Chapter 16

The wind and snow were incredibly fierce.

Zhuo Yan found it hard to keep his balance against the biting gusts. Just as he was struggling, he felt a warmth at his waist. Turning around, he saw A-Yin pressing his head against his side. A wave of joy washed over Zhuo Yan, but he didn’t have time to say anything; as soon as he opened his mouth, the cold wind rushed in. So, he simply shut his mouth, and the two brothers continued their work clearing the snow together.

Shoveling snow was a physically demanding task. By the time they finished clearing the entrance, Zhuo Yan was flushed and sweating. Once the snow was cleared away, he was able to close the door again. Rubbing his hands together, he felt warmth radiating from his head, as if steam was rising from his hair.

“I need to make a shovel today,” he decided. It didn’t need to be as sharp as a metal spade; wood would suffice since it was just for shoveling snow.

A-Yin nudged Zhuo Yan affectionately with his head, nodding in response. Zhuo Yan chuckled and crouched down to pat A-Yin’s head. “Do you know what a shovel is?” he asked playfully.

A-Yin didn’t know. He only understood that whatever his brother wanted to make, he would be happy to help.

Zhuo Yan understood A-Yin’s feelings from the expression on his face. He couldn’t help but lean in to press his cheek against A-Yin’s fluffy face. “Alright, A-Yin, let’s eat. I’m feeling all warmed up now.”

The fish ball soup from yesterday only needed to be heated up, and Zhuo Yan added some taro to it. As it simmered, the taro became soft and mushy, blending perfectly with the flavors of the soup. Leftover food really had its own charm—it was even more flavorful now.

The two of them, one human and one leopard, gathered around the warm fire, savoring the steaming hot meal. The fish balls were fresh and bouncy, while the taro was tender and subtly sweet. After finishing their meal, Zhuo Yan added some snow to the pot. The fire hadn’t gone out; he left one piece of wood that still held some warmth and emitted a soft glow.

Next, Zhuo Yan began to make a wooden shovel. A-Yin leaned closer, watching intently to see what his brother was doing.

Once the large stone pot was cleaned, Zhuo Yan poured out the water and added fresh snow to heat up. This time, it was for the water they would drink throughout the day, as well as for him to wash his face and brush his teeth. He even took a moment to gently wipe A-Yin’s face. When A-Yin saw his brother brushing his teeth, he tried to imitate him, lapping up water and then spitting it out.

“A-Yin, you’re so smart!” Zhuo Yan praised, feeling a swell of pride at A-Yin’s playful mimicry.

“Ao woo, ao woo.” A-Yin nuzzled his head against his brother.

In the afternoon, they cleared more snow from the entrance of the cave. Zhuo Yan thought about how, when spring arrived and the weather warmed up, he could build a shelter outside the cave entrance to set up the kitchen. During the winter, they could move everything back inside.

He also remembered that the grass in the nearby field could be used to make brooms.

As Zhuo Yan worked, he chatted casually with A-Yin about his plans, though A-Yin didn’t understand the words. Instead, he rested his head against his brother and curled his tail around Zhuo Yan’s waist, providing warmth.

Working throughout the day wasn’t tiring; Zhuo Yan would take breaks now and then to rest and affectionately ruffle A-Yin’s fur. Before long, he finished making the wooden shovel. Later, just before bed, he cleared the entrance of the accumulated snow one last time. For dinner, they had roasted fish.

Zhuo Yan had found the largest fish, which weighed around seven or eight pounds, and they shared it together.

“There are still eighteen fish left. Let’s eat one every day from now on,” he said with a smile, feeling content about their food supply.

Zhuo Yan split the fish down the middle and placed it on the stone slab, its skin slightly charred and golden. He sprinkled a bit of coarse salt on it, just enough to enhance the flavor. Zhuo Yan didn’t have much salt; he used it sparingly during meals. The taste was mild, but the natural flavors of the food were excellent, making everything quite aromatic.

The fish skin was crispy, while the flesh was tender and flavorful. Zhuo Yan didn’t quite recognize this type of fish; it had thick bones, with only a single row of rib bones and very few small spines.

As he separated the fish flesh from the bones, he was careful to remove any sharp spines to prevent A-Yin from choking.

A-Yin watched his brother intently, his blue eyes focused on everything Zhuo Yan was doing. He glanced at the fish on the stone slab, eager to help but unsure how. He lifted his paw, staring at it for a moment, then let it drop back down in hesitation.

Zhuo Yan, unaware of this moment, finished preparing the fish and placed it in A-Yin’s bowl. “Eat up, but be careful. Watch out for the bones,” he said, accustomed to caring for his pet cat.

After taking a few bites of the fish himself, he finally noticed that A-Yin was still looking down at his bowl, not eating. “What’s wrong?” Zhuo Yan asked, concerned.

A-Yin simply nudged Zhuo Yan’s leg. Zhuo Yan thought A-Yin was being affectionate and thanking him, so he reached down to scratch A-Yin’s ear. “Come on, eat up; it’s really delicious.”

The roasted fish was indeed fragrant.

The day passed peacefully, and before bed, Zhuo Yan boiled some water to wash up. He hung the large fur coat on the back of the door as usual. A-Yin, having just had his paws wiped by his brother, now lay on the stone bed, warming up Zhuo Yan’s side of the blanket.

Once Zhuo Yan finished everything, he checked the door latch and climbed into bed, taking advantage of the flickering firelight. As soon as he settled into the blanket, the large, fluffy figure of A-Yin snuggled up next to him. Zhuo Yan was taken aback, exclaiming, “Wow!”

So warm~~

He absentmindedly reached out to touch A-Yin’s injured side. “Does it still hurt?”

A-Yin shook his head in response. Zhuo Yan let out a sigh of relief; it seemed like A-Yin was recovering well.

As the outdoor temperature plummeted, Zhuo Yan curled up in A-Yin’s embrace, extending his arm under the blanket and pulling the fur cover closer to A-Yin.

“Listen to me; you’re not allowed to give it all to me secretly,” Zhuo Yan said firmly.

A-Yin’s tail stiffened for a moment, then he let out a small “a-wu.” Zhuo Yan could hear the nuance in his voice and couldn’t help but smile. “Alright, A-Yin, let’s sleep.”

That night, A-Yin didn’t toss the fur completely onto his brother. He had his own covering, but he stretched his body as long as he could, tightly wrapping Zhuo Yan in his warmth. With his fluffy tail, he cocooned Zhuo Yan’s feet, which occasionally brushed against A-Yin’s tail.

Zhuo Yan reached out again to pat him.

In the darkness, A-Yin’s blue eyes glimmered with joy, an emotion he had never experienced before.

Despite his stomach grumbling from hunger, A-Yin didn’t mind. He tucked away his sharp claws and rested his fluffy head against Zhuo Yan’s, ensuring that his brother wouldn’t get cold.

It was another cozy night.

Zhuo Yan slept well that night. In the morning, he felt something licking his face, a sensation that was slightly prickly and a bit painful. At first, he thought he was dreaming and mumbled in response. But when he fully woke up, he found A-Yin’s bright blue eyes staring back at him.

Wait a minute, that licking—

Was it A-Yin’s tongue?

A-Yin’s clear, innocent eyes reflected Zhuo Yan’s image, and his expression looked a bit stiff, as if he was trying hard to please Zhuo Yan, worried that he might discover what he had just done. Zhuo Yan thought for a moment; after all, leopards were part of the feline family. Cats had a natural instinct to groom themselves and others. If A-Yin couldn’t resist licking him, it meant he liked him.

…Well, that’s a good thing, right? No need to discourage the little one.

With this thought, Zhuo Yan chose to act as if nothing had happened. He even reached out to stroke A-Yin’s ear. “Good morning, A-Yin.”

“A-wu, a-wu~” A-Yin let out a deep, rumbling sound, wagging his tail and nudging Zhuo Yan’s neck with his head. His brother wasn’t angry!

Zhuo Yan felt a little ticklish and couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

After their playful moments, today was another day of shoveling snow and cooking.

Outside, the visibility was particularly low, and the blizzard hadn’t let up at all. The snow that Zhuo Yan had shoveled last night had piled back up to his waist by morning. He planned to use stones or wooden boards to brace the door tonight, fearing it might collapse under the weight.

Inside the cave, it was pitch black. Although both the beastmen and sub-beastmen had excellent night vision, it was different when one had been deprived of sunlight for a long time. Staying cooped up in a cave without companions made the passage of time feel incredibly long and torturous.

Zhuo Yan felt incredibly grateful for bringing A-Yin back with him during those early days.

Days passed in this manner, and while cooking during the day, Zhuo Yan would also make some tools. He carried a sturdy wooden post over a meter long, big enough to be hugged with both arms. He crafted plates, large bowls, spoons, chopsticks, and even two wooden stools. The shavings from the wood served as fuel for the fire.

Zhuo Yan diligently recorded the days of winter, marking today as the fifty-fifth day.

That day, Zhuo Yan moved the stone pot away from the door and opened it, pleasantly surprised to find that the blizzard had finally stopped. The snow, which had originally reached up to his chest, had settled down to his waist. Just a couple of days ago, during the coldest spell, it had reached all the way up to his chest.

It was truly frightening.

After shoveling the snow, they had a simple breakfast of roasted potatoes, and Zhuo Yan added a fish head soup to their meal, a small indulgence in meat to break the monotony. Once they finished breakfast, he remarked, “…it seems a bit brighter in the cave today compared to yesterday.”

Having been in darkness for so long, Zhuo Yan craved the sun and found himself unusually sensitive to light.

A-Yin, regardless of what his brother said, simply nodded in agreement. Zhuo Yan chuckled softly before getting up to open the door for a better look. As he swung it open, the sunlight pierced through the clouds, filtering in just a sliver but illuminating his surroundings.

“There’s sunshine! A-Yin, come out and bask in the sun!” Zhuo Yan exclaimed with excitement.

A-Yin had already followed him to the door and was now crouching by Zhuo Yan’s legs. He mimicked his brother’s actions, straining to lift his head and gaze at the sky. He didn’t understand why he was doing this or what he was looking at, but since his brother was doing it, he wanted to do the same.

“Ah-choo!” Zhuo Yan sneezed suddenly.

A-Yin dashed back into the cave and quickly returned with a piece of hide in his mouth. Zhuo Yan took it from him, wrapping himself in the skin. Although the air was still cold and scattered with snowflakes, Zhuo Yan didn’t head back inside. Instead, feeling a surge of happiness, he remarked, “The sun is out! Winter should be ending soon. Even if it hasn’t completely finished, we should at least return to the temperatures we had in the first month…”

That day, Zhuo Yan’s mood was exceptionally good. For lunch, he decided to stew a fish, relishing the warmth of the cooking and the delightful aroma that filled the cave.

The next morning, upon opening the door, Zhuo Yan noticed that the snow only reached his waist.

“It seems a bit lower than yesterday,” he noted.

“The weather is nice today, too; the clouds seem thinner,” he continued, feeling optimistic about the changes in the weather.

However, that afternoon, while Zhuo Yan was busy preparing lunch, A-Yin, who had been keeping him company, suddenly sat up. His posture shifted to one of alertness as he stared toward the cave entrance. Zhuo Yan was momentarily stunned by the shift in A-Yin’s demeanor, and soon, a sense of tension washed over him.

“Is there someone out there? Or is it an animal?” Zhuo Yan asked A-Yin in a hushed tone, his heart racing with concern. Could it be the beast tide?

A-Yin nodded, rising to his feet and positioning himself protectively in front of Zhuo Yan.

Zhuo Yan observed A-Yin, who still had the body of a cub. The harsh winter had made it difficult to find good food, and their meals had mostly consisted of potatoes and taro, alternating between stewed fish and roasted fish. Even after a filling bowl of fish head soup, Zhuo Yan was only about eight-tenths full, and he knew A-Yin must have been feeling even more deprived.

Yet, at this moment, the small cub stood firm in front of him, ready to protect him.

Zhuo Yan felt a rush of emotion swell within him, and tears brimmed in his eyes. What a good little brother he had!

The two of them waited anxiously for a few minutes, listening intently. Suddenly, there was a series of knocks from outside, a rhythmic thudding against the door.

“???” Zhuo Yan, who hadn’t socialized for fifty-five days, took a moment to process the sounds he heard. “Knocking? That means it’s not the beast tide.”

As he spoke, a voice came from outside, carried by the wind and snow: “Zhuo Yan, Zhuo Yan, are you still alive? Oh, the door’s closed, and there’s a delicious smell. Zhuo Yan must still be alive! Hurry, open the door!”

Hearing that familiar voice filled him with joy. “They’re here! I’m still alive! Aman, I’m still here!” He gently touched A-Yin’s fur, saying, “It’s my friend, A-Yin. My friend has come.”

When he opened the door, he was greeted by Aman, Qiao, and the beast forms of Ada and another leopard.

Zhuo Yan welcomed them inside, and Aman chattered excitedly, “This is my sister. I begged her for days to come see you when the snow let up a bit!”

“Xiao Xian and Shitou both wanted to know if you were still alive. Xiao Xian asked me to bring you some meat.”

“And this is from me! We don’t have much left at home, so I can only give you this.”

“I’m just glad you’re not dead!”

Aman was incredibly excited, talking non-stop about everything and anything. His chatter was so random that Qiao could barely find an opportunity to interject. Instead, she stood nearby, her eyes sparkling with laughter as she carefully observed Zhuo Yan, relieved to see him safe and sound.

Zhuo Yan was overjoyed to see them. He reached out to pull Aman closer and glanced at Qiao, chatting away enthusiastically. He asked about Xiao Xian and Shitou, inquiring about everyone’s well-being during the winter. The group shared stories about life in the cave during the harsh season, and everyone seemed to be doing well. At the beginning of winter, they were able to visit each other since they lived nearby.

However, as the blizzard worsened, venturing outside became impossible. It was only safe to travel if an orc transformed into beast form could carry the lesser beastmen. Ada often checked in on Qiao, making an effort to ensure her safety, while Aman’s sister had gotten married. On the very first day of the blizzard, she went to her parents’ cave to assess the situation but ended up getting caught up with her younger brother Aman, who begged her to promise that once the storm subsided, she would carry him to find Zhuo Yan.

The three lesser beastmen were overjoyed, completely unaware that the attention of the other two orcs in the cave was focused on A-Yin. Both Ada and Aman’s sister, in their beast forms, had sharp gazes. When A-Yin looked back at them, he showed no signs of fear or timidity. Eventually, Aman’s sister casually shifted her gaze away and let out a low sound.

“Aah? Are we really heading back now, sister? I still have so much to say! Fine, fine, I get it,” Aman reluctantly agreed, knowing that once orcs found a mate, they often didn’t carry lesser beastmen with them anymore.

He had said before he came that they should all listen to his sister.

Qiao was also worried about Ada and the others waiting too long. The weather was quite bad for going out right now, so she handed the meat over to Zhuo Yan, relieved to see that he was alright.

“Are you all leaving already? I wanted you to stay for lunch!” Zhuo Yan said as he accepted the meat his friends had gathered for him. “Wait for me, just a moment!”

He headed off to look for fish.

At that moment, Aman suddenly noticed something in one corner of the cave—

“Ahhhhh, Zhuo Yan!!!”

Zhuo Yan was startled, “Huh? What’s wrong? What happened?” He stood there, holding a couple of hard fish in his hands, looking completely bewildered.

“Do you really like the white-haired one that much? In the dead of winter, you’re barely getting enough to eat and might starve to death, and you still want to bring him back to the cave? You, you, you…” Aman’s expression conveyed a mix of disappointment and incredulity, as if saying, “How could you be so foolish? Don’t love too much! You’re love-struck!”

Zhuo Yan could only think:…

Please be a bit more innocent! Our relationship is not at all what you think it is!