Ruan Fu bit her lower lip, her expression blank.
"I... I..."
Before she could finish her explanation, Chief Nian had already stood up. His icy voice came from above her.
"A scheme that others can easily see through isn't much of a scheme. If you're going to plot against someone, be smart about it. Don't end up losing everything you have in the process."
Ruan Fu didn't speak. Her head was bowed, and her body trembled slightly.
Chief Nian's heart gave a slight jolt. He wondered if his words had been too harsh. Just as he was about to step forward and explain himself, Ruan Fu tilted her head up. Crystal-clear tears welled in her eyes. With her slightly hurried breaths, every blink sent her tears spilling like raindrops down her cheeks.
Her lips had been bitten pale, but her gaze remained fixed on him.
"I know I'm different from all of you. Ruan Ning is a Holy Female and has an Innate Pregnancy Body. Since birth, she has been a revered existence. And you are the Shaman, highly respected by the entire Rabbit Clan.
"But me? I'm just a useless female with no fertility. I just want to live a slightly better life. So what if I scheme? Does fate dictate that I must accept everything and let others bully me?"
Her voice was sharp, as if she were pouring out years of accumulated grievances all at once. Every word landed heavily on Chief Nian's heart. He felt his lips go dry and instinctively reached out to wipe away her tears.
"That's not what I meant, you..."
His outstretched hand and unfinished sentence were both cut off by Ruan Fu. She wiped her tears haphazardly, unable to hide the redness in her eyes.
Ruan Fu looked straight at him stubbornly and mocked, "Don't worry, Lord Shaman. I won't bother you anymore, and you won't have to worry about my scheming ever again."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she turned and ran out. By the time Chief Nian chased after her, Ruan Fu was nowhere to be seen outside.
He froze in place. A gust of cold wind blew past, and for some reason, he thought of Ruan Fu's falling tears, feeling a sudden pang of bitterness in his chest.
Meanwhile, Ruan Fu was hiding behind a large tree not far from Chief Nian's cave, observing him. Seeing him rush out looking entirely lost, the corners of her mouth curled up.
She thought, "It seems tears are still somewhat useful." She reached up to wipe a stray tear from the corner of her eye, took a deep breath, and walked toward Ruan Ning's cave.
Today, Ruan Ning's cave was exceptionally lively. Many females had gathered around, enthusiastically helping her pack and prepare, their words filled with absolute envy.
"Ruan Ning, I'm so jealous that you get to go on a beast hunt with the Dragon Clan. You know we rarely ever get to see their males."
"I heard their males are exceptionally handsome! Especially the future Clan Leader, Xuan Ling. Many females say that one look at him is enough to ruin you for life."
Ruan Ning curled her lips, unimpressed. "It's not as exaggerated as you make it sound. He's just an ordinary male."
"That's right, our Ruan Ning is a Holy Female. She can have any kind of male she wants. Let alone the Dragon Clan, even the Clan Leaders of the other clans would probably rush to be our Ruan Ning's Beast Husbands."
Ruan Ning waved her hand dismissively, but she couldn't suppress the proud smile on her lips. She looked around at the females helping pack her bags, her gaze suddenly falling on Guna, who had been unusually quiet off to the side.
"Guna, you usually talk the most. Why are you acting like a mute today?"
Startled by being suddenly singled out, Guna froze before squeezing out a fawning smile. "I was just listening to you all."
Ruan Ning gave her a suspicious look. A female nearby spoke up, "Her? She's been out of sorts ever since that ghost incident. She constantly feels like someone is out to get her. At the end of the day, it's all because of that sister of yours."
"My sister? Ruan Fu?"
The nearby female nodded. "That sister of yours is a bit creepy. Guna accidentally pushed her, and the very next day, her arm was broken. I think you should be more careful around her..."
Ruan Ning scoffed disdainfully and looked at Guna. "You actually believe Ruan Fu did it? I bet Guna was sleepwalking and fell on her own. She's just too embarrassed to admit it, so she blames it on Ruan Fu."
Guna instinctively wanted to retort, but meeting Ruan Ning's crimson eyes, she forced her anger down. There was no need to offend Ruan Ning over such trivial matters.
"Ruan Ning is right. I fell on my own." Guna stood up. "Since there's nothing else to do, I'll head back first."
Without waiting for Ruan Ning to speak, Guna turned and walked out. Not paying attention, she collided with Ruan Fu, who was just walking in. Both of them crashed to the ground.
"Do you not have eyes?" Guna roared angrily. "Are you blind? You just rammed right into me!"
Ruan Fu rubbed her head and apologized timidly. "I'm sorry. I didn't see you."
"PFFT." Ruan Ning chuckled at the sight. She pointed at Ruan Fu on the floor and looked at Guna with a smile. "Does she look as terrifying as you described? I think your brain really is broken."
Guna's hanging hands clenched into fists and then relaxed. She carefully scrutinized Ruan Fu. There was not a single flaw to be found on that innocent, delicate face. Was she really mistaken?
Ruan Fu stood up, dusted off her clothes, and asked with a confused expression, "Sister, what are you talking about?"
"She pushed you that day, and her arm broke the next day. She thought you did it."
Ruan Fu looked at her in disbelief. "I haven't even seen Guna since that day. How could I have done it?"
The shock and confusion on Ruan Fu's face didn't seem fake. Guna rubbed her temples and said in a low voice, "I was just being paranoid about this whole thing. I haven't been resting well lately, so I'll go back now."
After saying that, Guna left Ruan Ning's cave. The other females, receiving a meaningful look from Ruan Ning, quickly followed suit and departed as well. Now, only Ruan Ning and Ruan Fu were left in the cave.
Ruan Ning raised her eyes. "Didn't Father tell you not to come out unless necessary? What do you want, coming to see me now?"
Ruan Fu nervously glanced at Ruan Ning, then quickly lowered her head and spoke weakly, "Sister, I heard you are going on a beast hunt with the Dragon Clan soon. I wanted to ask if you could take me with you?"
"Hmm?"
Ruan Fu looked up, her expression tense and subservient. "Sister, I promise I'll be good and absolutely won't bother you. I just... I've just never been on a beast hunt before. I just want to experience it."
Ruan Ning looked Ruan Fu up and down. She despised this feigned weakness the most, but it was fine; it would serve as a perfect contrast to her own magnanimity. More importantly, anything could happen in the wild. Even if Ruan Fu were accidentally bitten to death by some ferocious beast, it would be perfectly normal.
That way, there would only be one Holy Female.
Ruan Ning's lips curled into a rare, gentle smile. She spoke with understanding, "Since you want to go, I'll take you along. But you must be good and listen to me, otherwise, it's very easy to run into danger out there."
Ruan Fu nodded vigorously. "Don't worry, Sister. I will definitely be obedient."