Transmigrating to the BeastWorld,I Picked Up an Adorable BeastHusband!-Chapter 46: I have nothing more to offer for the kindness you showed me
Ningning attempted to argue that having both men present was unnecessary, she already felt like a pinned butterfly under a microscope but it was like speaking to a stone wall.
Tolief refused to leave until he had secured his data, and Weijie refused to move until he was certain no other male was "assisting" his mate.
Consequently, she continued her workout under the weight of two very different gazes: Tolief’s cold, analytical observation and Weijie’s burning, protective intensity.
[Great work, Dumpling! You’ve finished the push-ups. Now, just thirty arm circles to cool down and...] Doudou paused, his electronic voice adopting a sadistic lilt. [Actually, I’ve just updated the regimen based on your heart rate. Let’s add thirty sit-ups. We need to target that core!]
"You... you monster." Ningning whispered, her voice barely audible.
She sat on the cold ground with her legs bent. Under the bewildered stares of the two men, she began to lower her upper body and pull herself back up.
One.
Her stomach muscles screamed.
Five.
The 128kg weight of her body felt like an anchor dragging her into the dirt. By the tenth repetition, her vision was swimming.
By the fifteenth, disaster struck.
"Ah! God!"
A sharp, white-hot pain seared through her abdomen. It felt as though a jagged claw had reached inside and twisted her muscles into a knot.
She collapsed onto her side, clutching her midsection and curling into a ball, her face contorting in genuine agony.
[Warning: Abdominal cramp detected. Overexertion of dormant muscle groups.]
"Ningning!" Weijie was at her side in an instant. He dropped to his knees, his massive hands hovering over her, terrified of causing further injury.
"What happened? Did this ’logic’ break you?"
"My... my stomach." she wheezed, tears pricking her eyes. "It hurts!"
Weijie did not hesitate to help her.
He pulled her into his lap, his large, warm palms pressing against the soft skin of her belly.
He began to massage the area with a firm but gentle pressure, feeling the muscle beneath her skin as tight and hard as sun-dried mud.
"It is like a rock." Weijie growled, his blue eyes flashing with a mixture of fear and anger.
He looked up at Tolief, who was leaning in to observe the cramp with clinical fascination.
"The tightening is extreme." Tolief murmured. "Just how rigid is her stomach, Weijie? Fascinating."
-_-
"Weijie... I’m not... finished..." Ningning groaned, leaning her head into the crook of his neck to seek comfort.
"You are finished." Weijie declared, his tone final. He turned toward Tolief, his expression one of pure, territorial dominance.
"Find a different puzzle to solve. Invent a way to move rocks or count the stars. If I find you watching my mate ’reshape’ her vessel until she cries out in pain again, I will forget that we are of the same tribe. Do you understand?"
Tolief straightened his lanky frame, looking at the exhausted woman in Weijie’s arms. He gave a slow, stiff nod. "The record is currently inconclusive. I shall withdraw."
Weijie didn’t wait for another word. He turned and carried Ningning back toward the safety of their cave.
She felt the rhythmic thud of his heart against her ear, the cramp slowly dulling under the warmth of his body.
[Well] Doudou sighed in her head. [On the bright side, your heart rate stayed up for a solid fifteen minutes. On the downside, you’re definitely going to be too sore to move tomorrow. Good luck with the squats I have planned.]
"Please don’t do this to me." Ningning sighed. She knew she had to push her body to grow, but the process felt long and tedious.
[Don’t worry. The fifth day is your rest day. Since I’m feeling generous, you won’t be given any tasks on that day. I suggest you finish any ongoing tasks before that time comes. That’s simply how exercising works, my dear]
Doudou replied with a synthetic cheerfulness. [But don’t get too comfortable. Rest is a reward, not a right!]
As they entered the cave, Weijie’s silence was heavier than the mountain air.
He laid her down on the thick pile of furs, but the moment her back hit the bed, he began a stern lecture.
"Your body is not a weapon to be forged in fire, Ningning." he grumbled, his fingers still working the lingering knots in her abdomen. "If you wish to be strong, I will provide more meat. If you wish to be fast, I will carry you. This ’logic’ of yours is a form of madness I do not understand."
Ningning sighed, her head lolling against his shoulder. She lacked the energy to explain the "no pain, no gain" philosophy.
She had barely begun to drift into a daze when a messenger appeared at the cave’s entrance.
"Jaren has opened his eyes.." he announced. "Numa says he wishes to see the human female now that his spirit has returned."
Weijie’s fingers twitched against her skin.
"He has a tongue. He can use it to thank the ancestors while my mate rests." he growled.
"Weijie, it’s fine." Ningning whispered, clutching his wrist. "I need to go. I need to see him."
[You need to confirm, that is] Doudou added. [I need to run a final proximity scan to ensure the antitoxin functioned perfectly. We can’t have him dropping dead tomorrow after we sacrificed an entire Weapon Codex for him!]
"I will carry you." Weijie stated. It was not a suggestion. He scooped her up, ignoring her weak protests, and made his way to the recovery cave.
The recovery cave was a somber space, smelling of damp stone and the bitter, smoky aroma of Numa’s hanging herbs.
Puka sat beside Jaren, her posture far more composed than it had been during the crisis of the previous day.
Since Ningning’s "prayer" had taken effect and the terrifying symptoms had vanished, Puka had settled into a quiet vigil, waiting only for Jaren to wake.
When Ningning entered, Puka stood and offered a respectful nod. "He has returned to us." she said, her voice steady with genuine gratitude. "Thank you for what you did, Ningning."
Weijie lowered Ningning onto the soft hides near Jaren, though he remained standing directly behind her.
Jaren appeared gaunt, but the vitality had returned to his gaze. Upon seeing her, he struggled to rise, sliding from the furs to kneel on the cold dirt floor.
"My life is in your hands. I have nothing more to offer for the kindness you showed me."
