Chapter 23

By the moonlight spilling into the cave, Ye Baizhi could see his expression clearly.

He remained silent, and she understood.

Unable to resist, Ye Baizhi reached out and embraced him, resting her head against his chest, deeply inhaling his scent. She felt her heart stir—what should she do?

Xue Youchen gently held her, softly patting her back as if soothing her.

“Don’t worry, take these next few days to recover. I won’t do anything.”

She had been frightened today; all he wanted was for her to rest, to not feel anxious or afraid.

Hearing his reassurance, Ye Baizhi let out a breath of relief. But still—why did she feel a twinge of guilt?

“Alright.”

Once she lay down, Xue Youchen pulled a fur blanket over her. “Sleep.”

“Mm.” Ye Baizhi was truly exhausted. Her use of abilities during the day had drained her, leaving her body weak and uncomfortable. If not for Xue Youchen transferring his energy to her, she might not even have had the strength to stay awake—perhaps she would have already fainted.

Ye Baizhi was never a still sleeper. In the middle of the night, she unconsciously rolled closer, pressing against Xue Youchen’s embrace. Feeling his cool, jade-like warmth, she found it comforting.

Xue Youchen’s eyes carried a hint of amusement—resigned yet indulgent. He simply held her gently, letting her settle into a comfortable position. He had never shared a bed with anyone before. It was never something he considered, assuming he wouldn’t adapt to it or find it natural. Yet now, with her nestled in his arms, the warmth and softness against him made his cold and quiet heart melt—a sensation as if something had finally filled the emptiness within.

For the first time in a long while, Xue Youchen slept well. He was accustomed to waking early, but the person in his arms was still curled against him, fast asleep. He couldn’t bear to wake her—so he remained still.

As the morning light filtered in, Ye Baizhi slowly opened her eyes. When she realized she was clinging to Xue Youchen like an octopus, her face flushed red in an instant. In a flurry of movement, she scrambled out of his embrace.

“Uh… I—I must have done this in my sleep. I didn’t even realize.”

Xue Youchen found her just-woken state endearing—soft, unguarded, almost unintentionally adorable.

“Mm.”

“The morning is still early. Rest a bit longer.”

She was pregnant, after all. More rest would be good for her body.

Ye Baizhi had to admit that Xue Youchen’s voice—low, rich, and magnetic in the quiet morning—was particularly captivating. But she shook her head. “I’m awake now. No more sleeping.”

She had slept soundly—peacefully, perhaps because he had been beside her.

She thought to herself—he gave her a deep sense of security.

After freshening up, Ye Baizhi intended to prepare breakfast, only to find her mother had already done so.

Steamed sweet potatoes and radish meat soup.

After breakfast, Xue Youchen instructed Ye Baizhi to take care of herself while he returned to the Snow Wolf Tribe to handle some matters.

“The issue with the Cat tribe needs to be dealt with. I’ll head back for a bit.”

Anything involving the Demon tribe was no small matter. It meant that demon blood had infiltrated the northern region.

Ye Baizhi understood the gravity of the situation. She nodded seriously. “Don’t worry, I can take care of myself.”

Still, she couldn’t help but look at Xue Youchen with concern. “Be careful.”

“Alright.”

“Do you need me to arrange guards for protection?”

Xue Youchen respected Ye Baizhi’s wishes. Yet he also knew she might not like being followed by Snow Wolves, so he wanted to hear her thoughts first. Besides, he suspected that there were spies within the Snow Wolf Tribe. Otherwise, why had the Cat tribe specifically targeted the Rabbit tribe—right when he had ordered his subordinates away?

That was no coincidence. So he couldn’t simply dispatch too many Snow Wolf guards. It might end up putting her in even greater danger.

Ye Baizhi was not someone who relied on others. Besides, bringing in Snow Wolf guards would be too conspicuous, making life inconvenient for the Rabbit beastmen. “No need. You already took care of the Cat tribe’s ambush yesterday, so no beastmen will dare attack the Rabbit tribe again anytime soon.”

Moreover, defenses within and around the Rabbit tribe had been strengthened—the outer perimeter reinforced. There was no immediate danger. If they faced the Demon tribe, Xue Youchen would need more manpower instead. So Ye Baizhi refused without hesitation.

“Alright.” Xue Youchen had too many things he wanted to say to her. In the end, he simply held her, lowered his head, and kissed her lips.

What was meant to be fleeting—a mere brush—lingered longer than intended. Her taste was too sweet, darkening the emotions in his gaze. But he restrained himself.

After a long moment, Xue Youchen finally released Ye Baizhi, his voice low and husky. “Wait for me obediently.”

“Mm, okay.”

—

Once Xue Youchen left, Ye Baizhi didn’t idle—she prepared to head into the mountains to search for food. Her child was the Snow Wolf Tribe’s prince, destined to bear the weight of responsibility in the northern region. So she felt she should do something—gather more supplies.

Before winter arrived, securing food would ensure the Rabbit tribe’s survival and help Xue Youchen as well. She could feel his kindness toward her. But she wasn’t a parasitic vine, surviving solely by clinging to others. She wanted to contribute.

Ye Lu knew she wasn’t strong enough to help her daughter—only at third-tier strength. For now, she and her eldest brother had decided to stay in the tribe, protecting their people.

After the Cat tribe’s attack the previous day, none of the Rabbit Beastmen were venturing outside. Upon learning that Ye Baizhi was planning to go out, Ye Lu felt uneasy. However, seeing her daughter’s determined expression, she had no choice but to seek out her elder brother.

In the end, it was Ye Shuo—the eldest brother from her uncle’s family—who accompanied her to gather food.

Ye Shuo took charge of protecting her. With his fifth-tier strength, combined with Ye Baizhi’s own abilities, their safety shouldn’t be an issue.

Moreover, Ye Baizhi assured everyone that she would stay close by. This time, she chose to head west—farther from the Cat tribe’s territory, where they were unlikely to encounter any of its beastmen.

Ye Shuo had been in secluded training in recent days, but after the Rabbit tribe was attacked yesterday, he had emerged and decided not to resume his isolation for a while. Looking at his cousin, he couldn’t help but admire her.

“Big brother, I’m troubling you today.”

“Sister, what are you saying? It’s an honor to accompany you.”

“Besides, the family has been eating well recently—all thanks to you.”

He wasn’t naive; he knew exactly what was happening.

As they walked, Ye Baizhi reached into the undergrowth, absorbing traces of wood-type energy. On the way, she spotted some wild hawthorns and jujubes, but she didn’t rush to harvest them. She preferred to search thoroughly for more crucial food sources first. Of course, she also collected a few eggs along the way. Some could be hatched into chicks—hens for laying eggs, roosters for meat once they grew.

By noon, she hadn’t found any particularly significant food sources, so she climbed a tree to survey the area from above.

Ye Shuo saw her preparing to climb and, without a word, took her with him in a single leap to the treetop.

Ye Baizhi marveled, “Big brother is amazing—fifth-tier strength is really something.”

Ye Shuo wouldn’t dare to praise himself. “The Snow Wolf King—that’s the true genius.”

“It’s said that he was born with second-tier strength, and now, at just twenty years old, he has already reached ninth-tier.”

“From the fifth tier onward, every level becomes exponentially harder to cross. Training requires twice, even multiple times the effort, and even then, advancing just one tier is uncertain.”

The Snow Wolf King was the one he truly admired—almost like a divine beast in his eyes. He had once thought he would only hear legends about him, never expecting that one day, the Snow Wolf King would descend from the heavens and arrive at their Rabbit tribe. Even now, it felt like a dream.

Ye Baizhi was well aware—throughout the entire Beast Continent, only a handful had reached ninth-tier strength. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly caught sight of something on a distant hillside.

A patch of soybeans.

Ye Baizhi blinked hard in disbelief, confirming what she saw.

Excitement surged through her.