Chapter 22

Ye Baizhi stepped inside, feeling the soft, clean furs beneath her feet—comforting and luxurious. The cave was meticulously maintained, with decorations adorning the walls. The seashells at the entrance were especially extravagant. She knew that the northern region had no seashells—only the eastern and southern coastal areas did. These were rare and expensive. The interior was spotless, spacious, and beautifully arranged. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t moved by it. And he had prepared everything himself. He was the Snow Wolf King—someone who was usually served by others in the Snow Wolf Tribe.

When had he ever personally attended to anyone like this?

“It’s already perfect. I love it,” she said sincerely.

“Thank you.” Her gratitude was genuine.

“This is simply what I should do,” he replied.

“If you like it here, we’ll stay. If you want to go to the Snow Wolf Tribe, I will take you there.”

As a mate, this was simply his duty. Yet, seeing Ye Baizhi’s expression of gratitude made Xue Youchen’s heart stir ever so slightly. In a fleeting moment, he recalled countless interactions between female beasts and their mates. It was always expected that the mate would care for his partner, and the female beasts accepted it as a given. Many would nitpick or complain about the things their mates did.

Gratitude? He had rarely—if ever—seen a female beast truly grateful for her mate’s care.

Ye Baizhi smiled playfully. “There’s no such thing as what one should or shouldn’t do.”

“You’ve been good to me, and I can feel it. Thank you.”

“For now, I’d like to stay with the Rabbit Tribe.”

“If you wish to return to the Snow Wolf Tribe, you can.”

She wouldn’t restrict Xue Youchen’s freedom. However, once the child was born, if he needed to bring their offspring back to the Snow Wolf Tribe, she wouldn’t stop him. After all, the child would receive better training and grow stronger within the Snow Wolf Tribe.

“Oh, and I made dinner myself tonight. You should try my cooking.” Ye Baizhi was someone who repaid kindness with kindness—just as she returned hostility with twice the force.

Xue Youchen met her gaze, and his deep, dark eyes rippled with a quiet warmth—clear and gentle, like orchids under the moon.

He thought to himself—her eyes were stunning, lively as if they could speak. Perhaps it was those eyes that had captivated him from the very beginning.

Ye Baizhi gazed at Xue Youchen as well, unable to deny that simply standing there, he was like a living masterpiece—elegant and poetic, like spring rain drifting over apricot blossoms.

Though he seemed out of place in the Rabbit Tribe’s territory, his presence alone made the entire cave glow with grandeur.

Xue Youchen spoke with quiet grace. “Alright.”

He hadn’t expected her to cook for him personally.

When Ye Baizhi brought Xue Youchen to the neighboring courtyard for dinner, the whole family gathered around the table.

Ye Lu and Ye Chuan looked at Xue Youchen—so composed and refined, calm like flowing rivers—and were struck by his remarkable presence. Even they couldn’t help but adjust their manners, realizing they had to eat more gracefully. Though the braised pork was incredibly delicious and they were tempted to devour it greedily, they restrained themselves.

Ye Baizhi ladled a bowl of soup for Xue Youchen, then took a wooden bowl and filled it with generous portions of braised pork and caramelized sweet potatoes.

“Go on, eat!”

Xue Youchen looked down at the food—knowing it was prepared by her, knowing she had picked out portions for him. His heart stirred intensely. The cold strings of his emotions, untouched for so long, felt as if they had been plucked, suddenly softening beyond recognition. His throat moved as he swallowed back a wave of emotion, his voice low and steady. “Alright.”

Xue Youchen ate with elegance. With the first bite, a flicker of surprise appeared in his eyes. The taste—unexpectedly exquisite.

“How is it?” Ye Baizhi blinked at him expectantly.

She knew that, as the Snow Wolf King, he must have tasted countless exquisite dishes. But she still wanted to hear his opinion.

Looking into her eyes, Xue Youchen’s expression softened with indulgent warmth. His gaze was gentle, like flowing water. “It’s excellent.”

Hearing those words, Ye Baizhi brightened with joy.

“You’ve had a long day—eat more.”

There was plenty of food, enough for everyone.

Xue Youchen had assumed he would be the one taking care of Ye Baizhi. Yet, somehow, it had turned the other way around—she was caring for him. A quiet warmth spread through his heart, filling him entirely.

Such an extraordinary woman—he couldn’t understand how the Beast Emperor had ever let her go.

Food had never been a priority for Xue Youchen. With his strength, he often relied on elixirs or spiritual herbs rather than meals. But the flavors that met his tongue now showed him what true delicacy meant. Without realizing it, he ate more than he expected.

After dinner, Xue Youchen wanted to clean up the dishes.

Ye Lu and Ye Chuan wouldn’t dare let him actually do it, so they quickly gathered everything up, not allowing Xue Youchen to lift a finger.

…

After dinner and freshening up, Ye Baizhi and Xue Youchen headed to the nearby cave. Although they had already shared intimacy, sitting on the bed in the cave at this moment, Ye Baizhi still felt somewhat unprepared. But they had a child now, and Xue Youchen was still her beast husband—she shouldn’t be so hesitant.

Besides, with such breathtaking beauty before her, just looking at him was pleasing enough.

Let alone anything else.

And that night, he had proven himself to be quite capable, while she had been unable to keep up, eventually begging for mercy through tears.

Unbidden, the memories surfaced, making Ye Baizhi’s face flush with heat, her body warming as well.

Fortunately, Xue Youchen carried a naturally cool, snow-like aura. Not only was his scent pleasant, but just being close to him felt incredibly soothing. She knew that in the beast world, beastmen had unique physiques—pregnancy and intimacy actually benefited the body rather than harming it. His immense strength would calm her.

Taking a few deep breaths, she moved further onto the bed, blinking up at Xue Youchen. “Let’s sleep.”

Xue Youchen sat at the edge of the bed, lowering his gaze to look at Ye Baizhi.

Just his gaze on her was enough to leave Ye Baizhi feeling parched. But she had to admit—the bed was spacious, covered in clean furs that smelled pleasant and felt incredibly comfortable, unlike a stone bed, which was rough and unforgiving.

“Are you nervous? Afraid?” Xue Youchen only needed a single glance to see her unease. So where had she found the courage that night to slip him a seduction potion?

Afraid? What a joke!

Ye Baizhi felt as if he was laughing at her, so she sat up straight and stubbornly said, “I’m not!”

Xue Youchen raised an eyebrow, looking at her with an amused expression, but he didn’t call her out on it. Instead, he extended a hand and said in a warm voice, “Come here.”

Ye Baizhi thought he was about to start something…

Determined to prove she wasn’t nervous or afraid, she moved closer to him and reached out to hug him.

Xue Youchen let her hold him but simply took out a comb and began gently brushing her hair, his movements light and tender. “Your hair is still damp. Sleeping like this might give you a headache.”

As his hand rested on her hair, a wave of warmth spread through it.

Gradually, Ye Baizhi’s hair dried. Even her agitation had dried up.

Ye Baizhi thought this ability was truly remarkable. There were no hairdryers here, so once she washed her hair, she had no choice but to sleep with it still damp. But if she ever bathed in her beast form, her fur could be dried just like this—how comfortable that would be. She wouldn’t have to worry about the lack of a hairdryer in winter.

“Wait, that’s not right. You have ice and water-based power, so how can you dry my hair?”

Xue Youchen remained silent, naturally aware that using such warmth would weaken his own ice-water abilities. But as long as he could take care of her, such things didn’t matter.