Chapter 18

After speaking, Ye Baizhi felt the air around her grow colder, the atmosphere thick with danger.

“What did you think?”

“Erase everything?”

“Flirt and run? Use and discard?”

She had provoked him—only to act as if nothing had happened.

Xue Youchen’s voice turned frigid. His icy gaze locked onto her, carrying a depth that flickered between light and shadow—both seductive and lethal. The chilling energy he radiated surged forward, sharp and biting. It felt as though it could pierce straight into her very core.

From the sheer pressure of his aura alone, Ye Baizhi realized—he was furious. His words made it seem as though she had been utterly irresponsible.

…Oh.

Ye Baizhi suddenly remembered—this was the Beast World. If a female beast lay with a male and then disappeared completely, it was considered deeply irresponsible. Many values from her past life had been completely reversed here. She had instinctively assumed that, as the Snow Wolf King, Xue Youchen wouldn’t care—wouldn’t want her to take responsibility, would rather have her disappear completely.

But… that didn’t seem to be the case.

Her gaze darted away, hesitant to meet his. She forced out a weak excuse, “I-I wasn’t running. I just didn’t come home for a night and worried my mother would be anxious, so I hurried back to check on them.”

Ye Baizhi felt incredibly guilty—her explanation was flimsy at best.

Xue Youchen raised an eyebrow but didn’t expose her lie. Instead, he smirked slightly, his voice laced with quiet amusement. “And after you checked on them?”

Ye Baizhi braced herself, continuing weakly, “You’re the Snow Wolf King—the Beast King of the Northern Region. No matter what, you wouldn’t look twice at someone like me, a lowly rabbit beast.”

“Besides, my reputation isn’t great.”

“So naturally, I didn’t dare expect anything.”

Xue Youchen’s voice dipped lower. “Since you know who I am, then you must also understand—once you provoke me, you don’t get to pretend it never happened.”

Ye Baizhi felt her survival instincts kicking in—of course, she knew he was Xue Youchen. No matter how things played out, she wouldn’t be at a loss.

“Uh… I can make it up to you!”

As she spoke, she reached out, lightly tugging at his sleeve. “What do you want?”

There had to be conditions—right? But what did he want?

Since she was carrying his child, surely he wouldn’t do anything to her now. Yet once the baby was born, he wouldn’t have any reason to hold back—if he wanted revenge, she wouldn’t be able to stop him.

She wasn’t afraid for herself—but she was worried for the Rabbit Tribe.

Xue Youchen watched her closely, his gaze like a vortex, threatening to swallow her whole.

Ye Baizhi suddenly felt her mouth go dry. Just his gaze alone made her entire body feel weak. She swallowed hard, her voice softer now. “…Do you want the child?”

She knew that, in the Beast World, fathers were the ones who raised, protected, and guided their offspring to grow stronger. Mothers merely nurtured them in the womb.

Xue Youchen reached out, gently brushing her hair aside. His fingers traced along her lips, his eyes carrying an undeniable claim. At that moment, the aura radiating from him was absolute—impossible to refuse.

His arms encircled her. And then he kissed her.

Ye Baizhi’s body trembled violently. Memories of that night came rushing back into her mind. She realized—her body wasn’t resisting him at all. Instead, it was instinctively responding to him, her limbs tingling as if electrified. She didn’t know if it was because she had been reincarnated into a beastwoman with an altered physiology—or if it was something else. Either way, she was completely overwhelmed.

His kiss began softly, then deepened gradually, stealing the breath between them.

Xue Youchen’s eyes darkened further. The storm inside him swelled—only by doing this could he settle the emotions surging within. At this moment, the once-cool depths of his gaze had transformed into an uncontainable tidal wave.

Ye Baizhi shuddered, her hands gripping tightly onto his robes.

Time passed—only after a while did Xue Youchen finally release her.

By then, Ye Baizhi had melted completely. She slumped against Xue Youchen’s chest, breathless, her body limp.

Xue Youchen held her close, gently stroking her long hair before leaning down to whisper near her ear, “I want you.”

“You can’t run. You can’t hide. You provoked me, and you don’t get to act like nothing happened.”

“From now on, I am your beast husband.”

He wanted her—all of her.

Ye Baizhi’s heart trembled violently at those domineering words. How could someone so cold and distant say something so possessive?

A beast husband? Xue Youchen—the Snow Wolf King—becomes her beast husband?

It was something she had never dared to imagine. She also knew that, against such overwhelming strength, any attempt to resist would be meaningless.

Still, having Xue Youchen as her beast husband wasn’t a bad deal. But then she suddenly thought of something.

“You can’t be involved with the cat tribe’s Kasai,” she declared.

She had to avenge her brother—she refused to let Kasai latch onto Xue Youchen. If Kasai truly secured his support, with the Snow Wolf Tribe backing her, avenging her brother would become nearly impossible.

Hearing this, a subtle shift flickered across Xue Youchen’s gaze, his icy eyes softening slightly. He lowered his head to look at her, a gentle glimmer sweeping through his expression—like moonlight rippling across a deep lake, forming delicate waves. His aura mellowed.

As if indulging her, he murmured, “There is no other female beast.”

“There is no one else—only you.”

“If she makes you unhappy, then I’ll destroy her.”

Xue Youchen spoke these words as if they were the simplest thing in the world.

“Or even wipe out the entire cat tribe.”

“As long as it pleases you.”

Ye Baizhi’s heart trembled violently. She looked at Xue Youchen, locking onto his calm yet distant gaze—realizing he meant it. She knew better than to challenge the Snow Wolf King.

“It’s fine. I’ll handle it myself.”

She was not someone who relied on others. If she became dependent, she feared she might lose herself entirely. And now, with Xue Youchen’s presence, none of the feline beasts dared to make a move against the Rabbit Tribe. This was the perfect opportunity for her to avenge her brother.

“Alright.”

Ye Baizhi blinked in surprise. She had expected to give a long explanation—yet all she had to do was say it, and he agreed. It felt like he truly respected and supported her choices. This realization sent an unfamiliar warmth through her chest. This feeling was unexpectedly comforting for Ye Baizhi.

Even now, Xue Youchen kept one hand wrapped gently around her, his fingers lightly stroking her hair and back—helping to steady her breathing. Each breath she took was filled with the cool, soothing scent of him. It was refreshing, even addictive.

Still, Ye Baizhi kept her mind clear. She steadied herself, focusing her breath before asking, “That night—was it you who brought the chestnuts?”

“Mm. You like them, so I can bring more.”

“No need. Those were enough.”

Her home was small—too much food would be difficult to store. And she wasn’t willing to reveal her spatial ability.

“And my mother and uncle—they’ve been hunting more successfully lately. Was that your arrangement too?”

“Mm.”

He had instructed his men to assist—but had been occupied with other matters for the past two days, recalling them temporarily. Yet, in those two days, the unexpected happened.

A dangerous glint flickered across Xue Youchen’s eyes.