Ruan Fu lowered her head, her fingertips gently rubbing the bundle in her hands. The rough texture of the animal skin made her frown slightly, but her brow quickly smoothed out. She didn't need to open it to know that aside from herbs, there were also some dry rations inside. To think that the usually cold and aloof Shaman Clan would prepare these things for her.
Her eyelashes fluttered, and her voice was so soft it was barely audible. "When I was injured last time, the Shaman Clan helped bandage my wounds. They probably thought my injuries were severe, so they paid a bit more attention."
Ruan Ning sneered, her sharp gaze sweeping across Ruan Fu's face. How could she possibly believe such a clumsy excuse? What kind of reputation did the Shaman Clan have? The entire tribe knew they never easily went out of their way for anyone.
Suppressing her indignation, Ruan Ning urged her to walk faster. However, in the very next second, she spotted Xuan Ling in the distance. She immediately broke into a bright smile and eagerly waved her hand.
"Xuan Ling!"
Ruan Ning quickened her pace, rushing over excitedly. She looked up at him. "You must have waited a long time. It's all because my sister took too long to get ready. I'm definitely not bringing her next time."
Suddenly being mentioned, Ruan Fu looked up at the male standing beside Ruan Ning. He was slightly taller than An Bei and his brothers. His long silver hair was tied back, and though he wore no extra ornaments on his head, it only made him seem all the more noble. He cast a fleeting glance their way. His cyan eyes held no warmth whatsoever. He was like a piece of flawless jade—aloof and unapproachable.
Ruan Fu lowered her eyes, hiding the covetous gleam within them. From the very beginning, her target had always been Xuan Ling, the top male on this continent.
Xuan Ling merely glanced at her before looking away. Seeing this, Ruan Ning contentedly linked her arm through his, chattering away in a sweet and gentle voice.
Ruan Fu followed silently behind them, trying her best to minimize her presence. Unexpectedly, someone suddenly blocked her path. Caught off guard, she bumped right into the person's chest.
"Why aren't you speaking, little female? Are you a mute?"
Ruan Fu looked up, meeting a pair of pink eyes. Even though they carried a hint of a smile, they only radiated a cold and oppressive aura. She instinctively took a small step back, her tone flustered. "I-I'm sorry."
"So you aren't a mute after all." Seeing her reaction, he immediately took a step closer, his nose almost touching hers. His eyes were filled with satisfaction at her timid response. He then turned to look at Ruan Ning and Xuan Ling nearby. "This little female is quite interesting. How come I haven't seen her before?"
"She's my sister, Ruan Fu," Ruan Ning replied, a trace of impatience in her voice.
"Ruan Fu." Mo Ran murmured her name in a low voice, reaching out to rest his hand on her head. "So she's the rumored useless female with no fertility. She does have some looks, though."
His hand slid down, pinching the flesh of Ruan Fu's cheek with considerable force. She was forced to look up and meet his gaze directly. She didn't like this at all, especially since there was an indescribably strange feeling about this man's eyes. Frowning deeply, she reached up and slapped his hand away.
Mo Ran chuckled. "She's got a temper, too. Ruan Ning, this sister of yours is really something else."
Ruan Ning shot Ruan Fu a glare. Before she could speak, Xuan Ling suddenly spoke up from beside her.
"Mo Ran, stop fooling around. We have important business to attend to today." His voice was even more crisp than she had imagined, like snow in the high mountains.
Ruan Fu instinctively looked toward him, only to find that he had already turned around, leaving her with just the view of his back. Feeling a pang of disappointment, she turned her head, only to see Mo Ran watching her with a look of amusement. He then leaned in close.
"I know what you're trying to do. But whether you can snatch him or not will depend on your own abilities."
Ruan Fu froze. The moment she looked up, he had already turned and was walking briskly toward Xuan Ling and the others, as if what she had just heard was merely a hallucination.
This Mo Ran was much smarter than she had anticipated. No wonder he hadn't become Ruan Ning's Beast Husband in the original story. It seemed she would need to be extra careful when dealing with him.
Ruan Fu lowered her eyes to conceal the calculation in her gaze, then hurried to catch up.
"Xuan Ling, just now..."
Ruan Ning hesitated for a long while before she couldn't help but ask. Given his temperament, he wasn't someone who would casually step in to help someone out of a tough spot. Yet, he had just helped Ruan Fu. How could she not care about that?
Xuan Ling looked up. The moment his indifferent gaze swept over her, Ruan Ning swallowed the rest of her words. She affectionately clung to his arm. "Do I look pretty today? I had this made especially to come see you."
Xuan Ling looked her up and down, offering a completely detached murmur of acknowledgment before turning his head to converse with Mo Ran.
Seeing this, Ruan Ning breathed a sigh of relief. She realized she had been far too stupid just now. Why would she think of asking Xuan Ling why he had intervened? Wasn't that practically begging him to notice Ruan Fu? Regardless of his reasons, she resolved that she absolutely could not let him pay any more attention to Ruan Fu.
At this thought, she couldn't resist shooting a vicious glare at Ruan Fu. However, the girl seemed entirely oblivious, offering an innocent smile. "Ruan Ning."
This well-behaved and sensible act sparked a wave of inexplicable fury in Ruan Ning's heart. She immediately turned her face away, refusing to look at her anymore.
They walked for a long time without finding the magical beast they were hunting this time. Seeing that it was already noon, Ruan Ning was thoroughly exhausted. She stopped in her tracks, raising a hand to wipe the beads of sweat from her forehead. Her long dress was drenched in sweat, clinging tightly to her skin. Her loose hair stuck to the back of her neck, making her look completely disheveled.
She couldn't help but frown, a hint of impatience in her voice. "Xuan Ling, should we take a break? I'm too tired."
Hearing this, Xuan Ling stopped walking, his brow slightly furrowed. He was just about to speak when Mo Ran lazily draped an arm over his shoulder, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "It's already noon; we really should rest and grab a bite to eat. A little female's constitution isn't like ours. If we keep walking, someone might just faint."
Xuan Ling cast a cold glance at Mo Ran but didn't argue. He nodded, his voice crisp. "Then let's take a break."
Ruan Ning let out a huge sigh of relief. She hurried over to sit on a flat rock, picked up a large leaf, and gently fanned herself, trying to dispel the stifling heat. However, not long after sitting down, her stomach betrayed her with a soft GROWL.
Her face instantly flushed bright red. She instinctively looked at Ruan Fu, a hint of deliberate reproach in her tone. "Ruan Fu, are you hungry? Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Ruan Fu sneered inwardly, though her expression remained composed. She had long seen through Ruan Ning's little trick—she merely wanted to use this chance to shift her own embarrassment onto her.
Looking up, her gaze swept over Xuan Ling and Mo Ran. Seeing that both men had their eyes on her, she had no choice but to nod obediently. "I am a little hungry."
Hearing this, a flash of interest crossed Mo Ran's eyes. He smiled brightly and patted Xuan Ling's shoulder, his tone light and cheerful. "Let's go, we'll go get the little females some food. We can't let them go hungry, right?"
Xuan Ling didn't respond. He simply cast a faint glance at Ruan Fu before turning to leave with Mo Ran. His back was straight and aloof, as if he were completely incompatible with everything around him.
Only Ruan Ning and Ruan Fu were left in the area.
Ruan Ning fanned herself haphazardly with the leaf. Her gaze landed on Ruan Fu, full of scrutiny and dissatisfaction. A moment later, she suddenly spoke, her tone carrying an air of command. "I'm thirsty. Go get some water."
Ruan Fu nodded and turned to leave. However, just as she took a single step, Ruan Ning's voice rang out coldly again. "Not that way! I saw a stream over here just now."
She pointed in a direction that was exactly opposite to the route Xuan Ling and the others had taken.
Ruan Fu paused, understanding perfectly. Ruan Ning was afraid she would use getting water as an excuse to get close to Xuan Ling, so she deliberately pointed her in the opposite direction.
She lowered her head to hide the sarcasm in her eyes and replied obediently, "Okay, I'll go right now."
Seeing her so submissive, Ruan Ning felt a bit of relief but couldn't help adding, "Remember to come back quickly, otherwise I'll tell them to leave you behind."
Ruan Fu didn't answer, simply walking briskly in the direction Ruan Ning had pointed. Her figure was slender and frail, looking as if a gust of wind could knock her over.
However, once she was certain she was out of Ruan Ning's sight, Ruan Fu abruptly stopped. She stood in place, her gaze sweeping her surroundings. After confirming no one was following her, a faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
"How naive," she muttered to herself in a low voice. Then, without any hesitation, she turned around and walked briskly in the direction Xuan Ling and Mo Ran had gone.