Chapter 29

Leng Xiao and Leng Xiu obviously also understood that this was Yun Li protecting Mu Qing.

No matter how strong the First Beast Husband is, the female's attitude toward him is still crucial; otherwise, other Beast Husbands might very well outwardly obey but inwardly defy the so-called First Beast Husband because the female dislikes him.

Such female households usually have fiercer competition.

So even if some are disappointed that they won't gain the female's favor upon just entering the door, Leng Xiao and Leng Xiu won't pester endlessly; of course, this specifically refers to Leng Xiao.

After all, compared to his younger brother, Leng Xiu puts on more of an act.

"Then A Li, how about I sleep with you tomorrow?"

"Not today, then let's aim for tomorrow."

Anyway, A Li already had them move in; how could she really bear to let them keep sleeping on the ground?

Yun Li thought it over; between Leng Xiao and Leng Xiu, she was indeed more familiar with Leng Xiao, so she was about to nod when Leng Xiu suddenly reminded her:

"He likes to kick others off the bed at night, so if you want him to sleep with you, it's best to knock him out at night before letting him onto the bed."

Yun Li's face showed shock; she turned her head to look at Leng Xiao, her eyes full of questioning and bewilderment.

If he had that habit, I wouldn't be kicked to death or crippled in the middle of the night— that would be too terrifying.

Leng Xiao also looked at his brother in disbelief, "Brother, I never thought you......"

Just to vie for the older brother's position, he could even say such a thing that would ruin his younger brother's lifelong happiness.

Leng Xiu's expression was calm, "You forgot, last year during the dry season when you and Meng Shu got injured, we let the two of you rest together in the mountain cave, but Meng Shu was kicked by you in the night and hit his wound, so only a beastman could curl up in the corner to sleep."

That incident is still remembered by beastmen to this day, but Leng Xiao himself, after returning from that hunt and sleeping, simply forgot all about it.

Leng Xiao, upon being reminded like that, seemed to recall something, and his expression instantly froze.

Seeing this, Yun Li silently shrank into Mu Qing's embrace; if Leng Xiao has this bad habit, how dare she sleep on the same bed with him.

Wait, I can explain.

Leng Xiao feared he'd only be able to sleep on the ground from now on, so he hurriedly explained that incident: 'That time I got injured, I wasn't fully asleep at all; as a result, Uncle Meng suddenly woke up in the middle of the night, I thought something had happened, so I instinctively followed him.'

But who knew that as soon as I got close to him, he attacked me.

I injured him only in self-defense; therefore that incident was entirely a misunderstanding.

It really was a misunderstanding; clearly the problem was Uncle Meng, who in the middle of the night didn't know what he'd dreamed, just blankly walked toward the cave entrance, and his movement getting up wasn't light either, yet Uncle Meng didn't hear a thing—just as he approached, he reacted and struck out at him.

Having said that, he glanced at Leng Xiu with a hint of grievance: 'I know I usually cause my brother plenty of trouble, but he can't slander me like this.'

Leng Xiu's mouth twitched violently; looking at his suddenly frail younger brother, he felt his eyes sting.

Do you believe that? Uncle Meng has been in the Hunting Squad for years, and I've never heard of him doing something like this.

Leng Xiao snorted lightly in response: 'If he had no issues at all, how could he have quit the Hunting Squad organized by the chieftain?'

Anyway, no one can stop him from sleeping with his female.

Leng Xiu pondered, then said: 'Then why did you always kick me when we slept before?'

He was referring to when they were children; not long after their father had passed, Leng Xiu worried his brother would secretly cry at night, so he slept with him every night—who would have thought the normally well-behaved little wolf would repeatedly kick him out of bed.

Leng Xiao coughed heavily, his gaze flickering, and said: 'That was ages ago.'

Leng Xiu gave him a faint glance, thinking about how to deal with him when no one's around.

'A Li! Look, I've explained everything clearly—will you let me sleep with you tomorrow?'

Yun Li: ……She could say she's a little worried he might really kick her at night.

Seeing Yun Li delay her reply, Leng Xiao's heart gave a jolt; without waiting for him to speak, he tried to awaken Yun Li's soft heart.

Mu Qing then embraced Yun Li and said: 'All right, it's too late now; time to sleep.'

As Yun Li and Mu Qing lay down on the bed, Leng Xiao stood where he was, his heart cold.

He wished he could beat his brother right then.

Even if he couldn't secure the chance to sleep with Yun Li himself, why stop him?

However, Leng Xiu grabbed him and forcibly sat him down at the bedside: 'Still not sleeping? Do you plan to stand here all night?'

Having said that, he transformed into his beast form, lay down on the spread-out beast‑skin blanket, and closed his eyes.

Tomorrow we go hunting; if we don't get enough sleep tonight, we'll easily be mentally fatigued during the hunt.

And since Leng Xiu understood this principle, Leng Xiao couldn't possibly not know it; feeling stifled, he too had to revert to beast form, lie down, and close his eyes.

After a good night's sleep, the next day Yun Li's three beast husbands were all summoned to assemble.

When they returned, only Mu Qing came back as a beastman.

Seeing Yun Li awake, Mu Qing walked over and hurriedly told her: 'Starting today, the Tribe's Hunting Squad all have to go out hunting; I was afraid you'd wake up and see no one and get scared, so I had them leave first.'

'A Li, stay at home and behave; if He calls you to join the gathering squad, don't go. You've just broken through to the Red Stage, your strength is weak; if you encounter any danger outside, it's perilous, and we won't be able to rescue you in time.'

'So there's no need to go; Leng Xiao will come back for lunch, so don't cook for yourself.'

Yun Li hadn't expected all three of her beast husbands to be summoned; she frowned a little, but hearing Mu Qing's parting instructions, she quickly replied 'Okay.'

Breakfast was bone soup and pan‑fried meat; Mu Qing said Leng Xiao would return at noon, so Yun Li didn't think much of it, and after breakfast she began inventorying the beast pelts and crystal cores they had brought back yesterday.

The crystal cores are stored jar by jar, about twenty‑plus jars; adding Mu Qing's savings, the household already has nearly fifty jars of crystal cores.

As for the beast pelts, Leng Xiao and the others had brought over the large ones most suitable for making female clothing—about twenty‑plus sheets; Yun Li idly wondered how many new garments these could yield when a voice from outside called her.

'A Li, you're at home? I heard you had a blood bath a few days ago—have you broken through to the Red Stage now?'

He smiled gently, just as usual; if his gaze hadn't occasionally swept toward the stone house upon entering, Yun Li would really have thought that in his heart, the matter of Leng Xiu and Leng Xiao forming a Mate Bond with her had caused no ripple at all.

'Yes, I've broken through to the Red Stage; He, what brings you to my home?'

'It's like this: the Tribe recently noticed that the outside beasts are acting odd; Mang says there might be some natural disaster, so he's ordered the gathering squad to go out every day to collect wild fruits that can fill the stomach.'

'I thought you usually have nothing to do at home, and now that you've broken through to the Red Stage, why not join the gathering squad to collect food together?'

'Although you have Mu Qing, and Leng Xiao and the others will soon form a Mate Bond with you, this is all for the Tribe—A Li, you'll surely understand, right?'

He finished speaking in a gentle tone, then waited with an expectant look for Yun Li's answer.