Alex closed the door, changed his shoes, and took off his coat, which was damp from the snow. He hung it on the rack by the door, leaving the winter chill behind him.

The little female heard him moving about and peeked out of the bedroom to look at him. After a brief exchange, she went back into her room.

’She’s probably going to get changed,’ Alex guessed.

He saw she was wrapped in a blanket and wasn’t sure if she had still been sleeping.

Based on his observations of Gu Ning over the past few days, since entering her estrus period, she had become weaker, more sensitive to the cold, and more prone to sleepiness than usual. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

This was very different from what he knew about female estrus. He wondered if it was because she was sick, or if it was because she was a female of the Heavenly Beast Clan and thus different from the females on the Central Continent.

Alex knew very little about Heavenly Beast Clan females. He would just have to learn about Gu Ning through their day-to-day life together.

As usual, the first thing he did upon returning home was let his gaze sweep over the small room.

The living room was spotless. Other than an insulated food container and a set of utensils on the dining table, Gu Ning had left almost no signs that she had been there.

Even the food container and utensils had been washed spotless.

’At least she had a good appetite today. She didn’t leave any food behind,’ Alex thought.

He placed the bag of takeout on the dining table and went to wash his hands and face, quickly rinsing away the scents of the outside world.

The bathroom was just as tidy. Alex couldn’t even find any of the little female’s hair anymore.

A couple of days ago, he could still find her fallen hairs near the sink, and he had even heard the little female sighing by the bathroom door about her shedding.

It was just so... cute.

Usually, only the Bird Clan was so particular about their feathers. For the Land Beast Clan, hair changed with the seasons, so shedding was perfectly normal.

He was surprised and amused that the little female was so distressed about shedding.

He had tried to comfort her that morning. "Shedding is perfectly normal," he’d said. "Your hair will grow in even thicker for the winter."

In return, he had earned a somewhat reproachful look from the little female.

He considered it carefully. ’Maybe Heavenly Beast Clan females shed easily, but she really doesn’t lose that much hair... It’s just...’

’...she’s already so... smooth.’

Alex turned off the faucet, grabbed a towel to dry his face, and tried to banish the amorous thoughts from his mind.

The last few days had been agonizing for him—more agonizing than his own estrus periods.

A female in estrus was right in front of him, yet he couldn’t do a thing. He couldn’t even get away.

Gu Ning always maintained a polite, formal distance from him, showing no sign that she intended to choose him.

And he couldn’t take advantage of this moment, when she was at her most vulnerable, to reveal his own desires and try to win her affection. That would be far too rude and presumptuous.

Her estrus must be agonizing for her too, yet she endured it silently. That was all the more reason he couldn’t impose on her when she was vulnerable, which would only make her feel uneasy and awkward.

And so, Alex could only endure the female’s scent—a fragrance both agonizing and sweet.

Alex slowly exhaled, tamping down his restlessness. He picked up a bottle of facial cleanser from the sink and looked at it.

’At least she’s using the toiletries I got for her.’

’I have to take it slow. Can’t rush things.’

When Alex came out of the bathroom, Gu Ning was already seated at the dining table, waiting to eat with him.

Alex glanced toward the open bedroom door. On the bed, the blanket was rumpled into a messy ball, and a few items of her clothing were scattered about. The snack box by the bed was open, and the trash can held a few snack wrappers...

A faint look of satisfaction appeared in his eyes when he saw that the room was a little messy, that it finally showed signs of her living in it.

Gu Ning took the food Alex had brought back out of the insulated bag, unpacking each container.

The food had been packed in an insulated bag, so it was still hot.

Alex took a clean set of utensils from the cabinet, placed them in front of Gu Ning, and sat down across from her.

As usual, the two didn’t talk much, each silently attending to their own tasks.

Gu Ning rarely spoke to Alex. For one, she still struggled to speak the Beastman language fluently. On top of that, she still kept a polite distance from him, rarely speaking unless she had to. And for the past few days, he had been leaving early in the morning and coming home late at night, so most of their communication had been through the terminal.

She had wanted to ask him about Zone 5 today. But she had already asked about it on the terminal, and he didn’t look like he wanted to talk about it now. Considering how busy he was with work, he was probably exhausted, so she decided not to bring it up again.