Before dawn, early risers from the Tiger Tribe went to the river to fetch water for breakfast, and Jing Yue, who was squatting outside the wall of his house and staring at nothing for half the night, didn’t know if he had slept or not. He just felt his head was a little dizzy, he rubbed his sore eyes and stood up. He leaned on the base of the wall, listening for any movement in his room, and decided to drive that Xiya away before his parents got up.

Jing Yue’s bed was next to a window, so he bent his fingers and tapped on the window twice. Xiya was already awake, and was pressing the blanket for Lei Jin, when he heard the noise. He pushed the window open from the inside.

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“It’s time for you to go, right?” Jing Yue stood outside the window with his arms crossed, with an impatient look on his face.

“I want to take Lei Jin with me.” Xiya looked at the person who was still sleeping on the bed.

“No.” Jing Yue refused.

“Why not? You should know that he is my female.” Now he can also see that Jing Yue could also let go, otherwise he wouldn’t have left last night.

“My parents love him very much. If he leaves like this suddenly, my papa will be worried.” Although he had made a decision in his heart, after all, it was someone he liked, so just admitting defeat like this was something he wasn’t willing to do. After much deliberation, this was the only reason that makes sense, and what he said was not completely false. If Lei Jin left so suddenly, his parents would definitely ask questions, especially his papa.

“Okay then. I’ll go back first. After dawn, I’ll come over and personally thank your parents before taking Lei Jin away.” Xiya was not unreasonable, and understood that it should be so, after all, they saved Lei Jin and took good care of him for so long. No matter what, he should thank them face to face. But it was just that he had finally found him, so naturally he didn’t want to leave even one step.

“Then go away. My papa is going to get up and cook soon.” Go, go, he really didn’t want to see this person. The first female he ever liked, yet didn’t even get to touch a single hair, was now stolen away just like this. It was impossible to be in a good mood after all that.

“He’s asleep now, you can’t take advantage of him.” Although Jing Yue gave up, he didn’t really believe in Jing Yue’s self-control, after all, his feelings for Lei Jin were clear for all to see.

Hearing this, Jing Yue gave him a hard roll of the eyes, and said angrily: “My papa will be up right away. Seeing Lei Jin sleeping on my bed, I barely even have time to dodge, how dare I think of anything further?”

“It better be like this.” Xiya looked back at Lei Jin worriedly, but he knew that the sky would be bright soon and he had to leave.

“You sleep for a while, when it’s light out, I’ll take you away.” Xiya bent down and touched Lei Jin’s face.

“Why are you like a papa, such a nag.” After confirming that Xiya had left, he turned in through the window, leaned on the bed with his head propped on a hand and looked at the other for a while. He sighed, “You should have been mine.”

After finishing speaking, Jing Yue, who was still reluctant to give up, touched the other’s face carefully, and muttered to himself: “At any rate, I have touched a female now.” He turned out of the window again in joy.

Jing Yue didn’t sleep much on the chair in the yard when Hao Chen got up. He saw him sleeping in the yard, patted him on the shoulder, and asked, “Jing Yue, why did you fall asleep in the yard?”

Before Jing Yue could answer, Jing Ping ran out of the room in a panic, almost crying out of anxiety, and said, “Ah, it’s not good, Lei Jin is gone!”

“How could he be gone? Didn’t you watch him go to bed after dinner last night? He is still injured, where can he go?” Hao Chen became anxious when he heard that.

“Papa…” Jing Yue looked at the two people who were running around anxiously, and tried to interrupt.

“Speak to me later.” Hao Chen interrupted him with an annoyed wave, and then asked Jing Ping, “When did he disappear?”

“I don’t know. Last night, we were even talking before going to bed. He disappeared when I woke up this morning. The blankets are cold. Maybe he disappeared at night.”

“At night? There are werebeasts patrolling outside, so it’s impossible for someone to sneak in. Could it be that Lei Jin left by himself?”

“Papa…” Jing Yue called again.

“I said later, let me think about it, where might Lei Jin go.” Hao Chen gave his son a glare. Why was Jing Yue not in a panic, was it not him clamoring to have Lei Jin as his female every day?

“Papa…” Jing Yue didn’t try to explain this time, he directly held Hao Chen’s shoulder and turned him around. Lei Jin had already woken up, and was standing at the door of Jing Yue’s room, facing the morning light, with a faint smile on his face.

Speaking of which, they had only known each other for barely more than half a month, but this family was really good to him. It turns out that when he disappeared there would be people so anxious? Regardless of anything else, just pure familial concern.

Roger was also very kind to him, but facing Roger, he felt a peer-like natural sense of closeness due to their shared origins. But facing Jing Yue’s papa, he felt a kind of respect for his elders.

“Lei Jin, I was scared to death. I thought you were missing.” Jing Ping happily ran over, stretched out his hand, and supported Lei Jin. This has almost become a subconscious action of Jing Ping these days.

Seeing that Lei Jin was fine, Hao Chen finally put his heart back into its place, but then he thought of something and waved his hand to gesture Jing Yue to come closer.

Jing Yue was puzzled, but leaned over instinctively. As soon as he was close enough, Hao Chen raised his hand to grab his ear and pull him into a corner.

“Let go, papa, it hurts.” Jing Yue tilted his head, grimacing in pain, but didn’t dare to break free from his papa’s hand.

“What’s going on? Why did Lei Jin sleep in your room? Did you do something last night?” Hao Chen asked in a low voice.

“No, papa. I slept in the yard last night, and Lei Jin slept in the room by himself.” Jing Yue quickly explained.

“You aren’t lying to me?” Hao Chen looked at him suspiciously. It wasn’t that he doubted his son, but after all, few werebeasts could keep calm when they saw a female they liked.

“I would like to, but how can I have the chance?” Jing Yue muttered under his breath.

“What did you say?” Hao Chen didn’t hear clearly.

“I said, look at my clothes. It’s so wet from the dew. I must have stayed in the yard all night. Lei Jin came out by himself last night, feeling uncomfortable…”

Hao Chen glanced at him.

“It’s true. It isn’t my fault.” Jing Yue added, trying to cover up. Seeing that his papa didn’t speak, he continued: “After a while, I wanted to send him back to his room, but Jing Ping was fast asleep, and we were afraid of waking him up. So I let Lei Jin sleep in my room instead, and I stayed in the yard all night.”

Hao Chen saw guilt clearly written on his son’s face, and he knew that things were not that simple, but he felt that Jing Yue’s clothes were indeed very damp from dew. Looking back at Lei Jin who was talking to Jing Ping, he guessed that his idiot son couldn’t easily take advantage of others, so he let go of him and said, “Why don’t you go back to your room and change your clothes?”

Jing Yue left in a hurry, afraid that if he waited a little longer, he would be asked the truth by his papa.

“Jing Ping, you and Lei Jin go out for a walk, the air in the mountains is fresh in the morning, I’ll cook.” Hao Chen followed and said to Lei Jin and Jing Ping.

“Okay, papa, I saw that the silver gold fruits on the mountain were almost ripe two days ago, so I will pick some back on the way.”

Lei Jin also nodded with a smile.

“Go, come back early for dinner.” Hao Chen looked at them with a smile, but inadvertently glimpsed the mark under Lei Jin’s ear, which seemed to be…

It shouldn’t be possible, right? He must have seen wrong, right?

“Lei Jin, what do you think of my brother?” Jing Ping honestly liked Lei Jin, and although Lei Jin doesn’t talk much, and was even a little too quiet, he really hoped that Lei Jin could really stay. Besides, his parents also liked him.

“Not bad.” Lei Jin answered matter of factly. Although the other had some different thoughts towards him, he knew how to restrain himself, at least he didn’t give him headaches like three certain brothers.

If he knew that something happened to him, who knew what that little guy might be doing to torment himself and others back at home. Now that Xiya had found him, it seemed that he would not give up so easily. As for Moya, forget it, don’t think about it, there was not one who was simple.

“…is that okay?” Lei Jin only heard the last few words when he came back to his senses.

“What?” Lei Jin asked.

“Why not stay in our tribe and hold a ceremony with my brother, my brother will love you very much, and my brother is very likely to be the next patriarch.” Jing Ping lowered his head to pick silver gold fruits in the bushes. In order to keep living with Lei Jin, all the persuasions he could think of came out. The patriarch of a tribe must be the strongest werebeast, and all females should like a mate like that.

“That probably isn’t likely, Lei Jin is already my mate.” A deep magnetic voice came from behind the two of them, and someone embraced Lei Jin’s shoulder from behind, leaning his head forward.

When Jing Ping turned around and raised his head, he looked into a pair of smiling lavender eyes, and his ears turned red suspiciously.

The person who came was naturally Xiya.

It turned out that when Xiya went back this morning, he happened to meet Hao Yang who had already woken up. Hao Yang was not surprised, and even asked Xiya if he went to find his female last night.

Xiya explained the happenings generally. After all, he was living in the other’s house now, so he should give some explanation.

Unexpectedly, after the two had a meal, Hao Yang offered to take Xiya to his brother’s place. Naturally, Xiya couldn’t wish for anything more. After all, if someone from the Tiger Clan introduced him, he wouldn’t be regarded as an intruder.

They went early, and Hao Chen was still cooking. Hao Yang told him the truth, and Hao Chen looked at Xiya, and then at his son who had a guilty face. He understood a little bit in his heart, and told them Lei Jin was on the mountain. Only then did Xiya find him.

Xiya’s hot breath was blown against Lei Jin’s ears, and suddenly Lei Jin recalled what happened last night. He lifted his leg and kicked Xiya, saying, “Stay away.”

“How cruel, you don’t recognize me out of bed.” Xiya complained not very seriously.

“What did you say?” Lei Jin leaned back against the tree to stabilize his body, and said lightly, but his gaze was heavy.

“I mean, are you feeling better today?” Xiya immediately sided over with a smile on his face.

Lei Jin glanced at him, and it was true that Xiya helped, so he nodded, but the thank you was choked in his throat and he couldn’t say it.

“That’s good.” Xiya’s expression was obviously relieved. He had never seen the effect of jade mugwort with his own eyes, maybe Lei Jin could really endure it.

“Lei Jin, who is this?” Jing Ping came over with half a basket of silver gold fruits on his shoulders, and asked with a bit of awkwardness.

“Friend.”

“Mate.”

The two spoke at the same time, but they gave two completely different answers.

Xiya whispered something into Lei Jin’s ear.

Jing Ping glanced at the two of them strangely, seeing Lei Jin’s complexion was not pleased, so he didn’t ask any further. Jing Ping saw that it was almost time for breakfast, so he proposed to go down the mountain.

On the way, Xiya said that it was inconvenient for Jing Ping to carry the basket and help Lei Jin, so he took the initiative to take over the task of supporting Lei Jin.

Lei Jin didn’t say a word along the way, but the person who introduced himself as Xiya had a good personality, kept saying thank you for helping Lei Jin these days and so on, which made Jing Ping feel a little embarrassed.

After going back to have breakfast, Hao Yang explained that he invited some people to go hunting in the jungle tomorrow, and planned to let Xiya and Lei Jin go over to help look after his house, and also have a place to live by the way.

Hao Chen was a little worried about Lei Jin’s body, afraid that the werebeast wouldn’t know how to take care of him, but seeing that Lei Jin didn’t object, he thought that they were mates after all, and he couldn’t be too nosy. So he just packed two pairs of Jing Ping’s clothes for Lei Jin, and chose a few pieces of good tender meat and a large bag of silver gold fruits.

Seeing that Lei Jin’s body was still recovering, Xiya would definitely not be able to travel long distances back to the Leopard Tribe, so he thought about recuperating in the Tiger Tribe for the time being. He estimated that a month would be up soon, and Moya, after being unable to find Lei Jin, should be waiting at the place agreed by the two. So he asked Hao Yang to send a message to the Leopard werebeast who was waiting at the mouth of the river, letting him know that he and Lei Jin were now in the Tiger Tribe. Hao Yang readily agreed.

So everyone went their own way.

Xiya and Lei Jin had been living in Hao Yang’s house for a few days.

The effect of the jade mugwort in Lei Jin’s system became more and more obvious. At first, Xiya helped Lei Jin take a bath and deal with it with his mouth, but soon they saw that these days, such methods were no longer feasible.

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Lei Jin couldn’t sleep all night, and after a few days, his complexion became obviously worse.

Xiya sometimes wished that Moya would come over as soon as possible. Lei Jin liked Moya, so he would definitely not object to their union. This way Lei Jin didn’t have to suffer from it every night. But sometimes he thought it would be better for Moya to come later, so that he and Lei Jin would have more chances to spend time alone, maybe Lei Jin would also come to like him. Xiya was very conflicted.

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“Go to my room,” Jing Yue said, not expecting that Lei Jin had never taken the jade mugwort. Now, the situation had escalated. The jade mugwort has a strong aphrodisiac effect on females taking it for the first time. Most females cannot resist its effect, and without a werebeast’s union, the effect becomes stronger and lasts for a month. This is meant to increase the chances of conception. If used again, it depends on the individual’s constitution, usually reducing the effect to a mild emotional response. The lantp itself is beneficial and harmless to the female body. Jing Yue had not considered this when using it, thinking that Lei Jin’s recent strange behavior was simply temporary discomfort.

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“Can you still walk?” Xiya asked as he helped Lei Jin, feeling his body getting heavier, likely due to his lack of strength.

“I’m fine,” Lei Jin shook his head, trying to regain some clarity. Why did it feel hotter than usual today?

“Jing Yue, why aren’t you sleeping in the middle of the night?” Jing Yue’s father, Kun Ge, called out sleepily from inside the house.

“It’s fine, father. I’m just talking with Lei Jin,” Jing Yue said, signaling Xiya to help Lei Jin inside.

“His injuries aren’t healed yet. What are you talking about in the middle of the night? Let Lei Jin rest,” Kun Ge murmured, possibly to Hao Chen, who had also woken up.

“I know, father. You and papa sleep. I’ll help him back to his room,” Jing Yue replied, then called at the empty space behind him, “Lei Jin, I’ll take you back to your room.”

He listened for movement in his father’s room, then sighed with relief. If his father knew that Lei Jin had a mate and that he had been the one to give him the jade mugwort, his father would surely strip him of his tiger skin and turn it into a blanket.

As soon as Jing Yue entered the room, a pillow hit him in the forehead, and he heard Xiya’s voice, “Close your eyes.”

Jing Yue pressed the pillow against his face and shouted, “I can’t see anything.” In fact, he had already opened a small gap. Lei Jin was sitting up against the bedhead, and Xiya’s hand was already on his clothes, undoing the top two buttons, revealing Lei Jin’s collarbones, which had become more prominent due to recent weight loss.

Jing Yue’s face instantly turned red. If it weren’t for the cover of the night, there might have been visible steam rising from his head.

“What are you still doing here?” Xiya turned around and saw Jing Yue standing by the door.

“Where else should I go?” This was his room, and Xiya couldn’t be planning to do something right here, could he?

“Didn’t I tell you to heat some water?” Xiya reminded, clearly frustrated that Jing Yue hadn’t been paying attention.

“Oh, okay,” Jing Yue said, setting the pillow aside and hurriedly leaving.

As he walked, he mumbled, “Aren’t I the owner here? Why do I have to listen to him?” Then he turned to go back.

But then he heard Lei Jin’s voice from the room: “Xiya, stop.”

“Just take it off, it’ll feel cooler.” Then came the sound of clothes rustling.

Jing Yue scratched his head, thinking he might as well just go back and heat the water.

He added some firewood and heated a large pot of water, filling a basin and adding a clean towel.

Hearing movement in the room, Jing Yue figured he might as well sleep outside tonight. He knocked on the door, placed the water outside, and left. Before leaving, he looked back reluctantly and saw Xiya carrying the basin of water inside, his bare upper body exposed.

“That was fast,” Jing Yue muttered with a scornful look. His female wasn’t even fully recovered, yet Xiya was so eager. He had completely forgotten that if it weren’t for him, Lei Jin wouldn’t be in this state.

“Xiya, I don’t need your help,” Lei Jin groaned in discomfort, curling up on the bed, trying to resist the intense heat coursing through his body.

“I’m not doing anything, just helping you wash,” Xiya said as he entered with the basin.

Lei Jin hadn’t been able to properly bathe in these past days. Given his current condition, it was impossible for him to bathe alone. For the past half-month, he had relied on Jing Ping and Hao Chen’s help, but they couldn’t do it every day. He couldn’t always burden them.

Xiya, knowing the effects and remedies of the jad mugwort, understood that taking the next step wasn’t easy, so he had to settle for helping Lei Jin bathe to relieve some of the discomfort.

Lei Jin wasn’t being a diva. He did need help, but he was aware of Xiya’s intentions. He wasn’t the type to enjoy someone’s kindness without reciprocating, and he could live without bathing. As for the heat within him, it would eventually pass.

“Aren’t we friends if not mates?” Xiya said, understanding Lei Jin’s concerns, focusing on what he could accept.

“Just friends?” Lei Jin stared at him, trying to read his face.

“At least for now,” Xiya raised an eyebrow, making it clear he wasn’t going to make any promises that Lei Jin wanted.

Lei Jin nodded reluctantly. His limits were almost reached. The heat was unbearable, and even though his shirt was undone, there was no relief. His mind was on the verge of being overwhelmed by the heat.

Seeing that Lei Jin had agreed, Xiya turned to leave, drawing water from the well in the courtyard. He tested it with his hand and found it to be warm, just right for Lei Jin’s injuries. Cold water would be ineffective, and hot water could harm him.

“I’ll help you take your clothes off,” Xiya said as he approached.

At this time, Lei Jin was too distracted already by the inexplicable heat in his body, so how could he still have the energy to answer Xiya.

“Then I’ll take it as your agreement.” Xiya said to himself and helped Lei Jin take off his shirt, put it on the chair aside, and started to unbutton his trousers as well.

Lei Jin raised his head and glared at him.

“You can’t wear trousers while wiping down, right?” Xiya said with a smile.

Lei Jin gritted his teeth, but couldn’t speak. Damn it, Xiya. He knew why. If that really was the case, why take off the underwear along with the trousers?

“You don’t mind this, do you?” Xiya held up Lei Jin’s waist, took off his trousers and underwear together. He dangled the underwear on his finger as he asked Lei Jin.

“It’s not like I haven’t seen you and Moya before when you were together.” At this point, although his expression remained natural, the jealousy in his tone could be picked up two miles away.

“Of course I don’t mind. You are welcome to visit next time we do it.” Lei Jin opened his mouth several times and finally got this retort out completely and clearly.

As if he would let him succeed in ridiculing him.

Xiya let out a huff of anooyed laughter. Then he thought about how Lei Jin was still feeling uncomfortable. What was he even doing. It was useless to quibble over things. He would just get his “revenge” from him sooner or later.

Xiya brought the mixed water over, pulled another chair in the room and put it on it. He wrung out the cloth, wiped Lei Jin’s face first, and then wiped it down his neck.

Xiya’s too careful wiping made Lei Jin’s extremely sensitive body, tortured by the jade mugwort, to shiver involuntarily, and there were also faint signs of an erection below.

Lei Jin was also startled by the obvious reaction from his body, and cursed in his mind: Damn, is this body really not able to live without a man? What’s up with such a reaction?

“What? Does it feel so good?” Of course, Lei Jin’s reaction couldn’t be concealed from Xiya who was so close. The movements of Xiya’s hands became more gentle, more like teasing than wiping.

Lei Jin frowned, his chest heaving even more fiercely. Xiya, he was doing this on purpose, right?

Ai, he was only torturing himself. Who would have known that Xiya was also scolding himself in his heart. Facing Lei Jin’s naked body, his reaction was much stronger than Lei Jin’s. Lei Jin felt so strongly because of the medicinal properties of the jade mugwort, while his reaction was simply natural. Can see and touch but not eat, it was too painful.

“I’ll help you, just come and it’ll be fine.” Xiya said, only to realize that his voice was hoarse.

“No need.” Lei Jin stubbornly refused, but Xiya’s body moved closer and closer.

“It’ll be fine soon.” Xiya sat behind Lei Jin and held him in his arms while speaking seductively in his ear.

Lei Jin wanted to resist, but was distracted by Xiya’s hand that had slipped below. Xiya’s hand was still moist and warm because it had been soaked in warm water just now. When it wrapped around him, even with the lack of technique it still made Lei Jin tremble.

“En…” Lei Jin closed his mouth and muffled a groan. He arched his body, his neck tilted back, and rested his head on Xiya’s shoulder.

“Lei Jin…” Xiya’s eyes darkened and he called him softly. He opened his mouth to take the skin on Lei Jin’s neck and sucked gently.

Time passed slowly…

“Let go…ah…” He felt so uncomfortable, but he couldn’t come. Even though he was so aroused, he still couldn’t.

“With me here, it will be fine soon.” Xiya felt that he could no longer hold on, but Lei Jin was still as hard as ever.

It seemed that there was only one way to solve this.

Lei Jin’s legs were placed on the edge of the bed at this time, and Xiya supported his upper body to lie back on the bed.

“What are you going to do?” Lei Jin was startled when he felt Xiya parting his legs, and some of his scrambled thoughts immediately came to their senses.

“Trust me.” Xiya lowered his head and looked into Lei Jin’s eyes. After saying this, he knelt down half-kneeling next to the bed, opened his mouth and took Lei Jin’s hardness into his mouth.

Lei Jin came several times and finally fell asleep from exhaustion. Xiya looked at the tent in his trousers with a wry smile, and then looked at Lei Jin sleeping soundly in front of him. There was a strangely warm feeling in his heart that could not be brushed away.

“Like this is fine now.” Xiya leaned forward and kissed Lei Jin carefully on the lips.

“I helped you, you should help me, right?”

“If you don’t say anything, I’ll treat it as if you don’t object.”

It would be a miracle if someone who had already fallen asleep could raise his voice to object. So Xiya took action as a matter of course.

Xiya held Lei Jin’s hand and moved it onto his own arousal. To be honest, Lei Jin’s fingers were very slender, but not as delicate and smooth as those of ordinary females. They were even a little rough, but Xiya didn’t last long against this roughness, and soon came with a gasp.

After wiping Lei Jin’s hands clean, Xiya went out and brought in another basin of hot water. While wiping Lei Jin’s body clean, Xiya took the opportunity to feel it up and down to his content.

“En, all clean.” Xiya looked at the fruits of his half a night’s labor, nodded with satisfaction, and helped Lei Jin put on all the clothes that were folded on the side.

Lei Jin, who had not slept well for many days, was sleeping deeply, letting himself be maneuvered like a ragdoll.

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“Sleep.” Xiya poured out the water, got on the bed and hugged Lei Jin. After thinking about it, he wrapped his own clothes around Lei Jin before covering with Jing Yue’s blanket.

Jing Yue squatted outside the wall of his house, rubbing his arms and sighing, the moonlight was so beautiful tonight, but the wind… was so cold, so cold.

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The Tiger Tribe’s settlement was located in a quiet valley running east to west. The mountain walls surrounded them on both sides, with lush trees covering the slopes. A river, rich in water, flowed through the valley, its surface rippling gently. The banks were covered in fragrant grasses, with wildflowers growing amid the trees. The roads were wide and straight, and in the shrubs at the foot of the mountain, wild rabbits could occasionally be seen hopping around. The werebeasts typically ignored these small creatures, and the females couldn’t do much about them either. These little animals seemed content to stay near the werebeasts’ village, digging holes and building nests, where they could avoid predators.

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Before Xiya had even reached the entrance to the Tiger Tribe’s settlement, the patrols stationed at the valley’s entrance had already received word and relayed the information to the tribe. Although there had been no major natural disasters or calamities in recent years, the jungle and grassland provided enough prey, and there had been no significant conflicts between the large werebeast tribes. Relations between them were relatively peaceful, but not to the point where they visited each other casually. Therefore, Xiya’s arrival, especially as a single individual, aroused some curiosity.

Of course, among those curious individuals was not Jing Yue. Although the scent on Lei Jin had faded somewhat, single werebeasts were particularly sensitive to the scent of females, and Jing Yue could still detect it. He had also seen Lei Jin holding a Leopard Tribe werebeast before. Now, after having saved Lei Jin, the Leopard Tribe werebeasts who normally did not step foot in the Tiger Tribe arrived right after. It was hard to believe such a coincidence. Even using his back legs to think he couldn’t come to that conclusion.

Jing Yue wondered how to send the new arrival away quickly.

Xiya had already arrived at the entrance of the Tiger Tribe.

“Why has a Leopard Tribe werebeast come to our Tiger Tribe?” Two werebeast guards stood at the entrance, and one of them blocked Xiya’s way and asked.

Xiya stopped and took a breath before replying, “I’m looking for someone.”

“Looking for someone in our Tiger Tribe?” The Tiger Tribe werebeast looked at him strangely and asked, “Who are you looking for?”

“A female with black hair and black eyes.” Lei Jin’s eye color was quite rare, and anyone who had seen him would likely remember. In case they didn’t recognize him, he added, “He’s injured. Have you had any injured females in your tribe recently?”

The two werebeasts exchanged a glance. In the tribe, everyone knew each other, and when an unfamiliar face appeared, it didn’t take long for the tribe to be aware. Besides, it was a female, and it was likely that by now everyone knew that the tribe leader had an injured female staying in his house. Lei Jin had been active in the tribe, and many had seen him, noting his unusual black eyes.

Xiya noticed the change in their expressions, and his heart skipped a beat. The sudden joy took him by surprise. He was alive! Lei Jin was still alive! Xiya had never imagined that he would feel the truth of this moment. He had come to the Tiger Tribe on a whim, not wanting to miss any chance, and now it seemed that Lei Jin was indeed here and still alive.

“He’s my mate. We got separated in the jungle due to an accident. Someone must have seen him, right?” Xiya knew how to appeal to the werebeasts. After all, a mate was extremely precious to a werebeast.

Seeing the hesitation in their expressions confirmed it.

“I just want to know—he’s injured, is he okay now?” Xiya pressed, his violet eyes filled with unmasked anxiety and concern. Part of it was real, part of it was intentional, to show the two werebeasts.

“He…” One of them couldn’t help but speak up.

“We don’t have anyone like you’re describing in our tribe.” Jing Yue stepped out from behind.

The first werebeast seemed reluctant, glancing at Xiya before retreating to his original position. After all, he knew where his loyalty lay. Jing Yue was his own kin, and this Leopard Tribe werebeast was an outsider. Even though he sympathized with the stranger’s plight, he couldn’t betray his own tribe.

“Jing Yue?!” Xiya recognized him, surprised to see him.

“You know me?” Jing Yue furrowed his brows, looking at the person before him. His golden hair was striking, and his violet eyes were deep. He had an extraordinarily handsome face. He was certain he hadn’t seen this person before, but how did this person know his name?

“Where’s Lei Jin?” Xiya asked. He had seen Jing Yue when he gave his clothes to Lei Jin. He and Moya had observed from a distance when Lei Jin casually put on clothes from another werebeast. At the time, Xiya had been so angry he wanted to rush over and tear them off him. But after thinking about it, he decided that wearing someone else’s clothes was better than entering the tribe naked, offering everyone there a spectacle. If not for their sudden appearance being suspicious, he and Moya would have offered their clothes to Lei Jin.

At that time, Jing Yue’s gaze directed towards Lei Jin had been strange. Now, seeing the reactions of the two werebeasts when seeing Jing Yue, it was clear. Lei Jin had definitely been hidden by this Jing Yue.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jing Yue flatly denied it. After all, he was on his own turf. What could this Leopard Tribe werebeast do?

“You know he has werebeast mates.” Despite his reluctance to admit it, Xiya was secretly relieved that the previous night Moya and Lei Jin had been intimate. Even if he had fallen into the water the next day, Lei Jin’s body would still carry Moya’s scent.

“I’ve never seen the person you’re talking about.” Jing Yue nervously rubbed his hands behind his back. He would deny it no matter what. After all, Lei Jin was in his house, and the Leopard Tribe werebeast wouldn’t be able to see him.

“You should know that females with mates cannot perform ceremonies with others.” Xiya gave him a pitying look.

“As long as Lei Jin is willing, it’s fine.” Jing Yue blurted out, then immediately realized his mistake when he saw the triumphant look in Xiya’s eyes. It was too late to take it back.

“Anyway, he doesn’t want you. You can go now.” Jing Yue, now irritated by the Leopard Tribe werebeast, thought he was quite malicious, even setting a trap for him.

“Is his injury better?” Xiya asked, though he wasn’t sure how bad Lei Jin’s injuries were. After being captured by the dragonbird for so long, his wounds couldn’t have been light.

“He’s not dead yet. You couldn’t even protect him properly, what right do you have to come looking for him?” Seeing how badly Lei Jin was injured, it was obvious that the werebeasts had failed to protect him properly.

“I want to see him.” Xiya didn’t want to argue with Jing Yue anymore; he just wanted to see Lei Jin as soon as possible.

“Moya, stop dreaming.” The person he had saved was his female, so why should he give him to someone who didn’t appreciate him?

“How do you know Moya?” Xiya asked, and he noticed that Jing Yue referred to him as Moya so matter-of-factly. How was he so sure that it was him?

“You aren’t Moya?” Jing Yue asked. He clearly heard Lei Jin muttering Moya’s name in his delirium.

“I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Xiya.”

“Then who is Moya?” Jing Yue had an inkling about who Moya was.

“He’s my younger brother,” Xiya answered.

“So Lei Jin is your shared mate?” After all, this kind of thing wasn’t exclusive to the Leopard Tribe. There were plenty of brothers in the Tiger Tribe who shared mates as well.

“Just like you think, we’ve performed the ceremony and are officially mates.” To find Lei Jin, Xiya started lying through his teeth. Heaven knew that Lei Jin’s body had never been touched by him. It was Moya who had explored every inch of Lei Jin’s body. But not all of it was a lie—sooner or later, Lei Jin would be his.

Xiya’s confidence was truly unshakable.

Thinking about the sweet moments he would share with Lei Jin, Xiya smiled, his eyes crinkling with joy.

Seeing him smile like that made Jing Yue feel even more uncomfortable. He said, “Lei Jin is my female now.” He didn’t want Lei Jin to know, but it was obvious that Lei Jin liked that Moya guy, and now here was Xiya, also his mate. Jing Yue had thought that saving Lei Jin was fate giving him a chance, and he had even used the jade mugwort.

The jade mugwort, though precious, had great benefits for a female’s body. He didn’t mind giving it to Lei Jin, but handing Lei Jin back to them… he just couldn’t accept it. He’d tried every method over the past month but still couldn’t make Lei Jin truly accept him. It was frustrating.

“It’s so late, are you really going to make me rest at the entrance of your tribe?” Xiya decided to take a roundabout approach and enter the tribe first.

Jing Yue looked at the darkening sky. He wanted to say, “Go wherever you want, as long as it’s far enough away,” but Lei Jin…

Forget it…

“Come with me,” Jing Yue said reluctantly.

Once inside, Xiya realized the valley was quite large. The center was wide and flat, and the two ends were narrower, forming a natural barrier. Though it was a valley, the Tiger Tribe clearly didn’t like living in low-lying areas. The houses started halfway up the mountain and became more densely packed as they went higher. The north side of the mountain had more inhabitants than the south. The few houses on the south slope were mostly concentrated at the top.

Now, Jing Yue was leading Xiya up the south slope of the mountain. The slope was gentle, and stone steps wound upwards. Xiya had long realized that Jing Yue was taking him up and down the same path, repeatedly, as if playing some sort of game. How many more times would they go back and forth? But since Jing Yue saved Lei Jin, Xiya didn’t mind letting him have his way. Still, it was already dark, and he was starting to get annoyed.

Finally, Xiya plopped down on a nearby stone and decided he wasn’t going to play along anymore. “When are you going to take me to see Lei Jin?”

“Who said I’m taking you to see Lei Jin?” Jing Yue asked, feigning confusion.

“Then why are you dragging me all over the mountain?” Xiya nearly wanted to punch him but restrained himself. Considering that Jing Yue saved Lei Jin, he held back.

“Lei Jin is already asleep. I’ll take you to stay at my uncle’s house for the night,” Jing Yue finally said.

“Why is he already asleep? Is his injury really serious?” Xiya got up and followed.

“You’ll know when you see him.”

As they spoke, they arrived at a house. There were no lights on inside, but this didn’t hinder the werebeast’s sight. Jing Yue knocked, and a golden-haired, green-eyed werebeast, who resembled Jing Yue in appearance, stepped out wearing a robe.

Jing Yue explained the situation, and his uncle, Hao Yang, gave Xiya a quick once-over before nodding in agreement. Jing Yue didn’t want to talk more with Xiya, so he sprouted his wings and, after bidding his uncle goodbye, flew toward the northern mountain slope. Xiya paid attention to his flight direction, guessing that Lei Jin was probably in that area. He stared at the direction for a moment.

“There’s a spring behind the yard. Go wash up while I heat up some meat for you,” Hao Yang said.

Xiya went to the back yard and, as expected, found a spring hidden among the trees, with clean water. He shook the dust off his clothes and draped them over a nearby branch. Now that he was sure Lei Jin was still alive, he felt a lot more at ease. He relaxed and took a comfortable bath. After changing into clean clothes, he felt refreshed. No wonder Lei Jin loved bathing so much.

When he returned to the house, the meat had been served in two large bowls, along with a jar of fresh water.

Xiya thanked Hao Yang and, feeling famished, began to eat. The three brothers had been raised under Roger’s strict training, so despite being hungry, Xiya still managed to eat elegantly.

Hao Yang glanced at the young man with slight surprise but didn’t comment. After a while, he said, “Once you’re done eating, just leave the bowls there. I’ll clean up tomorrow. You’ll sleep in that room.” Hao Yang pointed to a room on the east side of the main house.

Xiya nodded in agreement.

Hao Yang turned and went back to the room on the west side, casually closing the door behind him.

After eating, Xiya stacked the bowls, went outside to wash his hands, then returned to his room to sleep. He hadn’t slept well for over half a month and was exhausted.

But as soon as he closed his eyes, he heard the sound of the main door opening. Just as Xiya was about to get out of bed to check, he heard the sounds of shuffling. “Lighter, lighter… Someone is here tonight…”

“Who?”

“It’s a friend of Jing Yue.”

After saying that, the two seemed to have gotten tangled up again, and from the noise, it was clear they were two werebeasts in a passionate embrace.

Xiya thought to himself, no wonder Jing Yue had arranged for him to stay here. It turned out that this house didn’t have any females at all. It must be said that he had thought things through so carefully. But perhaps he was truly exhausted, as he soon fell into a deep sleep with no dreams until dawn.

Several days passed, and there was still no sign of Jing Yue. Xiya thought to himself that the month-long deadline was nearly up, and if Moya didn’t hear from them soon, he would likely lose hope.

“I can’t sit still. I have to find Lei Jin quickly,” Xiya thought, but as a Leopard Tribe werebeast, if he recklessly searched around the Tiger Tribe’s settlement, he would be mistaken for an intruder and hunted down by the entire tribe.

After much deliberation, he finally thought of a plan—though not a perfect one.

That evening, just as the sky darkened, Xiya prepared to act. Though the werebeast’s vision was the same day or night, at night, they rested, and the darkness could provide some cover.

After dinner, Xiya went to his room to rest early, then quietly climbed out of the back window, flying toward the direction Jing Yue had gone in.

Landing at the high mountain peak on the north side, Xiya recalled that there weren’t many houses in the area where Jing Yue had landed, but there were still five or six. With no better options, he decided to check each one.

Lei Jin didn’t know that Xiya had come. Coincidentally, he couldn’t sleep that night, so he decided to practice moving his arms in the dark. Over the past few days, something had felt off—his body felt as if there was a fire burning inside him, but there was no way to relieve it. Could it be that after being with Moya a few times, he had become addicted to it?

How could that be? Lei Jin immediately dismissed the thought. Although Moya was special to him, he hadn’t reached the point where he couldn’t live without a man, right?

Lei Jin walked a couple of steps along the wall, and when he thought he had done enough, he moved away and carefully began swinging his arms back and forth. He walked forward, and today’s practice had gone well, taking him all the way to the door.

“Let’s stop here for tonight,” Lei Jin thought, about to turn around. But he overexerted himself, and without the support of his arms, he lost balance. Despite trying to steady himself, he fell hard to the ground.

Lei Jin tried to get up, repeatedly shifting his body but falling back each time. He was drenched in sweat, his clothes covered in dirt. If he shouted out, someone would definitely come to help, but he held back, determined to get up on his own.

“Lei Jin?” Xiya called tentatively.

Lei Jin turned his head slightly, looking at the person who had suddenly arrived. His face was unclear in the dark, but judging from the voice, it should be… How did Xiya end up here in the Tiger Tribe at night? He asked, “Xiya?”

Once Lei Jin spoke, Xiya was sure.

“Lei Jin, what are you doing on the ground?” Xiya reached out to help him up.

“Lei Jin, your arms?” Xiya had just helped Lei Jin, but his arms were limp at his sides, with no strength at all.

“It’s paralyzed,” Lei Jin pulled away from Xiya’s embrace and said indifferently.

“Lei Jin…” Xiya reached out, afraid he would fall again. He finally understood why Lei Jin had fallen earlier.

“You have some nerve, sneaking into my home at night,” Jing Yue had actually been awake the moment Lei Jin left the house. Seeing Lei Jin fall, he had wanted to help, but seeing him repeatedly try to stand up on his own, he suddenly felt he shouldn’t intervene, until Xiya showed up.

“Lei Jin, let me see,” Xiya ignored Jing Yue and focused on Lei Jin.

“It’s all because of you guys. You’re his werebeast mate, yet you didn’t protect your female properly.”

“Who is his…” Female? Before Lei Jin could finish his sentence, a wave of heat spread through his body. He felt weak, nearly unable to stand. Lei Jin gritted his teeth.

“Lei Jin, what’s happening?” Xiya immediately realized something was wrong and quickly held him, but Lei Jin’s body was burning with heat.

Jing Yue couldn’t ignore Xiya anymore and rushed over. Seeing Lei Jin’s condition, he said, “It’s probably the effect of the jade mugwort acting up again.”

“What? The jade mugwort? You actually gave him the jade mugwort?” Xiya glared at him angrily. They hadn’t dared to use it themselves even after so long, and even though Moya and Lei Jin had been together many times, he hadn’t dared to trick him into using it either. But this person had carelessly given it to Lei Jin.

“Females, when they first arrive at a tribe, will always take jade mugwort. It doesn’t harm their body.” Jing Yue retreated two steps under Xiya’s murderous gaze but was still unwilling to give up and continued speaking.

“But the key point is, he’s never taken it before!”

“What?!”

“Find a room for us.”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

“What is jade mugwort?” Lei Jin, though weak, wasn’t unconscious. He had heard every word they said, and it seemed like his current condition was related to that plant.

“It’s fine, it will get better soon.” Xiya half-supported him, not daring to pick him up directly. he probably knew about Lei Jin’s taboos.

Regarding the jade mugwort, at the moment he dared not let Lei Jin know anything.

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Jing Yue felt a joy in his heart but didn’t dare show it on his face. He asked, “You don’t remember what happened before? Don’t you remember who I am?”

Lei Jin wanted to roll his eyes at him, but he didn’t have the strength. He was injured, not brain-damaged. Of course, he remembered who the person in front of him was. It hadn’t been that long, and he had a good memory when it came to beautiful people. This person was the one who had met him and Mingya in the jungle and had given him clothes, wasn’t he?

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

At that time, he remembered this person saying something, probably introducing himself, but the situation back then was that he couldn’t understand the language, so he couldn’t understand anything, let alone know who this person was. Now, seeing him again, and unless something unexpected happened, this person had likely saved him. Lei Jin thought to himself that he should ask for the other’s name clearly this time.

“I remember you. I’m asking who you are and what your name is,” Lei Jin’s throat was dry, and he coughed lightly before speaking.

“Drink some water first. You’ve been unconscious for four days,” Jing Yue helped him sit up slightly, leaning him against his chest, and brought over a ceramic bowl from the wooden table, holding it to Lei Jin’s lips.

Given the circumstances, this position was understandable, but Lei Jin still felt very uncomfortable. He wanted to stretch out his hand to take the bowl, but his arm wouldn’t lift. How could this be? Thinking back to the time when he was grabbed by the dragonbird, could it be that his arms had really become paralyzed now? Lei Jin tried again twice, but it wasn’t pain—it was that there was no sensation at all.

“How could this be? How could this happen?” Had he really come to this backwards and savage place just to lose his arms? Without basic locomotive ability, what would he do in the future?

“Don’t worry. Your shoulder injury is very serious, but it’s been treated. Right now, you just can’t move it temporarily. It will get better after a while. Here, drink the water first,” Jing Yue noticed Lei Jin staring at his arms, and his complexion looked slightly off. He understood. This female was truly unexpected. Even though he might lose his arms, he only muttered a few words and remained calm. If it were someone else, they would probably have mentally collapsed by now.

In truth, Lei Jin was about to have a breakdown inside, but he was never the type to be hysterical. If shouting could help, he wouldn’t mind shouting ten times louder. He thought to himself, if he lost his arms and had to depend on others for the rest of his life, he might as well have let the dragonbird kill him back then.

But it wasn’t time to give up yet. The most important thing now was to heal his injuries—perhaps it was only temporary numbness.

With that thought, Lei Jin lowered his head and drank the water from the bowl in Jing Yue’s hand. Still feeling thirsty, he unconsciously licked his lips and asked, “Is there more?”

This casual action caught Jing Yue’s attention, and his green eyes darkened.

“Yes, there’s plenty of fresh water,” Jing Ping, seeing that his brother didn’t speak, took the water jug and poured more water into the bowl.

Jing Yue snapped back to his senses and fed Lei Jin another bowl of water.

“This is the Tiger Tribe. I’m Jing Yue, and this is my younger brother, Jing Ping, a female.” When Jing Yue saw that Lei Jin no longer intended to drink, he handed the bowl to his younger brother standing beside him and helped Lei Jin lie down.

“The Tiger Tribe?” So, the werebeasts here were all tigers? If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes before, he would never have believed that werebeasts could freely shift between human and beast forms in this world.

“I’m Lei Jin.”

“Lei Jin? Which tribe are you from?” Jing Ping sat down casually beside Lei Jin.

“I don’t have a tribe. I’m trying to find my way home,” Lei Jin’s expression, which had been somewhat relaxed, turned cold. Since he had left, there was no reason to go back. Besides, in his current state, was he supposed to let Moya take care of him out of guilt?

“No tribe?” Jing Ping wondered. How could a female not have a tribe? How had he survived in the wild? But seeing Lei Jin’s serious injuries, he probably had encountered something bad, so he grabbed Lei Jin’s hand and smiled, “Then, until you find your way home, stay with us in the Tiger Tribe. My brother is strong, and he’ll protect you so you won’t get hurt. Right, Brother?” He had already noticed that his older brother was interested in this person—he had come to check on him ten times a day and even personally fed him medicine.

“Smart aleck,” Jing Yue said, flicking his younger brother’s nose. To Lei Jin, he said, “You can stay here and rest. We’ll leave everything for when you’ve recovered.”

Jing Yue’s thoughts were different from Jing Ping’s. After all, he had seen Lei Jin with that Leopard Tribe werebeast. He knew that the Leopard Tribe werebeasts wouldn’t harm their female mate, so it was impossible. But Lei Jin had been seriously injured by a fierce dragonbird—that was an undeniable fact. No matter what, Lei Jin denying he had a werebeast mate worked to his advantage, and he wouldn’t be foolish enough to bring it up.

The three of them each had their own thoughts.

Just then, Jing Yue’s papa, Hao Chen, came in holding a large bowl of cooked meat and said, “I heard Jing Ping call out that you’re awake. How are you feeling now? We’ve already had dinner, and I cooked some wild boar meat for you. Get up and eat a little?”

Lei Jin had no appetite at all, but since it was specially made for him, he couldn’t refuse so he said, “Thank you.”

As Jing Yue took the bowl of meat, he heard his papa say, “Let Jing Ping feed him. Jing Yue, come out with me for a moment.” After giving Lei Jin a smile and a nod, he led the way out.

Jing Ping didn’t mind. He let Lei Jin lean on his shoulder and picked up a small piece of meat, feeding it to Lei Jin. “Lei Jin, try this. This is fresh wild boar meat we hunted a few days ago. It’s tender and delicious. At home, it’s just me and papa who can eat it.”

Lei Jin took a bite. The taste was good, but as soon as he swallowed, he felt nauseous. After all, he hadn’t eaten anything for four or five days, and now being given meat, it was no surprise that it made him feel sick. Plus, there was a difference between his diet and that of those who grew up eating meat in this world.

“Is it good?” Jing Ping, not noticing Lei Jin’s discomfort, asked.

Lei Jin forced himself to nod. He had to eat something to recover faster.

“Then have another piece.” Jing Ping picked up another piece and offered it to him.

Lei Jin opened his mouth, but before the meat reached his lips, just smelling it made him gag. He suddenly leaned forward, his upper body slamming into the edge of the bed. He vomited up the small amount of meat he had just eaten. It didn’t stop there—since there was practically nothing left in his stomach, all that came up in the end was a bit of clear water.

“Lei Jin, what happened?” Jing Ping asked in alarm. As Lei Jin moved, he lost grip of the bowl in his hand, and the hot meat and soup spilled all over Lei Jin.

Jing Yue, who was nearby, rushed over when he heard the noise. Seeing Lei Jin’s condition, he quickly helped him sit up and asked the flustered Jing Ping, “What happened?”

“Lei Jin vomited, and my hand trembled, so…” Jing Ping stammered.

“You go get some of your clothes.” Jing Yue told Jing Ping, then looked down at Lei Jin and said, “You need to change out of your clothes now. Do you mind if I stay and help?”

Lei Jin was about to say that he didn’t mind, thinking there was no reason for two grown men to help him change clothes. But then he suddenly remembered that the people here regarded him as a female. If he said he didn’t mind, it might be misinterpreted. To avoid any misunderstanding, he decided against it.

So Lei Jin shook his head and said, “Let Jing Ping help me.”

Lei Jin was right in doing so. In werebeast tribes, when a female doesn’t mind revealing their body in front of a werebeast, it means they’ve silently agreed to become that werebeast’s mate.

Jing Yue, just testing the waters, saw Lei Jin refuse and wasn’t disappointed. He left and had his papa come in to help.

The two of them helped Lei Jin change into a new set of clothes.

“Still can’t eat anything?” Hao Chen asked, having already heard from Jing Ping.

“Sorry to waste your kindness,” Lei Jin said, feeling even worse after vomiting.

“What are we going to do?” Hao Chen stroked Lei Jin’s hair, troubled.

The touch of his hand was warm, like the rare moments of tenderness he remembered from that woman in his childhood. Lei Jin, comforted by the gentle strokes, soon fell back asleep.

“Ai…” Hao Chen sighed, watching Lei Jin’s peaceful sleeping face. The boy’s looks were indeed captivating, but with both arms ruined, it made him worry about Jing Yue and Lei Jin truly becoming mates. Still, for now, the priority was to get the boy better.

Time passed, and Lei Jin had been in the Tiger Tribe for more than half a month. During this time, he got to know many people—Jing Yue’s family, of course, including the kind but muddle-headed Jing Ping, the smart and handsome Jing Yue, their papa Hao Chen, their father (who was also the tribe leader) Kun Ge, and the healer Mu Yue.

Jing Yue and Jing Ping took him to see Mu Yue every two days to change the medicine, so they had become familiar with him.

However, his arms were still not improving. Mu Yue reassured Lei Jin that the herbs contained pain-relieving and numbing properties, but Lei Jin had a sense that his arms might indeed be ruined completely.

He only had slight sensation left. He could move them slightly up and down, but anything more strenuous, especially lifting them, was impossible.

He remembered something he overheard earlier that morning.

Jing Yue had accompanied him to change the medicine. As they reached the door, Jing Yue said he had forgotten to tell Mu Yue something and turned back.

Lei Jin waited outside for a while. When Jing Yue still hadn’t come out, he thought about telling him he could leave first. But as he walked toward the door, he overheard Jing Yue say, “Is there really no other way?”

Then Mu Yue’s voice followed: “As you can see, Lei Jin’s shoulder injury was caused by the sharp claws of a dragonbird, and it seems like it had been clawed for quite a while. Afterward, the wound was submerged in water. I’ve tried several herbs on him these days, but the effects haven’t been good. I really don’t know what else to do.”

“Are his arms really unable to recover?” Lei Jin couldn’t see Jing Yue’s expression, but he could hear the worry in his voice.

“Why, if his arms are useless, you don’t want him anymore? Who was it that eagerly wanted to become his mate back then?” Mu Yue sneered.

“How could I be like that? You know I like him.” Mu Yue’s words seemed to hurt him, and Jing Yue raised his voice in response.

“Then go tell Lei Jin yourself, don’t raise your voice at me.”

What if his arms really became disabled? What should he do? Lei Jin sat alone under the gazebo in the courtyard. The courtyard had a few green vines planted, and Hao Chen had built a gazebo out of them.

No, he absolutely couldn’t give up like this. When he was in the modern world, didn’t he see people who were paralyzed yet managed to recover after rehabilitation and constant practice?

Lei Jin stood up from the chair and began moving his arms slowly back and forth.

“1, 2, 3, 4… 142, 143… tss…” As he swung his arms wider, the pain made him break out in a cold sweat.

“Lei Jin, what’s wrong? Why are you sweating so much?” Jing Yue instinctively raised his hand to wipe his sweat. Over the past few days, because of his arm problem, he had grown accustomed to this family helping him out. But after hearing Jing Yue’s words this morning, he felt it was better to maintain some distance.

Lei Jin stepped back a couple of paces and smiled, “It’s nothing, the weather is just a little too hot.”

“It is a bit stuffy today, probably because it’s going to rain soon.” Jing Yue didn’t seem to notice Lei Jin’s unusual behavior.

“I’ve noticed it rains a lot here,” Lei Jin said.

“Maybe it’s because our tribe is close to the sea?” Jing Yue could only think of this possibility.

“You mean the ocean?” No wonder at night, he’d often hear the sound of the waves, thinking it was just his imagination.

“After going down the mountain, for a female it only takes half a day to reach the seaside.” Since Lei Jin seemed interested, Jing Yue continued explaining.

“That really is quite close.” A werebeast could probably get there with just a few flaps of their wings.

“I’ll take you to see Berg next time.”

“Berg?” Who was that?

“Berg is my good friend. He’s from the Merfolk Tribe.” Maybe getting Lei Jin out to relax would help his recovery.

“You mean a mermaid?” This world really is full of surprises.

“A mermaid? But Berg is a male merfolk, though he’s quite handsome. You’ll see when you meet him. But be careful, he’s quite the playboy.”

There was nowhere to go in the evening, so Lei Jin went to bed early. He shared a room with Jing Ping, which had two beds. Apparently when they were younger, Jing Yue and Jing Ping used to share this room. Later, as Jing Yue grew older, he moved out, and this room was left for Jing Ping. Lei Jin’s arrival made Jing Ping very happy, and at one point, he even wanted to sleep on the same bed as Lei Jin, but Hao Chen, who knew his terrible sleeping habits, stopped him.

That night, Jing Ping went to another female friend’s house, and without his usual chatter before bed, Lei Jin enjoyed some rare peace.

But the waves of pain in his arms kept him from sleeping. The pain felt like it was drilling into his bones. Perhaps it was because he overexerted himself in the afternoon.

Pain was better than no feeling at all, Lei Jin comforted himself.

Meanwhile, in the courtyard, Hao Chen and Jing Yue sat facing each other.

“I noticed Lei Jin ate much less today. How’s his arm?” Hao Chen asked.

“Mu Yue said there’s no hope. This afternoon, he was sweating from the pain.” Jing Yue replied, recalling how Lei Jin still put up a brave front. It seemed that despite their time together, he couldn’t let his guard down.

“Papa, I’m a bit worried. Should I check if he’s asleep?” 

Hao Chen nodded in agreement.

Before Jing Yue entered the room, he heard Lei Jin’s heavy breathing. Lei Jin’s bed faced the window, and in the dim moonlight, his clothes were disheveled, his body twisting in discomfort. When Jing Yue got closer, he saw that Lei Jin’s face was flushed and hot. Jing Yue realized this was due to the jade mugwort. Not only did the jade mugwort affect a female’s body, but it also had an aphrodisiac effect. But he was concerned because Lei Jin’s injuries hadn’t healed yet. He had already reduced the dosage, and since Lei Jin had previously taken the jade mugwort in the Leopard Tribe, he shouldn’t have had such a strong reaction… why was this happening?

What he didn’t know was that Lei Jin had never taken it before.

Lei Jin was tortured by the pain in his shoulders and the heat inside his body, his mind becoming hazy. However, he vaguely sensed someone by the bed. In the dim light, those familiar green eyes were too recognizable.

“Moya, Moya…”

“What are you saying?” Jing Yue heard Lei Jin’s mumbling and couldn’t help but lean in closer. As he got closer, he was about to kiss him when he clearly heard Lei Jin’s words.

“Moya, it hurts…”

Xiya had been searching relentlessly for over half a month, almost at his breaking point. Every time he thought of Lei Jin lying somewhere waiting for him to rescue him, how could he eat and sleep peacefully? This river, though having two main tributaries, was connected to many smaller water systems, and he couldn’t afford to miss any of them. He feared passing by without realizing it. But each day felt more hopeless than the last. He knew that over half a month had passed, and if Lei Jin hadn’t been rescued by now, he had no chance of surviving.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

What if Lei Jin died? Xiya couldn’t bear to think about it, nor would he allow himself to think that way.

It wasn’t the final moment yet. Papa had said that the outcome was often decided in the last moments, so he had to hold on.

This was his final hope. Xiya stood at the entrance of the Tiger Tribe’s valley.

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