When Li Zhu slowly opened her eyes, the cave was once again bathed in a deep red glow.
“Oh my goodness… it’s already afternoon?”
Wuwuwu… she had to admit, last night had been more than she could handle.
He had been coaxing her over and over until the late hours.
And when he had whispered in that deep, sexy voice by her ear,
“Li Zhu~ let’s do it one more time, okay~”
…she truly could not resist that kind of temptation!
Until the first light of dawn, she had cried and begged for mercy over and over before finally falling asleep.
At this moment, Ze Yu was still asleep, his arms wrapped around her. His silver hair spilled across the hay, and the golden markings on his forehead had softened back to a faint glow.
In sleep, he had lost his usual icy aloofness, replaced with a softer warmth, like a harmless big cat.
Li Zhu moved slightly and noticed a faint golden mark on her chest, shaped somewhat like a lion, but not quite.
And on Ze Yu’s chest… there was a little rabbit mark!
Pfft~ so cute.
From now on, he was her Beast Husband.
They were now truly partners.
Li Zhu carefully examined his features.
Ah, what a wonderful feeling!
Online friends hadn’t lied—finding a good-looking man really was crucial!
Who knew that opening her eyes could be such a visual shock!
The more she looked, the more handsome he seemed. She just wanted to plant a kiss!
Thinking that, she leaned in unconsciously.
Just as she was about to kiss him, he suddenly opened his eyes.
“Y-you… when did you wake up?”
Li Zhu was startled and quickly lowered her head.
Caught trying to steal a kiss—didn’t she have any pride?
“Trying to sneak a kiss on me?”
Ze Yu’s voice was calm, lips slightly curved, his voice carrying the hoarse charm of someone just awakened—it was unexpectedly alluring.
Ah~ indeed, handsome people are always captivating~
“Not allowed? I’m going to kiss you anyway!”
Li Zhu declared boldly.
He was already hers now—why shouldn’t she kiss him?
“Alright. You can kiss me as long as you want~”
Hearing this, Li Zhu felt a little embarrassed.
She lowered her head, not daring to look at him.
Heh, what a timid little thing.
Ze Yu smiled faintly, then suddenly lifted her onto him, capturing her lips in a direct kiss.
Li Zhu: [Eh~ how did I end up on top of him?]
Wuwuwu…
The kiss deepened, long and lingering, like a mountain stream winding through the valleys, carrying the scent of their mingled breaths, flowing into the softest corners of her heart.
Until Li Zhu’s cheeks flushed and she pushed him weakly with unsteady breaths, Ze Yu finally pulled back slightly, his nose pressed against hers. The golden glow in his eyes shone brightly, reflecting her shadow dancing gently in his pupils.
Li Zhu’s ears were completely red now, buried in his neck, hearing her own heartbeat pounding against his chest, then bouncing back, entwined with his, thumping together.
Half an hour later…
“Ah Ze… should we… get up now?”
She felt unsure what to call him.
In the Beast World, females generally just used the male’s name directly, but… would that feel too distant?
Maybe… husband?
Ahhh, so shy… what should she do?
“Let’s stay a bit longer.”
Ze Yu buried his face in her neck, voice muffled.
“In the Bai Ze Tribe, after forming a bond, partners must stay together for twelve full hours to officially complete the ritual.”
Li Zhu froze.
“Wait, there’s a rule like that?”
She seriously suspected he was just too tired to get up.
Although he had certainly been more… active last night… it still hurt a little. ૮₍ ˃ ⤙ ˂ ₎ა
“Mm.”
Ze Yu nuzzled her hair like a spoiled big feline. “It’s an ancestral tradition, said to make the bond stronger.”
Li Zhu: “…I believe you.”
Well, she didn’t really want to get up anyway.
She curled closer into Ze Yu’s embrace, listening to the steady thump of his heartbeat, and suddenly felt that being held like this… was quite comforting.
Just as she was about to close her eyes for a little nap, a large hand pressed against her stomach, startling her awake.
No way… no way… her waist felt weak and her legs soft…
“You…”
Li Zhu looked at his handsome face, words caught in her throat, holding his hand tightly.
“This… is already our child…”
???
????
Handsome guy, are you even aware of what you’re saying? It’s only been one night!
“Ah Ze… I know you’re anxious, but… it’s just been one night…”
“I can feel it… my bloodline…”
Ze Yu’s face was full of seriousness, the gentleness in his gaze utterly captivating.
Li Zhu stared at his earnest expression for a full three seconds before she could find her voice.
“R-really…?”
She reached out and touched her belly. It was still flat—just a little soft—but otherwise completely normal.
“But why… in our tribe, the males can only sense the bloodline power after ten days, and it’s only been a little over a day…”
Ze Yu held her hand and pressed it against the small rabbit mark on his chest.
“We Bai Ze are different. Our kind has difficulty reproducing, so the moment a partner conceives, we can sense it immediately. Also, rabbit-beast females have short gestations: the males sense bloodline power on the tenth day, the gender on the twentieth, and birth around the thirtieth day.”
“For us Bai Ze, the gestation lasts nine months, and only by the third month can we sense the gender of the offspring.”
“Li Zhu, I can feel it… there are two…”
Li Zhu was completely stunned. She knew about rabbit-beast gestations, but…
Bai Ze offspring take nine months to develop?! Compared to a rabbit-beast’s one month, that’s…
And there are two!?
She was already feeling a little exhausted just thinking about it.
Her heartbeat instantly went haywire.
In her previous life, she was an orphan and had never imagined having a family.
But in this life… not only did she have parents and a brother, she now suddenly had a partner and two little ones…
She touched her belly, and suddenly her eyes felt warm.
“Why are you crying?”
Ze Yu panicked, reaching to wipe the tears from her eyes.
“Are you uncomfortable? Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”
“No.” Li Zhu shook her head, snuggling into his embrace, her voice a little nasal.
“I’m just… happy.”
Ze Yu tightened his arms around her, resting his chin on her head, his voice low and solemn.
“I will protect you, our little ones, and the entire tribe.”
“Oh, right, I never asked—what level are you?” Li Zhu asked curiously.
“Level Ten.”
!?
“So that mysterious, nowhere-to-be-seen Level Ten powerhouse… it’s you!”
Li Zhu’s eyes widened. She had guessed he must be above Level Nine; after all, he always dressed so finely.
Level Ten… what an incredible gift.
“Mm. Our Bai Ze are naturally gifted.”
“What about your abilities?”
“Spirit-based and spatial.”
“Spatial? Like… the kind where you put something in and it comes out exactly the same?”
Such a high-level ability… such an amazing Beast Husband!
Who could have imagined! She had truly found a treasure!
“Mm.”
Ze Yu gently stroked the little one’s hair resting against him, his face full of tenderness.
Indeed, married men were different—so full of husbandly presence.
Li Zhu suddenly realized she knew very little about her Beast Husband. Back then, she had been thinking about finding the tribe a strong ally… and nothing more.
But that was okay—they had plenty of time.
They snuggled together for a while longer until Ming Yuan’s voice came from outside, prompting them to reluctantly get up.
A full day had passed, and while hunger hadn’t struck before, now it hit hard.
Hand in hand, they walked to the neighboring cave, where Ming Yuan was placing the last bowl of stew on the table. Her eyes lit up when she saw them.
“Finally up! Sit down, I’ve stewed the cracked-earth bear meat—it’ll replenish your strength.”
Li Cheng sat by the fire, polishing a beast bone, and nodded at Ze Yu.
“Awake? Come eat.”
The stone table was filled: tender stewed meat, roasted meat sprinkled with chili powder, and a bowl of mashed sweet berries.
Ze Yu helped Li Zhu sit and naturally served her a bowl of meat soup.
“Drink more—replenish your body.”
So considerate.
Li Zhu had only taken a couple of sips when Ming Yuan tugged at her to ask.
“Did you sleep well last night? Was the cave cold? Do you want more hay?”
“Mom~ it’s fine, not cold at all.”
Li Zhu’s cheeks flushed as she quickly changed the topic.
“Mom, I have something to tell you.”
She took a deep breath and placed a hand on her belly.
“I… am pregnant. And it’s twins.”
Li Zhu’s face lit up with a smile.
“What did you say? Pregnant? Already? But it’s only—”
Li Cheng and Ming Yuan were shocked.
“It’s true, Mom.”
Ze Yu explained.
“Pregnancy in the Bai Ze Tribe is different from other species. Once she conceives, I can sense the bloodline immediately.”
He looked at Li Cheng respectfully.
“Right now, I am Li Zhu’s only Beast Husband. I’ll need to go out hunting often, so I’ll trouble you to take good care of her.”
“Don’t worry. Li Zhu is our child, and we will take good care of her,” Li Cheng said happily.
Time really flies—before he knew it, his little one was already becoming a mother.