He touched his face in disbelief. Though it was about the same as before, his skin seemed even whiter, and the mole at the corner of his eye was like a finishing touch, making him look all the more bewitching.
“So strange…” he murmured under his breath.
He didn’t understand why he had become so white after arriving here, and his features were slightly different too. He couldn’t help but wonder—could he really be from the White Fox clan?
He pressed his lips together, not planning to worry about it. Looking at the clear lake water, he decided to wash his original clothes—after all, he wasn’t used to wearing animal skins that only covered his lower half.
He was scrubbing his clothes earnestly when he suddenly caught a faint scent of blood.
Yan Yu’an frowned. He’d intended to mind his own business, but the smell of blood grew stronger and stronger. He quickly gathered up his clothes, ready to leave.
“Wait.”
The man’s voice made Yan Yu’an stop in his tracks. He warily looked back.
A tall man was walking slowly toward him, clutching a wound.
The man wasn’t wearing a single piece of clothing. Yan Yu’an couldn’t help turning his head away, not looking at him.
“Can you help me?” the man said weakly. “I’m injured. If you don’t help me, I won’t be able to leave here alive.”
The man blinked, looking at Yan Yu’an pleadingly. His pale yellow eyes drooped slightly, his lips had no color at all, and his face was exceptionally pale.
Yan Yu’an frowned. His hand tightened on the clothes he was holding, and he took a small step forward—but then he seemed to think of something and shook his head.
“I won’t hurt you,” the man pleaded. “I was originally just a flying bird in the sky. I never expected that while I was resting in a tree, a giant snake bit me… I don’t want to die yet.”
Ning Bingque lowered his head. For a man over 1.8 meters tall, he looked inexplicably pitiful.
He cautiously stepped forward and said: “You just need to give me some herbs, and I’ll leave this place tomorrow.”
Yan Yu’an hesitated. But thinking that just giving this man some herbs shouldn’t cause any trouble, he gave a soft sigh and said quietly: “Alright, wait here for a moment. I’ll be right back.”
Ning Bingque quickly nodded. “Thank you. May I ask your name, benefactor? Once I’ve recovered, I’ll return to repay you.”
“Doing good deeds without leaving a name,” Yan Yu’an said, then waved at him. “Just wait here for me. This is the lion tribe’s territory—you’d better not wander around.”
Ning Bingque nodded quickly. After watching the youth leave, his pitiful expression changed at once. He tilted his head, and his eyes glinted strangely.
That stupid lion’s tribe had gained a cute little fellow. Ning Bingque curved his lips into a smile, his sharply defined face full of amusement.
When Yan Yu’an returned to the tribe, Xie Ji still hadn’t come back. He jogged to the old granny’s house next door, squinted with a smile, and poked the old granny’s arm a little embarrassedly: “Granny, could I borrow some herbs?”
The old granny was advanced in years and a bit hard of hearing. It took her a long while to understand that Yan Yu’an had come to borrow herbs. She patted Yan Yu’an’s hand with a chuckle: “These herbs—change them twice a day, and you’ll be fine in three days.”
“Thank you, Granny!” Yan Yu’an took the herbs and ran off toward the lake. “I’ll pay you back next time.”
The old granny waved at him with a smile. She liked this white fox boy, who was about the same age as her grandson—after all, at her age she’d never seen such a handsome boy.
Yan Yu’an ran back to the lake, but after looking around, he didn’t see the man. He frowned in puzzlement. “Gone?” he said quietly, confused.
“I haven’t gone.” The man suddenly appeared in front of Yan Yu’an. His voice was a little low, but carried an indescribable tenderness. “Thank you.”
Yan Yu’an shook his head. “I’m leaving. Take care of yourself.” As he spoke, he handed over the herbs. “Change this medicine twice a day, and you’ll be fine in three days.”
Ning Bingque nodded. “You really can’t tell me your name?” He shook his head with a smile. “It’s fine. My name is Ning Bingque.”
“Ning Bingque…” Yan Yu’an nodded. “Got it.”
Ning Bingque couldn’t help raising an eyebrow. He was now even more curious about this strange little fellow—he actually didn’t know who he was.
But that was fine too. His pale yellow eyes once again flashed with a trace of sharp light, so fast that Yan Yu’an didn’t notice. Yan Yu’an heard him say: “I’m just a weak little flying bird. I beg you not to tell anyone about me, otherwise…” He pressed his lips together and looked at Yan Yu’an pitifully. “You know—the lion clan has always cared a great deal about their territory.”
Yan Yu’an nodded and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell Xie Ji. Once your injury heals, leave quickly.”
Ning Bingque nodded gratefully. After Yan Yu’an left, Ning Bingque expressionlessly tossed the herbs Yan Yu’an had given him onto the ground, and the wounds on his body healed at a flying speed.
He had indeed gotten into a fight with that snake today, but a little scratch like this didn’t need herbs.
As for Yan Yu’an… he’d simply smelled that stupid lion’s scent on him. And what was even more interesting was that he seemed to have discovered this little fellow’s mutant mark too. He raised an eyebrow. “The fourth mutant?” he said softly. “How interesting.”
He seemed to understand why a little white fox had caught the lion tribe chief’s favor. And judging by the looks of it, their relationship wasn’t simple either. The most likely possibility was that the stupid lion wanted to use the power of this fourth mutant to deal with him and that stupid snake.
Ning Bingque curved his lips, and a pair of enormous wings grew from his back. He flew up into the sky and spotted the youth at a glance as he ran back into the lion tribe.
A playful smile appeared in his pale yellow eyes, and he flapped his wings and left.
When Yan Yu’an returned to the tribe, Xie Ji still hadn’t come back. He lay casually on Xie Ji’s bed, thinking about what to do.
That bird was very strange. That was what he thought.
Appearing suddenly in front of him, suddenly asking to borrow herbs—everything about it felt like a huge conspiracy.
Yan Yu’an shook his head. “Forget it. I’ll talk about it when Xie Ji comes back.” He sighed. In this forest, the only one he dared trust now was Xie Ji.
Though this lion was brutal, judging by the current situation, he was still quite decent.
He didn’t know how much time had passed before Xie Ji returned.
He hurried out of the stone house and from afar saw the men cheering as they pushed two antelopes back on the wooden pushcarts. He spotted Xie Ji standing at the very front at once—the trace of blood on his face made him look even more wild.
They still brought the antelopes to the place where food was stored, then made fire according to the method Yan Yu’an had taught them today. When the first small flame ignited, the beastmen all cheered.
Yan Yu’an couldn’t help smiling. He walked over to Xie Ji and said with a smile: “So? Are these wooden pushcarts easy to use?”
Xie Ji raised an eyebrow. He didn’t answer Yan Yu’an’s question. Instead, he leaned close to his neck and sniffed hard, his brows knitting into the character “川”: “You have a strange smell on you.”
“Who did you meet?” Xie Ji said unhappily. “I don’t like the smell on you.”
Yan Yu’an froze. He thought: this lion’s nose is really that sharp?
He shook his head and decided to hide the matter of the bird he’d met. “I didn’t meet anyone. It’s probably just some smell from other animals that stuck to me when I went to the lake to wash clothes.”
Xie Ji nodded dubiously. Though the smell felt a little familiar, it was probably because Yan Yu’an had been to the lake and picked up all sorts of mixed scents.
“Alright, alright, you still haven’t told me whether this cart is actually useful or not.” The corners of Yan Yu’an’s lips curved slightly, and his voice sounded almost like he was acting spoiled, making Xie Ji a little embarrassed.
Xie Ji gave a soft huff, only feeling his face burning. He turned his head away and looked at the tribespeople nearby easily pushing the wooden pushcarts. “It’s barely passable.” But the tail behind him was about to curl up into the sky.
Yan Yu’an didn’t call him out on it, just smiled. He glanced at the clothes drying by Xie Ji’s door and said: “Xie Ji, have you ever thought that everyone’s clothes are a bit…” too revealing.
Xie Ji looked at him in confusion, his blue eyes full of puzzlement. “What’s wrong with the clothes?” He didn’t see any problem. Actually, when they were little they didn’t wear clothes at all—it was only after shifting into human form that the elders at home forced them to put on these animal skins. So if you asked him what the problem was, he actually felt these animal skins restrained him.
“…” Yan Yu’an pressed his lips together, not knowing how to explain it to Xie Ji. After thinking it over, he could only wait until his own clothes dried before bringing it up with him.
So he shook his head, indicating there wasn’t any big problem. Xie Ji raised an eyebrow and said nothing more, just went over to watch them roast the mutton.
Yan Yu’an jogged after him, keeping close to Xie Ji as he walked.
Jiang Rong spotted Yan Yu’an standing beside Xie Ji at once. He blinked and was just about to greet Yan Yu’an when Xie Ji shot him a fierce glare. He immediately withdrew his gaze.
“This Jiang Rong, so annoying.” Xie Ji said unhappily. He didn’t understand why either—why seeing Jiang Rong look at Yan Yu’an made him so unhappy.
“It’s all your fault.” The lion said angrily. “You’re too pretty.”
Yan Yu’an: “???”
Yan Yu’an didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He didn’t understand why Xie Ji said that, but seeing him like this, Yan Yu’an could only nod. “Yes, yes, yes, all my fault.”
Xie Ji nodded in satisfaction and gave a soft huff.
After the tribespeople finished roasting the mutton, they took the initiative to hand the leg of lamb to Xie Ji. But the freshly roasted mutton was really too hot—they had a hard time even carrying it over.
Yan Yu’an pressed his lips together and said something quietly to Xie Ji. Xie Ji nodded and immediately ordered people to do it.
Though the leg of lamb was very hot, Xie Ji still took a big bite.
“Eat slowly, careful not to burn yourself.” Yan Yu’an patted Xie Ji’s golden hair.
Xie Ji huffed and handed the bitten leg of lamb to Yan Yu’an. “Here, you eat it. Grow up quickly and learn your ability so you can deal with those two guys.”
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