The man’s gaze was utterly devoid of warmth. He turned his head away impatiently, refusing to spare her even a single glance.

Wen Qian was happily playing with a Xuan Beast, her laughter echoing through the tranquil landscape. She was so absorbed that she failed to notice the person who had appeared before Chi Heng.

The Xuan Beast thrashed joyfully in the water, splashing Wen Qian’s pant legs, but she paid it no mind. She was bent over, her hands submerged as she tried to snatch a fish from the stream.

Just moments before, while speaking to the woman, Chi Heng had kept glancing unconsciously toward Wen Qian, his eyes filled with visible delight.

But Xi Zhen, standing opposite him, keenly caught the subtle movement. In an instant, a flash of venomous resentment flickered in her eyes, a hatred as cold and deadly as a viper lurking in the shadows.

"Is this the woman you brought back?" the woman asked through gritted teeth, her words clipped. Her gaze shot toward Wen Qian like a dagger. "Is she from the Wolf Clan too?" Her tone was filled with disbelief and bitterness, as if Wen Qian’s very presence had shattered her world.

Chi Heng didn’t answer her question directly. He merely shot her a cool glance, his eyes seeming to say, ’This has nothing to do with you.’

At this, the rage in Xi Zhen’s heart swelled. She took a step forward, demanding, "Ah Heng, don’t tell me you don’t know. I’ve always been in love with you. Even after you disappeared, I never formed a Contract with any other male... I’ve been waiting for you."

Her voice, thick with tears, sounded exceptionally shrill by the quiet lake. Chi Heng’s brow furrowed slightly, but his voice remained flat. "I don’t have those kinds of feelings for you. As for what you just said, I’ll pretend I never heard it."

Xi Zhen was already seething, and Chi Heng’s words made her tremble violently, the color draining from her face. She turned to look at Wen Qian, who was still playing with the Xuan Beast, and the flames of jealousy raged within her.

Unsure where she found the courage, she suddenly screamed at Wen Qian, "Bitch!"

Wen Qian hadn’t managed to catch a single fish, but she was drenched in sweat from the effort. Just then, she was looking up at the Xuan Beast, which had devoured countless fish, as it wagged its tail proudly.

The sudden shout startled her. She turned her head in confusion to see an enraged Xi Zhen and a stone-faced Chi Heng.

The moment Xi Zhen spat out that word, the entire aura around Chi Heng shifted. A sense of foreboding washed over Xi Zhen, but she mustered her courage and glared defiantly at Wen Qian.

Leading the Xuan Beast, Wen Qian slowly walked over. She glanced from Chi Heng to Xi Zhen. "What’s going on?"

Chi Heng reached out, took her hand, and pulled her close. The anger in his eyes softened. "Do you want to play a little longer?"

Wen Qian shook her head and shifted her gaze back to the other woman. ’She’s certainly beautiful,’ she thought, ’with those round eyes and delicate brows, she looks quite sweet. But how can she say something so crass?’

"Hussy!" Xi Zhen, feeling uneasy under Wen Qian’s scrutiny, stiffened her neck and spat out another insult.

Wen Qian was completely bewildered by the random accusations. She glanced instinctively at Chi Heng. "Who is she? The third wheel in our relationship?"

At first, Xi Zhen didn’t understand what she meant. But the moment realization dawned, she saw Chi Heng vigorously shake his head and take a quick step away, clearly eager to disassociate himself from her.

"I don’t know her."

Those three words made Xi Zhen so furious she nearly choked. She reached out to grab Chi Heng’s arm, but he deftly sidestepped her. Shielding Wen Qian behind him, Chi Heng told Xi Zhen coldly, "It seems Commander Xi has been too busy to keep you in line. Go tell him that starting tomorrow, he no longer needs to report to the camp."

"My father has served the Wolf Clan with distinction! How can you, for some female—"

"You should get the hell out of here. Now." Chi Heng’s voice was low, his last shred of patience finally gone.

With reddened eyes, Xi Zhen stared intently at the handsome man before her. ’I knew him first. I waited for him for so long. And now, he’s treating me this way for some other female... He’s even threatening to dismiss my father.’

She sniffled loudly but kept her head held high, trying to overwhelm Wen Qian with her presence. She was completely unaware of how much she resembled a belligerent peacock puffing out its chest.

"I know your type all too well. You don’t truly love Ah Heng. Sooner or later, I’m going to teach you a lesson!"

Compared to Xi Zhen, Wen Qian seemed far more composed. After all, she couldn’t even remember who this person was. Besides, Chi Heng had already denied having any connection to her.

So Wen Qian gave her a cool glance, her tone perfectly even. "That goes both ways. While you’re thinking about teaching me a lesson, what makes you think I don’t want to give you a slap?"

’I can’t remember what my temper used to be like,’ Wen Qian thought, ’but if someone is going to stand here and curse me to my face, I’m certainly not going to indulge them. Besides, she seems terrified of Chi Heng, so she probably won’t dare to actually do anything to me...’

"You..."

Furious, Xi Zhen lunged forward to strike, only to be forcefully shoved back by Chi Heng.

Having fallen to the ground, the woman completely lost her senses. With a sharp wave of her hand, the Xuan Beast behind her instantly bared its fangs and let out a low growl.

But in the next instant, the Xuan Beast behind Wen Qian shot into the air, landing protectively in front of her and Chi Heng. It scraped its front claws against the ground, assuming a battle-ready posture.

But Chi Heng gave the Xuan Beast no chance to act. His eyes flashed, his aura turning instantly glacial and immense. "How dare you!" he snarled.

Xi Zhen’s Xuan Beast shuddered violently, and in the next second, it curled into a ball like a frightened pup. It slowly lowered its body, prostrating itself obediently before the man, all its earlier ferocity vanished.

Chi Heng stared coldly at the cowering Xuan Beast, the chill in his eyes undiminished.

Seeing this, Xi Zhen’s face flushed and paled in turn. She couldn’t believe that the Xuan Beast she had so carefully trained was this cowardly. But then again, it made sense. The Xuan Beasts for the Wolf Clan Beastmen were all assigned from above, and Chi Heng’s status in the clan was so revered that never mind a Xuan Beast, even other Beastmen couldn’t act out of line in his presence.

"Uh, maybe we should head back?" Wen Qian said. The woman across from them had eyes brimming with tears, and Wen Qian couldn’t stand to see another woman cry.

Hearing Wen Qian speak, her Xuan Beast immediately turned and nuzzled its head affectionately against her palm, a low rumble vibrating in its throat as if it were grumbling to her about the other creature.

And how did Wen Qian know this? Because the other Xuan Beast, still curled in a ball, began to tremble even more violently. Judging by the aura coming off it, this time, it was trembling with rage.

"No! You can’t leave! I won’t let you be with Ah Heng!" Xi Zhen screamed, trying to charge forward like a madwoman, only to be flung back by a heavy blow from the Xuan Beast’s wing.

The red-furred Xuan Beast froze, seething with a rage it dared not express.

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