Chapter 142
Before things could escalate into a full-blown father-son feud, Bai Tu decisively separated them.
Lang Ying, completely oblivious to his father’s simmering frustration, continued repeating those two words.
Lang Qi: “…”
Bai Tu: “He’s only three. Three.” Bai Tu emphasized.
On the Beast God Continent, three-year-old cubs were at the stage of absorbing all kinds of knowledge. Their learning had no filters—they soaked up everything around them like sponges, repeating whatever they heard, regardless of context or who said it.
Lang Qi stared at him silently. Out of all the things they had said in the past few minutes, the cub had specifically chosen to repeat that phrase. And that wasn’t intentional?
“Uh…” Bai Tu was momentarily speechless.
He muttered under his breath about his son selling him out and quickly tried to recall what they had been talking about earlier. Eventually, he found an explanation. “Everything else had too many words—this was the shortest phrase!”
It was true. Although they no longer needed long-winded explanations to understand each other, even just stating the key points took several words. This particular phrase, however, was completely unnecessary—and also happened to be just three characters long.
As for why Lang Ying had only repeated the last two words and not the first “I,” Bai Tu hastily came up with another excuse. “He already knows what ‘I’ means, so he wasn’t curious about that part—just about ‘useless.’ Let’s not make a big deal out of it. How about we just send them to bed soon, okay?”
Lang Qi said nothing. Bai Tu knew he wasn’t the type to respond well to forceful arguments, so he pressed on. “I just got back. I’ve only spent a little time with them. Let me stay with them for a bit longer, just a little while, okay?”
In the end, Lang Qi couldn’t bear to refuse Bai Tu’s request and gave a soft grunt of approval.
The matter was settled.
Bai Tu smiled and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek.
Lang Qi’s expression finally eased.
But just then, Lang Ying gleefully repeated, “Useless!” again, seemingly proud of how well he had memorized the phrase. To celebrate, he even raised his tiny hands and clapped twice in encouragement.
Lang Qi paused.
Bai Tu: “…” Oh, Baby… Daddy can’t save you this time.
Completely unaware of how close he was to a beating, Lang Ying finished congratulating himself and then turned to urge his brother to join in.
Lang Sui glanced at Lang Ying, then at their fathers. After a moment’s hesitation, he decided not to follow his little brother’s lead.
Bai Tu let out a sigh of relief—at least one of them had some sense.
However, his relief lasted no more than two seconds before Lang Sui suddenly looked at Lang Qi and called out, “Father.”
Both Bai Tu and Lang Qi were utterly stunned.
Although the cubs had long since accepted Lang Qi as their father, they had never called him that—not once since they learned to speak.
Before either of them could fully process the moment, Lang Ying followed up from behind with another enthusiastic “Useless!”
Bai Tu reacted instantly, covering Lang Ying’s mouth before he could say another word. He turned back to Lang Sui. “Say it again.”
Lang Sui obediently repeated, “Father.”
Two syllables, clear and distinct.
Bai Tu nudged Lang Qi. “Quick, answer him!”
Lang Qi hesitated for a second, then gave a small nod. “Mm.”
Bai Tu then looked down at Lang Ying, still muffled under his hand. “Ying baby, do you want to call him Father too?” He was very concerned about what would come out of his mouth once he let go.
Lang Ying lifted his head and saw Bai Tu’s expectant gaze. He nodded obediently.
Bai Tu cautiously released his hand.
“Father!” Lang Ying called out loud and clear.
The way they both said it was so precise and clear that it was hard to believe they had struggled for months to learn the word. Bai Tu glanced at Lang Qi, who had only responded with two brief hums and had otherwise remained silent. He wanted to say something but hesitated.
In some ways, the cubs were very much like Lang Qi.
But as for Lang Sui—Bai Tu sneakily poked him when Lang Qi wasn’t looking. This little rascal. He had clearly learned how to say it a long time ago but had deliberately waited until now to say it.
Lang Qi, unaware of Bai Tu’s inner thoughts, seemed to be in a good mood. Since both cubs had finally called him “Father,” he uncharacteristically didn’t remind Bai Tu to send them to bed right away.
Bai Tu didn’t bring it up either. Whether Lang Qi had forgotten or was intentionally ignoring it, Bai Tu took the chance to stay with the cubs longer.
The three little ones had slept too much during the day and were now bursting with energy. Having their favorite parent right beside them only made them even more excited. Especially the little gray one—one moment he was running back and forth, the next he was wrestling with his brothers, and then he was back at Bai Tu’s side again.
Bai Tu simply watched, letting them play around him.
After calling Lang Qi “Father” twice, Lang Sui and Lang Ying clung to Bai Tu. Seeing their younger brothers still running around, they shifted back into their beast forms and joined the fun.
The two older cubs and three younger ones ran around playing in front of Bai Tu. The white-furred cub barely managed to keep up—after running for a short while, he got tired and made his way to Bai Tu’s side, lifting his little paws and clambering onto his lap. He lay across Bai Tu’s knees, watching his brothers play, but it wasn’t long before he got dizzy from tracking the smallest one’s rapid movements. His eyelids drooped, and he slowly closed his eyes.
The black-furred cub quickly noticed that one of his brothers was missing. He scanned the room and soon spotted him on Bai Tu’s lap. Without hesitation, he trotted over, climbed up, and lay down next to his white-furred brother.
The gray-furred cub had been running the fastest, but now, he too was exhausted. He glanced between Bai Tu and Lang Qi before ultimately choosing his favorite—his dad.
That left only the two older cubs, Lang Sui and Lang Ying, still playfully roughhousing on the bed.
Watching them, Bai Tu turned to Lang Qi and brought up another matter. “Should we send them to the nursery after the rainy season?”
Wolf cubs were meant to be raised alongside their own kind. Technically, the two of them should have joined the nursery before the rainy season, but at that time, they were living in the Snow Rabbit Tribe, while the rest of the wolf cubs were in the Blood Wolf Tribe. The distance between them was too great, and the two had been slightly smaller than their peers back then, so they weren’t sent to join the others.
Now that both tribes had relocated to the same residential area, even those living at opposite ends were much closer than before. The nursery was centrally located, making it easily accessible for everyone. More importantly, it was about time for the cubs to start playing and socializing with their peers.
To be honest, Bai Tu felt reluctant. In his eyes, they were still toddlers who had just learned to walk. Though they were technically three years old, they felt more like one-year-olds to him. But he also understood the importance of integration—if they didn’t join the nursery now, they might struggle to fit in later.
Bai Tu kissed the cubs on their foreheads, comforting himself with the thought that they would only be away during the day and would still come home at night. In reality, they wouldn’t be spending that much less time together.
The cubs, oblivious to their father’s feelings, saw Bai Tu kiss them and immediately reached up, grabbing his face to kiss him back.
Bai Tu quickly pulled himself together. He looked at the two carefree cubs and sighed softly. Will they be able to adjust to nursery life?
After playing for a while and getting their fill of affection, the two older cubs finally began to yawn. They tried their best to keep their eyes open, unwilling to part from their father, but in the end, sleepiness overcame them.
Just as they drifted off, their paws instinctively grabbed Bai Tu’s clothes, as if making sure he was still there. Only after confirming his presence did they fully relax.
“Sleep, Daddy’s right here,” Bai Tu reassured them.
During the rainy season, he had planned to stay with the cubs full-time, but there had been too much work to do. Today, he had been dealing with soil and herbs, so he hadn’t dared to bring them along and had left them with Lang Qi. Fortunately, tomorrow’s task—finding a spot for a well—would allow him to take the cubs with him.
Hearing his words, the cubs finally settled down and fell into deep sleep.
Once all the little ones were sound asleep, Bai Tu carefully carried them one by one to their small bed. Then he turned to Lang Qi. “Let’s rest too?”
It was better to sleep early today since they had to scout for the best well location tomorrow. Thanks to the blacksmith team, the tribe had plenty of tools, but digging a well required more than just equipment—it was crucial to find a site with an accessible water source.
Surprisingly, there were many suitable locations within the territory, far more than Bai Tu had expected. There weren’t any truly water-scarce areas, which made sense given the current rainy season.
In the end, Bai Tu decided to start with a test well behind the communal kitchen. For one, the kitchen was one of the biggest consumers of water—if the well proved successful, it made sense for it to be one of the first locations. Additionally, the salt-boiling site still needed to be kept secret, making it unsuitable for experimental projects like this.
Since they lacked suitable long pipes, Bai Tu abandoned the idea of installing a pump well and opted for a standard deep well instead.
Pump wells required airtight pipes to prevent air from entering the system, and their current technology simply wasn’t advanced enough for that.
A hand-dug well, however, had much lower technical requirements. With plenty of iron tools available, the excavation process would be quick. Furthermore, in the larger, open areas, the rabbit beastmen could shift into their animal forms to dig, speeding up the process even more.
Lang Ze, unaware of Bai Tu’s plans, perked up the moment he heard about digging. His ears shot up in excitement, and without asking for details, he immediately wanted to join in.
Bai Tu couldn’t help but laugh. Wolves may be capable diggers, but these young ones are massive. He hadn’t planned on making the well that big!
As a self-proclaimed “considerate” younger brother, Lang Ze never intended to cause Bai Tu too much trouble. For example, upon hearing Bai Tu say they were too large, he immediately assured him, “I won’t shift into my beast form! Tu, leave it to me—we’ll handle everything.”
There was no way he would let anyone else take on such an exciting job—he absolutely had to do it himself.
The young wolves were already eager to start, and if they weren’t worried about angering Bai Tu by acting without permission, they would have begun digging immediately. But even though they stood still, Bai Tu could clearly read their thoughts just from their expressions.
Using their human forms was indeed an option. Since it didn’t matter who did the work as long as it got done, Bai Tu handed each of them a shovel, marked out the designated area, and let them start digging.
“You’re only allowed to dig here, and you must dig straight down. Do not expand outward. The lines I drew cannot be moved.” Bai Tu emphasized.
It wasn’t the first time the young wolves had dug wider and wider as they worked. If he didn’t set clear rules now, things would get out of hand. There was already a spot in the salt-mining area shaped like a giant, wide-bottomed vase thanks to their enthusiasm. Once the young wolves started having fun, they didn’t care about anything else. If he didn’t clarify the rules now, he knew the site would look completely different when he came back.
One key trait of these young wolves was that if you strictly forbade something, they wouldn’t do it again. But if you didn’t explicitly forbid something, they would definitely try it.
Bai Tu was used to this by now and had developed a strategy. Before assigning tasks, he listed all the potential mistakes they might make. This way, they rarely caused problems.
Though occasionally, he still underestimated their ability to create chaos.
*
Two Days Later
Not long after Bai Tu returned home, Lang Ze rushed in, bursting with excitement.
“Tu! There’s water in the well! But it’s yellow!”
Unlike Bai Tu, who returned home for lunch and dinner, the young wolves had no such routine. They ate their three daily meals at the communal kitchen and went straight back to digging. As long as the task was fun, they could put in 200% effort.
Lang Ze, eyes shining, continued eagerly, “Does yellow water mean we can’t use it?”
He was clearly hoping for a no, because that would mean they could keep playing.
“Yellow, murky water is normal.” Bai Tu wasn’t surprised. A newly dug well would always start off murky due to the surrounding sand and soil mixing in. It needed to be cleaned thoroughly, and the walls would have to be reinforced with cement or bricks. The construction team was already experienced with this, and they could have it done in under two days.
Hearing this, Lang Ze instantly deflated like a withered eggplant. In a disappointed tone, he muttered, “So we can’t play with it…”
Though he spoke quietly, Bai Tu, who was standing close, still heard every word.
“….”
These young wolves can turn anything into a game.
“You can find another place to dig for fun.” Bai Tu suggested.
The tribe needed multiple wells anyway, and the more they dug, the better. With their personalities, after digging a few more wells, they would likely find a new hobby. By then, the finished wells would just need a bit of cleaning and reinforcement before being fully functional. It was a win-win—keeping the young wolves entertained while improving the tribe’s water supply.
“Alright!”
The young wolves, oblivious to Bai Tu’s true intentions, thought he was genuinely letting them dig for fun. Normally, they had strict limits on where they could dig—after all, no one wanted to suddenly fall into a hole while walking around the village. But now, they had permission to dig freely. Naturally, they were ecstatic.
More importantly, Bai Tu was actually providing tools. Normally, he never handed them tools when they played. But this time, they could use proper equipment without any restrictions.
This was unprecedented.
Lang Ze suddenly had a flash of insight—something felt off.
“Boss, why aren’t you moving?” One of the younger wolves noticed Lang Ze standing still and nudged him. “It’s going to get dark soon!”
They could still dig at night, of course, but night time was dinner time, and eating would just waste valuable digging time.
“…Let’s go back and check.”
Lang Ze silently praised his own intelligence. Bai Tu was definitely hiding something from him.
“Check what?” Another wolf asked, confused. “We’re almost there, why go back?”
“I don’t know,” Lang Ze admitted. “That’s why I’m going back to check.”
He knew Bai Tu was up to something.
The young wolves, always quick to rally, immediately followed him back without hesitation.
Meanwhile…
Bai Tu was focused on figuring out the most efficient way to draw water from the well. Simply tying a rope to a bucket and lowering it down was inconvenient—not to mention, weaker beastmen might get pulled down into the well if they weren’t careful.
The safest option was to install a pulley system above the well. That way, water could be drawn up smoothly without requiring excessive strength.
The parts were easy to find—some thick wooden beams would do the job, and the tribe already had suitable materials. Bai Tu wasted no time and got to work.
Just as he completed his first test version of the pulley, he suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps.
The next moment, he saw Lang Ze drop down from the wall beside him.
“Tu! You didn’t tell me!!!”
Lang Ze stormed in, puffing with indignation.
It was Bai Tu’s first time seeing Lang Ze this genuinely upset, and for a brief moment, he felt a flicker of panic. Did Lang Ze discover the salt-boiling operation? How had he found out?
Bai Tu wasn’t particularly worried about Lang Ze knowing—it was the young wolves’ inability to keep secrets that concerned him. Just as he was considering how to explain himself, Lang Ze had already rushed up to the pulley system Bai Tu had just installed over the well.
“I knew you were up to something fun!” Lang Ze declared triumphantly. I knew Bai Tu had to be working on something even more interesting—that’s the only reason he let us go dig!
The other young wolves, Lang Zuo, Lang You, and the rest, looked at Lang Ze in admiration, practically glowing with the urge to say, Boss, you’re amazing!
Bai Tu: “???”
Fine, whatever makes you happy.
Relieved that this was just a false alarm, Bai Tu sighed inwardly. Not having to come up with an excuse was a win. Since Lang Ze was so fascinated by the pulley, Bai Tu simply waved him off. “Go ahead, play with it.”
After all, the well wasn’t usable yet. It needed to be cleaned multiple times before producing clear water. For now, the water they drew up was only good for watering plants, but since the rainy season had already provided plenty of water for vegetation, it would ultimately just get drained away. It didn’t matter who operated the pulley.
The young wolves fully treated the well as a toy, enthusiastically drawing water, dumping it out, and pulling up another bucket. They played tirelessly.
Bai Tu watched them in silence for a moment before making a suggestion. “Why don’t you dig a few more wells? I’ll install a pulley system on all of them—just like this one.”
He pointed to the pulley mechanism the young wolves were now eagerly queueing up to use.
Lang Ze considered it seriously and found the idea appealing, on one condition: only they could use the wells they dug.
Bai Tu stared at him for a moment before nodding. “Alright. From now on, unless you allow it, no one else can draw water from your wells.”
First time I’ve seen someone so eager to steal extra work.
The young wolves treated the new wells as their playthings, digging and drawing up water non-stop. Only after draining each well completely would they move on to the next.
Bai Tu, taking advantage of the brief window before water seeped back in, had the construction team cement the walls of the wells.
With young wolves handling the other wells, Bai Tu had nothing to worry about. Now that he had confirmed that well-digging was viable, he began planning one for the salt-boiling site.
Purifying salt required water. Dissolving the salt in water was a crucial step that couldn’t be skipped. No matter how much water was needed, they had to find a way to secure it.
Now that they had wells, the water supply problem was mostly solved. Well water wasn’t as pure as mountain spring water, but it was far cleaner than river water. The tribe adjusted their water usage accordingly—well water for washing vegetables, salt-boiling, and daily chores, while mountain spring water was reserved for cooking and drinking.
The processed salt was stored separately—this was a precious resource that couldn’t be openly flaunted. The tribe members could only quietly celebrate their fortune.
Just as Bai Tu finished resolving the well issue, Bai Qi knocked on his door with a complicated expression.
“…Xiong Liao is here.”
Even though they were both bears, Bai Qi’s attitude toward Xiong Liao and Xiong Tuan was drastically different.
It wasn’t just Bai Qi—half the tribe felt at a loss whenever Xiong Liao was mentioned.
Ever since Bai Tu and the others had returned, Xiong Liao had been making constant visits in an attempt to take Ying Mian back home.
This had gone on for almost a month, but Ying Mian still refused to budge.
To be fair, it really wasn’t Ying Mian’s fault.
Who in their right mind would expect a runaway mate to come back without a single apology from their partner?
Xiong Liao, however, saw no problem with his approach. He remained persistently committed to his routine:
Every two to three days, he would bring food to Ying Mian.
After making Ying Mian eat, he would ask, “Do you want to return to the tribe?”
Ying Mian’s answer was always: “No.”
Xiong Liao: “Oh.”
Then, Xiong Liao would leave. Ying Mian would stay in the Snow Rabbit Tribe.
At one point, the entire tribe started doubting whether Xiong Liao actually cared about Ying Mian at all.
But if he didn’t care, why would a tribal leader go out of his way to cross dangerous rain-soaked territory just to visit?
Many of the beastmen were baffled by Xiong Liao’s behavior. Eventually, someone couldn’t take it anymore and gave him advice:
“Why don’t you just admit you were wrong and apologize to him? If you coax him a little, he’ll definitely come back with you—Ying Mian has a good temper.”
But Xiong Liao, as straightforward as ever, simply responded, “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
The beastman trying to help: “…”
Bai Qi: “…Mm-hmm. Sure. My mistake.”
Bai Qi regretted even opening his mouth to talk to Xiong Liao.
Bai Tu also felt utterly exasperated.
He had tried, more than once, to subtly hint at Xiong Liao’s mistakes.
But it became painfully clear that Xiong Liao and Ying Mian had completely different perceptions of their relationship.
In Ying Mian’s eyes, their relationship had always been one of mutual convenience.
He had used Xiong Liao to secure a stable footing in the tribe, ensuring he had food and shelter, while Xiong Liao had exchanged food for the status of a temporary partner. Otherwise, how else could he explain the fact that every time Xiong Liao watched him eat, the next step was always sleep?
To Ying Mian, their bond was fragile and could be broken at any time. Given that uncertainty, why would he leave the safe and stable Snow Rabbit Tribe?
If he returned to the White Bear Tribe now, there was always the risk that Xiong Liao might abandon him in the future. If that happened, he would have to find a new tribe all over again—and there was even a chance he wouldn’t be able to care for his unborn cubs.
In the Snow Rabbit Tribe, Bai Tu was there to support him, Hei Xiao could help with egg incubation, and once the cubs hatched, he could find work suited for a sub-beastman. Compared to relying on Xiong Liao in the White Bear Tribe, wasn’t this a much better life?
But in Xiong Liao’s mind, they were true mates—not just mates, but a loving, cross-species couple who set an example for others.
As far as he was concerned, the entire White Bear Tribe already knew that he and Ying Mian were together. He had no idea why Ying Mian insisted on staying in the Snow Rabbit Tribe, but it didn’t really matter to him. If Ying Mian didn’t want to go back, then they simply wouldn’t go back.
In his mind, they were still mates, and Ying Mian still loved him.
Bai Tu had no idea where Xiong Liao got this level of confidence. The man seemed utterly convinced that Ying Mian would never find another mate. In terms of character, Xiong Liao was actually a decent person—he just seemed to be completely clueless when it came to relationships.
Bai Tu didn’t understand their lovers’ quarrel, nor did he intend to intervene. Ying Mian was safe and well in the Snow Rabbit Tribe, and that was all that mattered.
As for Xiong Liao, Bai An had initially been concerned about his frequent visits. After all, he was the leader of another tribe, and it wasn’t ideal for him to keep coming over. Bai An even went so far as to discuss the matter with Bai Tu.
But after observing for a while, Bai An realized something—Xiong Liao never did anything besides his routine.
Every time he arrived, he would: Find Ying Mian; Feed Ying Mian; Find Ying Mian again; Feed Ying Mian again.
That was it.
Bai Tu couldn’t help but sigh. Forget Ying Mian—if someone did this to me, I’d think it was purely a transactional relationship too.
If this were the modern world, Xiong Liao would be the kind of “sugar daddy” who only provided money and nothing else, yet still insisted it was true love when questioned.
Bai Tu had never seen such an absurd dynamic before. After realizing that no amount of persuasion would change things, he gave up trying to interfere. Forget it—everyone has their own fate.
Among those struggling the most with Xiong Liao’s behavior was Bai Qi, one of the patrol team captains.
The reason?
Even though Xiong Liao was a complete fool, his mate had already laid five eggs. Meanwhile, Bai Qi and Xiong Tuan still hadn’t received the White Bear Tribe leader’s blessing for their union.
In the tribes, forming a mate bond wasn’t usually a complicated process. However, cross-tribe pairings—like Bai Qi and Xiong Tuan—came with additional challenges. At the very least, they required the approval of both tribal leaders.
Bai An had no objections to Bai Qi taking a mate from another tribe. After all, Bai Tu and Lang Qi were already bonded, and their relationship was just as strong as any other pair’s.
Besides, the Black Bear Tribe had already migrated to Snow Rabbit Tribe territory before the rainy season. Even though they planned to find new land after the rains ended, they wouldn’t go far.
In other words, even if the distance increased, it didn’t matter.
With their abundant salt and food supplies, the Snow Rabbit Tribe was now one of the most desirable tribes to live in. If Bai Qi and Xiong Tuan became mates, they would have to choose one tribe to settle in—and Bai An was confident that the Snow Rabbit Tribe was the better choice.
But Xiong He, the leader of the Black Bear Tribe, was worried about exactly that.
Watching Bai Qi and Xiong Tuan interact along the journey, Xiong He’s feelings kept shifting—sometimes, he thought their bond was solid, and other times, he worried that Tuan would suffer.
Ultimately, his refusal to approve their union wasn’t personal—it was a strategic decision for the tribe.
Xiong Tuan was his chosen successor.
Although Bai Tu had treated Xiong He’s injuries, the treatment had come too late.
As an older beastman, his recovery wasn’t as quick as a younger warrior’s. Even after healing, his stamina was nowhere near what it had been before.
Right now, it was still the rainy season, so there wasn’t much work to do.
But once the rains ended, the tribe would need to start hunting again.
Xiong He knew that he wouldn’t be able to lead the hunting team anymore—he would need Xiong Tuan to take over.
But if Xiong Tuan and Bai Qi became mates, there was a high chance that Xiong Tuan would join the Snow Rabbit Tribe instead.
That would leave the Black Bear Tribe without a successor.
To make things worse, the Black Bear Tribe was weaker than the Snow Rabbit Tribe. If Bai Qi ever mistreated Xiong Tuan, they wouldn’t even have the strength to fight back.
With so many concerns, Xiong He simply couldn’t agree to the pairing yet.
On the other hand, Bai Qi was still shaken from the time Xiong Tuan had nearly turned into a fallen beast.
He wanted nothing more than to keep his mate close at all times.
Watching Xiong Liao—who had zero relationship problems but was actively sabotaging himself—was beyond frustrating.
Xiong Liao didn’t even realize how lucky he was, and yet Bai Qi had to constantly report his visits to Bai Tu.
It was insulting.
“Three days like clockwork.”
Bai Tu mentally calculated Xiong Liao’s visits.
Seven times now.
Every three days, without fail.
He turned to comfort Bai Qi.
“It should be over soon. The rainy season is almost finished, and the White Bear Tribe’s food supplies won’t last forever. Once they start running low, Xiong Liao won’t be able to keep bringing food here.”
Bai Tu wanted nothing more than to grab Xiong Liao by the shoulders and shake him until he woke up. Big guy, can you please put down that food? Every time he visited, he had to bring food and insist on watching Ying Mian eat it. Honestly, he would have been better off bringing nothing at all.
But Xiong Liao was oblivious to what anyone else thought. Even if he could hear their opinions, he wouldn’t change his ways. The White Bear Tribe’s tradition was to save the best food for their mates, and Xiong Liao followed that rule diligently, just like the rest of his people.
What he didn’t understand, however, was why Ying Mian always got angry after eating the food he brought. It was one thing for Ying Mian to not be affectionate after eating, but why the anger?
Just as others couldn’t understand Xiong Liao’s behavior, Xiong Liao couldn’t understand why Ying Mian was mad. Seeing that Ying Mian had finished the food, he hesitated before testing the waters.
“Mian, I missed you.”
It had been three whole days since he last saw Ying Mian. Having to wait so long between visits felt unbearable.
Ying Mian glanced at him but said nothing. Instead, he carefully tucked the blanket around the egg incubator.
Xiong Liao tried again. “Let’s go back to the tribe together?”
“No.” Ying Mian shook his head.
Xiong Liao grew anxious. “Then when will you come back?”
Ying Mian didn’t answer. The truth was, he had no intention of returning.
In the White Bear Tribe, no matter how much the feathered race contributed, they were always seen as dependents of the bears. Ying Mian didn’t want to be dependent on anyone.
But in the Snow Rabbit Tribe, he could live freely and do whatever he wanted. Even if his mate were Bai Tu, the leader of the Blood Wolf Tribe, he could still maintain his independence.
His transaction with Xiong Liao was over—there was no reason for him to return to the White Bear Tribe.
He didn’t know why Xiong Liao kept bringing food every few days as if trying to relive their past arrangement. But since he had indeed relied on Xiong Liao before, he ate the food out of courtesy.
He had done everything Xiong Liao asked of him, so why should he go back?
Hearing another rejection, Xiong Liao looked devastated.
But when he noticed Ying Mian was still fussing over that wooden box, he perked up again. He knew there were eggs inside!
“You like raising chickens? If we go back to the tribe, I can catch a whole bunch for you!” Xiong Liao offered enthusiastically. “We have chickens in our tribe. Not just chickens—ducks, geese, and all kinds of egg-laying animals! The bears don’t usually catch them because they’re too small to be worth eating, but if you like them, I’ll get them for you!”
Ying Mian: “…”
Mistaking Ying Mian’s silence for interest, Xiong Liao pressed on.
“I can also find you a lot of eggs and cook them for you!”
He vaguely remembered Bai Tu and Lang Qi boiling eggs for their cubs on the way to the market. He forgot the reason but knew it was important.
Glancing at the wooden incubator, Xiong Liao suddenly had a brilliant idea.
“These eggs don’t look good! They probably won’t hatch! Let’s go find some new ones—I’ll search the entire tribe’s territory for you!”
Ying Mian’s face turned cold.
“Get out.”
Xiong Liao was completely baffled. Everything was fine just now—why was he mad again?!
*
Meanwhile…
Bai Tu arrived at Ying Mian’s place just in time to see Xiong Liao leaving with his head hanging low.
This scene had played out many times before. Every time Xiong Liao came, he left the same way.
Bai Tu wasn’t even surprised anymore. He walked past Xiong Liao without saying anything—there was no point in reminding him of anything, since he wouldn’t listen anyway.
Inside, Bai Tu got straight to the point.
“A few cubs are at the age where they should start flying lessons. I need your help with them.”
Recently, another batch of cubs had joined the tribe. The young feathered cubs rescued from the Red Eagle Tribe had already been taken to the Black Hawk Tribe, where they had peers their age and older eagle beastmen to train them.
But the young feathered cubs rescued from the Black Forest Tribe had no one to teach them.
In the Black Forest Tribe, the feathered race was treated poorly, and their cubs were even more neglected.
Wu Jiu had always disliked feathered cubs, and he had been particularly cruel to them.
Some of the young ones had living relatives, so Bai Tu had sent them back to their families.
But there were still a few who had no known relatives. It was unclear whether they had been captured from outside or handed over by the Red Eagle Tribe.
Until now, the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s beastmen had been caring for them.
But just a few days ago, two of the feathered cubs had started trying to fly.
The problem? None of the caretakers had wings.
So they had no idea what to do.
That’s why they turned to Bai Tu.
After thinking it through, Bai Tu felt that Ying Mian was the best choice to teach them.
As a sub-beastman, Ying Mian was smaller and could better demonstrate flight techniques; It would also give him practice in raising cubs, preparing him for when his own hatched; There were five cubs in total—Bai Tu just hoped Ying Mian wouldn’t get overwhelmed.
Of course, this was just a proposal.
If Bai Tu had already made up his mind, he wouldn’t have come to ask Ying Mian first.
If Ying Mian refused, Bai Tu would ask someone else—there were other feathered sub-beastmen and females who had joined the tribe.
To Bai Tu’s relief, Ying Mian agreed immediately.
He loved cubs, and he was more than happy to help.
With that settled, Bai Tu relaxed—until he glanced at the door and remembered the dejected Xiong Liao standing outside like a punished child.
He asked, “What did he do this time?”
Ying Mian, still fuming, snapped, “He said these eggs are bad and won’t hatch.”
Just bringing it up made him angry again.
He had already made up his mind—next time, he wouldn’t see Xiong Liao at all.
Bai Tu: “???”
Did he just curse his own cubs to never hatch? Xiong Liao, congratulations—you’ve won the award for the dumbest way to dig your own grave.
“Wait a minute.” Bai Tu suddenly realized something. “Does he not know those are your eggs?”
Because, no matter how clueless someone was, there was no way they’d say something like that about their own offspring, right?
Ying Mian fell silent.
“…He really doesn’t know?” Bai Tu was stunned.
“I don’t know whether he knows or not,” Ying Mian admitted.
He had never explicitly told Xiong Liao, but he had also never tried to hide it. He had even taken the eggs out in front of him before. Whether or not Xiong Liao had put two and two together… well, that was up to him.
Bai Tu lowered his voice. “Should you maybe tell him?”
If Ying Mian truly disliked Xiong Liao, Bai Tu wouldn’t have made the suggestion. In fact, he wouldn’t have even told Xiong Liao where Ying Mian was in the first place.
But from what Bai Tu could see, Ying Mian’s attitude and tone weren’t completely devoid of feelings.
The two of them had been misunderstanding each other this whole time. As a bystander, Bai Tu found it frustrating to watch. If it was just a simple misunderstanding, wouldn’t it be better to clear things up sooner rather than later?
That said, Xiong Liao’s cluelessness was truly next level.
Bai Tu recalled how, when Ying Mian had returned early that one night, Xiong Liao only started looking for him the next day.
If Ying Mian had gone somewhere else instead of back to their tribe, Xiong Liao would never have found him—no matter how hard he ran.
Ying Mian didn’t respond immediately. He thought for a moment, then finally nodded.
Bai Tu added, “Don’t feel pressured. The Snow Rabbit Tribe will always welcome you, even after you clear things up.”
He simply didn’t want them to keep misunderstanding each other.
As for what happened after they cleared things up? That would be entirely up to Ying Mian’s own decision.
“Alright.” Ying Mian nodded again, deciding to give Xiong Liao one last chance.
Bai Tu didn’t stay much longer. After finishing his business, he left, pausing briefly as he saw Xiong Liao still standing outside.
For a moment, he considered saying something.
But in the end, he kept silent and walked away.
*
Inside the House
Shortly after Bai Tu left, Ying Mian opened the door and called out,
“Come in.”
“…Me?” Xiong Liao pointed at himself, looking utterly disbelieving.
He glanced around, making sure there was no one else in the yard, before finally stepping inside, still unable to believe it.
“…Mian, you’re not mad anymore?” Xiong Liao cautiously asked. Then, as if deciding to take responsibility for whatever he had done, he quickly added, “I was wrong.”
He still had no idea what he had done wrong, but since Ying Mian had been mad, it must have been his fault.
Ying Mian chose not to argue about what had happened earlier. He took a deep breath, then pointed to the incubator on the bed.
“Those are not chicken eggs.”
Xiong Liao nodded seriously.
“Not chicken eggs.”
Ying Mian immediately knew Xiong Liao still wasn’t getting it.
He sighed, exasperated.
“These are my eggs. They are incubating. Don’t ever say something like that again.”
Even though he knew a single comment wouldn’t actually affect the chances of them hatching, it still made him furious to hear it.
“…Ah?”
Xiong Liao froze.
Then, his expression changed.
“…You found another mate?”
Ying Mian doesn’t like him anymore?!
Thanks for the chapter~~~