It didn’t take long before the first group of beastmen returned, their arms full of giant leaves. Some carried broad forest leaves, some brought thick mountain leaves, and others dragged long meadow leaves behind them. All of them were wet but eager to help.
Su Qinglan looked at them immediately.
"Good. Bring them here."
The beastmen crowded around her, forming a big circle. Their faces were filled with hope and nervousness, as if they were waiting for her approval.
She picked up one leaf, held it up, and spoke simply, "Twist it like this."
Her small hands moved swiftly...twisting the leaf’s thick stem, bending the sides inward, wrapping the top edge so it wouldn’t drip directly on the neck.
"Now tie this part here," she said, pointing at the shoulder area. "And here, to secure the bottom."
The beastmen watched with wide and focused eyes.
One brave rabbit beastman tried first. His fingers were clumsy compared to her delicate hands, but he followed her movements carefully. He managed to twist and tie the leaf into a rough raincoat shape.
"Good," Su Qinglan nodded.
The rabbit’s eyes lit up, proud like a child who passed a test.
Right after him, dozens of beastmen began copying her. They worked in groups... donkeys using their strength to press thick leaves flat, rabbits using their nimble claws to tie the stems neatly, and elk beastmen holding leaves in place with their arms.
Within minutes, the first pregnant female was gently lifted and helped into her new leaf raincoat.
It was nothing like Su Qinglan’s beautiful raincoat. The edges were uneven, the knots messy, and some parts stuck out at odd angles.
But it covered her and protected her from the harsh rain.
The pregnant female trembled as the warmth slowly returned to her, and her mate wrapped his arms around her, letting out a shaky breath of relief.
Soon, the second female was covered as well.
Then the third.
Then the fourth.
And then... nearly every female in the stranded group.
The scene was a little chaotic...beastmen rushing, tying, fixing leaves that kept slipping...but the moment each female was finally covered, the air grew lighter.
Su Qinglan stepped back, observing them. Her heart softened again. These females looked tired, pale, and weak, but they were now safe from the cold rain.
"Good," she murmured. "Now you should feed them something; they look pale."
The beastman nodded at her as they rushed toward a large pile of soaked bags...pulling out what they believed was food.
"The pregnant ones should eat first," the mate of the pregnant female said with a worried voice.
Su Qinglan’s eyes brightened at their attentiveness until she saw the meat.
The pieces were muddy, soggy, and dripping with foul-smelling water. Some pieces had already turned gray from soaking in the rain for days. A few chunks were even half-rotten, soft, and slimy.
Her eyes widened in horror.
"What are you doing?!" she snapped.
The beastmen froze instantly, startled by her sudden anger.
"You... you want to feed this to pregnant females?" she shouted, pointing at the drenched meat.
The males looked confused and embarrassed. Some lowered their heads. A porcupine beastman stuttered, "B-But... this is the meat we hunted earlier... before the heavy rains."
"And it got washed away by the flood," another added weakly. "But it’s still meat... and meat is the best food..."
"No!" Su Qinglan cut him off sharply. "If they eat this, they will get even more sick! Their bodies are weak already!"
The males flinched. Shame covered their faces.
They exchanged helpless glances.
"We... we have nothing else," a mole beastman said in a small voice. "All our food was soaked... or washed away."
Su Qinglan’s anger softened, replaced by sympathy. They weren’t being careless on purpose. They simply didn’t know better. In their world, meat was treasure. They couldn’t understand that rotten meat was poison to weak females.
She sighed and pointed at the meat again. "Throw this away. It’s ruined."
The beastmen hesitated, but before they could argue, a rough voice spoke from behind her.
"I have something."
Everyone turned.
A huge herbivore beastman from a buffalo tribe with horns shining under the weak rain stepped forward. He reached into a leaf pouch tied at his waist... and pulled out two small fruits.
They were tiny, yellow, and still fresh. The beastman held them out shyly.
"I found these earlier... but I didn’t eat them. Give them to the pregnant females."
Su Qinglan’s expression softened immediately. She nodded.
"These are perfect."
Only then did the other beastmen dare to move. They carefully took the fruits and fed them to the two pregnant females first. The females chewed slowly, relief washing over their faces as the gentle sweetness spread into their mouths.
Seeing that, Su Qinglan relaxed. She stayed beside them, checking their breaths and holding their cold hands, warming them little by little.
But while she was busy helping the females... Something else was happening.
The rabbit tribe leader had already gone to speak with Su Mingxuan.
They stood a little far away, speaking quietly under the large roots of a forest tree. Other fox warriors stood nearby, listening and considering. Decisions were being made, things Su Qinglan had never interfered in.
After a while, she finally got a moment and walked toward the two leaders.
"Father," she called softly. "What’s happening?"
Su Mingxuan turned to her, calm as always, eyes filled with the quiet confidence of a leader who had lived through many harsh seasons.
"We have come to an agreement," he said.
The rabbit tribe leader nodded respectfully. "The leader has allowed us to stay inside your mountain territory... until the rainy season ends."
Su Qinglan blinked.
"That’s good," she said sincerely. "They need shelter."
The rabbit leader continued, "In return, after the rainy season ends, we will give prey to your tribe as compensation... as thanks for saving our people."
"And during the rainy season," Su Mingxuan added, "we will give them shelter, but they must live on their own. They can hunt in the forest and follow our rules, and if anyone gets sick, you may treat them."
Su Qinglan nodded immediately. "I have no problem. I only wanted to save the females. The rest... you know better."
Her father’s expression softened with pride.
"You did well today."
Su Qinglan didn’t respond. She only turned back toward the group of trembling beastmen...pregnant females now covered with leaf raincoats, cubs warming in their fathers’ arms, and males whispering relief.
She felt the weight in her chest loosen.
Maybe the world inside the dome can become their only hope.