Chapter 34

Ye Baizhi spoke as she gathered the dried sweet potato vermicelli.

Xue Youchen watched her, unable to look away. His Ah Zhi was like sunlight, carrying a vibrant warmth that touched every beastman around her. Anyone else who had endured what she had might have long succumbed to bitterness and darkness. Yet she remained bright, full of life.

Noticing that Xue Youchen hadn’t spoken, Ye Baizhi put down the vermicelli and blinked. “Xue Youchen, I’m talking to you—why aren’t you saying anything or responding?”

As she turned to him, Xue Youchen’s cool gaze softened, rippling with gentle tenderness—so much so that it seemed like it could melt into water. He chuckled and replied in a warm voice, “I’m listening to you.”

A light breeze carried a falling leaf, landing on Ye Baizhi’s head. Xue Youchen reached out, gently brushing it away. At the same time, he smoothed a stray strand of her wind-tousled hair with careful hands.

Ye Baizhi looked at him, her eyes curving, her smile radiant and pure. Her long lashes fluttered, casting layer upon layer of golden sunlight—spilling into Xue Youchen’s heart.

Xue Youchen’s gaze grew even softer. Even with a lingering tenderness in his eyes, he remained restrained as he approached her.

Ye Baizhi looked up at him—composed, noble, and disciplined. Something crossed her mind, and she deliberately asked, “Xue Youchen, even if you do nothing, many female beasts would still be enchanted by you, wouldn’t they?”

“You say you’ve become my beast husband, but if one after another comes to envy me, what should I do?”

Hearing her words, Xue Youchen’s expression grew serious. He responded solemnly, “Come back with me to the Snow Wolf Tribe. We will hold a bond-forging ceremony, a sacred ritual to declare our union to the world. Anyone who dares to harm you will be an enemy of the Snow Wolf Tribe—an unending feud until death.”

Ye Baizhi was stunned. She had only been joking, testing Xue Youchen, never expecting him to respond so earnestly.

“No, there’s no need for that. This is good enough.” She didn’t want to be so high-profile, bound to the Snow Wolf Tribe like someone who had lost their freedom. Besides, open threats were easier to evade, but hidden dangers were far trickier. Most importantly, she had to rely on herself.

“But still—thank you.” She could feel his care and devotion toward her.

“Ah Zhi, I don’t want a thank you.”

Ye Baizhi blinked, then rose on her tiptoes, pressing her lips lightly against his cheek.

“Does this count as gratitude?”

The cool air around Xue Youchen seemed to shift in an instant, and his gentle, picturesque eyes darkened.

“Ah Zhi, not enough!”

With that, he pulled Ye Baizhi into his arms, tightening his embrace. Then he lowered his head and kissed her, stealing her breath in an instant. His presence carried an undeniable air of dominance, claiming her with unwavering intensity. The cool, dark fragrance surrounding him wrapped around her, enclosing her completely. The once-detached, restrained gaze had shed its former chill—in its place, a commanding and possessive fire.

Ye Baizhi clutched tightly at Xue Youchen’s clothing, her eyes shimmering, her brows tinged with allure. Her body slowly melted, tingling with warmth. Her mind was utterly blank. A soft murmur escaped her lips. In the end, she couldn’t resist—her hands reached up, clasping around his neck, surrendering to the depths of his embrace.

A powerful sensation spread from her lips and teeth, coursing through every inch of her body. This… this was the aura of the Snow Wolf King?

At that moment, Ye Baizhi’s heart pounded like a drum.

After a long while, Xue Youchen finally loosened his grip ever so slightly. His lips brushed against the corner of hers before trailing downward, lingering at her neck. His breath swept over her ear, husky and intoxicating. “Ah Zhi, shall we return to the cave?”

The heat of his breath wrapped around her neck, leaving her utterly defenseless. If they returned to the cave, she knew what it would mean.

He always carried an air of detached nobility, as if untouched by worldly desires—but when it truly came to that moment, even she struggled to endure. She figured she wouldn’t be leaving at all tonight.

Snapping back to reality, Ye Baizhi swallowed, steadied herself, and said, “Mother and brother will be back soon.”

“Let’s have dinner first, alright?”

As her beast husband, Xue Youchen was so powerful and breathtakingly beautiful—she had no reason to refuse him. Besides, beastmen in this world seemed to be particularly sensitive. Ever since that night with Xue Youchen, even the slightest touch or proximity from him stirred something uncontrollable within her. Perhaps, she thought, beastmen truly had unique bodies. Especially now that she was pregnant, it felt as if she needed his presence more than ever to soothe the aura surrounding her.

Some things were simply inevitable—but at the very least, they could eat dinner first!

Ye Baizhi gently tugged at his sleeve, her voice soft and sweet. “I want to make you some sweet potato vermicelli to try.”

Her voice was already a little hoarse, and now, lowered to a whisper, it carried a delicate, coquettish lilt.

Xue Youchen’s heart melted completely. At this moment, even if she asked for the stars in the sky, he would find a way to bring them to her.

He suppressed the waves rising within him and said gently, “Alright, whatever you say.”

Ye Baizhi let out a quiet breath of relief.

“Once I finish, you’ll see—it tastes really good.”

It was just a shame that she hadn’t found any chili peppers yet. Perhaps she had been staying too close to the tribe these past few days. If she ventured further, maybe she would discover some. With chili peppers, she could make all kinds of spicy seasonings—for cooking, for stews, for soups—they made everything more flavorful. But the beastmen here had probably never eaten anything spicy. She wasn’t sure if they could handle it.

Still, she loved spicy food. Especially in winter, dipping meat into a spicy broth made her feel warm all over.

With that thought, Ye Baizhi busied herself with preparations.

Xue Youchen watched her bustling about and said, “Let me help.”

“It’s alright, making vermicelli soup is easy.”

“I’ll start with shredded radish pancakes—made from radish shreds and starch. They go well with vermicelli soup.”

Ye Baizhi soaked the sweet potato vermicelli in water before preparing the pancakes.

Xue Youchen assisted her by tending to the fire. Watching him, Ye Baizhi couldn’t help but think that someone as refined and ethereal as him seemed almost wasted on such a task. Yet, he insisted, so she didn’t refuse. Even while stoking the flames, his noble aura remained undeniable.

Once the radish pancakes were ready, she set them aside to cool—they were too hot straight out of the pan.

Next, she fried tofu to make crispy tofu puffs. After that, she stir-fried some soybeans and tore a few clean cabbage leaves. These would serve as additional ingredients. She also sliced some duck blood. Then, she brought out several large bowls, adding a little lemon juice to each.

Lemon juice could act as a vinegar-based seasoning.

Finally, she retrieved the broth she had simmered earlier in the afternoon.

Once her mother and brother returned, she could simply cook the vermicelli in the bone broth and add the prepared ingredients.

“Brother Ye Shuo specially made these large bowls to serve the soup.”

Xue Youchen could see it—when she prepared food, she seemed to radiate a soft, mesmerizing glow. And these dishes—none of them had ever been seen in other regions. Even the shredded radish pancakes were unheard of.

Ye Baizhi noticed Xue Youchen hesitating, so she picked up a small piece with her chopsticks and took a bite. “See? I’m eating it—it’s fine.”

Xue Youchen let out a quiet sigh and explained, “Ah Zhi, I’m not doubting you.”

“The Northern Region has always been considered resource-poor, yet the food you’ve found doesn’t exist anywhere else.”

The implications were clear. His Ah Zhi knew so much—wrapped in layers of mystery. None of it aligned with the information gathered about her.