Chapter 20: Meng's 'Conscience Discovery

Yun Li immediately had other thoughts, but she glanced at Leng Xiao and said nothing.

Leng Xiao and his group aren't her beast husbands yet; she doesn't have the nerve to interfere in their public affairs over her private matters.

However, Leng Xiao seemed to have read her mind, stepping closer and saying, "Are you thinking that since we can keep the noisy ones from following us on the hunt, we could also reduce the protection we two Qing Rank beastmen provide to other beastmen?"

Hearing that, Yun Li glanced at him and said, "I never said that. Besides, I forgot to ask earlier—how did you know what I came here to do?"

She remembered that Leng Xiao and Leng Xiu shouldn't have been present that day, so where did they hear the news from?

"It's naturally the chief who told us. My brother and I have been adults for over a year, yet we still haven't found a female to mate with. He worries we'll run off, so from time to time he comes to urge us to find a female mate in the tribe."

Leng Xiao said, continuing the earlier unfinished question: "Do you really not want us to drive out those few females' beast husbands from our hunting squad?"

The tribe's hunting squads generally have two organizational forms: one is appointed by the chief, with the captain and members personally selected by the chief from strong beastmen in the tribe, requiring a sortie every few days; the other is formed by powerful beastmen themselves, with a few fixed members and the rest being tribe males who join of their own accord.

Mu Qing belongs to the former, while Leng Xiao and Leng Xiu belong to the latter.

Therefore, what Mu Qing cannot do, the two of them can.

As long as Yun Li is willing to speak up, Leng Xiao will turn around and tell his brother about it.

Yun Li: "What do you want from me? Do you really intend to drive away so many beastmen just for me, without fearing that other beastmen will gossip behind your backs?"

Are you saying they rely on their strength to act lawlessly?

Although they indeed have that capability, aren't they afraid their efforts will be like trying to fetch water with a bamboo basket—all for nothing?

"Why not? So you're worried about me?"

Leng Xiao said that when females worry about someone, they deliberately sideline his brother.

Yun Li let out a soft hum, didn't deny it, then asked, "Do you know where the other few females live?"

She only knows Chuncao's family, because the original owner once traded food with Chuncao using items left by her father, but she doesn't know where the Green Grass family lives, since they never invited the original owner over.

"I know, I'll take you there—it'll also give you a chance to vent."

Leng Xiao was eager to show himself in front of Yun Li, but he didn't want her to hear this and immediately retort, "You're not my beast husband; you're helping me today—won't you come to my place tomorrow demanding I take responsibility for you?"

Leng Xiao thought, he actually wanted to do that, but his brother had repeatedly warned him not to rush, otherwise females would get it too easily and not cherish it.

And Leng Xiao didn't want to be snubbed by Yun Li as soon as he entered the door, so he naturally kept his brother's words in mind.

"How could that be? What kind of male do you think I am? Do I look like an unpleasant male?"

Yun Li gave him a once‑over, "You don't look like that, but if you really did that, we'd have no chance at all."

Seeing her say this so seriously, Leng Xiao immediately wiped the smile from his face and assured her, "Don't worry, I would never do such a thing."

Seeing the male act so properly, he actually looked more pleasing to the eye.

Yun Li's tone improved again: "All right, A Qing and I have only just become mates; I need to give him some time to adjust."

Give herself a little time as a psychological buffer, otherwise she fears she'll embarrass herself then.

Hearing that, Leng Xiao felt both happy and sad; if they hadn't left that day but stayed, the one they'd be waiting for now would be Mu Qing.

He might not even get a chance to wait.

Yun Li followed Leng Xiao to the Green Grass household first; as ill luck would have it, the Green Grass home was in the midst of a melee, daytime licentiousness, and multiple people......

Hearing the sounds from there that made faces flush, Yun Li was mortified to death and turned to leave.

"A Li, you went the wrong way; it should be to the left."

Leng Xiao watched the female dash ahead, a faint smile flickering in his eyes—turns out A Li is this shy?

From now on, when they enter the door, what will she do? Could A Li still be this shy?

Yun Li didn't even turn her head, saying, "I'm not going; I want to go home."

Having said that, she ran even faster, as if trying to shake off Leng Xiao and leave on her own.

But in fact, she simply couldn't shake off Leng Xiao.

Only after returning home did Yun Li lock Leng Xiao outside the door, forcing him to stop his steps, somewhat regretfully glancing at the stone wall blocking his view.

Mu Qing really went to great lengths to block the two brothers from entering.

But with them around, would they really give other males a chance to fawn over A Li?

So unless Yun Li totally rejects their advances, Leng Xiao and his brother won't give up trying to undermine Mu Qing's position.

On the other side, Meng returned home and immediately inquired about how his female Rui's younger sibling's offspring was faring in the tribe.

"'Why are you suddenly asking about A Li?'"

Rui's heart jumped twice; she certainly wouldn't be afraid that Meng would discover she had swallowed the food he gave A Li.

After all, his things are essentially hers; moreover, if she hadn't secretly kept those rations, how could the household be living so well now?

"'I saw a young female today who looks very much like my sister; Leng Xiao said her name is A Li. Yet she only calls me Uncle Meng today—has she been resenting all these years that I never came to see her?'"

Meng recalled Yun Li's gaze toward him today, a sudden pang of heartache—this wasn't the look one gives a lifesaver or a relative; it was clearly the indifference shown to a stranger beastman.

But he wasn't deliberately ignoring her; he and his female have offspring, and as the parent he must personally look after them.

Besides, as Rui said, A Li's father is gone, and females have more to talk to each other about, so Meng entrusted A Li's affairs entirely to his own female.

But only today, upon suddenly seeing a young female so like his sister, did Meng abruptly realize that A Li had already grown this big—she's an adult now and can seek a partner.

And yet he hadn't glanced at A Li in all this time, so he didn't even know what she looked like now, nor could he recognize her when she stood before him.

Rui had hardly paid attention to A Li's affairs; hearing Meng's question, she thought and said:

"'I don't know whether she resents you or not, but she's already an adult and can find a male mate on her own. With a male, her life will surely keep getting better.'"

"……"

The atmosphere suddenly fell silent.

Meng stared fixedly at Rui, and Rui returned his gaze without evasion, her tone gentle yet tinged with impatience: "What are you staring at me for?"

Meng suppressed his suspicions and told Rui, "Actually, there really is a male pursuing A Li—it's Leng Xiao, and you know, Leng Xiao and his brother are inseparable."

Rui's face flashed with surprise: "Isn't that a good thing? It also saves you from having me send her food every now and then—with the Leng brothers around, could she even go hungry?"

Rui's attitude was so natural that Meng instantly felt ashamed for having thought she hadn't been paying attention to A Li.

Hmm, that's good. Once A Li forms a Mate Bond with the Leng Family brothers, we'll invite them over to our place for a visit, and by the way ask A Li about how she's been these past years.

Rui's eyes flickered slightly, but she smiled and replied, "Sure, I have no problem, as long as A Li is willing."