The four cubs were unconvinced. Dongchi shouted, "Scumbag Dad, you want to hog Mom again! Let go of us!"
"Your mom still has cubs in her belly. Are you sure you don’t want to let her rest?"
The four little cubs immediately settled down.
"Mom needs to rest." Dongchi crossed his arms. "I’ll be a good big brother!"
Nan Mo smiled. Mom, sleep well. I’ll be a good second brother!
Xi Qing, still bandaged, was excited. "I can teach them lots of things! I can help Mom look after our younger brothers and sisters! I’ll be a good third brother!"
Bei Ji declared, "Third brother, you took my job! I’m finally not going to be the youngest anymore! I’m going to have a little sister! I’m finally not the fourth youngest; I’m going to be the fourth eldest brother!"
Dongchi said, "Right, there will definitely be a little sister! Mom’s belly must have a little sister in there. I really want a little sister."
The four brothers eagerly anticipated having a little sister together.
Si Yan gently tapped the heads of the four little ones who were eager to be big brothers.
"Brothers or sisters, they’re all the same. Don’t show favoritism."
The four little ones chorused, "Okay!"
The cold-blooded Beastman looked at Si Yan, asking in confusion, "Yan Yan, you’re already two months pregnant."
He was certain the cub in her belly was his. But a snake Beastman’s cub should be born after only two months. However, looking at Si Yan’s condition, her belly wasn’t very large, and there seemed to be no signs of impending labor.
Then there was only one possibility...
Si Yan nodded. "This time, it seems they’ll take after my side."
The four cubs crowded around again, all touching their mom’s prominent belly.
She Wang didn’t ask anything else. He inquired, "How long is the gestation period for your people?"
Si Yan smiled faintly. "It should be three months. After three months, I’ll lay eggs, and it’s said the eggs take six months to hatch."
"Six months?" She Wang furrowed his brow.
He wasn’t present when the first four cubs were born, so Si Yan must have been the one to incubate them.
But this time he was here, so it would definitely be his turn to incubate them.
Six months was indeed a long time. But if he couldn’t personally protect Si Yan for those six months, what would she do?
In the Beast World, families usually had more than one male, but their family only had him...
And Tai Seng, who barely counted as half a protector.
He resolved then that he would have to train Tai Seng well within the next month.
After She Wang herded the four cubs into the next room, they chatted nonstop, likely because they hadn’t seen each other for so long.
Dongchi sat on the bed and said, "So, Scumbag Dad saved you guys once, huh."
Bei Ji nodded. "Back then, I didn’t know he was our dad. I thought he was some kind of incredible, invincible hero. I absolutely adored him then, wishing I could see him again."
Dongchi sat cross-legged, laughing casually. "Now that you know he’s our Scumbag Dad, feeling disillusioned?"
Bei Ji pouted. "I don’t know... After all, no matter how powerful he is, he failed to protect Mom, and both we and Mom suffered a lot because of it."
Nan Mo smiled and conveyed telepathically, "Actually, we can’t completely blame him. Dad didn’t know we existed back then."
Dongchi said, "Let me tell you our side."
Bei Ji and Xi Qing had already recounted their adventures, so now it was Dongchi and Nan Mo’s turn to share theirs.
Dongchi spoke, with Nan Mo adding details. As they recounted their journey, Xi Qing’s and Bei Ji’s hearts grew heavy.
Bei Ji stood up. "You guys went through so much on your journey!"
Dongchi nodded. "So, have you figured out what kind of person Scumbag Dad is?"
Xi Qing declared, "Figured it out! He’s a massive green-eyed monster!"
Bei Ji fell silent for a moment. "Then, if we still want to be close to Mom like before, doesn’t that mean we’ll have to compete with Scumbag Dad for her affection?!" Thıs content belongs to 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✶𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲✶𝗻𝗲𝘁
Dongchi, Nan Mo, Xi Qing, and Bei Ji: "..."
Snake beastmen don’t need fathers! What do we need a Scumbag Dad for?!
He was wrong! That wasn’t some amazing hero; that was Scumbag Dad! Scumbag Dad should never have come back!
After pondering for a moment, Xi Qing said, "There are four of us and only one Scumbag Dad. We won’t necessarily lose if we compete for her favor!"
The four cubs perked up simultaneously.
"That’s right! We won’t necessarily lose!"
Her Beast Husband heated some water and poured it into the wooden tub.
Si Yan felt a bit embarrassed and wanted him to leave so she could bathe by herself.
She Wang came over and, as he began to help her undress, said, "Yan Yan, your belly isn’t small anymore. Many things are inconvenient for you now; this is when a Beast Husband should take care of you."
After speaking, he smiled faintly again. "It’s the same in other families."
Si Yan asked doubtfully, "Really?"
She Wang nodded. "Really."
"I wasn’t here when the four little ones were born. Now, if you don’t let me do more, others will criticize and lecture me."
Si Yan thought about it. It seemed that was true.
She slowly relaxed and said, "My belly is a bit bigger now, and I’ve gained a little weight."
"You’re still slender, though."
She Wang smiled. "I’ll be careful."
She Wang carefully placed Si Yan into the tub. Once Si Yan was settled, he began to wash her hair.
"Is there anything you’d like to eat?" She Wang asked.
Si Yan replied with a smile, "Yes! I want to eat steamed buns, flower rolls, spring rolls, roujiamo, and wide noodles!"
Question marks seemed to float above She Wang’s head.
Si Yan leaned against the edge of the wooden tub. "Do you remember the flatbreads I made in the Legacy World? We just need those yellow seeds, also called wheat. If we have wheat and grind it into flour, I can make so many delicious things with it."
She Wang understood. "Alright," he said.
"Does Myriad Beasts City have wheat?"
After Si Yan finished her bath, She Wang carried her out.
The two snake skins shed in the Legacy World had been unexpectedly brought out.
She Wang plucked a few of his own hairs and, using the two snake skins, fashioned them into a few small sleeping garments for Si Yan, then helped her change into one.
Snake skin was unlike any other material—cool, breathable, and comfortable.
Wearing this light purple, beast-hide dress, Si Yan quickly fell into a deep sleep with She Wang by her side.
After She Wang saw that she was asleep, he left the room and found Tai Seng guarding the door.
Wang Dao said, "I’m stepping out for a bit."
Tai Seng replied, "Mhm, I’ll guard her."
Si Yan woke up in the middle of the night to find She Wang wasn’t by her side.
She rubbed her eyes and got up, noticing that the four little ones from the next room were also gone.
Hearing some noises, she went to a newly constructed kitchen in the tavern’s backyard.
Inside the kitchen, She Wang and the four little ones were bustling about.
Si Yan grew curious. As she drew closer, she saw the floor covered with wheat.
She Wang was manually hulling the wheat, while the little ones were grinding it into flour.
Witnessing this scene, Si Yan felt a profound sense of peace wash over her; everything felt very still.
Her body, and even her heart, settled into a deep calm.
"Yan Yan?" She Wang’s purple, gem-like eyes turned to her, and then he frowned.
He vanished in a flash and reappeared by her side in the next instant, draping a snow-white animal pelt over her.
"Couldn’t sleep comfortably? Why are you up?"
Si Yan leaned lazily against him. "What are you all doing?" she asked.
The little ones also saw Si Yan.
Bei Ji grinned. "Father said our little brother or sister wanted to eat steamed buns."
Dongchi added, "So we came to help."
Xi Qing asked, "Mom, why did you come down? Did we make too much noise and wake you?"
Nan Mo gathered the flour and smiled at Si Yan, conveying telepathically, "Mom, go back to sleep. When you wake up, there’ll be food ready."
Si Yan’s bright, clear eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. "But, do you know how to make steamed buns?" she asked.
Bei Ji looked puzzled. "Mom?"
Si Yan stepped forward excitedly. "Let me teach you how to make steamed buns!"
The cubs all laughed together.
「Meanwhile, Lan Hai woke from the water; while swimming, he began to sing.」
She Wang wanted her to sleep, but Si Yan was unwilling. She joined the cubs in making the meat filling and wrapping the steamed buns.
They even shaped them into various forms.
Coiled little snakes were the most numerous among them.
There were also lions, tigers, wolves, dragons, and many more.
Seeing her so happy, he ultimately couldn’t bring himself to interrupt her enjoyment.