Chapter 119
Lamira's naivety knew no bounds. First, Hunter's position as leader had been voluntarily relinquished by Su Yi himself. Second, Hunter was far from being some righteous figure. And third, Hunter's lover happened to be Su Yi's closest friend. This latecomer Lamira clearly didn't understand how deep the waters ran in this valley.
If not for Su Yi being in late-stage pregnancy with unusually severe symptoms, Lamira's clumsy scheme would never have succeeded.
Truth be told, Su Yi had terrible luck. Most pregnancies didn't come with such extreme reactions, but from the moment of conception he'd been either fainting or vomiting uncontrollably.
Mino's face turned ashen when he discovered suspicious bruises on Su Yi's stomach, it was clear evidence of wrongdoing that had triggered premature labor.
Chaos erupted among those present. They had all rushed to help Su Yi, never imagining someone would take advantage to exact revenge.
Hunter immediately surrounded Su Yi's home and arrested Lamira and his mate without hesitation.
Though witnesses claimed Su Yi had struck first, the injuries proved malicious intent. Lamira, as the instigator, became the target of collective fury.
To these simple people, no grievance justified harming an unborn child. The moment Lamira was detained, he was met with a storm of curses. But no matter how angry they grew, Su Yi's condition remained critical.
Tang Yu rushed over upon hearing the news, only to return home grim-faced after confirming Su Yi's injuries.
Su Yi had warned him about Lamira. Tang Yu had kept watch for so long, but without incident, he'd grown complacent. Only for Lamira to strike at the worst possible moment. Worse, Tang Yu suspected someone was targeting Su Yi's unborn child.
When Tang Yu returned clutching something, his thunderous expression silenced the room.
Inside, Sinoer was in semi-beast form, clutching Su Yi protectively while glaring daggers at everyone, as if ready to pounce at any moment.
Jells cleared the room, leaving only Ian, Mino and Tang Yu. Sinoer couldn't be removed, so they waited anxiously outside.
"Ian, boil water. Jells, bring the birthing tub and prepare clean drinking water," Tang Yu called out sharply, sending everyone scrambling to obey.
When Ian emerged later, the scent of blood clinging to him, his face ghostly pale. Hunter wanted to comfort him but restrained himself, knowing that Ian hated being treated as fragile.
In the courtyard, the children huddled together trying to console Eli and Dino, who wept silently in guilt for not being there to protect their mother. They didn't realize Lamira had specifically chosen their absence to make his move, it was a carefully calculated attack, just as Su Yi had anticipated.
For Su Yi, this was undoubtedly the most vulnerable moment of his life. Exhausted and in excruciating pain unlike anything he'd imagined childbirth to be, he felt like a drowning man who'd never learned to swim, utterly powerless and alone in his despair.
Yet he knew he couldn't close his eyes. If he did, he might never open them again. The thought of how devastated Sinoer would be kept him fighting. Would Tang Yu remember what he'd entrusted to him?
Then, he tasted the familiar taste of the special water. Tang Yu had come. Relief flooded Su Yi, followed by irresistible exhaustion. So tired...
When Su Yi awoke two days later, he blinked dazedly before memory returned with a jolt. His slight movement immediately alerted Sinoer, who looked up with bloodshot heterochromatic eyes, his entire frame trembling.
Su Yi reached out to touch Sinoer's stubbled cheek. "Made you worry..." His voice was barely recognizable.
Sinoer bolted outside, triggering another wave of commotion.
Eli and Dino charged in, only to be scooped up mid-leap by Sinoer. Eli's eyes were swollen from crying, while Dino visibly forced himself to stay calm.
Tang Yu and Mino followed, palpable relief washing over them at seeing Su Yi conscious.
After drinking some water, Su Yi rasped, "The baby?"
Ian hurried in with a tiny bundle. Su Yi stared incredulously at the pink-cheeked infant. "This... came out of me?"
Tang Yu snorted. "Unless I birthed him?"
Su Yi had been semi-conscious during delivery. Without Tang Yu administering the special water, neither he nor the premature baby would have survived. The infant, barely six pounds, had been so weak he could barely cry.
That night, no one slept. Only at dawn, when both Su Yi and the baby stabilized, did people take turns resting.
Holding the fragile newborn, Su Yi's voice turned icy. "Where is he?"
"Hunter has him detained," Tang Yu answered.
Su Yi nodded, yawned, and everyone took the hint to leave. Only when alone did his mask slip, his eyes glacial.
Sinoer embraced him, and Su Yi melted. "I know what you're thinking. Rest, let me handle this."
Su Yi shook his head. "No, I need to do this myself."
After resting, Su Yi entered his space. He took some the magical water, diluted it, and bathed in it. Then he took another portion of the magical water and drank it. The purification wracked his body with pain, but when he emerged, his gaze had hardened into steel.
He trimmed his hair short, wore spotless white hides that accentuated his pale complexion, and handed the baby to Mino before heading to Hunter's place.
Lamira was imprisoned in a storage cave near Ian's home. The damp, reeking space made Lamira barely recognize the transformed Su Yi who entered, until he spotted Sinoer and shrieked, "You! Why aren't you dead?!"
Su Yi crouched down, his cold stare reducing Lamira to a trembling wreck. For two days, Lamira and his mate had endured silent threats from everyone - Eli, Dino, Tang Yu, Jells. They had expected Su Yi to die from the premature birth. Seeing him healthy terrified them more than any violence could.
"I didn't mean to!" Lamira finally cracked. "I just wanted a better life! I never meant to kill you!"
Su Yi touched his stomach, watching Lamira pale further. "Mirel is dead. The moment your tribe sold him off, he died."
Had Mirel not met Sinoer, his fate would have been tragic, a breeding tool, discarded when broken. Despite his flaws, Mirel had never truly harmed anyone. Yet Lamira, driven by jealousy, had sold his own tribesman.
And now? Faced with his victim, he felt no remorse, only entitlement to more.
