Chapter 143
Ying Mian looked at Xiong Liao, whose mood had hit rock bottom, and for a moment, he began to doubt himself.
Back then, why did he choose to settle in the White Bear Tribe among so many others?
Ying Mian regretted it as he coldly wrapped the egg up. Forget it. A fool doesn’t deserve to know. He shouldn’t have softened just because of Bai Tu’s words, thinking that Xiong Liao was a little pitiful.
Now, all of his previous softness had vanished along with those words—find a mate.
Seeing that Ying Mian was focused only on caring for the egg and ignoring him, Xiong Liao felt even worse. “Mian, who is your new mate? Are they in the Snow Rabbit Tribe?”
After asking, he nodded to himself. That must be it. Ying Mian had been staying in the Snow Rabbit Tribe and didn’t want to return. It had to be because his new mate was here, and that’s why Ying Mian didn’t want him anymore.
No wonder lately, after eating food, he hadn’t been willing to do anything else. So it turned out he had a new mate.
This realization made Xiong Liao feel miserable. Ying Mian had a new mate… should he go back?
Xiong Liao glanced at the wooden box on the bed, then at Ying Mian, and finally at himself before hesitating—he still couldn’t bear to leave.
What if he left this time and Ying Mian refused to let him in next time? After all, Ying Mian had already laid eggs with his new mate—so many of them too! He must really like the other person.
Hearing his question, Ying Mian didn’t even have the slightest intention of responding. Too stupid. How could anyone be this stupid? He had already decided to stay in the Snow Rabbit Tribe permanently. The cubs absolutely had to stay far away from their other father—preferably never meeting at all. Otherwise, what if they caught his stupidity?
While Ying Mian was deep in thought, Xiong Liao was also thinking—but about something else entirely.
He had been here for so long, yet Ying Mian’s new mate still hadn’t appeared. That meant the other person definitely wasn’t as strong as him. Plus, every time he brought food over, Ying Mian would eat it, which meant he was still hungry. The other person couldn’t defeat him and couldn’t even provide enough food for Ying Mian.
Xiong Liao had found his breakthrough and was beyond excited.
He could defeat Ying Mian’s new mate and take Ying Mian back!
But just as this thought surfaced, he suddenly remembered what others had told him before—You should be gentle with your mate. You can’t be too harsh.
Thinking of this, Xiong Liao realized he couldn’t just go around fighting. Ying Mian didn’t like fighting. If he saw him do that, he would definitely get angry.
The more Xiong Liao thought about it, the more he felt he was on the right track this time. Looking at Ying Mian again, his previous disappointment had disappeared, and instead, he started reasoning with him seriously. “Mian, the other father of the cubs is really useless.”
I, on the other hand, am useful.
Ying Mian gave him a deep look and nodded. “Yes, very useless.”
Hearing Ying Mian agree with him, Xiong Liao was so excited that his ears almost perked up. “He has absolutely no sense of responsibility!”
So come back with me.
Ying Mian: “…”
“Yes, no responsibility at all.”
Go ahead, insult him as much as you want.
Ying Mian didn’t even defend his so-called new mate! This made Xiong Liao feel even more energized, as if he had been injected with adrenaline. He started desperately coming up with more negative things to say about Ying Mian’s new mate—the so-called other father of the eggs.
“He actually left you to take care of the eggs all by yourself. That’s too irresponsible!”
On his way to the market, he had seen Bai Tu and Lang Qi taking care of their cubs together, always taking turns. They never left the wolf cubs with just one person while the other ignored them. But every time he came over, Ying Mian was the only one looking after the eggs. It was exhausting, and yet his new mate wasn’t even helping.
The more Xiong Liao thought about it, the angrier he became. If it were me, I would personally take care of the cubs every day and never let Ying Mian get so tired.
But even though he was willing to take care of the cubs, Ying Mian still wasn’t willing to have cubs with him.
Xiong Liao felt even worse.
“Why would you lay eggs for someone else, but not for me…” Xiong Liao muttered under his breath. His voice was so low that Ying Mian almost didn’t hear it.
Just as Ying Mian was about to say something, Xiong Liao continued, “Is it because I don’t have wings?” So was he only willing to lay eggs for someone with wings? Did he not want to have them with him? Xiong Liao touched his own back and mumbled, “I wonder if Tu has a way to make someone grow wings.”
He had heard that Bai Tu from the Snow Rabbit Tribe could do almost anything. If he could make him grow wings, that would be great.
Ying Mian pointed at the door and said coldly, “No, now get out.”
Sure enough, he should have stuck to his initial decision. What was the point of softening up? What was the point of sympathy? He never should have let Xiong Liao in; otherwise, he wouldn’t have had to listen to so much nonsense. Hearing too many stupid things might make him stupid too. Ying Mian decided to take the cubs far away from Xiong Liao and make him return to the White Bear Tribe as soon as possible.
“If you don’t go back soon, be careful, or someone will steal your position as chief.” Ying Mian said sarcastically.
The White Bear Tribe wasn’t like the Snow Rabbit or Blood Wolf Tribes, where everyone followed the chief’s orders. Because Xiong Liao had been with Ying Mian and had once treated the newly joined Eagle Five Tribe members well, many bears in the tribe were unhappy with him. Although they usually didn’t show it, and outsiders still thought the tribe was united, they would intentionally cause trouble for him before important decisions.
Xiong Liao was aware of some of the dissatisfaction within the tribe. He knew that, as the chief of the White Bear Tribe, frequently visiting other tribes wasn’t right. The tribe’s members had already opposed it more than once—especially since he always brought food with him whenever he left.
Even though the food was his and he had the right to do as he pleased with it, some of the beastmen still thought his actions were inappropriate. Some even believed it was a good thing that Ying Mian had left, thinking that Xiong Liao should find a bear tribe mate instead.
Recalling all these matters back in the tribe, Xiong Liao shook his head. “I don’t want to go back.” If someone took his position as chief, then so be it—what he wanted was a mate.
Only now did Xiong Liao truly understand a phrase he had once heard, “If you don’t try harder, your mate will really fly away.”
He couldn’t remember when he had heard it, but it was exactly how he felt now. He had to work hard to win Ying Mian back!
Xiong Liao regained his energy. He was certain he could bring Ying Mian back!
Ying Mian had no idea what Xiong Liao was thinking this time. Watching his expressions shift repeatedly, he simply turned the egg over and decided that once the rain stopped, he would go for a walk—he had eaten too much and wouldn’t be able to sleep if he didn’t move around.
Meanwhile, Xiong Liao thought that Ying Mian wasn’t looking at him because he was thinking about his “mate,” which filled him with jealousy. He muttered, “Your mate doesn’t even like you.”
At least he liked Ying Mian. He always saved the best food for him.
Ying Mian’s tone grew even colder. “Then so be it. You can leave now.”
In the end, Xiong Liao was kicked out by Ying Mian. Within half a day of his departure, the news had spread throughout the entire Snow Rabbit Tribe.
The beastmen of the Snow Rabbit Tribe—whether they were rabbits, cats, or lions—rarely experienced such complicated love affairs. Everyone found their relationship confusing.
First, there was Ying Mian’s attitude. If he liked Xiong Liao, why didn’t he go back with him to the White Bear Tribe? If he didn’t like him, then why did he have so many cubs with him?
Then there was Xiong Liao’s behavior. If he didn’t care about Ying Mian, why did he visit every two days, undeterred by even the heaviest storms? But if he did care, then why did he keep making Ying Mian angry for so long?
With nothing else to do during the rainy season, their relationship became a hot topic of gossip.
“It must be Xiong Liao’s fault. Mian has such a good temper. If Xiong Liao didn’t mess up, he wouldn’t get mad.” One beastman confidently declared after witnessing Ying Mian get angry yet again.
“Could it be that Xiong Liao is looking for a new mate? I heard the White Bear Tribe is planning to find their chief a strong bear mate.” A rabbit from the patrol team revealed what he had overheard during his rounds.
Immediately, the others turned their attention to him.
“How do you know that?”
“Where did you hear it? Is it true?”
The news was so shocking that the surrounding beastmen bombarded him with questions.
Meanwhile, as Ying Mian strolled outside after the rain had stopped, he happened to overhear their conversation. His footsteps paused for a moment, but he continued walking as if nothing had happened. Back at his residence, he quietly changed the water in the incubation box.
His father had been right—Never trust a male beastman. The relationship between males and sub-beastmen was purely one of convenience. Only sub-beastmen could be trusted.
Raising the wolf cubs alone wasn’t so bad, Ying Mian thought.
Bai Tu only heard about the rumor the next day. A group of beastmen were discussing it with great detail, even specifying the identity of the “new mate” the White Bear Tribe had supposedly chosen for Xiong Liao.
But Bai Tu only found it ridiculous.
Xiong Liao had just visited Ying Mian yesterday, and now he was supposedly looking for a new mate? No way.
He wasn’t bragging, but Xiong Liao simply didn’t have that kind of scheming mind. If he really wanted one mate in the tribe and another outside, he would have kept this information from spreading.
And even if, in some wild scenario, he was actually considering it, there was one person in the White Bear Tribe who would never allow it—the former young chief of the Eagle Five Tribe, Ying Qin.
Bai Tu had heard Ying Mian mention Ying Qin more than once. Ying Qin’s beast form was small, but his temper was the complete opposite. If someone in the tribe offended him, he could curse them day and night for three days straight. Based on Ying Mian’s descriptions and Ying Qin’s attitude towards the word parrot, Bai Tu guessed that Ying Qin was probably a parrot himself—talkative and relentless.
Ying Mian had said that Ying Qin was extremely protective. If a bear ever bullied an eagle, even if he couldn’t win the fight, he would still scold them for days.
So there was no way Ying Qin would allow Xiong Liao to get away with this. If Xiong Liao had even the slightest bad intention, Ying Qin would have spread the news before Xiong Liao could even find a new mate.
Even though Bai Tu was almost certain it was just a rumor, he still took the time to investigate who had started it and exactly what was said.
In the end, he got the full story.
A patrol beastman had overheard some White Bear Tribe members saying that there were people in the tribe who wanted to find the chief a new mate—one that was a strong bear.
Yesterday at noon, a few beastmen were discussing this news. Since the entire Snow Rabbit Tribe knew about Xiong Liao and Ying Mian, many people paid attention to the rumor. As the conversation went on, it spiraled in different directions. By evening, after passing through several storytellers who added their own embellishments, the final version was completely different from the original statement.
Bai Tu was silent for a moment before instructing everyone not to spread misinformation so carelessly in the future. Then, he went to check on Ying Mian.
He was worried that Ying Mian would overthink things after hearing the rumors. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Bai Tu always felt that Ying Mian lacked confidence when facing Xiong Liao. Otherwise, they could have resolved their misunderstandings much faster.
This feeling wasn’t new—it had been there since their trip to the market. Every time Ying Mian talked about anything related to Xiong Liao, he would frame their relationship strictly as a transactional one, repeatedly emphasizing that they were only temporary partners. It was as if he had already decided they would separate and was preparing for that eventuality.
Simply put, Ying Mian had no sense of security. He was like a fledgling bird who knew the outside world was dangerous, so he simply chose never to leave his nest. Any slight disturbance would make him retreat into his shell.
Finding a mate or choosing whether to live with one didn’t really matter—what worried Bai Tu was that if Ying Mian kept maintaining this mindset, it might affect his well-being.
Some beastmen who had just given birth to cubs would try to hide them, which was ultimately a result of insecurity. They didn’t feel their environment was safe enough. However, this behavior sometimes put the cubs in even greater danger.
Bai Tu feared that if Ying Mian continued to feel this unsettled, he might even consider relocating the cubs.
He had never voiced this concern to anyone, and he was fairly certain that only he and Hei Xiao had noticed it. Normally, Ying Mian didn’t seem fragile at all. Those who hadn’t spent enough time with him wouldn’t pick up on the occasional changes in his demeanor.
When Bai Tu arrived, only Ying Mian was in the room. The two cubs from yesterday hadn’t been brought back yet. With just one glance, Bai Tu could tell something was off about Ying Mian’s state. He asked gently, “Mian, are you feeling unwell? If you need to rest, you can let Xiao take care of the cubs.”
Incubating three eggs and incubating eight required about the same amount of effort. Plus, Hei Xiao had Hei Yan to help him. Even if Ying Mian sent a few eggs over, Hei Xiao would be able to take care of them just fine.
Ying Mian shook his head. “I’m fine.”
Bai Tu looked at his expression and didn’t believe him.
Ying Mian hesitated for a moment before finally saying, “Tu, I want to move.”
“Hm?” Bai Tu glanced at the incubation box—just as he expected.
“Are you in such a hurry?” Bai Tu didn’t immediately reject the idea. Instead, he asked patiently, “The cubs are just over a month old. Moving at this time wouldn’t be great for them. Are you sure you want to do this?”
In reality, moving wouldn’t have much of an impact on the cubs, especially since they were often sent to Hei Xiao for care. Bai Tu said this mainly to make Ying Mian think it through carefully. He also had another concern—if they moved now, it wouldn’t be long before they’d move again. Moving once was fine, but if it became a habit, Ying Mian’s anxiety would only worsen. That kind of mindset wasn’t good.
“I’ll think about it.” Ying Mian hesitated as soon as it involved the cubs. After a moment of consideration, he shook his head. “Let’s stay for now.”
“What made you think about moving?” Bai Tu casually asked as he helped adjust the cubs’ blankets.
“Xiong Liao’s mate will know where I live.” Ying Mian didn’t hide the truth from Bai Tu.
Bai Tu: “……” This was all because of that rumor again.
Bai Tu explained, “That was just misinformation spread by the tribe. Xiong Liao didn’t find a new mate—some bear beastmen in the White Bear Tribe wanted him to, but he refused.”
Ying Mian moved closer to the incubation box, instinctively staying nearer to the cubs. As for Bai Tu’s explanation, he simply shook his head. “Many beastmen in the White Bear Tribe are pressuring him to choose a bear mate. Sooner or later, he will.”
Ying Mian wasn’t opposed to Xiong Liao finding a new partner—what worried him was whether Xiong Liao’s new mate would do anything to the cubs. If it had been half a year ago, Ying Mian wouldn’t have even thought about this. But now that the cubs were here, he couldn’t help but feel like danger was lurking everywhere.
“Let’s see how he handles it,” Bai Tu comforted him. “Even if his new mate knows where you live, it won’t matter—our tribe doesn’t let just anyone in.”
The only reason Xiong Liao was allowed in was because of Ying Mian. If Bai Tu hadn’t seen that Ying Mian still had lingering feelings for him, Xiong Liao wouldn’t have had a chance to step into the Snow Rabbit Tribe at all.
As for Xiong Liao’s so-called new mate, Bai Tu wasn’t worried. Not only did that person not exist, but even if they did, Bai Tu wouldn’t let them come near Ying Mian.
Ying Mian’s place in the tribe was far more important than some unknown bear beastman. It wasn’t just Bai Tu who felt this way—the other beastmen in the tribe also cared more about Ying Mian’s feelings. Otherwise, in yesterday’s conversation, they wouldn’t have casually referred to Xiong Liao by name while addressing Ying Mian with familiarity and warmth.
The tribe had already accepted Ying Mian as one of their own, even though he had only been there for a month. Meanwhile, Xiong Liao was just an outsider from another tribe who lacked awareness.
Bai Tu’s words got through to Ying Mian, and he ultimately abandoned the idea of moving. However, he had already decided not to have any further contact with Xiong Liao.
Seeing Ying Mian’s demeanor, Bai Tu felt a bit concerned. “Mian, besides this, did you hear anything else?” He didn’t think a vague rumor alone could have caused such a strong reaction from Ying Mian.
Ying Mian looked at him, hesitating over whether to speak.
“Tell me, maybe I can help,” Bai Tu said. After all, he was the one who had brought Ying Mian into the tribe, and he felt responsible for him.
“No help is needed,” Ying Mian shook his head, but he didn’t intend to hide it from Bai Tu either. He then brought up another matter.
Ying Mian had two fathers—Hei Ying (Black Eagle) and Bai Ying (White Eagle), the latter being a sub-beastman. He had mentioned this to Bai Tu when they first met, but there was one thing he hadn’t told him.
He had been taken by his father, Bai Ying, and escaped from Hei Ying.
“He wanted to send my father and me to the Black Forest Tribe in exchange for food.” The “he” referred to was, of course, that Black Eagle.
Not all Black Eagles were like Hei Yan, who doted on their partners endlessly. The sub-beastman Bai Ying had unfortunately encountered a Black Eagle who was willing to sacrifice anything for personal gain. The only reason the beastman had chosen to be with Bai Ying in the first place was that the Black Forest Tribe had offered generous rewards for beastmen who sent sub-beastmen and their offspring there.
The situation back then was far more dangerous than it was now. Sub-beastmen were widely despised, and Bai Ying, having met a gentle and protective beastman, had quickly fallen in love. It wasn’t until after Ying Mian was born that the beastman revealed his true intentions—he found a single cub to be too little, not enough to exchange for much.
Upon accidentally learning his true motives, Bai Ying fled with the infant Ying Mian. By chance, they eventually joined the Eagle Five Tribe under the leadership of Ying Qin.
The Eagle Five Tribe was a small one, but it had an advantage other tribes didn’t—the winged beastmen there were smaller in size, making Bai Ying and Ying Mian, both sub-beastmen, less conspicuous.
Bai Ying’s health was poor, and the betrayal had caused him deep emotional scars. He passed away when Ying Mian was ten years old.
Before his death, Bai Ying told Ying Mian many things, the most important being: Never blindly trust male beastmen, especially when it comes to raising young.
Because of this past, Ying Mian had been exceptionally cautious with Xiong Liao. Even though he had feelings for him, he left decisively after laying the eggs.
He just hadn’t expected Xiong Liao to keep following him.
Bai Tu listened to the entire story without interrupting. Now, he finally understood why Ying Mian was so wary—he was afraid of encountering another beastman like that Black Eagle.
At this point, Bai Tu couldn’t push further. After all, human nature was complex. He could see that the current Xiong Liao genuinely prioritized Ying Mian in everything, but he couldn’t guarantee he would always remain that way. However, Bai Tu believed that time would reveal the truth, and the wounds left on Ying Mian’s heart by Bai Ying’s betrayal and the Black Eagle’s cruelty would eventually heal with their support.
“You won’t have to suffer like your father did—you have us,” Bai Tu said. “No matter what happens with Xiong Liao in the future, the Snow Rabbit Tribe will always stand by you, just like how Chief Ying Qin once supported your father.”
Ying Mian naturally trusted Bai Tu. Bai Tu had already proven with his actions that he would help sub-beastmen—the ones he had brought into the tribe were proof of that. In Bai Tu’s presence, Ying Mian always felt more at ease. Hearing Bai Tu’s promise, he gradually relaxed, pushing thoughts of Xiong Liao aside.
Just as Ying Mian started to feel at ease, a familiar voice came from the doorway.
“Mian? Mian?” Xiong Liao called from outside.
Ying Mian paused, looking toward the door, but with the barrier between them, he couldn’t see anything.
“Let him in? See what he wants?” Bai Tu asked.
Since Xiong Liao came so frequently, the patrol team had gotten used to letting him in first before reporting to either Bai Tu or Bai An. After all, it wouldn’t be right to keep him waiting outside the tribe’s entrance for too long.
Bai Tu figured Bai Qi would once again be envious and irritated—every time Xiong Liao visited, it took Bai Qi half a day to calm down.
Ying Mian didn’t argue with Bai Tu’s words. He simply responded with a hum and allowed Neng Liao to come in.
As the door opened, both Bai Tu and Ying Mian were momentarily stunned by Xiong Liao’s appearance—he was carrying an enormous basket on his back, nearly half as tall as a person, stuffed to the brim with various items.
Bai Tu: “???” Was he planning to compensate for his previous deliveries every three days by bringing everything at once?
Ying Mian had the same expression as Bai Tu, equally surprised by the things Neng Liao had brought.
“What are you doing?” Ying Mian asked.
Xiong Liao put down the basket and declared, “I want to join the Snow Rabbit Tribe!”
He had thought it through—since Ying Mian wasn’t willing to return to the White Bear Tribe with him, then he would just join the Snow Rabbit Tribe instead.
As for Ying Mian’s supposed new mate, Xiong Liao believed that Ying Mian had only chosen someone else because he wasn’t around. Now that he was here, he was confident he could win Ying Mian back.
Bai Tu: “If you join the Snow Rabbit Tribe, what about the White Bear Tribe?” It was the first time he had heard of a tribe leader abandoning their position to join another tribe.
“They said they’re choosing a new chief, so they don’t need me anymore,” Xiong Liao said cheerfully.
He couldn’t have asked for a better outcome—he had been worrying about how to get close to Ying Mian and drive away his new mate, and just then, the tribe members had decided to pick a new chief. It was perfect.
Bai Tu / Ying Mian: “???”
Bai Tu muttered under his breath, “I don’t think this is what he thinks it is.” He had realized by now that Xiong Liao’s way of understanding problems was… different from theirs.
Ying Mian nodded in agreement. “I think so too.”
Regardless of the truth, Xiong Liao had already brought all his personal belongings, and Bai Tu couldn’t just send him back into the heavy rain. He consulted Ying Mian and finally arranged for Xiong Liao to stay in the empty bedroom of Ying Mian’s residence.
*
Meanwhile, in the White Bear Tribe, which bordered a small section of the Snow Rabbit Tribe’s territory, a few bear beastmen woke up and gathered, heading toward Xiong Liao’s residence.
One of them hesitated. “Are we sure the chief will agree to take a beastman mate?”
The bear beastman leading the group nodded. “He definitely will.” No chief would willingly give up their position, especially not when they were still young.
Every tribe had different opinions on certain matters. Unlike another faction in the tribe that outright opposed Xiong Liao’s leadership, these bear beastmen were simply dissatisfied with his choice of a mate—a feather beastman.
On the Eastern Continent, feather beastmen were rare, and many tribes disliked them. While their attitudes weren’t as extreme as those in the Black Forest Tribe, they still disapproved of a tribe leader taking a feather beastman as a mate. Normally, they wouldn’t say much if an ordinary beastman chose a feather partner, but it was a different matter for a chief.
After days of discussion, they had come up with a solution—to force Xiong Liao to accept a bear beastman mate by threatening to replace him as chief.
Brimming with confidence, the group arrived at Xiong Liao’s cave, eager to hear his decision. However, when they reached the entrance, they were stunned to find the cave completely empty.
The bear beastmen exchanged confused glances.
Where was the chief? Their very large chief?
As they stood there in shock, Ying Qin happened to pass by and mercilessly mocked them.
“You were never satisfied, never satisfied. You wouldn’t let Xiong Liao take a feather mate and insisted he choose a bear mate. Well, now your chief is gone—go ahead and find another one.”
Hearing this, the bear beastmen who had just realized their chief had disappeared felt even more frustrated.
Completely oblivious to the shock he had caused in his former tribe, Xiong Liao had settled into the room next to Ying Mian’s and immediately started working.
A good mate had to take care of everything properly—Xiong Liao nodded to himself. He would make sure to do things right.
First, cooking.
“Mian, what do you want to eat?” In the past, to save time, he had always brought food prepared at the tribe and delivered it to Ying Mian. But now that he had plenty of time, he could cook and personally serve Ying Mian a fresh meal.
Ying Mian: “I’ll eat at the communal dining hall.”
Xiong Liao knew that both the Snow Rabbit Tribe and the Blood Wolf Tribe had communal dining halls, and after merging into one tribe, they had even more. No matter where one lived, a dining hall was just a short walk away.
Since Ying Mian wanted to eat at the dining hall, his plan to cook was completely useless. Xiong Liao looked dejectedly at the basket he had brought, which still contained some fruit. Perking up again, he asked, “Mian, do you want some fruit?”
He couldn’t give up—Ying Mian’s new mate was surely watching him in secret. If he didn’t act quickly, what if the new mate came and stole Ying Mian away?
With this in mind, Xiong Liao cherished every moment he had with Ying Mian. Besides constantly trying to undermine Ying Mian’s supposed new mate, he also made sure to frequently praise the eggs Ying Mian was incubating.
Ying Mian’s expression had gradually shifted from wanting to say something but holding back to complete indifference. He had given up responding entirely, ignoring Xiong Liao no matter what he said.
Unbeknownst to him, Xiong Liao didn’t even realize that, with everything he was saying, he was actually insulting himself.
On the third day of Xiong Liao’s stay in the Snow Rabbit Tribe, the beastmen from the White Bear Tribe came looking for him, hoping to persuade their chief to return.
That whole “If you don’t take a bear beastman as your mate, we’ll elect a new chief” thing was just meant to scare him! They never actually wanted to replace him!
Sure, some people in the tribe had ambitions of becoming chief, but being a leader wasn’t something you could just claim on a whim.
Xiong Liao was the strongest and biggest among his peers. He had been hunting since before he came of age, and every hunting party he led always returned with more prey than the others.
Having a strong leader was crucial for the tribe, so they never really intended to replace him—they had just wanted to pressure him a little. Who could have guessed that Xiong Liao would take them seriously?
At first, they thought he would come back on his own. But then a day passed, then two, then three… At this rate, if he didn’t return soon, the rainy season would be over. Unable to hold back any longer, they finally decided to go after him.
Embarrassing? Maybe. But getting their chief back was more important.
Even those who hadn’t known why Xiong Liao had gone to the Snow Rabbit Tribe now understood.
Meanwhile, the man at the center of the whole affair, Xiong Liao, was still busy searching for Ying Mian’s new mate.
He couldn’t understand it—he had been in the Snow Rabbit Tribe for three days already, yet he still hadn’t seen this so-called new mate. Not only was Ying Mian here, but there were also five young cubs. So why wasn’t the new mate showing any concern?
No matter how anxious he felt, Xiong Liao refused to ask Ying Mian directly. As an excellent mate, he couldn’t rely on his partner to tell him who his rival was—that would be a sign of incompetence!
For three days, he endured, searching for clues. By now, he was starting to suspect everyone.
When Bai Tu went to see Ying Mian—suspicious.
When Ying Mian left the cubs in Hei Xiao’s care—suspicious.
When Lang Ze came over to check on the tribe members—still suspicious.
Lang Ze felt increasingly uncomfortable under Xiong Liao’s intense stare. When he got home, he complained to Bai Tu, “He kept staring at me!”
Bai Tu, calmly brushing a wolf cub’s fur, reassured him, “He looks at everyone like that.” He had noticed it since yesterday.
Remembering what he had learned from Ying Mian, Bai Tu fell silent for a moment. He hadn’t expected Xiong Liao to misinterpret a single sentence so badly that he’d end up overthinking it all the way to another tribe.
A normal person, upon hearing that their mate was expecting or had laid eggs, would logically assume they were about to become a parent. Even if they had doubts, they would at least ask about the timeline of the pregnancy or the incubation period for the eggs.
But Xiong Liao? He had taken that one piece of information and completely misread the situation.
Even after his misunderstanding, Ying Mian had tried to hint at the truth—mentioning that the cubs’ father wasn’t from the feather tribe. But all that did was make Xiong Liao expand his list of suspects. He even started suspecting Bai Tu.
“This guy is way too dumb,” Lang Ze muttered.
He wasn’t great at complex matters himself, but he had his packmates. The little wolves were some of the best information gatherers in the tribe—numbers were their advantage. No matter how difficult a secret was to uncover, they could find a way. Lang Zuo’s greatest achievement was eavesdropping from the top of a wall for half the night.
Lang Ze already knew that Xiong Liao was the father of the cubs. Seeing that Xiong Liao had spent days here without realizing it himself, Lang Ze had nothing but contempt for him.
Bai Tu and Lang Qi exchanged glances, feeling conflicted.
Lang Ze, of all people, was looking down on a beastman who had a mate and children? The funniest part was that Xiong Liao wasn’t even much older than him.
Bai Tu sighed as he watched Lang Ze run off again to splash around in the courtyard.
Considering their ages, the little wolves were already in their adolescence. Their peers in familiar tribes—like Bai Qi and Bao Duo—had long since started preparing to court their future mates. But these wolves? They were still spending their days eating, playing, and fooling around. They could entertain themselves for hours with something as simple as a pulley well.
Lang Ze had no awareness of his impending adulthood. He never once considered finding a mate to be his concern. After running around the courtyard for a while, he snuck into the kitchen to check on the food. Noticing that it was almost ready, he hopped over the wall to call for Lang Ya.
Though they were the same age, Lang Ya was far more mature. She had recently taken charge of the salt-boiling team, a responsibility Bai Tu had entrusted to her after making sure the assigned beastmen had all adapted well. And she had proven herself more than capable—since taking over, she had never made a mistake, nor had she let anyone outside their circle catch wind of what they were really up to.
Lately, everyone had been gathering whenever they had free time. The main reason wasn’t just to catch up—it was because Lang Sui and Lang Ying were about to start kindergarten.
Once the wolf cubs were in school, it wouldn’t be as easy to see them during the day, so they wanted to spend as much time together as possible while they still could.
Bai Tu loved grooming the cubs’ fur, and the wolf cubs enjoyed it just as much. Every time he brushed their fur, they would get so comfortable that their eyes would squint shut. Bai Tu’s touch was gentle, and before long, the cubs would doze off.
While the little ones napped, the adults quickly finished their meal. By the time the cubs woke up, only the lingering aroma of food remained in the air.
Lang Sui shifted into his human form, pointing at the bowls and chopsticks on the table. “Food!” That was the good stuff!
Bai Tu, already used to this, skillfully tied a bib around Lang Sui’s neck and nodded. “Yes, food.” Then, he picked up the meal he had prepared for the cubs. “Come, eat.”
Lang Sui took a bite, then glanced at the other bowls around him, then back at his own, his little brows furrowing. “Something’s wrong.”
“What’s wrong?” Bai Tu took advantage of the moment to sneak another spoonful into his mouth.
Lang Sui never refused food from his dad, but the taste wasn’t as delicious as the smell had promised. Suspicious, he once again eyed the adults’ bowls.
Bai Tu quickly signaled to Lang Qi to clear the table while he swirled a full spoon of food in an empty bowl. “Here, try this one.”
Lang Sui took a bite but couldn’t taste any difference. Had he mistaken the scent?
Bai Tu smiled. “This is made especially for you. Delicious, right? Eat up, or your little brothers will wake up and finish it all.”
Still a bit doubtful, Lang Sui continued eating, but the entire time, he pondered one question—why did Dad’s cooking smell better than it tasted?
He wasn’t the only one thinking about it; the other cubs were just as puzzled.
Later that night, Bai Tu discussed it with Lang Qi. “Next time, we should eat in secret.”
The ingredients used for the cubs’ meals were the same as the adults’, with one key difference—the seasonings were much lighter. Spicy ingredients like chili were off-limits, and they also avoided things like cumin that could be too strong for the cubs.
A little less of this, a little none of that—by the time the meal was done, the flavor was just slightly different.
It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t quite the same either. And these little ones had sharp noses. They could smell the richer aromas lingering in the air, and when they sat down to eat, they hesitated. If this went on much longer, Bai Tu was sure they would figure it out.
Sometimes, having smart cubs wasn’t entirely a blessing. Raising them turned into a battle of wits. He almost wished he could transfer some of their sharp instincts to Xiong Liao—maybe then, the guy would finally realize the truth.
Thinking of Xiong Liao, Bai Tu suddenly remembered something—he hadn’t heard what happened after yesterday.
Had the White Bear Tribe managed to persuade Xiong Liao to go back?
The next morning, Bai Tu got his answer.
Bai An arrived early to discuss something with him.
“The beastmen from the White Bear Tribe want to join us.”
Bai Tu: “Huh?” Weren’t they supposed to bring their chief back no matter what? How did they end up staying instead?
“They had dinner in the cafeteria last night, and after that, they refused to leave.” Bai An described the scene—if it hadn’t been so late, the group would have dragged him over immediately. As soon as dawn broke, they were at his door, insisting he register them as tribe members.
Bai Tu grabbed a fresh set of number plates for them and casually asked, “What did they eat last night?”
Bai An: “Honey-roasted meat.”
Bai Tu: “…”
Polar bears like honey too?
Thanks for the chapter!