Chapter 84: Who Could It Be?

Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Who Could It Be?

A dead beast lay across the doorway.

She had only been distracted watching Xin Feng for a moment, and then this thing appeared.

When Xin Feng turned and saw it, he smiled at her and said, "Zhu Xiu probably brought it back. I’ll go drag the prey inside and take care of it."

With that, he got up and walked to the entrance, lifting the animal to drag it in.

But his movements stopped short.

Bai Wanwan remained seated by the fire, its warmth chasing away the chill around her.

Noticing Xin Feng’s abrupt halt, she asked, "What’s wrong?"

"This prey wasn’t brought back by Zhu Xiu."

He turned his head to scan the area. It was quiet, and the footprints on the ground were too jumbled to make anything out.

After a moment’s hesitation, Xin Feng dragged the animal into the stone house anyway.

Bai Wanwan got up and walked over, looking at the creature that resembled a cross between a deer and a pig. "How do you know Zhu Xiu didn’t bring this back?"

Xin Feng lowered his head, pointing to the bite marks on the prey’s neck. "The teeth marks are wrong. Besides, Zhu Xiu would have constricted it with his long tail, not left bite marks like this."

Bai Wanwan noticed it too. There were several bloody holes in the prey’s neck, clearly fatal wounds from the bite of a fierce beast.

She glanced outside. "That’s strange... Besides Zhu Xiu, who would bring us prey? It couldn’t be Aunt Lu, could it?"

’If it was Aunt Lu, she would have said something. Why just drop it here and leave without a word?’

It was very strange indeed.

"Let’s just take it for now. If Aunt Lu did bring it, we’ll give her something in return once the weather warms up."

After dragging the prey inside and setting it aside, Xin Feng saw Bai Wanwan studying the food with great interest and came over to help.

By the time Zhu Xiu returned, a fragrant aroma was already wafting from the stone house.

He stood at the entrance, four hunted beasts piled up beside him.

Inside, the firelight danced. The female was smiling at the male, her gaze seeming to hold only him.

Hearing the noise, Bai Wanwan turned her head. Seeing Zhu Xiu at the entrance, she immediately greeted him with a smile, "You’re back?"

She immediately put down her chopsticks, got up, and ran toward him. When she saw the pile of prey at the door, Bai Wanwan couldn’t help but give him a thumbs-up. "You’re amazing! How did you hunt so much in this weather?"

Zhu Xiu’s gaze fell on her face. "Just got lucky. Tomorrow, I’ll use these to trade with the Clan Leader for a bigger place. It’ll be more comfortable to live in."

’I’m not going to be staying here long-term anyway, so what does it matter if we move or not?’

"This place is fine, we don’t need to move. You’ve been out all day and must be exhausted. Hurry and come inside."

She had only stood at the doorway for a moment, and her fingers were already aching from the cold. Yet Zhu Xiu had been rushing about outside all day just so they could move to a bigger house.

Bai Wanwan wasn’t an ungrateful person. Her supposed heartlessness was, to put it bluntly, a way to protect herself. If you couldn’t receive someone’s genuine affection, then you should do your best not to give yours away.

Zhu Xiu saw that her little face was pale from the cold. Knowing she was freezing, he ignored the prey, took her hand, and led her back into the house.

"It’s cold outside, don’t come out." His expression was a bit stern, and he didn’t let go of her hand.

Bai Wanwan followed him inside, muttering, "It is a little cold, but you were outside freezing all day. Aren’t you cold?"

A Beastman’s Talent Power was limited. In the wild, they couldn’t afford to waste it on resisting the cold; they had to be fully prepared for battle at all times.

Therefore, the temperature she felt was the same as what the males felt. It was just that their bodies were stronger, so they didn’t get sick easily even in the cold.

But no one enjoyed being cold.

"We’re used to it. It’s not that cold."

Bai Wanwan pulled on his hand and shook her head. "That’s not okay. I told you guys I have food, but you just wouldn’t believe me. Don’t go out tomorrow. I have enough food here. When the weather warms up, I won’t stop you if you want to go out."

Her voice had a demanding edge, but because it was rooted in worry for him, it wasn’t off-putting in the slightest.

Bai Wanwan pulled him down to sit at the stone table, and Xin Feng handed him a stone bowl.

"Wanwan was worried about you. If we don’t have enough food, we can take turns. I’ll go out tomorrow."

Bai Wanwan immediately stopped him. "Neither of you are going out tomorrow. After these next few days, I’ll be giving birth soon, and I can’t be without you."

She had to play her trump card.

Normally, the males of the clan wouldn’t go hunting so readily during the snow season. They usually prepared enough food before the rainy season to last through the entire snow season.

They would only venture out into the cold to find food if they were truly running out.

The two males exchanged a glance, and neither of them said another word about going out.

Seeing this, Bai Wanwan picked up a piece of fried shrimp for each of them. "Have a taste. Is this kind of food edible?"

She had already made Xin Feng try some just now, and he had found it acceptable.

But Bai Wanwan didn’t believe it, feeling that Xin Feng was just humoring her.

Zhu Xiu picked up the fried shrimp, put it in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.

"Is it good?" She watched Zhu Xiu’s reaction closely, planning to adjust the family’s menu based on it.

"It’s good."

"Good? Your expression doesn’t seem to agree."

Zhu Xiu cleared his throat lightly while Xin Feng laughed beside him.

"I’m not lying to you. The flavor is good, but there’s just too little of it. This kind of stuff is fine for you females, but for us, it’s not even enough to get stuck in our teeth."

"It was just for you to taste, not to make a whole meal out of it."

Of course, she knew that the males had enormous appetites. This entire plate of shrimp wouldn’t even half-fill Zhu Xiu’s stomach.

"There’s stewed meat over there. Finish the shrimp first, and I’ll let you try the stew in a bit..."

After saying that, Bai Wanwan started eating on her own. The light sweetness of the shrimp, combined with the crispy, savory flavor of the fried flour, was incredibly satisfying.

"Oh, right..." She suddenly remembered the prey from that morning and pointed to the corner. "Zhu Xiu, take a look. Was that prey something you picked up and brought back?"

Zhu Xiu stopped his chopsticks and turned his head to look at the corner.

Xin Feng also spoke up, "I checked the wounds. It looks like it was bitten by a tiger or a leopard. I don’t know who brought it."

"It definitely wasn’t me who brought it back. Everything I hunted is right here." He gestured to the prey at the entrance that he hadn’t dragged in yet.

"Well, that’s strange..." Bai Wanwan popped another shrimp into her mouth. "In that case, I’ll ask Aunt Lu during the warm season. If her Beast Husband brought it, we’ll give her an animal in return."

’After thinking it over, that seemed like the only possibility.’

The family finished their dinner, chatting cheerfully. Zhu Xiu insisted on keeping watch for the night, which made Xin Feng feel a little embarrassed.

Zhu Xiu stared at him. "After your cub is born, however long Wanwan accompanies you, she’ll need to accompany me for the same amount of time afterward."

There was no faulting that logic. Xin Feng nodded in agreement. "Alright."

Only Bai Wanwan was unaware of their arrangement. When she woke up from a good night’s sleep, Xin Feng was already busy with chores, and Zhu Xiu was still not home.

"Xin Feng, did Zhu Xiu go out hunting again?"

’That male really isn’t afraid of the cold!’

Xin Feng turned and explained to her, "No, he went to see the Clan Leader about trading for a new house. This one is too small, and the wind blows in whenever the door is open. He wants to get you a warmer one."

Bai Wanwan heard that he had gone out so early in the morning to busy himself for her sake again.

’The males in this world are just too good, aren’t they?’

Once they had a female, their whole lives revolved around her.

"He really can’t sit still."

Xin Feng smiled gently. "He just wants to make you a little more comfortable."

Bai Wanwan took the Beast Skin Skirt he handed her and slowly put it on.

Just as she finished dressing and got out of bed, she saw another animal lying across the doorway.

"Xin Feng, look quick! There’s something else."

Xin Feng turned around and, sure enough, saw a hog deer lying at the main entrance.

"You stay put, don’t move. I’ll go check."

Xin Feng strode quickly toward the entrance.

Bai Wanwan also tilted her head to look outside. ’Just now... I think I saw the figure of a male...’