451: Chapter 451 A Burning Heart

One afternoon, the snow had temporarily stopped, and the light inside the cave was slightly brighter.

Bai Wanwan pulled out a piece of relatively soft tanned deer hide, along with several smooth bone needles and twisted animal sinew thread.

Sitting by the fire pit, she spread the deer hide over her knees, clumsily measuring the size for The Cubs, and then began to pierce it with a bone needle with difficulty.

She hoped she could at least make something for the children with her own hands, even if it was just a small beast skin skirt.

Just as the tip of the needle pierced the edge of the beast skin, Hua Han's figure appeared beside her.

"Wan Wan!" He immediately approached and scooped the deer hide and bone needle into his arms, his movements so fast they stirred up a gust of wind.

"This is hard on the eyes, and look how sharp this bone needle is. What if you prick your hand? Leave it to me; I'll make them for The Cubs!"

"Hua Han, I have to learn to do it myself eventually. I can't rely on you for everything..." She reached out, wanting to take them back.

"Why can't you rely on us for everything? We are right by your side. Wan Wan, you can try to depend on us..."

As he spoke, his peach blossom eyes sparkled.

Bai Wanwan wasn't stupid. Hua Han had been acting so obvious these past few days; how could she not know his feelings for her?

She didn't dislike his little schemes, but she wasn't yet prepared to accept another Beast Husband.

Because she already had enough Beast Husbands around her; any more, and the Beast Husbands would start fighting.

She had no choice but to look away, pretending she didn't catch his underlying meaning.

The light in Hua Han's eyes dimmed slightly. What a heartless Female... but who told him to like her just the way she was?

Hua Han exhaled in resignation and lowered his head to start sewing the skin skirts for The Cubs.

Suddenly, his eyelids twitched.

Having her work snatched away again, Bai Wanwan had no choice but to go and organize the beast skins.

By the time she finished organizing the beast skins and rounded the fire pit, she heard a suppressed but still clear gasp: "Sss!"

She looked toward the sound and saw Hua Han clutching the beast skin in his hand, smiling at her.

Bai Wanwan's gaze fell on his hand, which he had curled up and hidden. Without a word, she slowly approached him.

"Stretch out your hand. Let me see."

Her words made Hua Han's grip on the beast skin even tighter.

"Let me see," she repeated.

Hua Han's beautiful fox-like eyes flickered. "Wan Wan, it's nothing."

As she spoke, Bai Wanwan firmly yet gently grabbed the wrist he was trying to hide behind his back and pulled it in front of her.

The beast skin fell to the ground, while Hua Han kept his hand in a fist, still trying to distract her. "Wan Wan, The Cubs need you..."

Without even turning her head, Bai Wanwan applied slight pressure with her fingers and forcibly pried open his clenched fist.

Her eyes narrowed slightly: on his well-defined, lightly calloused fingers, especially the index finger and thumb, were several needle pricks of varying depths. The freshest wound was still slowly oozing a round bead of blood, looking exceptionally crimson in the firelight.

Nearby were several areas of obvious redness and swelling, clearly marks left by repeated pricking.

"You..." Bai Wanwan's brow furrowed.

Hua Han quickly pulled his hand back and haphazardly wiped away the blood bead with the thumb of his other hand, a reassuring smile appearing on his handsome face.

"Hey, this is nothing. I'm thick-skinned; it doesn't hurt at all, really! Look, if I make a few more for The Cubs, practice will make perfect, and I'll learn quickly..."

He was eager to prove himself and reached for the bone needle and beast skin again.

"Don't move!" She firmly grasped his injured fingers again, this time with more force, not allowing him to dodge.

She pulled him to the area with the best light by the fire pit and pretended to fish out some Healing Ointment from her beast skin skirt.

Lowering her head, she used a clean soft cloth to dab a bit of Ointment, her fingertips carrying a slight coolness as she gently applied it to his numerous small wounds.

Her movements were focused and gentle, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow under the glow of the fire.

All of Hua Han's words got stuck in his throat.

He could only stare blankly at her face so close to his.

The firelight flickered, gilding her soft features with a warm golden edge. Her slightly furrowed brow and focused gaze were more moving than any treasure in the Beast World.

She was so close that he could even smell the faint, fresh scent of herbs from her hair mixed with the unique milky fragrance of The Cubs.

Every time her gentle breath brushed against his injured fingertips, that faint warmth seemed to carry a wildfire, instantly coursing through his entire body and reaching straight to his heart.

His heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by a scalding hand, every beat heavy and burning.

An unprecedented impulse and longing, like awakening lava, surged within the depths of his chest, nearly breaking through the dam of his reason.

His gaze uncontrollably deepened, like a bottomless cold pool churning with a burning and stubborn light.

Wan Wan, no matter what price I must pay or how many hardships I must endure in this life, I will become your Beast Husband!

I want to care for you and protect you and your Cubs openly and honorably, staying by your side for a lifetime!

"There, it's done."

Once the Ointment was applied, Bai Wanwan gently blew on his fingertips, trying to make the cool medicine penetrate faster.

Having been squatting for too long, when she suddenly stood up, her vision went black, a wave of dizziness hit her, and her body staggered uncontrollably, looking as if she were about to fall backward!

"Wan Wan..."

Immediately after, a pair of strong and powerful arms instantly encircled her.

Hua Han almost instinctively scooped her into his embrace, holding her tightly.

That embrace carried the Male's scalding body temperature, wrapping around her like an airtight net.

Bai Wanwan's cheek bumped into his hard, warm chest, and the scent belonging to Hua Han—a mix of ice, snow, pine, and a faint hint of blood—instantly enveloped her.

This sudden intimate contact made Hua Han's heart skip a beat, a flush instantly spreading across his face, and his hands unconsciously tightened.

Bai Wanwan was startled. Noticing his movements, she patted his arm. "Hua Han, I'm fine now. Let go a little..."

However, the arms clamped around her waist, back, and shoulders did not loosen; instead, they tightened further.

She could clearly feel the wild heartbeat beneath his chest, drumming like a war drum, pounding against her eardrums one after another.

Hua Han lowered his head, his hot breath brushing against her ear. That longing, suppressed and brewing for so long, finally broke through all inhibitions, and with a trembling and solitary courage that left no room for retreat, it exploded clearly in her ear:

"Wan Wan!"

His voice was incredibly raspy, like sandpaper. "I like you! Let me become your Beast Husband, to care for and protect you and your The Cubs openly and honorably, okay?"

The last few words were as light as a sigh yet as heavy as a thousand catties, presenting his entire scalding heart to her without reservation.

In the cave, only the crackling of the wood burning in the fire pit and his heartbeats, heavy as thunder, remained, amplified infinitely in the silence.