Chapter 99: Two Females Competing for One Male?

Upon hearing that, Leng Xiao instantly relaxed; the female's words, revealing a possessive desire toward him, not only didn't make him uncomfortable, but actually made him quite pleased.

"Of course, if she looks for you again next time, you'll have to protect me; after all, I'm your male."

As for being harassed by other females, having to rely on one's own female to protect oneself—won't that tarnish a male's reputation?

Leng Xiao said it doesn't matter whether his face is tarnished; what's important is that his own female is willing to trust him.

If, for the sake of so‑called face, he ends up quarreling with his own female, that would truly be a loss outweighing any gain.

He also hopes that the female, upon seeing him with A Li, will have the sense to stay far away; he generally doesn't hit females, but if a female deliberately comes close to cause a misunderstanding between him and A Li, not hitting her would make him seem too soft‑tempered.

However, what neither of them expected was that Jiao Jiao would come knocking so quickly.

On the second day after Yun Li returned to the valley injured, Jiao Jiao—source unknown—heard that their family wanted to rescue six females abducted by the Youbuluo, and she came searching with Ji Chen, bringing the information Yun Li and the others wanted.

Seeing Ji Chen, Yun Li barely twitched her eyebrows.

She had only seen Ji Chen twice: the first time he came under the pretense of checking what kind of female her brother liked, and the second time he revealed his affection for Yun Li.

But Yun Li didn't believe him; his gaze at her didn't look like one of affection at all, but rather like someone sizing up a prized prey, which left her with a poor impression of Ji Chen.

Leng Xiao's impression of Ji Chen was also mediocre; perhaps driven by male‑competition instinct, he thought Ji Chen wasn't the kind of Beastman who would share his female with other males—unlike Ji Xuan, who felt similar to his brother but wasn't as cunning as his brother.

However, having just discussed Jiao Jiao with his own female last night, Leng Xiao's attention today was largely on that pure, delicate‑looking female.

"What are you doing here?"

Yun Li's injuries hadn't fully healed, and she was ordered by the household males not to go hunting again; already sulky from having to drink bitter medicine due to her wounds, she didn't expect two Beastmen she wasn't particularly welcoming to show up while she was convalescing.

So her attitude toward the two wasn't exactly friendly.

Seeing Yun Li like that, Jiao Jiao also slightly furrowed her brows, but her temperament was gentle; even if she harbored some resentment inside, it wouldn't show on her face.

"I heard that the females abducted by the Youbuluo were Beastmen from your original tribe; coincidentally, I know a few Beastmen in the Youbuluo, so perhaps I can help you inquire about those females' situation."

As soon as she finished speaking, Jiao Jiao saw a half‑smile, half‑mocking expression appear on Yun Li's face.

"You, don't you want…" this information?

"Thank you for your help, but why are you helping us?"

Yun Li cut her off, staring straight at Jiao Jiao and asking, "Is it out of sympathy for their plight?"

But on the day they were abducted, the Beastmen of the Silver Eagle Tribe were rejoicing over the return of the old clan chief and several other male Beastmen.

One female for one captive—what a profitable trade!

Heh!

Jiao Jiao felt a bit uneasy under her gaze, but thinking of her purpose for coming, she straightened her back and said warmly, "We're all females, so I was thinking about how I could help."

Yun Li recalled Gong Mei and the others, then looked at the Jiao Jiao before her and asked, "Do you have any news about them?"

Jiao Jiao nodded, "I once rescued a few Snake Beastmen; they told me the newly arrived females in the Youbuluo are now living quite well there, and perhaps soon they'll willingly stay."

Yun Li found the statement absurd, "They want to stay in the Youbuluo? Then what about their former Beast Husbands?"

She asked two rhetorical questions, but Jiao Jiao didn't think much and replied without hesitation, "Of course they go to the Youbuluo together with their females."

"If the Youbuluo so readily permits foreign females' Beast Husbands to enter, why would they abduct the females instead of letting the tribe's own males pursue them normally, like other males?"

Yun Li didn't know whether she was too naive or simply indifferent to the abducted females, so she believed whatever the Youbuluo Beastmen said.

Perhaps the information she spoke was just something she made up on the spot to find an excuse to show up.

Jiao Jiao slightly furrowed her brows and said, "That's because everyone has a prejudice against Snake Beastmen; if I recall correctly, your Beast Husband—and also your First Beast Husband—is a Snake Beastman. So you know many females hold prejudice against Snake Beastmen, right?"

Upon hearing that, Yun Li just smiled, "My Snake Beast Husband is different from the Youbuluo Snake Beastmen; he would never abduct females."

Jiao Jiao wanted to say more, but Yun Li had already issued a dismissal, "If you're here to tell me this, thank you; I'll find a way to verify it later. If there's nothing else, you may leave."

He hadn't even said the last sentence when Ji Chen, inexplicably irritated, twisted his brow and said, "A Li, I didn't say anything. Even if you want to kick people out, you can't kick me out too, can you?"

His tone began with a hint of helplessness and distress, then shifted directly into teasing and ribbing Yun Li.

Perhaps some females would blush and have a racing heart at Ji Chen's ambiguous, flirtatious words, but Yun Li didn't like it.

"I'm convalescing; I don't like having so many people in the house."

But as soon as the words left her mouth, a voice came from outside the house.

"A Li, Xin and I have found out what you wanted to know."

A Yu and Xin entered, and immediately saw the several people sitting inside the house.

She showed a look of surprise, then her gaze landed on Ji Chen's face, "A Chen, why did you come over here?"

And Jiao Jiao—how did she end up at A Li's house?

She couldn't really have fallen for a male who already has a female, could she?

Isn't this just Chun Chun being weird?

Ji Chen saw them, and an helpless smile instantly appeared on his face; he glanced at Yun Li and said, "I came looking for A Li. But she doesn't seem to welcome me."

Xin, hearing this from behind, felt her heart race because she remembered A Yu liked Ji Chen a lot; she had even considered making Ji Chen her Beast Husband, but Ji Chen refused A Yu, citing his desire to become his own female's First Beast Husband.

But now he's come to Yun Li's—a single male voluntarily entering a female's home; isn't the meaning obvious?

Xin muttered inwardly, "Didn't he say he only wants to be a female's First Beast Husband? Then why bother Yun Li? He's truly a fickle male who falls for anyone he meets."

Yun Li also frowned at Ji Chen's remark, about to cut through his petty thoughts swiftly, when A Yu spoke up:

"A Li, Ji Chen came here with good intentions. And he speaks so nicely; why not keep him to chat with us?"

For some reason, Yun Li watched A Yu say that, quickly blinking at her, flashing an innocent, harmless smile, and a somewhat incredulous thought suddenly rose in her mind.

Is this… making Ji Chen a free‑of‑charge chat companion, like a male model?