Chapter 222
Bai Tu was stunned, and Hei Xiao also paused for a moment. The two brothers stepped out of the cave and saw Lang Qi picking up fruit from the ground.
Winter fruits were incredibly rare. The fruit Lang Qi was gathering was frozen persimmons—something the tribe didn’t have, nor had the wolf clan brought any over. That meant he had gone out on his own to pick them.
Bai Tu hadn’t thought there was anything wrong with his answer, but seeing Lang Qi like this, he suddenly felt an inexplicable ache in his heart.
Lang Qi didn’t say a word. He simply picked up the persimmons quietly, placed them in the basket, and carried them inside as if he hadn’t heard Bai Tu’s response at all.
Bai Tu watched Lang Qi’s retreating figure, then turned to look at Hei Xiao beside him. Suddenly, he spoke, “Brother, you should head back first. I’ll come find you tonight.”
He needed some time to think about their relationship.
Hei Xiao noticed that the atmosphere had shifted. If Bai Tu had been indifferent, he would have dragged him away immediately. But now, his reaction upon seeing Lang Qi didn’t seem like that of someone with no feelings.
“Alright.” Hei Xiao nodded and reached out to ruffle Bai Tu’s hair. “No matter what you decide, I’ll support you.”
He just didn’t want his younger brother to be taken advantage of unknowingly. But if the two truly liked each other and intended to become mates, he wouldn’t oppose it.
“Okay.” Bai Tu reached out and hugged Hei Xiao, rubbing his head against his shoulder. “Brother, thank you.”
If not for Hei Xiao’s reminder, he might have continued living in a state of confusion.
“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.” Sensing his brother’s conflicted emotions, Hei Xiao gently patted his back, comforting him just like when they were kids.
Time really flew. It felt like just yesterday Bai Tu had been a small bundle in his arms, and now, in the blink of an eye, they were the same height.
Bai Tu nodded, about to say something when Lang Qi walked out of the inner chamber, holding two cubs in his arms.
Bai Tu froze, unsure of what Lang Qi meant by this.
Hei Xiao patted his younger brother’s shoulder, then turned and left the cave, reminding himself that Bai Tu had grown up and had to make his own decisions. Still, even with that thought, he couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in his heart.
He sighed deeply. After all those years of raising his younger brother, a big-tailed wolf was now carrying him away—right in front of him.
Inside the cave, Bai Tu looked at the cubs and said, “They’re still sleeping. Let’s wait a bit before bringing them out.”
Just as Hei Xiao had mentioned the other day, the cubs behaved much better in Bai Tu’s presence. They no longer hid away in fear like before. Bai Tu had always liked cubs, and when he saw how pitiful these two were, his heart ached for them. Now, after taking care of them for so long, he had naturally grown attached.
The cubs had small appetites but ate more frequently than adults. Since they had suffered from malnutrition before, they now needed to eat four to five meals a day. Their daily routine was simple—eat and sleep. And the first thing they did upon waking up was look for food.
It wasn’t long until their lunchtime, but since they were still asleep, Bai Tu usually wouldn’t wake them. They could eat when they woke up on their own.
However, what Bai Tu didn’t expect was for Lang Qi to shake his head at his words.
“I’m taking the cubs back to the wolf clan.”
“What?” Bai Tu thought he had misheard.
“The cubs belong to the wolf clan. Keeping them here will only interfere with you finding a mate.” Lang Qi’s voice was low as he carefully wrapped the cubs in animal pelts.
Bai Tu stared for a moment before realizing what Lang Qi meant.
Now, he was certain—Lang Qi had definitely overheard his conversation with Hei Xiao earlier and had quickly come up with a response.
After Hei Xiao’s reminder, Bai Tu thought back to past events and found many things worth reconsidering.
For example, the second time Lang Qi had transformed into his cub form, he had looked the same as before, but his temperament had been slightly different.
Or the day Lang Qi reverted from his adult beast form to his human form—Hei Yan had asked him to work, and not only did he do it, but he did even more than what Hei Yan had asked. Later, when Bai Tu went out, he noticed Lang Qi’s fingers had deep marks from being overworked.
And on the day Hei Yan moved from the cave two doors down to Hei Xiao’s cave, Lang Qi had immediately found an excuse to move into Bai Tu’s cave.
Back then, Bai Tu’s first thought had been figuring out where Lang Qi should stay. But Lang Qi had naturally steered the conversation toward staying in the outer chamber of this very cave.
Thinking about all of this, Bai Tu looked at Lang Qi, who was waiting for his response, and suddenly felt calm.
“Alright, just don’t forget to take the cubs’ pelts with you.”
Lang Qi’s movements visibly stiffened, but he still responded, “Alright.” He then gathered all the animal pelts that Bai Tu usually prepared for the cubs.
Since the small cave housed four people—two adults and two cubs—Bai Tu had put a lot of effort into organizing the space. Clothes that could be stored under the bed were all neatly tucked away, while the ones needed for daily wear were folded and stacked on a wooden rack beside the bed for easy access. Currently, there were four stacks of clothing on the rack, and Lang Qi took out the two that belonged to the cubs.
Bai Tu followed him inside and casually took out the cubs’ cups, bowls, and chopsticks. However, instead of placing them inside with the other items, he set them on the table outside.
Seeing this, Lang Qi became even quieter. His movements while packing grew noticeably stiff.
After waiting for Lang Qi to finish packing, Bai Tu spoke again. “Oh, by the way, the cubs’ food is already prepared. Let them eat before leaving. It’s a half-day journey to the wolf clan.”
“Mm.” Lang Qi nodded, gently lifting the still drowsy cubs from their blankets.
As soon as the cubs emerged, they glanced around. Upon realizing that Bai Tu wasn’t the one holding them, they immediately started turning their heads to search for him.
“Uncle is here.” Seeing the cubs’ pitiful attempts to find him, Bai Tu forgot everything else, quickly reaching out to take them into his arms.
Today’s meal for the cubs was fish.
During the cold season, most prey disappeared, but fish were an exception. Though the river had frozen over, the oxygen levels beneath the ice were low. If a hole was made on the ice’s surface, the fish would instinctively swim toward it, making them much easier to catch.
Bai Tu wasn’t one to waste such an opportunity. Most of the beastmen in the tribe didn’t like eating fish. Some found them bitter if not prepared properly, but the biggest issue was the bones—beastmen preferred eating large chunks of meat without worrying about picking out bones. Swallowing fish bones was risky; some could be coughed up, but others had to be pushed down with other food. A long time ago, someone had died from eating fish, and ever since then, an already unpopular food became even more undesirable.
Bai Tu, however, was meticulous when preparing fish—especially for the cubs. He carefully removed all the bones, leaving only the fish meat and broth.
The cubs weren’t picky eaters at all. The moment they smelled the food, they eagerly buried their heads in their bowls.
Watching the cubs eat so enthusiastically, Bai Tu reached out, gently patting their heads, and murmured, “Eat well. This will probably be your last meal here.”
At those words, Lang Qi felt as if he had been plunged into ice water, his blood freezing in his veins.
When he first brought the cubs out to test Bai Tu’s reaction, he had still held onto a sliver of hope. But now, he understood completely—Bai Tu didn’t like him.
After realizing his own feelings, Lang Qi’s first instinct had been to pursue Bai Tu seriously. Ever since he was injured, he had been steadily following this plan.
He admitted that he had used some underhanded tactics. Now, everyone in the tribe believed he and Bai Tu were mates. Even though it had never been explicitly stated, no one dared to compete with him for Bai Tu’s attention.
Lang Qi had thought he still had plenty of time—time to slowly wait for Bai Tu to realize his feelings. But now, he saw the truth. Bai Tu had figured it out, and he didn’t feel the same way.
If Bai Tu had remained unaware, Lang Qi could have found countless reasons to continue his pursuit. But now, knowing that Bai Tu had seen through him and still didn’t return his feelings, Lang Qi had no reason to persist.
At this moment, regret washed over him. He had been too impatient. If he hadn’t rushed things—if he hadn’t moved into the cave and had instead maintained a purely co-parenting relationship with the cubs—then perhaps Hei Xiao wouldn’t have come to question Bai Tu so soon. If that hadn’t happened, Bai Tu wouldn’t have realized Lang Qi’s feelings so quickly.
As long as Bai Tu remained oblivious, Lang Qi could have continued waiting, hoping that one day, Bai Tu’s feelings might change.
But now, it was too late. What was done was done.
Lang Qi had never felt this kind of fear before. He knew very well that when Bai Tu said “last meal,” he wasn’t talking about the cubs—he was talking about him.
Given Bai Tu’s affection for the cubs, he would never refuse them if they wanted to visit in the future. But Lang Qi was different. He knew that once he left this time, coming back wouldn’t be easy.
What terrified him the most was the possibility that after he left, other beastmen would come to pursue Bai Tu.
And Bai Tu… might just say yes.
At the thought of this possibility, a dark glint flashed through Lang Qi’s eyes.
On the other side, Bai Tu gently patted the two cubs, who were now full. “Alright, now that you’ve eaten, go to sleep.”
Lang Qi held his breath, waiting for Bai Tu’s next words.
He didn’t have to wait long. Bai Tu stood up with the cubs in his arms and said, “The animal pelts are a bit damp. Take them outside to dry. The food in the pot should be ready—serve it and share it with Hei Yan and the others.” With that, he carried the cubs into the inner room, leaving Lang Qi alone outside.
Bai Tu’s words echoed in Lang Qi’s mind.
First, dry the cubs’ pelts. Then, distribute food to the people working down the mountain.
It didn’t take Lang Qi long to realize what this meant—was Bai Tu… not planning to make him leave?
The dark glint in his eyes faded instantly. As he listened to Bai Tu coaxing the cubs to sleep from the inner room, he glanced at the pile of pelts beside him. Without hesitation, he took them outside and draped them over the railing to dry. Once that was done, he followed Bai Tu’s instructions—scooping out the food from the pot and carrying it down the mountain to distribute.
He had been helping Bai Tu with chores for quite some time now, so no one found it unusual. As they received their portions, some even teased him about it. However, unlike before, Lang Qi didn’t take the opportunity to hint at anything. Now that his dream was becoming reality, he found himself feeling even more uneasy.
After handing out all the food, he cleaned the pots and dishes thoroughly, then rinsed himself off with cold water before heading back inside.
“Tu?” Lang Qi approached the bed, his voice low as he looked at Bai Tu, who had been infected by the cubs’ drowsiness and was now struggling to stay awake. “The pelts are drying, and the food has been distributed.”
Bai Tu yawned, rubbing his slightly itchy ear. “Mm, you should rest early too.” The cubs didn’t sleep long at night and always woke before dawn for their first meal, so Bai Tu had been getting up early lately. He was genuinely tired now.
Lang Qi gazed at Bai Tu’s completely unguarded expression and instinctively leaned closer. But just as he was about to act, he suddenly realized something—and abandoned the idea of a sneak attack.
Bai Tu slowly opened his eyes and looked at Lang Qi, who was practically staring at him. His voice was drowsy as he asked, “Not leaving?”
This was the first time Lang Qi had ever seen Bai Tu like this. He stretched his stiff neck and responded, “Mm.” His mate was here, the cubs were here—only a fool would leave.
Bai Tu chuckled softly, shifting slightly toward the cubs, leaving a space about the width of a person beside him. Lang Qi immediately understood that the space was meant for him and wasted no time climbing in, gently pulling Bai Tu into his arms.
He had unconsciously done this countless times as a cub, but now that he was in his human form, the meaning was entirely different.
Feeling the coolness of Lang Qi’s body, Bai Tu looked up at his still slightly damp hair and remarked, “Did you rinse off with cold water outside? It’s too cold—use hot water next time.”
“Mm.” Lang Qi’s eyes were filled with nothing but Bai Tu. No matter what Bai Tu said, he would agree to it.
Bai Tu looked at Lang Qi, who was dazed and completely different from his usual self. He was surprised, but there was also a hint of bitterness in his heart. He recalled seeing Lang Qi outside earlier, carefully picking up the frozen persimmons from the ground—it looked more like he was picking up the shattered pieces of his emotions.
Initially, Bai Tu had planned to agree to Lang Qi taking the cubs and leaving, at least until he returned to the wolf tribe. But after seeing Lang Qi like that, he couldn’t bear it. Using the excuse that the cubs hadn’t eaten yet, he made Lang Qi stay.
Thinking about how the usually sharp-witted Lang Qi had used something as drastic as taking the cubs away to test him, Bai Tu couldn’t help but ask, “Are you stupid? If I hadn’t told you to stay, were you really planning to leave with the cubs?”
“No.” Lang Qi lowered his head and gently, with utmost seriousness, pressed a kiss to Bai Tu’s forehead before continuing, “I wouldn’t leave.”
Lang Qi knew himself too well— even if Bai Tu hadn’t spoken, he wouldn’t have been able to step out of that cave. At most, he would’ve stood at the entrance and hesitated.
Pride meant nothing in front of his mate. And since he had the cubs with him, he could always use them as an excuse to stay—one way or another, he wouldn’t leave.
Bai Tu chuckled at him. “If you had just said it earlier, we wouldn’t have had to go through all this trouble.” But after saying that, he laughed at himself too. He was telling Lang Qi to confess earlier, yet he had only realized the truth about his own feelings after Hei Xiao pointed it out to him.
If he had noticed Lang Qi’s intentions sooner, maybe Lang Qi wouldn’t have had to struggle for so long.
“I couldn’t say it earlier.” Lang Qi tightened his arms around Bai Tu. “What if you didn’t like me back then?”
When he first appeared in Bai Tu’s life, he had been in his cub form, and Bai Tu had only ever shown affection for his cub self. If he had confessed too soon, Bai Tu might have mistaken his feelings as gratitude for raising him—or worse, agreed to be with him only because of the bond they formed when he was a cub.
He wasn’t going to give Bai Tu a chance to confuse those emotions. He wanted Bai Tu to love him for who he truly was, not just for who he had been as a cub.
Hearing this, Bai Tu thought for a moment and realized that Lang Qi’s concerns were valid. He had only truly fallen for Lang Qi in his human form after Lang Qi shifted from his adult beast form to his human form. Before that, there had been moments of intrigue, but nothing strong enough to be called love.
Bai Tu couldn’t say for certain what would have happened if Lang Qi had confessed back then, but now, at least, he was sure of one thing—they had a future together.
Lang Qi gazed down at Bai Tu, who was deep in thought, and gently kissed the corner of his lips. He had wanted to do this for a long time, but back then, he didn’t have the right to.
Even after that kiss, Lang Qi still felt unsatisfied. He shifted closer.
Bai Tu, who had been lost in his thoughts, opened his eyes just in time to see Lang Qi inching toward him. A trace of heartache flashed in his gaze, and he reached out to embrace Lang Qi, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.
Just as Lang Qi was about to deepen the kiss, Bai Tu suddenly pulled away and burrowed under the animal pelts. “Sleep first. I need to talk to my brother later.”
He still had to explain things to Hei Xiao. He had just told him at noon that he and Lang Qi weren’t mates, and by nightfall, they suddenly were. Two contradictory statements in half a day—he could only hope his brother wouldn’t hit him for this.
Lang Qi remembered the conversation from noon and looked down at Bai Tu, who had closed his eyes and was pretending to sleep. Carefully, he pulled Bai Tu into his arms.
No matter what, this person was his now.
It had been a long time since Lang Qi had felt the joy of getting exactly what he wanted. It almost felt like a dream. No— even in his dreams, things had never been this perfect.
Before today, even in his wildest dreams, all he had dared to hope for was that Bai Tu wouldn’t reject him outright after realizing his intentions. He never imagined they would end up confirming their relationship so directly.
Bai Tu kept his eyes closed, pretending to sleep, but he could still feel Lang Qi’s gaze on him. Unable to hold back, he opened his eyes. “Aren’t you sleepy?”
He had woken up before dawn, and Lang Qi had gotten up even earlier than him. How was he not taking an afternoon nap by now?
Lang Qi shook his head. “I’m not sleepy.”
He didn’t want to sleep. He was afraid that if he closed his eyes, he would wake up and find that none of this was real. All he wanted was to keep looking at Bai Tu.
“Really not going to sleep?” Bai Tu glanced at the two little wolf cubs sleeping soundly beside them and said, “If you don’t sleep now, how will I talk to you in secret tonight?”
Lang Qi froze, then quickly said, “I’ll sleep!”
Bai Tu chuckled softly, turned over, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Feeling the tension in the body beside him, he murmured, “It’s not a dream. I like you too.”
Bai Tu was very clear about his feelings. He liked Lang Qi. Maybe it started when Lang Qi, still recovering from a serious injury, helped him fetch water—even if there had been an element of feigned weakness, it had been enough to stir his heart.
Or perhaps, it was because of the Lang Qi who always paid close attention to his little habits—who knew he only drank boiled spring water, so there was never a shortage of it in his room; who knew he loved fruit and would go out of his way to find ones he had never tried before; who knew he was afraid of the cold, so he never let Bai Tu worry about anything outside the cave and always took care of everything.
A person who wholeheartedly thought of him—how could he not be moved?
Bai Tu thought to himself, Lang Qi’s one and only act of stubbornness was probably today. Yet, he wasn’t angry at all. In fact, he was a little happy. When the person you love is by your side, everything they do seems good.
Bai Tu raised his arms and embraced Lang Qi beside him, closing his eyes. This time, he truly intended to sleep.
A moment later, Lang Qi slowly opened his eyes, gazing at Bai Tu’s sleeping face, his heart filled with contentment.
How wonderful.
Although he had been in his human form for a while now, he hadn’t had much rest. Just now, he had been fully immersed in the joy of having his wish come true. Looking at Bai Tu now, his heart was still as excited as before, but his body was finally feeling a bit tired.
Lang Qi gently kissed Bai Tu, then closed his eyes as well.
There was nothing more beautiful than a dream coming true.
—
That evening, when Bai Tu went to find his brother, he deliberately brought a pile of food, hoping it would make Hei Xiao forget about what had happened earlier in the day.
But how could Hei Xiao possibly forget?
In a way, he had been one of the accomplices who had unknowingly pushed his younger brother straight into the wolf’s den.
His heart ached—truly ached. But after sulking for a bit, he got used to it. Looking at Lang Qi again, Hei Xiao comforted himself: Fine. For the sake of the cubs, let’s just say Bai Tu raised two cubs and got a mate as a bonus.
Even though he had come to terms with it, Hei Xiao still didn’t want to listen to a detailed retelling of their relationship progression. So, when he saw Lang Qi walk in behind Bai Tu, he immediately understood the outcome and didn’t need Bai Tu to explain.
Hei Yan, on the other hand, sat at the same table with them, looking between Lang Qi, Hei Xiao, and Bai Tu, his face full of confusion.
Didn’t Hei Xiao just tell him at noon that Lang Qi wasn’t Bai Tu’s mate? So why was Bai Tu now bringing Lang Qi along like it was nothing? And why was Lang Qi helping Bai Tu pick up food?
That kind of intimate action was something only mates would do!
Unwilling to be outdone, Hei Yan picked up some food for Hei Xiao as well. Even though they hadn’t lived together as much after growing up, he still remembered every one of Hei Xiao’s preferences.
Lang Qi noticed Hei Yan’s competitive glance but didn’t say a word. Instead, he simply lifted his chopsticks slightly—then put them back down.
Bai Tu glanced at the food on the table and asked, “What do you want to eat? I’ll get it for you.”
The table was rectangular. Bai Tu and Hei Xiao sat along the longer sides, making it easy for them to reach most of the dishes, while Lang Qi and Hei Yan sat at the shorter ends, where some dishes were harder to reach.
Hei Xiao: “…” Never underestimate the cunning of a wolf. Clearly, if he had just reached a little further, he could’ve grabbed it himself! But no—he had to make Bai Tu pick it up for him on purpose.
Hei Yan was shocked. Lang Qi didn’t even do anything, and Bai Tu was already offering to get him food?!
Seeing Hei Yan’s envious yet innocent gaze, Hei Xiao let out a sigh and wordlessly placed a piece of meat into Hei Yan’s bowl. “Eat.” He refused to give this scheming wolf the satisfaction of showing off.
Hei Yan’s eyes lit up. As expected, Hei Xiao was the best mate in the world!
Bai Tu looked at Lang Qi beside him, eyes full of amusement, and picked up another portion of food for him. “You eat too.”
Lang Qi glanced down at his bowl, where a piece of his least favorite vegetable now sat. He knew Bai Tu had done it on purpose. Closing his eyes briefly, he quickly stuffed it into his mouth.
From now on, it was probably best not to show off in front of his mate—otherwise, punishment would surely follow.
