Chapter 156: Bearing Him Another Litter of Snake Cubs

Chapter 156: Chapter 156: Bearing Him Another Litter of Snake Cubs

The pressure was getting to be too much for Yan Lie. He gritted his teeth, summoned his courage, and said, "What are you going to do? If you want to fight, just fight."

Zhu Xiu was struggling to suppress the urge to attack, trying to talk himself down.

"Remember what you just said."

Yan Lie nodded eagerly and looked at him in surprise. "You’re not going to hit me?"

Zhu Xiu retracted his cold, hard gaze. ’Hit him? And make Wanwan feel sorry for him?’

Zhu Xiu hadn’t accepted Yan Lie so easily. It was just that he couldn’t stand Wanwan looking at him with fear in her eyes.

Back in the stone house, she had hidden it well, but he had still sensed it.

He could sooner accept another male joining them than he could accept her smiling at another male while looking at him with fear.

"I can accept you joining this family. But you have to promise me that from now on, you won’t let any other males get near Wanwan."

Yan Lie nodded vigorously. He was a living example—he’d only managed to succeed because he’d gotten lucky while Zhu Xiu was away.

He didn’t want any more males coming to split Wanwan’s attention and love, either.

"Alright, I promise. I won’t let any male with ill intentions get near Wanwan."

"Go on, go back," Zhu Xiu said, turning away. He didn’t want to look at Yan Lie anymore.

Yan Lie didn’t mind Zhu Xiu’s attitude. Overjoyed, he quickly turned and headed for the stone house.

Zhu Xiu listened as the footsteps faded away, but the fists clenched at his sides didn’t loosen.

He never thought that he, a cold-blooded Snake Beast, would one day compromise just to bask in the love and warmth a female offered.

He had chosen to bottle up his rage instead of laying a hand on that male.

All because he didn’t want to push Wanwan further away.

When Xin Feng saw Yan Lie approaching with an ecstatic look on his face, he wasn’t surprised. He just gave him a faint smile and went back to feeding the little ones.

Yan Lie, who had been about to go inside, paused. "Xin Feng, thank you for putting in a good word for me."

He knew that besides Wanwan’s approval, he had only been able to stay because Xin Feng had spoken up for him to Zhu Xiu.

"Don’t thank me. I wasn’t doing it for you. I just want Wanwan to be happy."

Yan Lie nodded. "I feel the same way. I’ll also do my best to make Wanwan happy."

With that, he finally stepped into the stone house.

Bai Wanwan didn’t have much of an appetite, but she forced herself to eat a few bites of the fried meat. Xin Feng had made it for her, after all.

Hearing footsteps, Bai Wanwan immediately turned her head. When she saw Yan Lie, completely unscathed, she became even more certain of Zhu Xiu’s feelings for her.

’Otherwise, with his personality, he would have either swallowed Yan Lie whole or beaten him to a pulp.’

’The only reason he could have controlled his anger and not laid a single finger on Yan Lie was because of me.’

"Wanwan, Zhu Xiu agreed to let me stay."

Yan Lie was overjoyed, and Bai Wanwan was happy for him, of course. But she was more concerned about how Zhu Xiu was doing now.

"Yes, we’re a family now. Where’s Zhu Xiu? Didn’t he come in with you?"

She glanced behind him but saw no one.

"Yeah, he’s still outside."

Yan Lie sensed Bai Wanwan’s distraction and offered, "He didn’t look very happy. Do you... want to go talk to him for a bit?"

’If I were him,’ Yan Lie thought, ’I’d want Wanwan to come and comfort me too.’

Bai Wanwan stood up from the stone stool, walked over, and gave him a hug.

"Why don’t you have something to eat? I’m going to go check on him."

After her embrace, a brilliant, contented smile spread across Yan Lie’s face. "Okay, go on."

’Such an easily satisfied male,’ Bai Wanwan sighed to herself as she turned and walked out of the stone house.

She went outside but didn’t see Zhu Xiu. Instead, she found Xin Feng feeding the little ones.

"Xin Feng, have you seen Zhu Xiu?"

"He’s over there. You’ll see him if you head that way."

Xin Feng raised a hand to point the way.

"I’ll go check on him then."

Bai Wanwan hurried in the direction Xin Feng had pointed and, sure enough, found Zhu Xiu in the open space between two stone houses.

He stood motionless, his back straight and tall as he faced the majestic mountains ahead.

She slowed her pace and approached him slowly.

Sensing her footsteps, Zhu Xiu turned his head.

Bai Wanwan went straight into his arms, resting her head against his chest.

"Aren’t you going to go inside and see the little ones?"

She didn’t want to bring up a sore subject. In a situation like this, Zhu Xiu needed time to accept things; he couldn’t just let it go in an instant.

Her only option was to distract him with something else.

This all happened right after he returned. Since regaining his senses, it seemed Zhu Xiu hadn’t paid any attention to the little snake hatchlings.

With that, she let go of him and took his hand, pulling him toward the stone house. "Come see the babies I had for you. They’re all so healthy and strong..."

Before she could finish, he yanked on her hand, pulling her back into his arms.

She looked up at him. "You..."

The rest of her words were smothered by his lips.

It was as if all his pent-up emotions were being released at once. He seized her lips, kissing her with a devouring hunger.

Bai Wanwan wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to match his rhythm and respond in kind.

But his assault was too powerful. In moments, she was breathless, her body going limp as a noodle and clinging to him.

The red in Zhu Xiu’s eyes deepened. Sensing her strength give out, he gripped her waist with both hands, lifted her, and settled her on his hip, her legs wrapping around him.

He strode swiftly, carrying her through the alley between the stone houses. By the time Bai Wanwan came to her senses, Zhu Xiu had already carried her out of the Black Dog Tribe.

"Where... where are you taking me?"

Still trying to catch her breath, Bai Wanwan’s face was flushed a deep crimson. She looked like a tempting meal, making a predator want to pounce and feast.

"Into the forest."

He moved quickly through the trees, still carrying her. He had traversed the forest near the Black Dog Tribe hundreds of times.

Soon, he brought her to a hollow behind a giant boulder at the edge of a cliff.

Bai Wanwan looked around.

She noticed there was no deep grass nearby, only a thick carpet of dry leaves covering the ground like a soft bed.

Zhu Xiu tore off his cumbersome beast hide.

Bai Wanwan looked up, saw the fire burning in his eyes, and reached for him.

Zhu Xiu’s tall, powerful physique was like that of a model—lean muscle that still radiated a sense of limitless strength.

Held tightly in his embrace, Bai Wanwan felt a profound sense of peace.

She tilted her head and whispered in his ear, "Zhu Xiu, my body has recovered. I can give you another clutch of snake hatchlings."

Her words were like fuel to a fire. Zhu Xiu’s eyes darkened. "Good. Give me another clutch of snake hatchlings."

He didn’t particularly care for offspring, but if they were Wanwan’s, he wanted as many as she could give him.

A low, heavy gasp escaped her, her cheeks flushing scarlet as she dug her nails tightly into his back.

The nearby birds took flight, and the forest fell silent.

The brilliant sun hanging in the sky sank in the west, and a bright moon rose to hang in the pitch-black sky.

Bai Wanwan was drenched in sweat, clinging tightly to him.

After release upon release, Zhu Xiu’s emotions began to gradually stabilize.

"Wanwan..."

He propped himself up on his arms, gazing down at her.