Chapter 18

In the past few days, Zhuo Yan had been in great spirits. Ever since Sister Qiao and Aman visited, he felt uplifted, not just because he had meat to eat, but his mood was high every day. On this particular day, he had boiled a pot of snow water, cleaned A-Yin, and taken a bath himself, even carefully grooming his hair.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been a bit scruffy. I need to perk up a bit. Even at home, I should keep things clean,” Zhuo Yan thought as he held A-Yin close to the fire, warming himself.

A-Yin lifted his head to look at his brother, and Zhuo Yan affectionately ruffled his ears. A-Yin was thrilled and let out a happy howl. Zhuo Yan felt a surge of joy and instinctively leaned down to give A-Yin’s head a gentle kiss. He noticed A-Yin freeze for a moment at the unexpected affection.

“What’s wrong—”

Before he could finish his sentence, A-Yin cautiously extended his tongue and gave a tentative lick to Zhuo Yan’s chin. This time, it was Zhuo Yan who was taken aback. However, when he looked into A-Yin’s bright blue eyes, which radiated pure joy, he thought about it and decided it wasn’t a big deal after all.

He used to kiss his grandchildren as well. The little ones were quite mischievous, always climbing onto his head and playfully “milking” him, sticking out their tongues to lick him repeatedly.

Seeing that his brother wasn’t angry, A-Yin smiled happily.

“What are you, a little dog?” Zhuo Yan joked, affectionately rubbing A-Yin’s ears.

A-Yin let out low howls, which, if there were any beastmen around, would undoubtedly leave them speechless. What he meant was: I’m just the little dog of my brother.

If his brother liked little dogs, then A-Yin would be his brother’s little dog.

Whatever his brother liked, A-Yin would embody that.

Zhuo Yan didn’t understand a word of it; otherwise, he might reflect on his actions and his approach to raising A-Yin—after all, it made him sound a bit weird.

But for now, the man and the leopard were happily engaged in their own conversation, despite the differences.

This happiness lasted until a few days later when Zhuo Yan woke up to find that the fresh snow had piled back up to his chest. He simply sighed as he watched the snow continue to drift in. “I thought the blizzard was fading; the temperature was rising day by day. I didn’t expect it to get cold again.”

A-Yin had already picked up a wooden shovel and rushed over to his brother’s side.

“Let’s get to work; we can add a little more to our meal at noon,” Zhuo Yan said, not letting the relentless bad weather dampen his spirits. After his brief complaint, he got right back to work.

Time always marches on, and winter will eventually come to an end.

On this particular day, Zhuo Yan roasted some lean meat and made a pot of fish soup. He and A-Yin enjoyed a hearty meal together. In the past, after a meal like this, he would have extinguished the fire and taken a nap on the bed, or perhaps crafted some tools. However, he had already used up most of the wood in the house, leaving him with little to work on.

Sleeping all day long had become rather dull.

“A-Yin, come here.”

A-Yin scampered over excitedly and squatted down in front of his brother. Zhuo Yan picked up a round wooden block and some small sticks. “Let’s play a game! I’ll teach you.”

“Aw-woo!” A-Yin nodded eagerly, ready to listen to his brother.

Zhuo Yan explained, “I’ll use the stick, and you’ll be the block. I’ll give you these five pieces. The first one to connect them in a line wins.” It was a simple version of Five in a Row.

He drew a grid in the dirt and demonstrated the rules to A-Yin.

“Do you understand now?”

A-Yin focused intently on the grid, listening carefully and nodding vigorously as he let out a soft “Aw-woo.” Zhuo Yan smiled and said, “Then I’ll go first.”

During the first round, Zhuo Yan played slowly, waiting for A-Yin to catch up. Since there were only five pieces total, he kept the difficulty level low, simply aiming for a straight line. When he completed his first line, he noticed the expression in A-Yin’s eyes—a mix of surprise and delight that seemed to say, “Wow, my brother is so smart and capable!”

Zhuo Yan thought to himself: …Heh heh heh, it’s a little shameless, but it feels pretty good.

“A-Yin, it’s your turn now.”

In the second round, Zhuo Yan won again, but he realized A-Yin was quite clever. This time, A-Yin understood how to block his moves. In the third round, Zhuo Yan emerged victorious once more, but A-Yin didn’t seem bored at all. Instead, each time Zhuo Yan won, A-Yin would look up at him with a joyful expression, as if to say, “My brother is amazing!”

Zhuo Yan felt a warm sensation in his heart.

“A-Yin, if you win…” he began, contemplating the stakes. A-Yin’s fluffy ears perked up, and he attentively gazed at his brother, tilting his head slightly in curiosity. Zhuo Yan considered the “bet” carefully. “I’ll give you an extra meal tonight—a big piece of roasted meat.”

However, A-Yin didn’t seem particularly excited about this wager. He merely stared back at Zhuo Yan with a calm demeanor, as if contemplating the proposition.

Zhuo Yan couldn’t hold back his laughter anymore. They spent a joyful afternoon playing this silly little game. Whenever A-Yin won, Zhuo Yan would reach out to pat A-Yin’s ears and praise him, saying things like, “You’re so clever!” “A-Yin, you’re amazing!” “You won!”

A-Yin would happily run over, burying his head into his brother’s embrace and nuzzling against him.

It was another delightful day.

Eventually, their playful antics left them hungry. Zhuo Yan sensed that it must be around “evening” by now. He decided to prepare a pot of fish soup and roast some meat. As he was about to place the roasted meat in A-Yin’s bowl, A-Yin nudged his hand with his nose, a look of eagerness on his face that seemed to say, “Brother, you eat! You eat!”

“All right, let’s share it together,” Zhuo Yan replied with a chuckle.

In response, A-Yin happily stuck out his tongue and gave Zhuo Yan a lick. Zhuo Yan thought to himself, I never corrected this habit of his. Is it too late to bring it up now? After all, A-Yin just wants to enjoy the roasted meat with me…

So he decided to let go of the issue about A-Yin’s licking habit for the moment.

Days like this continued until the sixtieth day. Winter had already lasted two months. The relentless cold and accumulating snow had gradually receded down to waist height, then to the thighs, and finally down to the calves. A couple of days later, the skies cleared, and the sun broke through the clouds, reminiscent of the snowy days of the first month.

Zhuo Yan felt that the temperature was even lower than before; after all, a month of blizzards was no joke.

However, having been cooped up inside the cave for a full month, he was beginning to feel an itch to get outside for some fresh air. He had already prepared an excuse—he needed to take that bucket of fish entrails outside, which was frozen solid, to use as bait for traps.

“A-Yin, I’m going outside. I’ll be back soon,” Zhuo Yan said as he slung the wicker basket over his shoulder and picked up the bucket. However, he was immediately blocked in his path by A-Yin.

A-Yin was crouched on the ground, his front paw reaching up to tug at the skin of Zhuo Yan’s clothing.

“You’re still weak…” Zhuo Yan hesitated, but before he could finish his sentence, A-Yin playfully stuck out his tongue and nuzzled against him. The height difference made things a bit awkward—Zhuo Yan was standing while A-Yin was squatting, so when A-Yin lunged to rub against him, it became a bit uncomfortable.

Fortunately, the layer of clothing provided some protection—thank goodness for that.

“Okay, okay, let’s go together. Just stop for a moment,” Zhuo Yan said, feeling a bit sweaty from the awkwardness.

A-Yin was thrilled and immediately halted, wagging his tail excitedly around Zhuo Yan. Zhuo Yan let out a sigh of relief. “Let’s go, let’s go.” He didn’t want to waste any more time.

After closing the cave door behind him, Zhuo Yan stepped outside, with A-Yin running ahead. A short while later, A-Yin returned, making soft whimpering sounds as he nudged Zhuo Yan’s hand, which was holding the bucket. Zhuo Yan reassured him, “It’s fine, I can carry it. This bucket is heavy because it’s filled with stuff, and you’re still small. You need to protect your teeth.”

Zhuo Yan thought to himself that using A-Yin was not merely for show.

He hoped that A-Yin would grow to be a magnificent creature, with a mouth full of sharp teeth. They had started by raising chickens, and if they could eventually eat some wild boars or white-horned cattle, that would be even better.

A-Yin listened to his brother’s words, dashing ahead to clear the way before running back to wait for him.

The two quickly made their way down to the riverside. The grassy patch that had been bent under the weight of the snow was now completely hidden, covered in a thick layer of white. The surface of the river was equally indistinguishable, a vast expanse of whiteness.

Zhuo Yan realized that trying to break the ice to catch fish would be impossible now.

“I wonder if the fish can survive under the ice without any oxygen,” Zhuo Yan mused. Reflecting on the winter, he realized that he had made two correct choices this season. The first was obviously bringing A-Yin home; the second was his determination to catch fish that day.

Zhuo Yan found nothing, but he didn’t feel discouraged. Just being outside in the fresh air made him quite happy; he didn’t mind the cold at all. He took the fish guts from the bucket and tossed the messy innards away, burying them under the snow before calling out to A-Yin to head back home.

As they turned around to make their way back, A-Yin let out a low “awoo” and playfully nipped at Zhuo Yan’s clothes. Zhuo Yan reached out to pat A-Yin’s head, following his gaze and couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy. “Xiao Xian!”

Xiao Xian was sitting on the back of a large leopard that stood over two meters tall.

In this world, the beastmen were significantly larger than regular beasts, their forms enhanced in every aspect. For example, a leopard like this would stand between one to one and a half meters tall, and the one carrying Xiao Xian looked particularly strong and robust, clearly a healthy adult beastman in his prime.

“Zhuo Yan! Zhuo Yan!” Xiao Xian waved his hand excitedly from atop the leopard’s back, calling out to his brother.

Zhuo Yan let out a low rumble, and soon he was carrying his younger brother over to join his companion, A-Yin. His gaze was drawn involuntarily to the small white-furred creature nearby.

It was still a cub.

Xiao Xian climbed down from Zhuo Yan’s back, brimming with excitement as he said, “Zhuo Yan, how come you’re outside? I was just about to go to your cave to play!”

“The blizzard has stopped for several days now. I promised to carry you out, but I almost didn’t want to,” Zhuo Yan replied with a chuckle. “I’m glad I gave him plenty of fish to eat; your fish is really delicious and not bitter at all.”

After being apart for a while, the two brothers exchanged a flurry of conversation.

Zhuo Yan felt happy as he hugged Xiao Xian. “If you’re not in a hurry, we can talk in my cave. Do you need to rush back home?”

“No, it’s fine! I can stay a bit longer. The snow isn’t as heavy now, and I still want to ask you how to cook fish without making it bitter. Zhuo Yan, you’re really amazing!” Xiao Xian exclaimed, glancing subtly at the white-furred cub, thinking he was being discreet.

It really was a white-furred cub!

Zhuo Yan was taken aback. “Xiao Xian, you’re still so young! Why do you look at A-Yin and then at him with such a lewd expression? What on earth is going on in that head of yours!”

No wonder he and Aman could chatter away together.

“Let’s head back,” Zhuo Yan said, breaking Xiao Xian’s inappropriate expression.

“Okay, okay!” Xiao Xian instinctively climbed onto his brother’s back. However, when he realized that Zhuo Yan couldn’t ride on the back of the little white-furred cub because it was too small and slender, he hesitated about whether to get down or not.

Zhuo Yan quickly said, “You and your big brother go ahead to my cave. You know how to push the door open, right?”

“I know, I know.” Xiao Xian was eager to show off Zhuo Yan’s door to his brother, thinking how smart Zhuo Yan was. He didn’t want to delay any longer, grabbing onto his brother’s fur around the neck. “Big Brother, let’s go! I want to show you the door. You’ve never seen one like it before, I told you…”

Xiao Xian’s older brother took off like a gust of wind, and Xiao Xian screamed in excitement.

Zhuo Yan couldn’t help but laugh heartily. “Hahaha! Now that’s what brothers are for.”

He reached down to pet A-Yin’s head, his voice full of joy. “Let’s head back.” On the way home, Zhuo Yan quickened his pace; they had guests waiting at home.

A-Yin matched his pace, walking behind Zhuo Yan as they climbed the slope, using his head to nudge against his brother’s waist. Zhuo Yan found it easy to walk this way, but he worried that A-Yin might tire out. “If you’re not tired, it’s fine to walk,” he reassured him.

When they arrived at the cave entrance, Xiao Xian and his older brother were standing right outside.

“…See?” Xiao Xian exclaimed, his face beaming with pride. “We made this together! I can do it too! This wooden hinge was crafted by me and Sister Qiao, and of course, Zhuo Yan’s is the best of all!”

The older brother, in his beast form as a leopard, gently swung the door with his tail. The door moved smoothly, arcing gracefully in the air. He nodded approvingly and let out a low growl, acknowledging that his little brother’s companion, this young beastman, was quite clever.

Seeing Zhuo Yan return, Xiao Xian felt even happier. The two entered the cave, leaving the door ajar. Xiao Xian’s older brother settled down in a spot close to the entrance, while A-Yin followed Zhuo Yan inside, lying down next to his brother’s feet. Initially, Xiao Xian had been sitting close to Zhuo Yan, enjoying the intimacy of their bond, but upon glancing at the little white-furred cub, he unconsciously shifted a little further away from Zhuo Yan.

Continuing their earlier conversation, Xiao Xian asked how to make sure the fish didn’t taste bitter. He mentioned that he had made stewed fish, which both his father and mother loved…

“The fish doesn’t taste bitter because when you gut the fish, there’s a gallbladder inside. You have to be careful about its position and not cut it open, or it will turn really bitter,” Zhuo Yan explained, picking up a fish to demonstrate.

It was still early in the day, and Xiao Xian wasn’t in a rush to return home. Zhuo Yan insisted that Xiao Xian and his older brother stay for a meal. He cooked two fish and sliced some meat for grilling. Xiao Xian swallowed hard, clearly tempted. “It’s all meat! But Zhuo Yan, your grilled meat smells amazing, doesn’t it, big brother?”

The leopard at the entrance let out a low growl in agreement.

“Even my big brother thinks it smells great, and it tastes even better!” Xiao Xian exclaimed, glancing at his older brother’s strange expression. After a moment, he realized what he needed to do and brought the hide he was wearing to the entrance of the cave.

The leopard brother took the hide in his mouth and went outside. A little while later, a handsome man wrapped in the hide entered the cave.

Xiao Xian’s older brother was like a giant, standing over 1.9 meters tall, with a V-shaped physique and relatively fair skin, likely due to being cooped up for an entire winter. His shoulder-length brown hair fell in soft waves, and the hide only covered his lower body, leaving his muscular chest and abs exposed.

Zhuo Yan couldn’t help but retract his envious gaze.

“Thank you for the hospitality; I’m Xiao Xian’s older brother,” he said with a warm smile.

“You’re welcome,” Zhuo Yan replied as he began serving food to his guest.

However, Zhuo Yan noticed that A-Yin seemed a bit off today. He appeared somewhat unhappy and tense, wanting to curl up around Zhuo Yan and nuzzle against him, but halfway through, he seemed to abandon the idea.

Without thinking, Zhuo Yan served a large piece of meat to A-Yin, saying, “Be careful; it’s hot.”

A-Yin didn’t eat but instead looked at Zhuo Yan. Zhuo Yan chuckled softly and finally served himself some soup. After blowing on it to cool it down, he took a sip, which prompted A-Yin to lower his head and begin eating.

The meal continued with the winds howling outside, while Xiao Xian praised the food for its deliciousness and aroma throughout. The two brothers ate with great satisfaction. By the time they finished, it was already dark outside. Xiao Xian was reluctant to leave, but his leopard brother had transformed back into his beast form and was waiting at the door for his little brother.

“Zhuo Yan ge, what do you think of my big brother?” Xiao Xian asked quietly, pulling on Zhuo Yan’s hand just before leaving.

Zhuo Yan: …

“Xiao Xian, don’t get carried away. We’re good friends, and your brother probably has someone he likes,” Zhuo Yan replied, trying to steer the conversation away.

Just like Qiao, who hadn’t paired up with Ada yet because he was worried about his family as winter approached, Xiao Xian’s brother was likely thinking about his own family as well.

Xiao Xian looked dejected. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I understand; I really do. It’s just that, Zhuo Yan ge, you like cubs so much. Even though you and A-Yin are together—wait, I mean you and A-Yin might as well be partners—you won’t be able to have cubs in the future.”

“However, maybe it’s still possible? The tribe hasn’t seen this kind of situation yet, but A-Yin is also a beastman, and since he hasn’t transformed, his size is—”

Zhuo Yan: Aaaaah! Mosaic! Mosaic! Mosaic!

So that’s why Xiao Xian had that absurdly lewd expression when they met today!

“Quick, quick! We should head back; it’s getting late. Don’t keep your brother waiting too long!” Zhuo Yan blurted out, his words tripping over each other as he hurriedly ushered Xiao Xian out.

Xiao Xian thought he had touched on a sensitive topic for Zhuo Yan, feeling a bit embarrassed as he climbed onto his brother’s back. “Then let’s go back, Zhuo Yan ge.”

“Bye bye bye bye—” Zhuo Yan waved his arms like a propeller!

Meanwhile, A-Yin, who had been lying in the cave, perked up his ears. His brother didn’t like Xiao Xian’s big brother, the leopard. That meant his brother didn’t like him! A-Yin’s deep blue eyes sparkled with curiosity as he sat up, ears standing tall. However, when he heard the mention of having cubs, the brightness in his eyes dimmed once again.

Did his brother really like having cubs?