Chapter 234
Despite the mutual disdain between the two brothers, Lang Ze ended up being watched over by Lang Qi.
Unlike Bai Tu, who always returned to the same spot where he left, Lang Ze was the complete opposite—whenever he came back, he would first search around for his younger brother, who was running off somewhere.
Not only did Lang Ze run off by himself, but he would also drag Bai Tu along with him.
So, every day, Lang Qi was either chasing his brother or dealing with the aftermath of his brother’s antics.
The carefree days of cubs passed by the fastest. Years went by in the blink of an eye.
If there was one thing that hadn’t changed, it was Bai Tu’s hobby—his favorite thing was still cuddling next to his father and learning.
The difference, though, was that the cub who used to be no taller than the table was now half a year into adulthood. Some of his peers had joined hunting teams, others had joined the foraging teams, but Bai Tu followed Bai Luo, learning how to be a good shaman.
“The hunting team’s back!” The cheering in the tribe interrupted the father and son’s lesson. Bai Tu carefully set aside the medicine he had prepared for the day, sat on the nearby stool, and stretched lazily.
“Not going to see them?” Bai Luo asked, glancing at his son, who was already lazy after finishing work. He couldn’t believe that what he thought was Bai Tu’s obedient nature was actually just a lack of desire to run around.
“No, I’ll wait for Qi to come up,” Bai Tu waved his hand and took a bite of the fruit on the table.
Bai Luo: “…” He didn’t want to comment on his lazy son. He left the room to go to another one. Sure enough, just as Bai Tu finished speaking, footsteps could be heard outside the cave. Lang Qi was back, bringing food. Seeing Bai Tu in the cave, Lang Qi asked, “Fresh beef, what do you want to eat?”
Before Bai Tu could respond, another voice came from the next room: “Brother, I want roasted meat!” Immediately, there were hurried footsteps, and Lang Ze appeared at the cave entrance.
“You wish,” Lang Qi interrupted his brother’s wish without mercy, then turned back to Bai Tu. “How about beef hotpot?” Hotpot was something Bai Tu had taught them years ago, with a pot of broth simmering over fire, where they would cook the food inside. Bai Tu shook his head. “Too hot, let’s have a cold dish instead.”
“Alright,” Lang Qi agreed, heading off to prepare the food.
Lang Ze, whose wish was unfulfilled, had grown used to it, but he didn’t leave. With enough persistence, he knew food would definitely be his. Bai Tu slouched over the table. The hot weather was making everyone irritable, but it wasn’t just the weather. Another reason for Bai Tu’s discomfort was that his peers were starting to look for mates, while he hadn’t even decided who he wanted yet. He thought not having a mate was just fine, but it was hard in the spring, summer, and autumn when, if you didn’t find a mate, the months would be particularly frustrating.
Bai Tu looked at Lang Qi.
Lang Qi of course noticed Bai Tu’s change but didn’t ask like he used to. After preparing the food, he gave half to his brother and sent him back to the other cave.
Today, the food was more than usual. Lang Ze didn’t mind his brother’s distaste and took the food to another cave.
Bai Luo had gone to the shaman’s cave to pray to the Beast God and wouldn’t be back for hours. Lang Ze had been sent away with a bowl of cold beef, leaving only two people in the cave.
Bai Tu propped his head on his hand, looking at Lang Qi, hesitating.
Lang Qi’s team had left early in the morning for the hunt. It only took them half a morning to catch their prey, so they had just returned before noon. Now, it was the hottest part of the day. Lang Qi felt Bai Tu’s gaze on him and realized that today was the hottest day of the summer. The cicadas outside were calling desperately, and Lang Qi decided he would cut down all the trees outside later.
“Qi,” Bai Tu finally spoke up after a long hesitation. “After you’ve grown up…” But halfway through, he found it hard to continue.
Lang Qi waited a moment but didn’t hear the rest. He didn’t want to scare Bai Tu, so he gently asked, “What’s wrong?”
More than the question, the discomfort in his body made Bai Tu ask, “If I don’t find a mate, will I feel uncomfortable in the summer?” He felt too shy to ask his gentle father, and among his peers, only Lang Ze seemed unaffected by such things. After thinking for a while, Bai Tu figured it was best to ask Lang Qi.
Lang Qi replied calmly, “Do you want to find a mate?”
“No, I—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Lang Qi cut him off, “How about I be your mate?”
Bai Tu: “?” This wasn’t how he expected things to go.
Before Bai Tu could think more, Lang Qi brought the food to the table. “Let’s eat first.”
The action was so smooth that Bai Tu doubted whether he had heard correctly. He looked at the food in front of him and then at Lang Qi, who was waiting for him to eat. Bai Tu realized that he had indeed misheard.
Just as he had been able to ask that question, he now felt too embarrassed to bring it up again. He decided to finish eating before addressing it.
At the table, only the two of them remained. Lang Qi pushed food toward Bai Tu, urging him to try this and that, never giving him a chance to refuse.
Bai Tu didn’t have time to refuse and was fed far more than usual. After finishing, he let out a big yawn.
He ate too much and felt a bit drowsy.
“Do you want to sleep?” Lang Qi asked.
Bai Tu nodded. “I’ll sleep for a bit. We can talk later tonight; I’m really tired right now.”
Lang Qi went to fetch some cool spring water and placed it next to Bai Tu’s bed. He used a fan made of tough leaves to gently fan him. Bai Tu was already feeling a bit sleepy, and with the cooler air from the fan, he became even sleepier.
However, Lang Qi seemed quite exhausted. Thinking of how he had just returned from hunting, Bai Tu shifted over a bit, offering half of the bed. “You should sleep too.”
Lang Qi looked at the vacant half of the bed, his gaze darkened, and he slowly shook his head. “I’m not tired. You sleep.”
The two of them had grown up together, so Lang Qi didn’t need to lie to him. Hearing this, Bai Tu nodded and decided to sleep on his own. The summer temperature in Beast God Continent was high, but with someone taking care of him, it wasn’t as bad. Bai Tu quickly fell asleep.
In the midst of a light sleep, someone asked him, “Tu, how about I be your mate?” Unsure whether he was dreaming, Bai Tu casually responded, “Sure.” After replying, he turned over and continued to sleep.
Lang Qi, who had just wanted to take a quick glance, froze in place. Even though Bai Tu had just said that in his sleep, Lang Qi couldn’t hide his joy.
Lang Qi knew that Bai Tu was just half-asleep and wasn’t fully aware of what he was saying. His words couldn’t be taken seriously. As he looked at Bai Tu’s peaceful sleeping face, Lang Qi reached out to touch him but stopped himself. If they kept their current relationship, they would remain the best of friends. But if he revealed his feelings to Bai Tu, and made him realize that his feelings for him were not simple, Bai Tu would only pull away. Lang Qi didn’t want to lose sight of Bai Tu. He couldn’t imagine his life without him. To stay close to Bai Tu, he had to keep his secret thoughts hidden. He could only ask when Bai Tu wasn’t paying attention, Lang Qi thought to himself. He truly was a coward.
He was afraid that Bai Tu might leave, so he preferred it if Bai Tu never knew anything.
These past few months, whenever Lang Qi wanted to express his feelings, he always imagined Bai Tu leaving, and if Bai Tu hadn’t asked about mates today, he would have held it in again. How could he tell Bai Tu that every time he saw him, he had no other illusions?
Just as Lang Qi was struggling to hold back, fearing he might say something he couldn’t take back, a voice suddenly sounded in his ear.
“Can’t you fan me if we’re mates?”
Lang Qi suddenly opened his eyes and saw Bai Tu lying on the bed, looking at him with clear eyes, no sign of sleepiness in sight.
“I’m asking you,” Bai Tu stretched his foot and kicked Lang Qi’s arm, “If we’re mates, do you refuse to fan me?”
Lang Qi immediately realized the underlying meaning of his words. Without saying anything, he immediately got up and swept Bai Tu off the bed.
