Chapter 44: Chapter 44: The Snake Cub Reports In, Xiao Hu Hatches

"Hm? What’s wrong?"

Yu An’s voice was a little hoarse. She shifted uncomfortably, displeased that he had stopped.

"An’an," Mo Yan said, his voice trembling. "I think... I think we’re having a Little Serpent zaizai."

Yu An was suddenly wide awake. Her hand fell to her lower abdomen as she asked in disbelief, "From that time in the stone room?"

’Not bad, a bullseye on the first try.’

"I’m very capable, you know," Mo Yan said, sensing the doubt in her tone. He nipped her lip in discontent. "Don’t you dare question my abilities."

’I’m definitely not questioning him,’ Yu An thought wryly. They had been tossing and turning so much that day, her throat had gone hoarse.

Just as she was about to push Mo Yan away, Yu An found him holding her even tighter.

He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his voice muffled and tinged with a faint, choked sob. "An’an, thank you."

"Thank me for what?"

Yu An keenly sensed his mixed emotions of joy and sorrow. She stroked his head. "Don’t cry. You’re about to be a Beast Father, why are you still blubbering?"

"I’m not crying," Mo Yan said stubbornly. "I’m just really happy."

Despite his words, he didn’t lift his head, and Yu An felt a damp patch spreading on her neck.

"An’an, I’m so happy. Even if you grow to despise me in the future, for the sake of our zaizai, you won’t cast me aside."

Mo Yan’s voice was filled with relief, and Yu An was suddenly reminded of an unwritten rule of the Beastman Continent.

Females were not allowed to casually cast aside a Beast Husband who had given them a zaizai. That was why males fought so desperately for favor—all to have a zaizai to secure their position.

A discarded male would be ostracized by others. A male with a family could at least return home, but Mo Yan was the last of his clan. He had nowhere else to go.

Thinking of this, Yu An took Mo Yan’s hand and gently placed it on her lower abdomen. "Then you’ll have to protect it well."

Mo Yan nodded emphatically, his eyes red. "Mm, I will!"

’I’ll protect you and our zaizai with my life.’ 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

After this interlude, Yu An planned to pack up and go home, but Mo Yan refused to let her.

"An’an, you can’t go. You promised you’d stay with me."

He whined softly, then suddenly tilted his face up and pecked her on the chin.

Before Yu An could react, he grew bolder and nuzzled his way up, affectionately rubbing the tip of his nose against her cheek.

His soft, warm lips then found the corner of her mouth, lingering there as if savoring a piece of candy, refusing to leave.

Yu An shrank back slightly. "Don’t, we have a zaizai now..."

"It’s fine," Mo Yan said, leaning in after her. "The zaizai wants its Female Mother and Beast Father to be affectionate."

"An’an, it’s not just Xiao Yu who misses you. I miss you too..."

Their playful tussle lasted until nightfall. By the time they returned, Feng Xuan had already finished cooking. An apron was tied around his waist, softening his usually sharp features.

The apron didn’t quite fit, outlining the muscular lines of his upper body. The muscles in his arms were taut, his veiny hand gripping a spatula. On top of his head was a butterfly-shaped hair clip, which Yu An recognized as the one she had given to Da Hu.

"You’re finally back," Feng Xuan said, his gaze sweeping over the two of them. "Wash your hands and eat."

’Anyone with eyes can see what they’ve been up to,’ Feng Xuan thought. ’But I’m not jealous of Mo Yan. In fact, I should thank him.’

’If it weren’t for Mo Yan, that infuriating female Yu An might have already given in to her beastly urges and had her way with me.’

"You made this? It looks pretty good."

Feng Xuan had cooked noodles and added a few eggs. Although they had all broken apart and not a single one was whole, Yu An, who was exhausted from the afternoon, figured it was good enough to eat.

"What do you expect? You got back later than Da Hu and me. If we had waited for you to come back and cook, the zaizai would be hungry enough to eat rocks."

His words were tinged with a bit of passive-aggression. Though he was speaking to Yu An, Mo Yan felt the sarcasm was directed at him.

"My fault," he said, stroking the two little ones’ heads. "Your Beast Father was just too happy today and lost track of time. I’ll be more careful next time. By the way, your Beast Father today..."

Feng Xuan was not pleased. He and Lan Yin each covered one of the zaizai’s ears. "Hey, hey, hey! Don’t just say anything in front of the zaizai, they’re still little!"

Lan Yin didn’t speak, but his eyes also held a look of disapproval.

"What are you two thinking?" Yu An was speechless. "Mo Yan was just trying to say that I’m pregnant."

Seeing Yu An raise a hand to her belly, the two men froze. Da Hu and Xiao Yu, however, were ecstatic. They wriggled out of their Beast Fathers’ arms and hugged Yu An, one on each side.

"Female Mother, are we going to have a Little Serpent brother or sister?"

"It’s Beast Father Mo Yan’s zaizai, so will it be a little black snake too?"

Yu An answered their questions one by one while Mo Yan watched the mother and her children with a gentle gaze, as if they were the closest family in the world.

Feng Xuan and Lan Yin sat alone across from them. The happiness on the other side only made the two of them look all the more miserable and pitiful.

"What’s all this about? It’s not like I care about her!"

Feng Xuan muttered, his voice so low that only Lan Yin, who was sitting next to him, could hear.

Lan Yin remained expressionless, but a flicker of disdain crossed his mind.

’As an outsider, I can see it most clearly. Feng Xuan says he doesn’t care, but the longing in his eyes betrays everything.’

’But I’m different. I... will never change my mind.’

Upon learning they would meet the Little Serpent zaizai in three months, Da Hu suddenly grew worried. "Female Mother, our third brother hasn’t shapeshifted yet. He’s not going to still be sleeping when the Little Serpent comes out, is he?"

Xiao Yu was worried too, sighing with concern. "That would be such a shame. If our brother doesn’t come out, he won’t be able to eat the delicious shrimp congee."

"And the steaming hot big buns, the crispy fried chicken, the sweet candy..."

The two of them started listing off all the delicious foods they had ever eaten as if they were reading from a menu. Noticing San Dan stir, Yu An joined in, adding a long list of delicious dishes she hadn’t even made yet.

Just as the two older zaizai were drooling with hunger, San Dan finally made a move.

Everyone held their breath and watched intently. The eggshell was kicked open from the inside, revealing a chubby... little foot?

Feng Xuan held his breath, his voice tight. "San Dan actually shapeshifted inside the egg! No wonder he’s hatching so late!"

He had barely finished speaking when a chubby baby crawled out of the eggshell. The baby rubbed his eyes and took unsteady but determined steps toward Feng Xuan.

A thrill shot through Feng Xuan’s heart. He was just about to reach out and catch him when San Dan took a turn and dove straight into Yu An’s arms.

"Female Mother!"

The little one cried out in a high, milky voice, sounding as if he had just woken up and was still a bit dazed.

He glanced at the not-so-appetizing noodles on the table and yawned. "Female Mother, Xiao Hu wants to eat big buns. Zaizai is sleepy..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he fell asleep again.

Yu An didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "Is he ordering food?"

’The little guy must have been able to hear us from outside the egg,’ Yu An realized. ’His older brother’s name is Da Hu, so he just assumed his own name was Xiao Hu.’

After checking that Xiao Hu was physically fine and that his sleepiness was just a personal preference, Yu An handed him over to his father, whose heart had just shattered into a million pieces.

Yu An had a habit of drinking some hawthorn tea after meals to aid digestion. Even though she was pregnant with a zaizai now, it wasn’t a problem as long as she drank it in moderation.

She went to get the teapot as usual. Just as she picked it up, Lan Yin and Xiao Yu stood up at the same time.

"Female Mother, let me make the tea for you."

"I’ll do it, I’ll do it! None of you move!"

One was a pregnant female, the other was a young zaizai. Lan Yin was so scared his soul nearly left his body, and he dashed over to snatch the teapot away!