Chapter 21

Ye Baizhi felt his fingertips brush against her like feathers, leaving her mouth dry. She even felt her face flush slightly.

After wiping her mouth, Xue Youchen moved his fingers, and his water-element power cleansed them again.

As Ye Baizhi regained her senses, she looked at Xue Youchen, pristine as ever, and suddenly recalled the information she had gathered about him before. It was said that he had an extreme cleanliness obsession and valued hygiene above all else. The beastmen under his command had to present themselves impeccably clean before him. Yet, this very man, known for his obsession with cleanliness, had just wiped her lips.

There was an inexplicable sense of being cared for—of being indulged.

No, no… she mustn’t get ahead of herself.

Ye Baizhi quickly pushed the unrealistic thoughts out of her mind. She reasoned that he must be doing this simply out of duty.

Yes, duty!

Xue Youchen finally spoke softly, “If you like snow, I will take you to Snow Valley to see it.”

“There, the snow never melts.”

Ye Baizhi was so stunned by his words that she wondered if her ears were deceiving her. The Snow Wolf King was going to take her to Snow Valley?

That was the territory of the Snow Wolf Tribe, and not just any part—it was a forbidden land. Even the snow wolf beastmen of the clan had no right to set foot there. But she… could go?

Her eyes were bright and expressive, revealing every thought that passed through her mind.

Xue Youchen patiently reiterated, “If you want to go, I will take you.”

Ye Baizhi did want to see it, but reason held her back. She wasn’t strong enough yet, and if she entered Snow Wolf territory, she would surely provoke the jealousy of many female beasts.

“I’m really happy that you’re willing to take me, but let’s go another time.”

“For now, I still want to stay here.”

Xue Youchen did not insist on bringing her back to the Snow Wolf Tribe.

“Mm, if you want to stay here, then I will stay and take care of you.”

“I will carve out a larger cave for you.”

Ye Baizhi thought for a moment and said, “Make one beside this one so I can stay close to my mother and my elder brothers.”

With that, Xue Youchen stepped out.

Seeing him leave, Ye Lu hurried inside to check on her daughter.

“Are you really carrying his child? The Snow Wolf King’s?”

Ye Lu still felt like she was dreaming.

Ye Baizhi nodded. “Mother, it’s absolutely true.”

Ye Lu sighed in amazement. “You’ve really done it!”

She couldn’t believe how silently her daughter had orchestrated such a dramatic turn of events—earning the Snow Wolf King’s favor and even carrying his child. It felt like an instant rise to the top.

Though she had only ever wished for her daughter to live a stable life, being able to connect with Xue Youchen—the Snow Wolf King—was undeniably a fortunate turn.

What an incredible stroke of fate.

Moreover, judging by Xue Youchen’s actions, he seemed determined to take responsibility for her. With him as her protector, no one would dare bully her anymore. Her past reputation no longer mattered.

Ye Baizhi’s lips twitched. She hadn’t expected that after transmigrating, she would end up pregnant from a single encounter.

Ye Lu was still puzzled. “When did you even get together with the Snow Wolf King?”

“He’s the Beast King of the northern region. Countless female beasts have tried various ways to approach him, all to no avail.”

No matter how persistent they were, their methods never worked on him.

Otherwise, the rumors about him being indifferent to females and detesting them wouldn’t have circulated.

Ye Baizhi sighed. “Ah, mother, just stop asking.”

How was she supposed to explain this? It was too embarrassing. Even if it had been her past self who made that choice, now that she had transmigrated, she was the one benefiting from it.

Ye Lu quickly nodded. “Alright, alright, I won’t ask.” For her, whatever her daughter said was what mattered.

“I just wanted to ask… are you going to follow him back to the Snow Wolf Tribe?”

Thinking of that possibility, Ye Lu felt an overwhelming reluctance.

Ye Baizhi replied, “Mother, I’m still staying in the Rabbit Tribe. I’m not going anywhere.”

She didn’t want to go to an unfamiliar environment. She wasn’t strong enough yet, and her reputation preceded her. Even if she went to the Snow Wolf Tribe for the sake of the child, she would still face discrimination. The beast world was rigidly hierarchical, and overcoming those social boundaries was incredibly difficult. It was far better to stay where she felt comfortable. She could build a good life for herself here.

Ye Lu let out a sigh of relief. “If you want to stay in the Rabbit Tribe, then, of course, I’ll take good care of you.”

“You really think things through. If I hadn’t gone to the Central District’s royal city back then, I wouldn’t have…”

She paused. “Forget it, let’s not talk about that.”

Ye Baizhi wanted to ask about the past, but seeing that her mother was unwilling to discuss it, she let the matter drop.

Ye Lu lowered her voice. “Is the Snow Wolf King staying or leaving?”

Ye Baizhi shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Ye Lu considered her daughter’s thoughts. “We’ve hunted quite a lot of prey these past few days, and there’s still plenty left. Let’s invite the Snow Wolf King to stay for a meal.”

“Mother can cook now.”

“What would you like to eat? I’ll make it for you.”

Ever since Ye Lu first tasted Ye Baizhi’s cooking, she had been amazed by how delicious it was. After that, she started learning from her daughter, and now her cooking skills have become quite decent.

Ye Baizhi thought for a moment and said, “Mother, let me do it.”

If Xue Youchen were going to stay for dinner, it would be better if she personally prepared the meal—it would taste better that way.

“How could that be? You’re pregnant,” Ye Lu protested.

“You’re precious now. Once a female beast has a mate, she shouldn’t have to do anything herself.”

Uh… That was indeed how things worked in the beast world. Once a female had a mate, the male did everything—caring for both her and their child. But Ye Baizhi had been raised with the values of the future world, where everything was equal, and arbitrary expectations bound no one.

“Mother, it’s fine. I’ll handle it.”

“Alright, I’ll follow your lead,” Ye Lu agreed.

“Oh, by the way,” she suddenly recalled, “you know how hunting has been so easy for our family and your uncle’s family these past few days? Do you think the Snow Wolf King arranged it?”

She had only just thought of this.

Ye Baizhi’s lips curled slightly, her eyes full of amusement. “Yes, he arranged it. I just asked him.”

Ye Lu suddenly understood. “I knew it! Hunting was unusually effortless. Some of the prey were even injured and practically stumbled into our path. Now I see why.”

“It’s clear that the Snow Wolf King is a good man.”

“He probably knew from the moment you became pregnant. Powerful male beasts can sense the bond of their own bloodline.”

“He must have felt it early on.”

“That’s why he’s been secretly looking after you.”

“It’s fortunate that he arrived in time—otherwise, things could have been dangerous.”

Her daughter’s unborn child was the Snow Wolf King’s—an heir to the northern kingdom. It was a relief that everything was fine.

Ye Baizhi felt a stir in her heart. So, bloodline bonds could be sensed.

No wonder!

The night he had appeared—it probably hadn’t been a coincidence. She had no idea how many days he had been watching over her. And she hadn’t noticed at all.

Now that everything was settled, Ye Baizhi headed to the courtyard to prepare dinner.

As the saying goes, to win someone’s heart, you must first win their stomach. Of course, she had no ambition to win Xue Youchen’s heart. She simply felt that, after everything he had done for her, she should at least show her gratitude.

So, she began cooking, with Ye Lu and Ye Chuan assisting her.

Soon, the rich aroma of food filled the house.

She had also simmered sweet potatoes, made caramelized sweet potatoes, and prepared large chunks of braised pork. She even cooked a pot of soup. There was plenty of food—more than enough for everyone.

The only regret was that there was still no staple food like steamed buns. If she could find wheat, she could make buns, dumplings, noodles, and other dishes.

Ye Baizhi finished preparing the meal but didn’t see Xue Youchen return. Stepping out of the courtyard, she glanced to the side and saw a massive cave. Inside, soft and clean furs had been carefully arranged.

Outside the cave, decorative seashells had been placed, and inside, everything was neatly organized. It looked dreamlike—spacious and comfortable, several times larger than the cave she had previously lived in.

Just as Xue Youchen finished spreading furs over a wooden bed, he seemed to sense movement. He turned to see Ye Baizhi and spoke gently, “Come in and take a look. If there’s anything you want, I’ll arrange it for you.”

It was as if anything she desired, he could provide.