When he saw that she hadn't clung to him like a lovesick fool as usual, nor said any disgusting words, a flicker of surprise flashed through his wolfish eyes.
Even better that she didn't come pestering—spared him the nausea. At least she seemed to have developed some self-awareness.
He dropped the prey he was holding in his mouth onto the ground.
In the next instant, a flash of white light appeared, and he transformed into his human form.
When he saw Su Xiyue sitting there in a grass skirt, her entire body overflowing with layers of fat, fully exposed, his face immediately darkened.
What the hell was she wearing?
He couldn't be bothered to comment, only thinking to himself how ugly people always tried to make a scene.
Ye Ling caught sight of seven or eight baskets placed beside her in neat rows. He had never seen these things before and didn't know what they were called, but it was obvious they were woven from vines.
They looked pretty convenient for holding stuff. He had no idea where she had gotten them from.
His gaze shifted to the contents of the baskets—each one was packed to the brim with wild fruits, vegetables, thistles, various mushrooms, and an assortment of other odd things.
Seeing the mushrooms, he frowned. "Why did you bring all this stuff back? These things are poisonous. Don't you know that?"
He pointed to the basket filled with mushrooms.
Su Xiyue glanced at him and replied, "These mushrooms aren't poisonous. They're edible—very tasty and nutritious."
Ye Ling clearly didn't believe her, his brows furrowing tighter. "Don't say I didn't warn you. If you die eating them, I'm not taking responsibility."
Since he didn't believe her, she didn't bother to explain further. Once she cooked them, he'd see for himself whether they were poisonous or not.
But to cook, she needed a pot. Without one, no matter how many ingredients she had, it was useless.
She suddenly remembered something and looked toward Ye Ling, unable to hold back from asking, "By the way, do you know where I can find a stone pot? You know, one of those stones that's hollowed out in the middle with a concave bottom but smooth inside."
Stone pots were slow to heat, but at least they were usable.
As for clay or iron pots—forget it. In this primitive beast world, there was no such thing.
Unless she managed to make pottery or find iron, there was no way to create or forge those items.
Ye Ling obviously didn't understand. He frowned and looked at her. "Stone pot? What's that?"
Su Xiyue patiently explained, "It's a stone container that can be used to boil or cook food. The center is hollow so it can hold water or ingredients. It's better if it's thin."
Too thick, and it would heat up very slowly.
Ye Ling still didn't seem to get it, his brows knitted in confusion. "How can a stone hold water or food? What nonsense are you talking about?"
She sighed inwardly, but didn't blame him. After all, this world hadn't discovered the use of stone pots yet.
Thinking for a moment, she tried to simplify it further: "Just find a stone that's hollowed in the middle, like an oval bowl, so it can hold things. We can build a fire underneath it to cook food. But it shouldn't be too thick, or it'll take forever to heat."
At that, Ye Ling finally began to understand. "You mean… something like a clay pot used for cooking, but made from stone instead?"
"Exactly!"
Su Xiyue nodded, thinking Ye Ling was finally showing a little intelligence for once.
Ye Ling didn't respond immediately, falling into a thoughtful silence.
He seemed to be recalling whether he had seen such stones before.
After a moment, he looked at her and said, "Over by Rockplate Mountain, there are a lot of oddly shaped stones. Maybe you can find what you're looking for there."
"Rockplate Mountain?"
Her eyes lit up. She quickly got up and scooted over to him, eagerly asking, "Is it far from here?"
Ye Ling saw her suddenly move in close, her face—not much smaller than a millstone—right up in front of him.
He turned his head away in disgust, answering coldly, "Not far. If we move fast, half an hour should be enough."
Su Xiyue didn't miss the look of revulsion in his eyes. It stung a little, but she didn't take it to heart.
She looked up at the sky. The sun was already leaning westward—about three in the afternoon.
Half an hour there, half an hour back—that's one hour each way.
If they left now, they should be back by five. It should still be light out. As long as nothing unexpected happened, they could make it back in time to meet up with the rest of the beastmen from the tribe.
She looked at Ye Ling, intending to ask him to take her to Rockplate Mountain.
But thinking of how much this man disliked her, she doubted he would agree easily.
Su Xiyue sighed inwardly but still gave it a shot. "Um… Ye Ling, could you take me to Rockplate Mountain?"
Ye Ling frowned and looked at her, rejecting her outright without even thinking. "No."
His voice was cold, with not a hint of hesitation.
She had already guessed he would refuse, so she wasn't too disappointed.
After thinking for a bit, she said, "If you take me to Rockplate Mountain and help me find a stone pot, I'll cook something delicious for you—something you've definitely never tasted before."
Ye Ling glanced at her with his silver eyes and sneered, "No thanks. I wouldn't dare eat your cooking."
She couldn't even roast meat properly, and she expected him to believe she could cook something delicious?
Hearing his mockery, Su Xiyue looked a little embarrassed.
That was the original Su Xiyue who couldn't roast meat—not her.
She wasn't going to take the blame.
Thinking about how the original body really didn't know anything and only knew how to eat, she couldn't blame Ye Ling for not believing her.
Su Xiyue gritted her teeth and decided to play her trump card. "Ye Ling, don't forget—A'Fu told you to look after me. But you left me here alone and went hunting."
She paused deliberately before continuing, "Just now, I ran into a saber-toothed tiger. I nearly got eaten. Luckily, Mo Lin was hunting nearby and saved me in time. If he hadn't been there, I'd already be inside that tiger's stomach."
"So tell me—if I mention this to A'Fu, what do you think he'll say?"
Even if she earned more of Ye Ling's contempt, she didn't care.
With a stone pot, she could finally make proper food. Their meals would become more varied—it wouldn't be just endless roasted meat, grilled fish, or wild fruits anymore.
Besides, she believed that once she cooked something truly delicious, that mutt Ye Ling's favorability toward her would naturally rise.
As the saying goes: The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
Ye Ling's expression suddenly darkened. He turned to her sharply, a glint of coldness in his silver eyes. "Are you threatening me?"
Su Xiyue didn't flinch. She met his gaze head-on, her tone calm and serious. "How is that a threat? I'm just stating the facts."
Ye Ling's lips pressed into a thin line, his face turning ugly.
He had, in truth, failed to carry out the chief's order to look after her properly.
But how was he supposed to hunt with Su Xiyue tagging along?
She was pure dead weight.
That was why, before leaving, he had told her to stay put.
How could he have known she wouldn't listen and would run around on her own?
If she had been eaten by that saber-toothed tiger, she would've had only herself to blame.
Still, in the end, it was his fault.
If Su Xiyue actually went and told the chief, even if the chief disliked his daughter, he would definitely hold Ye Ling accountable.
Ye Ling stared at her with dark, cold eyes. "So, what do you want?"
Seeing that his tone had softened, Su Xiyue perked up and smiled. "Just take me to Rockplate Mountain and help me find a stone pot. Then I'll pretend none of this ever happened. How about it?"
Ye Ling stared at her for a moment, clearly weighing the pros and cons.
After a pause—
He finally said coldly, "Fine. I'll take you."
Su Xiyue lit up with joy, a bright smile spreading across her face, nearly dazzling. "Thank you, Ye Ling!"
She knew she was hideous right now, and smiling probably made it worse—but she couldn't help herself.
To Ye Ling, however, that smile was a painful eyesore.
He must be out of his mind to have agreed to take her to Rockplate Mountain.