Help! I transmigrated to a Beast World-Chapter 88: Fish-Gut Fiasco

"Where did you learn this, Zhao Li?" Měi Lán asked, her tone serious now.

"Papa tells me stories! About the old times! Before I was born!" Zhao Li smiled. "He says the goddess chooses special people! And gives them marks! And they do important things!"

"What kind of important things?" Xin Yi pressed.

"I do not know!" Zhao Li shrugged. "Papa did not say! He just said if I ever see someone with the mark, I should be very nice to them because they are special!"

She looked at Xin Yi. "Are YOU special, Pretty Lady?"

Xin Yi’s throat felt tight. "I......I do not know, baby."

"I think you are!" Zhao Li hugged her. "You are the MOST special!"

[DING! (╥﹏╥)]

[Wholesome moment achieved!]

[Zhao Li is precious!]

[Also, major information unlocked! ☆]

Ài Yún cleared her throat. "We should finish getting ready. The ceremony will start soon."

"Right." Xin Yi looked in the mirror again. At her disaster hair. "Um......can we maybe fix this a little bit?"

"NO!" Zhao Li protested. "It is perfect!"

"It is very......unique," Měi Lán said diplomatically.

"It looks like a drunk bird made a nest," Xin Yi muttered.

[DING! (≧▽≦)]

[Accurate assessment!]

[But Host must wear it anyway!]

[Social obligation! ☆]

Zhao Li’s lower lip started to tremble. "You......you do not like it?"

Oh no.

Oh NO.

"I LOVE it!" Xin Yi said quickly. "It is beautiful! The most beautiful hair I have ever had! I was just.....admiring it! Yes! Admiring!"

The lip stopped trembling. "Really?"

"Really! I will wear it exactly like this! With pride!"

"YAY!" Zhao Li bounced happily.

Ài Yún and Měi Lán exchanged a look that clearly said: You are doomed.

[DING! (¬‿¬)]

[Host is going to the ceremony with THAT hair]

[Sha Chen’s reaction will be priceless!]

[This is peak comedy! ☆]

~

The hunting ceremony was held in the largest clearing in the settlement.

A massive bonfire blazed in the center. Warriors stood in formation, their kills displayed proudly before them. Deer. Boar. Even a massive bear that had taken four wolves to bring down.

The entire tribe had gathered. Hundreds of wolves. All dressed in their finest clothing. All watching.

And at the head of it all, on an elevated platform, sat Sha Chen.

He was in his full Alpha regalia. White fur cloak. Gold jewelry. His long black-to-white ombre hair flowing down his back. His white eyes surveying his people with authority.

He looked like a king.

Xin Yi hated how good he looked.

"There is your seat," Ài Yún whispered, pointing to a cushion beside Sha Chen’s throne.

"I have to sit NEXT to him?"

"You are part of his harem. It is expected."

"I hate this."

[DING! (◕‿◕)]

[Host is about to face Sha Chen]

[With disaster hair]

[After their big fight]

[Good luck! ☆]

Xin Yi took a deep breath and walked forward.

Every eye turned to her.

Whispers rippled through the crowd.

"Is that the new female?"

"The one the Alpha brought back?"

"Why is her hair like that?"

"Did a bird attack her?"

Xin Yi’s face burned red. She climbed the platform steps, approaching the throne.

Sha Chen’s eyes flicked to her.

Then to her hair.

His expression did not change. But she saw his eye twitch. Just slightly.

[DING! (≧▽≦)]

[Sha Chen’s internal reaction: WHAT IS THAT]

[His external reaction: poker face]

[Professional Alpha behavior! ☆]

"Xin Yi," he said. His voice was cool. Distant.

"Alpha," she replied. Equally cold.

She sat down on the cushion. As far from him as physically possible while still technically being "beside" him.

Silence.

Awkward, heavy silence.

The other harem females were on the other side of the platform. Zi Jue was glaring. Xue Mei looked bored. Ling Yu was whispering to Měi Lán.

Bái Fēng stepped forward. "Alpha! The warriors have returned! They bring tribute from the Great Hunt!"

"Let them present," Sha Chen said.

One by one, the warriors came forward.

Each one knelt, presented their kill, and spoke of the hunt.

"I bring a stag, Alpha! Twelve points! Taken in the eastern woods!"

"I bring a boar, Alpha! Fought for three hours! Nearly gored me!"

"I bring rabbits, Alpha! Seven of them! Very fast! Very clever!"

It went on.

And on.

And ON.

Xin Yi tried to pay attention. Really, she did.

But she was so BORED.

[DING! (...)]

[Ceremony progress: 15%]

[Estimated time remaining: 2 HOURS]

[Host’s patience: DYING]

She glanced at Sha Chen.

He was watching the presentations with perfect focus. Perfect posture. Perfect Alpha behavior. Showing no sign that he had screamed at her just a few hours ago.

Infuriating.

She looked away.

Tried to focus on the warriors.

Failed.

Her stomach growled.

[DING! (¬‿¬)]

[Host is hungry again]

[Should have eaten more honey cakes! ☆]

Another warrior came forward. "Alpha! I bring a bear! The largest in living memory! It took four of us to—"

"Yes, yes, very impressive," Xin Yi muttered under her breath.

Sha Chen’s eye twitched again.

But he said nothing.

The ceremony continued. More warriors. More kills. More speeches about bravery and honor and the glory of the hunt.

Xin Yi’s mind wandered.

She thought about Qing Lin. About Azure Scale. About Xiao Long and his sweet face.

She thought about the mark on her ankle. About Mán Shū. About why a goddess would mark her. She thought about how much her butt hurt from sitting on this cushion for so long.

[DING! (⊙_⊙)]

[Ceremony progress: 47%]

[Host is falling asleep]

[Stay awake! ☆]

Her head nodded forward.

She jerked awake.

Looked around.

No one had noticed....well no one except Sha Chen. Who was looking at her with the SMALLEST smirk.

She glared at him.

He looked away.

Back to perfect Alpha mode.

UGH.

Finally, FINALLY, the last warrior presented his kill.

"And thus concludes the Great Hunt!" Bái Fēng announced. "All warriors have shown great skill! Great courage! The Alpha is pleased!"

"I am pleased," Sha Chen confirmed. He stood. "You have all done well. The tribe is fed. The weak have been culled. The balance is maintained."

The warriors bowed.

"FEAST!" Sha Chen declared.

The crowd ROARED with approval.

Tables were brought out. Food was distributed, and the celebration began. Music started playing. Drums and flutes and some kind of string instrument that Xin Yi did not recognize.

Sha Chen sat back down.

Still not looking at her.

Still ignoring her completely.

Fine.

Two could play that game.

She stood up.

"Where are you going?" he asked. The first words he had spoken to her since the ceremony started.

"To get food," she said coolly. "Since I am HUNGRY. And you are IGNORING me."

"I am not ignoring you."

"You have not looked at me once."

"I looked at you when you arrived."

"That does not count."

"Why not?"

"Because you were looking at my HAIR. Not at ME."

His lips twitched. "Your hair is.....interesting."

"Zhao Li did it."

"I assumed."

"She was very proud."

"I am sure she was."

They stared at each other. The tension was thick, and uncomfortable.

CRASH

One of the warriors had knocked over a table.

Food went EVERYWHERE.

The warrior slipped on a piece of meat, fell, knocked into another warrior.

Who fell into a THIRD warrior.

Who crashed into the bonfire.

His pants caught on fire.

"AHHHH!" he screamed. "I AM ON FIRE!"

"ROLL! ROLL!" someone yelled.

He rolled....directly into a barrel of rice wine. Which exploded. Wine went EVERYWHERE.

Drenching at least ten wolves.

Including Zi Jue who screamed. "MY DRESS! MY NEW DRESS!"

She tried to step away from the wine and instead she slipped, falling directly into a pile of fish guts that had been set aside for disposal.

The crowd went SILENT...until someone started laughing. Then another. Then EVERYONE. The entire tribe was howling with laughter.

Zi Jue sat in the fish guts, covered in wine, her dress ruined, her face BRIGHT red with humiliation.

Xin Yi tried not to laugh.

Failed.

Giggled.

Then laughed harder.

She looked at Sha Chen. He too was trying SO HARD not to smile. His lips were pressed together, and his shoulders were shaking.

"Do not laugh," he muttered to himself. "Do not laugh. You are the Alpha. Alphas do not—"

He snorted, and finally gave in. The Alpha burst out laughing. Deep uncontrollable laughter.

Xin Yi stared at him. She had never seen him laugh like this. Never seen him so......unguarded.

It was...

It was actually kind of nice. Ugh why am I thinking like this?

[DING! (◕‿◕)]

[Shared laughter detected!]

[Ice = BROKEN]

[Relationship status: Slightly improved! ☆]

Zi Jue scrambled to her feet. "This is NOT FUNNY!"

"It is a LITTLE funny," Měi Lán called out.

"SHUT UP!"

Zi Jue stormed off, leaving a trail of fish guts and wine behind her. The laughter continued, and eventually the celebration resumed.

And for the first time since their fight, Sha Chen properly looked at Xin Yi.

"Your hair really does look like a bird’s nest," he said.

"I know."

"With flowers."

"Yes."

"It is terrible."

"Zhao Li was very proud of it."

"I am sure she was."

They looked at each other.

Then, simultaneously, they both started laughing again.

[DING! (≧▽≦)]

[COMEDY ACHIEVED!]

[Hunting ceremony = SUCCESS]

[Despite disaster hair and fish gut incidents! ☆]