Chapter 532 - 529: A Stirring of Passion

Chapter 532: Chapter 529: A Stirring of Passion

Xin Feng elegantly swallowed his food and shook his head, a contemplative look in his silver-gray eyes. "We haven’t. We expanded the search radius, but everything nearby is normal. We didn’t find any suspiciously furtive Beastman groups, and the small tribe we came across hadn’t been destroyed."

Bai Wanwan nodded. The news was somewhat reassuring, yet it also hinted that a greater unknown might be lurking beneath the calm.

’Whatever,’ she thought. ’No use worrying about things that might not happen. If something does, I’ll just deal with it then.’

She speared a perfectly roasted piece of meat, shimmering with a glistening glaze, and casually held it to Xin Feng’s lips. "Try this. It’s roast meat with Shi Hua’s special fruit glaze. It’s absolutely delicious."

Her casual, intimate gesture immediately drew the gazes of the other Beast Husbands at the table.

Zhu Xiu gave a cool glance, Yin Ze’s golden pupils narrowed slightly, and even Yan Lie, who had been talking to one of Shi Hua’s Beast Husbands, immediately turned his head.

Though no one said a word, the combined weight of their intense stares fell upon her, the meaning unspoken but clear.

The intense stares left Bai Wanwan feeling helpless, torn between annoyance and amusement.

Resignedly, she picked up more pieces of roast meat and fed each of her "petty" Beast Husbands in turn, making sure to give each of them equal treatment, leaving no one out.

Watching from the side, Shi Hua couldn’t help but cover her mouth to stifle a giggle. She tactfully averted her gaze and picked up some roast meat of her own to appease her Beast Husbands, who were all looking on with undisguised envy.

The time after dinner was warm and relaxing.

Bai Wanwan and Shuang Hua stayed in Shi Hua’s spacious courtyard with a group of cubs who were exhausted from playing but still buzzing with excitement.

The young cubs chased each other and play-fought, while the females sat in a circle, having a heart-to-heart and sharing secrets and joys only they could understand.

As moonlight silently bathed the courtyard, the boisterous cubs finally succumbed to their sleepiness, dozing off while leaning haphazardly in the arms of a Mother or Father Beast.

Taking advantage of a moment while Shuang Hua was helping to look after the cubs, Bai Wanwan quietly pulled Shi Hua into a shadowed corner of the courtyard.

She took an unremarkable little wooden bottle from the small bag she carried, pressed it into Shi Hua’s hand, and whispered, "Remember what I told you before? About this."

The moment Shi Hua’s fingertips touched the cool little bottle, her face flushed red. Fortunately, the darkness of the night concealed her blush.

She nodded vigorously, her voice filled with gratitude. "Mhm, I remember! Sister Wanwan, thank you... If it weren’t for you, Mu Feng and my other husbands... we might not have these healthy cubs right now..."

Her voice choked with emotion, a heartfelt gratitude that words could not fully express.

Bai Wanwan gently patted the back of her hand, pressing the bottle more firmly into her palm. "Good. There’s no need for ’thank you’ between us. But you must remember: absolutely no other Beastman can know about this."

Her tone held a rare seriousness.

As if accepting a sacred mission, Shi Hua clutched the small wooden bottle tightly and repeatedly promised, "Mhm! Don’t worry! I won’t tell anyone, not even my Beast Husbands! This will be our secret!"

After safely entrusting the Fertility Pill to Shi Hua, Bai Wanwan felt a great weight lift from her shoulders. Only then did she gather her own cubs, who were yawning nonstop, and return under the guard of her Beast Husbands to the temporary residence arranged for them by Jin Cang Clan Leader.

As the night deepened, Zhu Xiu and Xin Feng put the young cubs to bed and went to sleep themselves.

But Bai Wanwan wasn’t the least bit sleepy. She sat alone on the stone steps by the door, gazing toward the bright lights of the clan’s center, waiting for Jin Yi to return.

Jin Yi had been summoned by the Jin Cang Clan Leader earlier in the evening and still hadn’t returned.

The evening wind carried a chill, but she hardly noticed.

She waited for a long time, but there was still no sign of that familiar, tall figure.

A warm, soft, light pelt was gently draped over her shoulders.

Xin Feng had appeared at her side at some point. His warm, gentle voice sounded beside her ear. "Don’t wait up. He’s likely discussing the clan’s defenses with the Clan Leader and will probably be very late tonight. If you’re tired, you should go to sleep. You can always talk to him in the morning."

Bai Wanwan sighed softly, a little disappointed.

’I was planning to return to the Tiger Clan with the other Beast Husbands tomorrow,’ she thought. ’I wanted to spend some quality time with Jin Yi tonight, to have a real heart-to-heart... But the weight of his responsibilities is just too great.’

"Alright..." She stood up as he suggested, steadying herself with his arm. "Let’s go to sleep, then."

She leaned into Xin Feng’s warm, dependable embrace and, with lingering thoughts of Jin Yi, slowly drifted off to sleep.

She slept soundly, not waking until broad daylight.

The Beast Husbands had been up for a while, quietly packing their things and preparing to depart.

Zhu Xiu was packing away spare pelts, Yin Ze was doing a head count of the cubs, and Yan Lie was preparing meat for the journey.

Jin Yi had been busy until the wee hours of the morning. Afraid of waking them upon his return, he had simply crashed for the night at his Father Beast’s residence.

He woke at the crack of dawn and rushed back without a moment’s delay.

Xin Feng was holding a little tiger cub who was rubbing its eyes. He looked up and saw Jin Yi, travel-worn, walking into the courtyard. Xin Feng immediately put a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture and whispered, "Quietly. Wanwan isn’t awake yet."

"Okay," Jin Yi whispered in reply, but his footsteps quickened involuntarily as he gently pushed open the half-closed door and slipped inside.

The light in the room was dim, and Bai Wanwan was still deep in slumber.

She was lying on her side, her ink-black hair fanned out across the fur pillow, making her small face seem all the more fair and delicate.

Her long, curled lashes cast faint shadows beneath her eyes.

In sleep, she had shed her usual vivacity for a serene, gentle beauty that was utterly captivating.

Jin Yi’s heart melted instantly, and a powerful reluctance to leave her washed over him.

He didn’t want to be apart from her in the slightest, but he carried the responsibility for his entire clan on his shoulders. He couldn’t just leave with her as he pleased.

He tiptoed to the bedside, then carefully lay down beside her, turning on his side to gaze at her face, now just inches from his own.

Her porcelain-like skin seemed to have a soft glow in the morning light. The eyes that usually held laughter or mischief were now peacefully closed, leaving only her full, rosy lips, which looked like ripe, sweet fruit, silently tempting him.

Jin Yi’s throat tightened. He finally gave in, lowering his head ever so gently to press a tender, restrained kiss upon her tempting lips.

As if sensing something in her sleep, Bai Wanwan unconsciously made a soft sound with her lips, even taking a faint, reflexive sip.

Her unconscious response was like a spark, instantly igniting the emotions Jin Yi was trying so hard to suppress.

His breath hitched. He couldn’t stop himself from deepening the stirring kiss. His movements remained gentle, yet they now carried an undeniable longing and possessiveness.

Bai Wanwan was woken by the gentle yet persistent pressure on her lips.