Chapter Seventeen: Leng Xiao’s Pursuit

"Ah Qing"

Yun Li had expected Mu Qing to burst into flames of anger and confront the Leng brothers immediately after their provocation, but to her surprise, nothing happened. Mu Qing didn’t even remove the barbecue that Leng Xiu and the others had set up; he silently turned the meat on the grill from time to time.

Yun Li followed behind him, unable to discern what he was thinking.

“What are you thinking about?”

He had been furious just moments ago, yet now he was silent and withdrawn. Was there anything he couldn’t say directly?

“Nothing.”

Mu Qing stared at the barbecue in front of him, feeling a tumult of emotions churning violently within his chest, yet he didn’t know how to release them. Almost self-destructively, he said, “If you like them, you don’t have to wait until the cold season. Those males were right—being a beastman, I simply can’t look after you properly. Leng Xiu and Leng Xiao managed to come unannounced today while I was away; other males could do the same.”

“So, you want them to come with you to take care of me?”

Hearing this, Yun Li felt a sudden pang in her heart.

She wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and asked, “But didn’t you want me to wait before finding a male? Aren’t you afraid that if Leng Xiu and Leng Xiao come in, I’ll only have eyes for those two brothers?”

Mu Qing lowered his head to look at the female holding him tightly, and memories of their moments together flooded his mind—their first meeting, getting to know each other, their embrace, and all that Yun Li had done for him since they became mates.

A warmth surfaced in his eyes. “You wouldn’t, because Ah Li, you are inherently a very good female.”

She kept her promises and never broke her word; he was dull and uninteresting, far from the charming males who knew how to flatter and amuse her, yet she never overlooked his efforts.

While other beastmen saw him first and foremost as a cold-blooded serpent beastman, with Ah Li it was different—he was Mu Qing first, then serpent beastman.

She cared about the hardships he endured hunting and felt sorry for how hard he worked for the family...

Many mated males in the hunting team said Yun Li wasn’t the type to settle down, but Mu Qing thought they were all just jealous.

Jealous that Yun Li’s heart was fully with him, while they had to strain to guess and imagine the affections of their own females.

“Really? You think I’m that good?”

Yun Li’s heart sweetened at Mu Qing’s words calling her a very good female.

She had heard praise many times in her past life, but this was the first time a beastman had told her she was good.

It was wonderful—she no longer had parents, but here, Mu Qing cared for her.

“Yeah.”

Mu Qing wasn’t skilled in sweet talk, so he simply spoke from the heart.

“You’ve always been good.”

Better than any female he had ever met.

If Yun Li weren’t good, none of the single males would try to win her favor, knowing full well she wouldn’t seek other mates before the cold season.

If Leng Xiu and Leng Xiao weren’t capable, Mu Qing would have dragged them into a corner and beaten them long ago.

Yun Li smiled at his words, then suddenly let go. Just as Mu Qing felt empty with the softness leaving behind him, the female suddenly pounced back.

With her arms circling his neck and a light nip to his ear, Mu Qing couldn’t help but turn his head.

But what met his eyes were Yun Li’s laughter-filled ones. “I don’t plan to eat dinner yet—I want to eat something else first.”

It wasn’t the first time Mu Qing experienced a female’s initiative, but having to be completely passive the entire time was a first.

However, Yun Li later regretted it a bit—being the one to initiate was truly exhausting.

Mu Qing didn’t mind being the submissive one at all and somehow learned flirtatious moves at night that made Yun Li lose control several times.

...

Creak—

The courtyard door opened. Yun Li frowned slightly when she saw Leng Xiao coming for the second time while Mu Qing was away.

“What are you here for?”

This male came early in the morning—was he already eager to be the other man?

Yun Li was, after all, a modern woman. Though she had long prepared herself for the possibility of multiple mates, facing the reality still made her blush a little.

“Are you going out? I happen to be free—I’ll accompany you around the tribe.”

Leng Xiao had come without his brother’s knowledge. Usually, he listened to his brother in most matters, but when it came to choosing a mate, Leng Xiao always followed his own heart.

Because, suppressed by his brother at every turn, he only wanted to surpass him one day.

Just like his feelings for Yun Li—Leng Xiao was sure his brother didn’t like her nearly as much as he did.

His brother simply found Yun Li attractive, and since Mu Qing was the only male around her now, that was why he was so concerned.

Unlike him, who was truly love-struck, hopelessly smitten from the moment he saw her.

He liked her even with her little freckles!

Yun Li disliked his overly familiar approach and evaded his closeness. “Don’t come too close, or when Ah Qing returns, I’ll have him beat you up.”

Leng Xiao looked hurt by her rejection, but quickly smiled again. “Fine, I won’t come too close. Where are you headed now? If you don’t know the way, I’ll take you.”

Did she not have the original owner’s memories?

Even if she didn’t know the way, the tribe had beastman patrols she could ask about her destination.

Yun Li barely suppressed a grimace.

“You’re thinking I’m right, aren’t you?”

Leng Xiao’s attention was on her, so he caught her slight grimace and chuckled, “I knew you were listening.”

Yun Li couldn’t help but retort, “I have ears, of course, I can hear you.”

Leng Xiao grinned. “So, you don’t hate me that much, right?”

At least she was willing to listen.

Yun Li gave him a side-eye. “You’re mistaken.”

If he barged in like last time, she would definitely hate him.

But he hadn’t done that today, so her impression of him improved somewhat, though she still felt a slight aversion.

Leng Xiao was shameless; he didn’t care about misunderstandings. He would cling to her anyway—unless a female completely despised him, being near her always gave him a chance to win her favor.

“So, where are you going? To see those females causing a fuss?”

When the green grass group went out with the gathering team, they always jumped in fright when they saw snakes.

But when the snakes actually appeared, none of the females believed them. The five females, usually gossipy and cliquish, erupted into unprecedented conflict.

The two bitten females accused the other three of pushing them, while the other three, either out of guilt or something else, blamed the bitten ones for the snake encounter.

...