010 Watched Bathing by Males

Li Yue blinked, looking at Si Qi with a puzzled expression. "Didn't you say you would go hunting once we reached a resting spot for the night?"

Si Qi was momentarily struck speechless by her words, his amber eyes filled with scrutiny. Was she truly innocent, or was she merely pretending not to understand?

He took a deep breath, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Do you think hunting at night is that easy? Most of what you encounter in the dark are high-level beasts; whether you catch anything is entirely up to luck. If we fail, you won't just go without meat tonight; you’ll have nothing for tomorrow morning or afternoon either."

Li Yue knew that females in this beast world had a preference for meat and insisted on having it at every meal. However, she had no such obsession; in fact, she found wild fruits or other foods perfectly acceptable. Besides, she had meat secretly tucked away in her spatial storage, so she had no fear of going hungry.

Li Yue couldn't help but say, "Since you said it’s possible we might not catch anything tonight, if I don't distribute this meat, do you plan to travel on empty stomachs?"

The beast-husbands were stunned upon hearing this. What exactly was she plotting? Why would she risk her own hunger just to share all her meat with them?

Seeing them remain motionless, Li Yue furrowed her brows further, her tone tinged with anxiety. "If you don't eat, your travel speed will inevitably slow down! I need to see my father as soon as possible; every day of delay brings more danger. So, eat the meat quickly and stop wasting time!"

She paused, looking at the still-tense faces of her beast-husbands, and added, "Even if you don't catch anything tonight, it doesn't matter. I can eat wild fruits; I won't go hungry."

Once these words were spoken, the riverside fell into absolute silence. The beast-husbands looked at one another, their eyes full of shock. So, she was willing to eat wild fruits herself just to "avoid delaying the journey" and share the meat with them?

You Lie leaned against a tree trunk, his dark red eyes fixed on Li Yue as if trying to detect a trace of "conspiracy" on her face. Yet, her expression was sincere, devoid of any pretense, and even carried a sense of urgency—as if she would be distressed if they didn't eat—completely unlike someone playing games.

Jin Ye’s ice-blue eyes were filled with confusion. Subconsciously, he touched his stomach; the wild fruits he had eaten in the morning had long since been digested, and he was indeed starving. Yet, he still didn't dare to move. He feared this was another one of Li Yue’s tricks, and that once they finished the meat, she would pull out a whip and say, "You ate my meat, now you must be punished with a salt-soaked lash."

Lan Xi sat by the wooden barrel, his tail fin tapping the water surface, his eyes swirling with complex emotions. He recalled the tear that had welled in her eye when he gripped her throat the night before, then looked at her now, willing to eat wild fruits just to speed up their journey. A strange emotion suddenly surged within him.

"Don't just stand there. If you aren't going to eat, I will." Chi Yu finally made the first move, picking up a piece of dried meat and gnawing on it. With Chi Yu taking the lead, the other beast-husbands followed suit and divided the rest of the meat.

When they began to eat, they frequently glanced at Li Yue. Only when they saw she had no strange ulterior motives did they begin to eat in quiet.

Watching them finally eat, Li Yue felt a sense of relief. Remembering something, she pointed to the salt jar beside Lan Xi. "Oh, and don't forget to sprinkle some salt on the meat while you eat. You’ll sweat while traveling, and without salt, you’ll lose your strength. The salt Lan Xi made is perfect for this."

At this, the beast-husbands froze again. She had even thought about their need to replenish salt? In the past, Li Yue only used salt as a tool to torment them, such as pouring brine on their wounds. Now, she was actually reminding them to use it to restore their strength?

Lan Xi looked at Li Yue’s earnest profile and silently picked up the salt jar, sprinkling some onto the meat in Si Qi’s hand. Regardless of whether Li Yue was doing this for the sake of the journey or hiding some other intention, the males had indeed gone too long without a full meal.

You Lie was the first to pick up a piece of salted dried meat. His dark red eyes swept over Li Yue, his voice still devoid of warmth: "Eat. We'll head out once we're done."

With his words, the other beast-husbands sprinkled salt on their portions and began to devour the meat. Jin Ye had the most boisterous appetite, stuffing a large piece of raw meat into his mouth and chewing with visible satisfaction. Si Qi ate relatively gracefully, though he wasn't much slower, as the fatigue of traveling on an empty stomach had left him ravenous. Chi Yu ate while making sure to sprinkle salt on the fresh meat by the fire, as if planning to roast another piece once he finished the current one. Lan Xi sat in his barrel, gnawing on the meat in small bites. The savory taste of the salt added flavor to the otherwise bland raw meat, and he subconsciously glanced at Li Yue again.

Li Yue watched them enjoy the food, initially wanting to suggest that "roasting the meat makes it more flavorful," but she swallowed the words. Roasting took time, and the priority now was the journey; she couldn't let such a small matter cause a delay. Besides, the males of this world were accustomed to eating raw; perhaps they preferred it that way.

She shifted her gaze from the males to the small, babbling river nearby. The water was crystal clear, and the sunlight dancing on the surface cast flickering golden light, revealing even the pebbles at the bottom. It had to be said that the environment of the beast world was truly pristine, without a hint of pollution; even a random stream was clean enough to drink directly.

However, as she looked at the clear water, Li Yue suddenly felt uncomfortable. The original owner had never liked bathing, and with all the bumping along the road, she had sweated quite a bit. Her animal-hide skirt felt sticky against her skin, making her feel stifled and itchy. Seeing the river, she just wanted to jump in and wash up.

She glanced at Si Qi, who was closest to her. He was lowered, gnawing on his meat, his profile looking exceptionally noble in the sunlight. Li Yue hesitated for a moment before speaking softly: "Si Qi, may I go down and bathe?"

At these words, all the beast-husbands currently eating stopped in unison. They all looked up at her, their chewing ceasing entirely.

Li Yue was bewildered by their reaction. What was wrong with these males? Why did they stop everything they were doing to stare at her every time she spoke?

She had no way of knowing that a storm was raging in the hearts of these males. Li Yue had never once voluntarily asked to bathe! When her father was alive, he had to forcibly carry her to the river, and she would always cry and make a fuss, complaining that the water was cold or the stones were sharp. After her father was gone, these beast-husbands, who had been forcibly bonded to her, never dared to suggest she bathe, fearing that one wrong move would trigger her temper.

Even more shocking to them was that she hadn't just jumped into the river herself, but had asked for Si Qi’s permission.

The meat in Si Qi’s hand nearly dropped to the ground. He looked up, his amber eyes filled with disbelief. "You... want to bathe?"

Li Yue nodded and pointed to the water. "Yes, I feel too sticky. A wash would be refreshing, and it won't delay the trip. It will be very quick."

You Lie put down his meat, his dark red eyes fixed on the river, his tone guarded. "There might be danger in the water. I’ll go with you."

Li Yue waved her hand. "You all finish eating first. I’ll bathe when you're done."

The beast-husbands exchanged glances and quickly finished the meat in their hands. It had to be said that the appetites of the males in this world were truly massive; they had polished off the entire bag of beast meat in no time.

Seeing them all stand up, Li Yue headed toward the river. But feeling five pairs of eyes fixed directly on her, she couldn't help but blush. Even though she knew they loathed her and had no interest in her, and she was determined to break the bond with them, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed being watched by males while she bathed.

"Could you... turn around? Please don't watch me take off my clothes?"