Chapter 91
Once again, Lang Ze proved with his actions that his way of thinking was truly one of a kind.
To say that Bai Tu wasn’t moved by his words would be a lie.
Whether it was before or after Lang Qi’s illness, Lang Ze had always been bold enough to provoke him. But whenever Lang Qi truly lost his temper, Lang Ze’s first instinct was always to run—if he couldn’t outrun him, then he’d at least try to dodge.
For Lang Ze to stand his ground and confront Lang Qi head-on like this? That was extremely rare.
Bai Tu reached out and ruffled Lang Ze’s hair, then explained, “I’m already an adult.”
Even if Lang Qi had been seriously ill, he would never be so out of his mind as to lay hands on a minor.
Lang Ze, however, strongly disapproved of Bai Tu’s tolerance toward his brother.
“That’s still not okay!” he immediately retorted—only to realize a second too late that Bai Tu had said he was already an adult.
Lang Ze snapped his head toward Lang Qi.
After meeting his brother’s gaze and understanding the meaning behind it, he silently took two steps back.
What do I do? This is bad. Really bad.
“Alright, alright.” Bai Tu patted Lang Qi’s shoulder, trying to smooth things over. “Ze was just looking out for me.”
Lang Qi finally withdrew his gaze.
Lang Ze, seizing the opportunity, boldly circled to Bai Tu’s other side, his eyes shining with excitement.
“Tu, can you transform again?”
He still wanted to see!
Before Bai Tu could even respond, Lang Qi immediately rejected the idea.
Without hesitation, he pulled Bai Tu to his side and declared, “No.”
Lang Ze, completely unfazed by the looming threat of death, fired back, “You’re not Tu! How can you speak for him?!”
Lang Qi: “…Hm?”
That one syllable alone was enough to make the temperature drop.
“Alright, alright.” Bai Tu quickly cut in before Lang Ze could get himself killed. He swiftly changed the topic, steering their attention elsewhere. “Qi, keep an eye on the cubs. Ze, Chief An is looking for you.”
Lang Ze glanced back and, sure enough, Bai An was waving him over.
There was nothing he could do—his plans to see Bai Tu’s beast form again would have to wait.
“Fine,” he muttered dejectedly before trudging away.
Lang Qi, saying nothing, reached up and plucked the cub that had been climbing toward his shoulder, carefully placing it back in his arms.
Bai Tu glanced at him, then reached out to gently rub the heads of the two cubs, unable to resist saying, “Don’t scare Ze like that.”
He had noticed that Lang Qi’s condition had slightly improved over the past couple of days.
As long as nothing unusual happened, his mood remained relatively stable—a vast improvement from before, when he would shift into his beast form at the slightest trigger.
Hei Xiao had mentioned that the elephant beastmen who had previously been corrupted had rarely ever reverted to their human forms.
Bai Tu suspected that Lang Qi might recover faster than them.
The way Lang Qi had treated Lang Ze today—at first, he had been genuinely angry, but later, it had turned into mere intimidation rather than true fury.
Still, Bai Tu couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for Lang Ze.
Ever since Lang Qi fell ill, it had been Lang Ya and Lang Ze handling the wolf tribe’s affairs.
Bai An was familiar with tribal management, but as a rabbit beastman, it wasn’t his place to interfere too much in wolf tribe matters. He could only offer advice from the sidelines.
All in all, Lang Ze had been under a lot of pressure lately.
And despite everything, he still made time to worry about Bai Tu.
Bai Tu felt a pang of sympathy for the young wolf who hadn’t even come of age yet.
On Beast God Continent, juvenile beastmen weren’t much different from cubs—they all needed care and attention.
Lang Qi was silent for a moment, then nodded. “Mm.”
Hearing his agreement, Bai Tu finally felt relieved.
He reached out and placed his hand between the two cubs, teasing them as they played.
“Can I hold them?”
It wasn’t about distance—these past two months, the cubs had spent more time with him than anyone else.
Normally, they would fall asleep in his arms or accompany him wherever he went.
Now that he wasn’t allowed to hold them anymore…
Even though he saw them every day, Bai Tu still felt an emptiness inside.
He missed them.
“No, I will take care of them.” Lang Qi shook his head, firm in his decision—not allowing Bai Tu to touch them.
“Sigh.” Bai Tu let out a small sigh, resigning himself to simply petting the cubs one by one to express his feelings.
The cubs sniffed curiously at his hand.
Lang Qi several times had the urge to move the cubs away from Bai Tu’s reach, but he held back.
After all, the only reason Bai Tu was even staying here was because of them.
So in the end, he silently gave up on the idea.
His gaze lingered on Bai Tu’s hands and the cubs for a while before finally looking away.
Today, Bai Tu was wearing a white fur robe.
Compared to the others, he was thinner—a garment that fit snugly on someone else looked loose on him.
Because of this, he often altered his clothes himself to make them fit better.
Now, seeing Bai Tu in the properly tailored outfit, his slender frame stood out even more.
Lang Qi frowned. “I will make the cubs’ food from now on.”
“Hm?” Bai Tu was too focused on playing with the cubs and didn’t quite catch what Lang Qi had said.
Lang Qi repeated himself. “Starting tonight, I’ll handle the cubs’ food.”
That way, Bai Tu could rest a little more.
“It’s fine, I’ll do it. The cubs like my cooking.” Bai Tu shook his head.
He had made their food countless times and was more familiar with it than anyone else.
Besides, the cubs were used to his cooking—if someone else suddenly took over, they might not adjust well, especially since Tu Mu wasn’t here.
The cubs were almost three years old now, the prime age for growth.
Because they had been weak in their early years, they were still a little smaller than wolf cubs of the same age.
Bai Tu was determined to make up for that gap no matter what.
Once they turned three and could shift into human form, they would start living among the other wolf cubs.
If they weren’t properly nourished now, they would be at a disadvantage later.
It wasn’t that Bai Tu insisted on making sure these two cubs grew up to be wolf kings like their father and uncle.
But during cub fights, the smaller ones were always at a disadvantage.
Childhood play-fighting was a critical time for developing hunting skills, but it was also dangerous.
Unlike adult beastmen, cubs didn’t know how to hold back—weaker cubs often became easy targets for bullying.
Bai Tu had seen Lang Qi cook before, and while it was decent, the cubs’ meals required more precision.
He doubted Lang Qi could manage.
Lang Qi’s voice was steady. “I can learn. I will make it exactly like yours.”
Bai Tu: “…”
He looked up at Lang Qi.
This wasn’t some sudden burst of brotherly love.
So what made him suddenly insist on taking over the cubs’ meals?
Lang Qi repeated himself. “I will do it.”
Bai Tu sighed in defeat. “Fine, fine, you do it.”
But he had one condition. “Start learning now. Until you can make it properly, I’ll keep handling their meals.”
The cubs’ food didn’t require many ingredients, and seasoning was minimal, but even the slightest difference could make a big impact on the taste.
Bai Tu wasn’t willing to let the cubs suffer through poorly made meals.
Lang Qi nodded in agreement—not rejecting the request.
Bai Tu rubbed the heads of the clueless cubs, who had no idea that their chef was about to change.
The little black wolf wrapped its tiny paws around Bai Tu’s finger and started gnawing on it.
Meanwhile, the gray cub clambered up Bai Tu’s arm, making its way toward his shoulder.
It had only climbed two steps before Lang Qi plucked it off.
The little gray wolf latched onto Bai Tu’s clothes with its paws, refusing to let go.
Bai Tu chuckled. “Let him play for a while.”
It was likely because they were approaching their third birthday, and with their steady diet and growing size, the cubs had become much livelier than before.
Back before Lang Qi fell ill, they had often climbed all over Bai Tu like he was their personal jungle gym.
But ever since Lang Qi stopped letting Bai Tu sleep with the cubs—and with his nighttime shifts into beast form—it had been a long time since they got to climb around and play like this.
Lang Qi didn’t say anything. Instead, he simply picked up both cubs and placed them on his shoulders—his meaning was clear: they could play, but only on him.
Bai Tu had no choice but to let him be.
Seeing that Bai Tu didn’t protest further, Lang Qi finally looked satisfied.
Beastmen raising cubs rarely had another litter right away.
They would only consider having more offspring once the current cubs no longer needed them.
And the closer a beastman was to their existing cubs, the less likely they were to want another.
Of course, Bai Tu had no idea what was going through Lang Qi’s mind.
After playing with the cubs for a while, he focused on keeping up with the group.
Even though he wasn’t carrying anything, he was more exhausted than the beastmen who were carrying heavy baskets.
Last time, they had traveled at a slower pace, taking breaks, especially during the midday heat.
Now, however, there were no rest stops.
Hei Xiao was used to long journeys—before Hei Yan came of age, he had often wandered in search of food. For him, this distance was nothing but for Bai Tu, it wasn’t that easy.
Just as Hei Xiao was about to suggest carrying Bai Tu in his beast form, Lang Qi suddenly tossed the two cubs into Bai Tu’s arms, then—in the blink of an eye—shifted into his beast form, signaling Bai Tu to get on.
“Forget it.” Bai Tu shook his head.
Everyone else was walking on their own. If he let Lang Qi carry him, that would be too much.
But since Lang Qi had already transformed, he clearly had no intention of letting Bai Tu refuse.
Without hesitation, he took the cubs from Bai Tu’s arms, gripping them gently in his mouth.
Then, he lowered himself, waiting.
Bai Tu wanted to refuse, but it was obvious that Lang Qi wasn’t going to move until he got on.
Even though the rest of the beastmen were some distance behind, standing still like this would delay the entire group.
To be honest, Lang Qi’s beast form was noticeably larger than an average wolf’s—if Bai Tu climbed on, he’d probably be visible from miles away.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Bai Tu made a decision.
The instant he climbed onto Lang Qi’s back, he shifted into his beast form, burrowing into Lang Qi’s fur.
Lang Qi instantly felt the tiny shift in weight on his back.
His eyes lit up. For a second, he felt an overwhelming urge to leap forward in excitement—but he held back.
The little rabbit was too small.
If he moved too suddenly, he might scare him.
So instead, Lang Qi slowly stood up, flicked the cubs onto his back, and continued carrying all three of them forward with ease.
Lang Qi’s back was wide and steady.
Just moments ago, Bai Tu had been reluctant to climb on.
But now?
He just wanted to sleep.
He yawned, gripped the thick fur beneath him, and within moments, drifted off.
Hei Xiao’s gaze lingered on the tiny white rabbit nestled against Lang Qi’s black fur for a long time.
In the end, he said nothing.
Four paws made it easier to balance, and Lang Qi’s back was broad enough that Bai Tu was sleeping comfortably.
Hei Jian didn’t have the heart to wake him.
The way Bai Tu cared for the cubs was the same way Hei Xiao felt about Bai Tu.
He wanted to prepare everything for him, but he quickly realized that Bai Tu had already thought of everything himself.
Hei Xiao stared at the small rabbit curled up in Lang Qi’s fur, feeling a deep sense of pride.
His little brother was the smartest cub of all.
The beastmen traveling alongside them were all loyal members of the tribe—and they had seen a lot in their time.
But even they were momentarily stunned when Bai Tu—a fully grown adult—seemingly disappeared right before their eyes.
Before they could even react, they noticed something.
A small white figure nestled against Lang Qi’s black fur.
With the cold season approaching, wolf fur had grown thicker than in summer.
A tiny white rabbit buried in all that fur—if you didn’t look closely, it was easy to mistake him for just another marking on Lang Qi’s coat.
One wolf, curious, tried to step closer for a better look—but the moment he did, he met Lang Qi’s sharp, unfriendly gaze.
He immediately retreated.
They had seen small beastmen before—take the cat tribe, for example.
But a rabbit this tiny? That was a first.
Some of them were curious, but when it came to choosing between curiosity and survival… Their lives were more important.
Some of them fully understood how dangerous Lang Qi could be right now.
Others, however, were a little more daring.
Lang Ze, having finished his conversation with Bai An, finally returned—only to be met with an unexpected sight.
His brother had shifted into his beast form.
Lang Qi rarely ever used his beast form for travel.
For him to suddenly break that pattern… Red flags.
Something was definitely up. Then, in the very next moment—Lang Ze realized something else.
Bai Tu was gone.
Lang Ze circled around, searching for a while, but still couldn’t find Bai Tu.
This time, however, he had learned his lesson—to avoid getting smacked, he swallowed back the question: Did he get eaten?**
Just as he was about to ask Hei Xiao, his eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of a barely noticeable patch of white on Lang Qi’s back. Bai Tu!
Lang Ze immediately knew it was him. And his first instinct?
To reach out and grab him.
But it was as if Lang Qi had eyes in the back of his head.
The moment Lang Ze lunged forward, Lang Qi dodged effortlessly—then, as a bonus, swiped him with a paw.
On Lang Qi’s back, Bai Tu, fast asleep, suddenly felt his “bed” shift beneath him.
Instinctively, his little paws gripped the “blanket” tighter.
The impact was barely noticeable, but Lang Qi immediately realized he had disturbed Bai Tu’s sleep.
He adjusted his posture and kept moving forward, not even sparing Lang Ze a glance.
Having taken a solid hit to the shoulder, Lang Ze trudged behind Lang Qi, sulking.
But it didn’t take long for him to perk up again.
He quickly gathered a group of younger wolves, calling them over to ambush Lang Qi.
The young wolves had no idea what Lang Ze was scheming.
But when they saw his mouth movements and hand signals, they came over without hesitation.
The moment they arrived, however, their first sight was Lang Qi.
Now in his beast form, he looked even more intimidating than before.
Their instincts screamed at them— Not. A. Good. Idea.
This was not the time to provoke the wolf king.
And yet… After seeing Lang Ze’s persistent signals, their curiosity got the better of them.
They couldn’t help but itch to try.
Lang Qi had already noticed the change in numbers behind him.
He glanced back briefly—a group of half-grown teenagers.
Bai Tu was always the most lenient toward them, so Lang Qi couldn’t be bothered to deal with them.
Instead, he shifted his position, using the baskets on another beastman’s back to subtly shield the little rabbit nestled on him.
Lang Ze had definitely gotten bolder.
Probably because Bai Tu had pleaded on his behalf earlier—even after accidentally insulting Lang Qi, he hadn’t gotten beaten.
And now? He was already scheming again.
A pack of young wolves lay in ambush around Lang Qi.
One group distracted him, the other group prepared for the sneak attack.
Their goal? The three cubs on Lang Qi’s back.
Lang Qi easily flung them aside without a second thought.
The young wolves had learned their hunting skills from the adults—they were fearless when fighting other tribes.
But when facing a wolf much bigger than them?
They were still just a bunch of little brothers.
Their brilliant plan to snatch the cubs completely failed.
Lang Ze remained gloomy all the way until nightfall.
But the moment he saw Bai Tu shift back into human form, he immediately rushed over.
“Tu, can I carry you tomorrow?” Lang Ze asked eagerly. He wanted to carry the little rabbit beastman too.
Having slept for most of the day and now feeling well-rested, Bai Tu fell silent for a moment when he heard this.
Fearing that Lang Qi might overhear, he quickly refused, “No, your brother carrying me is enough.”
One Lang Qi was already more than he could handle. Their relationship was complicated as it was, and Bai Tu had no habit of sleeping on other people’s backs.
“But I’m just like my brother!” Lang Ze boasted. His beast form was only slightly smaller than his brother’s!
“It’s not the same.” Bai Tu rubbed his forehead. “Be good. You’ll understand when you grow up.” He had no intention of corrupting the boy’s innocent mind.
Lang Ze still wanted to argue, but before he could, Bao Duo, who had been resting nearby, dragged him away.
“Ze, Tu is your brother’s mate. You shouldn’t get too close to him!” Bao Duo warned.
The stronger a beastman was, the stronger their possessiveness. Especially for tribal leaders—some might have multiple mates themselves, but they still wouldn’t allow their mate to be too close to others.
There was even a nearby lion tribe where the lion king had killed his own underage son simply for acting too affectionately toward his mother.
Bao Duo had seen Lang Qi’s brutal strength firsthand when he fought Shi Hong, so he understood all too well how merciless such beastmen could be when angered.
Even though Lang Ze was his biological younger brother, that didn’t mean Lang Qi would show mercy. In the world of beastmen, not even blood ties guaranteed safety—fathers had been known to kill their own sons.
“My brother’s mate???” Lang Ze spun around to face Bao Duo. “How do you know that?” Why was he the last to find out?!
“Everyone’s known for a while.” Bao Duo said matter-of-factly. “We figured it out as soon as we arrived. Even the horse tribe knows. You didn’t?”
“Even the horse tribe knows???” Lang Ze was completely stunned, nearly tripping over his words. Only one thought echoed in his mind—his brother and Bai Tu had become mates, and no one had told him.
Lang Ze’s disappointment multiplied by a hundred. Betrayed by both his older brother and his best friend, he felt like his entire world had collapsed.
As he trudged back to his original spot, utterly dejected, Bao Duo assumed he had taken the warning to heart and sighed in relief.
Conflicts over mates leading to injuries—or even death—were not uncommon among beastmen.
In some tribes, the number of injuries caused by love rivals far outnumbered those from hunting accidents. A major reason for declining birth rates in certain tribes was the elimination of offspring by their father’s rivals.
Some beastmen, in order to claim another’s mate, would kill their existing cubs—only then could the mate be forced to bear their own offspring.
To beastmen, food, mates, and offspring were life’s three most important pursuits—and anyone who dared covet them was an enemy.
Bao Duo had spent enough time around Lang Ze to know he had no intentions of competing with Lang Qi for Bai Tu.
He was simply close to Bai Tu. But mated beastmen often overthought things—especially around the snow season, when many were preparing for cubs. During this time, territorial disputes and fights were at an all-time high.
Seeing that Lang Ze had been oblivious to Lang Qi’s recent changes, Bao Duo had decided he had to speak up.
Bai Tu noticed that Lang Ze was much quieter at night than during the day. While Lang Qi was feeding the cubs, he went over to ask what was wrong.
Lang Ze was already full of grievances with nowhere to vent them.
Hearing Bai Tu’s question, he became even more aggrieved. “You became my brother’s mate and didn’t even tell me!”
He had always thought he was Bai Tu’s favorite cub. Just today, he had even planned to take Bai Tu to the mountaintop to see the view.
When traveling, they usually took the lower path between two mountains to save time and make the journey easier.
The mountaintop was a place most beastmen wouldn’t bother climbing—there was no food, and the terrain was rough.
Only restless young wolves, still brimming with energy after a day of travel, would have the strength to climb up just to look around.
Lang Ze had thought that Bai Tu, being so weak, had surely never seen such a sight before, so he had wanted to take him there.
But before he could even try to “steal” Bai Tu away from his brother, he overheard a shocking piece of news—
His brother and Bai Tu were mates!!! And they had purposely kept it from him!
Lang Ze felt that nothing in the world could be more heartbreaking than this.
Bai Tu thought he had misheard. “What did you just say?”
“You’re my brother’s mate! I already know!” Lang Ze huffed angrily.
How could they keep something like this from him? Turning away, he gave Bai Tu the cold shoulder, showing the back of his head—he was seriously upset.
Bai Tu was stunned. “How come I don’t know that I’m your brother’s mate?”
“I knew it! You two were—huh?” Lang Ze’s mouth was faster than his brain.
Halfway through his outburst, he suddenly processed what Bai Tu had just said. He whipped his head around. “Wait, you and my brother aren’t mates??”
“Nope.” Bai Tu nodded. They were still far from that. At best, they were just cohabiting—and that was only because Lang Qi was sick.
Lang Ze’s eyes widened in shock.
Bai Tu waved a hand in front of him. “Did you go dumb?”
Lang Ze didn’t reply. Instead, he shivered.
Bai Tu thought his words had scared him and wondered why. But before he could dwell on it, a shadow loomed over him.
Realizing something was wrong, Bai Tu slowly turned around—
Lang Qi was standing right behind him.
It was unclear how much he had heard, but his expression was unsettlingly calm.
Bai Tu: “……”
Even though he felt he hadn’t said anything wrong, Lang Qi’s silent stare made him inexplicably guilty.
Trying to ignore the strange feeling in his chest, Bai Tu waved Lang Ze away to let him go play. Then, he looked up at Lang Qi and asked, “The cubs are full?”
Lang Qi lowered his gaze, something unreadable flashing through his eyes. He responded, “They’re fed and asleep.”
“Then let’s go rest too.” Bai Tu stretched lazily.
Even though he had slept a lot during the day, that didn’t mean he wasn’t tired now.
He wasn’t sure if his body was going through another growth phase, but lately, he had been sleeping longer than before. Still, he couldn’t deny that every time he woke up, he felt incredibly well-rested.
“Not here tonight.” Lang Qi said.
“Huh?” Bai Tu was puzzled.
“We’re going over there.” Lang Qi gestured with the tent in his hand. “It’s quieter.”
Bai Tu did enjoy sleeping in peace. Thinking back to how Lang Qi had covered his ears this morning to keep him from being disturbed, he didn’t question it and nodded in agreement.
“I’ll carry you.” Lang Qi shifted into his beast form, gently placing the sleeping cubs onto his back. With the tent held in his mouth, he crouched down, just like during the day, waiting for Bai Tu to climb up.
It was definitely more convenient to be carried than to walk himself. Plus, Lang Qi’s night vision was far superior. Bai Tu, valuing his life above all, decisively shifted into his beast form and lay on Lang Qi’s back.
He had no idea where Lang Qi was heading, but the journey was steady and smooth. Before long, drowsiness crept over him.
By the time he opened his eyes again, Bai Tu found himself lying on a soft beast hide. Lang Qi had already set up the tent and was holding the cubs, seemingly busy with something.
This spot was brighter than the rest. Bai Tu looked up and realized they had reached the mountaintop—not the highest peak, but a relatively flat clearing.
From here, looking down, all he could see was a dense forest, and looking up, the moon was directly visible. With no trees to obstruct the view, the moonlight was even more radiant, and the countless stars around it twinkled intermittently.
In the modern world, with all kinds of pollution, such breathtaking scenery was rare.
Even when it was possible to see, people seldom had the heart to appreciate it. But now, his mindset was different.
There were still things to do, but everything was steadily moving in a good direction. Bai Tu lifted his head, admiring this rare and stunning view.
Lang Qi carefully wrapped the cubs’ ears with a piece of soft fur. When he turned around and saw Bai Tu was awake, he asked, “Is it beautiful?”
Bai Tu wanted to say yes, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he noticed something was off with his voice. Realizing there was no need to hide anything in front of Lang Qi, he shifted back into his human form. While answering yes, he reached out to grab his clothes from beside Lang Qi.
Lang Qi caught his wrist, blocking his movement. “I think it’s beautiful too.”
Bai Tu thought, Then just look at the sky—why are you grabbing me?
It wasn’t until he was pushed down onto the beast hide that Bai Tu finally realized—
Tonight was different.
*
“Where’s Tu?”
After finishing his discussion with the remaining hawks, Hei Xiao returned to find that his younger brother was gone. Not only that, but the tent was missing too.
“He was just over—” Lang Ze started to say but stopped short when he saw that the spot where the tent had been was now empty. He was shocked. “Where’s my brother??”
Bai Tu, the cubs, and his brother were all gone.
Having witnessed the whole thing, Bao Duo stepped forward to answer their questions. “They went to find a new place to rest.”
“What was wrong with this spot?” Lang Ze grumbled inwardly. Why find a new place? Wasn’t this one perfectly fine? So many people around—safe and secure.
Hei Xiao, however, seemed to realize something. He lifted his gaze toward the mountain peak. Unfortunately, the dense trees blocked the view, revealing nothing.
“Boss, wanna go play?” Lang Zuo, fully energized after a short post-dinner nap, ran over to invite Lang Ze out.
“Sure!” Lang Ze had been feeling a bit bored, so he agreed without hesitation upon hearing the invitation.
“Don’t go to the mountaintop,” Hei Xiao instructed.
“Why?” Lang Ze was confused, and Lang Zuo also turned to look at Hei Xiao.
The mountaintop was one of their favorite places to play—up there, they could howl and shout however they wanted without getting scolded.
“Just listen to me. Don’t go there tonight,” Hei Xiao sighed, feeling the same helplessness Bai Tu had experienced earlier.
Trying to explain these things to a group of clueless teenagers was difficult. He could only state bluntly, “Tu and Qi are resting on the mountaintop.”
Hearing that his brother and Bai Tu were at the summit, Lang Ze immediately got excited.
He could go find Bai Tu! The frustration he had felt earlier had already vanished once he realized they hadn’t been keeping anything from him. However, his brother’s attitude had seemed a bit strange… Lang Ze frowned, sensing that something was off but unable to pinpoint what.
“They’re resting. Are you sure you won’t get beaten if you go up there and disturb them?” Seeing the wolves getting restless, Hei Xiao had to remind them again. “Why don’t you go play on that mountain instead?” He pointed to a smaller mountain nearby.
A long time ago, a tribe had lived there, but as their number of cubs dwindled, the tribe eventually disappeared, and no one had spoken of them since.
The young wolves thought about it and realized they had never been there before. With an excited shout, they took off together.
Watching their retreating figures, Hei Xiao couldn’t help but question himself. Wasn’t my original plan to take my brother back to the Black Hawk Tribe after explaining everything? How did I end up helping someone else keep him instead?
Hei Xiao frowned. Bai Tu was too naive—so easily carried off by Lang Qi. The Snow Rabbit Tribe was already far from the Black Hawk Tribe; what if Lang Qi started bullying Bai Tu in the future?
Most beastmen didn’t like taking mates from other tribes unless they were truly in love.
Leaving one’s original tribe meant giving up everything—status, identity, privileges—and starting over. And integrating into a new tribe was never as easy as it seemed.
Strong warriors might manage, but weaker ones would likely spend their entire lives dependent on their partners. And feelings… they changed over time.
Hei Xiao had grown up in the Black Hawk Tribe and had seen many couples who were deeply in love at first but eventually drifted apart.
If they were in their own tribe, breaking up wasn’t a big deal. But if someone had joined a new tribe for their mate and then separated, their position became incredibly awkward.
Returning to their original tribe wasn’t easy, and even if they did, they would never regain their former status.
The reason Hei Xiao had wanted to take Bai Tu back was because, with him and Hei Yan in high positions, Bai Tu’s status in the Black Hawk Tribe would have been guaranteed.
But in the Snow Rabbit Tribe, he had to work his way up. And if he joined the Blood Wolf Tribe, it would be even harder—being accepted as the mate of the wolf king required proving oneself, and the responsibilities would be immense. He didn’t want his brother, who had already suffered so much, to have to struggle even more.
But Bai Tu’s feelings for Lang Qi weren’t nonexistent either.
Hei Xiao worried about it so much that he didn’t fall asleep until midnight. The next morning, he was awakened by a commotion outside. He opened his tent and stepped out.
The cheering came from Lang Ze’s squad—they had gone to the abandoned mountain and successfully hunted two prey.
Although everyone had brought enough food for the journey, fresh ingredients always offered new cooking possibilities—especially with Bai Tu around.
He seemed to have an endless number of ways to prepare fresh food, constantly coming up with new ideas. Every time they caught something, it meant there was a good chance they’d get to try something they hadn’t eaten before!
This year, prey had been scarcer, so before setting out, they had made sure to bring extra provisions, just in case they couldn’t catch anything along the way. They hadn’t planned on hunting specifically, but unexpectedly, their little outing led to a lucky find.
Even though the two sheep they caught were on the smaller side, it didn’t dampen their excitement. Small or not, it was still an extra meal, and when it came to food, anything more was always welcome.
However, what did disappoint the young wolves was that, despite calling for a long time, Bai Tu never showed up. Of course, they could cook the meat the usual way, but nothing was as exciting as trying one of Bai Tu’s new recipes.
Hei Xiao frowned and glanced toward the mountain. Seeing no sign of anyone coming down, he turned to Lang Ze and said, “Go ahead and prepare the prey. Let’s have hot pot for dinner.”
The sun had already risen, so it was too late for breakfast, but the colder weather meant the raw meat could be stored for a while without spoiling.
Everyone had eaten hot pot before, but it had been a few days since the last time. Compared to simple roasted meat, it was far more enticing. Excited by the idea, the young wolves eagerly carried the two sheep off to be prepared.
It wasn’t until they had finished butchering the prey and the cooks had breakfast ready that a black-furred giant wolf finally appeared on the quiet, untouched path leading down the mountain.
The massive wolf was drenched, as if he had just taken a bath. He carried a bundle of beast hide in his mouth, and nestled inside were two small wolf cubs and a tiny rabbit.
Upon reaching the base of the mountain, Lang Qi found a spot to shift back into human form.
He used a towel to dry the droplets of water clinging to his skin before draping a beast hide over himself. Then, with great care, he lifted the small white rabbit out of the bundle and placed it gently in his arms.
The two wolf cubs, waking up from hunger, blinked open their eyes and were just about to whimper in protest when Lang Qi casually poked them. Immediately, they flopped over, momentarily forgetting their original intention.
Clearly in a good mood, Lang Qi carried the two cubs over to start making breakfast. He had learned a new recipe for cub food just yesterday and wanted to try making it for them.
After setting the cubs down, he grabbed a bowl and cracked an egg into it. Pausing for a moment, he glanced down at the tiny white rabbit sleeping soundly in his arms, feeling immensely satisfied.
Ordinarily, the egg should be beaten before cooking, but cracking it made noise, and noise might disturb the rabbit’s sleep. Lang Qi didn’t hesitate—he simply skipped that step, added some water to the egg, and placed it in the pot to steam.
Once he judged that it was ready, Lang Qi took the bowl out. The color and texture looked a little different from Bai Tu’s version, but food was food—it should be fine as long as it was edible. He set it aside to cool slightly before taking a spoonful and offering it to the cubs.
The spoon was a familiar one. The uncle feeding them was also a familiar uncle.
The comforting scent in the air confirmed that the beautiful uncle was nearby too. The two wolf cubs, without a second thought, obediently opened their mouths.
Lang Qi fed the gray-furred cub first since it had opened its mouth the widest.
The moment the food entered its mouth, the gray cub realized it had been deceived—the taste was completely different from the food made by the beautiful uncle. Without hesitation, it spat the food right back out.
Lang Qi’s hand paused mid-motion. Just like yesterday, he had steamed the egg with water—what had gone wrong? His method was flawless; the cubs were just being picky.
Frowning slightly, he scooped up another spoonful and fed it to the black-furred cub this time.
The black cub, too, held the food in its mouth for a moment before silently spitting it out.
Lang Qi’s brows furrowed deeper. Without a word, he tried feeding them again.
The second time they were fed something awful, the wolf cubs finally understood—they wouldn’t be getting any good food today. It felt like the sky had collapsed. Looking pitiful, they reluctantly continued eating the same terrible meal they had been enduring for the past two years.
Since the food tasted bad, they ate extra slowly, hoping that, at some point, their beautiful uncle would come to rescue them. Unfortunately, reality was cruel. Even after they were half-full, they still hadn’t heard that familiar voice.
Feeling utterly wronged, the cubs let out a few soft whimpers of protest.
Lang Qi heard the sound but was too late to stop them. He hadn’t expected the cubs to still make noise while eating.
In his arms, the small rabbit twitched slightly, as if on the verge of waking up.
Lang Qi reacted instantly. He wrapped the cubs up and stuffed them into Lang Ze’s arms as he passed by.
Lang Ze had only been wandering over to see if he could catch a glimpse of Bai Tu’s beast form today, but before he could even react, two cubs were suddenly shoved into his arms. Before he could say a word, a bowl and a spoon followed.
“You feed them,” Lang Qi instructed in a low voice. Then he glanced down at the little rabbit in his arms and pulled the beast hide over its ears to muffle any sound.
It was useless. Even in sleep, Bai Tu seemed to hear the cubs’ pitiful cries, though they were faint and quickly faded away.
Lang Ze, now holding two cubs and given a clear task, picked up the spoon and attempted to feed them. But the cubs, who weren’t as afraid of Lang Ze as they were of Lang Qi, flat-out refused to eat. They even used their tiny paws to push the spoon away in protest.
Fatigue urged Bai Tu to go back to sleep, but his instincts told him otherwise—he couldn’t.
The cubs hadn’t finished eating yet, and the group’s departure time wouldn’t change.
If food wasn’t prepared soon, the cubs would go hungry for most of the day. Although they could technically eat the pre-prepared food that everyone had brought, their underdeveloped stomachs wouldn’t handle it as well as freshly made meals.
His concern for the cubs forced Bai Tu to open his eyes. The first thing he did was push aside the beast hide and peek outside to check if it was morning yet.
Instead, he was met with the sight of two cubs and Lang Ze—three pairs of pure, innocent eyes staring at him with surprise and excitement.
Bai Tu: “……”
Something must have gone wrong with his wake-up routine.
He shifted his position, turned his head again, and this time locked eyes with Lang Qi.
Bai Tu: “??”
So where did he sleep? Where did he sleep?
