The Frostbite Technique circulated within her body again and again, but the heat in her body showed no sign of decreasing. Large beads of sweat streamed down her forehead, and in the blink of an eye, a drop of sweat entered her eye, forcing Xiang Wan to close it temporarily.

At this moment, her heart was churning with turmoil. After tonight, she was determined to kill the culprit, even though it wasn't on the original owner's wish list.

She thought everything was under her control, that she had a natural advantage and could complete the following tasks effortlessly. However, things don't always go as she expected.

She still couldn't see through people's hearts, nor could she fathom the hidden conspiracies behind it all. Or perhaps, she was simply oversimplifying things. Maybe, from the very beginning, the target had always been her!

The celebration party was held as scheduled. Xiang Wan, watched by Old Man Bai, entered the venue with her brothers and sisters. The venue was located in the very center of the settlement, surrounded by stone platforms erected by the orcs, piled with meat and other edible fruits and vegetables, as well as salt brought back by the hunting party.

After Bai Yuhu led everyone in a prayer to the heavens, he made a few brief remarks, which were then overwhelmed by the crowd's eager anticipation for the roasted meat.

When the females are present, the males don't really need to help with the grilling; they just need to lend a hand. Females are naturally more meticulous than males; once the stones on the fire are heated to a red-hot color, they place slices or pieces of walrus meat on top.

The sizzling sound didn't last long before the fat began to ooze out, and the aroma of meat tantalized everyone's appetites. The sounds of gurgling and swallowing became the only symphony in the room. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the roasting meat, and since it was all so commonplace, no one felt awkward. Many orcs hadn't eaten their fill for three days straight in anticipation of this meal.

After wolfing down their food to satisfy their hunger, many of the orcs began exchanging glances and flirting. Those with spouses approached their partners, while those without sat around the fire singing and dancing.

Hu Lai has fully adapted to life here and is getting along very well with the surrounding orcs. Even though she doesn't have orc features, in a race where there are far more monks than porridge, it's inevitable that some young and ambitious orcs will want to get close to her.

Xiang Wan's gaze kept drifting towards Hu Lai, unaware that Bai Niu was watching everything. In his mind, even if the youngest son was incompetent, he shouldn't be let go by a female with no distinguishing features. So, he had Bai Da and Bai Er pull Xiang Wan along to wander around the females. As for Bai San, he had already run behind Bai Hua, his eyes never leaving her. Bai Niu was quite helpless with his third son's lack of willpower, so he simply let him be.

The males were highly wary of Shi Cong, this alien, and while their gazes weren't exactly murderous, they weren't much better, because most of the females who didn't have a fixed mate went to his side.

After exchanging a few token words with the females she found agreeable, Xiang Wan made an excuse to slip away. The females were picky; any member of the tribe stronger than her wouldn't even glance at her. Out of respect for the White Ox, Xiang Wan was essentially offering herself up only to be met with indifference. Why not slip away and invite further mistreatment?

Bai Da and Bai Er are alright; at least they're thick-skinned, know how to talk, and don't take rejection to heart.

Alone, Xiang Wan watched Hu Lai from a short distance away. She observed Hu Lai chatting animatedly with the male orcs around her, but her gaze lingered on Shi Cong, Bai Xiong, and other males with elder-like authority.

I knew she wasn't one to stay put, otherwise she wouldn't have so many admirers, but I didn't know she was so restless that she even included Bai Niu in her hunting range. If Hu Lai succeeds, given Bai Niu's personality, she will definitely fight him to the death.

For the sake of family harmony and the future of the tribe, Xiang Wan directly stepped in front of Hu Lai, shielding the other males behind her. Hu Lai was somewhat surprised, not understanding why Bai Xiang Wan, who had barely paid attention to her these past few days, suddenly seemed interested in her again.

"Xiang Wan, what's wrong with you...?"

"My dad's been pressuring me to find a spouse. How about you help me put on this as a way of repaying the life-saving favor I owe you?"

If Bai Niu knew that Xiang Wan, under his urging, had directly presented him with the outcome he least wanted, he would probably be so angry he'd vomit blood.

Hu Lai was quite satisfied with Xiang Wan's appearance. However, after spending time with the other fox-fox beastmen these past few days, she had gradually come to understand that only the strong and robust beastmen could gain the submission of the others. Should she give up the opportunity to become the protagonist of the world for the sake of beauty? Hu Lai frowned and thought for a moment. As long as Xiang Wan could give her the life she wanted, it wasn't impossible.

"I like you."

"What?" Xiang Wan picked at her ear, exclaiming incredulously, "How is that possible?"

"I liked you from the first moment I saw you. If you like me too, we can become a couple right now, and we won't have to pretend anymore."

Hu Lai's eyes were serious, and his tone was sincere. Now, it was Xiang Wan's turn to be dumbfounded.

Even if Hu Lai wasn't the protagonist of the previous world, Xiang Wan still couldn't accept it. In her masculine body, there was actually a tomboy inside. How could she possibly accept a lesbian? If she were gay, there might be a tiny bit of a possibility.

Hu Lai noticed Xiang Wan's changing expression. In her own world, she had dated countless boyfriends, and she could basically tell who had feelings for her and who didn't with her just by looking at their expressions.

Hu Lai had already seen through it all; she just wanted to give herself a reason to finally give up. Now that even fate had forced her to choose a different path, she had no choice but to accept it.

Still bewildered, Xiang Wan suddenly saw Hu Lai approaching and instantly assumed a defensive stance.

Hu Lai looked hurt and on the verge of tears. "I just wanted to hug you and thank you for saving my life."

The surrounding orcs were all dumbfounded. When had they ever seen a female confess her love to a male so directly and affectionately? Usually, they wouldn't say it, but would simply pull the man into the bushes. Hu Lai's actions completely shattered the worldview of the onlookers, making them all excited and wishing they could accept Hu Lai's proposal on Xiang Wan's behalf.

Envious and jealous onlookers couldn't resist pushing Xiang Wan towards Hu Lai. Many orcs joined in, all eager for a good show. Caught off guard, Xiang Wan was embraced tightly by Hu Lai. He rested his head on her shoulder and sighed softly.

The large number of orcs who joined in the commotion attracted everyone's attention.

When Old Man Bai saw that the one being held by Hu Lai in the middle was his youngest son, he wanted to grab a stick and go over, but Bai Niu pulled him back forcefully, telling him not to interfere. "The boy's spring has come," she said. "It's too immoral to scatter him with the stick."

Bai San chased after Bai Hua, glaring hatefully at Shi Cong, who was being stared at with infatuation by A Hua. He noticed Shi Cong's gaze suddenly shift to the most lively spot in the arena, a look of displeasure creeping in. Following his gaze, Bai San saw Lao Yao and Hu Lai embracing, and immediately understood what was going on. He wouldn't allow any mishaps on his path to pursuing A Hua.

With a stiff neck, Bai San strode toward the evening, determined to get the youngest brother to take down Shi Cong first, and then it wouldn't be too late for him to be with Hu Lai.

"Youngest brother, I have something to tell you."