Chapter 112
Bai Tu closed his eyes, trying to shake off everything as if it were a dream. After a moment, he opened his eyes again, only to find the familiar scene and the familiar people still there. The only difference was that the number of cubs making noise had increased from one to two. Everything else remained unchanged, and the shock from earlier still lingered.
In a flash, Bai Tu did something he hadn’t expected—he retreated back into Lang Qi’s arms, pretending to sleep.
Lang Qi: “!!!”
Lang Ze: “???” Bai An: “???”
Bai An finally reacted, albeit a bit late. If these cubs were Lang Qi’s with someone else, Bai Tu’s personality wouldn’t allow him to trust Lang Qi so much. Therefore, the possibility of Lang Qi having cubs with another wolf could be ruled out. So, whose cubs were these?
Bai An’s gaze lingered on the bamboo basket for a while, and this time he noticed something else. There were three smaller wolf cubs in total. The black one was protecting the other two, the gray one seemed to be grumbling, and the white one was searching for something under the protection of the other two.
Wolves usually give birth to one or two cubs at a time, while rabbits typically have around two, sometimes three. Bai An frowned: “Could it be that some rabbit and wolf secretly had cubs together?” But that shouldn’t be the case. Apart from Lang Qi and Bai Tu, he hadn’t heard of any other couples between the two tribes. After all, forming a partnership between different tribes was more complicated than within the same tribe, and at the very least, they would have reported it to him, the clan leader.
Hearing this, Bai Tu, who was in Lang Qi’s arms, decisively reached out his paws to cover his ears. If he didn’t hear it, it wouldn’t be awkward.
Lang Ze looked at the three cubs. If they weren’t secretly his brother’s with someone else, could he finally admit they were cute?
Lang Qi glanced at the group but ignored them. He placed the bamboo basket on the table. The cubs inside tried to climb out, but he grabbed them and put them back.
He first looked at the little rabbit pretending to sleep in his arms, then served food and fed each cub one by one. He wanted to tell everyone that these were Bai Tu’s and his cubs, but Bai Tu seemed reluctant, so he could only show off in this subtle way. Lang Ze watched as Lang Qi fed the cubs, his fingers itching to touch them.
Before he could make a move, Bai Tu climbed out of Lang Qi’s arms. After a brief moment of self-deception, Bai Tu still couldn’t trust leaving the cubs alone, especially with others around. He needed to keep an eye on them himself.
Apart from Lang Ze, the others had seen Bai Tu’s beast form before, but that was during their journey. They hadn’t gotten a good look before Lang Qi blocked their view. The little rabbit was too small, and once it climbed onto Lang Qi’s back, it was out of sight. Now, seeing Bai Tu up close for the first time, they were still surprised. Such a small rabbit was rare; the ones they had seen before were all cubs.
Lang Qi blocked their view again, picking up the little rabbit and placing it in the bamboo basket with the cubs. The size difference was even more obvious now—the little rabbit was a full size smaller than the cubs.
At this point, even the beastman who had speculated that the cubs might be Bai Tu’s began to doubt his own theory. He was glad he hadn’t spoken up, or he would have been laughed at.
When Bai Tu entered the basket, the two wolf cubs who had been eating stopped, and the three waiting to be fed by Lang Qi also stopped. They all rushed to Bai Tu’s side. Bai Tu tried to protect the cubs, but being so small, it was more like he was being protected by them. At least the two larger wolf cubs looked fiercer than him, while the little rabbit in beast form looked like something you just wanted to hold and cuddle.
But such thoughts were just that—thoughts. Everyone knew Lang Qi’s temperament. Anyone daring to touch Bai Tu now would have to be prepared to lose an arm or a leg.
However, the cubs’ dependence on Bai Tu was excessive. The group couldn’t help but exchange glances, unsure of what to make of it.
Such a small rabbit couldn’t possibly have given birth to cubs, yet these three wolf cubs were unusually affectionate toward Bai Tu. The two larger ones could be explained by the fact that Bai Tu had been raising them for a while, but what about the smaller cubs? Even if they were raised by him, they should be more attached to Lang Qi, who was feeding them.
There are three types of people cubs tend to be close to: the first is the beastman who gave birth to them and their other relatives. Some cubs maintain an innate closeness even after years of separation. The second is the beastman who raised them. Some start raising the cubs from birth, while others begin when the cubs are a bit older. Generally, the former have a closer relationship with the caregiver. The third type is beastmen who naturally have an affinity with cubs. Even if they haven’t raised them, cubs tend to be very fond of them.
The closest relationship is the first type, while the latter two are often hard to distinguish in terms of closeness, depending on the duration of care and the level of affinity. But these cubs were excessively attached to Bai Tu, which was puzzling.
The group, having unanimously ruled out the correct answer, couldn’t figure out the reason no matter how much they thought about it. They could only stand by and watch until the cubs finished eating. Then, they turned to Lang Qi: “Qi, when will Tu turn back into human form?”
Originally, this question should have been directed at Bai Tu, but in his current state, Bai Tu obviously couldn’t answer. He was busy with the cubs, so they had to ask Lang Qi. In reality, it didn’t matter who they asked now. After confirming that Lang Qi hadn’t mistreated Bai Tu, Bai An found Lang Qi and the cubs much more agreeable.
Lang Ze had been eyeing the cubs intently. Beastmen always had a soft spot for cubs of their own kind, and these three were no exception. They made his heart itch with curiosity. Since Bai Tu seemed so fond of them, did that mean there was nothing wrong with the cubs?
After wrestling with his thoughts for a while, Lang Ze finally decided to reach out and pick up one of the cubs to take a closer look. But just as he was about to make his move, Lang Qi blocked him.
“What are you doing?” Lang Qi had been about to answer Bai An’s question when he caught sight of Lang Ze’s impending mischief out of the corner of his eye. He slapped Lang Ze’s hand away, then moved the bamboo basket behind him, shielding it from Lang Ze’s reach. Only then did he continue answering Bai An, “It’ll take a few days.”
“A… few days?” Bai An was stunned. He had expected the answer to be something like “later tonight” or “tomorrow morning,” but Lang Qi had casually mentioned “a few days.”
Outside, the snow and ice were beginning to melt, and this was the critical time to finalize the design plans so they could determine which trees to cut down. If they delayed, it would waste time later when they had to replant trees after building the houses. A few days wasn’t unbearable, as the melting process would take some time, and there was still a chance of snow or rain in the coming days, which would force them to halt work anyway.
But Lang Qi’s “a few days” sounded a bit vague. Bai An couldn’t quite pin down what he meant—was it two or three days, or seven or eight? If the range was even broader, it could stretch to over ten days.
Delaying that long would push back the timeline for finalizing the plans. Lang Qi turned to look at the little rabbit behind him, who was protectively guarding the wolf cubs, then glanced at the group in front of him. After a moment of thought, he said, “Go ask Cai.”
Hearing that there was someone else who could provide an answer, Bai An nodded. “Alright, I’ll go ask Cai—wait,” he suddenly realized something and snapped out of his daze, “What do you mean, ask Cai?”
Seeing that the little rabbit playing with the cubs was about to overhear their conversation, Lang Qi raised his hand to stop Bai An from continuing. “Just go ask her.”
The little rabbit had always been reluctant to let others know he had given birth to cubs, but Lang Qi knew it was impossible to keep it a secret forever. After all, how else could they explain the three extra cubs?
Since they couldn’t discuss it in front of the little rabbit, they had no choice but to let others figure it out on their own. Lang Qi decisively passed the buck to Tu Cai.
Even though Lang Qi had said that Tu Cai knew the answer, Lang Ze still lingered in the cave, unwilling to leave. Although Lang Ze wasn’t as familiar with the cubs as Lang Qi, they were still family, and the three little wolf cubs didn’t show any obvious hostility—as long as Lang Ze didn’t get too close to them, that is.
After Bai An left, he headed straight for Tu Cai’s cave. The more he thought about it on the way, the more something felt off. Tu Cai usually spent her time either taking care of cubs or looking after pregnant beastmen. What did Bai Tu’s inability to transform back into human form have to do with her?
As he entered the cave, Bai An suddenly smacked his forehead. “Those three cubs—they were born by Bai Tu!” The cubs were so attached to Bai Tu not just because of his natural affinity but also because he was the one who had given birth to them. After much deliberation, Bai An concluded that this had to be the reason.
“How is that possible?” someone following Bai An retorted. “Bai Tu is so small. How could he give birth to wolf cubs?” The wolf cubs were even bigger than Bai Tu’s beast form.
Another beastman, who had been entertaining the same idea, chimed in, “Maybe they’re different? If the cubs were any smaller, how would they even survive?” Rabbit cubs were already small enough, not as robust as cubs from other species, and required meticulous care. The three wolf cubs were about the same size as rabbit cubs. If they were any smaller, they probably wouldn’t survive.
The two sides argued for a while without reaching a conclusion. Hearing the commotion, Tu Cai came out and found the group debating whether the cubs Lang Qi had brought were Bai Tu’s. After a moment of silence, she asked a simple question: “Other than Bai Tu’s cubs, would Lang Qi ever take care of someone else’s cubs?”
The group had an epiphany. This wasn’t even a question worth debating. Just by observing Lang Qi’s attitude toward the cubs, the truth was obvious. They had simply been blinded by the size difference and dismissed the truth outright.
Not everyone knew how to use the transportation tools Bai Tu had invented, and since it was easy to lose control and get injured, the group of beastmen who frequently visited were mostly from Lang Ze’s team.
The rest of the wolf tribe mostly stayed in their own territory. Due to the arrangements made when personnel were initially assigned, the wolves staying in the Snow Rabbit Tribe were predominantly male, with only a few females, most of whom already had partners.
They were aware of a few wolf couples who had recently had cubs, and those cubs were being raised by their parents. None of the wolf cubs were separated from their families. Otherwise, Bai An wouldn’t have been wondering if any white wolves had recently visited.
After thinking it through, Bai An realized the answer had been right in front of him all along. He glanced at Tu Cai, cleared his throat to mask his embarrassment, and got back to the main issue: “Let’s set that aside for now. When will Bai Tu be able to transform back into human form?”
Everyone was waiting for Bai Tu to make arrangements. If his transformation was delayed, their work would have to be postponed accordingly. As for the other matter, he needed some time to process it. He’d come to terms with it slowly after he returned.
It was true that some male beastmen could give birth, but when they saw Bai Tu’s beast form, they had immediately ruled out that possibility. Even now, it was hard to wrap their heads around.
Tu Cai calculated the time. “After giving birth, it usually takes half a month to a month… It’s been about five or six days now, so it should be soon.”
Bai An received the answer, dazedly responded, and momentarily couldn’t distinguish whether the more baffling matter was how many days it would take for Bai Tu to return to human form or the fact that Bai Tu had actually given birth to the cubs.
Tu Cai noticed that Bai An remained silent even after hearing the answer and asked curiously, “Do you have any other questions?”
She was still waiting to see Bai Tu’s cubs. Since expectant beastmen were more vigilant than usual, she had stopped questioning Bai Tu the moment she sensed his unease and had later informed Lang Qi about important precautions.
The pregnancy period for beastmen varied, with the rabbit tribe being one of the shortest among the familiar species. Bai Tu, possibly due to his smaller beast form, had an even shorter pregnancy than other rabbits in the tribe. Tu Cai knew the cubs had already been born but had yet to see them. Since Bai An had just come from Bai Tu’s cave, did that mean Bai Tu had already recovered?
Even though she knew that Bai Tu and Lang Qi both had experience in taking care of cubs, Tu Cai still decided to check for herself—otherwise, she wouldn’t feel at ease. However, since the people in front of her weren’t leaving, she couldn’t go yet. Thinking of this, Tu Cai urged, “If there’s nothing else, I’m heading out.” It was already dark, and if she didn’t leave soon, Bai Tu would be resting.
“It’s just…” Bai An thought for a moment but still couldn’t figure it out. “Why are the cubs so big? Were they secretly raised over the winter? Or is Bai Tu helping Lang Qi raise them?”
He gestured to show the size of the three wolf cubs. They were definitely smaller than the two bigger ones but still larger than the newborn wolf cubs he had seen before. Given Bai Tu’s beast form, it shouldn’t be possible for him to give birth to such large cubs.
Bai An couldn’t help but worry. Could it be that Lang Qi had brought cubs from elsewhere for Bai Tu to raise and then told others they were Bai Tu’s? Was Bai Tu suffering in silence to avoid offending the wolf tribe?
It wasn’t that Bai An was overthinking. Similar incidents had happened before. Of course, in those cases, the truth was eventually exposed, and the beastman who smuggled in an outsider’s cubs was severely beaten by others.
Bai An’s thoughts spiraled more wildly, and he once again forgot about the importance of keeping his speculations in check. He had simply heard too many outrageous stories, and considering that he hadn’t known about Bai Tu’s pregnancy until today, it was hard not to overthink when he suddenly saw the cubs.
Tu Cai rolled her eyes. “Bai Tu conceived before winter and just didn’t tell anyone. I only found out recently. Don’t worry, they are Bai Tu’s. It’s normal for the cubs to be a bit bigger—newborns grow fast. Besides, Bai Tu likely gave birth in human form.” However, after giving birth, he was too weak and exhausted, which caused him to revert to his beast form.
A few decades ago, there were many small-sized beastmen. Tu Cai had never witnessed it herself, but she had heard stories. While they had the ability to give birth, their reproductive process differed slightly from that of regular beastmen. Normally, beastmen gave birth in beast form unless an unexpected circumstance, like premature labor due to external stimuli, forced them to deliver in human form.
For small-bodied beastmen, human-form births were the norm. Some remained in human form after giving birth, while others, if too weak or overwhelmed by having multiple cubs, would revert to beast form. There was also a rarer situation where, if food was plentiful or the environment was safe, a beastman might voluntarily stay in beast form for a while to accompany the cubs.
This was the first time Tu Cai had personally encountered a small-bodied beastman giving birth. She had only felt reassured after confirming Bai Tu’s health with Lang Qi. But asking was not the same as seeing for herself. Seeing Bai An and the others loitering in front of her was getting annoying. “Alright, go ahead and keep overthinking. I’m leaving.”
Meanwhile, Bai Tu remained unaware of how many people were worrying about him. He was currently watching a commotion with his cubs.
The center of that commotion? None other than Lang Ze.
Lang Ze took advantage of Lang Qi’s distraction and stretched out a finger to push over the small black wolf cub. Perhaps because the cub resembled Lang Qi too much, Lang Ze found amusement in bullying a miniature version of his older brother. Just as he was about to push it a second time, Bai Tu caught him in the act.
Under normal circumstances, Bai Tu wouldn’t have reacted to such a light push. However, Lang Ze had no idea how fiercely protective beastmen became after giving birth. Seeing the black cub topple over, Bai Tu didn’t care whether Lang Ze had used force or not—he immediately pounced and started scratching.
Since Lang Ze hadn’t washed his hands, Bai Tu didn’t bite but used his claws instead. At first, Lang Ze laughed at Bai Tu’s weak attacks, but in the next moment, his world flipped upside down—Lang Qi had tackled him to the ground, making him experience firsthand what the black cub had just gone through.
Bai Tu clung to the edge of a bamboo basket, watching while shielding the cubs. Not only did he have no intention of stopping the fight, but he also seemed thoroughly entertained.
It was at this moment that Tu Cai knocked on the door outside, wanting to check on Bai Tu. With Lang Qi around, Bai Tu was more accepting of others entering, as long as they didn’t stay too long inside the cave.
Upon seeing Bai Tu in beast form, Tu Cai was momentarily surprised and immediately understood why Bai An had so many doubts. She had heard before that Bai Tu’s beast form was small, but descriptions varied wildly depending on who gave them. Since most people had only caught a glimpse from afar, their accounts ranged from “fist-sized” to “as big as a newborn cub” to “two palm widths.” These descriptions gave Tu Cai a vague idea, but seeing it with her own eyes was still unexpected.
However, despite his small size, Bai Tu looked healthy and in good spirits, which reassured Tu Cai. Knowing that Bai Tu wouldn’t allow others near the cubs for a while, she only took a quick glance before greeting him and leaving.
Bai Tu didn’t look away until she had completely exited the cave. Behind him, the cubs had all fallen asleep, yet he still didn’t rest. Instead, he kept his gaze fixed on Lang Ze.
After being thoroughly reprimanded by Lang Qi, Lang Ze no longer dared to mess with the cubs. Seeing Bai Tu staring at him, he wanted to go over and chat—after all, it had been more than ten days since he last saw Bai Tu. The scratches Bai Tu had given him didn’t even leave a mark, and Lang Ze quickly forgot about them, still convinced he was Bai Tu’s favorite little brother.
However, Bai Tu, in his current state, bore grudges like never before. The moment Lang Ze approached, he tensed up in vigilance.
Lang Qi immediately noticed Bai Tu’s expression change and wasted no time dragging Lang Ze out. “You’re staying here. Don’t come out.” It was too late to send him away, so Lang Qi coldly shoved Lang Ze into the cubs’ previous sleeping quarters.
Perhaps because too many people had visited the day before, Bai Tu woke up before dawn the next day. Unlike before, this time, he had an overwhelming urge to return to human form.
With that impulse, staying in the nest was no longer comfortable. Bai Tu grabbed a handful of Lang Qi’s tail fur, waking him up. Lang Qi’s eyes snapped open instantly, and he carefully removed Bai Tu’s paw before shifting into human form and leaning closer. “Are you hungry?”
Bai Tu shook his head and pointed at the sleeping cubs beside him, signaling Lang Qi to move them aside.
Lang Qi had done this countless times before, growing more adept each time. With little effort, he carefully relocated the cubs one by one before lifting Bai Tu out of the nest. Once back on the bed, Bai Tu stretched lazily, then gradually transformed back into human form.
A flash of delight passed through Lang Qi’s eyes, and he immediately grabbed a piece of fur from the side, wrapping Bai Tu up tightly. “It’s cold.”
“I’m not cold,” Bai Tu shook his head. And he meant it—likely because Lang Qi had kept the cave especially warm for the cubs. Lately, Lang Qi himself hadn’t even used a fur covering, opting instead to surround himself and the cubs with warmth.
After securing the fur around Bai Tu, Lang Qi didn’t let go. Instead, he instinctively pulled him into his arms, rubbing his face against Bai Tu’s. “Does your stomach hurt? Your head? Your feet? Do you want water? Are you hungry?” It had only been a few days, but Lang Qi felt like it had been forever since he last heard Bai Tu speak. He wished he could take him somewhere far from the cubs and just talk all day.
The more Bai Tu listened, the more he felt overwhelmed. He reached up to cover Lang Qi’s mouth. “Nothing hurts, nowhere. I don’t need water, and I’m not hungry.”
Hearing this, Lang Qi still lowered his hand to touch Bai Tu’s stomach. Bai Tu had lost weight after giving birth. When Bai Tu was in beast form, Lang Qi had focused on taking care of both him and the cubs. But now, with Bai Tu back in human form, Lang Qi’s entire attention zeroed in on him, his heart aching even more.
“I’m sorry,” Lang Qi whispered, holding Bai Tu tightly. He had been carrying these words in his heart for a long time. Even if it had been a different version of himself without memories who had caused it, it was still his fault.
“It’s okay,” Bai Tu said casually. Returning to human form also meant his thought process was clearer, and instincts had less influence. But he still didn’t understand why Lang Qi was suddenly apologizing.
Lang Qi didn’t say anything more. He just held Bai Tu closer, as if trying to meld him into his very being.
“Alright, alright.” Bai Tu never expected that after waking up, he wouldn’t just have five cubs to take care of—now he had an oversized one too. Seeing Lang Qi like this, he suddenly understood his thoughts. “It’s really nothing, the cubs are still here.”
Hearing this, Lang Qi turned his head and met the curious gaze of the gray wolf cub.
Lang Qi: “…”
Sensing Lang Qi’s sudden stiffness, Bai Tu turned around and was momentarily stunned when he saw the cub’s bright, lively eyes. He had only spoken casually—he hadn’t expected that one of the cubs would actually be awake.
But before either of them could react, the gray wolf cub let out an excited cry.
It was already close to the time when the cubs would start waking up, and with that one cry, the others began stirring one by one. The moment they saw Bai Tu, they all started calling out to him.
Bai Tu nudged Lang Qi. “Go make breakfast.” Time for the doting father to get to work.
Today, Lang Qi couldn’t cook while carrying his little bunny, but he didn’t mind. Instead, he was in such a good mood that he kissed the corner of Bai Tu’s mouth before happily heading off to prepare food for Bai Tu and the cubs.
Now, only Bai Tu and the cubs were left in the bedroom. Listening to them call for him one after another, he clapped his hands. “Come here, Daddy will hold you.”
For their safety, the cubs couldn’t leave the nest on their own, so Bai Tu had to pick them up one by one.
In their current form, the cubs were larger than Bai Tu’s beast form but still much smaller compared to his human form. Bai Tu was able to scoop them all into his arms effortlessly. A beastman with a large beast form could do this even in that state, but Bai Tu could only manage it in human form.
Having Bai Tu close made the cubs happy, and being held in his arms made them even happier. One by one, they nestled into his embrace, curling up in familiar spots, ready to sleep again. For newborns, almost every moment outside of eating, drinking, and relieving themselves was spent sleeping—and this was true even for three-year-old cubs.
Bai Tu adjusted the fur covering them, gently soothing them through the soft material. “Sleep now, Daddy’s here.”
The food would take some time to prepare, and Bai Tu knew Lang Qi wouldn’t be done for a while. With several cubs snuggled up against him, he decided to close his eyes and rest as well. The warm, safe atmosphere made sleep irresistible. Bai Tu yawned, his mind slowly drifting, so much so that he didn’t even notice when one of the cubs slipped away from his embrace.
Half-asleep, Bai Tu vaguely felt something nudging him.
Not wanting to open his eyes, he patted his chest reassuringly. “Be good, Daddy’s here.”
Then, something touched his other hand. The sensation wasn’t quite like that of a cub.
Bai Tu slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the ceiling of the cave. Before he could fully wake up, there was more movement beside him.
“Da… Da…” A young, clear, and unmistakably articulate voice came from near his wrist.
Bai Tu froze.
Silently, he pulled the blanket up to cover himself completely.
He must have gotten up too quickly—because he was now hearing a child call him “Daddy.”
Thank you for the chapter!