In the next moment, he wrapped himself tightly around her right leg, his leaves clinging to her as if afraid she would leave him behind.

The little flower plant blinked, then quickly followed. She copied his movement exactly, wrapping herself around Su Qinglan’s left leg, her petals trembling slightly as she settled in place.

Su Qinglan paused for a moment, then looked down.

Seeing the two small plants clinging to her like this, she could not help but smile.

"You two..." she said softly, but she did not stop them.

Instead, she continued walking forward, letting them hang onto her legs as they pleased.

Behind her, Hu Yan stood at the doorway, watching this scene.

At first, he had been a little worried about letting her go alone. Even if she was strong, the current situation was still uncertain.

But now...

Seeing Stove following her, he finally relaxed.

He let out a small sigh of relief.

"At least that little fellow is with her..." he muttered.

Even though Stove looked small and unreliable most of the time, Hu Yan knew he was not simple. With him around, there was one more layer of safety.

Thinking of this, Hu Yan turned back into the house and continued cooking, his movements steady again.

Meanwhile, Su Qinglan walked calmly toward the river, with one plant wrapped around each leg, swaying slightly with every step.

Stove seemed very satisfied with his position. "Master, I will protect you!" he said proudly, his leaves puffing up.

The little flower plant did not speak, but she tightened her hold slightly, as if agreeing.

Su Qinglan chuckled softly.

"Alright," she said, her tone light. "Then I’ll leave it to you two."

The three of them continued forward like that, their small and slightly funny scene blending into the quiet surroundings, bringing a rare moment of ease amidst everything that had been happening.

Su Qinglan soon reached the river.

The clear water flowed gently, reflecting the light of the sky. Beneath the surface, many fish could be seen swimming slowly. They were big and fat, their scales shining faintly.

In the beast world, very few people ate these fish.

There were too many bones. The thorns could easily get stuck in the throat. Females avoided them, cubs were not allowed to eat them, and even males disliked this kind of prey. There was barely any meat compared to land animals.

But to Su Qinglan, this was a treasure.

Her eyes lit up immediately.

"So many..." she murmured softly, already thinking of all the ways to cook them.

Without wasting time, she bent down and picked up a branch, preparing to make a simple fishing rod.

But before she could finish...

"Master, leave it to me!" Stove said proudly.

In the next moment, his body stretched and transformed into a long green vine.

Su Qinglan paused, then quickly grabbed one end of the vine, holding it like a rope so it would not look strange to others.

The vine slipped into the water silently.

Splash!

A big, fat fish was hooked instantly and thrown onto the ground.

Stove’s leaves trembled with excitement.

"Another one! Another one!" he said eagerly.

His vine moved again and again, catching fish one after another with perfect accuracy.

Soon, the ground was filled with large, fresh fish. Stove stared at them, his "mouth" almost watering.

"If I could eat now..." he muttered, staring at the fish. Then he suddenly remembered something. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Cooked fish.

His mind immediately filled with images.

"Steamed fish... fish soup... grilled fish... braised fish..." he counted one by one, his tone full of longing.

"All of them are so good..."

He swallowed and whispered to himself, "Patience... be patient... the fruit of patience is always sweet..."

Su Qinglan could not help but laugh softly at his words.

"You’ve learned quite a lot," she said teasingly.

The little flower plant beside them snorted lightly, but her petals trembled with excitement as she looked at the fish. She also wanted to become stronger, just like Stove, so she could catch prey on her own.

The three of them continued working together.

Before long...

They had already caught ten big fish.

Su Qinglan looked at the pile and nodded in satisfaction.

"This should be enough," she said.

With so many mouths to feed at home, these fish would not be wasted at all.

But then, she paused. Her gaze fell on the pile again.

"How am I supposed to carry all this back..." she muttered.

Of course, with her strength, carrying them was not impossible.

But she was pregnant. If others saw a pregnant female carrying such a heavy load, they would probably be so shocked that they would not even know what to say.

She did not want to cause such a scene.

"...Maybe I should ask someone for help," she thought.

There were always beastmen from their tribe nearby. Asking for help would not be difficult.

Just as she was thinking, a voice suddenly sounded behind her.

"I have never seen such a capable female, hunting by herself."

The tone was gentle, almost charming. But there was a hint of slyness hidden within it.

Su Qinglan’s body paused slightly. She had not even turned around, but she already knew who it was. Her expression stiffened for a brief moment.

Why is this man here...

When she turned around, her expression had already changed completely. Every trace of emotion vanished, leaving behind a calm, almost blank face.

There was even a faint hint of fear lingering in her eyes, the kind a normal female would show when confronted by an unfamiliar male. Lowering her gaze slightly, she spoke in a soft, timid voice, "Who are you...?"

The man standing behind her narrowed his eyes, a faint amusement flickering within them as if he might laugh at any moment.

Who was he?

Interesting.

He clearly remembered her... the fierce, unyielding look she had before, cold and sharp, as though she wanted to tear him apart.

But now, she appeared entirely different, like a weak little rabbit... soft, timid, and fragile, as if a single touch might make her collapse.