Lin Wan could still feel it lingering in the air. The shift that came from standing in front of someone like Qin Mo. Even now, as they walked back toward the outer cave where the blueprint was, the weight of his presence followed behind them like a shadow.

Wang walked slightly ahead of her, his posture straight and his movements measured. None of the relaxed dominance he usually carried. Every step he took was measured .

That alone told Lin Wan everything she needed to know.

This wasn’t just individual strength.

This was hierarchy, just like every place has an Alpha, the top dog. Qin Mo stood at the very top.

They reached the outer cave where the blueprint was still etched into the ground.

Qin Mo stopped.

His gaze dropped to it again.

Lin Wan watched him carefully this time. Not with fear. With awareness.

He wasn’t just looking. He was analyzing. Every line. Every curve. Every detail, for some reason, she came to a conclusion, this man is really intelligent

"You shaped this with your mind alone?" Qin Mo asked without looking up. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"Yes," Lin Wan answered.

A pause. Then he spoke again.

"From what I can see, you intend to build this with earth and grass."

Again, not a question.

Lin Wan stepped forward slightly, her confidence returning bit by bit now that the conversation was shifting into something she actually understood.

"Yes. It’s called cob construction. It uses clay, sand, water, and fiber. When combined properly, it becomes solid. Strong enough to withstand rain and time."

Qin Mo crouched slightly, his fingers hovering just above the drawn foundation line without touching it.

"You rely on the ground to support the weight... but shape the structure to hold itself."

Lin Wan’s eyes lit up slightly. "Yes. The dome distributes pressure evenly. It doesn’t need internal supports like pillars."

Wang’s gaze shifted toward her.

There it was again. That look. The one he had when she spoke about things he didn’t fully understand but trusted anyway.

Qin Mo finally looked up. Straight at her.

"That knowledge does not belong to any thing I’ve ever seen, and I promise you, I’ve seen a lot."

It wasn’t suspicion. It was certainty.

Lin Wan didn’t flinch. She had expected that.

she said calmly. "It’s from my homeland."

Qin Mo held her gaze for a few seconds longer.

Then he stood.

"I want it."

The words landed simply. But heavily.

Lin Wan blinked. "You... want it?"

"The method. The structure. The design." Qin Mo’s voice remained even. "I want to understand it. To use it for my people."

Wang’s eyes narrowed slightly at that. Not in defiance. In instinct.

Lin Wan felt the shift immediately.

This wasn’t just about sharing knowledge anymore. This was about value. About power. About what giving something like this could mean.

She glanced at Wang.

He didn’t speak. But she could see it clearly. He was waiting. Letting her decide. Again. Even now.

Lin Wan took a slow breath.

Her mind moved quickly.

Weiwei’s words echoed faintly in her memory. Develop the world. Solve its problems. Become a beacon of change.

And then the mission. Second beasthusband.

Lin Wan’s gaze flicked briefly toward Qin Mo.

Beast King.

If she was going to change anything in this world, there was no better place to start than here. With him.

But she wasn’t naive.

Knowledge was power. And giving it away blindly was the fastest way to lose control.

Lin Wan stepped forward slightly.

"I can teach it," she said slowly.

Both men’s attention sharpened at the same time.

"But not just like that."

Wang’s gaze flickered briefly. Approval.

Qin Mo didn’t react outwardly. But his eyes focused.

"You set the conditions," he said.

Not a question.

Lin Wan nodded. "Yes."

She let a beat of silence pass before she continued.

"If I teach you this, I need something in return."

Wang didn’t interrupt. Didn’t question. He simply stood beside her. Steady. Present.

Qin Mo’s gaze shifted between them again, then back to her.

"Speak."

Lin Wan didn’t hesitate this time.

"I want protection."

Simple. Clear.

"I want this valley to remain ours. No interference. No threats. No one entering without our permission."

Wang’s eyes flickered slightly at that. Not disagreement. Recognition.

She wasn’t just thinking about survival. She was claiming territory.

Qin Mo tilted his head slightly. "You already stand within my domain."

"Yes," Lin Wan replied. "But not under your protection. Not officially."

A small pause.

"And I want access."

Qin Mo’s gaze sharpened. "To what?"

"Resources. Knowledge. Trade routes. Information."

Lin Wan held his gaze. "If I’m going to be developing something here, it won’t just be a house."

Silence.

For a moment, even the wind seemed to still.

Qin Mo looked at her like he was seeing something new. She wasn’t just a strange female anymore. Nor an anomaly.

Potential.

He could see the way Lin wan’s eyes went into calculation, and it wasn’t those disgusting calculation that he knew of.

"You aim high," he said quietly.

Lin Wan didn’t look away. "I never aim small."

His gaze lingered on her a moment longer than necessary.

Then.

"Agreed."

Wang’s head snapped slightly toward him. Even Lin Wan paused for a fraction of a second.

That was faster than she expected.

"You accept?" she asked.

Qin Mo’s expression didn’t change. "You offer something of value. I respond in kind."

Simple, direct and Final!.

Lin Wan exhaled slowly. Then nodded.

"Then I’ll teach you."

From the side, Wang watched the entire exchange in silence.

The way Qin Mo looked at her. The way Lin Wan stood her ground. The way this conversation had unfolded without a single crack in her composure.

It wasn’t normal.

And Wang knew it. His instincts, sharpened from years of survival and battle, never lied.

Something was changing. Something bigger than just building a house.

And at the center of it was Lin Wan.

His mate.

Wang’s jaw tightened slightly. Not in anger. In quiet resolve.

Whatever came next, he would not step back.

Qin Mo turned slightly, his gaze returning once more to the blueprint on the ground.

"You will begin tomorrow," he said.

Lin Wan nodded. "Yes."

Then, after a brief pause, she added, "But you’ll be working too."

Qin Mo looked at her. "You think I cannot?"

Lin Wan shrugged slightly. "I think you’ve never built something like this before."

A beat.

Then, for the first time, a faint almost imperceptible smile touched Qin Mo’s lips.

"Then show me how to build it."