40: The new identity lasted less than three seconds.

"Then, if you have any other needs, just have Ji Yu inform me."

Ken led her to a tent at the back of the caravan and entrusted her to a Female Beast with short, curly dark brown hair.

This Female Beast had a circle of fine white auditory feathers around her ears, a rare bird beastman.

What caught Tu Nan's attention most was that she was heavily pregnant.

This was the first time Tu Nan had seen a pregnant woman here.

"Is it... not quite appropriate?"

Tu Nan frowned slightly.

She said to Ken, "I can take care of myself, so I won't trouble this... Mrs. Ji Yu."

"It's alright."

Ji Yu replied gently, walking over and taking Tu Nan's hand.

"You are Miss Tu Nan, aren't you?"

"Don't worry, please follow me. I think you need a simple wash, don't you?"

She was right; this was a temptation Tu Nan couldn't refuse.

Ji Yu successfully led her behind the tent.

***

"I'll do it myself."

Tu Nan took the wooden basin and towel Ji Yu brought, hoping to be left alone in the washing area.

She really couldn't bring herself to let a pregnant woman take care of her.

However, Ji Yu didn't stop her work. She went out again and came back with a kettle of water.

"You don't know where things are, so let me help you. Besides..." She smiled slightly, "I am just a Foster Mother; you don't need to call me 'Madam'."

Tu Nan stood stunned.

"That's how it is, so these are all things I should do. Please feel free to assign me tasks." She took out a comb and a brush, knelt down, and gestured to Tu Nan.

"Shall I help you clean your hair first?"

She showed Tu Nan a box of powder.

"We're on the road, so we can only use this powder. Just comb it through and pat it off. You haven't used it before, have you?"

Indeed not. Tu Nan slowly shook her head.

Her black hair had only been unwashed for 3 days, only mixed with a little dust, far from those true wanderers.

This was probably one of the factors that successfully misled Zhuang Qi and the others.

Which true commoner would be willing to keep such long hair?

Tu Nan was still shocked by the information she had just received. She rarely let her mind wander, listening to Ji Yu's arrangements and sitting in front of her, undoing her waist-length hair.

Tu Nan suddenly spoke.

"How long have you been pregnant?"

The powder was brushed onto her head, then the comb gently glided through her hair.

Ji Yu replied, "Over three months. I'll be giving birth in less than a month."

Tu Nan's pupils trembled slightly, and she didn't respond.

She hadn't even thought to ask how long pregnancy lasted here, naturally assuming it was ten months like in the human world.

Four months.

Is it the same for every species, or is there a difference?

She could only suppress the question and save it for later.

"Then... is this your sixth child?"

Tu Nan pretended this was just casual small talk.

"It's my sixth child!"

Ji Yu didn't mind saying a few more words; she usually didn't have anyone to talk to.

"This is probably my last child. I almost didn't make it last time."

But this woman looked like she wasn't even thirty? Her last child... did she mean what Tu Nan thought?

Tu Nan was speechless from the shock, yet Ji Yu spoke of sad things with a practiced calm.

"...Are all your Children with you?"

"How could that be?" Ji Yu was surprised by Tu Nan asking such a question.

"I didn't even get to see the previous Children."

"But the last one, three years ago, is with the caravan."

Her words suddenly brimmed with happiness.

"Ah, he's the leader's child, a sturdy, spirited Bear Beast. You'll love him when you see him, a very strong child."

"Then I must meet him."

Tu Nan was almost maintaining this conversation purely out of instinct.

Too sad.

And because of Ji Yu's calm demeanor, it all seemed even more tragic.

"You... do you feel," Tu Nan endured for a long time, then finally asked the question that had puzzled her since she arrived in this world.

"Should Foster Mothers not exist?"

"I mean... why are there Foster Mothers? Everyone is a Female Beast."

Ji Yu was silent for a long while. She just continued her actions silently.

It was too presumptuous, Tu Nan thought.

"Should, or should not. That is not a question I can consider."

Just as Tu Nan thought she wouldn't get an answer, Ji Yu spoke.

"The beast god arranged for me to be a Foster Mother, so I can only be a Foster Mother. I've left 5 Children in this world, maybe six..."

"Perhaps this is the meaning of my existence in this world."

She put away the comb and powder, walked around to Tu Nan, and gazed at the beautiful but delicate Female Beast with a slight smile.

"You are truly too gentle," she said to Tu Nan.

"No one has ever asked me this before. So, this is the first time I've thought about it."

Tu Nan already regretted it.

She shouldn't have spoken, because she realized Ji Yu was beginning to "think." And how painful it was to think when one had no power.

"Alright, how about you wash yourself?"

Ji Yu tilted her head, observing Tu Nan with satisfaction. Suddenly, she clapped her hands.

"Oh, I forgot. Let me take off your earrings and put them outside for you."

Before Tu Nan could react, she leaned in, brushed aside the long hair covering Tu Nan's ear, and prepared to help.

But her movements suddenly froze.

Her hair fell back against Tu Nan's cheek.

"You..."

Ji Yu's face showed an extremely surprised and shocked expression.

Tu Nan looked at her, puzzled.

"I don't have pierced ears."

Is this something worth being shocked about? She looked up at Ji Yu.

But then she saw Ji Yu touch her own earlobe. She slowly turned sideways, showing her smooth, full earlobes to Tu Nan.

"Look... I don't have pierced ears either."

So what?

Tu Nan didn't understand the meaning of her gesture, but her heart began to pound rapidly.

Something... was wrong.

Ji Yu saw that she truly didn't understand and finally froze in place.

She stood there, staring at Tu Nan for a long time, as if making a very important decision.

Suddenly, she turned, lifted the curtain, and peered outside. Seeing that the women were all in their respective cubicles and not nearby, she walked back in.

Her expression was incredibly serious, as if she had become a different person.

Even in the inner tent cubicle with only two people, she leaned as close as possible and whispered in Tu Nan's ear.

"Every Female Beast has her ears pierced at birth."

"Only Foster Mothers do not."

Tu Nan's blood ran cold instantly.

She never expected such a custom to exist here.

Nor did she expect that the identity she fabricated would be exposed by such a seemingly insignificant person.

She abandoned her Foster Mother identity and disguised herself as a noble's daughter, both to enhance her safety within the caravan and to ensure the caravan would take her to the next city more appropriately.

It was also to... plan ahead, preparing to approach Kong Jiamu or Hain.

Would her scheme fail? Would Ji Yu expose her?

No... Tu Nan thought.

If Ji Yu wanted to expose her, she could have directly told Zhuang Qi or Ken.

She didn't.

So...

There was still a chance.