Bai Zhi raised an eyebrow. She'd been wondering what Yang Shanshan was trying to pull today. 'So it's all for Hu Yan,' she thought.
Seeing her silence, Yang Shanshan couldn't help but wonder, 'Did she figure something out? No, that shouldn't be possible with Bai Zhi's intelligence.'
Yang Shanshan frowned and, as she often did, tried to provoke her. "Don't tell me you're scared."
Meanwhile, Hu Yan noticed that ten minutes had passed and Bai Zhi still hadn't come in. He said, "I'll go check on her."
Hearing this, Lang Qiu said, "I'll go with you."
Yue Junxiao and Yan Yichen were drinking cocktails. Seeing the others leave, they quietly put down their glasses. "Then we'll go too."
Then, all eyes fell on Sang Mo. He lifted his gaze indifferently. "Not going."
Yue Junxiao frowned. "You damn snake, why are you always so antisocial?"
"Go save her? It'd be quicker to let me kill her." As Sang Mo spoke, a genuine, eager light flickered in his eyes.
Although they all loathed Bai Zhi, the one who wanted her dead the most was, without a doubt, Sang Mo, who had suffered the most brutal torture at her hands over the years.
The others had moments of respite, but Sang Mo was tormented by Bai Zhi with all sorts of cruel methods almost daily. It had gotten to the point where his snake scales had fallen off, and one area had rotted down to the bone.
If they hadn't stopped him, and if not for the life-debt they owed to Bai Zhi's father, Bai Zhi would have died countless times already.
In the end, it was only after Hu Yan had a word with him that he agreed to go along.
But as it turned out, they had arrived at a rather awkward moment—just in time to hear talk of Bai Zhi swapping her Beast Husbands.
Seeing Bai Zhi's silence, Yue Junxiao took it as a tacit agreement. Rage instantly shot to his head, and he was about to lash out when Hu Yan stopped him.
Suppressing his fury, Yue Junxiao turned to Hu Yan. "Are you just going to let her swap her Beast Husbands?"
Hu Yan, his expression calm, said coolly, "Let's wait and see."
Lang Qiu saw Hu Yan's calm expression and spoke up. "She hasn't answered yet. We can't jump to conclusions based on Yang Shanshan's wishes alone."
Yue Junxiao said frantically, "I don't get what we're waiting for! She and Yang Shanshan are two of a kind! With such a good opportunity to get a captain-ranked Beast Husband, she's probably dying to get rid of us!"
But just then, Bai Zhi suddenly said, "Not going. Not swapping."
Led by Yue Junxiao, all of them were stunned when they heard her words. They clearly hadn't expected her to refuse such a good offer.
Only Hu Yan kept his eyes fixed on Bai Zhi, as if observing her. Though he'd vaguely suspected this might happen, he was still somewhat surprised to hear her say it.
Even Yang Shanshan was dumbfounded. "You don't want to?"
Based on her understanding of Bai Zhi, she never imagined she would refuse.
And yet Bai Zhi actually disagreed?!
Yang Shanshan's voice rose to a shriek. "You actually don't want to?!!"
Bai Zhi said placidly, "Why should I agree? It's not like I'm short on Beast Husbands. If he's as great as you say, why don't you take him?"
She subconsciously retorted, "If he agreed, I would have long..."
Halfway through, Yang Shanshan's expression changed. She swallowed the rest of her words and said, "I'm making an introduction for you, why are you dragging me into this? Which of your Beast Husbands can compare to him? His status, his wealth, even his spiritual power level is a huge cut above theirs. What reason do you have to refuse?"
Hearing Yang Shanshan's belittling words, Bai Zhi's placid expression vanished. Her brow furrowed slightly as she said coldly, "You're about halfway to Shakespeare."
Yang Shanshan frowned. "What's that supposed to mean? What Shakespeare? I'm talking to you about something serious! Stop spouting nonsense!"
"I'm saying you're a fucking idiot! Can't you even tell? Your parents must have a great sense of humor, otherwise, how could they have produced you? Before I met you, I never realized I had this bad habit of judging a book by its cover. Seriously, it's like your brain and your face grew up in separate houses."
After her tirade, Bai Zhi continued, "You ask how my Beast Husbands can compare to him? You should be asking how *he* can compare to *my* Beast Husbands! He's not as handsome as Hu Yan, not as good-natured. He's not as reliable as Lang Qiu—or have pecs as big. He doesn't even have red feathers and the inability to fly, which, despite all the yapping, is actually pretty cute. That guy can't warm my hands in the winter or be my cooling mat in the summer. And most importantly, I just don't like him. In my eyes, my husbands are the best, so what?! Do you live by the ocean or something? 'Cause you sure are nosy!"
Her words left all the Beast Husbands, except for Sang Mo, with complicated expressions. They never thought Bai Zhi would tear into Yang Shanshan like that, and they certainly never expected that this was how she saw them.
Bai Zhi's words first made Yang Shanshan freeze, but then she reacted with fury. She might not have understood that "Shake-whatever" comment, but she definitely understood when Bai Zhi called her a fucking idiot!
She had kindly tried to introduce her to someone, and in return, she gets cursed at!
Her Beast Husbands clearly had nothing going for them besides their looks, yet Bai Zhi had managed to praise every single one of them in her own unique way, turning Yang Shanshan's insults on their head.
This made Yang Shanshan's face darken instantly. "Bai Zhi, don't you push it!"
Before Yang Shanshan could continue, Yun Xi and her first Beast Husband stepped onto the stage, immediately drawing the attention of everyone present. The announcement from the stage cut off the rest of her words.
But they had only spoken a few words on stage when Lang Qiu suddenly caught a strange scent in the air. His expression changed drastically. "Induction grass!"
Hearing Lang Qiu's words, Hu Yan and the others, all seasoned hunters, had their expressions change as well.
Bai Zhi heard Lang Qiu and was a little surprised, 'When did they get here?' But now was clearly not the time to ask. She looked over in confusion. "Induction grass?"
Hu Yan produced a handkerchief from somewhere and handed it to her, not forgetting to explain, "Induction grass is just what it sounds like: a grass that induces estrus in beasts."
Lang Qiu scanned their surroundings warily. Some people in the banquet hall were already starting to flush, involuntarily pulling at their clothes.
Some had even started hugging and kissing each other.
Bai Zhi watched as more and more people began showing symptoms. Those closest to the source of the smell were becoming increasingly unrestrained, some even letting out explicit moans.
In just a dozen or so seconds, people near them also began to flush.
Seeing this, Bai Zhi's expression changed instantly. 'So many people here... to release induction grass at a time like this...'
'This is going to turn the fucking birthday party into a massive, X-rated orgy!!'