Lei Xiao watched her hopping up and down, then simply pulled her forward through the crowd.
Many of the males who were pushed aside instinctively wanted to get angry, but when they turned and saw it was Lei Xiao, they unconsciously stepped aside.
Thanks to Lei Xiao, Yun Jiao ended up standing right at the front, in the prime spot, with a perfectly clear view.
On the stage were both males and females. Thirteen females wearing flower crowns stood shyly, their beautiful eyes occasionally sweeping over the crowd below.
Yun Jiao immediately spotted Guo Guo in the front row. Today she looked very clean, her hair specially washed, cascading behind her like a white waterfall. Her flower crown was colorful, and her round little face beamed with dimples when she smiled. For a pig-tribe female to be this cute—it was quite rare.
Guo Guo also noticed Yun Jiao and grinned at her.
Yun Jiao smiled back and clenched her fist in encouragement.
Guo Guo gave a barely noticeable nod, straightened her back, and radiated confidence.
Lei Xiao muttered sourly: “You’ve been pretty close with her lately. Weren’t you two not in contact before?”
That wasn’t me, it was the original host. She disdained interacting with the tribe’s females, thinking they were ugly. Of course, Yun Jiao couldn’t say that out loud.
Yun Jiao replied: “Well, you didn’t interact with me before either!”
Lei Xiao choked on that, then muttered under his breath: “Back then, your eyes were on top of your head. When you saw me, it was like looking at something filthy. Even if I wanted to interact with you, you wouldn’t have agreed!”
“….” Another giant pot of blame dropped squarely on her head.
Yun Jiao smiled: “The past is the past. Now is now. Don’t use the past to judge the present.”
Lei Xiao rolled his eyes and ignored her. He wasn’t fooled—he knew that in the past, Yun Jiao had simply looked down on him as a cold-blooded orc. It didn’t matter—he had experienced this kind of thing too many times since childhood and was already used to it.
As the sky darkened, more and more orcs gathered below the stage. The males without mates all had eyes glowing green, hoping to become the First Beast Husband of one of the females on stage.
Just then, a voice called out: “Yun Jiao, you came too?”
Yun Jiao turned her head—it was Bai Wei and Shi Yi.
Bai Wei nestled in Shi Yi’s arms, smiling sweetly at her, though Yun Jiao clearly caught the flash of disdain in her eyes.
Yun Jiao glanced once and then looked away, not wanting to engage.
Life was already hard enough—why bother with female rivalry?
But seeing Yun Jiao ignore her, Bai Wei immediately acted aggrieved: “Yun Jiao, why won’t you talk to me? Are you still upset that Shi Yi chose me?”
Shi Yi looked at Yun Jiao with disgust, then gently comforted Bai Wei: “Don’t mind her. I’m your mate, I only love you.”
“But ever since I bonded with you, Yun Jiao hasn’t spoken to me for a whole year.” Bai Wei stepped forward, pitifully grabbing Yun Jiao’s hand: “Yun Jiao, I never wanted to steal Shi Yi from you. But you’re a useless female—Shi Yi can’t give up having offspring for your sake. Please don’t be angry with me, alright?”
“….” What kind of nonsense was this?
Yun Jiao pulled her hand back, wiped it on her beast-skin skirt, and looked at her speechlessly: “I’ll say it again—I don’t like Shi Yi anymore, and I’m not angry with you. Could you just stay away from me? Thanks.”
Bai Wei looked on the verge of tears: “You’re lying. If you weren’t angry, why would you want me to stay away?”
Shi Yi pulled Bai Wei back, his eyes full of tenderness: “Don’t mind her. She’s just a useless female.”
“But she used to be my best friend!” Bai Wei blinked, and a tear slid down her cheek.
If she were clean, the sight of a beauty in tears might have been touching. But she was filthy, her hair a tangled nest with dust and fallen leaves. The tear streak across her cheek left a mark against her grimy skin—truly an eyesore.
Shi Yi, however, seemed blind to it, cupping her dirty face tenderly with his dusty hands: “She’s just a useless female, not even worthy of being called a woman. She doesn’t deserve to be your friend. Don’t be sad for her—she’s not worth it!”
“….” Damn, this was really too much!
Yun Jiao took a deep breath and said seriously: “Talk if you want to talk, but why resort to personal attacks? I told you to stay away simply because you’re too dirty—the stench when you come near almost makes me faint.”
“Even without a mirror, couldn’t you have Shi Yi pee in a puddle so you could see yourself? Look at your hair, your body, and that unidentified fluid between your legs—it’s dried up and you still don’t bother to wash.”
“Now look at me—clean from head to toe, my hair fragrant. Do you think I’d be happy letting your filthy hands touch me?”
Bai Wei’s eyes widened: “You think I’m dirty?”
“You see? When I tell the truth, you don’t like it. When I don’t, you insist I like that filthy lion beside you, who’s just as dirty. What exactly do you want from me?”
“You… you…” Bai Wei was so angry she couldn’t speak.
In this primitive world, there weren’t many words to curse with—certainly not like Yun Jiao, who insulted without using vulgar language.
Bai Wei cried, truly cried: “How could you say that to me?”
“Don’t cry, don’t cry.” Shi Yi was distressed, his gaze toward Yun Jiao filled with growing disgust: “So what if you’re clean? You’re still a useless female. A female who can’t bear offspring—what use is that?”
“Yes, yes, your Bai Wei can give birth. But tell me—after a whole year of being bonded, why haven’t you had any children yet? Don’t want them?”
Yun Jiao knew exactly how to strike where it hurt.
Bai Wei’s face went pale!
Shi Yi’s face darkened: “You’re looking for death!”
Seeing him about to charge forward, Lei Xiao placed a hand on Yun Jiao’s shoulder and looked coldly at Shi Yi.
Shi Yi’s face grew even darker, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked: “Lei Xiao, she’s just a useless female—don’t tell me you actually fancy her?”
Lei Xiao sneered: “None of your damn business. Take your mate and get lost, or I won’t be polite.”
“Fine, you win. Weiwei, let’s go. Don’t bother with these two cripples!” Shi Yi pulled Bai Wei close, shot Yun Jiao a vicious glare, and left for the other side.
Yun Jiao lifted her eyes to look at Lei Xiao, then silently stared at the hand resting on her shoulder.
Lei Xiao pulled his hand back as if burned, his expression a little unnatural: “You’re my friend. I said I would protect you.”
“I know, thank you!” Yun Jiao’s eyes rolled thoughtfully, already considering the possibility of making Lei Xiao her meal partner.
Night had fully fallen, and soft moonlight poured down. The moon in this world was round, large, and bright. Even females with poor eyesight could see clearly at night—let alone the males, whose vision was excellent.
Amid the eager calls of the males, the shaman appeared, leaning on her cane and trembling slightly as she walked forward.
“Thank you all for coming to our Mountain Tribe’s coming-of-age festival. This year, our tribe has thirteen females reaching adulthood. They are…”
The shaman introduced each female’s tribe one by one. After finishing the introductions, she concluded her opening remarks and began communicating with the Beast God.
Yun Jiao didn’t know if the other orcs understood, but she certainly didn’t.
It was, how to put it, like watching someone perform a shamanic ritual dance.