Chapter 19

Cheng Youyou tried to calm her nerves, forcing herself to treat Lu Xi like one of the animals she’d delivered before. Though really, she didn’t need to pretend—Lu Xi’s beast form was a gray rabbit—just a much larger one than usual.

After helping Lu Xi regulate her breathing and adjust to the optimal birthing position, Cheng Youyou began to assist. But the bear-shaped cubs were simply too large. Lu Xi pushed harder each time, yet the cubs didn’t budge. This wouldn’t do.

The longer it dragged on, the more Lu Xi’s strength drained. Both she and the cubs were in danger.

Gritting her teeth, Cheng Youyou forcibly converted the last trace of vitality—sustained only by ginseng—into healing power. In the apocalypse, she would never have dared to do this. Using her own life force to fuel abilities came at a steep cost. It would leave her severely weakened, unable to defend herself.

And in a world full of danger, survival always came first. But here in the beast world, if anything happened to Lu Xi, no one would believe she was innocent. She’d be cast out of the tribe. Her beast-husbands would be the first to abandon her—they’d been waiting for a reason.

The original host had never left the tribe. Her father had always warned her that the world beyond was perilous. Until she understood this world better, the tribe was her safest refuge. Finally, with the guidance of her powers and Lu Xi’s cooperation, the first cub was born.

Cheng Youyou quickly used the bone knife she’d prepared to cut the umbilical cord. She slapped the cub’s bottom, and a clear, strong cry rang out.

Lu Xi, exhausted, had already passed out. She barely flinched at the sound. There was no time to clean the cub. Cheng Youyou wrapped it in clean beast-hide and placed it on the stone bed. She called Lu Xi’s name anxiously, casting the last flickering white glow over her body.

Outside the cave, Zuo Wa heard the desperate shouting and couldn’t hide her smile. She was thrilled. Now, who could compete with her?

She turned and left the cave. The leader’s hunting party would return soon. Thinking of the handsome Mu Yu, her face lit up. She needed to dress up—wear her best beast-hide skirt. She wanted Mu Yu and the other males to see her at her most beautiful.

Inside, Cheng Youyou grew more anxious. If Lu Xi didn’t wake up soon, things could go very wrong. Her gaze landed on a sharp bone needle. She gritted her teeth and stabbed it into the soft flesh of Lu Xi’s paw. She swore there was no malice—just a desperate attempt to wake her.

Lu Xi gasped in pain and slowly opened her heavy eyelids. “My hand…”

Before she could finish, Cheng Youyou cut her off. “Don’t worry about that. Right now, you need to conserve your strength and deliver the second cub.”

Lu Xi turned her head slightly and saw the newborn cub wrapped in beast-hide. Its fur was damp; its eyes were shut, its nose and mouth a soft pink. A surge of strength rose within her. No matter how tired she was, she couldn’t sleep yet. There was still one more cub waiting to be born.

The white glow in Cheng Youyou’s hand flickered like a dying candle and finally went out. Her powers were completely drained. She’d only managed to restore a sliver of Lu Xi’s strength. The rest was up to Lu Xi now.

Barely conscious, Cheng Youyou shoved the remaining ginseng into Lu Xi’s mouth. She bit down on a piece herself. The bitter taste of the herb spread across her tongue, clearing her foggy mind. Thankfully, the second cub came out more easily than the first.

After tending to it, Cheng Youyou noticed a pool of blood beneath Lu Xi. Ignoring the crying cubs, she quickly stabbed an acupoint on Lu Xi’s abdomen with a bone spike. Then she grabbed the stone pot of hemostatic herbal broth and poured it down Lu Xi’s throat. After a flurry of emergency measures, the bleeding finally stopped.

Morning light filtered into the cave, warm and gentle.

Cheng Youyou looked at the rising sun and let out a long sigh. Her nerves finally relaxed—and then everything went black. When she regained consciousness, the blazing sun made it hard to open her eyes. It took a while before she could see clearly. And when she did, her eyes widened in shock.

She was sitting on a rock in the center of the tribe’s public square, on a raised platform. Below her was a sea of people, all staring intently.

“What the heck is going on?”

Wasn’t she in Lu Xi’s cave? How did she end up here?

She tried to move, but felt a chill on her chest. Looking down, her face turned crimson. Her once well-fitted beast-hide skirt now hung loose around her chest and waist. She quickly grabbed it with both hands—she’d nearly exposed herself in front of everyone.

As she looked down, she noticed the layers of fat on her belly had shrunk significantly. No wonder the skirt was loose again. Thank goodness she wore a one-piece beast-hide outfit. If it had been a two-piece… Nope. That image was too horrifying to imagine.

One hand clutched the collar, the other braced against the ground. Sitting like this on a public platform—what a scene.

Ji Xuan noticed her attempt to cover herself, and a flicker of surprise passed through his dark eyes.

The old Cheng Youyou had no shame about showing off her bloated body. She thought it was seductive. She’d flaunt it to attract her beast-husbands, but the layers of fat were repulsive.

But now…

She’d slimmed down quite a bit. Her large face had shrunk, and even the pimples and fuzz had faded. She looked more presentable than before, though still lacking any real feminine allure.

Cheng Youyou had clearly overestimated herself. Her body was severely depleted. Sitting was fine, but the moment she moved, stars danced before her eyes, and her heart pounded like it was about to burst from her chest.