Chapter 10: Bathing Under Male Scrutiny

Li Yue blinked, looking at Si Qi with utter confusion. "Didn't you say we'd go hunting at the rest stop tonight?"

Si Qi was momentarily speechless, his amber eyes filled with suspicion. Is she truly naive, or is she deliberately pretending not to understand?

He took a deep breath, his tone laced with mockery. "Hunting at night is no easy feat. We'll likely encounter high-level beasts, and whether we catch anything depends entirely on luck. If we fail, you won't have meat for tonight, nor for breakfast or lunch tomorrow."

Li Yue knew that females in the Beast World were partial to meat, insisting on having it at every meal. But she had no particular craving for it herself, finding wild fruits or other foods perfectly acceptable. Besides, she had a stash of stolen meat hidden in her space, so she wasn't afraid of going hungry.

She couldn't help but retort, "If you're saying there's a chance we won't catch anything tonight, are you planning to starve while we travel if I don't share my meat?"

The beast husbands heard her words, and their eyes widened in shock. What is she up to? Why would she risk going hungry herself to share all her meat with us?

Seeing they still wouldn't move, Li Yue frowned even tighter, her voice tinged with anxiety.

"If you don't eat the meat, our travel speed will definitely slow down! I need to see Father as soon as possible. Every day we delay increases the danger. So eat the meat quickly and let's not waste any time!"

She paused, observing the beast husbands' still tense faces, and added, "Even if you don't hunt anything tonight, it's fine. I can eat wild fruits and won't go hungry."

The moment she finished speaking, the stream bank fell completely silent.

The beast husbands exchanged glances, their eyes filled with shock.

So, she was willing to eat wild fruit herself, to keep them from slowing down their journey, to share the meat with them?

You Lie leaned against a tree trunk, his crimson eyes fixed on Li Yue, as if trying to detect some trace of "scheming" in her expression.

But her gaze was earnest, without a trace of pretense. In fact, it carried a genuine anxiety, as if she were about to panic if they didn't eat soon—hardly the look of someone playing tricks.

Jin Ye's ice-blue eyes held a hint of confusion. He instinctively touched his stomach. The wild fruits he'd eaten that morning had long since been digested, and he was indeed ravenously hungry. Yet he still didn't dare move.

He feared this was another of Li Yue's tricks. Once they'd finished the meat, she'd whip out her whip and declare, "You've eaten my flesh—you must be punished with a whipping from this salt-soaked whip."

Lanxi sat by the wooden tub, his tail gently slapping the water's surface, his eyes churning with emotion. He remembered the tears welling in her eyes when he'd gripped her neck last night, and now he saw her willingly eating wild berries to save them the trouble of traveling. A sudden, inexplicable feeling surged within him.

"Stop staring. If you don't eat, I will," Chi Yu finally broke the silence, picking up a piece of dried beast meat and taking a bite.

With Chi Yu leading the way, the other beast husbands quickly came over and divided the remaining meat. They kept glancing at Li Yue as they ate, but seeing no particular expression on her face, they began eating quietly.

Seeing them finally start eating, Li Yue felt a wave of relief. Then, remembering something, she pointed to the salt jar beside Lanxi. "Oh, and don't forget to salt your meat. Traveling will make you sweat, and without salt, you'll lose energy. The salt Lanxi made will be perfect for this."

At these words, the beast husbands froze again.

Had she even thought about their salt intake?

Before, Li Yue had only used salt as a tool to torment them, like pouring saltwater on their wounds. Now, she was reminding them to sprinkle it on their meat to replenish their strength?

Lanxi gazed at Li Yue's serious profile, silently picked up the salt jar, and sprinkled some onto the meat in Si Qi's hand.

Whether Li Yue was doing this to speed up their journey or had ulterior motives, the males hadn't eaten a proper meal in far too long.

You Lie was the first to grab a piece of salted dried meat. His crimson eyes swept over Li Yue as he said, his voice still devoid of warmth, "Eat. We'll set off again as soon as we're done."

With his words, the other beast husbands also sprinkled salt on their meat and began devouring it ravenously.

Jin Ye ate the most savagely, cramming a large chunk of raw meat into his mouth and chewing with a look of pure satisfaction.

Si Qi ate more refinedly, but he was no less ravenous. The exhaustion from traveling on an empty stomach had made him famished.

Chi Yu, even as he ate, kept sprinkling salt on the fresh meat by the fire, as if planning to roast another piece after finishing his.

Lanxi sat in the wooden barrel, nibbling on his meat in small bites. The salt's salty flavor gave the bland raw meat a hint of savoriness. He subconsciously raised his eyes and glanced at Li Yue again.

Watching the males eat with such gusto, Li Yue almost blurted out, "Roasting the meat would make it taste even better." But she swallowed the words.

Roasting would take time, and the most urgent task was to keep moving. She couldn't afford to be delayed by such a trivial matter. Besides, males in the Beast World were accustomed to eating raw meat. Perhaps they actually preferred it that way?

She shifted her attention away from the males and focused on the small river flowing nearby. The water was crystal clear, and sunlight shimmering on its surface cast tiny golden glints. Even the pebbles at the bottom were clearly visible.

She had to admit, the environment in the Beast World was truly pristine. Not a trace of pollution—any small river was clean enough to drink directly from.

Yet, gazing at the clear water, Li Yue suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of discomfort. The original host had never liked bathing much, and after the long, bumpy journey, she was covered in sweat. The animal hide skirt clung to her skin, stifling and itchy. Seeing the river, all she wanted was to jump in and wash herself.

She glanced at Si Qi, who was closest to her. He was hunched over, gnawing on meat, his profile looking particularly noble in the sunlight.

After a moment's hesitation, Li Yue softly asked, "Si Qi, may I go down to bathe?"

As soon as she spoke, the beast husbands eating meat froze in unison, all raising their heads to look at her; even their chewing stopped.

Li Yue was baffled by their reaction. What's wrong with these males?

Why do they all stop what they're doing and stare at me every time I open my mouth?

She had no idea that a storm of shock was raging in their hearts.

Li Yue had never once asked to bathe!

When her Father was alive, he would forcibly carry her to the river, and she would cry and tantrum, complaining that the water was cold and the stones were rough.

After her Father was gone, none of them—the beast husbands who had been forcibly Contracted—dared to suggest she bathe.

They were terrified of accidentally bringing her bad luck again.

But what shocked them even more was that she hadn't gone straight into the river. Instead, she'd asked Si Qi for his opinion.

The meat in Si Qi's hand nearly dropped to the ground. He looked up, his amber eyes wide with disbelief. "You... want to bathe?"

Li Yue nodded and pointed to the river. "Yeah, I'm all sticky. A quick wash will feel much better, and it won't delay our journey. I'll be done in no time."

You Lie set down the meat in his hand, his dark crimson eyes fixed on the river. His voice carried a note of caution. "The river might be dangerous. I'll go with you."

This had nothing to do with his hatred for Li Yue. It was because the Contract Beast Seal on their bodies prevented her from encountering danger.

Li Yue waved her hand. "You guys eat first. I'll wash up after you're done."

The beast husbands exchanged glances and quickly finished the meat in their hands.

It had to be said, the males of the Beast World had truly voracious appetites. They devoured the entire bag of beast meat in such a short time.

Only after seeing them all finish eating and stand up did Li Yue approach the riverbank.

But with five pairs of eyes staring intently at her, her face couldn't help but flush red.

Though she knew they despised her and had no interest in her, and she was determined to terminate their contract, she still couldn't help but blush under their gaze as they watched her undress.

"Could you... turn around? Don't watch me undress?"