Chapter 68: Chapter 68: The Glorious House of Bean

"I, I didn’t..."

"Really?"

Yu An gave Feng Xuan a gentle push and he toppled over. She propped up her chin, the two of them so, so close that the slightest movement would cause their skin to touch.

"If you didn’t, then why are you blushing? You’re so hot all over. Hot and hard..."

"Yu An!"

Feng Xuan was both angry and embarrassed. He wanted nothing more than to shove Yu An away, but he was worried the commotion would wake the Zaizai, so he could only endure it in silence.

As if she had discovered something fun, Yu An slipped a hand under the hem of his clothes. Her fingertips traced the lines of his abs. They say friction creates heat, and after just a few strokes, the skin beneath her hand felt like it was on fire, frighteningly hot.

Feng Xuan was miserable. He desperately wanted to grab that mischievous hand and teach its owner a good lesson!

That hand continued its reckless teasing, and he felt that if he endured it any longer, he wouldn’t be a man at all.

Just as he was about to act on the thoughts in his head, a sudden weight settled on his chest. He looked up and saw that Yu An had fallen asleep on him.

Feng Xuan froze for a moment, then resignedly moved the mischievous female, who had conked out instantly, onto the bed.

’Teasing me only to fall asleep... Am I really that uncharismatic?’

Feng Xuan was both irritated and upset. He sulkily tucked Yu An in, staring at her for a long, long time.

Beastmen had exceptional hearing. A thin bed curtain offered no soundproofing at all, so Mo Yan and Ao Wu had heard their entire conversation.

In the darkness, the two of them exchanged a look.

...

The Beastmen from both tribes were eagerly looking forward to Yu An introducing them to new foods and teaching them how to cook. They all arrived bright and early.

Wasting no time, Yu An got straight to the point. She introduced them to foods like wheat, rice, and potatoes, and even taught them how to make simple tools for grinding flour and threshing grain.

Meanwhile, she assigned tasks to Mo Yan and the others, sending them to gather their respective ingredients.

Yu An found a moment to check on Lan Ying, and sighed the instant she saw him.

"What are you sighing for?"

Lan Ying was not pleased. "If you’re not happy to see me, then don’t come in!"

"It’s not that I’m not happy to see you. It’s just that I was thinking about how Lan Yin could help me catch fish and shrimp when he was around, but you... SIGH!"

Lan Ying’s face darkened. "What’s that supposed to mean? If he can catch them, I can’t? Undo these chains, and I’ll clean out every fish and shrimp in the lake for you!"

Yu An hesitated. "Can you really do it? It’s a skilled job, after all. The fish and shrimp have to meet certain quality standards..."

Lan Ying was contrary to the bone. "Don’t you dare say I can’t do it! I guarantee everything I catch will be top-quality food!"

"Alright then."

Yu An swiftly undid his shackles. "Go on, then. Just be back by nightfall."

Lan Ying was taken aback. "You’re just going to let me go alone? Aren’t you afraid I’ll run away?"

Yu An spread her hands. "If you think the job is too hard, feel free to run."

Ao Wu, who was passing by, chimed in, "An’an, if he can’t do it, let me. If you’re counting on him, you can forget about eating fish for the rest of your life."

Lan Ying’s expression changed instantly. "Get lost! When it comes to catching fish, no one is better than me!"

’I’m the overlord of the water!’

After watching Lan Ying storm off, Yu An and Ao Wu high-fived.

When they learned that Yu An was collecting food to sell delicacies in Han Ling City, the Beastmen eagerly volunteered to help.

Many hands make light work. In just half a day, they had gathered more than enough of the food Yu An needed.

As the sun set, the Beastmen began to head home one by one. Yu An noticed Ma Shu lingering by a tree, rubbing against it. She thought he was just scratching an itch and didn’t pay much attention.

Only when most of the Beastmen had left did Ma Shu call out to Yu An.

"Um, Boss Yu, could you, could you sell me something?"

Yu An was puzzled. "What is it?"

Ma Shu whispered, "A hot water bottle."

"I, I can pay with Gold Coins, or something else. As long as you’ll sell it to me."

Yu An was very confused. "What do you need a hot water bottle for?"

She had used a hot water bottle earlier because her stomach hurt from eating something cold. Males ran hot; did they really need hot water bottles too?

"It’s not for me," Ma Shu whispered. "It’s for Bai Ruo. She’s not well and often feels cold and breaks out in a cold sweat."

Bai Rong was playing with Da Hu and the others when she suddenly heard her Female Mother’s name, and her ears perked up.

Her eyes went wide hearing what Ma Shu said.

’Female Mother! Am I about to get a new Beast Father?!’

Bai Ruo hadn’t come out during the day. She had been at home sewing, planning to stay with the Giant Stone Tribe to recuperate. She wanted to make a piece of clothing for Yu An before she left.

Rushing to finish, she finally completed it before nightfall. When she arrived with the clothes, she happened to overhear Ma Shu’s words as well.

But coincidentally, Bai Ruo’s Beast Husband and sons had received her letter and had also hurried back from outside, intending to give Yu An some survival tips for Han Ling City.

Three tall, broad-shouldered males stared at Ma Shu with smiles that didn’t reach their eyes. Six eyes pinned him in place, and Ma Shu wanted to cry but had no tears.

Forced to go aside with them to "exchange feelings," Bai Ruo was speechless. She ignored them, gave the clothes to Yu An, and introduced her sons.

The three young males blushed and stammered their greetings to Yu An.

Seeing this, Mo Yan and the others put on the same fake smiles.

Bai Ruo chuckled. "An’an is younger than all of you. Like Rongrong, she’s your little sister. From now on, you have to take good care of your sister, understand?"

Bai Rong chimed in, "That’s right! You have to be as nice to Sister An’an as you are to me!"

Since their Female Mother had spoken, the three felt a pang of regret, but the moment they saw Yu An’s Beast Husbands, any other thoughts vanished.

Yu An invited them to stay for dinner, but Bai Ruo declined, saying they had things to take care of.

They were guests, which meant Yu An would have to cook. Making a meal for so many people would be exhausting, and Bai Ruo couldn’t bear to let her do that.

Yu An gave Ma Shu a hot water bottle. Who he gave it to was none of her business.

Ma Shu was very grateful. When he saw that Yu An wouldn’t take any money, he offered to bring her a new kind of food the next day.

"What kind of food?"

"I don’t know what it is either," Ma Shu said, shaking his head. "They’re yellow and round, and they’re especially crunchy when you eat them."

He had discovered them while looking for a place to nap. He’d let a few of his closer Beastman friends try them, but they all thought they didn’t taste good.

Ma Shu, however, quite liked them and would occasionally pick some to snack on.

Hearing this description, Yu An’s eyes instantly lit up.

’Soybeans! They have to be soybeans!’

’The noble family of beans! Edamame, soybeans, bean sprouts, soy milk, tofu skin, savory tofu pudding, firm tofu... There are countless ways to prepare them!’

After seeing Bai Ruo’s family off, Lan Ying’s figure appeared in the distance a short while later.

He was pushing a cart, his chin held high with pride. "Look! All the biggest and best!" 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"WOW!"

Yu An lavished him with praise. "I don’t even need to look closely! Just a glance tells me these are all top-quality ingredients!"

"Lan Ying, you’re amazing! Without you, the family wouldn’t have any fish or shrimp to eat!"

The praise made Lan Ying embarrassed. He said casually, "It was a simple task. If you like them, I’ll go catch more tomorrow. Just say how many you want."

Yu An immediately replied, "Okay, okay! In that case, just get another ten carts full!"

Lan Ying: "..."

’Why do I get the feeling I’m being worked like a donkey?’