104: Chapter 104 Skilled at soothing a baby, never separating them

This time, he didn't hold back. Instead, he punched Sa Yu directly. "Have you lost your mind? Shut up."

Even a Heng Heng Beast is smarter than him. Why be so loud?

Look, you've woken up the Little Cubs.

Xuan Xiao quickly finished brushing his teeth with a few gulps and walked toward the bedroom, his expression dark.

Sa Yu clutched his shoulder with a muffled groan, looking guilty as he hurried to keep up with Xuan Xiao.

Inside the room, Fu Ning was frantically picking up a Little Cub to soothe it, inwardly cursing Sa Yu for being insane.

Xuan Xiao was also in a flurry, gently patting the other two Little Cubs and coaxing them with the warm, gentle voice of a devoted Father.

Seeing them crying so hard with tears streaming down, his heart was breaking.

Damn that Sa Yu!!!

Sang Qing woke up to the sound of crying and let out a yawn.

The next second, she was pulled into Sa Yu's embrace.

Sa Yu only spared a glance at the Little Cubs before rushing to Sang Qing. Seeing her slightly weary face, his heart was filled with self-reproach and frustration.

If only he could have come back sooner.

Being held in an embrace that carried the chill of the elements yet was incredibly warm, Sang Qing was stunned for a moment. It was only after smelling a fresh, woody scent that she realized who it was.

However... she pushed Sa Yu away and gestured for Fu Ning to bring the Little Cub over.

It was about time for a feeding.

Fu Ning handed the Little Cub to Sang Qing and gave Sa Yu a resentful look. "You didn't come back early or late, but you come back just to cause trouble. Look how you've frightened the Little Cubs."

He had even given him a fright.

Sa Yu rubbed the back of his neck in shame and hurriedly apologized, "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean it. I was just a bit too excited after hearing the news that Qing Qing had given birth to cubs."

He hadn't expected Qing Qing to give birth so soon, and while he wasn't at home.

Fu Ning let out a long sigh and was about to say more when he was cut off by a sharp look from Xuan Xiao.

"Let me soothe them," Sa Yu said, feeling even more ashamed and wishing he could sink into the ground.

But he was exceptionally happy inside.

He went to Xuan Xiao's side and looked at the two robust Little Cubs wailing at the top of their lungs on the small bed. His expression softened instantly as he skillfully began to soothe them.

Before long, the crying subsided. The two Little Cubs squinted their eyes, humming comfortably.

Xuan Xiao gave him a look of surprise.

However, as Sa Yu continued to soothe them, he realized that both of the Little Cubs in front of him were actually his!!!!

Shocking!!!

What? This was so intense? Sa Yu could hardly believe it.

He checked the marks on the arms of these two Little Cubs, and his heart instantly soared with joy.

This... was incredible.

Both Little Cubs were his?

Impossible; his first reaction was disbelief.

Because he felt he didn't deserve it. Although he had fantasized that all the cubs in Qing Qing's litter would be his, he thought he was just being delusional.

He was a beastman with poor luck; all his luck had been used up the moment he met his mate, let alone being able to have Little Cubs of his own.

Favored by the beast god, his heart was filled with a sweet ache and pleasant surprise at this moment.

Sa Yu's slender fingers gently stroked the hair of the two Little Cubs, and tears welled up uncontrollably.

Then, even more guilt overwhelmed him.

Qing Qing gave birth yesterday, and he wasn't even by her side.

He really wasn't a good mate, always disappearing when Qing Qing needed him most.

At the thought of the pain a female endures when giving birth to Little Cubs, he wished Xuan Xiao would give him a few more punches.

If, if only he could have come back sooner.

Sa Yu haphazardly wiped away his tears and gently caressed the two fruits of love produced by him and his mate. His lips trembled slightly, and he was so excited he felt he might faint.

Seeing this, Fu Ning let out a disdainful snort in his heart.

A flash of jealousy and resentment crossed his eyes, which Xuan Xiao caught entirely.

Xuan Xiao stepped aside and went to his mate's side, acting like a human cushion to support her waist, which lacked the strength to hold itself up.

Sang Qing's eyes were bleary with sleep; she felt like she would fall asleep the next second.

ZZZZ~~~

Xuan Xiao chuckled, tucked her messy long hair behind her ear, and stroked the back of the Little Cub that was nursing, his eyes full of tender affection.

After finishing their milk, the three Little Cubs lay in a row as if milk-drunk, their small fists clenched quietly, their faces showing an identical look of satisfaction.

Xuan Xiao went out to cook, and Fu Ning went out to wash clothes, leaving only Sang Qing and Sa Yu in the room.

Sang Qing curled up lazily on the bed, drifting off to sleep; it wasn't yet time for her to get up.

With a hint of milky scent in the air, Sa Yu withdrew his gaze from the Little Cubs and gently pulled Sang Qing into his arms.

His warm lips fell on her smooth, fair forehead. With a heart full of attachment and passion, Sa Yu's large hand gently caressed her cheek.

He stroked her once, then twice, leaning his forehead against hers and holding her tightly in his arms, wishing he could embed her into his very blood and bone.

At this moment, he finally felt what it meant to have a love that transcended time and life.

He wanted so much to offer his shallow, insignificant life to her.

Hoping she would accept it, hoping she would squander it as she pleased.

Hoping she would be entangled with him for the rest of her life.

Sang Qing shifted in his arms and lifted a leg to rest on his knee in a bold posture, mumbling twice, "It tickles~"

Sa Yu's broad hand paused, and a smug smile played on his lips as he patted her back, just as he would soothe a Little Cub.

With Sa Yu around, Sang Qing found things much easier.

Aside from breastfeeding, she basically never had to lift a finger for anything regarding the Little Cubs.

Bathing, changing clothes, changing diapers, and soothing them to sleep were all their responsibility.

But ever since Sa Yu arrived, Xuan Xiao and Fu Ning almost had no chance to be of use.

Sa Yu took care of the Little Cubs, while Xuan Xiao and Chi Yu handled the hunting. For the past few days, Fu Ning had been in a state of uneasy anxiety.

Over the next few days, Xuan Xiao noticed that the atmosphere between Sang Qing and Fu Ning was extremely strange.

Even though they interacted the same as before, he always felt there was an unbreakable thin membrane between them.

"Sister, they are so cute." Fia sat by the crib, playing with the three Little Cubs who could already open their eyes, her face beaming with a bright smile.

"Aren't all Little Cubs the same?" Sang Qing sat to the side with a faint smile, holding a nearly completed proposal in her hand, pondering if there was anything else that needed to be added.

She had run into some trouble with the site selection on the grasslands and planned to have Sa Yu take her there personally.

However, with several Little Cubs at home, she couldn't get away for the time being.

Nothing had happened in the forest after the previous earthquake, but Sang Qing felt that something must have happened on the other continents, so she had to speed up.

"Not at all, your Little Cubs are really cute, especially..."

"Sister, have you not given the Little Cubs names yet?" Fia scratched her cheek, simply not knowing how to address the two little female cubs she wanted to praise.

Sang Qing slapped her forehead; she knew she had forgotten something.

"I forgot!"

But it definitely wasn't 'pregnancy brain'; it was purely because she didn't know what names to give them.

Fia giggled and touched her slightly protruding belly. "Then hurry up and name them. I don't even know what to call them."

"Hmm..." Sang Qing tilted her head and thought for a moment. "The eldest will be Sang Ling, the second will be Sang Che, and the third will be Sang Yu."

They could just take her surname anyway.

Fia giggled and memorized their names.

"Sister, if only I could give birth to such beautiful Little Cubs too." She looked at the exceptionally well-behaved and adorable Sang Ling and Sang Yu, her heart turning incredibly soft, hoping that in two months, her cub would also be a little female.

"You will. Our Fia is so beautiful; the Little Cubs you give birth to will surely be even more beautiful." Sang Qing wasn't lying; if it weren't for the boost from the pills, her appearance really wouldn't compare to Fia's.

The beastmen of the Fox Tribe were the most, most, most beautiful in the forest, on par with the Merfolk Clan.

Fia cupped her small face and said in a soft voice, "Hehe. But if they're all little male cubs, then they won't be beautiful."

The mates she chose were very strong, but as for being good-looking, they were definitely not as handsome as her sister's mates.

Therefore, she felt the possibility of having a beautiful Little Cub wasn't very high.

Sang Qing couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Hearing the laughter and conversation from the room, Fu Ning, who was processing prey in the yard, was somewhat distracted.

"Hiss~"

The sharp dagger sliced across his finger, and beads of blood squeezed out from the wound.

Fu Ning looked down, and a strange sense of pleasure actually arose in his heart.

His wound was too small; if it were larger, would Qing Qing focus her attention on him?

These past few days, she hadn't had a good talk with him, nor had she spared him any extra glances or attention.

A dark glint passed through Fu Ning's eyes as he raised the dagger in his hand, preparing to make the wound more severe.

At that moment, a large hand like an iron pincer grabbed his wrist in time.

"Are you crazy!" Xuan Xiao glanced toward the room and turned to stare at Fu Ning in disbelief, his expression grave.

Why on earth would you hurt yourself?

Forgive him, but sometimes he really couldn't understand Fu Ning's mind.

He felt that his own act of pretending to be weak to deceive Qing Qing was at most a bit of flirtation between mates, because she understood it too.

But this... self-harm? He must have stayed in the sea for too long, and his brain had probably filled with water.

Fu Ning suddenly snapped out of it but threw off his hand. "Don't stop me."

Xuan Xiao knitted his brows and scolded in a low, annoyed voice, "I'm not stopping you, but if you want to die, go die far away from here."

Don't go polluting his home.

If the smell of blood attracted other snakes, insects, rats, or ants and harmed Qing Qing and the Little Cubs, he'd be in for a beating.

Fu Ning's face stiffened. He gripped the dagger, his gaze turning cold and sharp. "Why should I die? If I die, you'll have one less rival, right? In your dreams."

What he wanted was Qing Qing's heart, not his own life.

Xuan Xiao's face darkened. His sharp, deep snake pupils seemed able to see through a beast's heart as he poked right at his sore spot. "Fu Ning, you are not suited to be Qing Qing's mate."

He could be considered a qualified male, but he had chosen the wrong mate.

He shouldn't have chosen Qing Qing; even if he had chosen any other female at random, it would have been better than choosing Qing Qing.

"What did you say!" Fu Ning's eyes widened as he looked at him defiantly.

Xuan Xiao snorted, letting his sharp gaze fall on him as he lowered his voice and spoke complainingly, "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking.

But don't you think this is all your own doing?"

"When Qing Qing was giving birth, did you give her a single word of concern?"

Just after Qing Qing had finished giving birth, he was off to the side weeping and wailing, without showing any concern for her at all.

There were no cubs of his in this litter either, but he felt that wasn't important; as long as they were Qing Qing's cubs, they were his cubs.

Compared to having a Little Cub of his own, he cared more about his position in Qing Qing's heart.

Which male is like him? They all treat the cubs born by their mates as their own, unless there's a huge conflict between them and they have to be treated differently.

Seeing Fu Ning's expression turn ugly, Xuan Xiao continued.

"Your head is full of cubs right now, but don't forget, when you first chose Qing Qing, you should have known that you two wouldn't have any Little Cubs."

Qing Qing was blessed by the beast god and could bear cubs.

But the prerequisite was that Qing Qing had no fertility value before.

When they chose Qing Qing, she didn't hide it from any of them.

It was Fu Ning who begged in tears to undergo Pair Bonding with Qing Qing, not Qing Qing who coerced or forced him.

Looking at him now, he was simply going too far.

"I..." Fu Ning was speechless, his sword-like brows furrowed into a knot, the color drained from his face, and his eyes flickered.

"I didn't!"

"I don't think like that; I just really want to have a Little Cub with Qing Qing."

That way, Qing Qing would remember him forever; he just wanted to elevate his status through a child, not just have a Little Cub of his own.

Xuan Xiao didn't want to hear his excuses; right now, he was only responsible for pointing out the problem, not wanting him to affect their mate's mood.

How he handled it was his problem.

If he continued like this, he thought, Qing Qing might indeed bear him a cub, but from then on, there would be no feelings left for him.

If he was willing, he could spend the rest of his life with the Little Cub.

"If you don't fight for it, Qing Qing might still feel sorry for you. But now you're trying to hurt yourself to get her sympathy—can you stay injured forever?"

So when Xuan Xiao saw him cutting himself, his mind went blank.

Fu Ning fell silent.

He admitted Xuan Xiao was right, but all of Qing Qing's mates were better than him; he felt his existence was too insignificant.

Now, even when sleeping at night, Qing Qing turned her back to him, making him very sad.

Xuan Xiao gave him a fleeting glance, then picked up the freshly plucked flowers and walked into the house.

After Fia played here for a while, she was picked up by her mate.

Sang Qing stretched, looked at the three little ones who had fallen asleep again, and got out of bed to move around.

She was about to grow mold after being cooped up in the house for several days.

"Xuan Xiao, where is Sa Yu?"

Sang Qing walked slowly out of the house, and seeing Xuan Xiao arranging flowers, she smiled and came to his side, taking a flower to sniff.

"Out hunting." Xuan Xiao looked up at her, a smile rippling at the corners of his lips.

Sang Qing nodded and put the flower back. "I'm going out for a stroll!"

"I'll go with you." Xuan Xiao stood up immediately.

"No need, I'll just walk around." Sang Qing waved her hand and walked out.

Fu Ning caught up, his face having returned to normal, so no one could see his inner state. "Qing Qing, I'll accompany you."

Sang Qing hesitated for a moment and had to nod in agreement.

Fu Ning was delighted.

The warm sunlight shone on her body, full of warmth. Sang Qing walked unhurriedly, the breeze blowing across her cheeks like the gentle touch of a lover's hand.

She didn't braid her hair today; her pitch-black, smooth, beautiful long hair draped behind her head, and as the wind blew, it carried away a hint of fragrance.

Fu Ning pursed his lips, his peripheral vision fixed on Sang Qing's hand. After biting his lip, he still chose to take the initiative to hold her hand.

Sang Qing was startled for a moment and tried to pull her hand back, but he held it tightly.

Forget it, it's not a big deal.

Sang Qing walked forward indifferently.

There were too many large trees in the Tribe blocking the sun, so Sang Qing walked toward the stream where the trees were sparse.

The sun felt a bit lazy on her body; it wasn't noon yet, and the heat was just right.

Sang Qing found a rock by the stream to sit on and soaked her feet in the water.

Upstream, a few males were drawing water, and the Little Cubs they brought were playing around. The sounds of laughter spread, and everything was peaceful and harmonious.

Fu Ning sat down beside her, looking at her fair feet submerged in the stream, her rounded toes playfully moving in the water.

After a moment, Fu Ning broke the silence with a smile.

"Qing Qing, when you have time, I'll take you to the Underwater Palace to stay for a few days. You'll definitely like it; there are many beautiful Prickly Beasts and sea beasts, as well as countless pearls and shell crystals."

Sang Qing looked at the clear stream water, which reflected Fu Ning's expectant expression. She looked sideways at him and reached out to remove a tuft of animal fur from his hair.

"We'll talk about it when we have time later."

Fu Ning's eyes instantly reddened with a sense of grievance. "You must be tricking me."

She didn't want to go to the Underwater Palace with him at all.

A smile curved on Sang Qing's lips, and her gaze extended to the bushes not far away. "No!

Now so busy, I have to go to the grassland in two days. When there's time, I'll go with you."

"Oh!" Fu Ning also knew she was quite busy lately, but he was just a bit unwilling.

He always felt Sang Qing was lying to him.

"Qing Qing..." Fu Ning looked at her bright, flawless cheek, hesitating to speak.

Sang Qing touched the bracelet on her wrist and looked at him in confusion. "Hmm?"

What now?

Fu Ning lowered his head, his hands resting helplessly on his legs. "Am I very useless?"

In the forest, he could hardly move a step.

He had to rely on Qing Qing's other mates for everything; he wanted to help but didn't know where to start.

To think he used to feel he was quite powerful.

This was also why Mother had tried to stop him from Pair Bonding with Qing Qing before. Mother was right; Pair Bonding with a female from a forest Tribe would be a very difficult path.

"What's wrong? Do you want to go back to the sea? Then I'll have Sa Yu send you back." Sang Qing raised an eyebrow, her face showing no other expression.

"..." Fu Ning was stunned.

Then he sighed heavily again, as if mocking himself. "You really do want to drive me away."

Sang Qing was startled; was it that obvious?

She actually did regret Pair Bonding with Fu Ning a little.

He was free; he shouldn't be trapped in the forest because of her.

But if she spoke up to drive Fu Ning away, he would surely threaten to kill himself, plus she had accepted so many shell crystals from him, so she would feel guilty.

But wasn't it fine like this? They could still get along harmoniously.

Unexpectedly, Fu Ning grabbed her hand and gave her a resentful smile. "But that's absolutely impossible. I'm going to be with you for the rest of my life."

Even if she didn't like him, he would cling to her tightly.

They would never be apart.

As expected, Sang Qing knew it clearly in her heart.

"We're already Pair Bonded, so of course we'll be together." Sang Qing felt his hand tightening and wasn't angry, just gave a very ordinary explanation.

Fu Ning smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. His heart felt as if a giant rock were pressing on it, making him feel extremely stifled.

He turned and hugged Sang Qing, resting his head on her shoulder, his movements intimate and lingering, as if whispering in her ear, gritting his teeth as he spoke, "Then tell me, what will it take for you to truly love me and keep me in your heart?"

His voice carried a hint of hoarseness and suppression, three parts sadness and three parts pain.

With warm breath sweeping over her neck, Sang Qing frowned slightly, as if seriously pondering. "I thought you knew."

Seeking love? Too absurd.

She didn't love anyone.

And didn't her and Fu Ning's feelings start from calculation?

Where would love come from?

Wasn't her tolerance and effort for him enough?

She wasn't just a beast who knew how to consume his affection; she was also giving.

But women, after all, are inevitably a bit fickle.

Fu Ning's body was very stiff, like a stone frozen by ice and snow.

Cold tears slid down his exquisite face, like a knife cut. "Is it because of my actions back then?

I thought... I thought you had already forgiven me.

Then you were so good to me before, giving me pills, sending me gifts, healing my wounds, even willing to tell me your biggest secret—what does all that count for?"

If she didn't love him or trust him, why would she interact with him like this?

It would have been better to just stab him to death back then.

Fu Ning's body was trembling.

Sang Qing, however, acted like an unaffected beast, explaining nonchalantly, "Anyway, you won't betray me, and I'm willing to trust you.

You also give me shell crystals and take care of me; it's quite normal!"

Isn't that how it is between mates?

"Next year, I'll bear you another Little Cub, and maybe you won't think like this anymore."

He really thinks too much.

"Fine, then I want many Little Cubs!" Fu Ning held her body tight, his low voice lingering in her ear. "Then they will call me Father and you Mother. I will take good care of them, and even take over for my Mother and become the King of the Merfolk Clan!"

Sang Qing smiled, as if longing for the scene he described, her eyes softening a lot.

Fu Ning continued, his tone obsessed and gloomy, "But the consequence of this is that there will be no more feelings between you and me, right?"

"You want to abandon me, you want to dismiss me with Little Cubs, you want us to become an ordinary beast couple, and you even want to draw a clear line with me!"

The false light in Sang Qing's eyes immediately vanished.

"Otherwise? I've given you what you wanted."

Is there a problem with this?

Beastmen don't talk about love, Fu Ning.

"But the only thing I want is you!" Fu Ning was angry.

She had no heart, yet he rested on her chest every day, and her heart would beat.

Fu Ning grabbed her shoulders, revealing his already wretched face to her, his eyes devoid of light like a pool of stagnant water.

How could she treat him like this?

Sang Qing was forced to look into his eyes, her lips moving, not knowing what to say.

What was he making a fuss about?

"I don't want Little Cubs anymore, I don't want anything. Qing Qing, look at me, I know I shouldn't be greedy, I was wrong.

I only want you, don't treat me like this. You have to love me, you have to love me, we are mates for life.

I won't be separated from you, stop dreaming.

Even if I was wrong at the beginning, you accepted me.

You can't treat me like this, you have to keep me in your heart too, we are Pair Bonded." Fu Ning roared, his eyes bloodshot, veins popping on his forehead, his handsome face becoming distorted.