Hei Ting was a proud individual. As the leader, how could he roast meat in the tribe? What would his subordinates think if they saw him? He couldn't show even the slightest weakness!
The roasted meat emitted a mouth-watering aroma, but Shu An had little appetite. She ate a few mouthfuls and was full.
Hei Ting frowned, "You're eating too little."
Shu An lowered her head and replied, "I haven't exercised these past two days, so I'm not hungry."
"..." Hei Ting understood.
He didn't finish the remaining roasted meat. Instead, he wrapped it in leaves to save for the next meal.
One sat, one stood, and the atmosphere in the cave was incredibly awkward. If Shu An didn't speak, Hei Ting wouldn't make small talk.
Perhaps feeling too stifled, Hei Ting walked out. Soon, Chou Hua and Hei Niu arrived.
Chou Hua asked cautiously, "Do you want to go for a walk? We can accompany you."
Shu An happened to want to go to the restroom, so she nodded in agreement.
Hei Ting had a keen sense of smell, so the latrine was far from the cave. They had to walk a distance to reach the place for defecation.
Shu An wasn't in high spirits. There was nothing interesting around, so she walked silently.
The two females followed closely behind her. Passing males would often cast curious glances, but they dared not look too long, fearing the leader's discovery, which would be disastrous!
Only one young beastman followed from afar.
Xiao Si was greatly shocked. It was indeed An An! Oh my, how did An An end up in such a place!
Had Uncle Wen Te's family also come? That didn't seem right. If they had come, An An wouldn't have been snatched here!
Xiao Si couldn't figure it out and could only find an opportunity to ask An An.
Before they even arrived, the smell wafted over. Shu An covered her nose, both psychologically and physiologically repulsed by the latrine.
Alas! What a hardship!
Shu An asked them to wait at the periphery and went to the large pit for defecation alone.
This area was specifically for females, so no fallen beasts came here. To peek, one would have to endure the smell. However, there might be a few with ill intentions. Upon seeing her approach, they consciously moved away.
The leader's female was definitely not to be looked at, unless one was tired of living!
There was indeed one who was tired of living, hiding behind a large tree. As Shu An was finding a spot to relieve herself, he called out, "An An, don't make a sound. It's Xiao Si. I'm behind that big tree behind you. Walk over quietly."
Xiao Si spoke quickly, his voice low enough for only Shu An to hear. He couldn't reveal himself, as one wrong move would be seen by the two females.
Hearing the voice, Shu An was startled and whispered in disbelief, "Brother Xiao Si?"
Xiao Si whispered, "It's me. Come over here, don't let them see."
Shu An then walked towards the back of the big tree. Chou Hua and Hei Niu, seeing this, only thought she was too shy. What was there to hide among females?
Shu An arrived behind the tree and indeed saw Xiao Si. She was surprised, "Brother Xiao Si, why are you here?"
Xiao Si explained, "I came to the West Sea for training. An An, how did you end up here!"
Shu An said with a bitter face, "Don't mention it. That bad guy named A Yong threw me into the sea..."
She briefly explained, including meeting Da Jiao and being brought here by Hei Ting.
Xiao Si asked worriedly, "Then were you...?" He sniffed. There was the scent of a strange male on Shu An!
Shu An's face flushed slightly, then she shook her head, "No, he hugged me, so I got his scent." As for more embarrassing things, she didn't need to tell him.
Xiao Si breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good. But An An, you must leave this tribe. This is a fallen beast tribe!" It's fine now, but it doesn't mean it will be fine in the future. It's best to leave this tiger's den as soon as possible!
Shu An sighed, "I know, but I can't leave. Hei Ting is very powerful, and he's assigned two followers to me. I'm not free to go anywhere."
Xiao Si's face grew solemn, "An An, don't be afraid. When I find a suitable opportunity, I'll take you away."
Shu An nodded, "Brother Xiao Si, don't take risks. The surroundings of the tribe are all fallen beasts. It's not easy for us to escape."
It wasn't that she was pessimistic, but it was a fact. When Chou Hua and Hei Niu weren't following her, Hei Ting would return. Therefore, she never had a moment alone.
Xiao Si frowned, "There will be opportunities. When the ferocious beasts attack the tribe, that will be our chance to leave. But we have to wait. It's been a month since the last ferocious beast attack, the next one should be soon."
He had participated in one and understood why the West Sea beastmen were strong. Anyone who fought ferocious beasts every month would improve.
Those who didn't improve were already dead.
Shu An didn't understand but trusted him, "Brother Xiao Si, I'll listen to your arrangements, but don't be impulsive. You must not be discovered by Hei Ting. We'll pretend we don't know each other and avoid meeting unless absolutely necessary."
Hei Ting was a possessive person. She had a hunch that if Brother Xiao Si were discovered, his fate would be miserable, possibly even death. Therefore, they must not take risks.
Xiao Si agreed wholeheartedly, "I know. An An, you take care of yourself and protect yourself."
Shu An nodded.
They chatted for a few minutes. Chou Hua and Hei Niu felt it had been too long and called out, "Master, are you done?"
Shu An replied, "Not yet, wait a moment longer!" pretending to be doing her business.
Xiao Si patted Shu An's head, "An An, I'll leave first then. Don't be afraid. Brother Xiao Si is also in this tribe and will be watching you from the shadows."
Shu An nodded reassuringly, "I know. Brother Xiao Si, you should go, don't let them discover you."
Xiao Si nodded, transformed into his beast form, and slipped away through the dirt using the trees for cover. The females had poor eyesight, and no one saw a dark, bulky thing crawling away.
Shu An finished her business behind the tree before leaving.
The stench she carried perfectly masked Xiao Si's scent.
"Go get me a basin of water to wash my hands," Shu An said, walking ahead.
"Yes." Chou Hua and Hei Niu exchanged strange glances. They had been sad when they came out, but after just a moment at the latrine, her mood had improved?
How could they know that Shu An had found her people and her kin? In this unfamiliar place, having an acquaintance brought a sliver of peace.
As a result, when Hei Ting returned at noon, he was somewhat flattered and secretly marveled that a female's mood was more unpredictable than the weather!
But this was a good thing. It was good that the little female smiled.
Shu An's intention was to dispel Hei Ting's vigilance and appropriately relax his supervision, which would be helpful for her escape in the future.
With her mind at ease, she accepted the signals from her body and slept beautifully all afternoon, becoming incredibly energetic by evening.
The two also took this opportunity to go out and watch the stars and the moon.
Shu An was optimistic, treating it as having a temporary boyfriend and seeking the feeling of being in love.