Chapter 17

Ye Dashan was overwhelmed with a mix of emotions—excitement, anxiety, and intense tension. He paced back and forth inside the room, his mind blank, unsure of what to do.

Zhu Min, rarely seeing him in such a state, spoke up. “Didn’t you just reassure the tribe? What are you worrying about?”

Ye Dashan let out a deep breath. “Tell me—how did that girl, Ye Baizhi, end up getting involved with the Snow Wolf King?”

“The Snow Wolf King! He’s the ruler of the Northern Region, a beast king we could never even dream of approaching!”

“So many noble female beasts have tried to marry him, but none have ever succeeded. He seems uninterested in any of them, as if untouched by worldly desires.”

“He has only ever existed in legend. And now—not only have I met him, but my sister’s daughter is carrying his child. It feels like a dream!”

Even now, Ye Dashan wasn’t sure if he was hallucinating.

“Though I’ve always thought Baizhi was amazing, others don’t know her like I do. And with all the rumors about her past… well, they weren’t flattering.”

“They say she failed the adulthood test stone—that it didn’t react at all. But now, she’s carrying the beast king’s child. That proves the test stone was useless!”

Zhu Min, though still struggling to believe it, felt exhilarated.

“No matter what, now that Baizhi has the Snow Wolf King’s child, she will be under his protection. No one will dare harm her ever again.”

“Even our Rabbit Tribe will benefit from this.”

“But Baizhi didn’t even know she was pregnant, and we, as her elders, overlooked it. Thankfully, everything turned out fine.”

Zhu Min shuddered at the thought.

“The cat tribe is treacherous. They schemed against our Rabbit Tribe—but in the end, it was Baizhi who saved us.”

“This child feels like a blessing.”

Zhu Min understood clearly—if not for Ye Baizhi, Xue Youchen would never have appeared.

The cat tribe had plotted against them for so long. Without intervention, survival would have been uncertain. So, when Zhu Min saw Ye Dashan return safely, he felt nothing but deep gratitude.

“The situation was perilous. The cat tribe sent numerous powerful warriors to ambush us, attempting to assassinate our people. Thankfully, the Beast King arrived in time and wiped them out effortlessly.”

“It was a close call.”

Had things played out differently, the consequences would have been disastrous. Everyone in the Rabbit Tribe still carried lingering fear. But one undeniable truth remained—Ye Baizhi had saved them all.

Meanwhile, Ye Shuo was busy crushing herbs and preparing a medicinal paste for his father. “Dad, apply this to your wounds. It’ll help.”

Ye Dashan waved it off. “I’m fine. The Snow Wolf King gave me a healing pill earlier. After taking it, my internal injuries were completely healed—only minor external wounds remain, but they’re nothing serious.”

Such generosity from the ruler of the Northern Region—the pills were undoubtedly rare and precious. And he had even given one to his sister, Ye Lu. Thankfully, she was unscathed as well.

Zhu Min suddenly recalled something and said, “I heard that the Beast King, the Snow Wolf King, was injured during the Monster War. Plus, with his naturally ice-cold physique and astonishing talents, isn’t it difficult for him to father offspring?”

So how was it that Ye Baizhi so easily conceived his child?

Ye Dashan replied, “Who can say for sure? Maybe Baizhi will gain prestige because of this.”

At that moment, both Ye Dashan and Zhu Min believed that Ye Baizhi was receiving special attention from the Snow Wolf King simply because she was carrying his child.

However, once the child is born, the Beast King might not continue to care for her. This wasn’t just their own thoughts—it was something commonly acknowledged. The difference in status and ability was too vast; it was a reality they couldn’t ignore. Even if they wished for something more, it seemed far-fetched.

Ye Dashan considered that his niece might have the chance to live a better life in the Snow Wolf Tribe. But that would depend on whether the Snow Wolf King was willing to take her back with him. After all, so many female beasts—each stunning in their own way—had failed to catch his attention.

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Inside the cave.

Ye Baizhi sat on the stone bed, leaning against the headrest, gazing at Xue Youchen seated beside her. She couldn’t help but feel that this cave was too simple. With his noble aura, Xue Youchen didn’t quite belong in such a place. Having him here almost felt like she was inconveniencing him. Yet, Xue Youchen showed no sign of discomfort. Lowering his gaze to her, he asked in a calm voice, “Are you still feeling unwell anywhere?”

Ye Baizhi shook her head. “No, I’m much better now.”

She could feel the effects of the spirit pill Xue Youchen had given her—her body felt comfortable, with no lingering pain from backlash. She was still weak, but that was simply the result of forcefully absorbing the energy from surrounding plants.

Normally, she would have lost consciousness. But now, she was merely fatigued, which was already a great improvement.

Moreover, he had infused her with an incredible amount of energy. Such power was precious among beasts. Yet he had transferred it to her without hesitation.

Despite his cold demeanor, there was a quiet gentleness about him. His gaze, too, carried a hint of concern. Of course, Ye Baizhi told herself not to overthink it—he was only treating her this way because she was carrying his child.

“Are you hungry? Do you want to eat anything?”

It seemed as though whatever she requested, he would ensure she had it.

Ye Baizhi had taken the spirit pill and felt her body replenished—she wasn’t hungry anymore. She shook her head. “I’m not hungry right now.”

“…And, thank you for saving the Rabbit Tribe.”

Xue Youchen’s voice was calm and smooth. “It was necessary.”

Ye Baizhi struggled to read his thoughts. She tried to find something to talk about but didn’t know where to start.

When she looked up at Xue Youchen, locking eyes with him, it felt like his breathtaking gaze could swallow her whole—her heartbeat quickened uncontrollably.

She had to admit that Xue Youchen carried a natural allure. When he focused his gaze on someone, it was almost impossibly captivating.

Ye Baizhi felt her heart tremble. Lowering her head slightly, she murmured, “That night—I didn’t do it on purpose.”

The moment the words left her lips, she wished she could bite off her own tongue. Who would believe that?

She had been the one to use the aphrodisiac.

Even though it was her past self, she had crossed over into this body—so now, ‘she’ was responsible.

Xue Youchen didn’t answer her words. Instead, his voice remained calm as he asked, “Why did you run?”

Ah!

Ye Baizhi instantly lifted her head.

Why did she run? She suddenly felt like his gaze had completely locked onto her.

“I… I didn’t run!” Yet even saying those words, she felt guilty. She barely dared to meet Xue Youchen’s gaze.

He studied her carefully, his unperturbed voice dipping lower. “Are you afraid of me?”

Ye Baizhi felt his tone was both gentle and laced with danger. Her instincts for sensing threats were sharp. She knew that, if he so desired, crushing her—or even obliterating the Rabbit Tribe—would be effortless.

His mesmerizing gaze held her captive, the chill in his aura sealing her in place.

Her eyelashes trembled under his scrutiny. His stare carried an inexplicable, enchanting energy that left her defenseless. Her voice softened instinctively as she whispered, “No.”

“You are the Beast King… and I’m just a low-ranked rabbit beast. I… I thought that after what happened between us, you’d be angry.”

“So I wondered if avoiding you completely might make this whole situation disappear.”

“I didn’t even know about the child at first.”

She was trying to explain—trying to say she hadn’t intentionally used the baby as leverage. Her past self had wanted to secure status, but truthfully, she had never meant to scheme against Xue Youchen. She simply wanted to live peacefully with her family. But her thoughts had been too simple. Since arriving in this world, her abilities had reset to their most basic form. The cat tribe had tried to destroy her, her tribe, and her loved ones. She hadn’t even been strong enough to protect them.

Of course, she hadn’t realized that when she softened her voice, it carried a faint, almost pleading tone. As if… she were unconsciously leaning into something akin to coaxing.