My Panther Mate & Our Little Cub novel Chapter 272

Transmigrated to Raise Panther Cubs

Chapter 272 A Rainy Day Invention

Once Jaden had gone out, the cave grew quiet again. Only Zachary and Matthew remained inside, with the soft scent of boba still lingering in the air.

Maybe sweet things really could make a person feel happy.

Zachary was in such a good mood that he could not help walking over to Matthew. He sat sideways across Matthew’s lap and slipped one arm around his neck, smiling brightly. “Does it taste sweet?”

Matthew’s palm settled against his waist. “Yeah.”

Zachary’s eyes curved with amusement. “I know something sweeter.”

He took another mouthful of boba, placed the cup on the small table beside them, and then held Matthew’s face in both hands. The next second, he lowered his head and kissed him.

It was not a quick kiss.

Zachary pressed close and kissed him slowly, almost lazily, as though he wanted Matthew to taste every bit of sweetness left on his lips.

Matthew leaned back slightly and returned the kiss naturally. Their noses brushed. Their breathing grew warm and tangled. In the quiet cave, those ice–blue eyes and golden eyes reflected nothing but each other.

Zachary had no clear reason for doing this.

He simply wanted to.

He yearned to hug and kiss Matthew. When this man was near, he felt whole, warm, and grounded, as if everything he needed was already with him. It was a subtle, comforting happiness that words couldn’t fully capture.

A long while passed before they finally parted.

Both of them were breathing harder than before. Once their eyes met, laughter rose between them at the same time.

Neither spoke after that. Zachary only leaned back into Matthew’s arms, and Matthew held him close. The two stayed like that in the quiet cave, listening to each other’s heartbeat.

A bundle of prepared bamboo leaned against one side of the cave.

Those pieces had gone through quite a bit before they became usable. They had been roasted over charcoal, dried out, and left to air until the moisture faded.

Since the rain had kept everyone home, and Matthew was available to help, Zachary decided it was the perfect time to turn the bamboo into something useful.

He started with a storage rack.

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Chapter 272 A Rainy Day Invention

The storage shed was filling up fast. If they kept piling everything together, finding anything would soon become a problem. A rack with several layers would keep things neater and make the space much easier to

use.

After that, Zachary made two standing clothes racks.

The structure was simple. Thick bamboo poles formed a triangular frame like a small tent, and/vine rope held everything firmly in place. Near the bottom, he added bamboo slats to create a shelf. Clothes could hang above it, while folded items could be placed below.

Matthew helped with the work every day.

At first, he only moved heavy pieces and held things steady. After watching Zachary work for so long, however, he had started to pick up some skills. If he visited another tribe now and pretended to be a craftsman, there was a good chance others would believe him.

The rain returned the next day.

It began as a drizzle. Not long after, the sound grew denser, filling the outside of the cave with a steady patter.

Zachary sat cross–legged on a beast–hide mat and tried to split thin bamboo strips. It sounded easy, yet the bamboo was much tougher than expected. Even after he cut it slowly with a bone blade, the edges remained rough and full of tiny thorns.

A nearly invisible splinter pierced his finger.

The sudden sting made him draw in a breath. He frowned and stretched his hand toward Matthew. “Something got into my finger.”

Matthew immediately took his hand.

He lowered his head and carefully worked the tiny splinter out little by little. After removing it, he still

mouth and held it there for a moment.

brought Zachary’s finger to his Work

From then on, Matthew refused to let him handle the rough bamboo.

Only after every strip had been scraped smooth did he return the pieces to Zachary.

Zachary picked a bamboo pole of the right thickness for the handle. He cut a cross–shaped opening at the top, then inserted the thin bamboo strips one by one. The strips radiated outward from the center like spokes. Once the shape looked right, he tied everything tightly to keep the frame open.

Under Zachary’s guidance, Matthew cut a piece of waterproof moo–beast hide into a round sheet and placed it over the frame.

Zachary said, “Matthew, hold this part for me.”

Then, he worked around the edge with patience, using beast–sinew cord to fasten the hide to the ends of the

tion had to be tied securely, or the rain would slip through the gaps. bamboo strips. Each

The finished umbrella appeared quite primitive. It couldn’t be folded and was heavier than he preferred. Its shape was rough, and it lacked any delicacy.

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Chapter 272 A Rainy Day Invention

Still, Zachary loved it.

This was the first umbrella he had made in this world.

The moment it was done, he dragged Matthew outside to test it.

Rain tapped against the hide above their heads. Matthew looked up at the umbrella, then took it from Zachary and lifted it higher. He tilted it slightly toward Zachary so more of the rain fell away from him

Zachary circled him once, checking the umbrella from every angle. The more he looked, the happier he became.

He threw his arms around Matthew and kissed him twice. “We’re amazing!”

That afternoon, Matthew carried the umbrella when they went to the market.

Yael rushed over the moment he noticed it. He tipped his head back and stared. “Hey, what is this thing?”

Matthew gave a calm answer. “An umbrella.”

Yael looked at it for several steps, clearly unable to hold back his curiosity. In the end, he half begged and half stole it from Matthew’s hand so he could carry it himself.

The strange new item attracted plenty of attention along the way.

Halfway there, they ran into a black panther.

A patch of bright neon–green hair stood out on top of the panther’s head. With that one feature alone, there was no need to guess who it was.

The sight instantly destroyed Yael’s last bit of interest in dyeing his own hair red.

The color looked all right on a person. On a beast, it was another matter entirely. The tribe already had one creature walking around like that. One was enough.

Yael glanced at Kyle. “Why are you

running around in this weather?”

Kyle looked anxious. “Elias has been vomiting all day. I need to get medicine from the shaman.”

“Then go quickly.” Yael urged.

At the market, the umbrella became the center of attention.

Daniel started with it, followed

the bamboo frame, and raisingh Then, several others passed it around, feeling the hide, inspecting

it to test how effectively it kept out the rain.

Matthew watched their movements grow rougher and rougher. When the chance came, he reached out and took the umbrella back.

Daniel immediately looked at him with expectation. “Can Zachary make one for me?”

Matthew refused without thinking, “No.”

He thought, No. Zachary’s hands are already hurt from making this. Ilis palms are still rød.

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Daniel quickly changed his approach. “Then can we visit tomorrow and learn how to make one ourselves?”

Another therian jumped in at once. “Or you can teach us?”

The group had absolutely no shame.

As soon as Matthew showed even the slightest sign of agreement, they greeted him with enthusiasm. One person rubbed his shoulders, another patted his back, and the others seemed eager to praise him all the way home if necessary.

Matthew almost got angry again.

Back at home, Kyle brewed the medicine first.

After setting the pot over the fire, he walked into the cave to check on his mate.

Elias lay on the bed with a pale face, looking weak and exhausted.

Kyle picked up the cup on the table, filled it with warm water, and sat beside him. “Do you still feel nauseous?”

Elias had barely eaten anything the entire day. He gave only a weak, lifeless hum in reply.

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