“I said I wanted freshly picked Red Thorn Fruits!
What is this trash you brought me?”
Before even reaching the entrance of Ruan Ning’s cave, furious shouting echoed from inside, followed closely by the CRASH of shattering pottery.
It seemed her older sister was in a foul mood.
Ruan Fu paused at the entrance.
A moment later, two females who usually hung around Ruan Ning rushed out, covering their faces.
Wet tear tracks stained their cheeks.
They clearly froze upon seeing her, then quickly lowered their heads and hurried away.
Suppressing the urge to let her lips curl into a smile, Ruan Fu took a deep breath and stepped into Ruan Ning’s cave.
The floor was a disaster zone, littered with the broken remains of various containers she had smashed.
Her injured leg, wrapped in Moonlight Vine bandages, was elevated in a sling.
Hearing the noise, Ruan Ning turned her head.
Her expression immediately soured the moment she saw Ruan Fu.
Grabbing a cushion, she hurled it straight at her.
“Who told you to come here?
Get out!”
Ruan Fu dodged to the side, completely unbothered.
She quietly picked up the surviving intact utensils, placed them on the table, and then returned the thrown cushion to the bed.
“Calm down, Ruan Ning.
You really need to focus on your recovery right now.”
Ruan Fu spoke slowly, playing the part of a deeply concerned sibling to perfection, but this only fueled the fire in Ruan Ning’s chest.
In the Tianbei Continent, she had always been the center of attention.
There was an endless parade of males vying for her favor.
Yet, ever since Ruan Fu arrived, her spotlight had dimmed.
It was bad enough that Chief Nian and An Bei were constantly orbiting her, but even Xuan Ling treated her differently.
He had even flat-out rejected Ruan Ning’s advances.
She scrutinized Ruan Fu.
Only now did she realize that this formerly timid and introverted girl had changed.
Although she still wore that same pitiful, aggrieved expression, her eyes were exceptionally bright.
It was as if they held hidden hooks, constantly reeling people in.
Ruan Ning looked away, her hands balling into fists so tight her fingernails dug crescent moon indents into her skin.
“You cheap slut,” she muttered under her breath.
Ruan Fu paid it no mind, simply brushing some stray shards off a chair before settling down comfortably.
“Why so angry, Ruan Ning?
Did you not have a pleasant time alone with Xuan Ling?”
“You have the nerve to ask?” Ruan Ning slammed her palm against the bedframe, then pointed an accusing finger at her.
“What exactly happened between you and Xuan Ling?”
“Why would you ask that?
Haven’t you seen every single interaction I’ve ever had with Xuan Ling?
Or could it be that after I fell off the cliff—”
Ruan Fu shot her a meaningful look.
Instantly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Ruan Ning raised her voice.
“Nothing happened!
I accidentally got hurt not long after you fell, and Xuan Ling brought me back.” She paused, looking her up and down.
“Speaking of which, how did you even make it back after falling off a cliff?”
“I was quite lucky.
There was a hot spring near where I landed, so I went in for a soak.
Surprisingly, my wounds healed entirely on their own.
After resting, I found my way back.” Ruan Fu flashed a bright smile and blinked innocently.
“Don’t you think I have the best luck, Ruan Ning?”
Ruan Ning’s face stiffened.
A hot spring capable of healing wounds completely?
That could only be the White Tiger Clan’s forbidden territory.
She never expected this wretched girl to be so fortunate as to stumble into their forbidden grounds by accident.
If so, didn’t that mean…
Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the animal skin blanket.
“Did you run into any other males while you were there?” she asked, her voice hoarse.
Ruan Fu shook her head, asking in feigned confusion, “Why do you ask?”
“No reason.”
Ruan Ning let out a long sigh of relief.
Thank goodness she hadn’t crossed paths with Lei Jie, the mysteriously rumored Young Master of the Tiger Clan.
Yet, she still felt a bitter knot in her stomach.
If she had been the one to fall off that cliff, all these miraculous encounters would have been hers, instead of being stolen by Ruan Fu.
Staring at her sister, dark thoughts took root and began to spread.
She thought how perfect it would be if Ruan Fu simply didn’t exist.
Then, she would remain the most dazzling female in the clan.
She only hated herself for letting such a perfect opportunity slip by, allowing Ruan Fu to return completely unscathed.
Suddenly, Ruan Ning’s pupils dilated.
She spotted a faint red mark on Ruan Fu’s neck.
Since she hadn’t heard any news of An Bei visiting, there was only one logical conclusion: An Bei hadn’t left that mark.
Ruan Fu was actually sneaking around with another male.
If she were a fertile female, it would be perfectly acceptable for her to have multiple Beast Husbands.
But she wasn’t.
There was no way An Bei would tolerate being cuckolded by a barren mate.
As if she could already picture Ruan Fu being dragged into the Female Caves to be tortured, a rare, genuine smile crept onto Ruan Ning’s face.
Ruan Fu, naturally, noticed her intense gaze.
Feigning a hint of awkwardness, she reached back and swept her hair forward, instantly concealing her neck.
She looked up, fluttering her eyelashes.
“Is there something on my face, Ruan Ning?”
Ruan Ning shook her head, secretly rejoicing that she now held a monumental piece of blackmail.
Leaning back against the headboard, she let out a lazy yawn.
“I’m tired.
I want to rest.”
“Alright, then I won’t disturb you any longer.”
As Ruan Fu exited Ruan Ning’s cave, the Moonlight Vines hanging from the rock walls suddenly swayed without a breeze.
Two guards blocked her path, the Fierce Beast skulls at their waists knocking together with a CLACK—the unique insignia of the Lu’er Guards.
The Clan Leader’s cave reeked of the pungent, bitter scent of aged medicinal liquor.
Seeing Ruan Fu enter, Lu’er, who rarely ever showed her a pleasant face, offered a rare smile and eagerly ushered her to take a seat.
“Sit,” he said, sliding a frost-covered bowl of Red Thorn Fruits toward her.
Timidly clutching the hem of her animal-skin skirt, Ruan Fu looked appropriately flattered and overwhelmed.
“What did you need to see me for, Father?”
Lu’er set down his teacup.
His eyes roamed over her face, his brow furrowing slightly.
He had known ever since An Rui first snuck into the tribe in his true beast form.
Far from stopping him, Lu’er had actually reduced the guards around Ruan Fu’s cave.
To him, the more males that took an interest in her, the better.
He just couldn’t figure out where a barren female got such incredible allure.
But seeing as Chief Nian had also fallen head over heels for her, he was forced to view this “useless” daughter of his in a whole new light.
He cleared his throat.
“In two days, we have our scheduled trade with the Fox Clan.
You’ve seen your sister’s condition, so I want you to go in her place.”
Ruan Fu froze.
In the original novel, this task had always belonged to Ruan Ning.
For it to suddenly fall on her shoulders meant Lu’er likely had ulterior motives.
She lowered her eyes, hesitating for a long time before speaking.
“Father, I’m afraid I’ll mess this up.
Wouldn’t it be better to find one of the other girls in the clan?
Perhaps—”
Watching her cower, Lu’er let out a cold snort.
“Is there another Holy Female besides you?
“Ruan Fu, you lack fertility.
You need to work twice as hard to capture the hearts of as many strong males as possible, lest you end up discarded and thrown into the Female Caves.
This is the perfect opportunity for you.”
Ruan Fu nodded, pretending to take his words to heart.
“I understand.”
Lu’er stood up and walked over, abruptly pinching her chin.
His calloused fingertips rubbed against her skin, causing Ruan Fu to frown in discomfort.
Fortunately, he released her a moment later.
“Later, I’ll have someone bring you some new clothes made from fresh animal skins, along with some accessories.
Make sure you wear them for the trade.
“Don’t forget, you will be representing our Rabbit Clan.”