The three of them headed home together when Su Yi suddenly felt a wave of nausea. Before they even reached the door, he rushed to the side and vomited violently.
The sight instantly panicked both Sinoer and Dino.
Sinoer quickly patted Dino. "Go get Mino!"
Dino took off running. Seeing Su Yi in such distress scared the little boy badly.
By the time Mino arrived, Su Yi had already thrown up everything he could. He lay weakly against Sinoer, looking utterly drained.
Mino checked Su Yi’s temperature, then examined him carefully.
"It’s fine. You just have stronger reactions than most."
Hearing Mino’s relaxed tone, everyone sighed in relief. Su Yi shifted into a more comfortable position and fell into a deep sleep.
A few more days passed, and Su Yi’s condition improved slightly. He started planting vegetables in the yard.
Tang Yu, however, wasn’t as free. He had to stay in bed all day, cradling his egg.
When he heard from a visitor that Su Yi had gone out, he immediately asked Jells to bring Su Yi over. Being cooped up alone was unbearably boring.
Su Yi arrived in the afternoon, carrying a small bag of seeds, which he casually tossed onto Tang Yu’s table.
Walking into the inner room, Su Yi saw Tang Yu hugging the egg in a daze. "How long until this thing hatches?"
Hearing Su Yi’s voice, Tang Yu’s eyes crinkled with a smile, the teardrop mole at the corner of his eye looking especially vivid.
"Captain Su, you’re finally here! I’ve been so bored."
After days of rest, Tang Yu’s complexion had improved significantly.
Su Yi walked over and touched the hard shell. It felt rough, the patterns on its surface even clearer than before.
"It’ll probably take a few more days," Tang Yu said, flopping lazily onto the bed.
Su Yi hesitated before recounting the situation with the new couple, how the female recognized his past identity, he laid everything out for Tang Yu.
""I'm pregnant now, and I don't want to worry Sinoer. Can you keep an eye on him for me? If he behaves, great. But if he steps out of line... deal with it as you see fit."
Tang Yu had been lounging lazily, but now his eyes gleamed with interest.
"Haha, Captain Su, you really think highly of me."
Su Yi shot him a look. Tang Yu had already given birth, he had more freedom to move around. Plus, Su Yi knew that despite Tang Yu’s airheadedness, he was cunning when it counted.
Su Yi didn’t stay much longer before Sinoer took him home.
Another day passed, and the first rain of the cold season arrived.
The weather was still chilly, and the rain made it even more unbearable. Su Yi refused to step outside.
Many orcs skipped hunting that day, so the valley was lively. Some chatted in groups, others helped their partners with chores, and a few played with the children. Despite the rain, the atmosphere was cheerful.
Ian braved the rain to visit Su Yi, bringing freshly picked fruit.
It had been a while since Su Yi last saw Ian, and rumor had it he'd been out hunting for days. As Ian appeared, Su Yi's eyes widened, he looked even more muscular and energetic than before.
"Su Yi, since you’re carrying a baby, you need to take care of yourself. Don’t run around too much."
Su Yi nearly laughed at Ian’s earnest advice. Even without being told, he was too lazy to go wild these days. His pregnancy was nothing like Tang Yu’s. Tang Yu had only been uncomfortable at first, then full of energy, eating and sleeping nonstop. Su Yi, on the other hand, had no appetite, felt nauseated at the slightest strong smell, and was constantly tired and moody.
"Actually, there’s something else I wanted to ask you," Ian said awkwardly, his beautiful eyes flickering with unease.
Su Yi raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Go ahead." Su Yi leaned in, all ears.
Ian hesitated, then rubbed his face with both hands.
"Do you think… my face is too… too pretty?"
Hearing Ian’s insecure, embarrassed words and seeing his flustered expression, Su Yi couldn’t help but laugh.
He studied Ian’s face seriously. Ian really was stunning, even someone like Su Yi sometimes caught himself staring.
"Yeah, you really are good-looking."
"After what happened with Reg, do I really attract that much attention from orcs?" Ian’s face twisted with discomfort.
But Su Yi was secretly pleased. The old Ian had been hypersensitive about his looks, any mention would make him hostile. But lately, Su Yi noticed Ian didn’t seem to mind as much. Especially today, it almost seemed like Ian no longer hated his own appearance.
Su Yi chose his words carefully. "I think what draws people in isn’t just your face. Ian, haven’t you noticed how much more confident and magnetic you’ve become lately?"
Ian’s face flushed. Then, as if remembering something, he murmured, "He said the same thing."
He? Who’s ‘he’?
Su Yi’s interest was piqued. "He? Who?"
Ian seemed hesitant, but since Su Yi wasn’t an outsider, he finally whispered, "What do you think… of Hunter?"
Su Yi was stunned. Out of all possibilities, he hadn’t expected Hunter, the fox orc. Su Yi had assumed it was Reg or someone else, but never the cunning fox.
That fox always struck Su Yi as sharp, unlike the simple-minded orcs here.
Su Yi glanced at the innocent Ian, then thought about the fox. The pairing seemed… unbalanced. Wouldn’t Ian be at a disadvantage?
Plus, Hunter was the current tribe leader, a prominent figure. With his striking looks, being with him meant constant vigilance against other females.
Seeing Su Yi’s silence, Ian’s heart sank. He knew how exceptional Hunter was. Someone that outstanding, as the tribe leader, should be with a beautiful, gentle female.
But lately, whenever Ian went hunting, Hunter always accompanied him. Hunter wasn’t talkative, he only stepped in when Ian was in danger. Over time, Ian had sensed Hunter’s feelings.
Noticing Ian’s expression shift from hopeful to pale, Su Yi quickly asked, "Do you… like him?"
Ian didn’t answer, just lowered his head, eyes flickering. Su Yi understood, without him realizing, Ian and Hunter had already grown close. Otherwise, someone as reserved as Ian wouldn’t have come to ask him.
"Well, if you like him, give it a try."
No comments:
Post a Comment