Chapter 244: The Leopard’s Mind

Chapter 244: Chapter 244: The Leopard’s Mind

The male, who usually had a smile playing at the corners of his eyes, now held his lips in a tight line. His golden eyes, which always sparkled, were clearly avoiding hers.

Bai Wanwan narrowed her eyes and poked his taut abs with more force. "Someone’s come looking for you. Do you really think playing dumb will get you out of this?"

"Wanwan..."

Yan Lie’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He wrapped his large palm around her troublemaking fingers, his brow knitting together.

His usually bright and lively eyes were now clouded with gloom, and even his voice was a few shades deeper.

Bai Wanwan didn’t press him further, just watched him quietly.

The last rays of the setting sun filtered through a crack in the window, casting a small shadow beneath her eyelashes.

Yan Lie squirmed under her focused gaze, feeling completely uncomfortable.

After a long moment, his shoulders slumped in defeat. "It’s my older brother... I don’t want to see him."

He felt a warm touch in his palm as Bai Wanwan turned her hand over and intertwined her fingers with his.

"Why?"

She tilted her head, her suspicious gaze scanning his face, but her tone was gentle. "Is there something about our relationship... that has to be kept in the dark?"

"That’s not it!"

Yan Lie explained in a rush, his tone urgent and his gaze sincere, as if terrified she wouldn’t believe him.

He unconsciously stroked her knuckles, his voice dropping. "Wanwan, please don’t be angry when I tell you this..."

Bai Wanwan suddenly leaned in, her nose almost touching his.

Her beautiful eyes, as clear as a spring, reflected his face.

"Don’t tell me..." she said, deliberately drawing out her words, "you’re already mated to another female, aren’t you?"

"How could I!"

Yan Lie nearly jumped three feet in the air, his muscular chest heaving.

He grabbed her hand and pressed it tightly against his heart, letting her feel the rapid, forceful beat beneath her palm.

"Before I met you, I never even gave another female a second glance." His amber eyes, moist and bright with anxiety, locked onto hers. "Wanwan, I like you. I only like you."

Seeing him so flustered that the corners of his eyes were turning red, Bai Wanwan finally broke and burst out laughing.

She flicked his burning-hot ear with her finger. "I was just teasing you..."

Her fingertips slid from the curve of his ear to the tense nape of his neck, and she began to gently knead the muscles there. "Now, tell me the truth, or my imagination will start to run wild."

’Yan Lie only had eyes for me. He was even able to control himself and leave when he was affected by the thorn flower.’

’Besides... Zhuo Ling is considered a great beauty among the females of the Beast World.’

’He could even resist that kind of temptation.’

Bai Wanwan had no reason not to trust him.

Genuinely afraid she’d let her imagination run wild, Yan Lie immediately spilled everything in a rush. "I told you before that I ran away from home. My Mother and the others wanted me to get mated, but... My older brother has a violent temper. I’m afraid if he finds me, he’ll do something impulsive and upset you."

’So that’s what this is about...’

Bai Wanwan smiled at him. "If he’s family, then you should probably see him. He can’t be so hot-tempered that he’d attack a female, right?"

"He’d better not! If he lays a hand on you, I won’t call him my brother anymore."

"Don’t worry. This is the Golden Lion Tribe. Even if he wanted to do something, he’d have to consider the consequences."

"Wanwan, I just don’t want to see him right now."

’He and Wanwan hadn’t officially mated yet; he wasn’t even her official Beast Husband. At a critical time like this, he didn’t want his older brother showing up and causing trouble.’

Bai Wanwan thought for a moment and decided to go along with his wishes.

"Alright. You get some rest. I’ll go out and speak with Jin Yue."

Only then did the tension in Yan Lie’s expression finally ease.

As he watched, Bai Wanwan slowly walked out of the stone house.

Jin Yue was still waiting by the door. "My Beast Husband was badly injured during the beast tide and needs to recuperate," Bai Wanwan said. "Please tell the visitor that my Beast Husband will go see him once he’s recovered from his injuries."

Jin Yue was only a messenger. Whether Bai Wanwan and her mates met with the visitor or not had nothing to do with him.

He agreed at once and went back to deliver the message.

After Jin Yue left, Bai Wanwan didn’t hurry back inside. She stood at the entrance, staring blankly into the distance.

Xin Feng came to her side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Bai Wanwan glanced at him and explained, "Yan Lie’s brother is here. Yan Lie doesn’t want to see him right now."

"It’s Yan Lie’s family... then it’s nothing to worry about."

"Yeah, that’s what I thought. I tried to convince Yan Lie to see him, but he refused, so I didn’t push it..."

"Then don’t worry about it. If Yan Lie’s family really wants to see him, they’ll find their way here themselves."

The two of them stood at the entrance making small talk for a while. When Xin Feng saw the cubs wandering too far, he immediately took his arm from her shoulder. "Wanwan, you head inside. I’ll go bring the cubs back."

"Okay. I’ll go check on Shi Hua then."

Knowing that Yan Lie was only pretending to be sick, Bai Wanwan walked straight across the small courtyard to Stone Flower’s house.

She also didn’t tell him that she planned to mate with him tonight, lest he get too excited.

The system had been hounding her about it, and she was getting worried about her Points.

Everyone had recovered their strength today, so she had to get pregnant with a cub and save her Points.

But to Bai Wanwan’s surprise, when she stepped through the gate to Stone Flower’s house, she saw Zhuo Ling holding Shi Hua’s hand intimately, whispering something to her.

Shi Hua looked dazed and distracted.

Hearing the noise, they both looked up at the same time.

Their expressions were starkly different. A light immediately sparked in Shi Hua’s eyes. Beaming, she pulled her hand away from Zhuo Ling, stood up, and hurried over to Bai Wanwan.

"Sister, you’re here!" Her voice was lilting with obvious delight.

Zhuo Ling also stood up, keeping the smile on her face. "Wanwan, you’re here too."

Pretending not to be surprised by her presence, Bai Wanwan held Shi Hua’s hand and walked over to sit directly across from her.

"Zhuo Ling, are you here to give Shi Hua more gifts?"

Zhuo Ling’s expression stiffened at the question.

She had already given Shi Hua plenty of nice things to curry favor, but she couldn’t possibly bring gifts every single day.

’And that foolish female Shi Hua just "uh-huhs" and "ohs" to everything I say. I can’t even tell if she understands, and I haven’t been able to get a single useful piece of information out of her.’

"In a few days, my Beast Husband will go into the mountains. If he finds anything good, I’ll bring it to Shi Hua."

"Great. I’ll thank you in advance on Shi Hua’s behalf."

Bai Wanwan watched her, a wide smile on her face.

Zhuo Ling had wanted to probe a little further, but her nerve failed her when she remembered the incident where Bai Wanwan had caused the females of the Golden Lion Tribe to drink dung water.

"Don’t mention it. Shi Hua and you are both my friends. Oh, I just remembered I have something to take care of at home, so I’ll be heading back."

"Go on, then. And remember to bring more things next time."

As Zhuo Ling was walking out of the stone house, she stumbled.

’Her intuition screamed at her to stay far away from Bai Wanwan.’

Once Zhuo Ling was gone, the smile vanished from Bai Wanwan’s face. She turned to Shi Hua. "Does she come to see you every day?"

Shi Hua looked miserable. She didn’t like Zhuo Ling, but Zhuo Ling always hung around and refused to leave.

She was too timid to tell her to leave, and it was torture for her every day.

"Yes. Every day she says the weirdest things. I don’t want to listen to her at all."

"If you don’t want to listen, then the next time you see her coming, just shut the door. Don’t be afraid."

Just as they were speaking, a faint sound came from behind them...