Chapter 175: Why Is There a Smell of Blood?

Chapter 175: Chapter 175: Why Is There a Smell of Blood?

A male’s ragged breathing ghosted across her neck, the scorching air sending a faint shiver through her skin.

The hand around her slender waist tightened, and she could clearly feel the warmth of his palm through her thin Beast Skin Skirt.

"Wanwan..."

Yan Lie’s voice was strained, thick with suppressed desire. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

Bai Wanwan could feel his heart pounding, his chest heaving with every breath.

She gave him a gentle push, but his arms didn’t budge.

’Ahem... I think I might have taken the teasing a little too far.’

If she hadn’t already promised Xin Feng, Bai Wanwan wouldn’t have wanted to disappoint Yan Lie either.

She looked up into Yan Lie’s searing gaze. His amber eyes were brimming with hope and desire.

Bai Wanwan had no choice but to lean close to his ear and whisper, "I’m not ready yet. How about in a couple of days?"

Her breath was as sweet as fragrant fruit, and Yan Lie found it intoxicating. He wanted to be closer, closer still, until there was no space between them...

Yan Lie took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Alright. Whatever you say, Wanwan."

Though he’d been turned down for now, Bai Wanwan’s promise filled him with so much energy that he wanted to run for miles in the mountains and hunt down a few wild beasts.

He was holding the female he’d yearned for, and now that she was his mate, he could be with her forever.

Yan Lie felt incredibly happy, filled with anticipation for the life they would share.

"Wanwan, Yan Lie, come and eat," Xin Feng called from inside.

Only then did Yan Lie reluctantly, slowly release his hold on her.

Bai Wanwan could feel his fingers lingering on her waist for a moment before he finally let go.

On the spacious stone table, Xin Feng had neatly arranged strips of roasted meat. A basin was filled to the brim with red berries, a favorite among the females.

The aroma of meat mingled with the sweet scent of fruit, whetting Bai Wanwan’s appetite.

Bai Wanwan took Yan Lie’s hand and walked over. "Did Shi Hua and Mu Feng not come?"

Xin Feng finished setting out the bowls and chopsticks. "Mu Feng came by a moment ago. He said Shi Hua isn’t feeling well and is already resting, so she won’t be joining us for dinner."

’After traveling for so many days, and with Shi Hua pregnant, it’s a rare chance for her to get some comfortable sleep,’ Bai Wanwan thought. ’Just thinking about it is making me sleepy, too.’

After sitting down, Bai Wanwan picked up her chopsticks and was about to start eating when she realized Zhu Xiu wasn’t there.

Her gaze swept the room, but she couldn’t find any sign of Zhu Xiu.

"Where’s Zhu Xiu?"

She realized she hadn’t seen him since that whole scene earlier. In the past, if Yan Lie was clinging to her like this, Zhu Xiu would have definitely appeared.

"He went out. He told us not to wait for him," Xin Feng replied, placing a piece of meat in Bai Wanwan’s bowl.

Bai Wanwan put down her chopsticks and asked worriedly, "What did he go out for?"

’Did he go to ask about the Energy Stone?’

Xin Feng quickly gave her the answer. "Yes. Zhu Xiu was worried we might not be able to stay in the Golden Lion Tribe for long, so after he brought us here, he went to scout out the situation."

"But he’s been gone a long time..."

Xin Feng gently placed a bright red berry into her bowl. "Don’t worry."

His voice was gentle but firm. "Zhu Xiu knows his limits. He’s just scouting. If anything goes wrong, he knows how to protect himself."

Bai Wanwan stared at the berry in her bowl, its translucent juice bleeding into a small crimson stain.

Hearing Xin Feng’s words, she felt some of her tension ease.

’That’s right,’ she thought. ’It’s not like the Golden Lion Tribe is a den of monsters.’

"You two eat too. Don’t just stare at me."

She picked up her wooden chopsticks and gave each of her two Beast Husbands a piece of glistening, golden-brown roasted meat.

Yan Lie grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.

He really liked cooked food now. The savory flavor of the meat melted in his mouth, and he squinted his eyes in satisfaction.

Bai Wanwan nibbled at her food, glancing toward the door from time to time.

By the time dinner ended, Zhu Xiu still hadn’t returned.

Bai Wanwan paced back and forth in the room, her beast skin boots making soft tapping sounds on the stone floor.

Finally, she couldn’t stand it any longer. She strode to the entrance and pulled the door open.

"Wanwan, it’s already dark. Are you going out?" Yan Lie immediately blocked her way.

"Yes. Come take a walk with me. I’m worried."

’It’s been over an hour. Does it really take this long just to scout things out?’

"Alright, I’ll go with you."

Yan Lie turned back to Xin Feng, who was looking after the cubs, and said, "Xin Feng, I’m going with Wanwan to find Zhu Xiu. We’ll be back soon."

"Okay. Take care of Wanwan."

After Yan Lie agreed, his form flickered, and he transformed into a majestic leopard.

Under the moonlight, his fur shimmered with a silver sheen.

Bai Wanwan climbed onto his back, feeling his warm, solid muscles.

The leopard moved gracefully through the Golden Lion Tribe, each step light and silent.

"Wanwan, the Golden Lion Tribe is too big. We don’t know where Zhu Xiu is, so he’ll be hard to find," Yan Lie stated frankly.

Beastmen normally have a keen sense of smell, but the Golden Lion Tribe had so many members that the scents were all jumbled together.

He couldn’t pick out Zhu Xiu’s scent from the overwhelming mix.

"Then let’s just walk around."

Bai Wanwan’s eyes swept over the wide streets.

Beastmen didn’t have many forms of entertainment, so by this time of night, most were already in their dens, tangled up with their Beast Husbands.

As they passed each stone house, they could almost hear the jumbled sounds from within.

Yan Lie had never... done that before. Without a female he cared for, those sounds had never bothered him. But now, the female he desired was right on his back...

He quickly started speaking to Bai Wanwan again, partly to ease her worries about Zhu Xiu, and partly to distract himself.

"Tomorrow I’ll go up the mountain and cut down some trees. Besides some small stools, is there anything else you want me to make?"

Bai Wanwan was somewhat distracted. "A cutting board, and maybe a wooden table that’s easy to move."

The leopard carried her down one long street and turned onto another, but they saw no one else out and about.

"Wanwan, why don’t we head back? Maybe Zhu Xiu is already there."

Just as Bai Wanwan was about to respond, a beastman’s figure suddenly appeared up ahead.

Under the moonlight, the tall, lean figure was exceptionally clear.

It was Zhu Xiu!

He had clearly noticed them too and was walking quickly in their direction.

His long black hair fluttered in the night wind, and the moonlight cast a soft halo on his stern face.

"Wanwan? What are you two doing here?"

Bai Wanwan patted Yan Lie’s back, jumped down, and hurried toward him.

"We finished dinner, but you still weren’t back. I was getting worried."

As she finished speaking, she thought she smelled the faint scent of blood.

Zhu Xiu looked at the anxious female before him, and a trace of softness appeared in his usually indifferent eyes.

"I just came out to check on the situation."

Bai Wanwan grabbed him. "Then why do you smell like blood?"