Chapter Twenty-Seven: Moving House

The female’s ears had secretly turned red from her younger brother’s words. A dark glint flashed swiftly through Leng Xiu’s eyes.

He walked over and spoke in his usual tone, as though he had heard nothing at all. “Are you finished? We should be heading back.”

“Not yet, Brother. We’re going back already?”

Leng Xiao quickly swept his gaze over his brother’s face. The two of them had grown up together since childhood, so how could he not know that the calmer Leng Xiu appeared, the greater the turmoil in his heart?

He had just seen Leng Xiao acting intimately with A-Li. Although Leng Xiu had said nothing, he must have been seething with jealousy inside.

Hmph! That was what he got for not acting sooner!

“Then you’re not going back? Are you planning to stand here and argue about who’s older and who’s younger?”

Leng Xiu’s single remark startled Yun Li into giving him another look.

With such a serious, cold expression, he had actually said something like that. He and Leng Xiao really were brothers.

Leng Xiao’s lips twitched. He had intended to say something more and provoke his brother into dropping that pretense of indifference, but he had forgotten that his face was injured. The pain made him hiss involuntarily.

“Hiss…”

Damn, that really hurt!

Only then did Leng Xiu seem to notice that his face had swollen. Yet instead of asking anything, he merely looked at him with faint disdain.

“You’re ugly.”

“If you looked like this, you wouldn’t be much better.”

Leng Xiao let out an aggrieved snort.

“Do you think I’m you?”

After mocking his younger brother for being impatient about everything, Leng Xiu turned toward Yun Li, who had quietly fallen silent and was merely watching them. His voice softened almost imperceptibly.

“He didn’t bully you, did he? Xiao is hot-tempered. If he did anything that made you uncomfortable, feel free to beat him. If he dares resist, just tell Mu Qing and me. We’ll deal with him together.”

Leng Xiao had thought he was already impatient enough, but he had never expected his brother to be even more eager than he was. The way he put it, anyone would think they had already become Yun Li’s males.

And what did he mean by saying that he and Mu Qing would deal with him? The two of them were roughly equal in strength. It would not be so easy for Leng Xiu to beat him.

Besides, Mu Qing was not yet their family head. Why would he agree to join forces with Leng Xiu and beat him?

What surprised him even more, however, was that after a moment of silence, Yun Li actually accepted Leng Xiu’s words.

“I understand. But he already slapped himself more than a dozen times and promised there wouldn’t be a next time, so I’ll let him off this time.”

Leng Xiao wondered whether he had misheard. Otherwise, why would A-Li plead for him? No—why did she sound as though she had accepted his brother’s arrangement?

A-Li, had my brother suddenly bewitched you?

Leng Xiu glanced at his younger brother, who was still standing there blankly, and felt even more disdainful.

“Since you said so, we’ll let him off this time.”

Could it be that his brother still thought that he and Mu Qing were merely teaching Yun Li? Did he not realize that Mu Qing had tacitly agreed to give them a chance to spend time with her?

If Leng Xiu had not known that Leng Xiao was more outgoing and better suited to stirring Yun Li’s emotions and helping her relax, he would never have let the two of them stay alone together for so long.

Fortunately, this outing had yielded some results. As for the injury on Leng Xiao’s face, he had brought it upon himself.

“Then let’s go back.”

Yun Li smiled brightly. She was not the sort to hesitate once she had made up her mind. Once she decided on something, she would act immediately.

She had quickly accepted Mu Qing before, and now, for the sake of improving her own safety, she had accepted the two brothers as well.

Once she had made up her mind, her attitude became clear.

Leng Xiu’s gaze lingered briefly over her fair skin before he nodded.

“Go ahead and beat him. The prey I hunted is just up ahead.”

Processing the prey had taken some time. Otherwise, he would have arrived sooner and might even have seen what had provoked Yun Li into losing her temper with Leng Xiao.

As he thought over what Leng Xiao had learned recently, a flicker of relief passed through Leng Xiu’s eyes.

…

When they returned to the tribe, Yun Li did not see the tribe’s hunting party.

She asked Leng Xiu, “Are you going to look for the chief now?”

They had discovered something unusual, so naturally, the sooner they informed the chief, the better.

Leng Xiu gave a quiet assent. “Yes, we’re going now. Leng Xiao can carry the prey back later. You don’t need to help.”

If one male beastman could carry the prey to the water source for basic processing, Leng Xiao could certainly do the same.

Without a word, Leng Xiao took the prey from Leng Xiu’s hands.

“You go find the chief. I’ll take A-Li home.”

“Remember to put some fierce-beast meat on the rack for A-Li. Don’t leave until Mu Qing comes back.”

Leng Xiu instructed his younger brother.

Leng Xiao patiently replied, “All right, all right. I know. Let’s go.”

With that, he turned toward Yun Li, his eyes warm.

“A-Li, let’s go.”

Yun Li nodded. Then, as though she had just remembered something, she said to Leng Xiu, “After you’ve spoken with the chief, come over and eat with us. From now on, eat at home as well.”

Those words were even more exhilarating than Mu Qing’s tacit approval of their approaching Yun Li, because they meant that she was willing to become their mate.

At her words, Leng Xiao became so excited that he nearly dropped the prey on his back. He wanted to pull Yun Li into his arms and kiss her.

“A-Li, does this mean you agree to become our mate?”

“If not, what else would it mean?” Yun Li countered. “Didn’t Mu Qing tacitly agree to let you two into the house?”

Mu Qing’s approval was one matter. Receiving the family head’s recognition was another. But obtaining Yun Li’s agreement was an entirely different matter.

“Carry your prey properly. A-Li is going to eat it.”

Leng Xiu’s heart had also leapt with excitement when he heard Yun Li’s words, but he was able to remain composed. He quickly restrained Leng Xiao, whose delight was written all over his face, and gave him several more instructions.

“When you get back, prepare something for A-Li to eat first. Once I’ve informed the chief about what happened outside, I’ll return. Then we’ll take some hides and crystal cores over first.”

There was only one stone house at home, and it clearly would not be enough for all of them.

But what did that matter? Now that A-Li had agreed, and Mu Qing could no longer stop them from entering the house, they could even sleep in beast form beside the bed if necessary. As for the stone house, they could discuss when to build another one after Mu Qing returned.

Now that Leng Xiao knew he would be moving in, he needed no reminder from his brother. He had already begun planning to move immediately.

“Remember to tell the chief about our relationship with Yun Li too, so he won’t come looking for us again and say things A-Li shouldn’t hear.”

Leng Xiu hardly needed the reminder.

The two brothers rapidly exchanged their instructions, then went their separate ways.

Watching Leng Xiu hurry off, Yun Li asked, “Do you have many belongings? If you’re moving over tonight, won’t the things you leave at home be taken by someone else?”

Since the Leng brothers were going to become her mates, their belongings would naturally become hers as well. Of course she had to care whether another beastman might take them.

Leng Xiao answered his female with a broad grin.

“Don’t worry, A-Li. Everything we own belongs to you. Anyone who dares steal your things, we’ll chop off his hands.”