Chapter 360: Her Cub

Chapter 360: Chapter 360: Her Cub

Bai Wanwan saw it too. With its round, tiger-like head, it was exceptionally cute.

So, she crouched down and beckoned to it. "Come here, little tiger cub."

The tiger cub gazed at the female’s beautiful, smiling face and, on some strange impulse, began to walk toward her.

But just as he drew near, he suddenly remembered his Father Beast’s warning.

He wasn’t supposed to get close to strange Beastmen; they might try to hurt him.

At that thought, he sprang away on all fours, landing three meters away. Then, under Bai Wanwan’s astonished gaze, he sprinted off until he was out of sight.

Bai Wanwan stood up, surprised. ’That cub was so cute. I really thought he was about to come over. I don’t know what happened... it was like he suddenly got spooked and bolted.’

She shrugged and went back inside the house.

After running a good distance, the tiger cub stopped. He hid behind a stone wall, peeking out to observe the female he had just met.

’It’s so strange,’ he thought. ’I’ve always been careful to remember my Father Beast’s words and remained wary of other Beastmen.’

’But the moment I saw that female, I forgot all about it.’

’And... I think I smelled a familiar scent on her, one that makes me feel incredibly nostalgic...’

’What is it?’

’I really want to smell it again.’

After Bai Wanwan and Yin Ze finished their meal, they got ready for bed.

She snuggled into Yin Ze’s embrace, her fingers fiddling with his Beast Skin Skirt. "That male today was acting a little strange."

"Oh? How so?" Yin Ze asked, gently patting her back to lull her to sleep.

His movements, once clumsy, had become quite practiced.

"The way he looked at me... it seemed resentful, but also... I can’t quite put my finger on it."

She couldn’t get an accurate read on his emotions from his gaze.

"Then let’s not worry about it for now," he said. "We can stay a while and ask around. We’re bound to find out."

"Okay." Bai Wanwan yawned, feeling drowsy.

She wasn’t sure what else they talked about before she drifted off to sleep in his arms.

Yin Ze slowed his patting, ready to close his eyes and sleep as well, but he suddenly heard a faint sound.

He narrowed his eyes and glanced toward the window before closing them again.

The stone house fell silent.

A moment later, another soft noise could be heard.

After the tiger cub managed to nudge the window open, he cautiously poked his head inside.

He seemed to be checking if the Beastmen inside were asleep.

He stayed there for a long time with his head halfway through the window, making sure the Beastmen inside hadn’t noticed him.

Only then did he carefully squeeze his entire body through.

Then, he leaped down to the floor.

He bumped into something, making a soft thud.

The tiger cub startled himself and quickly dove behind a stone stool, watching for any movement in the room.

When he saw that the Beastmen inside were still fast asleep, he mustered his courage and continued onward.

The female’s scent grew stronger, and with every step, his craving for it intensified.

The scent seemed to be etched into his very being, making him yearn to draw near, to touch...

In that moment, he forgot all about his Father Beast’s warning. His pace quickened, and he soon arrived at the edge of the stone bed.

He looked up at the female on the bed and, with a sudden push, his already sizable body landed easily beside her.

He looked down at the sleeping female, and for some reason, the rims of his eyes began to burn.

Then, he noticed a pair of arms wrapped around the female.

He was not pleased. He extended a paw and swatted the arm away.

Finally, with nothing else on the female, he lay down, snuggling tightly against her. His paws came to rest on her instinctively.

The female’s scent made him relax completely. Forgetting he wasn’t at home, his eyelids grew heavy, and he slowly began to purr...

The only one left awake in the entire room was Yin Ze.

At first, he’d thought it was one of the tribe’s Beastmen up to no good.

But it turned out to be a half-grown cub that had squeezed through the window.

He watched the cub clumsily hop in, do nothing else but lie down next to Wanwan, and even shove his arm away.

’This cub... who does he belong to?’

’Why isn’t he sleeping in his own home? What’s he doing climbing into our bed in the middle of the night?’

Yin Ze was so exasperated he almost laughed. He was just about to reach out and pull the cub off the bed.

Suddenly, he caught a familiar scent.

His entire body went rigid.

’This cub... he belongs to Wanwan!’

His expression darkened, though it was hard to see clearly in the dim room.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t considered the possibility that Wanwan had already formed a partnership, or even had more than one Beast Husband.

But on their journey here, he had once accidentally stumbled upon her while she was bathing in the river.

Though it was only for a second, he had immediately looked away.

But he had seen with perfect clarity that there wasn’t a single mark on her body.

After he left, he had been overcome with joy.

’If Wanwan had no marks, that meant she had no Beast Husband.’

’If she was willing, after they formed a partnership, he would take her to every corner of the continent.’

But the appearance of this cub shattered all his prior assumptions.

’Wanwan hadn’t just formed a partnership, she had a cub.’

The hand he had extended to grab the cub retreated.

’That’s her cub. What right do I have to drive him away?’

’What’s more, Wanwan and I aren’t even true partners.’

His heart felt heavy, as if clogged by something. He tore his gaze away from the mother and son sleeping soundly on the bed.

Before he left, he even covered them with a thin blanket.

Then he got off the bed, pulled the door open, and walked out.

When the tiger cub awoke, it was already bright outside.

Still groggy, he burrowed deeper into Bai Wanwan’s embrace.

Bai Wanwan, sleeping soundly, instinctively scooped him up and hugged him tight.

As he sniffed the scent on her, the fogginess in the tiger cub’s eyes completely vanished. He stared at the female’s face without blinking.

’Who... is she?’

’Why do I feel this uncontrollable joy and this urge to be near her whenever I see her?’

The tiger cub continued to stare at Bai Wanwan’s face.

When he saw her brow furrow in her sleep, he immediately scrambled out of her arms. Like a startled animal, he leaped onto the windowsill and squeezed back outside.

Bai Wanwan slowly began to wake. The first thing she did was look down at her arms.

But they were empty.

’Did I just imagine holding something fluffy?’

’Oh well,’ she thought, assuming she must have been dreaming.

She sat up with a yawn. There was no sign of Yin Ze in the room.

She walked over to the door, pulled it open, and stepped outside.

She was in the middle of a stretch when she saw Yin Ze sitting on the stone steps outside, as still as a statue.

"Yin Ze, what are you doing out here?"

Yin Ze slowly turned his head, his gaze landing on her face.

He didn’t speak, but Bai Wanwan could tell something was different about him.

She walked over and sat down beside him. "What’s wrong? You don’t look very happy."

Yin Ze closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if steeling himself.

He reached out and took her hand. "Wanwan, there’s something I’ve been thinking about all night, and I’ve decided to tell you."

"You sat out here all night?" Bai Wanwan raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Yin Ze said, his lips pressed into a thin line. He stared at her face for a long moment.

"Wanwan... last night, I saw your cub."