Bai Wanwan chuckled. "Never had a female stare at you before? Don't Hu Ya and the others all like you? And you're still not used to being looked at."
Xin Feng's lips thinned. It wasn't that he was unaccustomed to being stared at. In fact, ever since his face was injured, more people stared than ever—only their gazes were filled with contempt and disdain.
No one had ever been like her—cradled in his arms, gazing at his ruined face with a smile, and still able to call him handsome.
Bai Wanwan was about to tease him further when she suddenly heard a roar.
"What's that sound?"
The color drained from Xin Feng's face. He warned her, "Hold on tight."
With that, he tightened his grip and sprinted down the mountain.
Bai Wanwan twisted around to look back and saw a small black bear, about half her height, in relentless pursuit.
It was the first time in her life she had ever come face-to-face with a wild animal. Her heart pounded in her chest.
Having lost his Talent, Xin Feng couldn't match the speed of the other males, especially while carrying Bai Wanwan with his gaunt frame.
It wasn't long before the small black bear closed the distance.
Bai Wanwan's heart was in her throat. She could only watch as the small black bear drew nearer and swiped its claws at Xin Feng's back.
"Watch out!"
It was as if Xin Feng had eyes in the back of his head. He dodged to the side, avoiding the small black bear's attack.
He quickly set her down and urged, "Get down the mountain on your own! Go!"
'If the cub is here, the mother bear must be nearby. It's only a matter of time before she finds us.'
Xin Feng had no time for explanations; he immediately began luring the small black bear away in another direction.
Bai Wanwan didn't even have a chance to speak. Frantic, she asked internally, 'Hua Sheng, what do I do now?'
"Host, there is a Hunting Team two hundred meters downhill from here. You can get them to help."
Hearing Hua Sheng's words, Bai Wanwan broke into a run.
Seeing her get away, Xin Feng let out a sigh of relief from afar. He drew the Stone Knife from its sheath on his leg and faced off against the small black bear.
The small black bear cautiously approached, but he struck it with the Stone Knife each time.
It retreated in pain.
He then deliberately left openings, stringing the cub along to keep it from chasing after Bai Wanwan.
***
Bai Wanwan gritted her teeth, racing against time.
Back in school, she had never pushed herself this hard, not even in gym class.
She was still reeling from the moment Xin Feng had, without a second thought, given her the chance to escape.
In modern society, it was common for men to abandon their partners at the first sign of danger, yet he hadn't hesitated for a second.
'So I can't let anything happen to Xin Feng, either.'
She clenched her jaw, her face twisting into a grimace from the sheer effort of running.
Finally, the two-hundred-meter dash was over.
She spotted the Hunting Team below—a group of seven or eight males leaning against trees, gnawing on jerky.
In her haste, Bai Wanwan's foot caught on something, and she tumbled forward.
'Hua Sheng, protect my stomach.'
Just as she finished her mental command to Hua Sheng, the expected pain never came. A strong arm caught her own and gave a gentle tug.
The moment she was steady on her feet, Chou Rong, who was beside her, quickly retracted his hand.
"Bai Wanwan? What are you doing here?"
Bai Wanwan turned her head and her gaze met Chou Rong's.
Bai Wanwan had no time for explanations. Pointing back the way she came, she said urgently, "A black bear! You have to go save Xin Feng!"
Hearing this, Chou Rong's head snapped around.
"Up the mountain!"
All the Beastmen put away their jerky and sprang to their feet.
Chou Rong was about to sprint off but stopped, turning to the male beside her. "Bai Shi, you stay here and protect Bai Wanwan."
"Right."
The rest of the men quickly followed Chou Rong up the mountain, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Worried sick, Bai Wanwan couldn't stand still, pacing restlessly.
The male who remained watched her, a hint of surprise on his face at her obvious distress.
"You're that worried about Xin Feng?"
Bai Wanwan nodded without a second thought. "He lured the black bear away to protect me."
"It is a male's duty to protect a female. To give one's life in her defense is an honor."
"He's my Beast Husband. I don't want anything to happen to him."
'The last few days with him have been so nice,' she thought. 'He always puts me first. It's making a hardened workaholic like me, who had sworn off love, actually start to feel something.'
She was really starting to like him. She didn't want him to face any danger at all.
After that, she was too worried to say another word.
From time to time, she would stand on her tiptoes to peer up the mountain.
Finally, the grass moved somewhere on the mountain.
The Beastman beside her instantly pulled her back, assuming a guarded posture.
A patch of grass as tall as a man was parted, revealing Chou Rong. Several other Beastmen emerged after him.
Soon, she saw Xin Feng's figure. He was being carried by two males.
Bai Wanwan hurried over. She let out a breath of relief, but her heart was still heavy with worry.
"You scared me to death. Where are you hurt?"
She quickly gave him a thorough look-over.
Xin Feng blushed to the tips of his ears as her hands moved over him.
"Ahem... I'm fine. I just got knocked over. My leg is broken."
"Your leg is broken and you say you're fine? Does it hurt?"
Bai Wanwan's heart ached for him, her pretty brows knitting together in concern.
Not wanting her to worry, Xin Feng forced a relaxed smile. "I'm really okay. A minor injury like this will heal after a couple of days of rest."
"No way. An injury to the bone takes ages to heal. When we get back, you are to stay in bed. You can't get up until you're completely recovered."
Xin Feng felt a little helpless. Noticing the way the other males were looking at her, he started to worry.
When he fell silent, Bai Wanwan assumed he was in a lot of pain and quickly turned to thank the other males.
"Thank you all for saving my Beast Husband. I'll also have to trouble you to help me carry him home. If any of you are in trouble in the future, I'll definitely help if I can."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she turned and met Chou Rong's gaze. This time, his look held a new meaning, something beyond mere curiosity and suspicion.
She glanced around and saw that the other Beastmen were also staring at her, their expressions strange.
She asked directly, "Why are you all staring at me?"
Far from looking away, the males' gazes grew even more intense.
A bolder Beastman walked right up to Bai Wanwan and knelt before her.
"Wanwan, I like you. I want to be your Beast Husband."
Bai Wanwan was taken aback. 'Beastmen are really straightforward.'
She tried to think of how to refuse without hurting his feelings.
But in that brief moment, all the males who weren't carrying Xin Feng had crowded around her.
"Wanwan, I like you too. Let me be your Beast Husband too."
The Beastmen's actions left Bai Wanwan stunned.
'Is the aura of a Holy Female really this powerful?'
Xin Feng watched his little female, his expression complicated.
'She is a Holy Female, her personality is endearing, and she cares so much for her partner. What male wouldn't desire a female like that?'
A bitter feeling welled up inside him. He didn't know what it was, but he knew the sight of these males was intensely irritating.
Even the fact that they had saved him couldn't make them any less of an eyesore.
Suddenly, his little female's gaze fell upon him, and a smile bloomed across her lovely face.
As their eyes met, a premonition struck Xin Feng, and his heart began to race.
Then, in her soft voice, his little female spoke words that he would remember for the rest of his life.