Chapter 301: Intelligence Was Crushed

Chapter 301: Chapter 301: Intelligence Was Crushed

Zhu Xiu’s reaction was blatant. Jin Yi noticed, his fingers curling slightly.

’Zhu Xiu is overthinking this.’ He had no intention of competing with them for her affection.

"Per the Clan Leader’s orders, the items have been delivered. I’ll be taking my leave."

Without another glance at Zhu Xiu or Bai Wanwan, he turned and left.

The two males accompanying him immediately followed.

Once they had disappeared from view, Zhu Xiu turned to Bai Wanwan. "Still looking?"

Bai Wanwan grabbed his arm, her lips curling into a smile. "Then I’ll just look at you!"

’I thought I’d angered the king of jealousy and would have to spend ages calming him down.’

But surprisingly, Zhu Xiu didn’t seem that angry today.

He raised a hand, stroking her hairline. "If you want to take him as a Beast Husband, I won’t stop you."

Bai Wanwan’s heart skipped a beat, but her first reaction wasn’t relief.

It was a strange, unsettling feeling.

’Is Zhu Xiu trying to trick me?’

’If I actually admit to it, he’ll probably make me pay for it right here and now.’

"There’s no rush. You have a few months, so take your time and think about it."

After helping her to her seat, Zhu Xiu said, "I’m going to deal with the kill. You can play with the cubs for a bit."

Zhu Xiu was calm through it all. He’d shown a bit of an edge when facing Jin Yi, but even that felt different from how he usually was.

As a strange feeling washed over her, she couldn’t help but ask herself a question.

’Do I like Jin Yi?’

’Jin Yi is outstanding in every way. And during the beast tide, we did spend several days and nights together.’

’I probably do like him a little. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have impulsively teased him in the cellar just now.’

’But it’s not like I have to have him, no matter what.’

’For now, at least, if Zhu Xiu, Xin Feng, and Yan Lie weren’t willing to accept him, I wouldn’t fight them on it and insist on making Jin Yi a Beast Husband.’

’Besides... I remember the biggest reason Jin Yi never mated with Zhuo Ling was that he doesn’t want to share a female with other males.’

’So... even if we have feelings for each other, it doesn’t mean we have to be together.’

The matter wasn’t distressing enough to occupy her for long. After these thoughts flashed through her mind, her attention was captured by a wolf cub gently nibbling on her finger.

Just as Zhu Xiu stepped out of the room, he saw Xin Feng standing nearby.

Xin Feng glanced at him. "Were you just testing Wanwan to see if she likes the Young Clan Leader?"

Zhu Xiu’s scarlet eyes flickered for a moment. "It wasn’t a test."

"Oh?"

Xin Feng had known Zhu Xiu for much longer than Yan Lie had.

They had been through thick and thin together, so he knew Zhu Xiu’s temperament very well.

Not a single word of what Zhu Xiu had just said sounded like him.

Zhu Xiu walked to the stove, picked up a stone cup, and took a drink of water before slowly turning back around.

"I’ve been thinking about something lately. Do I let my selfish, possessive desires put Wanwan in danger and risk losing her in the future, or..."

The stone cup landed heavily on the stove. "...do I accept a trustworthy, powerful male to help protect her?"

"So... you’ve made up your mind?" A dark glint flickered in Xin Feng’s gentle eyes.

"Yes. I’ve made up my mind."

Zhu Xiu took a soft breath. "Wanwan has too many secrets. If they’re exposed, we’ll be facing attacks from countless Super Tribes."

In the damp air, the two males met each other’s gaze in silence, each seeing the same struggle and resolve reflected in the other’s eyes.

*******

The incessant rain had now been falling for seven straight days.

Outside the cave, the downpour hung like a gray curtain, shrouding the entire tribe in a damp silence.

The walls of the stone house were beaded with condensation, and the mattress pads Bai Wanwan had sewn always felt stubbornly damp.

’For the umpteenth time, I wish I could just get a modern space heater,’ she thought, but in the end, she only lit the firewood.

"Have the Bear Clan Beastmen lost their minds?" Yan Lie exclaimed, shaking water from his hair. The way he skinned the rabbit was almost violent, as if venting his frustration. "Lying in ambush in the forest in this kind of weather."

The bone needle in Bai Wanwan’s hand paused.

Shi Hua, who was diligently sewing a leather skirt, lowered her voice and said to Bai Wanwan, "Aren’t they afraid of starving to death during the snow season?"

Bai Wanwan frowned as well. "That’s right. Don’t the Bear Clan Beastmen have to survive the snow season?"

Yan Lie tore the skin off the rabbit with a single pull of his claws. "The Bear Clan is resistant to cold. They can hunt just fine during the snow season."

Shi Hua muttered, "Sister, I have a bad feeling about the coming snow season."

Bai Wanwan patted the back of her hand. "Don’t overthink it. If something happens, we’ll figure it out then."

’In truth, Bai Wanwan shared the same worry.’

’Her own line of thinking was more straightforward. If the Bear Clan’s goal was to destroy the Golden Lion Tribe, she would do everything in her power to help Jin Cang Clan Leader fight them.’

’But if they couldn’t win, she had an escape plan. Worst-case scenario, she’d take her Beast Husbands, the cubs, and Shi Hua’s family and leave the Golden Lion Tribe.’

After working for a little while longer, Shi Hua was called away by her Beast Husband.

After Bai Wanwan finished her last few stitches, she saw that her Beast Husbands had also completed their daily chores.

They were all cooped up at home during the rainy and snow seasons.

’We can’t just sit around staring at each other all day. We need to find something to do.’

She started rummaging through her system panel and actually found something amazing.

Mahjong!

’This stuff is perfect for killing time.’

Bai Wanwan stood up, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Zhu Xiu, Xin Feng, Yan Lie, come over here for a second."

Yan Lie was the most eager. The moment Bai Wanwan called, he was trotting after her like an excited puppy.

Zhu Xiu and Xin Feng walked in side by side.

Before they could say a word, they saw that Bai Wanwan had set up a table covered with strange-looking "stones."

"We’re cooped up at home with nothing to do every day. Come play a game with me."

"A game?"

"That’s right, mahjong." A tile slipped through her fingers, making a crisp clacking sound as it hit the others. "It’s a game from my hometown for passing the time. It’s really fun."

Zhu Xiu sat down at the table and picked up an "Eight of Characters" tile, running his thumb over its engraved grooves.

"A game from your hometown?" Clear interest colored his tone.

All three males wanted to learn more about her.

Yan Lie started stacking the tiles. "How do you play this?"

"I’ll explain the rules in a minute. Xin Feng, sit down first."

Xin Feng did as he was told, listening as Bai Wanwan carefully explained the rules, one by one.

"Did you get all that? It’s a little complicated, so I can explain it again."

"No need, Wanwan. We understand."

Yan Lie immediately recited the rules back to her.

Bai Wanwan was astonished. ’Besides having strong Talent Power, are their brains also this sharp?’

"Zhu Xiu, Xin Feng, did you two get it?"

Xin Feng smiled. "Yes, but I’m not sure if I understood correctly. We could try playing a round to see."

"Alright, let’s play one round then. If you don’t understand something, I’ll explain it as we go."

"Mahjong," Zhu Xiu announced calmly, easily winning the round.

’It must be beginner’s luck,’ Bai Wanwan thought. But then Xin Feng won the second round.

And Yan Lie won the third.

’My intelligence is being completely crushed.’

’They’re total beginners, so why can’t I beat them?’

The clatter of mahjong tiles echoed crisply through the stone cave.

Xin Feng picked up the Eight of Bamboo that Yan Lie had just discarded, a smile gracing his lips. "Mahjong again."