Chapter 48: Nighttime Talk
Nan Zishi fed all the cubs some goat milk powder. They also shared and finished the piece of meat hanging from Fox Qi’s waist.
Hu Bai stood up and looked thoughtfully into the distance, then turned to look at Nan Zishi.
Today was over, but he would have to go hunting tomorrow.
Hunting was very dangerous, and he couldn’t take his female master and the cubs with him.
But leaving his female master and the cubs behind to wait for him also meant they could be in danger.
’What should I do?’
「Night fell.」
Hu Bai found a relatively flat patch of ground and spread out some dry grass. Nan Zishi took out her camping gear, pulled out two sleeping bags, and showed them how to use them.
Although it wasn’t the first time the cubs had seen sleeping bags, they still found them fascinating. They crowded around Nan Zishi, asking all sorts of questions.
The Little Mermaid slept in the water bucket.
Hu Bai and Fox Qi shared one sleeping bag. She Yang and the little wolf cub didn’t take up much space, so they squeezed in with them.
Enjoying the devotion of her Beast Husband and cubs, Nan Zishi got a whole sleeping bag to herself.
In the middle of the night, Fox Qi couldn’t sleep and secretly crawled from Hu Bai’s sleeping bag into Nan Zishi’s.
He poked his little head out adorably and whispered sweetly to Nan Zishi, "Mommy~ can we sleep together?"
’Oh my god, how could anyone resist that?!’
Of course, Nan Zishi gave in and coaxed him to sleep.
"Okay then. You be a good boy, and don’t kick me in your sleep," Nan Zishi pretended to be stern.
"Mhm!" Fox Qi nuzzled into Nan Zishi’s embrace.
Watching the mother and son from the side, a smile tugged at the corners of Hu Bai’s lips.
After the cubs had all fallen asleep, Nan Zishi whispered to Hu Bai, "Hu Bai, are you asleep?"
Hu Bai opened his beautiful eyes.
He had been sleeping, but not deeply. After all, the male was responsible for everyone’s safety; he had to shoulder the duty of keeping watch.
"Female master."
Nan Zishi whispered, "You seemed really troubled today. What’s on your mind? Are you having second thoughts about leaving Stone Village?"
Lying in the sleeping bag beside hers, Hu Bai gently shook his head. "No, I’m not having second thoughts. I was just thinking..."
"Thinking about what?" Nan Zishi was very curious.
Hu Bai lowered his gaze, hesitating for a moment before asking, "Female master, where are the other males in our family?"
"Huh?"
Hu Bai sighed. "If I go hunting, there will be no one to protect you all. But if I don’t, we won’t have any food."
He knew Nan Zishi had her spatial storage, but she had also said it was filled with emergency supplies—once an item was used, it was gone for good.
He was a male, and it was his duty to provide for and protect his female and cubs, so he had to go hunting.
But if he went hunting, Nan Zishi and the cubs would be left without a male’s protection.
Wild beasts and Wandering Beastmen loved to prey on lone females and cubs who were without a male’s protection.
It was very dangerous.
’In the end, our family just has too few males.’
Hu Bai was very troubled.
"Well, there are," Nan Zishi said. Facing Hu Bai, she felt like a young wife confessing to her husband. She asked in a small, timid voice, "If I told you that you aren’t my only Beast Husband, would you be jealous?"
"’Jealous?’ What’s that? What’s vinegar?" Hu Bai asked.
"Being jealous is... that sour feeling in your heart."
"I would be," Hu Bai confirmed with a nod. "Because I like you, I would be jealous. But... every female has many males in her family. I understand that."
’A sour feeling in my heart...’
’Sometimes, when she strokes Little Fox Qi’s head and gives him too much attention, my heart feels sour.’
’If she got too close to another male, just how sour would my heart feel... I can’t even imagine.’
A female is the core of a family. Once a female has multiple males, the Beastmen band together, forming the family’s strength.
The more powerful males a family has, the stronger the family is, and the less likely it is to be bullied by others.
Besides, the Beast World is dangerous. Females and cubs need protection. If one male goes out to hunt, there must be others at home to protect them.
So, Hu Bai accepted that it was only natural for Nan Zishi to have multiple males.
Nan Zishi blushed, caught completely off guard by Hu Bai’s "I like you."
She touched her warm cheeks and said, "I do have other Beast Husbands, but... I don’t know where they are. If we happen to meet them, we’ll just see what happens."
Actually, after hearing Uncle Xiang’s story, Nan Zishi felt a pang of guilt toward her other Beast Husbands.
’If they aren’t living well, I should bring them all back. If they’re doing fine, I’ll just take a look from a distance and leave.’
"Mm." Hu Bai watched her, his eyes glittering. "Female master, can’t you sleep?"
It wasn’t that Nan Zishi couldn’t sleep; she had intentionally waited for the cubs to fall asleep to have a heart-to-heart with Hu Bai.
"If I couldn’t sleep, would you lull me to sleep?" Nan Zishi asked curiously from inside her sleeping bag.
Hu Bai’s eyes curved into a smile. "I would."
Nan Zishi chuckled softly. "Hu Bai, come here. I have a small gift for you."
"A gift?" Hu Bai got out of his sleeping bag, walked to Nan Zishi’s side, and squatted down.
Nan Zishi shifted her position. As she lay there, Hu Bai looked down at her from above, framed by the bright, clear moon.
Nan Zishi found herself once again captivated by the stunningly beautiful fox.
She swallowed and took out the Fishbone Chain she had prepared.
"Hu Bai, give me your hand."
Puzzled, Hu Bai extended his left hand toward her.
’The muscles on his arm weren’t bulky; he was lean and defined, a look that absolutely slayed her.’
’Especially his snow-white arm and the smooth lines of its muscles.’
Nan Zishi resisted the urge to caress his arm and instead fastened the Fishbone Chain around Hu Bai’s wrist.
"I made this bracelet from the bones of the very first fish I ever caught in the river as a child. After we ate it, I made this. I just added a few red Agate Beads to adjust the size..."
Once Nan Zishi had fastened the Fishbone Chain, she smiled faintly. "Look, Hu Bai. It’s beautiful, and it’s a perfect fit."
Hu Bai raised his hand and looked at his wrist. ’It was the first time he’d ever thought his wrist was good for anything—it could wear the gift she gave him, and he could hear her call it beautiful.’
Nan Zishi said, "Hu Bai, you can think of this bracelet as... a seal I’m placing on you."
"A seal?" Hu Bai lowered his gaze to her, confused.
"Yes. As long as you wear this bracelet, you can’t use the power of your Ancient Bloodline carelessly."
"When you look at it, I want you to remember that your female master, Nan Zishi, cares about your health and forbids you from using your power if it endangers your life! Got it?" Nan Zishi looked at him with her beautiful black eyes.
"Of course, once your body can handle your power and there are no more side effects, you can use it."
Hu Bai raised his arm, looking at the beautiful bracelet on his wrist as it caught the light.
"I’ve been sealed by my female master."
"I understand."