Chapter 25: Masochistic Tendencies

Su Xiyue’s mouth twitched violently; she had no desire to know any of this.

She was curious, however, about how Mu Qing had managed to secretly bear children for those lovers without Su Lie noticing. Then, it dawned on her that this was a beast world. She remembered that the gestation period for a female wolf was generally sixty days—exactly two months. In such a short time, it would be easy to hide somewhere and give birth to the pups. By the time she reappeared, finding a simple excuse would be all it took for Su Lie to remain none the wiser.

She hesitated, wondering whether she should tell Su Lie the truth. Since he was the original host’s father, her conscience pricked at the thought of keeping it from him. After a moment of reflection, she decided against it. Without proof, Su Lie was unlikely to believe her based on her word alone. This was a private matter between a husband and wife; as a daughter, it was best not to interfere. Of course, should the opportunity arise in the future, she wouldn't mind dropping a hint.

Su Xiyue shook her head, casting aside these distracting thoughts. She wanted to check the favorability ratings of her beast husbands.

"System, pull up the data and favorability stats," she commanded internally.

"Understood," the system replied.

Instantly, an electronic screen glowing with a faint blue light appeared before her.

Host: Su Xiyue
Age: 16
Charm: 20
Appearance: 25
Health: 65
Weight: Severely overweight, impacting mobility.
Skills: Wood-type ability (Level 1)

Target Favorability Ratings:
Ye Ling: -60 (Disgust)
Mo Lin: -55 (Disgust)
Qing Zhu: -70 (Disgust)
Bai Qi: -35 (Disgust)
Xuan Ming: -40 (Disgust)

She quickly scanned the previous figures and was pleasantly surprised to see they had all changed and increased significantly. She remembered that when she left this morning, her charm had been 11; now it was 20. That was a nine-point increase, and her appearance stat had also improved. Ye Ling’s favorability had been -90 this morning, but now it was -60—a jump of 30 points.

Su Xiyue arched an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. Today, she had threatened him, intentionally disgusted him, and even treated him like a pack mule to haul her stone pot and millstone. She had expected the scumbag’s disgust levels to skyrocket, but instead, they had actually improved by 30 points. Could it be that Ye Ling had a masochistic streak? Did he enjoy being tormented? The more he was abused, the happier he felt?

She rubbed her chin, lost in thought. If this hypothesis were true, she could exploit it to farm favorability points. However, she would need to observe him carefully; she didn't want to accidentally send those hard-won favorability points back into the abyss.

She continued down the list. Mo Lin had increased by 25 points, Qing Zhu by 15, Bai Qi by 40, and Xuan Ming by 20. Bai Qi’s favorability had risen the fastest, currently sitting at -35. She presumed this was linked to her use of her powers and her proactive behavior. A diligent, capable, and intelligent female would always win favor, even if she wasn't much to look at.

"System, I remember you saying that once a beast husband's favorability reaches a certain stage, I receive a reward. What is the threshold for neutrality?" she asked.

Negative numbers clearly indicated disgust, so she guessed that neutrality must start at least at zero.

The system replied promptly, "Host, the range from 0 to 59 falls under the 'neutral' stage. 60 is 'favorability,' 70 is 'like,' and over 90 is 'deep love.' Reaching the perfect score of 100 will grant you a Super Lucky Gift Pack!" The system’s voice turned cheerful and enticing at the end.

Her eyes gleamed. A Super Lucky Gift Pack? It sounded impressive.

"System, what’s inside the Super Lucky Gift Pack?" she couldn't help but ask.

The system gave a mysterious laugh. "Host, the contents are randomized. It could be an unparalleled treasure, a peerless secret manual, a life-saving elixir, a heaven-defying cultivation talent, or even a spatial dimension. In short, it all depends on your luck, and it will certainly not disappoint."

Su Xiyue’s eyes shone with excitement. But then, thinking of the five beast husbands whose favorability ratings were still all in the negatives, her smile faded slightly. The road ahead was long and arduous.

At least Bai Qi was at -35, which wasn't too far from zero. She decided to focus on farming Bai Qi’s favorability over the next two days. Once she hit zero, she would escape the "disgust" phase and enter "neutrality." If even one beast husband reached neutrality, she would get a reward.

With that thought, she perked up. Glancing at the wild vegetables and mushrooms in her basket, an idea struck her. They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Current conditions were limited, and she couldn't make anything gourmet, but a bone and mushroom soup was definitely doable. The tribe had plenty of animal bones that the beasts usually discarded. She could easily grab a couple to boil into a soup with some mushrooms. It didn't need much seasoning—just a little salt. She didn't have any salt, but she could ask Bai Qi for some; she doubted he would refuse.

Su Xiyue closed the system screen and was about to head out to fetch some bones when she caught sight of the tattered grass skirt she was still wearing. She felt a wave of embarrassment, realizing she hadn't changed into a beast-hide skirt yet. She would have to wait; she wasn't sure if Mu Qing had actually gone to the plaza to collect the hides for her. If not, she might have to wait until deep into the night to venture out.

Since she had time to kill, she began processing her haul. She put the burrs aside in a corner of the cave to deal with later. The wild vegetables and fruits were also set aside; they would last a few days, and whatever she couldn't eat could be dried. She set the basket of herbs apart, intending to wash, process, and dry them by the river tomorrow for future use.

The mushrooms couldn't sit for long, or they would spoil. She spread them out to let them breathe, planning to dry them tomorrow. They should be fine for one night.

She noticed the roasted meat wrapped in broad leaves nearby. It had been left over from the morning; there were three portions originally, and after eating half of one, two and a half remained. Her stomach was growling, so she grabbed a piece to eat. The moment she took a bite, she found it cold and hard—nearly impossible to chew. It tasted far worse than it had when freshly roasted, but she was starving and had no other choice.

After laboriously chewing through half a piece, her stomach felt less empty, and she lost her appetite. Her jaw ached. She decided she would throw the remaining two portions into the bone soup later; it would be a form of recycling and wouldn't go to waste.

Not long after, Mu Qing returned, holding a pile of furs and a few beast-hide skirts. She walked into the cave with a sour expression. Seeing Su Xiyue, her face darkened even further. She threw the items onto the stone bed and snapped, "God-damned girl, having to do chores for you—it’s ridiculous. Hurry up and change out of that disgraceful grass skirt."

With that, she turned and left.

Su Xiyue looked at the pile of items on the stone bed, arched an eyebrow, but said nothing. She clapped the dust off her hands, stood up, and picked out a beast-hide skirt to change into. She tossed the old grass skirt outside the cave. Finally, she wouldn't have to run around with her bottom exposed.

Thinking back on the day’s events, she felt incredibly awkward. Who knew what that scumbag Xuan Ming was thinking? He might even suspect she had done it on purpose. She stepped out of the cave and headed toward the tribal plaza, ready to scrounge for some bones to make her soup.