartbroken, clutched at his mane as it crumbled to dust and fell away. "AHH!! My mane!!"
Shi Wei snorted. 'This lion is still a little too green to fight me.'
He turned and walked toward Su Yu, nuzzling his enormous wolf head into her arms.
Caught off guard, Su Yu was nuzzled back two steps. Somewhat bewildered, she held his head, subconsciously stroking it and giving his ear a little squeeze.
'So soft.'
'So springy.'
'It feels amazing.'
A tingling, electric sensation shot from his ear through his body, making Shi Wei freeze. He almost lost control and tackled Su Yu to the ground.
Just as she was about to touch him again, Shi Wei quickly shifted back to his human form. He snatched the Beast Skin Skirt from her hands, wrapped it around his waist, and said gruffly, his ears red, "Where are you trying to go? I'll go with you."
Unable to touch his ears anymore, Su Yu pulled back her hand, feeling a pang of regret. "I want to bathe."
Shi Wei swept her up into his arms. "I'll take you."
Even in his human form, Shi Wei was agile. He sprinted forward, leaving the tribe in a few quick bounds and heading straight for the small river to the east.
Along the way, he even detoured to his cave to grab a fresh Beast Skin Skirt for Su Yu.
Seeing Ness's pathetic state, the other males in the tribe temporarily shelved their thoughts of becoming Su Yu's mate.
'A female is a fine prize, but you have to be alive to claim it.'
The stream to the east of the Liaoshui Tribe was fed by mountain springs. The water was shallow and crystal clear, revealing Fish Beasts the size of a grown man's thigh swimming about, as well as large crabs squatting on the bottom, pretending to be rocks.
This was where the tribespeople usually came to fetch water and bathe.
When Shi Wei brought Su Yu to the stream, several other females were already there to bathe, each surrounded by a few brawny, powerful Beastmen.
They were their bonded Beast Husbands.
Shi Wei glanced at the males, his brow furrowing slightly. He led Su Yu to another, more secluded spot. Only after confirming there were no other Beastmen around did he set her down. "We're here."
Shi Wei went into the water first to chase away the gathered Fish Beasts and crabs.
He then pressed a piece of soapberry into her hand and led her to the water's edge. "This is what the females use to wash. There's a lot of it growing near the tribe. Use this for now. If you need more, just ask me to get it."
Su Yu nodded. "Okay."
Watching her fumble her way toward the water, Shi Wei frowned and stepped forward. "On second thought, I'll help you wash. I'm afraid you'll slip and fall in the water and drown."
It wasn't as if things like that didn't happen in the tribe.
Every summer, the females who couldn't stand the heat would gather by the stream. A few, seeking to cool off, would sneak into the water, only to get a leg cramp and fall. By the time their Beast Husband noticed something was wrong, they had already drowned.
'Su Yu can't see, either. It's safer if I help her wash.'
Su Yu's mouth twitched. She refused him outright. "No, thank you. I can manage on my own. Just turn around and don't watch."
Shi Wei thought she was just being shy and said earnestly, "Don't be afraid. When we're bonded, you'll get to see all of me, too."
"I'm not comfortable with you washing by yourself."
Su Yu's face felt like it was on fire. "Absolutely not," she insisted. "I'll be embarrassed if you watch me. And if I get too embarrassed, I'll cry."
'As a girl from the South, I just can't accept someone watching me bathe. It's no different from someone staring at me while I take a crap!'
'It's too mortifying!'
'Besides, if Shi Wei is staring, it'll be impossible for me to have the system restore my eyesight. I don't want to wash by feel and still end up filthy.'
Shi Wei couldn't argue with her. He scratched his hair in exasperation. "Fine. I won't look."
'Crying at the drop of a hat... My future partner is a bit too delicate.'
He finally sat down on a nearby rock with his back to her. "I'm turned around now, so I'm not looking. Go ahead and wash. Call me if you need anything."
Su Yu: "Okay."
Su Yu said silently in her mind, 'System, restore my sight.'
250: [Ding! 10 energy points deducted. Host's vision temporarily restored. Time limit: 30 minutes.]
250: [Host's current points: -10.]
Su Yu ground her teeth.
'Ten points for just half an hour of sight. This damn system is such a loan shark.'
The fog before her eyes dissipated, and her vision gradually sharpened. The large, blurry patches of color resolved into a clear image.
Su Yu blinked, her head subconsciously turning in Shi Wei's direction.
'I've only ever seen his beast form, never his human one,' she thought. 'I have to admit, I'm a little curious.'
Besides, she didn't recall the name "Shi Wei" from the novel she'd read.
'I wonder what he looks like.'
Unfortunately for her, he was being perfectly obedient. When she looked over, he was sitting cross-legged on the rock, his back turned to her.
His lower half was wrapped in white Beast Skin, while his upper body was bare, revealing the perfectly defined muscles of his back.
His short black hair fluttered in the breeze. A pair of black wolf ears poked up from his hair, twitching occasionally as they monitored the surrounding sounds.
Even from the back, she could tell that Shi Wei had to be handsome.
Satisfied, Su Yu retracted her gaze. She dipped her hand into the cool water, and once she was sure she could stand the temperature, she waded in.
When she saw her own reflection in the stream, Su Yu jumped in shock.
'Who is this ugly creature in the water?!' she wondered in horror. 'Her hair is a messy, greasy tangle, her face is sallow, and her neck is black with grime!'
Su Yu felt herself breaking down inside.
'I spent the entire winter with Shi Wei looking like this?'
Unbearable. Su Yu began to scrub herself furiously. SCRUB, SCRUB, SCRUB.
She kept scrubbing until the system announced she only had ten minutes left. She lathered up with the soapberry one last time, making sure every trace of the sour, funky smell was gone, leaving only the clean scent of the plant in its place. Only then did she stop.
She looked at her reflection in the stream, which now mirrored her current appearance.
A mass of wet black hair cascaded down her back. Her clean face had an unhealthy pallor, her lips were pale, and her almond-shaped eyes, tilted slightly upward, glistened with moisture.
This face was about seventy percent similar to the one she'd had in her past life.
It had the same delicate fragility, like a glass doll that couldn't be touched.
Su Yu sighed, but she quickly pulled herself together.
'Soon,' she thought. 'As long as I complete the system's tasks, I can have a healthy body.'
'I won't be sickly all the way to my death, like last time.'
By the time she finished her bath, the system's time limit was up. Her eyes once again became a hazy fog, and the world dissolved back into large patches of color.
Su Yu didn't panic. She felt her way onto the bank, found the new Beast Skin Skirt Shi Wei had brought, and put it on.
The new Beast Skin Skirt was very soft. It seemed to have been made extra long to shield her from the wind, reaching almost to her ankles. The top was a tube top paired with a small cape.
After putting on the Beast Skin Skirt, Su Yu called out to him, "Shi Wei, I'm done."
Shi Wei turned around, and as he looked at the small female before him, a flash of stunned admiration lit up his eyes.
He knew Su Yu was pretty, but he never imagined she could be *this* beautiful.
Her black hair, her long, narrow eyes, her rosy lips—she was as beautiful as if she had been painted by the hand of the Beast God himself.
The only flaw in the masterpiece was her vacant, lifeless eyes.
Shi Wei's gaze fell upon her eyes, and a pang of heartache went through him.
His body moved before his mind could catch up. By the time he realized what he was doing, he was already holding Su Yu in his arms, one hand resting on her long hair as he carefully used his superpower to dry it.
Shi Wei froze. "..."
Leaning in his embrace, Su Yu felt him tense up and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. Your hair is dry," Shi Wei said, taking the opportunity to stroke her hair. "I'll take you back. You can live in my cave."
Su Yu, exhausted, let out a yawn and gave a mumbled assent.
'This body is so frail,' she thought. 'Just taking a bath is enough to wear me out completely.'
Seeing her exhausted expression, Shi Wei swept her up into his arms again and carried her back to his cave.
But as soon as they got back to the cave, Su Yu came down with a fever.