She doesn't actually intend to find a beast-mate among the Deer Tribe, does she?

Jin Ye finished the last drop of fruit juice, only then realizing with a start that he had consumed all of Li Yue’s remaining portion!

His icy blue eyes turned flustered in an instant, and the red flush from his earlobes spread to his cheeks, making his voice stutter slightly.

"I—I'm sorry! I didn't mean to… I wasn't paying attention and just drank it all. Tomorrow! Tomorrow I will definitely go pick lots of honey berries and press a whole jar of juice for you, even sweeter than this one!"

Li Yue had already drank half a jar and was plenty full, so she waved a hand dismissively: "It’s fine, I’m already full. No need to go through the trouble."

She’d rather not have the villain making her juice; otherwise, he’d just end up pricking his finger again, and that certainly didn't look painless.

Si Qi, sitting to the side, watched as Li Yue showed no sign of anger, a flash of surprise crossing his amber eyes.

In the past, even if the roasted meat had just gone slightly cold, she would have thrown a temper tantrum, let alone having her juice finished by someone else. Yet now, she wasn't angry that Jin Ye had downed it all?

He shifted his body quietly, moving a little closer to Li Yue, his gaze lingering on the empty clay jar in her hands. He began to wonder if he should go pick some honey berries himself tomorrow.

You Lie’s expression, however, grew even darker, his deep red eyes filled with gloom.

Does she really like Jin Ye that much?

He had merely wanted to fetch her a cup of water and was rebuffed, yet when Jin Ye drank all of her juice, she smiled and said it was fine.

He tightened his grip on his fingers, the violent factors of his mating season surging wildly within him…

Lan Xi’s violet eyes held a hint of scrutiny, though his expression remained unreadable.

Chi Yu frowned slightly, his pale green eyes filled with confusion.

What on earth is she thinking? Why is she acting so strangely?

Not far away, several male Deer-kin were sneaking glances at them. Seeing Li Yue let Jin Ye drink her juice and not even get angry when it was finished, their eyes were full of envy.

"If only I could have a female master like that. It’s not like the females in our tribe, who hit and scold us at the slightest sign of poor service," one male muttered softly.

Another sighed: "Forget it. Didn't you see Shi Yong and the others get rejected? The beast-husbands by her side are protective; we don't stand a chance."

Li Yue didn't notice the surrounding attention; she was busy curiously observing the females of the tribe.

The original host was raised by wandering beasts and had never lived in a tribe, so she had never seen other females. Now that she had finally arrived at someone else’s tribe, Li Yue certainly wanted to see what the females of the beast world were like.

Nearby, a female Deer-kin was surrounded by over a dozen males. The moment her roasted meat turned slightly cold, she threw it on the ground and threw a tantrum at the males beside her.

"How am I supposed to eat meat this cold? Go roast me another piece! If you can't get it right again, I’m throwing away your beast skins!"

The male beside her wasn't angry in the slightest; instead, he hurried off, obediently, to roast more meat.

Li Yue was dumbfounded. So, the females of the beast world were all this spoiled?

The original host might have been a bit tyrannical, but she wasn't an isolated case, she realized, breathing a quiet sigh of relief.

Fortunately, she had transmigrated at a timely moment; the original host hadn't yet abused the villains to the point of gouging out their beast marks. As long as she didn't mistreat the villains on this journey and managed to sever the contracts after finding her father, she could peacefully enjoy a wonderful life in the beast world.

She cast another surreptitious glance at the male Deer-kin. She had to admit that the young males in the beast world were quite handsome, but compared to the villains by her side, they still fell short.

She had to acknowledge that her father had excellent taste. If the original host hadn't already thoroughly offended the villains before she arrived, she might have even considered keeping them.

The way Li Yue peeked at the male Deer-kin did not escape the eyes of her beast-husbands.

They all furrowed their brows—was she truly considering finding a beast-husband within the Deer tribe?

As Li Yue’s gaze swept over the males, she happened to lock eyes with Qing Ze, who was nearby.

Qing Ze had been secretly watching her all along. Now, as their eyes met, his heart felt as if it had been struck by something, skipping a beat.

Was she looking at him?

Did that mean he still had a chance?

Qing Ze stood up abruptly, his footsteps hurried as he walked toward Li Yue.

Meanwhile, Li Yue had seen enough of the tribe females' pampered behavior. Thinking about the journey ahead tomorrow morning, and with her dinner and juice finished, she turned to Si Qi: "Let's go back. We have to wake up early tomorrow."

At these words, the expressions of the beast-husbands softened noticeably.

You Lie, in particular, let out a slow breath, his tense shoulders relaxing, the gloom in his deep red eyes fading.

Jin Ye immediately began packing up the empty clay jars around Li Yue, moving with swift efficiency.

They all rose to their feet, clearly having no intention of lingering at the bonfire party.

Just as they turned to leave, Qing Ze hurried over. Seeing them all standing, the urgency on his face faltered, and he asked in confusion: "Are you… leaving?"

Li Yue knew Qing Ze was the chieftain’s son, so she nodded in thanks: "Yes, thank you to the chieftain and the tribe for your hospitality. We have to be on our way early tomorrow morning, so we’ll head back to rest."

Qing Ze froze, a wave of disappointment washing over him. He hadn't found a chance to speak more with her; how could she be leaving already?

He hurriedly took a step forward, wanting to say something else, but was blocked by Jin Ye.

Jin Ye’s eyes were guarded, his tone cold: "Is there something else?"

At the same time, Si Qi naturally leaned down and picked Li Yue up again, his movements gentle yet carrying an unquestionable sense of protection.

Li Yue leaned in Si Qi’s arms, looking at Qing Ze in confusion, not understanding why he was suddenly blocking them.

Qing Ze looked at Li Yue’s calm, unruffled eyes, and the hope in his heart sank bit by bit.

There was not a hint of hesitation in her eyes; it was clear she truly did not want to stay any longer.

Yet, he still didn't want to give up. He opened his mouth, just about to confess his feelings, when he was interrupted again by Jin Ye: "Don't waste your effort. She has no plans to take on more beast-husbands at the moment. You should go."

The words were like a bucket of cold water, completely extinguishing Qing Ze’s hope.

He looked at Li Yue again, seeing she remained expressionless, neither refuting nor explaining, and knew that what Jin Ye said was true.

He clenched his hands tightly, forcing a smile onto his face, his voice carrying a subtle, raspy edge: "Then… what time are you leaving tomorrow? I’ll see you off."

Li Yue shook her head gently. "There’s no need. We’re leaving early, so we won't trouble you."

Qing Ze’s complexion paled further. His lips moved, but in the end, he said nothing more. He turned and walked away with a lonely air, his back slumped in dejection.

Li Yue watched him go, thinking to herself that Qing Ze hadn't actually confessed; perhaps he didn't mean anything by it, and Jin Ye’s sudden comment had been awfully awkward.

But then, on second thought, Jin Ye was a future villain; she didn't need to offend him over such a trivial matter. Besides, she wasn't the one feeling awkward, so if he wanted to speak, let him.

Si Qi carried Li Yue toward the wooden house, keenly sensing her brief moment of distraction. He lowered his head and asked softly: "What’s wrong? Are you unhappy?"

"No," Li Yue shook her head.

She knew very well that Si Qi’s gentle tone and his willingness to carry her were merely for the sake of dealing with the males in the tribe, a performance for outsiders, not genuine concern for her.

Seeing she didn't want to elaborate, Si Qi didn't press her, merely steadying his pace and holding her a little tighter.