Yun Jiao quickly looked toward the crowd for Lei Xiao, but he was no longer standing where he had been. Anxious, she scanned the sea of heads, hoping to spot that familiar figure. Suddenly, her eyes lit up—she saw him walking away. His head was bowed, his hair swaying gently in the wind, his arms hanging weakly at his sides. His back looked somewhat defeated, a stark contrast to the other beasts who were brimming with energy, desperate for Yun Jiao’s attention.
For some reason, seeing Lei Xiao like that made Yun Jiao’s eyes sting.
She knew—Lei Xiao always acted arrogant, as if nothing mattered to him, but deep down, he was insecure. Because he was a cold-blooded beast, no female ever wanted him. He never realized how good he truly was.
If it was Lei Xiao… if it was Lei Xiao, Yun Jiao felt she could accept it!
“Lei Xiao!” Yun Jiao shouted his name loudly.
The figure stopped, slowly turned, and looked at her in confusion. He didn’t seem to understand why Yun Jiao was calling him at this moment.
Lei Xiao truly didn’t understand.
Yun Jiao was a Sacred Female—countless males would be willing to be her First Beast Husband. She didn’t need him anymore, did she?
But Yun Jiao smiled, stretched out her hand toward him, and though her voice wasn’t loud, it carried clearly to every beast present. She said, “Lei Xiao, will you be my First Beast Husband?”
Lei Xiao’s eyes widened slowly, his beautiful golden pupils trembling faintly. Was he dreaming? Why did he just hear Yun Jiao asking him to be her First Beast Husband?
Lei Xiao raised his hand and slapped himself across the face.
“Ow, that hurt!”
So it wasn’t a dream?
Yun Jiao was amused by his reaction and asked again: “Lei Xiao, are you willing to be my First Beast Husband?”
Lei Xiao’s fingers curled unconsciously, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. His long-dead heart seemed to start beating again. Though he was a cold-blooded beast, right now, he felt warm all over. He wanted to say, *I’m more than willing.* But…
Lei Xiao opened his mouth, his voice hoarse: “I’m a cold-blooded beast.”
Yun Jiao smiled: “I know!”
Lei Xiao continued: “In winter, I don’t have warm fur to keep you warm.”
Yun Jiao kept smiling: “I know!”
Lei Xiao’s eyes grew red as he went on: “I also hibernate in winter. I won’t be able to protect you all the time.”
“I know that too. You told me before—without warm fur, we can find other ways to stay warm. If you need to hibernate, I’ll stay by your side and wait until you wake up.”
After saying this, Yun Jiao asked for the third time: “So, are you willing to be my First Beast Husband?”
Lei Xiao’s inner struggle melted away under Yun Jiao’s warm smile. His whole body felt warm, and emotion spread through his heart.
Step by step, he walked up onto the stage, took her hand, and spoke the three words Yun Jiao most wanted to hear: “I am willing!”
Yun Jiao smiled and turned to the chief: “Chief, I want Lei Xiao to be my First Beast Husband.”
The chief looked troubled, but before he could speak, an untimely voice rang out: “A cold-blooded beast—how could he be worthy of a Sacred Female?”
Yun Jiao followed the sound and saw Shi Yi’s face twisted with resentment.
His words stirred up agreement among the males.
“That’s right. Cold-blooded beasts hibernate in winter—how could they take proper care of a Sacred Female?”
“Sacred Female, look at me. I’m a snow bear, the strongest warrior of the Bear Tribe. I have warm fur and don’t hibernate in winter.”
“And me—I’m the Fox Tribe’s top warrior. I’m handsome and know how to care for others. Sacred Female, choose me!”
“A cold-blooded beast taking care of a Sacred Female—what a joke! Sacred Female, choose again!”
The males chattered noisily. Lei Xiao, who had been firm before, began to waver, slowly loosening his grip on Yun Jiao’s hand.
Yun Jiao glanced at him, then firmly clasped his hand back and declared loudly: “What’s wrong with being a cold-blooded beast? Last year, when the holy light didn’t fall on me, I became a useless female. All the suitors who once surrounded me left. The male I liked turned to another female. In the tribe, I faced daily scorn and unfairness. The only ones who spoke for me were the chief, Guo Guo, and Lei Xiao.”
“Lei Xiao has always taken care of me—giving me meat to eat, driving away those who bullied me, and even cheering me up when I was down.”
“To you, bonding may mean something else. I don’t know, and I don’t care. But to me, bonding means love and responsibility.”
“When I was at my most desperate, Lei Xiao stayed by my side unwaveringly, giving me the greatest tolerance and love. He is the one I, Yun Jiao, recognize as my First Beast Husband!”
The crowd fell silent.
The beasts of the Mountain Tribe all looked uneasy. Those suitors Yun Jiao had mentioned lowered their heads in unison, hearts full of regret.
The one with the most complicated feelings was Shi Yi. How had Yun Jiao become a Sacred Female? If he had known earlier, he wouldn’t have minded waiting—not just a year, but many years.
Bai Wei noticed his expression, her face turning ugly. When she looked at Yun Jiao again, her eyes were filled with venom.
Seeing no one object further, Yun Jiao turned to the chief: “Chief, I only want Lei Xiao as my First Beast Husband.”
When she said “only want,” she emphasized the words.
“Good, good, as long as you’ve decided!” The chief saw her determination and said no more: “Go wait aside. Once the other females finish choosing their First Beast Husbands, the shaman will hold the bonding ceremony for all of you together.”
“Thank you, Chief. Thank you, Shaman!”
Yun Jiao pulled Lei Xiao aside to wait, then shot him a glare: “You act so arrogant usually—why are you chickening out now?”
“I wasn’t!” Lei Xiao awkwardly turned his gaze away, his ears tinged red:
“If you regret it now, it’s still not too late. Once the bonding ceremony is held, regret won’t change anything.”
Yun Jiao raised her brows, deliberately teasing him: “Do you not like me? Why do you keep saying things like that? If you don’t like me, if you don’t want to be my First Beast Husband, then I’ll just…”
“I don’t!” Lei Xiao cut her off. Whatever thought crossed his mind made his expression dim: “I just never imagined you’d choose me—a cold-blooded beast—as your First Beast Husband. And you’re a Sacred Female, this is something I never even dared to dream of.”
“Sacred Females are still beast, not gods. Why shouldn’t they have the right to choose the male they like?” Yun Jiao’s cheeks flushed as she leaned close to his ear and whispered four words before quickly straightening up again.
Lei Xiao froze, then broke into a silly grin, happiness practically radiating from him. What Yun Jiao had whispered was—*I like you.*
…
Soon, all the adult females had chosen their First Beast Husbands.
Guo Guo and A Xue, being excellent females, were in high demand. Many males, realizing they had no chance with Yun Jiao, turned their attention to them.
In the end, A Xue chose a male from the Tiger Tribe as her First Beast Husband.
Guo Guo chose a Fox Tribe male—the son of the Fox Tribe’s chief.