Yun Jiao: “No, big brother, put me down, I’m getting dizzy being carried like this…”
Lei Xiao: “Then I’ll hold you!” He shifted to carrying her like a child, without slowing his steps.
Yun Jiao: “…” *That is not necessary, I’m a practitioner of Chinese medicine myself—my skills are far better than your shamans’.*
Guo Guo: “Eh, you’re just leaving like that?” She quickly chased after them.
The orcs stared wide-eyed as Lei Xiao carried Yun Jiao away, their eyes round as copper bells.
“Is Lei Xiao… interested in Yun Jiao?”
“Very likely, otherwise, why carry her?”
“Yun Jiao is so beautiful, it’s normal to be attracted to her.”
“Normal, yes—but Yun Jiao is a useless female. Doesn’t Lei Xiao want offspring anymore?”
Shi Yi watched Lei Xiao’s retreating back, listening to the comments, feeling sour inside. He could only mutter sarcastically: “A cold-blooded orc and a useless female—truly a match made in heaven.”
The shaman was an old fox woman, leaning on a stick, her face wrinkled. She was said to be the aunt of Bai Wei, Shi Yi’s mate. When she saw Yun Jiao, her face fell immediately—she had no desire to waste her precious herbs on this useless female. But when she looked at Guo Guo, her expression brightened, kind and gentle: “Guo Guo, why are you with her again? Tomorrow is the annual coming-of-age festival. Are you ready?”
Guo Guo tugged her over without hesitation: “Oh, nothing to prepare. Hurry and check Yun Jiao.”
The shaman gave Yun Jiao a perfunctory glance, then withdrew her gaze: “It’s nothing. Just rest for a few days.”
Lei Xiao frowned: “She coughed blood—are you sure it’s nothing?”
“I’m the shaman. If I say it’s nothing, then it’s nothing.” *And even if it were something, so what? She’s a useless female anyway—if she dies, she dies.*
Yun Jiao, seeing the shaman’s dislike and indifference, rolled her eyes inwardly: “Alright, Lei Xiao, the shaman says it’s fine. Guo Guo, thank you for today!”
She had no desire to drink the shaman’s strange, colorful Mary Sue potions anyway.
Lei Xiao, reassured, finally relented: “Fine, I’ll take you back.”
Guo Guo’s eyes lit up: “I’ll come too.”
Three days later, she smelled a fragrance she had never encountered before and followed it. To her surprise, she found Yun Jiao roasting meat over fire. Fire was a terrifying thing—the punishment of lightning sent down by the Beast God. At that time, she was terrified—she wanted to leave, but the smell was too tempting, and she couldn’t move.
Yun Jiao was generous. Seeing her staring fixedly at the meat, she gave her a few pieces to taste. With just one bite, she fell in love. Today, she made up her mind: she would overcome her fear of fire and learn from Yun Jiao how to roast meat.
Yun Jiao agreed to teach her.
But Yun Jiao’s cave had no meat, so she took some fruit to trade with Lei Xiao.
Guo Guo waited and waited in the cave, but Yun Jiao didn’t return, so she came looking for her. Who would have thought Yun Jiao would be troubled by Shi Yi? Luckily, Yun Jiao was fine, and she could continue learning how to roast meat.
However…
“Guo Guo, you stay,” the shaman said. “Tomorrow is the coming-of-age festival. I have something to tell you.”
“Ah?” Guo Guo’s chubby face fell. “Shaman, isn’t it the Beast God who decides who is a good female? What we say doesn’t matter, right?”
“I can ask the Beast God in advance for you.” With that, the shaman took out two turtle shells.
Guo Guo looked unwilling, glancing gloomily at Yun Jiao.
Yun Jiao could see that the shaman didn’t want Guo Guo to be too close to her, and she didn’t want to cause trouble. In a tribe, the shaman’s status was very high. Challenging the shaman would do her no good. If she were expelled from the tribe, as a small female hamster, she probably wouldn’t survive even a day.
“The shaman is thinking of your good. The coming-of-age festival is very important. Let’s talk after it’s over, alright?”
“…Alright!”
Since Yun Jiao said so, even though Guo Guo was unhappy, she had no choice but to agree.
At dusk, the dense forest was bathed in soft light.
Scattered rays of sunlight filtered through the mottled canopy, falling on the ground and on Yun Jiao, beautiful like a dream woven of light and shadow.
Lei Xiao quietly watched the female at his side. Her long white hair reached her waist, smooth and straight—not like the messy nests of other females. She was clean, carried a pleasant fragrance, and her delicate features were no less than those of the famously beautiful fox women.
And now she was right beside him. All he needed was a little courage to take her hand. But he was only a cold-blooded orc. Yun Jiao probably wouldn’t look at him that way.
Yun Jiao didn’t notice his disappointment. When they reached her cave, she took the meat he handed over and smiled gratefully: “Thanks to you today. If not for you, Shi Yi wouldn’t have compensated me with meat. How about I treat you to roasted meat?”
Lei Xiao replied gruffly: “That little bit of meat isn’t even enough for one bite. You keep it for yourself—you’re already too thin.”
“Alright then!” In the beast world, males in beast form were enormous—several times, even ten times larger than females—and their appetites were huge. Thinking of Lei Xiao’s beast form, this little bit of meat really wasn’t enough for him: “Then if you ever want roasted meat, come find me. I’ll cook it for you.”
“Got it.” Lei Xiao’s ears flushed red, and he turned his head awkwardly: “Tomorrow is the coming-of-age festival. Shall I go with you?”
“I won’t join the crowd. You go—there will surely be females who like you.”
“…I don’t care about that. If you’re not going, then I won’t go either. I… I’ll stay with you.”
Yun Jiao quickly said: “No need, don’t let me delay you.”
“It’s no delay. No female would look at me anyway. The coming-of-age festival is a big event in the tribe. Every orc, whether they have a mate or not, will go watch. At that time, all the orcs living nearby will be gone. If you run into danger, even if you scream yourself hoarse, no one will hear.”
“…That’s true.” In the original host’s memory, the fallen beasts loved to cause trouble during every tribe’s coming-of-age festival. Her cave was already at the edge of the tribe, with no orcs nearby. If she encountered fallen beasts, she’d have nowhere to cry for help.
But she couldn’t ruin Lei Xiao’s lifelong opportunity either! The coming-of-age festival only happened once a year—it was an important chance for Lei Xiao. What if a female took a liking to him?
Thinking of this, Yun Jiao sighed helplessly: “Alright, I’ll go with you to watch the coming-of-age festival!”
“Anywhere is fine.” As long as he was by her side, anywhere was good. The rest of his words, Lei Xiao swallowed back.
“Well then, I’ll head back. Tomorrow I’ll come pick you up.”
“Be careful on the way.”
“Mm.” Lei Xiao gave her a lingering look before finally turning to leave.
Yun Jiao returned to her cave, looked at the grass nest, and let out a long sigh. She wanted to live in a house, sleep in a bed, not in a cave, not on a grass nest. But she didn’t have the strength to build a house.
This world was truly unfair. Females had small beast forms, small appetites, and no combat ability. Males had large beast forms, huge appetites, and each one seemed like they were possessed by superhuman strength. For a female to survive, she could only rely on a male.
She was a “useless female.” Although that spared her from becoming a mere tool for reproduction like other females in this world, living alone as a female was not a long-term solution.
Leave the tribe and go outside? What a joke. She wasn’t some fierce, overpowered heroine from a novel, nor did she have a cheat-like system.
Outside the tribe, it was either wild beasts or fallen beasts—far too dangerous.
“If only I could find a meal partner.”
Lei Xiao was quite good. Hopefully, his future mate would be easy to get along with. If not, then she could go to Guo Guo.
In modern times, she had been a foodie, even earning a certificate as an intermediate chef. She could become Guo Guo’s household cook, and Guo Guo’s mate would just need to protect her when necessary.
“Mm, after tomorrow’s coming-of-age festival, I’ll ask Guo Guo. If it works out, I can live out my days in peace!”
Muttering this to herself, Yun Jiao transformed into a little white hamster and hopped into the grass nest.