Chapter 202
When it comes to understanding the cubs, Bai Tu would say second, and no one would dare to say first, not even Lang Qi. Bai Tu knew the cubs better than anyone. Lang Chu was the most mischievous of all the cubs. Not only was he talkative, but he also went to the most places.
When he was younger, his size limited him, but once he could shift into human form, nothing could stop him. Under the bed, in the cabinets, under the table… anywhere he could go, he would explore.
The study had a lot of things, and only Bai Tu or Lang Qi would call for the cubs to enter.
When they came in, it was usually for a specific reason, unlike other places where they could play freely. Thus, the study became one of the places Lang Chu most wanted to explore.
He had already checked out all other areas, but the study was different. He had been in there fewer times, and every corner seemed interesting. He didn’t really pay attention to what Bai Tu was saying.
His only goal was to explore places he hadn’t been before! The study was hard to get into, and he had finally made it in, so he didn’t know when he’d get another chance, so he had to make the most of it.
The news about the new cub didn’t interest him much; if the cubs had already been born, he might have looked into it, but since they hadn’t arrived yet, the most interesting thing was to explore under the desk.
Bai Tu, focused on keeping Lang Chu from saying anything surprising, had thought of many possible questions Lang Chu might ask, but when Lang Chu spoke, he was already deep under the desk.
There were several desks in the study. Bai Tu had chosen the one against the wall to prepare medicine for Bai Ye earlier. When Lang Chu crawled under the desk, Bai Tu couldn’t reach him.
Lang Chu found a safe spot and curled up happily, “Dad, I’ll come out once I find the cubs!”
Since the new cubs hadn’t arrived, he couldn’t find them, so… he could stay here as long as he wanted!
Lang Chu nimbly avoided Bai Tu’s reaching hand, laughing triumphantly.
None of the other cubs stayed in the study, only him. He was the smartest cub!
Bai Tu sighed, “Lang Qi, come catch your son!”
Lang Chu froze immediately. His proud expression lasted only a moment before the realization hit—he could dodge his dad, but he couldn’t dodge his father!
Bai Tu snorted, “You’re still too young.” He still wanted to challenge him.
Lang Qi, who had been outside, immediately entered upon hearing the sound. His gaze lingered for a moment on Bai Tu’s stomach. The thoughts he had before dinner were now confirmed, but since there were still cubs around, they would discuss it later.
Though he was the seventh person in the house to hear the good news, it didn’t dampen his happiness. But now, he needed to catch the last mischievous cub.
Bai Tu pointed under the desk. “He’s under here.” Then he asked Lang Chu, “Are you coming out on your own, or should your father get you?”
Lang Qi couldn’t crawl under the desk, but he could move the table. So, no matter how the cub tried to hide, it wouldn’t work. Lang Chu gripped the table, “I’m not coming out!” He had finally found a chance to get in!
Since the important matters were already discussed, Bai Tu didn’t stop the other cubs from entering. So, from the oldest to the youngest, all the cubs saw Lang Chu hiding under the desk.
Bai Ye widened his eyes in surprise. Big Brother dared not to listen to Dad!
Not listening to Dad would end badly.
Lang Yao glanced at the desk, then at their father, who was ready, before slowly looking away.
Lang Ying looked at Lang Chu with admiration. He wouldn’t dare hide, afraid of being scolded by his father. Lang Chu was so bold. Was this what Dad meant by a newborn calf not fearing a tiger? Although his brother wasn’t a calf, and his dad wasn’t a tiger, Lang Chu’s challenge to their father was impressive!
Lang Sui felt a bit reluctant and said, “Chu Baby, come out.”
“I don’t!!!” Lang Chu refused, desperately gripping the sides of the desk.
Lang Sui sighed.
Bai Tu, seeing that Lang Chu was using the desk as leverage and they couldn’t directly grab him, nodded toward Lang Qi. “Go ahead.”
Since the cub wasn’t cooperating, they had to find another way to make him comply. A desk, even if it was solid wood with drawers, wasn’t a problem for Lang Qi. He reached down, grabbed the desk, and effortlessly lifted it up.
Lang Chu tried to follow the desk, but he was holding onto a flat piece of wood and couldn’t maintain his grip. After a couple of tries, he slowly slid to the floor. “Come out?” Bai Tu asked, looking at Lang Chu, who was now curled up in the corner, unprotected, with no cover.
Lang Chu glanced at his father, then at his older brothers and younger siblings staring at him, and decisively shifted into his beast form. Taking advantage of Bai Tu’s distraction, he darted away, but in his hurry, after dodging Bai Tu, he ran straight into Lang Qi’s legs.
Bai Tu: “…”
It was like walking right into a trap. Lang Qi bent down, grabbed the little cub, and tossed him into Bai Tu’s arms.
When holding a human-form cub, extra care is needed, but with the little wolf cub, there was no need to worry. Bai Tu picked up a towel and wiped the cub’s feet clean, then decided to take advantage of the situation and trim his claws.
Beastmen still retain certain characteristics of their beast form in some areas, such as their claws. Since they need them for hunting, they are often a bit longer.
Beastmen like Lang Ze, who are constantly outdoors, don’t have to worry about their claws. But those who don’t hunt regularly must trim their claws periodically, or they will keep growing. Since their claws are curved in beast form, if they grow too long, they might injure themselves, which is not only inconvenient but also hinders their movements.
Imagine stepping on your own sharp claws. It would be as painful as a nail infection.
Adult beastmen understand this principle and can control themselves. Even if they’re not used to trimming their claws at first, they try to get used to it. But cubs are different.
Just like how they dislike taking baths, they particularly hate getting their claws trimmed. It’s instinctual for them, but if their claws grow too long, they’ll tear their clothes and even injure others.
Most importantly, since cubs don’t spend all their time walking barefoot and fighting, their claws are more likely to curve into their flesh as they grow, just like adult beastmen. So, even if the cubs are unhappy, their claws have to be trimmed.
The other cubs were easier to manage. Lang Sui and Lang Ying were older and no longer as resistant as they were when they were younger. Lang Yao didn’t express any discontent, and Bai Ye, although scared, would listen after some gentle coaxing.
But Lang Chu, every time Bai Tu trimmed his claws, he felt like he was dealing with a child getting vaccinated. It was probably even worse, considering how agile the cub was—one wrong move, and he’d shift into his beast form and run away. However, compared to the two forms, his beast form was easier to control. In his human form, he might shift into beast form to dodge, but when in beast form, he could be caught and sealed.
Bai Tu picked up the towel from earlier and wrapped the cub in it, leaving only his claws and head exposed.
“Ugh…” Lang Chu knew what was coming when he saw the scene. He began to long for his freedom. If he wasn’t caught, he could do this and that, then run away. But now that he was wrapped up, no matter how he moved, he was still in his father’s arms.
“Don’t move, or I’ll trim your little feet,” Bai Tu said, patting the cub, as Lang Qi came over with the scissors.
Lang Chu howled even louder.
*
In the next courtyard, Lang Ze, who had already taken a hot bath and changed into fresh clothes, crouched at the living room door. This position was the best for blocking Lang Qian. Lang Qian had already confirmed that Lang Ze wasn’t sick. Upon hearing the cub’s cries, he immediately became anxious. “What’s wrong with the cub? Did they get punished?”
Lang Qian hadn’t spent as much time with the cubs as Bai Tu, Lang Qi, Lang Ze, or Lang Ya, but he understood their personalities. The older two were much more sensible than when they were younger. Lang Yao was calm, Bai Ye was well-behaved, and by the sounds of the crying, it could only be Lang Chu. Lang Qian became worried, grabbed Lang Ze, and asked, “Is that Chu Baby’s voice? Quick, go check on him!”
He rarely heard the cubs cry like that, so he could only guess. Thinking that the cub most like Lang Ze might be the one getting punished, he couldn’t hold back anymore and started to head outside.
“It is Chu Baby!” Lang Ze was about to finish his sentence when he realized Lang Qian had slipped out the door while he was distracted by the corner of his shirt.
Lang Ze immediately stood up and went to catch Lang Qian. “Don’t go! I’m still feeling unwell!” Lang Ze had figured out how to keep Lang Qian from leaving—just say he was feeling bad, and Lang Qian would almost always soften.
However, this time Lang Qian didn’t worry about him as he had before. Instead, he walked out without looking back, as if he didn’t care about whether he was feeling bad or not, leaving behind only one sentence: “I’m going to check on the cubs.”
When Lang Qian arrived, Bai Tu had just finished trimming the last claw on Lang Chu with Lang Qi’s help. Bai Tu was getting more and more skilled at dealing with the cubs. Claw trimming had become a quick and efficient task—he had to do it fast, before Lang Chu could start causing a scene.
Once Bai Tu finished the last snip, Lang Chu immediately quieted down. In fact, after having his claws trimmed so many times, he knew that his father wouldn’t hurt him, but knowing that and actually behaving calmly were two different things. Just like how Bai Tu had figured out how to make them behave better, Lang Chu had developed the habit of howling when getting his claws trimmed.
Once Lang Chu calmed down, the other cubs lowered their hands from their ears.
The older and younger brothers were just too, too loud!
When Lang Qian saw the scene in the study, he stopped at the door.
It didn’t look like abuse, nor like they were being punished—it seemed like just claw trimming.
He had miscalculated; he shouldn’t have rushed over so quickly. Hearing the hurried footsteps behind him, Lang Qian sighed.
Bai Tu and Lang Qi were much harder to deceive than Lang Ze, especially Bai Tu—no matter how much he tried to hide it, Bai Tu could see through the issue. But the problem was, Lang Qian’s mind was a mess right now, and he didn’t know what to do.
“Qian!” Lang Ze wasn’t slow, but had been too hasty earlier and tripped at his own doorstep, accidentally damaging the doorframe. Fearing that Lang Qian would think he had caused trouble, he quickly covered up the crack before catching up.
Bai Tu looked up at the two of them outside the door, sticky and flustered, realizing that, even if they hadn’t clarified everything, the misunderstanding had been resolved. He asked Lang Qi, “Here to get the medicine?” Earlier, Lang Qian and Lang Ze had left without getting the medicine.
“Yes, we’re here for the medicine.” Lang Qian glanced at Lang Chu, who had finished crying and was now back to normal, struggling out of the towel and climbing back onto Bai Tu. “Lang Ze’s house doesn’t have any medicine.”
Lang Ze didn’t like being addressed like that, grumbling a couple of times, complaining that Lang Qian had scared him by suddenly coming out, thinking that Lang Qian was about to leave.
Lang Qian quickly covered his mouth. “Alright, stop talking.”
Lang Ze pulled his hand away. “Why cover my mouth? I want to speak! Why didn’t you bring me out?”
Lang Qian closed his eyes in resignation. He knew it couldn’t be hidden much longer. He was very familiar with Bai Tu’s personality. The two sentences from Lang Ze would definitely raise suspicion with Bai Tu.
“We’ll talk when we get back.”
Lang Qian could only hope that Bai Tu was focused on the cubs and didn’t overhear Lang Ze’s words.
But that was clearly impossible. Bai Tu’s expression already said it all. Even the other cubs, who had been watching Bai Tu trim Lang Chu’s claws, looked over.
Lang Qian felt helpless. What kind of situation was this?
Bai Tu asked Lang Qi to help retrieve the medicine he had placed in the cupboard earlier, and casually asked, “Is everything cleared up?”
Lang Qian, seeing that he couldn’t hide it any longer, decided to just give in and stop pretending. “I guess it’s cleared up.”
Bai Tu looked at him, puzzled. What kind of answer was “I guess it’s cleared up”?
But then he looked at Lang Ze, who was still persistently asking Lang Qian why he hadn’t brought him along, and fell silent. Sigh… When will they grow up?
This whole situation felt like elementary school kids trying to make friends, still getting angry because they weren’t called to go to the bathroom together. At least they didn’t have the habit of casually severing friendships.
Just as Bai Tu sighed in relief, Lang Ze, who hadn’t received a promise, blurted out, “If you keep not taking me with you, I won’t like you anymore!”
Bai Tu was shocked. Good grief, who says they don’t like someone along with a threat of cutting ties?
Lang Qi glanced at his silly younger brother, highly skeptical. Why did he have such a foolish brother? Could it be that he was switched at birth? He looked down and saw Lang Chu’s excited expression, and his expression softened into silence.
Lang Sui looked at his uncle, wanting to tell him that cubs their age didn’t say things like “If you don’t do this, I won’t play with you.” Only younger cubs said that.
Lang Ying wanted to rush over to watch the two uncles and their little interactions, but since his brothers were still standing in place and their father and papa were watching, he couldn’t move. Not being able to see the two of them bickering was a huge disappointment.
Lang Yao looked at his silly uncle and raised a hand to cover his younger brother’s eyes. Bad example—don’t learn this, or you’ll end up corrupted.
Bai Ye wanted to see what Lang Qian would say, but his eyes were covered. Having never resisted his older brother, Bai Ye closed his eyes and thought, “If I can’t see, I can’t see.”
Lang Chu was extremely excited and had already decided to run off his father’s lap. However, as soon as he made a move, he was stopped and held by his neck, left only to watch in disappointment.
Lang Qian froze. He had been thinking about Lang Ze’s feelings for a long time. But no matter how he looked at it, Lang Ze seemed to treat him no differently than others.
Even the strongest person can get tired. After being rejected several times today, Lang Qian truly felt like giving up. If he were to describe this with Bai Tu’s usual words, it would be the last straw that broke the camel’s back—he simply couldn’t bear it any longer and was left with only heartache. But he quickly pulled himself together. No matter what was in his heart, he made sure no one else could tell there was a change.
By noon, he had cleared up some misunderstandings, but he still wasn’t sure about Lang Ze’s true thoughts. Lang Ze’s intentions were easy to guess, but because they were so easy, Lang Qian didn’t dare to be certain—what if he was wrong and it was just his own wishful thinking?
When he heard those words, Lang Qian’s first instinct was to interpret them—everyone knows where such words are usually used. He didn’t expect Lang Ze to say this. He understood the meaning of these words perfectly.
If he had been uncertain before, now he could be sure. No matter how Lang Ze had felt before or how he might feel after, at least in the moment he said those words, there was a place for Lang Qian in his heart.
A small sweetness blossomed in Lang Qian’s heart. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to linger—a little sweetness that left him reminiscing. It meant that he was someone who mattered to someone else.
The reactions of those around him were all different, while Lang Ze hadn’t yet come to his senses.
Lang Ze was stunned by his own words. He thought that saying it like this wasn’t right and might upset someone, but once the words were out, they couldn’t be taken back.
Food once eaten can’t be undone, and words once spoken can’t be retracted.
Before he could even regret what he said, another question took over all his thoughts. Why did he say, “I just don’t like you”?
Lang Ze thought it over for a long while, and then he understood. He turned to Lang Qian and said, “I like you.” He realized now that he liked Lang Qian, which was why he had said those words.
Lang Ze’s declaration was as casual as saying “It’s time to eat,” and Lang Qian’s mind, already full of thoughts, exploded with sweetness. Bai Tu observed Lang Qian’s reaction and sighed softly.
Fools often have simple happiness. When dealing with someone as cautious as Lang Qian, someone as straightforward as Lang Ze was the easiest to succeed with.
Lang Qian quickly realized that they were at Bai Tu’s house, and feeling nervous in front of Bai Tu, he didn’t dare look him in the eye. He decided to pull Lang Ze away first.
Bai Tu reminded them not to forget the medicine, and he hoped that Lang Ze, in his joy, would let go of all his worries and push all the sickness away.
Lang Qian took the medicine, thanked Bai Tu, and left. Lang Ze was still lost in what had just happened.
“Qian, I like you.”
“I like you too.”
After a few beats, Lang Ze finally realized how important those words were. From the next door to his own home, he repeated those two sentences over and over again, growing happier each time. He realized that Lang Qian hadn’t stopped him from saying them, so he must like him too! This discovery made him even happier than when he first realized he liked Lang Qian. He liked Lang Qian, and Lang Qian liked him back—of course, that was worth celebrating.
Lang Qian remained silent as he went to the kitchen to prepare medicine for him.
Lang Ze chattered on for a while, but when he was handed a bowl of black, bitter medicine, his face immediately scrunched up. “I don’t want to drink it.”
He didn’t have to drink medicine often, but he clearly remembered how awful it tasted. He had definitely never tasted anything worse than medicine. He had been so caught up in his happiness earlier that he hadn’t noticed the smell of the medicine in the air, and now he realized it was meant for him.
He didn’t want to drink it, but he knew that if he refused, Lang Qian would be upset. Instinctively, Lang Ze knew that when it came to Lang Qian, it was best to just do what he said without arguing. However, the medicine was too bitter, and for Lang Ze, who had always loved food, it was a huge challenge. Seeing the little wolf’s conflicted expression, Lang Qian felt both sorry for him and wanted to laugh. The awkwardness from earlier was gone.
“You were out in the rain for too long today. Drink a little, or you’ll catch a cold.”
If it was just wet clothes, Lang Qian wouldn’t have insisted, but since Lang Ze had been out in the rain for so long and had stayed out a little longer after returning,
Lang Qian was worried he might get sick. Not everyone feels sick immediately when they fall ill; some only start feeling bad the next day. Drinking the medicine now was the best option—if he was sick, the medicine would treat it, and if he wasn’t, it would help prevent sickness.
“Oh, fine.” Lang Ze reluctantly took the bowl, grimacing as he didn’t want to drink the medicine.
Lang Qian suddenly thought of Bai Tu’s usual way of dealing with the second child and said, “The second child already had his nails clipped, and you can’t even drink your medicine?”
Hearing Lang Qian say he couldn’t compare to his nephew, Lang Ze immediately became unwilling and pinched his nose, downing the bowl of medicine in one gulp. “I finished it!” Lang Ze showed Lang Qian the empty bowl, with nothing left.
“Mm.” Lang Qian nodded, thinking he should pay more attention to how Bai Tu handles Lang Chu. He had a strong feeling that he would definitely need to use those methods in the future, and not just once.
Lang Ze didn’t know Lang Qian’s thoughts. After finishing the medicine, he was happy and felt that he was definitely more capable than his nephew. Clipping nails and such, he had never been afraid.
In his competition with his nephew, Lang Ze forgot one important thing—he had never actually clipped nails.
Lang Chu didn’t know that his uncle had already declared himself the winner. After Lang Qian and Lang Ze left, Lang Chu turned back into his human form, continuously asking to go along. The couple had just cleared up their misunderstanding and were in the sweetest part of their moment, so Bai Tu wouldn’t let him go as a little “third wheel.” No matter what Lang Chu said, Bai Tu didn’t let go.
Seeing that this tactic didn’t work, Lang Chu quickly changed his approach, “Dad, Dad, I want to go see if Lang Ze’s house has any new cubs.”
“What if the new cubs are at Lang Ze’s house?”
“If we don’t go, the new cubs will cry.”
“Dad, let me go dig up the cubs!”
At first, Bai Tu didn’t notice, but when he heard the last sentence, he was surprised. “Dig up the cubs?” Who taught you to say that?
Lang Chu thought his new approach had worked and immediately nodded, “Mm-hmm! Hurry and dig up the cubs! Otherwise, they’ll run away!” Cubs that can run are really fast!
He originally wanted to watch Lang Ze and Lang Qian, but thinking of how fast the cubs could run, Lang Chu got really anxious. “Dad, let’s hurry up and dig up the cubs! If they run away, we won’t find them! They’ll be caught!”
Bai Tu found it both funny and helpless as Lang Chu became more and more agitated, “Who told you that cubs need to be dug up?”
“Someone at our school said that cubs are like potatoes, they grow out of the ground, but they’re smarter than potatoes, and when they grow up, they run away.” Lang Chu fluently repeated what he had heard.
Bai Tu replied, “Why didn’t they say they were like radishes?”
Lang Chu was shocked. “Dad, you heard that too? Someone said they were like radishes, and they fought about it!”
Bai Tu: “…”
There were so many points to address, he didn’t know where to start.
However, this topic couldn’t go on any longer, or the unborn cubs would become radishes.
“Cubs don’t grow out of the ground. You’ll understand when you grow up. Lang Chu, your job now is to get off me, go back to your room, and do your homework. The day is almost over, and you’ve been playing all day without doing your homework.”
Although it was vacation, the cubs couldn’t just play all day—they still needed to do some homework.
Cubs have bad memories, and if they don’t review regularly, they’ll forget everything in two months.
There are two vacations a year, and each time they forget a little, so they have to spend more time reviewing. Therefore, Bai Tu had based his approach on his own summer homework when he was younger. The assignments weren’t too many, and just about an hour a day would be enough to reinforce what they had learned before.
Of course, the rush to do homework didn’t depend on time or space—there were always cubs scrambling to finish their assignments the day before school started. Bai Tu didn’t want Lang Chu to leave all his homework until the end of vacation, so he kept a close eye on him.
Lang Yao was the first to answer: “Dad, I’ve finished today’s homework.” Bai Ye nodded, confirming for his older brother and adding his own, “Dad, I’ve finished too.”
Lang Sui also finished his homework: “Me too.”
Lang Ying, seeing that his brothers had answered, didn’t want to fall behind: “Me too—”
Lang Sui exposed him, “You haven’t.”
Lang Ying glanced at his brothers, then at his father, and changed his words: “I haven’t finished, just like the younger brother.”
Only one cub stayed silent. Lang Chu hadn’t finished his homework, so why was it Lang Er Bao’s problem?
Bai Tu had already seen through his thoughts and added, “Er Bao, Lang Chu, and Lang Er Bao, Bai Tu’s fourth cub, you haven’t finished your homework, so you need to finish it before you can play.” He mentioned all the nicknames, including the fourth cub of Bai Tu. Lang Chu frowned and slid off his father, sighing like a little adult.
“Dad, I don’t want to do homework.” Lang Chu didn’t understand why they had to do homework. He had heard from Uncle Xiong Liao and Uncle Lang Ze that when they were young, they didn’t do homework.
It wasn’t until they moved to the residential area that they started studying. Thinking about what he had heard, Lang Chu’s clever mind turned, and he looked up and asked, “Dad, can I be like Uncle Xiong Liao and Uncle Lang Ze and study when I grow up?”
Lang Ying, who was next to him and still struggling with his own unfinished homework, immediately perked up upon hearing this. Could they do that too?
“Dad, I also want to study when I grow up!”
Lang Sui looked at Bai Tu, thinking his dad wouldn’t agree to something like this. Lang Yao grabbed his younger brother to prevent him from saying he wanted to grow up and study.
Bai Ye obediently shook his head. He didn’t want to do that. When he grew up, he wanted to study herbs just like his dad. As for studying now, he thought it was better to wait until they could handle herbs before considering it.
Bai Tu observed the different attitudes of the cubs and his gaze lingered on Lang Ying and Lang Chu for a moment before he slowly spoke, “You want to be like Uncle Xiong Liao and Uncle Lang Ze, not study now, and study when you grow up, right?” The two cubs nodded.
“Okay, I agree,” Bai Tu nodded.
Lang Chu and Lang Ying were both surprised that the approval came so quickly. Although they had said they didn’t want to study, they were just testing the waters, knowing it was impossible because their dad was very strict about their learning.
In the past, if they didn’t finish their homework, their dad would get upset. But this time, he actually agreed that they wouldn’t need to study! The surprise came so suddenly that it took them a while to begin cheering. Lang Yao, hearing their voices, pulled Lang Sui and Bai Ye closer to their father.
They’re too naïve; being too close is likely contagious.
The two cubs, still cheering and jumping, didn’t notice the disdain. Compared to not having to study, this little bit of disdain was insignificant! No homework, no school, no waking up early…
The joy couldn’t be fully expressed in their cheers. Lang Chu immediately turned into his beast form and began running around the room. He didn’t have to study anymore!!! Dad had agreed he could study when he grew up!
Lang Ying, who was older, didn’t immediately turn into his beast form, but his expression clearly showed he was itching to try.
Amid their excitement, Bai Tu changed his tone: “But—”
Lang Chu, who had been running around, slammed on the brakes, and because of inertia, slid a long way on the floor.
“If you want to live like them when they were young, without studying, you’ll have to live the same way they did when they were young.”
Lang Ying, who had thought something unexpected was coming, immediately sighed in relief.
Lang Chu’s ears perked up when he heard this and let out a loud howl of joy as he continued to cheer.
The sound traveled to the next room, where Lang Qian, who was getting ready to let Lang Ze go out to buy food, paused: “Isn’t that Chu Baby? Sounds like he’s happy?”
“What could he be happy about? He’s so silly.” Lang Ze stared at the points in Lang Qian’s hands.
Points, points—so many points.
He had gotten a few hundred points at most, but Lang Qian had dozens of hundred-point cards and many small ones. It must have exceeded a thousand!
Lang Qian had so many points, Lang Ze couldn’t help but marvel at it.
Hearing Lang Ze call Lang Chu “silly,” Lang Qian was momentarily speechless.
Sighing, Lang Qian pulled out all the point cards, but he didn’t give them all to Lang Ze. Instead, he picked the top one: “Buy some more food, and get food for Tu and the others too. No need for your brother to make another trip.”
Lang Ze stared in disbelief at the point card in Lang Qian’s hand.
Just one?
Wasn’t he going to give him more?
Only one?
He really wasn’t going to give him another?
Thinking about the number of points Lang Qian had given him this morning and earlier today, and then looking at the lonely single point card in his hand, Lang Ze felt something was off.
In fact, he still had some points left. Although snacks in the tribe cost money, they weren’t ridiculously expensive. Each person could get quite a bit of food per meal. He hadn’t spent much of his points in the morning, but he hadn’t figured out why he ended up in this situation. After being caught in the rain for half a day, his clothes and hair were wet, and even the point card in his pocket had gotten soaked and ruined.
The damaged point card wasn’t completely useless, but it couldn’t be used to purchase supplies. He would need to go to the room next to the points storage to find someone to check it and verify that it was a real point card and not just a random piece of paper, and they would exchange it for a new card of the same value.
Since it was almost time for dinner, there was no way to go exchange the card now, so he only had the card Lang Qian gave him.
Seeing Lang Ze still in a daze, Lang Qian urged, “Hurry up, remember to buy more of the food that Tu and the cubs like. Don’t just think about yourself.”
Hearing these words, Lang Ze’s earlier suspicions became more certain.
Something was different now. It was definitely different.
Lang Qian didn’t think there was anything wrong with the way he treated Lang Ze. Before, the two didn’t have a close relationship, and spending a little more on points was a way to increase their bond.
But now, things were different. In Beast God Continent, after mutual affection was expressed and no one opposed it, the pair was considered a recognized mate within the tribe.
Though others didn’t know, with Bai Tu backing him up and having confirmed Lang Ze’s feelings, Lang Qian now regarded their relationship as something that had progressed to the next stage.
Since that was the case, it was time to start thinking about raising cubs.
Spending points a little less or a little more was fine, but since they were about to raise cubs, they couldn’t be as wasteful as before. They needed to be more economical with their points.
Thinking of this, Lang Qian walked a couple of steps to the side and picked up the soaked point card from the table. “You go to the cafeteria; I’ll go exchange this card.” They often worked together, and Lang Gan knew Lang Ze’s habits. If they didn’t exchange it now, it would probably be too late tomorrow.
After thinking for a moment, Lang Qian realized he still had over a hundred points, which was about the equivalent of ten days’ worth of normal work. It would take him several days of making medicine to earn that much.
Lang Qian felt like making a note of this, but the ledger was still at his place, so he had to hold off on it until later.
Lang Ze nodded. “Right, right, get a new one.” He looked at Lang Qian expectantly.
Lang Qian took the point card, and as he did, he noticed Lang Ze was still blocking him like a little mountain, looking puzzled. “Aren’t you going? If you don’t go now, the food will run out.”
To avoid waste, the cafeteria had a rule where everyone could only take food up to their limit per meal. But since everyone had a big appetite, the food was always served in boxes and bowls, and it would be gone quickly. If they wanted more variety, they had to go early.
Normally, hearing about food would excite Lang Ze, but today he wasn’t in a hurry. Was he not hungry?
Wait, that wasn’t right. Lang Qian remembered that Lang Ze hadn’t even had lunch. He himself was hungry, so how could Lang Ze not be?
Lang Ze’s stomach growled a few times. Normally, eating was his top priority, but now, Lang Ze felt there was something more important than eating. His intuition told him that if he didn’t get this question cleared up today, he would regret it later. Lang Ze spread his hands and placed the point card in front of Lang Qian. “Qian, are you sure this is all?”
Lang Qian looked down at the card with a hundred points, thought about the points he would need later, and nodded. “Indeed, it shouldn’t be this much.”
Lang Ze sighed in relief. So, Lang Qian had given him the wrong amount. He had a feeling that if Lang Qian liked him so much, there was no way he would only give him one card.
Good thing he asked!
Just as Lang Ze was congratulating himself for being clever, Lang Qian took the point card from his hand and replaced it with a 50-point card and a 20-point card. “We’ll each take 10 points, and the cubs will take 5 points each. Let’s go by this standard.”
Lang Qian was almost tempted to pull out a piece of paper to write down the food and quantities he needed, but since it was only the first day, he decided not to be too strict. He then said, “You keep the remaining points.”
He didn’t need the leftover points today. He couldn’t waste them like this in the future, so he planned to exchange them tomorrow for more cards with smaller denominations.
Lang Ze watched as the 100 points turned into 70 and began calculating according to Lang Qian’s way. “Four adults need 40 points, five cubs need 25 points, so 25 plus 40 is 65…”
70 minus 65 leaves 5 points!
Only 5 points left!
Lang Ze had never had such a small snack for 5 points. It was too little, barely enough to fill a gap in his teeth.
“Go on, I’ll go exchange the points and tell Tu not to cook,” Lang Qian said, then left.
Although they had just confirmed their relationship, Lang Qian had worked with Lang Ze for a long time, and unlike other mates who rarely interacted with each other, it was more important to hurry and prepare food. He also wanted to check why the little cutie was so happy.
Just to inquire, would he treat the cubs the same way when they arrive?
He should really learn from Bai Tu the way he teaches the cubs.
Lang Qian went next door, leaving only Lang Ze, who stood still, staring at the 70 points in his hand.
But he only dazed for a short while. Hearing the sounds from next door, Lang Ze quickly gripped the point card and rushed to the cafeteria. He dared not say anything more to Lang Qian, fearing that Lang Qian might deduct more points. Today, he would have to find some food from the other wolves, and deal with the rest tomorrow. After all, he could go to Bai Tu to ask for more points tomorrow.
Meanwhile, upon hearing that Lang Qian was going to exchange the damaged points, Bai Tu handed a thick ledger of points to Lang Qian. “This is the ledger for Ze’s portion of points. Future expenses will be deducted from this.”
Thank you for the chapter!