Chapter Five: Officially Becoming a Couple with Mu Qing

“Ali, do you want to formally bond with me tonight?” Mu Qing hadn’t expected Yun Li to be so eager. He had assumed that even if she agreed to bond with him, she would wait a while before taking that step, so he hadn’t prepared the items needed for bonding.

“Why, are you unwilling?” Yun Li was actually just looking for an excuse to send him away—the presence of so many beastmen made it unbearably noisy.

But as she saw hesitation flicker across Mu Qing’s face, she suddenly wondered if he might regret it.

Though Yun Li knew from the original owner’s memories that males in the tribe favored females, she was not a native here. Besides, the original owner was a female who had lived a miserable life. Yun Li couldn’t help but doubt the notion that “females are precious.”

Therefore, with Mu Qing as her steady provider, she felt she had to use the legitimate means of this world to firmly secure him before she could rest easy.

As for feelings between them—those could wait until survival was assured; only then would she have the right to speak of love.

“No,” Mu Qing replied.

Relieved by his answer, Yun Li breathed out quietly.

“I just haven’t gotten the bonding items from the shaman yet. If we’re formally bonding tonight, I’ll go ask the shaman this afternoon.”

After saying this, Mu Qing’s gaze lingered on Yun Li’s face a moment longer. Seeing only confusion and no refusal or displeasure, he quietly exhaled, then grew a bit nervous.

He had been raised around caring for females; even without instruction from other beastmen, he could handle taking care of Ali based on experience. But in other matters, he felt he needed to visit several places that afternoon.

Yun Li found no mention in the original owner’s memories about what items to get from the shaman for bonding—presumably the males prepared those. She simply hummed and said, “I’ll go rest a bit.” The matter could wait until evening.

That night, as Mu Qing entered wearing only a loincloth, Yun Li’s eyes unconsciously fell first on the two points of his chest, then on his chiseled eight-pack.

“Won’t you come over?” she asked, though she was already stepping forward, reaching out to touch him.

His skin was a healthy wheat color, tanned from the sun. As her fingers traced the taut muscles beneath, she felt them tighten beneath her touch.

Perhaps it was the mood, but a secret thrill welled up deep inside her.

Her hand moved from his pectorals down over the defined ridges of his abs, to his V-line, which disappeared beneath his loincloth.

Mu Qing, a head taller, saw her tug at his loincloth, and his gaze remained fixed below.

A scorching heat surged within him; his throat moved rapidly. He reached out, pulling her into his arms, bowing his head to press a reverent, restrained kiss to her hair and forehead.

By the time Yun Li realized what was happening, she tilted her head back, stood on tiptoe, and wrapped her arms around his neck. What followed unfolded naturally.

However, Yun Li suffered a bit that night—she was a novice in such matters, having only eaten pork without ever seeing the pig run. Touching and kissing were the most daring things she could manage; the rest was entirely guided by Mu Qing.

The next morning, she found Mu Qing even more obedient and compliant toward her, almost to the point of unquestioning submission.

Still, even then, Yun Li waited four or five days before allowing Mu Qing to be intimate with her again.

...

On another hunting expedition, Mu Qing accompanied the tribe’s hunting party. Unexpectedly, the group returned swiftly with a mountain of prey.

Those beastmen preparing for training at dawn, seeing the dark sky still unlit and then the towering pile of game behind Mu Qing’s group, swallowed hard in astonishment.

Is this the true power of a young warrior beastman?

No wonder the tribe insisted on pairing their females with Mu Qing. Such a powerful male, if stolen away by females from another tribe, would be a tremendous loss.

“We’ll handle the processing here. Mu Qing, you should hurry home—your female might be upset if she hasn’t seen you.”

Though no one knew whether Mu Qing’s female missed him, the fact that he had dragged them out in the middle of the night and helped the hunting team secure so much prey so quickly was clear.

He just wanted to get home early to be with his female—they all understood that.

So, without question, they all showed consideration, urging him to leave promptly.

Several young males even began carrying the portions of prey assigned to Mu Qing, eagerly chiming in, “Yes, yes, we’ll help you carry your share. Go quickly, Mu Qing; Ali’s waiting at home.”

Mu Qing scowled and told them to put the game down. “I’ll carry my own things later. I don’t need your help.”

“We insist! We found so many leftovers following you—we have to prove ourselves, right?”

No matter what Mu Qing said, the young males grinned and refused to set the game down. Fearing Mu Qing would snatch it from them, they started running toward his home with the prey.

Seeing this, Mu Qing partially transformed and hurriedly dragged along several pieces of prey favored by females, chasing after them. Otherwise, what if they barged in on Ali?

Along the way, the Leng brothers spotted Mu Qing and saw him swat several males to the ground. Yet even after being beaten, those males smiled foolishly and continued helping carry the game toward Mu Qing’s home.

Leng Xiao’s face was full of disbelief. “Did I just see that right? Were those males completely stunned by Mu Qing’s hits?”

Leng Xiu furrowed his brow, watching them depart. He understood better than Xiao.

“I’m afraid they’re not stunned but have taken a liking to Mu Qing’s female.”

Hearing this, Leng Xiao’s expression became complicated.

They had heard rumors that many of Mu Qing’s females were quite attractive, but Xiao’s impression of Yun Li, dirty and unkempt that day, was too strong. He still refused to believe that after cleaning, the female they both disliked could transform into a great beauty.

So, hearing others were also interested in Yun Li seemed incredible, sparking a flicker of curiosity within him.

“The clan chief even went to see her and said that female really is quite pretty.”

Seeing Xiao so stubborn, Leng Xiu didn’t bother arguing.

Honestly, Xiu believed the chief’s words.

So when Xiao, still doubtful, tried to drag him to follow Mu Qing to see the female, Leng Xiu didn’t refuse.