Si Shuo breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but laugh. But when she looked at Xu Chi's innocent expression, she felt a little distressed.
"Xu Chi, when did you leave the tribe?" she asked softly.
Xu Chi gestured to his chest. "When I was this tall, my father told me to leave and never look back. I couldn't stay in the tribe any longer—I couldn't transform or fight."
At this point, he slightly lowered his head. His voice remained cold and clear. "I've always avoided other orcs. I hunted wild beasts every day to increase my combat strength… Maybe I'm ignorant of many things. Does Si Shuo dislike me?"
Si Shuo slowly stepped forward and tugged at his clothes. As expected, she felt the tension in his muscles. She pursed her lips and smiled gently, then wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.
Xu Chi stood frozen. His hands wanted to follow instinct and embrace her back, just like she did—but he didn't dare. He was afraid he might hurt her.
Si Shuo chuckled and said, "Silly Xu Chi, it's not that you really want to eat me—it's that your body really likes me."
"You want to get close to me, kiss me, hug me, lift me up."
Xu Chi's hand trembled slightly. Slowly, he reached around her waist. He gave in to his desire, pulling her against him to feel the soft warmth of the little female in his arms.
He kissed her forehead reverently, greedily breathing in her scent, and for the first time felt an overwhelming sense of happiness.
Xu Chi buried his head in the crook of her neck. "Si Shuo... Si Shuo…"
Si Shuo gently stroked his back, lips curved in a smile. "I'm here. Xu Chi won't be alone anymore. Wherever I go, I'll bring you with me, okay?"
"Let's go to the Central Continent and see how beastmen live there. Even though you're all strong and could support me through hunting…"
"We can live even better—we can farm, raise livestock, open a shop…"
Xu Chi nodded without hesitation. "Okay. Wherever Si Shuo goes, I'll follow!"
---
The crowned eagle beastman had his own plans. When he took Si Shuo away from the Rune Tribe, he deliberately chose routes with difficult terrain—mountains, lakes, deserts, forests, swamps.
But once the crowned eagle beastman flew, he moved fast and unhindered. Within just three or four beast hours, he could travel far distances.
Meanwhile, Zhile was off hunting deep in the Dongye Forest. It would take four or five days at least for him to return.
Si Shuo went out with the other females to gather food.
The weather was slightly dry here, and the vegetation sparse. Still, there were many drought-resistant root crops—potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, even corn!
Si Shuo excitedly collected a large amount, and Xu Chi even built a small shed next to their shack for storage.
Each crop was larger than the varieties she remembered from her past life. Because they were wild and genetically diverse, some of them were so rich and flavorful, they seemed artificially cultivated.
Staring at the growing stockpile of food, Si Shuo couldn't help sighing. "I really want to take all of this with me."
Xu Chi glanced at her and quietly placed an object in her hand.
Si Shuo looked at the light blue bead, strung with silver animal tendons. She chuckled and hung it around her neck. "What's this?"
"It's a Xumi space," Xu Chi explained. "It's refined from crystal stones after a tribesman's death. The internal space size depends on the strength of the person it came from."
"Mine is from my grandfather. Si Shuo's bead is from my grandmother."
"Grandma will protect Si Shuo!" he said, showing her the black bead around his own neck.
Si Shuo was stunned. She quickly pulled him into the shack. "A space treasure? That means I can store all the food outside in here?!"
Xu Chi nodded. With a flip of his hand, a large animal skin bag appeared. The crisp sound from inside was familiar to Si Shuo.
"This is the dowry my father told me to save."
Si Shuo opened the bag—it was full of crystal cores! Most were level six and above, and some even reached level ten. There were quite a few.
Her beast husbands really were more generous than one another…
"I absorbed the low-level ones myself—they weren't worth showing. Once my power grows, I'll hunt stronger beasts for Si Shuo!"
"Xu Chi… Are you really only level three?"
Xu Chi leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Once I become your beast husband and fully transform, you'll see it for yourself."
Si Shuo's ears tingled. She rubbed his chin with her forehead and laughed, "So Xu Chi has lots of secrets… No wonder your father told you not to transform casually."
If others knew Xu Chi could refine space… the entire tribe would probably come to capture him.
Xu Chi hugged her, his cold eyes softening. "Yes, I have many secrets. I only want to share them with Si Shuo."
Si Shuo looked up, wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled him closer, and gently touched his nose. She felt his body tremble again.
She laughed. "Xu Chi, are you ready? I'm really going to eat you!"
She felt like the big bad wolf trying to coax a gullible child.
And yet—this silly child took her seriously.
Xu Chi's expression turned solemn. He closed his eyes, his breath slightly unstable. His voice was firm but reluctant: "Si Shuo is weak. Eat me to replenish your strength."
That only made Si Shuo want to tease him more. She gently brushed his eyebrows. "But Xu Chi, aren't you afraid of pain? Before I eat you, do you want to say anything?"
"I'm not afraid of pain. I just haven't spent enough time with Si Shuo. Can you wait a few more days to eat me? Don't you want to see my beast form?"
Xu Chi opened his eyes—clear, serious, pleading.
Si Shuo's heart softened. She kissed him. "No."
Xu Chi said nothing. He looked at her with helpless affection, letting her continue to tease him.
Gradually, his clear eyes grew hazy. His breathing quickened, and a strange heat surged through him. When Si Shuo deepened the kiss, the last thread of restraint snapped—he took the initiative and started learning how to kiss her back.
Si Shuo was dazed from the intensity. When she was nearly out of breath, she gently hit him.
Xu Chi snapped back to himself and quickly let go. His pale cheeks were flushed, and he stood there awkwardly. He was even more embarrassed than her!
This male was more shy than she was—how could she feel shy now?
She playfully lifted his chin with her finger, narrowed her eyes, and asked with a chuckle, "Did you enjoy the appetizer before getting eaten?"
Xu Chi stared longingly at her lips and nodded honestly, "I liked it. I want more."
Si Shuo burst into laughter and threw herself into his arms. "Xu Chi, how can you be so adorable? You believe everything I say? What do I do—I think I like you more and more…"
Xu Chi hugged her tightly and looked into her smiling face. In his cold eyes, a soft light flickered. "I like Si Shuo too… more and more."
---
Suddenly, a loud "cackle" sounded from the sky. Xu Chi's expression changed. His arms tightened protectively around Si Shuo.
The orcs heard the commotion and came out of their huts—just in time to see a young man in a black robe sitting atop a white-fronted goose beastman.