"Here, the top is finished." Yin Ji handed her a fur top.

"Thank you." Jiang Zheyu took the fur top and went to change.

The fur top covered only the essentials, revealing her smooth, rounded shoulders, collarbones, and delicate waistline.

Jiang Zheyu was very satisfied.

"Thank you so much," Jiang Zheyu said as she came out, her face breaking into a wide smile that made her eyes crinkle.

"You don’t have to thank me." Seeing the female so happy, a smile couldn’t help but touch Yin Ji’s lips.

He had originally planned to make a full fur tunic, but the weather was too hot. He had already lengthened the skirt for the little female; if the top were any longer, she would probably overheat. So, he had decided to simply make it a wrap-around top instead.

The other females dressed this way as well, so it wasn’t particularly unusual. It was just that his Female Master was fairer than most females, and far more beautiful.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK...

A knock sounded at the door.

"Yin Ji, Grandma Witch says to bring the female over quickly! If you don’t hurry, the whole thing will be over," a Beastman shouted, pounding on the door.

Yin Ji looked at Jiang Zheyu. "Let’s go."

"Okay," Jiang Zheyu agreed.

Taking Jiang Zheyu’s hand, Yin Ji led her out.

Jiang Zheyu glanced at their joined hands and hesitated for a moment, but she didn’t pull away.

When the door opened, Yin Ji shot the Beastman a cold glance. It was the same golden-haired youth from before.

"Let’s go. If we delay any longer, the ceremony will be over," the golden-haired youth said, glancing at Yin Ji.

"Mm," Yin Ji replied coolly.

The three of them walked together toward the ceremonial platform in the tribe’s plaza.

The golden-haired youth moved to walk on Jiang Zheyu’s other side.

"Hey there, female!" the blond youth greeted Jiang Zheyu enthusiastically. "My name is Jin Zuo. What’s yours? I’m single, by the way."

Jiang Zheyu was left speechless.

’She understood each of his sentences individually, but strung together, they felt a bit odd.’

’Why did he have to add that last part about being single? Was he trying to emphasize it?’

"Hello, my name is Jiang Zheyu," she replied, just to be polite.

"What a beautiful name," the bright, enthusiastic youth praised her generously, his gaze burning as it fixed on her. "I’m still single, and I want to become your Beast Husband. Little female, will you consider accepting me?"

Jiang Zheyu’s mind went blank. ’Huh?’

’How did the topic jump so quickly to whether or not I’d accept him? To accept him as my Beast Husband?’

"After every female gets her Fertility Value tested, any single Male Beastman can make a Beast Mate proposal to a female he likes," Jin Zuo explained. "I... I figured the early bird gets the worm, so I wanted to tell you how I feel first. Later... later, you have to choose me, okay?"

After saying his piece, his cheeks seemed to flush, and he quickly fled.

Jiang Zheyu was once again speechless.

"When other Beastmen make a Beast Mate proposal to you, you can refuse all of them," Yin Ji said slowly, reminding her. "You don’t have to accept anyone."

"O-Okay," Jiang Zheyu managed, the corner of her mouth twitching.

’The only reason I’m even going to get my Fertility Value tested is to follow the tribe’s rules. I have no personal interest in it, and I certainly don’t plan on accepting any Beast Mate proposals.’

But she kept these thoughts to herself.

Soon, Yin Ji led her to a plaza with a ceremonial altar.

From a distance, Jiang Zheyu could see it was packed with people.

On a wooden platform, an old woman stood beside a large stone, and females were lining up to approach her one by one.

When Yin Ji and Jiang Zheyu arrived, all eyes in the crowd instantly turned to them—or more precisely, to Jiang Zheyu. Among the onlookers, there was no shortage of gazes filled with awe and burning desire. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"So that’s the female Yin Ji brought back?"

"Gods, she’s so beautiful!"

"I’ve never seen such a beautiful female!"

"I wonder what her Fertility Value is. I want to be her Beast Husband so badly."

...

A restless stir went through the crowd.

Noticing so many eyes on her, Jiang Zheyu frowned slightly and subconsciously tightened her grip on Yin Ji’s hand.

When Yin Ji felt her squeeze his hand, he paused. A warmth spread through his chest, and he squeezed her hand tightly in return.

"What are you looking at? She’s just another female!" a heavyset female snapped, slapping her Beast Husband across the face. "You keep looking, and see if I don’t gouge your eyes out!"

The man froze before quickly coming to his senses, lowering his head in fear.

The other females were all resentful that this outsider had captured the attention of all the Male Beastmen.

"What’s so great about her? Being that skinny just means she had a hard life and didn’t eat well."

"Who knows where she’s from. Her Fertility Value is probably so bad she was abandoned. Only an idiot like Yin Ji would bring someone like that back."

"That’s right. If she was abandoned outside, her Fertility Value must be low."

...

The crowd was buzzing with discussion. Jiang Zheyu overheard a few of their comments, but she paid them no mind. ’After all,’ she thought, ’I won’t be staying here for long anyway.’

Yin Ji escorted Jiang Zheyu to the line.

Jiang Zheyu went to the back of the line, but many curious gazes continued to size her up.

She felt deeply uncomfortable.

It felt like she was an animal in a zoo, on public display.

Jiang Zheyu was at a loss.

While waiting in line, Jiang Zheyu got a clear look at how they were measuring the Fertility Value.

The females walked one by one to the Grandma Witch, who was wrapped in a black cloak and holding a glowing stone.

When a female placed her hand on the stone, it would light up. It seemed the brighter the glow, the higher her Fertility Value.

Jiang Zheyu glanced at the stone curiously. ’Can something that measures Fertility Value actually exist?’

’This all seems so dubious.’

A small, malnourished-looking female placed her hand on the stone. It let out a faint, weak glow.

"Fertility Value: 2," the Grandma Witch announced from the side.

The female’s face instantly went pale.

With a Fertility Value that low, if no Beastman was willing to become her Beast Husband, she would be sent down to the Female Cave—in other words, abandoned there to fend for herself until she died.

On this continent, it was nearly impossible for a female to survive without a Male Beastman to provide for her.

And just as expected, after her Fertility Value was announced, not a single Male Beastman made her a Beast Mate proposal.

The small female burst into loud sobs.

"Go wait over there to the left. We’ll see if anyone is willing to make you a Beast Mate proposal later," the Grandma Witch said, frowning as she waved the girl away. "Don’t stand here blocking the way."

Jiang Zheyu watched this unfold, completely stunned.