Chapter 128
In the early morning, Sal woke before Nina.
He gazed at her rosy cheeks, flushed from sleep, and couldn’t resist leaning down to kiss her. One kiss quickly turned into another… and then another, until he found it hard to stop.
Nina was eventually stirred awake by his persistent kisses. Still half asleep, she pushed him lightly.
“Stop it… I’m so sleepy p>
Her eyes slowly fluttered open. Realizing it was already morning and that she was still in the treehouse, she suddenly remembered the cubs and wanted to return quickly.
She stifled a yawn. “It’s already daylight. Let’s head back p>
Sal leaned close, gently nibbling at her earlobe, a mischievous smile curling at the corner of his lips.
“So… were you satisfied with my performance last night p>
Nina rubbed her sore waist, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of pink.
“I want to go back now p>
Satisfied was an understatement.
Sal chuckled softly, his tone turning almost playful as he asked, “Then… does that mean I’ve officially been promoted now p>
Nina gave a small nod. “Mm p>
Sal’s eyes lit up with delight. He leaned in to kiss her again.
“Then let me help you get dressed p>
Nina pressed a hand against his chest, her face flushing even more.
“Go outside first. I’ll do it myself p>
Sal laughed quietly and stepped outside, sitting at the doorway with his back turned.
Why is Nina still so shy?
Inside the treehouse, Nina quickly dressed and swallowed a Recovery Pill.
When she finished, Sal scooped her up and jumped lightly down from the treehouse, carrying her back toward the stone house.
Back at the stone house, Odian and the others had already gathered outside, waiting for Nina to wake.
It was later than usual, yet Nina still hadn’t come out. They were starting to grow worried but didn’t dare wake her.
Odian and the others exchanged concerned glances, debating whether they should go inside.
Just then, Sal appeared—carrying Nina in his arms.
The moment they saw them, and noticed the faint marks that Nina couldn’t quite hide, every male’s expression darkened at once.
Odian: That damned leopard actually snuck Nina away last night. Judging from how she looks, he must have worn her out.
Kith: That damned leopard got ahead of me… Nina must have accepted him. I need to hurry and win Nina’s forgiveness.
Aviel: Typical wandering beast—no sense of fairness at all. Sneaking Nina away in the middle of the night.
An awkward heaviness settled over the courtyard.
“Nina, you Odian began, his tone thick with jealousy.
Nina quickly motioned for Sal to put her down.
“Nina, you should go rest first,” Odian said gently, though his eyes had already shifted toward Sal. “We have something we need to discuss with Sal p>
He could see Nina’s embarrassment clearly.
Matters between males should be settled by males. Nina shouldn’t have to deal with it.
“Alright.” Nina stepped inside the house.
She understood that some matters were not hers to interfere with. She could only hope they would go a little easy on Sal.
Inside, Dahn and the others lit up when they saw her return, their faces full of delight.
Boss finally succeeded.
“Lady Nina, we’ll head back now,” Dahn said.
“Mm,” Nina replied with a nod.
The moment they finished speaking, Dahn and the others hurried outside.
“Come on. Let’s settle this properly p>
Odian cracked his knuckles, clearly itching for a fight. He had wanted to beat up that leopard for a long time.
Sal raised an eyebrow lazily. “Sure. Let’s go p>
Aviel and Kith both curled their lips faintly and followed along.
A moment later, loud bangs and thuds echoed outside as the males began fighting.
Odian and the others quickly turned it into a group beating, determined to teach that leopard a proper lesson.
Meanwhile, Nina calmly grabbed a change of clothes and went to the washroom, completely ignoring the thunderous noise outside.
When breakfast time arrived, she saw that Sal had already been beaten into quite a state—his face bruised and swollen, walking with a slight limp.
She sighed softly.
I’ll treat him later.
Sal, however, didn’t look bothered at all.
In fact, the beating felt entirely worth it. He was already thinking about sneaking off again tonight.
“Nina, eat more meat. You need to nourish yourself,” Odian said, placing some meat onto her plate. “You probably didn’t rest well last night. Take it easy today p>
“Mm.” Nina quietly ate, the tips of her ears warming.
“Nina, you really should eat more,” Sal added, placing meat on her plate as well. “Last night must have been exhausting p>
He shot the other males a smug glance.
Their expressions instantly sharpened.
That damned leopard—does he want another beating?
Nina: Sal… are you unhappy with how lightly they hit you earlier?
She silently focused on her meal, pretending not to notice the tense atmosphere hanging over the table.
At noon, while Nina was taking a nap, Aina’s mate, Vishaeh, came looking for her.
“Is Nina here?” he asked.
“She’s resting,” Odian replied. “What do you need with her p>
“It’s like this—tonight the tribe is holding a bonfire gathering at the west square. Aina wanted to invite Nina to go together,” Vishaeh explained. “She’s busy dressing up and picking clothes right now, so she asked me to come ask p>
“Alright. I’ll tell Nina when she wakes up,” Odian said. “You can head back first—there’s no telling when she’ll wake p>
“Okay. Just make sure you let her know,” Vishaeh replied.
With that, he jogged back toward his stone house.
Since a certain leopard had been far too energetic the previous night, Nina hadn’t slept much at all. This nap stretched all the way until evening.
When she finally woke, she stretched lazily and stepped outside.
The cubs who had napped with her had already woken up long ago. Not wanting to disturb their mother, they had run out into the courtyard to play.
Lex, Viann, and Dahn were playing games with the cubs.
Seeing Nina awake, Odian immediately went to the kitchen and returned with a cup of water.
“Nina, you’re up. Are you thirsty? Want some water p>
“Mm… a little,” Nina said, taking the cup and drinking a few sips.
“While you were sleeping, Vishaeh came by,” Odian said. “He said the tribe is holding a bonfire gathering tonight. Aina invited you to go with her p>
“A bonfire gathering?” Nina said curiously. “I don’t think I’ve ever been to one. What usually happens there p>
“Usually the tribe gathers together to eat, drink, and chat,” Odian explained. “People also dance around the bonfire p>
He paused, then added, “And sometimes males or females take the opportunity to confess their feelings by giving gifts to someone they like p>
“That actually sounds pretty fun,” Nina said.
Watching people confess their feelings—front-row entertainment.
“Do you want to go?” Odian asked when he saw her interest. “If you do, we can get ready and head over tonight p>
Nina thought for a moment.
“Let’s go. I’d like to see it p>
Besides, Aina still didn’t know many people in the tribe yet. It would be nice to accompany her.
“Alright. I’ll have Lex and the others prepare,” Odian said.
He glanced at the sky, then added, “Most females like to dress up before going out. Do you want to pick out clothes first? I can help p>
Personally, he thought Nina was already beautiful without any effort.
“Is there a special dress code?” Nina asked.
“Not really. It’s just that most females like to dress up carefully beforehand,” Odian said. “I was just asking. If you want help, I can stay and assist p>
“That’s fine. I won’t do anything too elaborate—just pick a nice outfit,” Nina said.
“Alright. Once you’re ready, we’ll head out. I’ll have Ridan notify Aina p>
Odian glanced at the sky again; by the time Nina finished getting ready, it should be about time.
Nina returned to her room and opened the system marketplace to browse clothes.
After looking for a while, she chose a simple yet elegant dress—a beast-world style evening gown with slender straps.
Putting on a dress like that was a bit troublesome, so Nina called Odian inside to help her.