Chapter 118
Su Yi watched as the little dragon cub was snatched away. He was about to reach out and wrestle it back from Tang Yu when someone gently pulled him from behind.
Sinoer looked at Su Yi disapprovingly, his light-colored eyes filled with worry.
"Don’t fuss. Be careful."
As Sinoer held him, Su Yi instinctively leaned into his embrace. The moment he did, all his strength seemed to drain away.
The others watching couldn’t help but laugh.
Tang Yu teased, "Stop showing off your love in front of others."
The phrase showing off love was something Tang Yu had said before. At first, no one understood, but Tang Yu had explained it to them. Now, hearing it again, everyone burst into laughter.
After chatting and joking for a while, Su Yi started feeling tired. Sinoer carried him back, but before they even reached home, Su Yi had already fallen asleep.
Later, Tang Yu finally met the female Su Yi had mentioned. This female had also come to join the excitement and see the little dragon cub, every female wanted to bask in the joy of a newborn.
So when he arrived, Tang Yu wasn’t surprised. He subtly sized him up, noting the ingratiating smile on his face, but Tang Yu remained indifferent.
Knowing what this female was scheming made Tang Yu uncomfortable.
Over the next few days, Tang Yu started raising nursing beasts at home. He wanted to experiment with breeding them properly. If they could be raised like pigs, the tribe could rear more in the future.
Since Tang Yu had been pregnant, he rarely went out before. Now that he was finally "released from prison," many people came to reconnect with him. Through these visits, they learned about his livestock project.
Mino, who lacked Tang Yu and Su Yi’s hunting skills, came to learn from him. Impressed by Tang Yu’s idea, Mino went home and had Dilson build a similar pen. Tang Yu mentioned that the nursing beast's milk was drinkable, not only healthy but also good for skin whitening and beauty.
However, Dilson misunderstood. Since they didn’t have a baby, why would Mino suddenly want to raise nursing beast? Was he feeling pressured seeing Tang Yu with a child?
Thinking this, Dilson smacked his forehead, his tail wagging excitedly. Ah, Mino must want a baby too! So the simple-minded orc canceled his hunting plans and focused on "quality time" with his partner instead.
After several days without seeing Mino, Tang Yu thought he might be sick.
But while Mino was absent, Ian started visiting frequently.
Though Ian couldn’t transform, in his heart, he was still an orc. And orcs loved children. He had once dreamed of having his own, but knowing his body’s limitations, he accepted no one would want to bear his child. Besides, Hunter treated him so well now, he couldn’t hurt him.
Without children of his own, Ian poured his affection into others’ children.
Little Eli and Dino had grown increasingly lively, playing with the other children in the valley. They were right at age that even dogs dislike, Ian found them too rowdy now. His new focus was Tang Yu’s baby. He was determined not to let this one turn into another little troublemaker.
[狗都嫌的年纪 (gǒu dōu xián de niánjì): lit. An age even dogs dislike; fig. The troublesome, hyperactive phase of childhood]
But after a few visits, Ian began to despair.
Tang Yu’s baby was truly the unrivaled troublemaker, barely ten days out of its shell and already ruling the family.
Thanks to its strong dragon genes, the cub started crawling around within three days. Worried it might get stuck somewhere, Tang Yu blocked all hazardous spots with hides. By the eighth day, that method no longer worked, the cub clawed its way through every barrier.
While Tang Yu was on the verge of collapse, Jells remained utterly calm.
Once, when Ian visited, he saw Jells toss the cub into a tub like a ball, claiming it was "bath time." Watching the little one sink without resurfacing, Ian thought to himself, If this cub wasn't a dragon, I would doubt if this is his biological child.
Eventually, Ian shifted his focus to Su Yi's unborn baby.
He figured little orcs would always be a bit wild, but Su Yi was carrying a soft and sweet female. The thought melted Ian’s heart completely.
By the end of the cold season, the flowers outside Su Yi’s home had bloomed fully, transforming the area into a small garden. Even more delightfully, Su Yi’s vegetables and fruits thrived, and the transplanted fruit trees were covered in colorful blossoms.
Su Yi’s due date was set for the hot season, but it came early, triggered by an infuriating encounter.
The culprit was the original owner's so-called "friend."
When Tang Yu heard the news, he exploded. Su Yi had warned him about this person, and Tang Yu had been monitoring him quietly. But after so long without incident, Tang Yu assumed he’d given up, until he suddenly confronted Su Yi.
Su Yi’s belly was big now. Mino, looking at it, privately doubted the child was female, because he felt no female baby was that big.
Su Yi’s mood swings grew unpredictable. As Tang Yu put it, it was prenatal depression, he’d felt the same before giving birth. If Jells neglected him for even a moment, he’d spiral into fears of abandonment.
So when that female cornered Su Yi, dredging up painful memories, Su Yi snapped.
After repeated rejections, the female inexplicably lost his temper too.
"What, now that you’ve married a cursed orc with some skills, you’re putting on airs? If I expose your past, do you think you’d still have this cushy life? You’re just trading on your looks for sympathy. But if Sinoer knew how indecent you were, do you think he’d still want you?"
Su Yi almost laughed. This female must’ve arrived late, unaware of everything Su Yi had done for the tribe. He assumed their prosperity was solely due to Su Yi’s "capable partner," still equating Su Yi with the original Mirel.
"Cat got your tongue? Or did I hit a nerve? I drove you out of the tribe once, and I can do it again here." His arrogance and ugly sneer made Su Yi’s chest tighten.
"What do you want?" Su Yi had been standing too long; his legs trembled, but he refused to show weakness.
"Nothing unreasonable. Just get me a decent house. You’ve got connections here, people listen to you. It’s no big deal for you." His gaze lingered greedily on Su Yi’s home.
Su Yi gritted his teeth. "Build your own. No one gets handouts here." He ached to beat this female senseless, but with the baby at risk, he held back.
"We’re old friends, why the standoffishness? Besides, cursed orcs like them are inferior. Why should they live in comfort? They’re forsaken by the Beast God, unworthy of homes or tribes. Once I’m settled, I’ll bring our tribe here and drive them all out."
The term cursed orcs which had long been heard, ignited a fury in Su Yi. It included his lover and friends, who’d harmed no one and were kinder and braver than most. How dare he?
The female had clearly planned this, choosing a time when Sinoer was absent. Su Yi’s last shred of restraint shattered as his bottom line was crossed.
When Su Yi came to his senses, he realized the female had slapped him down, just as someone conveniently opened the gate. Many witnessed Su Yi shoving the female.
The crowd froze. The gentle Su Yi actually had hurt someone? The murderous glint in his eyes terrified them.
The female clutched his slapped cheek, tears streaming.
"Mirel, I know you don’t want Sinoer learning about your past. But no matter how shameful, we’re friends, and you two are mates. You can’t hide it forever."
His sobs turned theatrical. The orc accompanying him glared at Su Yi in shock. He hadn’t believed his mate’s claims of meeting Mirel, until now. Seeing Su Yi’s violence, he recalled how Mirel had bullied his mate before.
"Mirel, you’ve gone too far! You tormented Lamira in the tribe, and even after being sold off, you’re still the same!"
The bystanders exchanged confused glances.
Isn't his name Su Yi?
Mirel? Sold off? A bully?
Suspicion and judgmental stares bore into Su Yi. His mind fogged, he’d walked right into a trap.
As he struggled to explain, a female suddenly screamed.
"Su Yi, you’re bleeding!"
Chaos erupted. Regardless of the accusations, this wasn’t the time. Everyone rushed to help, but the crowding overwhelmed Su Yi. Dizzy and suffocated, he collapsed, and as he fell, he felt a kick aimed at his belly.
For the first time, Su Yi felt true despair. Even when shot before, he’d never known helplessness like this.
His baby…
When Sinoer returned, he found a crowd surrounding Su Yi - eyes closed, tear-streaked.
Like a madman, Sinoer began hurling people aside. His rage was so terrifying it paralyzed them. Even as they were thrown out, all they could see were his serpentine eyes, bloodthirsty and feral.
Tang Yu was worse. Upon hearing the news, he tried to attack the female, but Jells restrained him, whispering,
"Good, good. A beating isn’t enough. I’ll make him pay."
Tang Yu’s chilling smile made Lamira stiffen. For a moment, he thought Tang Yu would rip him apart.
No… they won't dare. My mate will protect me. And Hunter, the fair-minded leader, won't allow violence… right?