Chapter 207
Still groggy from just waking up, Bai Tu was momentarily confused and didn’t understand what had happened. It wasn’t until the cubs shook their heads and started climbing up that he realized—they had sneaked into his bed.
But something seemed off about the number of cubs today.
Bai Tu did a quick count— seven in total.
It was too cold outside, and the two little rabbit cubs had also burrowed into the blanket. When they first crawled in, they must have been excited, causing the small cries that had woken him up.
The other cubs had also woken up, but since they were bigger than the rabbits, they simply rolled over and got up. The rabbit cubs, however, remained in their previous positions, confused and uneasy about the sudden change in their surroundings.
Seeing the dazed little rabbits, Bai Tu quickly picked them up.
The cubs loved being in Bai Tu’s arms and immediately quieted down as soon as he held them.
The blanket beside him was the same as the one from home. Bai Tu didn’t bother wondering how it got there—he simply spread it out and placed all the cubs on top of it.
The blanket was large enough to comfortably cover several cubs, leaving plenty of space. However, Bai Tu didn’t lie down with them; instead, he sat beside them, watching over them.
He was lost in thought.
When his three little wolf cubs were about to be born, he had dreamt of a scene just like this. Except, back then, it had been even colder—he still remembered seeing Bai Ye shivering from the cold when he returned. Now, the two rabbit cubs were also seeking warmth, confirming his suspicions— the babies were about to be born.
Bai Tu lowered his gaze and carefully stroked the two tiny rabbit cubs. They were so small. To be honest, he wished they could stay inside a little longer, but birth timing wasn’t something he could control.
Regardless of when they were born, he would take good care of them. Bai Tu made that promise to himself.
Since he had automatically transformed into human form with clothes on, Bai Tu wasn’t particularly cold. He used the blanket to wrap all the cubs up snugly.
The little wolf cubs, still wide awake, curiously observed their two new younger brothers. Bai Ye, being the most familiar with the rabbit cubs, gently lifted his paw and tapped one of them.
Lang Chu, seeing this, also reached out under the blanket to poke the rabbit cub—then quickly retracted his paw and sneakily glanced at Bai Tu.
Bai Tu noticed the little movements but didn’t say anything. The last time he had warned Lang Chu not to touch his younger siblings, it was because he was afraid Lang Chu might be too rough. But as long as they were gentle enough not to wake the babies, he wouldn’t stop them.
Seeing that Bai Tu didn’t reprimand him, Lang Chu excitedly poked the other rabbit cub.
The tiny black rabbit was timid. Even though Lang Chu’s touch was very light, it still sensed it and slowly opened its sleepy eyes.
Bai Tu immediately reached out and gently rubbed the little black rabbit’s head. “Go back to sleep.”
The black rabbit cub wiggled forward a little, wanting to be held by Bai Tu.
The cubs were still too young to express their thoughts with words, but Bai Tu had been caring for cubs for years— he already understood their unspoken desires.
He scooped up the little black rabbit and tucked it into his arms, wrapping it in his clothes. Then, he shifted slightly and covered his legs and the cub with the blanket.
His clothes weren’t as thick as the quilt. Even though they carried his body heat, Bai Tu still worried the cub might get cold.
Lying on Bai Tu’s lap was far more comfortable than before. The little black rabbit looked down, wanting to call its white-furred sibling to join, but after two soft calls with no response, sleepiness overtook it, and it slowly closed its eyes.
The white rabbit cub was in a deep sleep. However, after a while, it seemed to sense something and suddenly jolted awake. It glanced around, only to find itself surrounded by bigger wolf cubs— but the black rabbit was gone!
Instantly, it grew anxious.
Bai Tu, noticing its distress, softly reassured, “Over here.” He then gently lifted the white rabbit cub and placed it beside its black-furred sibling.
Now that Bai Tu had both rabbit cubs in his arms, the wolf cubs could only watch from the side.
Even Lang Chu didn’t dare to touch them anymore. What if the little rabbits got scared and ran off? What if they ran too far?
Not wanting to disturb the two baby rabbits, the wolf cubs quickly found a new way to entertain themselves— playing on the grass.
The last time Bai Tu had come here, he had specifically chosen a softer patch of grass. Walking on it felt almost like walking on a mattress.
Lang Yao, Lang Chu, and Bai Ye had seen the grassy area before, but for Lang Sui and Lang Ying, this was their first time.
Seeing such a vast stretch of soft grass, they became excited. Lang Ying immediately started rolling around.
This endless grassland was even better than their bed at home—no need to worry about falling off, and no risk of bumping into anyone.
However, Lang Ying soon realized that maybe he did need to be careful— because he had rolled right up to Bai Tu’s side.
Bai Tu picked up Lang Ying and turned him around, letting him roll back. There were more cubs here today than last time, making it much livelier. Bai Tu wondered if Lang Qi had returned yet. When he had fallen asleep, Lang Qi hadn’t come home. Looking down at the rabbit cub sleeping on his lap, Bai Tu realized he hadn’t had the chance to tell Lang Qi that the cub had moved today.
Bai Tu didn’t know how long he had been dreaming, but the cubs had played on the grass for quite a while before returning to sleep beside him. He only felt drowsy after all the cubs had fallen asleep.
Even though he had been busy in the dream, he didn’t feel tired when he woke up—just a little dazed. Seeing Lang Qi right in front of him, Bai Tu thought for a moment that Lang Qi had entered his dream too. It took him a while to realize he was actually awake. The moment Lang Qi saw him wake up, he didn’t say a word, simply stuffed him into his pocket and took him outside, leaving the sleeping cubs in the room.
On the bed, Lang Yao, who had witnessed everything, remained silent for a moment before shifting into human form and carefully tucking in his younger siblings.
Lang Qi carried Bai Tu out of the bedroom and poured him some water.
Bai Tu was just about to shift into his human form but then remembered he was outside, not in his dream. Since transforming wouldn’t automatically provide him with clothes, he simply remained in his beast form. A tiny rabbit clung to a water cup bigger than himself, drinking from it.
Lang Qi watched Bai Tu intently without saying a word. After Bai Tu finished drinking, Lang Qi poured him some more.
Bai Tu: “…?”
Even in human form, drinking this much water wouldn’t be normal, let alone in beast form. Bai Tu didn’t want to get full just from drinking water. Seeing that Lang Qi was still watching him, he simply pushed the water cup forward, expressing his displeasure through action.
Lang Qi moved the cup away and picked up an apple from the table, cutting it into small pieces to feed him. The apple chunks were just the right size for Bai Tu to eat in one bite. He opened his mouth and bit down.
And so, one fed while the other ate, continuing until Bai Tu refused any more. Only then did Lang Qi contentedly eat the remaining apple himself before taking Bai Tu to prepare food.
There were still a few cubs to take care of.
After eating and drinking his fill, Bai Tu yawned.
He shouldn’t have been sleepy right after waking up, but being carried around by Lang Qi, rocking gently like a cradle, made him drowsy again. Before he knew it, he had drifted off into an even deeper sleep than before.
Noticing the little rabbit in his arms breathing more steadily, Lang Qi moved more gently, quickly preparing food for the cubs while keeping Bai Tu close.
The cubs, woken up for their meal, rubbed their sleepy eyes. Before they could even process what was happening, they were already dressed and seated at the dining table.
Baiye rubbed his eyes and looked around but couldn’t find his father. “Where’s Dad?”
“He’s sleeping,” Lang Qi replied, placing a spoon in his hand. “Hurry up and eat.”
“Oh.” Still groggy from sleep, Baiye responded instinctively. It was only after finishing his meal that he remembered Dad hadn’t eaten yet.
At the same time, he recalled his dream. Though the details were already fading, there was one thing he still remembered.
“I dreamed of a new cub again!” Lang Chu boasted. “I even touched the new cub!” He had forgotten everything else, but as long as he remembered that, it was enough.
Baiye tried to recall the dream but couldn’t remember the exact scenes. However, he did remember touching the cub.
Lang Yao pondered for a moment. “We’ve dreamed of it twice now.” They had all dreamed of it together last time too.
Lang Qi remained silent, simply lowering his gaze to the little rabbit in his arms.
Langsui spoke slowly, “I… think I also saw the new cub today.” He had completely forgotten the details of his dream, but there was a vague impression that he had indeed seen a new cub.
Lang Ying looked at the others talking about the cub, his eyes filled with confusion.
Why was everyone dreaming about the new cub? He only remembered how comfortable it was rolling around on the grass.
Listening to the cubs chattering away, Lang Qi lifted his head and patted the little rabbit through the fabric of his clothes. “Go to sleep now. School is starting soon.”
The rainy season had ended a few days ago, meaning the cubs would be starting school soon. There were still a few days left, but that didn’t stop Lang Qi from using it as a reminder.
As expected, the cubs’ expressions immediately changed at the mention of school.
Lang Chu exclaimed, “Sleep! I need to sleep!” If he was asleep, he wouldn’t have to think about school. He was quite pleased with his plan.
Lang Yao reminded his younger brother to keep his voice down, as their father was still sleeping. Lang Chu immediately covered his mouth—he had completely forgotten.
The older cubs had already gotten used to school starting after the rainy season. Now, they even had a few extra days of vacation compared to when they first enrolled. Back then, school had started right after the rainy season ended, without any buffer time at all. Compared to that, things were much better now!
As school approached, the cubs could only comfort themselves with this thought. It was fine—they’d be back home in a few days anyway.
Watching the cubs wash up and go to bed, Lang Qi waited a little longer. The little rabbit had just taken a nap in the afternoon—would he sleep for too long now?
Just as Lang Qi was thinking about this, he felt a small movement in his arms. Looking down, he saw that Bai Tu had indeed woken up.
By now, Bai Tu was completely used to waking up to find himself napping in Lang Qi’s embrace. He stretched comfortably, waiting for Lang Qi to pull him out.
Lang Qi carefully took him out, tucked him into the blankets, placed some clothes beside him, and then left the room to prepare food.
He had wanted to help his mate get dressed, but every time he brought it up, he was refused. Remembering this, Lang Qi felt a bit regretful.
Bai Tu’s evening meal was light, and Lang Qi had already prepared it in advance. Now, he just needed to bring it into the room.
Seeing all his favorite foods on the table, Bai Tu was very satisfied. He took his time eating, then washed up and climbed back into bed.
He had already slept quite a bit in the afternoon and even napped again before dinner, so he wasn’t sleepy at all now. Feeling more awake, he brought up something from earlier in the day, reminding Lang Qi, “Don’t give Ze too much work for now.”
When Bai Tu was pregnant for the first time, Lang Qi had wanted to stick to him all day long. This time, he was a little better, but still… Bai Tu figured Langze must also want to stay by Lang Qian’s side right now.
“Mm.” Lang Qi lowered his gaze, staring at his mate, who seemed completely oblivious. He leaned down and bit his lips lightly.
Since he couldn’t do anything else at the moment, he could only express his dissatisfaction through small actions.
Bai Tu had been in the middle of talking when he was suddenly bitten, catching him off guard. He rarely looked so stunned. Unable to resist, Lang Qi kissed him a few more times.
Bai Tu quickly snapped back to his senses and pushed Lang Qi away in exasperation. He glanced at the small bed where the cubs were sleeping.
Thankfully, they were all still asleep—and facing away from them.
Noticing Bai Tu’s gaze, Lang Qi turned to look at the cubs, contemplating whether he should find an excuse to send them out.
Bai Tu’s attention was already divided between multiple things, and during the day, it was understandable. But now, even the night wasn’t completely his anymore.
Lang Qi felt rather resentful about this.
Seeing his dissatisfaction, Bai Tu tugged on him lightly. “Shall we rest?”
After all, they were just a few tiny cubs, especially now that they were all curled up in their beast forms while sleeping. Bai Tu couldn’t help but feel a little soft-hearted. But at the same time, he didn’t want his mate to be upset, so the best way was to shift his attention elsewhere.
Lang Qi looked down at Bai Tu, then finally nodded, reluctantly agreeing.
Forget it. The cubs were already here. Sending them away could wait—his mate was more important.
Bai Tu yawned. He had slept more today than in the past few days.
Maybe the cubs really were about to be born.
Bai Tu lowered his head and placed his hand on his abdomen. The cub inside seemed to sense that someone was paying attention and lightly tapped the spot where Bai Tu’s hand rested with its tiny paw.
Bai Tu’s eyes filled with joy—even though they hadn’t been born yet, the cubs could already perceive his thoughts.
Lang Qi noticed that Bai Tu was fully focused on his belly and felt like something was happening that he wasn’t aware of. He raised his hand and placed it over Bai Tu’s.
Almost at the same time, the two unborn cubs moved several times in succession.
It wasn’t excitement—it was dissatisfaction toward Lang Qi.
Somehow, Bai Tu could understand what they were thinking.
But he definitely couldn’t tell Lang Qi about it. Instead, he rubbed his belly through his clothes to soothe them, then took Lang Qi’s hand and placed it directly on his stomach.
This time, it wasn’t through Bai Tu’s hand—it was directly on his belly.
The two cubs inside suddenly became much quieter, completely still.
Lang Qi was still recalling their energetic movements from a moment ago, but when he realized they had stopped, he looked at Bai Tu in confusion and asked what had happened.
After a brief silence, Bai Tu answered, “…They’re afraid of you.”
The cubs had taken full advantage of their father’s presence. When Bai Tu’s hand was there, they had no reservations about expressing their displeasure. But now that Bai Tu had moved his hand away, leaving only Lang Qi’s hand touching his belly, the cubs had suddenly backed down.
Hearing Bai Tu’s explanation, Lang Qi lowered his head and gently stroked the cubs through the skin.
Whether they were unhappy about being exposed by their father or just realized the “threat” outside was gone, one of the cubs suddenly tapped against his palm after a couple of strokes.
Lang Qi froze and exchanged a glance with Bai Tu.
Bai Tu said, “It’s the white one.” He instinctively felt that the one interacting with Lang Qi was the white-furred little rabbit. The black one was timid and only showed courage when Bai Tu was around. Even though they hadn’t been born yet, Bai Tu had already figured out their personalities.
Another tiny bulge appeared under Lang Qi’s palm for just a brief moment before disappearing. It took Lang Qi a while before he finally withdrew his hand, wrapped his arms around his mate, and nuzzled against Bai Tu’s head, his heart brimming with happiness.
Only after Bai Tu fell asleep and transformed into his beast form again did Lang Qi move, cradling the little rabbit in his arms before closing his eyes.
Because of what the cubs had said earlier about dreaming of the new arrivals, Lang Qi, for once, truly fell asleep. But even in rest, he remained highly alert.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in an unfamiliar environment—a vast field of grass stretched endlessly around him.
A flicker of surprise crossed Lang Qi’s eyes as he cautiously moved forward, keeping a vigilant watch on his surroundings.
Though he could tell this place posed no danger to him and actually felt quite comfortable, he still needed to find an exit quickly. He didn’t want to linger in an unknown place—he wanted to return to protect his mate and their cubs.
The cubs might just be an “extra concern,” but when it came time to protect them, he would do so. Being trapped here wasn’t an option.
Just as Lang Qi was figuring out how to leave, he faintly heard Bai Tu’s voice.
He would never mistake Bai Tu’s voice. Without hesitation, Lang Qi followed the sound.
After walking for a while, he spotted a familiar figure in the distance and unconsciously let out a small sigh of relief before picking up his pace.
Though he was “walking,” it was closer to running. In no time, he reached his destination.
Bai Tu was speaking to a few older cubs, instructing them on how to be careful when interacting with their younger sibling—especially the black-furred little rabbit, who needed more gentle handling.
Hearing footsteps behind him, Bai Tu was startled, momentarily fearing there might be danger in the dream. But when he turned around and saw Lang Qi, he was shocked.
“Qi?” Bai Tu was beyond surprised—this was the first time Lang Qi had ever appeared in his dreams.
Lang Qi glanced at Bai Tu, then at the two differently colored little rabbits in his lap, and finally at the older cubs who appeared to be listening but were already itching to rush off. In that instant, he was certain.
His mate was real. The cubs were real. That meant the two little rabbits were real too.
Bai Tu asked a question but didn’t receive a response. Just as he was about to ask again, Lang Qi sat down beside him.
“These are the two you’ve been dreaming of lately?” he asked.
The cubs had often mentioned dreaming about new siblings, and Bai Tu had also brought it up before. Lang Qi had always wondered what those dreams looked like. Now, he was seeing them for himself.
The moment Lang Qi spoke, Bai Tu immediately understood—just like the cubs, Lang Qi had accidentally entered the dream as well. This wasn’t an illusion.
“Yes, two little rabbits.” Bai Tu lifted the blanket slightly, then quickly covered it again, afraid the little rabbit cubs would get cold.
Lang Qi stared at the two little rabbits for a while and then nodded. “They look like you.”
These two cubs bore a strong resemblance to Bai Tu in his beast form. The white one was almost identical, while the black one differed only in color—otherwise, it was no different from the white rabbit cub.
Bai Tu nodded without hesitation. “Of course, they’re my cubs. They should look like me.”
Seeing Lang Qi watching them closely, an idea crossed Bai Tu’s mind. “Hold out your hands.”
Though he wasn’t sure what Bai Tu wanted to do, Lang Qi obediently extended both hands.
“Palms up,” Bai Tu instructed.
Lang Qi flipped his hands, palms facing upward. Without any hesitation, Bai Tu carefully scooped up the two little cubs and placed them in Lang Qi’s hands.
Lang Qi: “!!!”
The two cubs, who woke up as soon as they were moved: “!!!”
The moment they found themselves in Lang Qi’s hands, the little rabbits became fully alert. Though Lang Qi’s palms weren’t cold at all, the cubs still instinctively turned around to look for their dad.
Bai Tu chuckled—it seemed their natural instincts as prey still outweighed everything else. The two cubs were obviously wary of Lang Qi.
“This is your father,” Bai Tu explained. “Just like your older brothers.”
Bai Tu was about to call one of the older cubs over to help explain, but before he could, the little ones had already taken advantage of the conversation and run off.
Although they were wolves by species, it seemed they had also mastered the skill of slipping away unnoticed—whether it was a natural talent or something they had learned from Langze was unclear.
Since the cubs had escaped, Bai Tu had no choice but to take a different approach. He reached out and rubbed them gently, holding them together with Lang Qi.
With their father around, the cubs weren’t as afraid anymore. Though they were still not as calm as when they were nestled against Bai Tu, at least they weren’t trying to escape. Instead, they sniffed curiously at Lang Qi’s scent.
True to Bai Tu’s expectations, the white rabbit cub quickly became bolder once it got familiar with Lang Qi. It curiously poked at Lang Qi’s palm with its little paw.
Bai Tu’s palm was soft, while Lang Qi’s wasn’t as much, which made the cub curious.
Leaning against Lang Qi, Bai Tu simply watched as the cub studied Lang Qi’s hand.
He glanced at Lang Qi beside him, then at the little wolf cubs playing not far away, and finally at the two rabbit cubs in Lang Qi’s hands. A deep sense of fulfillment washed over him.
Even though it was cold outside, they were wrapped in a warm blanket, and Lang Qi was beside him, blocking the wind. Bai Tu grew sleepier. After struggling to stay awake for a while, he eventually gave up, murmuring to Lang Qi before closing his eyes and falling asleep.
Lang Qi was just about to respond when he saw Bai Tu already asleep. He swallowed his words.
It only took a moment—Bai Tu’s breathing had already grown noticeably lighter.
Lang Qi looked down at the two little rabbits in his hands, intending to return them to Bai Tu, but then he realized something was wrong.
Bai Tu’s body seemed to be gradually fading.
Panic surged through Lang Qi, but it was his first time here—he had no idea what to do. Just as he was getting anxious, Lang Yao came over and tugged at his clothes.
Feeling the pull on his clothing, Lang Qi looked down to see his cub. Then, glancing at his fading mate and noticing the calm look in the cub’s eyes, he suddenly had a realization.
“Your dad isn’t in danger, is he?”
Seeing that his father understood, Lang Yao nodded.
No danger—he was just going to wake up before them.
Lang Qi let out a sigh of relief, feeling much more at ease.
*
On the other side, when Bai Tu opened his eyes, he found himself lying on Lang Qi’s belly. He stretched lazily and rubbed against Lang Qi.
For as long as he could remember, whenever he slept in his beast form, Lang Qi would also shift into his beast form and let him rest on top of him.
Compared to a regular bed, sleeping on a big wolf was much more comfortable—constant warmth, no worries about getting too cold or too hot. It was the ultimate comfort. Bai Tu rubbed against Lang Qi’s fur, preparing to shift back into human form, but when his gaze landed on the thick fur on Lang Qi’s belly, he couldn’t look away.
Fur.
Soft, dense, and warm fur.
Bai Tu glanced at his own paws, then back at the inviting fluff in front of him. In the end, he couldn’t resist his instincts and reached out his paws to grab a handful.
I’ll pluck it!
Bai Tu used all his strength, but this time, Lang Qi’s fur was unexpectedly firm. Even after struggling with both paws for a long time, he couldn’t pull out a single strand.
Since his paws weren’t working, Bai Tu went straight for his teeth. But no matter how hard he bit, the fur that used to be so easy to pluck wouldn’t budge.
In his sleep, Lang Qi felt a tickling sensation on his belly. At first, he didn’t think much of it, but the feeling returned—this time, it wasn’t just ticklish. It was more like someone was scratching him on purpose.
Lang Qi found it strange. At the same time, he started to feel a slight sting—like someone had scratched a bit too hard.
He hadn’t been paying much attention before, but now, a thought suddenly struck him. He looked down at the two rabbit cubs who were no longer as afraid of him and quickly tucked them under the blanket. “Go to sleep,” he said, patting them gently.
After settling the cubs, Lang Qi closed his eyes. He recalled Bai Tu’s last actions before disappearing—he had closed his eyes and fallen asleep. So Lang Qi did the same.
When he opened his eyes again, he was back in their room. And on his belly, he felt that familiar tugging sensation. Someone was trying to pluck his fur.
Lang Qi looked down and saw his mate, completely absorbed in his task, unaware that Lang Qi was already awake.
Relaxing, Lang Qi loosened his fur to make it easier for Bai Tu to pull.
Beastmen could control their own fur—it was actually a type of natural armor, protecting them from claws and teeth. Because of this, they could manipulate it at will, making it tougher or softer as needed.
Even with Lang Qi relaxing his fur, Bai Tu still didn’t manage to pull much. After a long effort, he had only gathered a tiny tuft.
Seeing his lack of success, the normally calm little rabbit suddenly became frustrated. He bit down a couple more times, but when that didn’t work either, he froze for a moment.
A few seconds later, the little rabbit sat down in defeat.
No more plucking!
He was angry!
Noticing the shift in Bai Tu’s mood, Lang Qi raised a paw and gently patted him. Then, lowering his head, he started pulling out his own fur.
Bai Tu was just about to feel embarrassed about what he had been doing, but before he could react, Lang Qi had already plucked a large handful of fur and scattered it on the bed.
Afraid the little rabbit would get upset, Lang Qi immediately shifted back into human form and asked with concern, “Is this enough?”
Bai Tu looked at the pile of fur on the bed and nodded. It was enough.
Then, noticing a red patch on Lang Qi’s stomach, he reached out and rubbed it gently with his paw.
Lang Qi nearly shifted back into his beast form on the spot, ready to pull out even more fur, but he held himself back. He knew exactly what it meant when the little rabbit plucked his fur.
“Does your belly hurt?” Lang Qi asked while tidying up the fur.
This was his first time directly helping with the preparations. The last time, Bai Tu had done everything in secret. Now, Lang Qi was both nervous and excited.
Should he prepare a wardrobe? Would that be too small? Maybe he should set up an entire room? For the first time, Lang Qi felt like time was running out.
Before he could think any further, Bai Tu patted the space between their pillows, signaling him to make the nest there.
Since Bai Tu was fully aware and alert this time, he wasn’t sneaking around like before.
Lang Qi quickly followed his instructions.
After arranging the fur, he carefully placed Bai Tu inside. “Is the size okay? Should I make it bigger? Do you need anything else?”
Lang Qi sounded just like Lang Chu—asking question after question.
Bai Tu listened for a while but eventually grew impatient. He pushed Lang Qi aside and pointed at the cubs and the door with his paw.
Lang Qi instantly understood—Bai Tu wanted him to take the cubs outside.
Although reluctant to leave, Lang Qi remembered that last time, Bai Tu had given birth while he wasn’t home. Even though he wanted to stay, he had no choice but to step out.
Before leaving, he kissed the little rabbit’s forehead. “If anything happens, call me.”
Bai Tu nodded.
Once Lang Qi had taken the sleeping cubs out of the room, Bai Tu let out a deep breath.
A familiar pain spread through his abdomen. Bai Tu curled up in the soft, comfortable nest and rubbed against it a few times. It felt much better. He closed his eyes and waited.
After a while, he opened his eyes again, crawled out of the nest, and shifted back into human form. He rubbed his belly, adjusted the nest a little, and then lay back down to rest.
Outside, Lang Qi listened intently for any sounds from inside, but even after a long time, it was completely silent.
His anxiety grew, but looking at the sleeping cubs around him, he forced himself to stay put.
One of the cubs, Baiye, clung to his father’s clothes and asked cautiously, “Is the new baby about to be born?”
Lang Qi nodded.
Baiye asked seriously, “Then when can we go in to see Daddy?”
“Very soon,” Lang Qi reassured the cubs.
“How long is ‘soon’?” Baiye knew that the word had no fixed meaning—sometimes it meant a very long time, and sometimes it was over in an instant.
Lang Qi glanced at the sky outside. “When the sun rises.”
Bai Tu had previously told him not to let anyone disturb him while giving birth, but Lang Qi had decided that if the cubs hadn’t been born by sunrise, he would go ask Baichi for advice.
“Okay.” Baiye nodded, clutching his clothes nervously.
Inside the room, Bai Tu, still in a light sleep, suddenly felt much more relaxed. When he opened his eyes again, the faint pain in his belly was completely gone, and he had already shifted into his beast form.
He glanced at the nest beside him—it was empty. Then, he noticed a small, subtle movement against his paw under the blanket.
Gentle and cautious…
A possibility came to mind, and Bai Tu quickly burrowed under the blanket. Using the faint light filtering through the fabric, he soon spotted two tiny cubs.
The newborns hadn’t opened their eyes yet, but they could sense their father’s presence. They let out soft cries, calling out to let him know where they were.
Outside the room, Lang Qi trembled upon hearing the cubs’ voices. Without hesitation, he rushed inside.
The moment he stepped in, he saw Bai Tu struggling to push a tiny rabbit cub into place. He hurried over to help.
Bai Tu sensed someone approaching and was just about to growl in warning when he saw that it was Lang Qi. He calmed down, slowly withdrew his gaze, and took a step back, allowing Lang Qi to take over.
The newborn rabbits were about half the size of his beast form, and with the bedding making the surface uneven, pushing them was indeed a bit tricky.
Lang Qi carefully moved both tiny cubs into a better position, then gently covered them with a small blanket before leaning down to kiss Bai Tu.
The cubs looked exactly like they had in the dream—one white and one black, two tiny rabbits.
Seeing that the newborns were settled and that Lang Qi was by his side, Bai Tu yawned and drifted off to sleep.
Lang Qi didn’t disturb him. He adjusted the blanket, making sure Bai Tu was covered properly.
With experience from last time, he was much more skilled at caring for newborns now. He went to the dining hall to fetch some prepared goat milk for the cubs.
Since Bai Tu had just given birth, he couldn’t shift back into human form yet and had to remain in his beast form for the time being. The ones happiest about this were the other cubs in the family.
Before, Bai Tu would sometimes shift into his beast form while sleeping, but it mostly happened when Lang Qi was around, which meant the cubs had to get past him if they wanted to see.
But now, things were different. Bai Tu stayed in his beast form all day, curled up on the bed. Even though Lang Qi wanted to stay with him, he had other responsibilities—preparing food for Bai Tu and the cubs, as well as handling the tasks Bai Tu had entrusted to him.
No matter how much Lang Qi tried to speed up, he still had to step out from time to time. The moment he left the room, the other cubs would get excited.
Knowing that their daddy was very tired and needed rest, the cubs moved quietly so as not to wake him. They just clung to the edge of the bed, watching him and the newborns.
Even though they couldn’t remember the dream exactly, the cubs all felt that the two newborns looked incredibly familiar.
“They look exactly like the ones in my dream!” Lang Chu declared with absolute certainty. In truth, he didn’t actually remember what the cubs in his dream looked like, but he was convinced that they must have been the same as these two.
The other cubs didn’t say anything, but they agreed—these were definitely the ones they had dreamed about! They had to be!
Bai Tu, of course, had no idea about their discussion. After confirming that the newborns were in a safe place, he had fallen into a deep sleep and didn’t wake up for quite some time.
As soon as he opened his eyes, the cubs eagerly crowded closer.
“Daddy, are you tired?”
“Daddy, does your belly still hurt?”
“Daddy, do you want some water?”
The cubs bombarded him with questions, one after another, until Lang Yao suddenly announced, “Father’s coming.”
At that, the cubs scattered in all directions.
Bai Tu: “…”
Just as he was left speechless, he heard footsteps outside. Moments later, Lang Qi entered, carrying food. The sight of it made Bai Tu realize just how hungry he was. Forget everything else—eating came first!
—
The two newborns spent their days doing nothing but eating and sleeping, their beast forms changing daily. In just a few days, they had grown considerably, and the difference between their sizes and Bai Tu’s was shrinking fast.
As he watched their growing forms—especially the white one, which was about to catch up to him in size—Bai Tu began to feel anxious. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before he was able to shift back into human form.
The day he finally regained his human form, Bai Tu let out a sigh of relief.
It was one thing for the little wolf cubs to grow bigger than him—that could be explained by species differences. But now, both of these were rabbits! The black one was growing a little slower, so it wasn’t as obvious, but the white one… At this rate, if they kept feeding it, it would soon be bigger than him!
That afternoon, the little wolf cubs rushed home from school, ran straight into the bedroom, and clung to the edge of the bed, only to find that the spot where their daddy usually lay was completely empty. Confused, they glanced at the two rabbit cubs near the head of the bed.
“Where’s Daddy?”
“Where did Daddy go?”
“Hurry up and look! Daddy couldn’t have gone far—he must still be in the room somewhere!”
While the others started searching the room, Lang Chu immediately bent down and crawled under the bed.
Bai Tu, who had just walked into the room: “…”
What gave Lang Chu the impression that he would end up under the bed?
And what kind of logic was ‘Daddy couldn’t have gone far’?!
