Chapter 89

Aman and Qiao were both shocked when they heard this. They immediately looked down at their own stomachs, then swiftly turned to Zhuo Yan, speaking in unison: “How did you know?”

“I—” Zhuo Yan hesitated, wondering if admitting what he had just seen might get him burned at the stake. The four tribes of the grasslands didn’t have formal rituals or strong mythical beliefs — just small stories passed down by word of mouth. After thinking for a moment, Zhuo Yan decided to tell the truth. “I just bonded with A-Yin, and I saw a big tree with many sparkling lights on it. There were glowing dots flashing in your stomachs.”

“Qiao, didn’t you and Ada see something like that when you bonded?”

Qiao, beaming with joy, shook her head. “I saw the big tree you mentioned. Zhuo Yan, did you really see glowing dots in my stomach?”

“Yes,” Zhuo Yan confirmed, then glanced at Aman. “You too.”

Qiao was especially happy — this was a huge surprise for her. Ever since she bonded with Ada, she had secretly longed for a little cub. Although the two of them lived a sweet and happy life in their cave, it sometimes felt a bit dull.

In the tribe, everyone said that it was hard to conceive cubs — only strong beastmen and sub-beastmen could have them. Ada and Qiao were both strong and sturdy; they just needed to wait a little longer.

Finally!

Finally, it had come.

Qiao’s eyes were glowing with excitement. Seeing this, Zhuo Yan felt a bit uneasy. What if those glowing dots were just lights and ended up giving Qiao false hope? He quickly added, “I only saw the lights — maybe it’s not—”

“It is, brother. That’s the Tree of Life,” A-Yin said at that moment. He had also noticed that his brother had the lights too. “I saw it once before, back when I was dying as a White Fur cub.”

At some point, Ada had also joined the group. Hearing them talk about the “Tree of Life,” Ada said, “Yes, my mother saw the Tree of Life once when she was seriously injured. She told me about it. But why are you suddenly talking about this?”

“Ada.” Qiao held Ada’s hand, her eyes shining with happiness. Ada was a bit stunned, not understanding why his mate had suddenly softened, but a smile spread across his face too. “What’s wrong?”

“We’re going to have a cub,” Qiao said.

Ada froze for a moment, then immediately wrapped Qiao in a hug.

“Really? That’s amazing, Qiao!”

While one couple rejoiced, the other was a bit slower to react — but in the end, there was happiness too. Aman, still a little dazed after hearing he was expecting a cub, muttered to himself, wondering how it happened so quickly.

Finding Daen roasting lamb nearby, Aman mumbled to him that he might be having a cub.

Daen looked at him and asked, “Aman, don’t you want a cub?” He could tell something was off.

“It’s not that. I just didn’t expect it to happen so soon. The tribe always says it’s hard to conceive. I thought I’d have more time to be with you — now that we’re having a cub, it feels a bit… rushed.”

Daen laughed — so that was the reason.

“You’re definitely going to love the cub.”

“Of course! It’s our cub, after all!” Aman said firmly. Then, after a pause, he looked at Daen. “Wait… did you think I didn’t want a cub?”

“No, I just noticed you didn’t seem very happy at first — but you are now.”

“Heh.”

The news of Qiao and Aman expecting spread quickly through the tribe, even while everyone was still eating roasted lamb.

Meanwhile, Zhuo Yan was still lost in thought about the three glowing dots he saw — or had he seen them wrong? Maybe there weren’t three… or were there? Could there really have been three?

…What should I do about this?

“Brother, aren’t you happy?”

“I… I am happy… I guess.” Zhuo Yan snapped out of his daze and saw A-Yin watching him with a mix of joy and concern. Seeing A-Yin so focused and worried, Zhuo Yan decided to push his “troubles” aside — after all, even if what he saw was real, there was nothing he could do about it.

He could only take things one step at a time.

With a shift in mindset, he immediately brightened up. “Come on, let’s go eat roasted lamb!”

“Okay! Brother, I’ll roast the tenderest piece for you.”

“I want extra chili powder!”

“Got it!”

The group gathered around the fire, eating roasted lamb. The news about Aman and Qiao expecting a cub had already spread through the tribe. After congratulating Zhuo Yan and A-Yin, everyone naturally extended their congratulations to Qiao and Aman as well.

Xiao Xian, gnawing on a skewer of grilled meat, grinned and said, “That’s great — you guys are having a cub. Does that mean they’ll have to call me Uncle?”

“Yes,” Zhuo Yan nodded.

Xiao Xian was overjoyed.

Shitou then asked Aman and Qiao when their cub would be born. “My egg cub has been in its shell for over a year and still hasn’t hatched.” Every time he got worried, Xingxing would reassure him, saying that the longer a feathered tribe’s cub stayed in its shell, the stronger it would be when it finally hatched.

But… it had been over a year.

Aman and Qiao turned to look at Zhuo Yan. Zhuo Yan: …Wait, my eyes aren’t an ultrasound machine!

“Have you been feeling unwell lately?” Zhuo Yan tried to think carefully. “I wasn’t feeling great a while ago…”

“Huh? Zhuo Yan, are you having a cub too?!” Aman was stunned.

Zhuo Yan: “Didn’t I just tell you?” …Actually, maybe he hadn’t. He’d been vague about the three glowing lights. “I think… I might be having a cub too.”

Everyone: !!!

After the excited chatter died down, the conversation shifted to when exactly the cubs might have been conceived.

Qiao thought for a moment and said, “Based on what Zhuo Yan said, could it have happened after we came back from Snow Deer Mountain?”

“I knew it!”

Everyone turned to look at Zhuo Yan, their faces full of curiosity. Knew what?

Zhuo Yan, feeling a bit conflicted, said, “I think there was something strange about the water in that hot spring.”

“What do you mean…?” Aman suddenly realized something. “The three of us are all expecting cubs now — could that hot spring water help people conceive?”

Zhuo Yan: “I don’t know, but soaking in that water… well…” It was like dry wood meeting a blazing fire — things just kept going and going. Something was definitely off.

Qiao and Aman caught the unspoken meaning behind Zhuo Yan’s words. They both thought back to that night, and their faces flushed a bit. It did seem… like something was unusual.

Xiao Xian, full of curiosity, kept asking what was special about the water.

Shitou also had a few thoughts but quickly dismissed them. He and Xingxing couldn’t go there anyway, and they already had an egg cub — so it didn’t matter. No big deal.

“You should wait until you have a mate and go with them,” Zhuo Yan warned Xiao Xian. He worried that if there really was something odd about the hot spring water, it wouldn’t be good for Xiao Xian to experience that kind of… burning restlessness alone.

Even Ada and Daen joined the conversation.

“There are so many snow deer on Snow Deer Mountain.”

“Yeah, there really are a lot of them.”

The snow deer on Snow Deer Mountain were numerous. Other than not tasting very good — being herbivores without natural predators — they did seem to reproduce quite rapidly. Could the hot springs have something to do with it?

Other sub-beastmen overheard their discussion and, curious, asked for more details. After a bit of explaining, word quickly spread throughout the tribe — everyone was talking about the warm pools on Snow Deer Mountain, rumored to help beastmen and sub-beastmen conceive cubs, since Zhuo Yan, Qiao, and Aman had all gotten pregnant after soaking there.

In the past, it was rare to hear the soft cries of cubs in the tribe — maybe once every two or three years. But now, suddenly, three sub-beastmen were expecting at the same time…

“Is it really true?”

“I want to go too.”

“Me too.”

“Where exactly is Snow Deer Mountain?”

“I heard it’s near the wolfmen’s territory.”

“I’ll go ask Zhuo Yan and the others. When spring comes and we have some free time, maybe we can make a trip there.”

“Sounds good.”

More cubs meant a thriving future for the tribe.

The chief’s furrowed brow finally smoothed out. He held A-Su’s hand and gazed at the young tribesmen gathered around the bonfire not far away.

“A-Su, Zhuo Yan can see the Tree of Life.”

A-Su’s eyes widened in shock as he turned to look at the chief.

The chief, rarely one to smile, gave a small nod. In the past, he had his doubts, but now he was certain — Zhuo Yan was destined to become the next chief of the leopard tribe, guiding them toward a brighter future.

“I want to choose the right time to hand things over to Zhuo Yan…”

A-Su broke into a smile as well. “Good. Then you can finally rest and take care of your health.”

That evening, the tribal square was filled with joy and laughter. With plenty of food stored for the winter, everyone feasted on roasted lamb by the fire. And now, with the news that the snow mountain’s hot springs might help sub-beastmen conceive more easily, the tribe felt a deep sense of relief and hope — holding onto dreams of a flourishing future.

The roasted lamb was finished, and snow began to fall. Everyone started tidying up.

“See you in spring.”

“See you in spring.”

Zhuo Yan and A-Yin walked back hand in hand, snowflakes drifting down around them.

Above them, a peacock flew low — Kong Xingxing, draped in a large cloak, cradled the egg cub in one arm while trying to cover Shitou’s shoulder with the cloak as well. The two of them huddled together, stumbling a little as they walked.

“This won’t work — you can’t both fit under it.”

“I’m not cold.”

“But I’m taller than you. Doesn’t it make walking hard?”

“Biiig—chunky—guy!” Kong Xingxing fluffed up, his feathers ruffling in indignation.

His five peacock tail feathers fanned out and flapped rapidly, as if preparing to run off.

Shitou, hearing Xingxing shout at him, just laughed happily. “Xingxing, I’ll carry you, and you carry the egg cub. That way, we’ll get home faster.”

“Hmph!” Boss Kong was still acting proud and aloof.

Shitou leaned in and kissed Xingxing’s cheek. “Good Xingxing, please?”

“…Fine then. Actually, I’m not shorter than you — I’m just slimmer, so you look a tiny bit taller…”

“Yes, you’re absolutely right.”

Zhuo Yan, still holding A-Yin’s hand, exchanged a glance with him, barely holding back a laugh. Boss Kong really cared about his pride — what was there to be embarrassed about? Zhuo Yan sneakily looked back and whispered to A-Yin, “Shitou looks like he’s two or three centimeters taller than Boss Kong.”

“Boss Kong, Zhuo Yan says Shitou is two or three something taller than you!” Aman, who had overheard, immediately shouted it out loud.

Before Zhuo Yan could react, Daen had already shifted into his beast form, and Aman jumped onto his back. The two of them bolted off at full speed, laughing all the way.

Zhuo Yan: …

Grinding his teeth, he threatened, “Aman, just wait until the snow lets up — I’m coming to your house for a visit!”

“HAHAHAHA!”

Behind him, Kong Xingxing’s gaze was burning with intensity.

Zhuo Yan: …

A-Yin shifted into his beast form, and without wasting a second, Zhuo Yan fled the scene.

His voice echoed through the snowy landscape: “Aman was talking nonsense! I’ll treat you all to dinner next spring~~~”

“Hmph!” Kong Xingxing sneered, but there was no anger in his eyes.

Shitou knew it too. He wrapped an arm around Xingxing’s shoulders, the two of them squeezing into a single fur cloak, leaving a trail of intimate footprints in the snow.

Shitou said, “Winters are long in our tribe. Back when my Ah-Fu and Ah-Ma had nothing to do during the snow season… they would, you know, mate…”

Kong Xingxing turned to look at the big guy.

Shitou blinked.

Hehehe.

Kong Xingxing: … He was starting to like the leopard tribe a little.

Zhuo Yan and A-Yin returned to their cave, bringing back a big basket packed full of lamb offal and meat for the tusk pig. The cold snow would keep the food fresh for days — mix it with some roots and stems, and it’d be good for quite a while.

“Today’s our wedding — let’s throw a feast for Da Fu and Da Ming too.”

“Alright.” A-Yin hadn’t stopped smiling all day.

Zhuo Yan hadn’t expected the wedding ceremony to make A-Yin this happy. He couldn’t help but be affected by the joy too — marrying the person you love really was something to celebrate.

“Together!”

“Alright.”

The two of them, sweet and affectionate, even fed the tusk pigs together. In the small cave, it was just Da Fu and Da Ming now. Zhuo Yan happily added extra ingredients to their food, filling their trough to the brim. Watching the father and son duo munch away noisily, he couldn’t stop smiling.

He even praised them, “You two eat well.”

Da Ming froze mid-bite.

Zhuo Yan chuckled, “Go on, go on~”

A-Yin used wooden planks and dry grass to block the cave entrance — the snow was falling harder and harder.

Under the gray sky, A-Yin went to the river to fill the stone pot and wooden buckets with water. Zhuo Yan tidied up their things, did a bit of cleaning, and lit a small fire for light. Once A-Yin returned, he shut the cave door.

After a year of hard work, winter was for resting and hibernating.

The two of them sat together on the stone bed. After a moment, a bit shy, they leaned into each other and shared a kiss.

Outside, the wind howled and the snow raged, but inside the cave, the temperature rose quickly. It definitely wasn’t the small fire making Zhuo Yan’s heart race and his cheeks warm. A-Yin’s eyes sparkled, and Zhuo Yan’s did too.

“Can we… do it?”

A-Yin hesitated. “Will the baby be okay?”

“Then… how about we take it slow? We did just get married — we should at least have a wedding night.”

A-Yin didn’t quite understand what a “wedding night” meant, but he could clearly see the longing in Zhuo Yan’s eyes. So… they took it slow.

Later, Zhuo Yan regretted saying those three words — “take it slow.” It stretched the pleasure out, making everything last longer and feel even more intense. It wasn’t just a rush of passion; it was a steady, lingering sweetness — calm, tender, yet burning deep inside.

Maybe it was because they were bonded now, but something about this night felt different from before.

It was almost like… their souls had touched.

Afterward, while A-Yin went to heat some water, Zhuo Yan cleaned himself up. As he absentmindedly ran a hand over his stomach, he noticed something odd. Usually, his abs weren’t super defined unless he tensed them, but they were always flat — no six-pack, but definitely no belly either.

Yet now…

“I think I have a bit of a belly,” Zhuo Yan muttered, staring at the slight curve of his abdomen.

A-Yin nodded, reaching out to touch it.

It tickled a little, but Zhuo Yan didn’t pull away. Instead, he placed his own hand over A-Yin’s.

“A-Yin… do you see it too?”

“?” A-Yin looked up at his brother.

Zhuo Yan said, “Three glowing dots.”

A-Yin clearly hadn’t noticed them, because as soon as Zhuo Yan spoke, his eyes widened in shock and immediately darted to Zhuo Yan’s stomach.

“…If we go by the timing from Snow Deer Mountain, it’s been almost two months since we got back. With the whole winter ahead, they’ll probably be born once spring starts.” Zhuo Yan frowned, a bit troubled. “I should’ve asked Lin Rong more about giving birth back then.”

At the time, the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind — he’d just been too busy grinning like a fool while staring at the fluffy little cubs. Xiaopan and Xiaoyan had been so tiny when they were born — really just the size of little kittens. Zhuo Yan had helped his cat give birth once, and newborn kittens were barely bigger than a mouse. Leopard cubs weren’t that small, maybe the size of a two-month-old kitten…

Thinking about all this, Zhuo Yan glanced down at his stomach again and felt a chill run down his spine.

One cub was fine… but three?

“Brother.” A-Yin’s voice was full of concern.

Zhuo Yan took a deep breath. “Forget it, no point overthinking. We’ll deal with it when the time comes. They’re already here anyway.”

There was no use worrying.

So, Zhuo Yan cheered up again.

About ten days passed. Their life in the cave was simple — eating, sleeping, and working on small crafts. Zhuo Yan’s belly still only had a slight curve, like a small belly pouch. Sometimes, he even forgot he was pregnant.

As the blizzard approached, Zhuo Yan remembered to go fishing. Last year, they went too late, which made things a lot more troublesome. This year, he had been carefully counting the days. When the snowstorm let up for a bit, he called for A-Yin.

…Mostly because this year, the two of them didn’t dare get too carried away like they did last year — completely losing track of time.

A-Yin helped his brother bundle up, wrapping Zhuo Yan in so many layers he looked like a bear.

When they reached the river, they spotted a figure in the distance — a tiger carrying someone on its back. A-Yin carried Zhuo Yan as well and said, “Aman’s here too.”

Zhuo Yan waved. “Aman—!”

“Haha, I knew you’d be out here fishing!” Aman’s voice rang out across the snow.

The two groups met up and started fishing together. It had been a while since they last saw each other, so Zhuo Yan and Aman stood by the riverbank, both wrapped in thick furs, chatting away.

Aman’s face looked a bit rounder. He grinned and said, “Lately, I’ve been eating so much.”

“Don’t eat too much,” Zhuo Yan said.

Aman let out a confused “Ah?”

Zhuo Yan explained, “Think about it — if the cubs in your belly grow too big, won’t it be hard to give birth?” How would that even work?

Troubling.

“…Then I’ll eat less,” Aman decided, trusting Zhuo Yan’s advice.

“But don’t eat too little either — you still need proper nutrition,” Zhuo Yan added.

Aman: …So how much should I eat exactly? What even is “nutrition”?

While A-Yin and Daen smashed through the ice, the others waited nearby. Daen, having only heard Aman mention Zhuo Yan’s fishing method, watched curiously. His eyes silently asked — aren’t we supposed to scoop the fish out? What are we waiting for?

“Just wait a bit,” Aman said.

So Daen waited.

A few moments later — just a few minutes, really — a swarm of fish started surging out of the hole in the ice, flopping wildly onto the frozen surface. Daen stared in shock, his mouth hanging open.

Even Aman, seeing it for the first time despite having heard Zhuo Yan talk about it, couldn’t help but shout in awe.

“Zhuo Yan, you’re so smart — there really are so many fish!”

“Hehe.” Zhuo Yan stood modestly, trying to appear humble.

Daen and A-Yin went to pack the fish, quickly filling two baskets.

Aman said to Zhuo Yan, “I’ll head back with Daen later, and we’ll drop off some fish for Shitou on the way.”

“Alright.” Zhuo Yan nodded. “I wonder how things have been at his place lately?”

Aman replied, “I visited about ten days ago. Shitou said everything’s fine. With the snowstorm coming, he plans to have Kong Huo and the others stay in his cave.”

“That works.”

“Oh, by the way,” Aman added, “on my way here, I passed the textile workshop. The building hasn’t collapsed under the snow — it’s still standing.”

He knew Zhuo Yan cared a lot about that workshop.

Zhuo Yan said, “The snowstorm hasn’t hit yet…”

If it could withstand the test, that would be great.

Aman couldn’t guarantee anything either. The two chatted for a while, and once the fish were packed, they each climbed onto their partner’s back and returned to their caves, not daring to go out again.

Back home, they had to deal with a whole basket of fish. Zhuo Yan felt a bit nauseous handling them, so A-Yin boiled some hot water and handed him soap to wash his hands. “I’ll take care of the fish,” A-Yin said. “Once I’m done, I’ll take some to Shitou and the others.”

Zhuo Yan hummed in agreement.

There were a lot of people at Shitou’s place. This year, the ramie harvest came in, but no finished cloth was woven before winter. Back in autumn, when the tribe was busy drying meat, Maha even got into a fight with some beastmen because one of the leading beastmen questioned: “The peacock clan didn’t go hunting, and they’re not part of the leopard tribe — why should they get the same share as the rest of us?”

Including the future harvests.

The chieftain had spoken with Kong Xingxing and later explained that the meat and crops were only lent to the peacock clan. When the cloth was woven next year, they would exchange it for fabric.

That finally shut the mouths of those beastmen.

Kong Xingxing didn’t ask for much, but he did calculate how much food the group would need — after all, the peacock clan wasn’t very fond of meat to begin with. They took less meat and exchanged it for more millet, beans, and peanuts…

Maha was furious at the time and went out to privately hunt a reindeer for the peacock clan. When Kong Huo and the others saw it, they grumbled about how bloody and messy the reindeer was — they’d have to clean it, skin it — but Maha said he’d handle it. It was simple for him. He just carried the reindeer to the river and got to work.

After that, Kong Huo and the others developed a bit of genuine respect for Maha. Before, they used to joke around and tease him all the time.

On the day Zhuo Yan and A-Yin became partners, Cong Lu noticed Maha standing there dumbfounded. Surprisingly, he shifted into his human form — completely bare — and started explaining things to Maha.

If this had been back in the feathered clan, Cong Lu would never have done such a thing.

Shifting into human form with no clothes on in front of so many people — wasn’t that embarrassing?!

But sincerity was met with sincerity.

A-Yin spent the whole day cleaning fish. The next day, the blizzard started howling, but he didn’t dare delay. “Brother, I’m going to take the fish to Shitou and the others. Make sure to bar the door.”

“Got it. Go quickly and come back fast.”

“Okay.”

If he didn’t deliver the fish today, the blizzard might keep raging for days, and there’d be no chance to deliver them later.

Zhuo Yan sat by the fire, warming his hands. Through the door, he could hear the wailing of the wind and snow outside. He wondered if there would be a beast tide this year — hopefully not.

A-Yin carried the basket on his back, moving swiftly through the snowstorm. He ran fast but made sure the fish didn’t bounce out, securing the lid tightly. He crossed the frozen river and passed by that house — already buried under snow — but strangely, the green windows remained crystal clear, without a single trace of snow on them.

It was very bright.

A-Yin tilted his head but decided to deliver the fish to Shitou and the others first — he could check again on his way back.

Inside Shitou’s cave.

The Kong Huo group didn’t want to stay in the same cave as Kong Xingxing and Shitou — they had stubbornly said so ten days ago. But now, before the blizzard had even fully hit, they were already regretting it.

Cong Lu asked, “Xiaoyue, are you cold?”

“Yue, do you want to move to your brother and Shitou’s cave?”
“Last night, I almost froze stiff in bird form.”
“Why don’t we just go over in bird form?”

“Xiaoyue, can you go ask?” Kong Huo said, dragging his words, clearly embarrassed.

He was the one who had insisted they didn’t need to move ten days ago — now, he couldn’t take it anymore.

It was around this time that A-Yin arrived with the fish. The wind and snow were so loud that Shitou didn’t hear him call the first time. When he finally opened the door, the wind and snow rushed inside. A-Yin stood at the entrance, blocking the worst of it, and handed the fish to Shitou, exchanging a few brief words.

“The cave next door seems to be discussing whether to move over to yours,” A-Yin said.

Shitou immediately understood. “I was just about to call them—Xingxing, I’ll go get Xiaoyue and the others.”

“I’ll call them,” A-Yin offered. His beast form could talk, which was very convenient — especially in this freezing weather.

Kong Huo: His pride was saved.

It was too cold to move the beds over now — the blizzard was too fierce. In the end, the five of them wrapped themselves in furs, grabbed their bowls, and ran to the neighboring cave. A-Yin even helped Shitou push the wooden board to block the entrances of both caves.

“Thanks, A-Yin.”

A chorus of chirping voices followed, all expressing their gratitude.

A-Yin responded to Shitou through the barrier, then headed home.

Shitou closed the wooden door and propped it shut with a stick. When he turned around, he saw Xingxing with a sour expression, spreading furs over the wooden bed, while the five peacocks chattered away about something. Despite the grumbling, the cave suddenly felt a lot warmer and livelier.

“I was just about to call you over. You can sleep on the wooden bed — I’ll lay the furs on thick for you. If you stay in your bird forms, there’s definitely enough space,” Shitou said.

The wooden bed was already layered with three thick fur blankets, soft and fluffy. The five peacocks lined up like hens, squatting on the bed, with the youngest, Kong Yue, tucked in the middle. They chirped at their clan leader: “Cover us up quickly, add a few more layers, it’s so cold we’re freezing to death!”

“…” Kong Xingxing, face stiff, pulled the furs over the five of them.

He was the clan leader! And now with these five crowding the cave, he and the big guy couldn’t… Sigh.

“We can help you hatch eggs,” “Yeah, don’t be stingy, Clan Leader,” “Can you cover my head too? It’s a bit cold,” “Me too,” “It’s a bit stuffy now, Clan Leader — pull it down a little, but not too much.”

Kong Xingxing: Visibly annoyed face.

The endless chirping made the cave feel warm and lively, and even Shitou found it amusing. He leaned close to Xingxing and whispered that they could still sneak a kiss later at night.

In an instant, the grumpy Kong Xingxing softened, his face turning serene and beautiful like nothing in the world could bother him.

Completely tamed — the boss was handled.

No one noticed that, on the stone bed in the distance, a dark green eggshell wrapped in soft, long fur made a faint crack sound. A tiny head, still covered in sticky fluid, poked out and let out its very first cry.

“Awuu~”

Kong Xingxing: Huh, the big guy sounds pretty cute. Such a soft little cry.

Shitou was cooking, stirring a pot of yellow millet and bean porridge — enough for all five of them. Seeing how little Cong Lu and the others ate, he asked, “Do you want me to roast some meat for you?”

Five heads popped out from under the fur blankets, chirping wildly all at once.

Alright then — guess they didn’t like the idea. They didn’t eat much in their human forms, and now in their bird forms, they ate even less. For the leopard tribe, their beast forms consumed a lot of energy, so they ate more. The peacock tribe was the complete opposite.

Wait—

That cry just now… didn’t seem like it came from the big guy.

Kong Xingxing noticed it. The moment he realized what was happening, he rushed to the stone bed and locked eyes with the tiny head emerging from the cracked eggshell. His usual cold and elegant demeanor vanished — his face twisted in shock, completely unrecognizable.

“B-b-b-big guy, come here! The egg—it’s hatching, h-h-hatching… right?”

Shitou heard Xingxing calling him. Holding a wooden spoon, he sprinted over. By the time he processed what Xingxing was shouting, he was already at the stone bed. The hatchling, still wearing a piece of eggshell on its head, looked up at him and let out a soft, babyish “Awuu~.”

From the fur pile on the wooden bed nearby, the five peacocks curled up for winter let out a synchronized scream:

“AH!!!!”

Feathers flew everywhere as the fur blankets were flung aside. Some transformed into their human forms mid-panic, while others remained in their bird forms, scrambling over.

Seven pairs of eyes — some human, some bird — all fixated on the tiny creature nestled inside the broken eggshell on the stone bed.

“Huh?”

“Chirp?”

“B-brother, is… is it a leopard?”

“Gah!”

The eggshell wasn’t very big, and the hatchling was curled up inside, like a tiny ball pressed into the thin shell — if Zhuo Yan were here, he would definitely say, “Thin shell, all filling.” The hatchling looked as fluffy as cotton, squished into a little bundle.

But no matter how hard they looked, the small, round head — still slick with some leftover egg fluid — showed no sign of a peacock’s beak.

A clumsy little head, round eyes, round face, round…

“Awuu~”

The hatchling was trapped in the eggshell, letting out a fierce cry for help — though it sounded soft and babyish. No one helped him — they were all too shocked, standing there with their heads tilted, just watching.

The little one, struggling, tried to gnaw at the eggshell with a determined “awuu,” but after a second of silence, his mouth trembled, and he burst into loud, wailing cries.

The crying was surprisingly strong and clear — in this, Kong Xingxing hadn’t been wrong. The longer a hatchling stayed inside the shell, the tougher they became.

That sharp cry finally snapped the two stunned fathers back to reality. Shitou turned to Xingxing, his eyes silently pleading for help. “What do we do next?”

For the first time, the beautiful and clever Kong Xingxing had a very not-so-clever expression on his face.

“He looks like a leopard… What should we do with a leopard cub?”

All eyes immediately shifted to Shitou.

Thankfully, Shitou had experience — he’d raised his younger siblings. Gently, he cupped the eggshell with his hand. The hatchling stopped crying at once, his teary eyes blinking as he nuzzled Shitou’s finger with his little head.

Shitou asked, “Can we take the eggshell off now?”

“Y-Yeah, I guess?” Kong Xingxing, usually so composed, now looked nothing like a proud peacock from his clan.

The others — Kong Yue and the rest — were even more flustered. They could see it clearly now. It really was a leopard. Why was a leopard hatching from an egg?! This was the first time they’d ever seen such a thing!

“I-I-I’ll do it! Big Guy, I’ll just peck off the shell.” Kong Xingxing reached out to take the eggshell, but in the next second, the shell in his hand cracked open.

Luckily, Shitou didn’t let go.

The two of them held the little hatchling as the shell broke apart, revealing the cub inside.

It was a small spotted leopard, sitting upright. There were faint bumps on its back, and the little leopard curiously looked left, then right — before sneezing.

Kong Xingxing, still panicked, immediately said the cub must be cold and tried to tuck it into the pile of fur blankets.

But the next second, Shitou stopped him. “Wait—look at its back…”

A pair of soft, wing-like protrusions.