Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Why Is It So Appealing?
On weekdays, the orcs in the tribe were very busy. They were either hunting, gathering, collecting firewood, sewing, or making dried meat. Except for mealtimes, they had no time to rest.
Occasionally, some guards would pass by, so Si Shuo pretended to accidentally brush against the ravine.
Once inside, she quickly found a relatively secluded corner to hide in, a place where she could see the shadow of anyone who entered first.
Moreover, since awakening her special powers, her five senses had become more perceptive.
Si Shuo took out a handful of seeds and placed them in her palm, trying to stimulate them to germinate.
She selected several species, all of which grew quickly and had thorns.
After deciding on the seeds she would frequently use in the future, Si Shuo began experimenting with their growth while quickly weaving a cage. To perfect this skill, she had even gone to the book section of the supermarket to buy a weaving tutorial.
But was she weaving the cage to hide better, or to trap her opponent?
The cage had to be densely woven so that her opponent couldn't reach inside; the leaves had to cover her figure; and it needed to have a naturally messy appearance so that any orcs passing by would mistake it for part of the background.
Si Shuo worked tirelessly for an entire afternoon. By the time her supernatural power was nearly depleted, she had finally made some progress.
She had left several clusters of plants growing in the ravine, which exuded a faint wood aura, attracting a few piglets that weren't afraid of getting their mouths pricked as they started gnawing on them.
Si Shuo fell silent. The beasts really did have strong teeth. Fortunately, she had prepared some poisonous plants to use alongside them. Otherwise, if she were discovered, she would quickly become someone else's meal.
By the time she returned to the cave, Si Shuo was already covered in a thin layer of sweat.
She lit a bonfire, placed a light stone pot over it to roast meat, and decided to distract herself with delicious food.
Of course, she also placed a few small electric fans nearby and put frozen dumplings in front of them, so that the air blown out would be cool.
She took a piece of beef from her space, sliced it into thick strips, seasoned it, and set it aside to marinate.
Then she cooked some pasta, fried the steak, eggs, and broccoli, placed two cherry tomatoes on the plate, poured some black pepper sauce over the steak, and grabbed a bottle of orange soda.
Si Shuo felt like she was dining in a themed restaurant. How could she be thinking about love in such an awkward phase of her life?
The only thing she regretted was that Zhi Le wasn't here to accompany her.
She had been staying at home too much recently. She had only gone on one gathering mission, which meant she was now living off her savings, and her beast coins were almost gone.
When would she finally save enough money to buy a mobile phone? Even if it couldn't connect to the internet, she could still play offline games on it.
She had no resistance to those little games that could easily consume an entire day.
After setting aside a few slices of steak with black pepper sauce for Zhi Le, Si Shuo took a shower, lay on the bed, and turned on a rechargeable desk lamp to read the unabridged version of Son Crusoe, which had cost her over twenty yuan.
The novel captivated her, making her pay less attention to her body.
Especially now, her situation was somewhat similar to Mou Xun's. They had both ended up in a place without modern technology and had to work hard to survive.
But as the night deepened, her body began to protest against her forced ignorance.
She suppressed a cry in her throat, biting down on an animal pelt to stifle her whimpering. Had she been restraining herself too long, causing a backlash? Or was this phase of yearning, like Yue Yue's relatives, not evenly distributed but rather fluctuating with highs and lows?
At that moment, there was a gentle knock on the wooden door.
A flash of scarlet flickered in her blue eyes.
But the person outside was persistent, refusing to leave until she opened the door.
Si Shuo bit down on a handkerchief to suppress her voice, staggered to the door, and growled, "What are you doing? Are you afraid others won't find out?
You're the head of a traveling merchant group—why are you so desperate to get involved with a weak and disabled female like me…?"
Before she could finish, Si Shuo froze, her mind clearing a little.
Wasn't she supposed to be pretending to be deaf?
Why had she responded?
Sure enough, Ji Liang chuckled softly outside the door. "Oh? So our little Shuo Shuo can hear? You sure pretend well. Besides Zhi Le, am I the only one who knows your secret?"
His voice lowered seductively. "Little Shuo Shuo, with your hoarse voice, speaking so fluently… it's very charming."
Si Shuo took a deep breath, digging her nails into her palm. The scent of blood lingered in the air. "I'm not opening the door. Go away!"
Ji Liang's expression darkened. "Si Shuo, if you're feeling uncomfortable, don't torture yourself. If Zhi Le knew, he'd feel awful.
If you don't want to open the door, I won't force my way in. But can I at least talk to you through the door?"
Si Shuo leaned against the door and slowly slid to the ground.
The heat consuming her body made her instinctively want to get closer to him, but she resisted, pushing hard against the wooden surface.
Her voice was aggrieved. "No… you'll be discovered here…"
Ji Liang chuckled. "Si Shuo, we orcs have an incredibly keen sense of smell and hearing. There are caves everywhere here.
What do you think would have happened if I hadn't been guarding outside your cave, wasting my supernatural power to set up a protective shield to isolate the sounds and scents?
Right now, there are countless level-one and level-two males and females outside your cave."
He deliberately emphasized what he had done for her.
Si Shuo was stunned for a moment, biting her handkerchief. She muttered, "The males in our tribe don't dare approach me. Aren't you afraid that I'm weak and won't live long? If I die, your strength will be reduced by half."
Ji Liang curled his lips. "Zhi Le must've been protecting you too well.
The males with beast marks don't dare touch you, and the ones without beast marks, because of Zhi Le and his friends, don't have the courage to bully you.
You're beautiful, and I adore you.
What's the point of having crystals and level-seven combat power if there isn't a female to protect? Life as a beast would be so boring."
Si Shuo scoffed, "I don't like cold-blooded animals!"
"Xiao Shuo Shuo… are you sure? It's so hot right now," Ji Liang whispered, as if speaking directly into her ear.
She liked it. She wanted to feel cool…
Damn him.
How could he be so good at manipulating her heart?
"I—I'm not a beast that succumbs to instinct! Even if you take advantage of this situation and sneak in, we have no feelings for each other. Aren't you afraid that I'll forcibly remove the beast mark?" Si Shuo clawed at the wooden door in frustration.
Hearing the scratching, Ji Liang's heart ached.
"Feelings can be cultivated. It's the same for other males and females—they fall in love, become mates, and develop feelings over time.
Xiao Shuo Shuo, I'll treat you well.
Don't dismiss me just because of your prejudice against stray beasts…"
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Ji Liang: Hiss, I'm squatting outside. I wonder if I can get some meat…
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