A vicious female is trapped in a beastly hell.

Chapter 22 Touching the Fox's Tail

Upon hearing the strange sound, Shen Tang's face instantly turned red. Recalling the scenes on certain late-night websites, she didn't know whether she should go in, fearing she might witness an embarrassing scene.

"System, what's going on?"

[Shen Li is currently undergoing a breakthrough, triggering a mental frenzy. This is the moment when his mind and body are at their weakest. Host, seize the opportunity.]

Shen Tang hesitated at the cave entrance, unsure if rushing in would backfire. "What will happen if I fail to advance?"

The system simply provided two words.
【will die. 】

Shen Tang's heart sank slightly, but Shen Li was, after all, the male lead, and he hadn't even met the female lead yet. He shouldn't die so easily, right?

The system then issued a warning: "Forced death of the target will automatically result in mission failure. Please do not take any chances."

Shen Tang couldn't bear the risk, so she gritted her teeth and went into the cave.

In the dimly lit cave, Shen Li leaned against the wall, his long, bright red hair, as smooth as silk, cascading messily over his shoulders. An unnatural flush appeared on his handsome face, yet his expression betrayed his suppressed pain, and sweat almost soaked through his clothes…

He clenched his fists so tightly they almost pierced his palms.

Reason gradually began to slip away.

Revealing its fiery red fox ears and long, bushy tail, it enters a semi-beastly state—a harbinger of losing control.

Suddenly, Shen Li heard footsteps coming from the cave entrance. His cold pupils contracted sharply, and he quickly drew the pistol from his leg wrap.

They were just waiting for the intruder to walk in before shooting him in the head!
"...Shen Li, it's me."

A familiar, cautious voice came from the doorway.

A hint of surprise flashed in Shen Li's gradually unfocused eyes, as if he had misheard. Why would that female be here?

Clang! The pistol fell to the ground, and Shen Li's slender body instantly lost its strength and slumped into the corner.

He leaned against the cold, hard stone wall, propped up on one leg, head bowed, his forehead damp with cold sweat, his Adam's apple bobbing violently, veins bulging on his neck, and the frantic beating of his pulse faintly visible.

Shen Tang came in and witnessed this scene; the man's condition was worse than she had imagined.

She tensed up, glancing nervously at Shen Li's flushed face. It looked a bit like... he was in heat?

[The host guessed correctly. Orcs experience intense cravings for female comfort during periods of mental agitation, and this craving triggers hormonal changes... In short, Shen Li's current state is very similar to that of an orc entering their mating season. Host, keep trying to win him over!]

Shen Tang's lips twitched. Being in heat doesn't mean she'll accept anyone. She didn't want to force herself on someone and end up with another Xiao Jin.

"Who let you come here?" Shen Li's voice was hoarse and cold, completely different from his gentle demeanor during the day!
“I needed to find you, but you weren’t there. Someone said they saw you heading this way, so I followed to check. I heard voices coming from inside the cave, and it turned out to be you.”

Shen Tang walked towards him.

Shen Li's face was deathly pale, his eyes were even more bloodshot, and his voice was cold and violent, "Get out of my way, stay away from me!"

Shen Tang pursed her lips nervously, a sense of unease flashing through her heart. How come this was different from what the system had described about the heat cycle?
That's... way too fierce!
A bold idea suddenly flashed through Shen Tang's mind.

It's quite common for orcs to go into a frenzy, so Shen Li didn't need to run all the way to hide in the cave. Staying in the army would actually make it easier for him to get help from females... Unless, his unusual behavior makes it seem like his secret has been discovered by outsiders!

If Shen Li really is faking his identity, then his only flaw is that when he is in a genetic frenzy, he will lose control of his beast form and reveal his true appearance...

Shen Tang swallowed hard and tentatively said, "I just want to comfort you. If this drags on any longer, it will be too late for you to turn into your beast form—ah!" Shen Li suddenly pounced on her and pinned her to the ground, his hands transforming into sharp claws as he gripped her neck tightly.

The pale moonlight streamed into the cave entrance, half of the man's face was hidden in shadow, and his beast-like red eyes flashed with a cold light, like a deadly ghost.

Shen Tang's heart was pounding and she was having trouble breathing. She had witnessed the drastic change in Shen Li's expression in that instant... Had he been pretending all these years? Why? Was he really an orphan who had been found and taken in by accident when he ended up in the palace?
Shen Tang dared not think any further. Smuggled? Or a spy?
Shen Tang avoided the man's cold, murderous gaze, effectively concealing her panic. She pursed her lips, her voice trembling, a mixture of grievance and fear in her voice, "I...I know you hate me. If you don't want me to provide emotional support, then forget it."

"I must have been out of my mind. I was worried something would happen to you, so I went to all this trouble!"

"..." Shen Li's lips were tightly pressed together, and his grip on his palm loosened slightly as he said in a deep voice, "You are not allowed to mention what happened today to anyone else!"

His eyes still held a chilling glint, as if he would immediately deal with the woman in front of him if she said the wrong thing, leaving her body to rot in the wilderness, so that no one would know of it.

Shen Tang nodded vigorously, "I! I didn't see anything!"

Shen Li wanted to say something more, but he completely lost his strength, let out a painful whimper, and collapsed heavily to the ground.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shen Tang escaped his control and ran away.

Just as he reached the cave entrance, a low, hoarse, and pained voice came from behind him, "Come back!"

She turned and walked back to his side, looking aggrieved yet stubborn, "Didn't you tell me to get lost?"

Shen Li remained silent, feeling the power within him becoming increasingly uncontrollable. He closed his eyes, resigned to his fate, and said, "Mental soothing, let's begin."

With his approval, Shen Tang was eager to try, and her gaze couldn't help but fall on the man's handsome and flawless face.

Shen Li, who was usually too gentle and composed, was now disheveled, with red eyes and a deadly allure emanating from him. He was simply the legendary vixen who brought ruin to the country!

The fluffy, soft, fiery red fox tail swayed gently, occasionally brushing against her calves and ankles. Shen Tang couldn't resist the urge to touch it, and took advantage of the situation to secretly give it a pat. The fluffy feel was simply intoxicating!
Unexpectedly, Shen Li discovered her little act of groping. He instantly opened his eyes, looking at her with disgust, "What are you doing?"

"My hand slipped, my hand slipped," Shen Tang said with an embarrassed laugh.

Shen Li's expression was deep and thoughtful, but at this moment, he was too lazy to argue with this lecherous woman anymore.

Shen Tang dared not make any more outrageous moves and devoted herself wholeheartedly to the work of comforting Shen Li. The white light in her palm slowly dispelled the black aura on Shen Li's body.

After the black mist cleared away, Shen Tang turned her head and looked at the man beside her. His eyes were closed and his breathing was even... he had fallen asleep.

She was almost out of energy.

Thanks to the crystal that Shen Li gave her last time, Shen Tang only felt physically tired and did not faint as embarrassingly as last time.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing the side quest: Provide emotional support to at least one male lead. Reward: 1 slimming pill. The reward has been automatically added to your system inventory. Please check it yourself!]

Shen Tang glanced at Shen Li, who was lying unconscious on the ground. She couldn't drag such a big person back, nor could she call others for help. She guessed that Shen Li would wake up soon, so she didn't pay any more attention to him and rushed back to the team.

While taking a shower that evening, Shen Tang took a slimming pill.

The system reminded her that she could use the skin cream again.

There was only one last portion of the skin cream left, so Shen Tang decided to use it all at once.

(End of this chapter)