Chapter 213: Face It Together

Chapter 213: Chapter 213: Face It Together

The ground trembled.

A nervous Bai Wanwan pressed close to Yan Lie, feeling the vibrations against her back grow increasingly intense.

"Yan Lie, did you hear that?"

Yan Lie hugged her tightly. More than ever before, he wished Wanwan weren’t with him.

His usual smile was replaced by a grim expression. "I heard it. It’s probably a beast stampede nearby."

The tremors were immense. Bai Wanwan had never witnessed anything like it, and a chill ran down her spine.

Unconsciously, her fingers dug into Yan Lie’s arm, leaving crescent-shaped red marks.

"Don’t be afraid!" Yan Lie gently patted her back, his voice strained.

’How can I protect Wanwan?’

His eyes scanned the surroundings.

The hollow in the cliff face where they hid was no more than a meter wide, barely enough for two people pressed tightly together.

The surrounding vegetation might have been enough to fool the Beastmen from before, but if the stampede came this way, the scent of his blood would surely draw them here.

’So, I can’t stay with Wanwan. I’ll only be a burden to her.’

His gaze shifted, and he looked up to see a spot among the thick branches where the foliage was particularly dense.

He immediately gripped Bai Wanwan’s shoulders, his tone solemn. "Wanwan, listen to me. In a moment, I’ll hide you up in the branches. No matter what happens, don’t be scared. After I lure the beasts away, Xin Feng is sure to find you. You’ll be safe then."

Bai Wanwan grabbed his arm. "You want to lure away the stampede? No..."

Before Bai Wanwan could finish speaking, Yan Lie cupped her face.

His gaze was scorching, as if it could melt anything, yet it was tinged with sorrow.

He, who was always as radiant as the sun, had never revealed such an emotion before.

The moment Bai Wanwan froze, a searing kiss fell upon her lips.

His kiss was hard and deep, yet brief.

"Wanwan, when I get back, will you bear me a litter of cubs?"

He was smiling, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. They held only deep reluctance and longing.

Bai Wanwan’s lips formed a tight line. "Don’t go yet."

"Wanwan, if I don’t go now, it’ll be too late."

The sound of snapping trees echoed in the distance, accompanied by the piercing shrieks of wild beasts.

The sounds drew nearer, and Bai Wanwan could vividly imagine the frenzied beasts trampling everything in their path.

"Just give me a second."

After she spoke, Bai Wanwan quickly called out to Hua Sheng in her mind.

"Hua Sheng, hurry up and show yourself! This is a life-or-death situation! If you don’t come out now, you’ll have to find a new host."

’I’m just a fragile girl from the modern world, and my special ability is only for support, let alone fight a beast stampede.’

’I’d probably die just facing a single ordinary beast.’

"Host, it’s not that I don’t want to help. I’m just a system. Because you can’t get pregnant, you don’t have enough System Points to unlock the subsequent options. You’ll only gain any offensive abilities once those options are unlocked."

Panic seized Bai Wanwan’s heart after she heard this.

"Wanwan?"

Yan Lie’s urging didn’t make Bai Wanwan loosen her grip.

Because she knew in her heart that if she let go and Yan Lie went to face the stampede, his chances of survival were slim.

Yan Lie was just as reluctant to part, but Wanwan’s safety was more important than anything.

He suddenly moved. His large, rough hand covered hers. Unwilling to use force, he pleaded, "Wanwan, let me go."

"I won’t!" Her eyes reddened as she stared fixedly at Yan Lie.

"I’m fast," he said, his voice hoarse. "I’ll lure them away. I will come back."

"You’re lying! Listen to that racket! How could you possibly escape and come back?"

She pointed up at the branches. "We’ll hide there together. And if... if the beasts find us, we’ll face them together!"

Bai Wanwan’s tone was resolute. ’Her life felt like a second chance, anyway.’

’What had she ever done to deserve so many males willing to risk their lives to love and protect her?’

’Her heart wasn’t made of stone; it had melted long ago, every time they’d risked everything for her.’

’Today, it was Yan Lie. But it could have been Zhu Xiu or Xin Feng.’

’She was willing to face life and death with any of them.’

Yan Lie didn’t answer. He just gently brushed his thumb across her cheek.

His touch was surprisingly gentle, a stark contrast to his usual carefree, goofy demeanor.

"Wanwan," he whispered her name, his tone firm. "I can’t let you risk your life."

With that, he applied pressure and pried her fingers away.

Bai Wanwan scrambled to her feet but stumbled and fell.

Yan Lie saw her fall, but the roar of the stampede was growing louder. He hardened his heart, forced himself not to look back, and shifted into his beast form...

"Yan Lie!"

Yan Lie ignored her, about to spring away.

"Yan Lie, come back! There’s a hole here!"

When she fell, her hands had met empty air, and she’d nearly slid into a hole. She quickly brushed aside the grass covering it.

Overjoyed, she shouted for Yan Lie.

Thankfully, Yan Lie hadn’t gotten far. Her cry made him turn back.

Bai Wanwan’s face was flushed with excitement, her eyes still red as she pointed at the hole by her feet. "It’s deep! We can climb inside and hide until the stampede passes!"

Yan Lie hadn’t expected such a fortunate twist of fate.

He had been utterly unwilling to leave her; it was a choice born of desperation.

Now that there was another option, he certainly wasn’t going to leave.

"Wanwan, wait, let me go in first."

He didn’t know if the cave was dangerous, but Yan Lie felt that with his Talent Power, dealing with whatever was inside would be easier than facing the stampede outside.

The mouth of the cave was only large enough for one person. Yan Lie quickly came over and deftly slid inside.

Bai Wanwan grew nervous, staring at the opening where Yan Lie had vanished. "Yan Lie?"

"Wanwan, I’m fine! It doesn’t seem dangerous in here, and it’s pretty spacious. Get in, quick!"

’Leaving her outside alone is just as dangerous.’

Bai Wanwan grunted her assent, stuck her head in, and was about to start crawling when Yan Lie grabbed her hands. With a gentle tug, he pulled her inside.

After setting her down gently, Yan Lie quickly reached out and rearranged the grass to cover the entrance.

The cave was very dim. But after a moment, as Bai Wanwan’s eyes adjusted, she could make out the cave’s interior by the faint light filtering in from the entrance.

The cave wasn’t large, and it was littered with the droppings of some wild animal, making the air a bit foul.

’But compared to the danger outside, at least she and Yan Lie were still together.’

Yan Lie snapped out of his daze, spread his arms, and pulled her into a tight embrace.

He bent down and kissed her forehead twice. "Wanwan, we’re going to be okay."

Bai Wanwan leaned against his shoulder, her racing heart finally beginning to calm.

She hugged him back for a moment before saying, "Let me treat your wounds first."

She helped Yan Lie sit down. His hind leg was covered in bloodstains.

Some of the wounds were deep enough to show bone. Bai Wanwan gritted her teeth. ’If she ever found out who was responsible, she’d flay them alive!’

Seeing her expression, Yan Lie’s own features relaxed, and he broke into a grin. "Wanwan, I’m fine. This wound will heal in a couple of days."

Now that they were safe, he recalled the unwilling look on her face from moments ago, and his heart swelled with warmth.

"Wanwan, can you repeat what you just said?"