As they walked back to the tribe, Ziqian and Xue chatted together. Ziqian carried a bag filled with sunflower seeds, while Xue was carrying two baskets—one was full of cabbage, onions, and potatoes, and the other was packed with ginger, mushrooms, and chili. Even so, his free hand was still there to hold the sub-beast's left hand.
Ziqian couldn't help but notice the changes in Xue. Just one day after that blowjob, the man's behavior had shifted in ways that left him both flustered and confused. The aloof, untouchable man who once carried a silent, impenetrable aura now reached for his hand without hesitation, pulled him close in passing, and kissed his cheek or temple whenever the mood was right.
If he hadn't spent the past days slowly peeling back Xue's quiet layers, Ziqian might have thought the man was being driven entirely by his crotch.
But no—he knew Xue better than that now. Beneath the steel and silence was someone who acted only when he meant it, someone who did not waste movements or emotions. That knowledge made it all the more dangerous, because every kiss, every touch, and every uninvited embrace was intentional.
And Ziqian… couldn't decide if he wanted to resist or sink into it.
"What do you want to eat today?" Ziqian suddenly asked.
"Anything with chili," Xue answered without thinking. Xue liked the spiciness of chili, so he finished all the chili oil Ziqian made in one eating.
"Don't eat too much chili. It is not good for your health." Ziqian glanced at him with a mix of exasperation and fondness, his tone carrying the same warmth one might use to scold a stubborn child.
Xue's lips pressed into a faint line. "Then make something you like. I'll eat it." He leaned closer, his voice low and steady. "Okay?" Xue bent and stole a kiss on his lips.
Ziqian was stunned for the nth time today. This man is so bold!
Ero and Phi couldn't hold back their laughter.
Ero couldn't believe that Xue's affinity was with Gae. If Gae hadn't confirmed it himself, he would have sworn otherwise. Before, Xue had shown no fluctuation toward him—nothing at all, as if his existence barely touched the man. He believes Xue is pure and full of selflessness.
Yet lately… every time Xue kissed Ziqian, a faint ripple brushed against him, like the whisper of a thread pulling between them. It wasn't strong, but it was undeniable.
Then his attention flicked to Ziqian. Ah… could it be that through our lustful ward, Xue's nature changed? How about Gae's connection with Xue then?
________________.
At the tribe's entrance, Yan was anxiously waiting for Ziqian.
The moment she saw them, she rushed to Ziqian and clasped his hand. "Ziqian!" Yan's face was pale, and her trembling fingers gripped him tightly.
"Why are you crying?" Ziqian asked, his voice edged with worry.
"P–Pen… M–my brother was poisoned." Yan's words tumbled out in panic. Pen was her younger brother, her only remaining family. If she lost him too, she had no idea how she would go on.
"Poisoned? Where is he? What happened?" Ziqian pressed, his own anxiety rising in response to hers.
"He's in the patriarch's tent." Tears spilled down Yan's cheeks as her voice broke. "Z–Ziqian, help him. Please, help him."
Ziqian's heart was racing. How can I help? He wasn't a doctor—nowhere close. He was just a finance student who had stumbled into this world. He knew nothing about treating poisons, and yet Yan's desperate gaze clung to him as if he were her last hope.
He wanted to tell her he knew nothing but feared the truth might shatter her completely. Steadying Yan, Ziqian spoke softly, trying to calm his own racing heart. "Calm down, Yan."
Her voice broke as she begged, "Ziqian… please. Save Pen. I'll do anything—just don't let him die."
Most people who had been poisoned in the past ended up dead, and when Yan learned what had happened to her brother, she refused to accept it so easily. The only person she could think to ask for help was Ziqian. The sub-beast was different from them; he knew things they did not. That's why she was waiting here, waiting for Ziqian's return.
"Yan," Xue called, his voice steady. "You know poison is difficult to cure. Don't expect too much from Ziqian."
It was as if the their young patriarch had read her thoughts.
The moment those words left Xue's lips, the air grew heavy. Yan's body trembled, her tears falling harder, but she bit her lip and nodded stiffly. She knew what he said was true—everyone in the tribe knew. But still, she refused to let go of the only hope she had left. "I—I am sorry," Yan said, trying to hold back her sobs.
Ziqian's chest tightened at the sight. He clasped Yan's shoulders firmly, his voice steady but gentle. "Take me to him. I'll see what I can do. Don't give up before we even try."
Yan nodded through her tears as she quickly tugged at Ziqian's wrist, dragging him forward. "Hurry, hurry!"
Ero, Phi, can you check the situation of Pen first?
Tell me something useful before I walk in there and have nothing.
"Okay!" Ero said as he instantly vanished in thin air with Phi.
Ziqian's heart thudded harder with every step toward the patriarch's tent.
The entrance of the patriarch's tent was crowded. Many people pressed together, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the chaos inside. The air buzzed with unease.
But the moment Ziqian appeared beside Xue and Yan, the atmosphere shifted. Heads turned sharply, whispers spread like wildfire, and soon every pair of eyes was locked on him.
"It's that outsider…" A sub-beast sneered, loud enough for others to hear.
"What's he doing here?" someone muttered under their breath.
Several sub-beasts didn't bother to hide their disdain, their fingers pointing openly at Ziqian. "Hah, what can he do? He doesn't know anything about poisons."
"Just because he cooked once, he thinks he can solve everything." Some even let out mocking chuckles.
Ziqian's steps faltered. The guardians had always told him that the other sub-beasts disliked him and talked behind his back. He had expected whispers, perhaps even mocking glances—but not such direct, public contempt.
"What are you doing here?" Gio stepped forward, his lip curling in disdain. "Pen was poisoned because of you, and you dare to show your face?"
Ziqian froze in place. Is it my fault that Pen got poisoned?
Before he could process Gio's word and form a reply, Qiu's voice rang out. Her temper snapped as she angrily strode forward without hesitation, planting herself between Ziqian and Gio. "What nonsense are you spouting? " she barked, her eyes blazing. "Was it Ziqian who forced Pen to eat that fruit?!"
The crowd stirred. A few sub-beasts shifted uneasily, while others hurried to stand behind Gio, showing their support.
On the opposite side, several females stepped forward to shield Ziqian from the arrogant sub-beasts who had been trying to pin the blame onto him from the very start.
Then Tei stepped up, her voice calm yet cutting. "Whenever Ziqian discovers a new plant—edible or poisonous—he shares it with everyone. He has never once failed to warn us against the unknown. If not for your arrogance and conceit, you would know it too. You would not make Pen eat that thing and now blame Ziqian for it."
None of the sub-beasts dared challenge her words, but resentment simmered in their hearts. Their pride was stung, their jealousy still festering.
Finally, one of Kea's lackeys stepped forward, his voice sharp with self-righteousness.
"If not for him flaunting last night, we wouldn't have gone looking for plants this morning!" he declared.
The sub-beast who had spoken puffed out his chest, his eyes darting defiantly between Tei and Qiu. He felt nothing wrong in what he said—on the contrary, he believed he had voiced what many were secretly thinking.
Last night's feast had spread through the tribe like wildfire. Everyone who tasted the dishes Ziqian prepared couldn't stop talking about them—how flavorful they were, how filling, how unlike anything they had eaten before.
They praised him. They worshiped him.
Ziqian, who was already considered beautiful and gentle, now seemed to shine even brighter. His diligence in finding edible plants, his skill in turning them into delicious meals, his kindness in sharing them with everyone… it was as if he embodied every ideal quality a sub-beast should have.
And that was precisely the problem.
"Everyone kept saying we should look up to him," the sub-beast spat, bitterness cracking his voice. "That we should be like him. As if the rest of us aren't good enough! If not for that, we wouldn't have forced Pen to eat those fruit this morning trying to prove something!"
People with rationality were stunned. What kind of reason is that?
Qiu let out a sharp laugh. "So you were jealous and overestimated your ability. Now that something happened, you want to push the blame on others. You guys were beautiful but lacked some brains," she sarcastically said.
Gio's expression darkened. His beautiful face is now contorted with repressed anger. He opened his mouth to retort, but the air suddenly thickened, heavy and suffocating.
"Enough."
Xue's cold voice cut through the crowd like a blade. His pheromones surged, pressuring everyone present, making their knees weak and their breaths shallow. The entire crowd fell into silence, no one daring to meet his gaze.
Ziqian's heart pounded in his chest. That icy command wasn't directed at him, but he still felt the weight of it reverberating in his bones.
Cool!