Xuxu was still standing awkwardly by the doorway.
Her hands were clasped in front of her body, as if she didn't know where to place them.
But from the corner of her eyes—she secretly observed the people inside the house.
Her gaze moved slowly.
Then stopped on the blue-haired man sitting at the dining table.
Him…
Xuxu recognized him immediately.
He was one of the two men who had broken into the rebel fortress together with Yun Wu that day.
Which meant this man had also come with Yun Wu to save her.
Her heart instantly filled with excitement.
Besides Yun Wu—she also wanted that man.
Xuxu's gaze then shifted to the other men at the table.
One of them had silver-brown hair and sharp green eyes like an eagle.
His military aura was strong. He sat upright, his posture straight, his gaze cold.
And the last man had black hair and mysterious red eyes, leaning back lazily yet radiating a dangerous aura that was impossible to ignore.
All three of them—
were clearly no ordinary men.
Xuxu swallowed softly.
Are those three men also the husbands of that fox girl?
Jealousy immediately crept into her chest.
Why was the girl she had heard others call Xue Yunxue so fortunate?
Beautiful.
And even surrounded by several top-tier beast husbands like these.
While she—
had struggled to survive in filthy and dangerous places for years.
Xuxu took a small breath before introducing herself with a soft voice.
"My name is Xuxu."
She lowered her head slightly.
"I am Brother Yun Wu's childhood sweetheart."
The words left her lips naturally.
"I was only recently freed from the rebels."
"Brother Yun is the only person I know in this world."
Her eyes turned watery as she looked at Yun Wu.
"We've been together since we were children."
At the dining table—
Xue Yunxue almost spat out the food she had just swallowed.
Childhood sweetheart?
The corner of her lips twitched slightly.
But she quickly swallowed down her reaction and remained seated calmly, as if nothing had happened.
Meanwhile—
Yun Wu immediately frowned.
He had absolutely no idea why Xuxu would think that.
Yes, it was true they had grown up together.
But to Yun Wu—
that relationship had never been anything more than protecting a younger sister.
He protected Xuxu back then out of pity.
And after leaving her in the rebel fortress, he felt guilty.
That was why he had worked so hard to gather money to redeem her.
But romantic feelings?
There had never been any.
Yun Wu remained silent for several seconds.
Then unconsciously he turned his head toward the dining table.
His gaze met Xue Yunxue's.
But the girl simply looked back at him with cold, indifferent eyes.
There was no emotion he could read.
And that calm attitude only made Yun Wu feel even more uncomfortable.
Unease slowly crept into his chest.
Finally Yun Wu took a short breath.
"I'll take you back," he said to Xuxu.
His tone was calm but firm.
As if he wanted to end this uncomfortable situation as soon as possible.
Just as Yun Wu was about to escort Xuxu out of the house—
a small sound suddenly came from the girl's stomach.
Grrrkkk…
The noise was quite clear in the quiet room.
Xuxu immediately lowered her head, her face turning red.
"I'm sorry…" she said softly.
"I haven't eaten anything since yesterday."
The atmosphere in the room became slightly awkward.
Yun Wu frowned slightly.
But before he could say anything—
Xue Yunxue's calm voice sounded from the dining table.
"Is that so?"
Yunxue gently placed her chopsticks down.
"In that case… eat with us."
Her words made Luo Shixin, Lin Yuan, and Lu Xiao turn toward her at the same time.
Their expressions were slightly surprised.
Yunxue remained calm.
"We shouldn't let someone leave hungry, should we?"
She took a new pair of chopsticks and placed them on the table.
"Besides… it's only one more pair of chopsticks."
Yun Wu looked at Yunxue.
His gaze seemed to carry two meanings at once—
thank you… and I'm sorry.
But Yunxue did not respond.
Her expression remained indifferent.
Xuxu slowly walked into the room and took a seat.
Without hesitation—
she sat directly beside Yunxue.
"Thank you…" she said softly as she sat down.
Yun Wu also returned to his seat.
But it was obvious his appetite had already vanished.
The man who usually ate the most at the table barely touched his food now.
Many thoughts were swirling in his mind.
Meanwhile—
Lu Xiao watched Yunxue with a faint, unreadable smile.
"Xue'er…"
His voice sounded light.
"I think you're far too gentle and kind."
His tone carried a much deeper meaning.
Yunxue's eyebrow twitched.
She knew the vampire was trying to provoke her.
But Yunxue chose not to take the bait.
She simply picked up another dumpling and continued eating calmly.
At that moment—
Luo Shixin finally spoke.
"Xue'er."
His tone sounded casual, yet clear.
"Isn't it my turn to come to your room tonight?"
In an instant—Yunxue's face flushed red.
She truly had not expected Luo Shixin to bring up something like that in front of a guest.
But in truth—she was overthinking it.
In the beast world, relationships between partners were not considered taboo. In fact, such matters were often spoken about openly.
"Last night was Yun Wu's turn," Luo Shixin continued calmly.
"So the order should start over from the beginning, shouldn't it?"
Lu Xiao's eyes darkened slightly.
He clearly disliked the idea of Xue Yunxue spending the night alone with that bird man.
But at the same time, he also understood something.
Yunxue's position was already difficult, caught between the five of them.
Having an arrangement like this helped maintain balance within their strange family.
Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly.
He had clearly realized something.
In truth—
tonight should have been his turn.
However, several nights ago, that eagle man had secretly taken Yunxue away.
Their relationship had already progressed ahead of the others.
Lin Yuan actually wanted to say something.
But as usual—the merman was not good at expressing his feelings.
In the end, he remained silent.
His fingers tightened around his chopsticks so hard that they nearly snapped.
On the other side—
Xuxu's hand holding her chopsticks trembled slightly.
Luo Shixin's words struck her like thunder.
Intimate relationship…
Did that mean—
Brother Yun Wu had also already done that with Yunxue?
The thought made Xuxu's chest tighten painfully.
A strong sense of crisis rose in her heart.
If she did not get rid of Xue Yunxue soon—
Yun Wu would drift farther and farther away from her.
Her eyes slowly darkened.
Xuxu understood one thing very clearly.
She had to act quickly.
-------
At the residence of the Princess of Wulong City, the atmosphere inside a luxurious chamber suddenly turned chaotic.
Crash!
An expensive crystal vase was hurled to the floor and shattered into countless pieces.
Several servants standing in the corners of the room immediately lowered their heads in fear. Not a single one dared to move.
Bai Ling stood in the center of the room, her breathing uneven.
Her face was as beautiful and elegant as always—
but now it was filled with fury.
Her slender hand swept across the nearby table.
Documents and jewelry scattered across the floor.
"How could this happen…!"
Her voice trembled with anger.
After Xue Yunxue appeared beside Yun Wu—
now another girl had emerged.
A girl named Xuxu.
And what made Bai Ling even more furious—
was that the girl had boldly told the soldiers that she was Yun Wu's childhood sweetheart.
Bai Ling had accidentally overheard the gate guards talking when they returned from duty.
At first, she had only been passing by.
But the moment she heard Yun Wu's name—
she stopped.
And the longer she listened, the worse her mood became.
Neither Xue Yunxue nor the girl named Xuxu—
clearly came from any noble background or high status.
They were not from aristocratic families.
They held no power.
They had no position in Wulong City whatsoever.
Yet somehow—
Yun Wu was surrounded by women like them.
Why…
Why could a man like Yun Wu be surrounded by women like them…
Bai Ling clenched her teeth.
She almost crushed her molars from the force of her anger.
At that moment—
a large shadow moved behind her.
A tall man with a massive frame approached.
His skin was pale silver, his hair white like snow, and his eyes held a cold gleam like a swamp predator.
He was Eyen.
One of Bai Ling's beast husbands.
A powerful white crocodile beastman.
Eyen walked forward with heavy but steady steps.
Seeing Bai Ling's rage, he immediately reached out and pulled her into his arms from behind, holding her protectively.
His large arms carefully wrapped around her waist.
"Calm down…" he said in a low voice.
His hand gently stroked Bai Ling's hair.
"No one is worth making you this angry."
He lowered his head slightly, leaning closer to her ear.
His tone turned colder.
"If you wish…"
"I can remove that girl for you."
The words were spoken casually.
As if erasing someone from the world was nothing more than a trivial matter.
Bai Ling fell silent for a moment.
Her breathing slowly steadied.
The anger that had filled her face gradually faded.
After all—
Eyen was her favorite beast husband.
Whenever she was angry or offended—
the white crocodile man was always the first person to stand by her side.
Bai Ling closed her eyes briefly.
The rage that had been burning in her chest slowly transformed into something far colder.
When she opened her eyes again—
her gaze had become sharp and calculating.
"Get rid of that girl for me as soon as possible," Bai Ling said coldly.
Eyen lowered his head slightly.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
"As you wish."
Bai Ling's gaze grew even colder.
A girl with no background.
No power.
Yet she dared to appear in Wulong City… and stand beside Yun Wu.
Bai Ling's lips curved slightly.
A smile that held no warmth at all.
Whose fault is it that that naive little girl walked into my city…
Isn't that the same as a mouse walking straight into a trap?
---------
Yun Wu had already escorted Xuxu back to his old residence. He also refused when Xuxu asked him to stay and keep her company.
That would not be appropriate.
He was a married man—how could he possibly stay alone with another girl?
So he decided to return immediately, hoping he could explain things to Xue Yunxue. His heart felt extremely uneasy. He was afraid Yunxue might misunderstand him.
Yun Wu suddenly stopped walking.
Wait…
Since when had he started worrying about Yunxue's opinion of him?
The thought felt strange and unfamiliar.
He stood in front of Yunxue's door and raised his hand to knock. But unfortunately, an invisible barrier blocked his path.
Who was the idle troublemaker that placed a barrier here?
Seriously, someone had far too much free time.
With no choice, Yun Wu stepped back and returned to his own room.
--------
That night, Xue Yunxue's room was illuminated by the soft glow of the chakra computer on her desk.
She sat quietly in front of the screen.
Several messages she had previously sent were still open.
But there were no new replies.
It had already been one month since Xiang Shuai returned to the Kingdom of Shelua.
And since then—
there had been no news from him at all.
Xue Yunxue let out a quiet sigh.
Her hand slowly lifted to touch her forehead.
There—
a faint peony-shaped mark could be seen.
The soul-bond mark between her and Xiang Shuai.
The mark had intentionally been placed on her forehead rather than elsewhere, because of Xiang Shuai's status as a prince of the Shelua Kingdom. The bond had to be visible and honorable.
Her fingers gently brushed across the mark.
"Did that snake already forget about me…?" she murmured softly.
Her gaze then drifted toward the wardrobe that stood slightly open.
Inside hung several luxurious outfits.
All of them were gifts from Xiang Shuai.
Some of them she had never even worn.
Xue Yunxue then lay down on the bed.
Her eyes stared up at the ceiling.
Her thoughts drifted far away.
But suddenly—
a low voice sounded from the direction of the window.
"You're spending the night with me…"
"Yet you're still thinking about another man?"
Xue Yunxue was startled.
She immediately turned her head.
At the window of her room—
Luo Shixin was already standing there.
The eagle man entered silently, his tall figure framed by the faint shadow of wings behind his back.
"Shixin…" Yunxue said as she sat up.
"Why didn't you come through the door?"
Luo Shixin's expression was slightly gloomy.
He stepped inside from the window and closed it quietly.
How could he possibly come through the door?
Lin Yuan had placed a spiritual barrier in front of Yunxue's door.
The barrier was invisible to ordinary people, but it completely blocked Luo Shixin from entering.
And Lin Yuan's strength was still far above his own.
Luo Shixin knew very well that he would not be able to break through that barrier.
Fortunately—
that troublesome fish had not placed a barrier on Yunxue's window.
It seemed the merman held a certain grudge against him.
Luo Shixin folded his arms across his chest.
His green eyes looked at Yunxue gently.
He slowly walked toward the bed and sat on its edge.
The mattress sank slightly beneath his weight.
The distance between them suddenly became very close.
Xue Yunxue's heart immediately began beating faster.
Every time this eagle man stood near her, her heart reacted like this.
Part of her wanted to run away.
But Luo Shixin's charm…
was truly difficult to resist.
This man was mature, calm, attentive, and far gentler than the rumors outside that described him as a ruthless and emotionless general.
Luo Shixin slowly lifted his hand.
His fingertips touched Yunxue's soft cheek.
The touch was warm.
Xue Yunxue seemed to freeze in place.
Luo Shixin's green eyes stared deeply into hers, so intensely that it felt almost hypnotic.
Yunxue's slightly dazed expression made Luo Shixin's Adam's apple rise and fall.
Being this close to her always weakened his self-control.
He leaned closer.
His lips gently brushed against Yunxue's lips.
The kiss was light.
Yet enough to make Yunxue's breathing falter.
Without realizing it, Yunxue's hand grabbed the collar of Luo Shixin's shirt.
She pulled him closer.
The kiss deepened.
Luo Shixin let out a small laugh between their breaths.
"Xue'er… you're quite aggressive."
His low voice made Yunxue's ears burn.
No longer restraining himself, Luo Shixin tore open his own shirt.
The fabric parted.
Across his broad chest was a tattoo.
Beautiful dark ink forming elegant letters—
Xue Yunxue's name.
It was carved directly above his heart.
Yunxue's eyes widened.
Her hand slowly touched the tattoo.
Her fingers traced the letters etched firmly into his skin.
"This… is very beautiful," she whispered.
Luo Shixin lowered his head slightly.
His eyes softened.
"Not as beautiful as you."
That sentence made Yunxue blush.
Luo Shixin no longer held himself back.
Instinctively, he pulled Yunxue into his arms and laid her down on the bed.
His movements were dominant, yet still careful.
Xue Yunxue covered her mouth with her hand.
She tried to suppress her voice.
After all—
the rooms in this villa were not soundproof.
Everyone in the house could potentially hear what was happening.
But Luo Shixin gently pulled her hand away from her lips.
"You don't need to hold it back."
he whispered softly beside her ear.
The sound of Yunxue trying to restrain herself only made the air in the room grow hotter.
That night, the room on the second floor was filled with heavy breathing and small bursts of laughter that slipped out unintentionally.
And those sounds—
echoed clearly throughout the entire house.
In another room.
Lin Yuan stood in front of Yunxue's door.
His blue eyes narrowed.
The spiritual barrier he had placed on the door remained intact.
No one had passed through it.
Except—
someone who could fly to the second floor through the window.
He knew exactly who the culprit was.
"That damn bird…"
Lin Yuan raised his hand.
Several spheres of water formed in the air.
He threw them at Yunxue's door.
Blop! Blop! Blop!
The water struck the door with obvious irritation.
But of course—
it did absolutely nothing to change what was happening inside the room.
In the next room—
Lu Xiao gritted his teeth.
The vampire's room was located right beside Yunxue's.
He could hear everything with absolute clarity.
And there were certain sounds that made the vampire's blood boil.
"That bird…"
His eyes turned a blazing crimson.
Was Luo Shixin deliberately trying to make him jealous?
In an instant, Lu Xiao's body dissolved into a cloud of black mist.
The mist slipped out through the window.
That night—
the contaminated zone outside the city became a slaughter field.
No one knew how many mutants were destroyed by the irritated vampire.
But the one who truly suffered the most was actually Yun Wu.
As a werewolf, his hearing and sense of smell were the sharpest in the entire house.
And of course…
he could hear everything.
He could even smell the scent of Xue Yunxue's body in the midst of passion.
Every small sound.
Every breath.
Every restrained moan.
Yun Wu's face became extremely stiff.
He tried covering his ears with a pillow.
It didn't work.
He tried wrapping his head with a blanket.
Still didn't work.
Finally—
he got up from his bed.
With a dark expression, he left the house and sat in the courtyard.
The night air outside was far quieter.
But when he arrived—
he realized he wasn't alone.
Lin Yuan was already sitting there with a gloomy expression.
And Moa was sitting casually on the stone table, swinging his legs.
When Moa saw Yun Wu arrive, he turned his head.
Then said casually,
"I think Sister Xue is very enthusiastic tonight."
He glanced toward the second floor.
"Looks like… this won't end until tomorrow morning."
The next day, Xue Yunxue only woke up when the sun had already begun to sink toward the west.
The light of the afternoon sun filtered through the curtains and spread softly across the floor.
She blinked slowly, her body feeling heavy and exhausted.
Last night, Luo Shixin hadn't given her any chance to escape at all.
Xue Yunxue stared at the ceiling and let out a long sigh.
The desire of an adult man was truly terrifying…
She turned her head slightly.
Luo Shixin was still sleeping soundly.
The eagle man was even hugging her tightly, his arm wrapped firmly around Yunxue's waist as if afraid she might run away.
On the floor of the room—
the scene was a complete mess.
Their clothes were torn and scattered everywhere.
Some were even caught on the legs of the table.
And most noticeable of all—
golden eagle feathers were scattered throughout the entire room.
Last night, Luo Shixin had been so excited that his enormous eagle wings had appeared without him realizing it, filling nearly half the room.
Yunxue covered her face with her hands.
She really didn't want to remember how they had to repeatedly push those wings aside when they almost knocked over the room's lamp.
After finally escaping from Luo Shixin's embrace, Yunxue went to take a bath.
The warm water made her body feel a little lighter.
When she returned, Luo Shixin was still lying there half asleep.
"Shixin," Yunxue said softly.
"Wake up. Go back to your room."
If Lin Yuan saw him leaving this room, the merman would most likely explode in anger.
Luo Shixin lazily opened one eye.
But eventually he got up, put on some clothes carelessly, and returned to his own room.
----------------
Yunxue's stomach began to grow hungry.
She went downstairs to the kitchen.
But the moment she stepped inside—
she suddenly stopped.
Xue Yunxue was slightly stunned.
Xuxu was there.
The girl was even using her kitchen.
The aroma of warm food filled the room.
Xuxu turned when she saw Yunxue enter.
Her gaze immediately paused for several seconds.
Yunxue's hair was still wet.
A few drops of water fell from the ends of her hair onto her shoulders.
She was only wearing a loose white shirt.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed.
And on her pale neck—
faint red marks could clearly be seen.
Marks of last night's intimacy.
Xuxu's gaze darkened slightly for a moment.
But she quickly lowered her head and smiled gently.
"What are you doing here?" Yunxue asked calmly.
"I…" Xuxu looked a little nervous.
"I came looking for Brother Yun Wu."
"But it seems he's not home."
"I waited for quite a while… so I took the initiative to cook something for him."
Her voice sounded soft and full of guilt.
Indeed—
today Yun Wu, Lu Xiao, and Lin Yuan had gone to the city border to help with the construction of the city wall.
This girl had clearly been too bold, using her kitchen without permission.
But Yunxue only smiled faintly.
Before she could say anything—
Xuxu lowered her head.
"I'm sorry for using your kitchen without permission…"
"I know I was wrong… please forgive me…"
Tears began gathering at the corners of her eyes.
Anyone who saw this scene would easily think that Xue Yunxue was bullying her.
At that moment—
a voice came from the stairs.
"Xue'er, what's going on?"
Luo Shixin walked down from the second floor.
His arm naturally wrapped around Yunxue's slender waist.
Xuxu raised her head—
and her eyes immediately burned.
Luo Shixin was only wearing a thin bathrobe.
His broad chest was partially exposed.
His hair was still wet.
Drops of water ran down across the muscles of his chest.
Faint reddish marks could also be seen on his neck and chest.
It was extremely obvious what had just happened upstairs.
The man's masculine aura was overwhelming.
Xuxu stared at him for several seconds without realizing it.
This man…
was truly perfect.
She had already investigated his identity.
General Luo Shixin.
One of the most famous soldiers in this region.
A man known for being cruel, cold, and heartless.
Yet now—
such a man stood casually behind Xue Yunxue, holding her waist as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
As if Yunxue were the center of his world.
Jealousy immediately ignited in Xuxu's heart.
How could a general like him kneel before the charm of that girl…
The longer she looked—
the stronger her jealousy became.
Originally, her mission had been to capture Xue Yunxue and hand her over to Noctar so she could become his primary wife.
But now—
Xuxu's thoughts began to change.
After clearly seeing Yunxue's beast husbands—
she suddenly realized something.
The men in this house…
were far more attractive than Noctar.
"What is Yun Wu's guest doing in this house?"
Luo Shixin's voice sounded low and cold.
His green eyes stared sharply at Xuxu.
The pressure of his aura immediately filled the narrow kitchen.
Xuxu trembled slightly without realizing it.
This general…
really was just like the rumors.
Cruel. Cold. Emotionless.
But inside her heart, Xuxu was not afraid.
She had once conquered a man like Noctar, someone far more cruel and dangerous.
So conquering someone like Luo Shixin should not be impossible.
She lowered her head.
"I… only accidentally used Xue Yunxue's kitchen without permission."
Her voice trembled softly.
"And it seems… she doesn't like it."
Tears began gathering again in the corners of her eyes.
Xue Yunxue raised an eyebrow.
Is this girl now targeting Luo Shixin too?
Normally—
no matter how fierce a beast man was, he would soften when seeing a weak woman like this.
But inside Yunxue's mind, only one thought appeared.
The perpetrator acting like the victim.
However, Luo Shixin's next words were like a blade stabbing straight into Xuxu's heart.
"Normally," Luo Shixin said flatly,
"I would cut off the hands of someone bold enough to touch what doesn't belong to them."
Xuxu froze.
Luo Shixin's gaze grew colder.
"But considering you are Yun Wu's guest—"
"I will forgive you this once."
"There will not be a next time."
His words carried not a trace of emotion.
As if he would truly do it if the situation were different.
Xue Yunxue turned to look at Luo Shixin with slight disbelief.
She had almost forgotten.
The man who had been so gentle and attentive with her last night—
was actually someone cold and ruthless.
Even toward women.
But that was precisely where his authority came from.
A mature man like Luo Shixin had firm principles.
He was not easily manipulated by tears.
Suddenly, a thought appeared in Yunxue's mind.
If only Yun Wu had even a little of Luo Shixin's decisiveness and authority…
Perhaps he wouldn't be so easily manipulated by a girl like Xuxu.
Xuxu's face turned pale.
She lowered her head.
Her strategy this time…
had clearly failed completely with this man.
"Forget it… let it go this time," Xue Yunxue finally said.
Her tone was flat.
She suddenly lost her appetite.
Without saying another word, Yunxue turned and walked upstairs.
Luo Shixin immediately followed behind her.
His steps were calm.
But his position was slightly behind Yunxue—
like a personal guard protecting his master.
Xuxu gritted her teeth.
She swore that she would remove that girl and take all of her beast husbands for herself.