After transmigrating, she became the most beloved beast in the world.

"What? No, no, no, you've misunderstood, we're not." Chu Xinyao's face flushed red instantly, and she waved her hands repeatedly.

No?

Hu Xiao's face looked visibly grim, and a look of disappointment flashed in his eyes.

"But we were in the cave, and that's what happened..."

Mentioning the cave incident made Chu Xinyao even more flustered. In the cave, she had no choice; under those circumstances, she had taken such extraordinary measures to save Hu Xiao. "I only did that to help you, please don't misunderstand."

She turned around and paced back and forth in the room, trying to find the right words to explain, "Hu Xiao, you know, you were badly injured at that time and were given that kind of drug. I had to help you, so I..." Her voice grew softer and softer, almost inaudible.

Are beastmen more conservative? Male beastmen don't seem to be too unrestrained when they're not mates. Was what she did to him...?

"No need to explain, Yao Yao." Hu Xiao tried to force a smile, despite the unbearable pain in his heart, he tried his best to remain calm.

"I understand." He lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes obscuring them, preventing Chu Xinyao from seeing the pain in them.

Chu Xinyao felt a pang of pity seeing the usually domineering Hu Xiao in such a vulnerable state.

She bit her lower lip, her heart filled with guilt.

But she really didn't want to get involved in relationships again.

“Tiger Roar, although we are not mates, we are best friends,” she turned away, refusing to look at him. “Everything I did was out of friendship for you. Get some rest, I’ll come see you again tomorrow morning.”

She stepped out of the room and gently closed the door, plunging the room into silence. The instant the door closed, it seemed to shut out all warmth as well, leaving only the tiger's roar and the flickering candlelight.

Hu Xiao stared blankly at the candlelight, the flames dancing in his eyes. He fell into deep thought, his heart filled with mixed emotions, until a cold voice broke through his chaotic thoughts.

"Sigh, it seems we've all been fooled by her friendship!" Crane Feather, who appeared out of nowhere, walked over with a wine jug and said self-deprecatingly, "She's not planning to give us a chance to get into her heart."

The bottle traced an arc in the air before landing steadily in Hu Xiao's hand. Hu Xiao took the bottle, looked at He Yu, and was somewhat surprised by his appearance.

He Yu walked over to Hu Xiao, who was still holding a flask of wine. He pulled out the cork and took a large gulp. His actions exuded a sense of indulgence and unruliness, as if he wanted to numb himself with alcohol. "We all thought that as long as we gave our hearts, we would have a chance to win her heart. Now it seems we were all wrong." He Yu's voice was bitter as he looked at the flask in his hand and took another big gulp.

"This wine brewed by the ape tribe is really quite good." His words were full of praise; it seemed he could get drunk and have a good night's sleep tonight.

Somewhat surprised by He Yu's frankness, Hu Xiao opened the bottle and took a sip. The strong liquor burned down his throat, seemingly dispelling the bitterness in his heart.

"Your name is Heyu, right? You like Yaoyao too?"

He Yu suddenly turned his head and looked at him with suspicion. "Hu Xiao, have you really lost your memory?" His eyes were complicated and his voice was uncertain. He had always thought that Hu Xiao was faking amnesia in order to win Chu Xinyao's favor.

Hu Xiao was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded, "Yes, I have lost my memory, I don't even remember who I am." He even forgot everything between him and Yao Yao.

He Yu sighed, his voice tinged with sympathy, "You are the young patriarch of the White Tiger Clan, the youngest eighth-tier expert, and the first beastman to meet Xin Yao and propose marriage. Yet, that person beat you to it." His words were filled with helplessness. It seemed that Hu Xiao was the one who suffered the most, since he met Chu Xin Yao later.

Hu Xiao gripped the bottle tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. His memories were as if washed away, leaving only blurry shadows. He tried to recall the past, but each attempt was like futilely chasing after wisps of smoke.

"Who is he?" Who dared to interfere between him and Yao Yao? This question was like a thorn, deeply embedded in his heart, causing him waves of pain. He couldn't bear the thought of someone standing between him and Yao Yao, especially now that he had lost all his memories.

He Yu paused in his drinking, and warned in a low voice, "Don't mention him in front of Xin Yao."

"I need to know who my enemy is!" He needed to know the truth, even if it was a painful one.

"Shemo, the patriarch of the Ink Serpent Clan, the number one eighth-tier expert, and also the president of the most powerful merchant guild on the continent. He is also Xinyao's current first beast husband and the father of the cubs in her womb." When mentioning that male beastman, a hint of resentment flashed in Heyu's eyes.

“Snake Ink…” Tiger Roar murmured, then something flashed through his mind.

"You said Yao Yao is pregnant?" Hu Xiao asked in surprise. Chu Xin Yao's figure hadn't changed at all, and there was no way to tell that she was pregnant.

Crane Feather glanced at him, assuming everyone was pregnant like their White Tiger Clan's cubs. "The Ink Serpent is like my Red Crane Clan. During the female's pregnancy, her belly is not obvious, and childbirth is not painful."

Tiger Roar fell silent. This information was too sudden for him, but it didn't seem to matter. His gaze fell on the wine bottle in his hand, the liquid swirling within, just like his heart, rising and falling with uncertainty.

"My injury..." His voice was somewhat uncertain.

"It's most likely that it was Snake Ink that caused the injury. We did it before for Xin Yao..."

The two talked until late into the night, the warmth of the alcohol mingling with the coolness of the night. They talked about the past, about Chu Xinyao, about She Mo, and about themselves.

The next day, as morning light streamed through the window into the simple wooden house, Chu Xinyao looked at the two drunk men and was furious. Two grown men, couldn't they tell the difference between right and wrong? One was seriously injured and couldn't even stand up, while the other was indulging in alcohol at a time like this.

She sighed, not knowing where the alcohol came from, and gently nudged Hu Xiao, "Hu Xiao, Hu Xiao, wake up."

Hu Xiao opened his blurry eyes, his gaze gradually focusing on Chu Xinyao's face. His memory was still stuck on the conversation from last night. He struggled to get up, wanting to hug her.

"Yaoyao, I..."

Chu Xinyao waved her hand, stopping him from continuing, "Don't say anything more, let me change your dressing first, then you can rest well." Her gaze turned to He Yu beside her, whose face was flushed from drinking, and whose breathing was steady, clearly still asleep.

After quickly changing Hu Xiao's bandages, she nudged He Yu.

"Crane Feather, wake up."

He Yu opened his eyes in confusion, his consciousness still lingering in the dream, unable to distinguish between reality and illusion. "What's wrong?"

Chu Xinyao frowned slightly. "Go back to your room and sleep. It's cold; don't catch a cold sleeping on the floor."