Chapter 6: The Leng Brothers Come Calling

As Yun Li opened her front door, she was met with the sight of Mu Qing standing outside, accompanied by several other beastmen. As soon as she appeared, several pairs of eyes turned toward her in unison.

"A-Li."

Seeing this, Mu Qing immediately stepped forward, shielding her from the burning gazes of the young males behind him.

"I’m back. Have you eaten this morning? I left meat pies and wild vegetable soup on the table."

He had made the food in the middle of the night, and he worried that upon waking, A-Li might have found the meal unappealingly cold and skipped it.

At the mention of breakfast, Yun Li’s expression darkened slightly. "I ate, but the cold meat pies and soup weren't good at all. If I had known you were coming back so early, I wouldn't have eaten it cold." She was even worried that the cold meal might give her a stomachache.

A flicker of heartache and self-reproach crossed Mu Qing’s eyes. "I’m sorry, it was my lack of foresight. It won't happen again."

"I’m not blaming you; I chose to eat it myself." She glanced at the prey he had dropped on the ground behind him and asked, "Did you go hunting in the middle of the night? Don't do that again; it’s too dangerous."

Even though she had never left the tribe and witnessed the dangers of the outside world firsthand, her memories of the original owner told her how perilous night hunting was for beastmen. One slip, and he or his hunting party might never return.

Hearing this, Mu Qing felt a warmth spread through his heart. "Don't worry, I am a Green-tier beastman. I’ll be careful; nothing will happen."

Yun Li rolled her eyes at him and retorted, "If something does happen to you, I’ll have no choice but to find other beast-husbands to support me."

Mu Qing’s face went dark in an instant. He pulled her into his arms and, lowering his head, captured her small mouth—the same one that had just spoken of finding other husbands—in a fierce, possessive kiss.

When Yun Li finally managed to pull away, she heard Mu Qing’s voice, tight with agitation: "I am a beastman, and I am more than enough to support you. You don't need to look for anyone else."

Although he knew in his heart that Yun Li would eventually take other husbands, they hadn't been mated for long, and he was in that phase of intense attachment to his female. He couldn't bear the thought of other males entering their home. The mere image of Yun Li in another male's arms, sharing the intimacy they had shared, filled him with an uncontrollable, bitter jealousy.

He hugged her tightly, pleading with a voice full of sorrow, "I will do anything you ask, A-Li. Please, don't find other husbands so soon. At least wait until the Cold Season before letting any other males into our home."

Hearing the slight choke in the male's voice, Yun Li’s struggle ceased instantly. She had been angry at him for kissing her against her will, but seeing that he had taken her frustrated words to heart, her attitude softened.

"Fine, I understand. I promise I won't look for other husbands before the Cold Season. Can you let me go now?"

Mu Qing remained anxious, but the other males could no longer hold their tongues.

"A-Li, Mu Qing is just playing the victim. How could a female only have one beast-husband?"

"Exactly. When the Dry Season comes, as a Green-tier beastman, he’ll have to go and fight for salt mines on behalf of the tribe. If you don't have other husbands, there will be no one to protect you if you get bullied in the tribe."

The males were terrified that Yun Li would believe Mu Qing’s nonsense and wait until the Cold Season. It was currently the Humid Season, and between now and the Cold Season lay the Dry Season and the Rainy Season. While a good female would never lack suitors, if they didn't act before other powerful males made their move, they would be snatched up by other females in the tribe. If that happened, the only ones left for Yun Li would be the leftovers. Of course, they were also anxious because they feared that if too much time passed, other males would set their sights on her, making their own chances of becoming her husbands even slimmer.

Mu Qing’s expression darkened at their words, and he quickly explained to Yun Li:

"It is true that I have been the one helping the tribe secure salt mines for the past few years, but this year, I am not the only Green-tier beastman. The Chief has other options, so I don't have to go during the Dry Season. As for the Rainy Season, your health should be recovered by then. If you are able to cultivate, I will take you out with me. If you don't wish to cultivate or travel, I can temporarily step down from the hunting party and join the patrol squad this year. I can rejoin the hunters next year; the Chief won't object."

"Mu Qing, you might be wrong about that. I doubt the Chief will agree to let you do that," a mocking voice interjected.

Mu Qing frowned and looked over, while Yun Li stared in confusion at the two males approaching them. The one leading was handsome with a free-spirited air. Meeting Yun Li’s gaze, he smiled and greeted her, "Long time no see, Yun Li. We’ve met before—do you remember us?"

Of course she remembered. These were the two brothers who had saved her and then looked down on her. Why were they here today? Did they come to demand payment for saving her now that they knew her mate was Mu Qing?

She scanned the brothers with a subtle glance. Among beastmen, there were no ugly males. The one speaking was the sunny, cheerful type, while the one behind him was cold and reserved, with sharp brows and deep, indifferent eyes. Leng Xiu’s gaze landed on her only briefly before he lowered his eyes, appearing entirely uninterested.

"I remember. But why have you come to my house?"

Yun Li had barely spoken when Mu Qing reacted instinctively, blocking her with his body and demanding coldly, "What are you doing here?"

Leng Xiao raised an eyebrow at his defensive posture. "We just came to see how Yun Li is doing. After all, we did save her life. Why are you so nervous, Mu Qing?"

Seeing that Leng Xiu made no move to stop Leng Xiao, Mu Qing’s heart sank. What was their game? The village healer had tried to pair them with A-Li before, and they had rejected her. Now that she looked better, they were back?

"A-Li is my female now. I will take good care of her; you don't need to concern yourselves. If there is nothing else..."

Seeing Mu Qing ready to chase them off after only a few words, Leng Xiao’s smile faltered. "Don't be so quick to chase us away. Are you afraid that..." He didn't finish the sentence, but the implication was clear: *that Yun Li might take a liking to us?*

Before he could finish, his brother cut him off.

"You must go to the salt mines this Dry Season. The Chief will not agree to let you stay in the tribe," Leng Xiu said, his eyes locking onto Mu Qing’s hostile gaze with a faint, subtle curl of his lips. "Besides, Leng Xiao and I are still young, and there is much we still need to learn from our seniors. I believe that is the Chief's intention as well."

Although his gaze wasn't fixed on her, Yun Li felt as if she had been targeted by both brothers. A frown creased her brow.