Bai Ling burst into tears, her entire body shaking as she laughed and cried at the same time, clutching Qinglan’s hand desperately.
"I heard it... I heard my baby..." she whispered brokenly.
"You did it," Qinglan said softly, her own eyes wet. "You were amazing."
But before anyone could fully relax, Grandma Lin spoke again, her voice sharp with urgency.
"Do not relax yet," she said. "There is another one."
The fox husband stiffened, fear and hope crashing together in his chest, while the bear husband immediately brought fresh water, his movements faster now.
Bai Ling cried out again, her strength almost gone, her voice hoarse, but she still nodded weakly.
"One more," her fox husband whispered, pressing kisses to her forehead. "Just one more, my love."
With another long, painful push, another cry filled the room, stronger this time, and a second fox cub was born.
Soft cheers broke out, hands shaking with joy, but again, Lin Muyu’s mother did not relax.
"There is still another," she said after checking carefully. "One more child."
The room fell silent in shock.
Bai Ling barely had the strength to react, her eyes unfocused, her body trembling uncontrollably.
"You can rest after this," Qinglan said quickly, her voice soothing as she increased the calming flow of her ability. "Just a little more, Bai Ling."
With one final, desperate effort, Bai Ling pushed again, and the third fox cub was born, crying loudly, its voice strong and clear.
This time, everyone froze, because there were actually three babies.
Bai Ling collapsed back onto the bed immediately, her eyes fluttering, her breath shallow, her body completely spent.
"Quick," Lin Muyu’s mother said calmly. "Do not let her fall unconscious yet."
Following tribal custom, Lin Muyu carefully lifted the first cub and handed it to the fox beastman.
"Hold your child," she instructed. "And transform into your beast form."
The fox husband froze, staring at the tiny life in his hands, his arms stiff, his mind completely blank.
"Transform," Lin Muyu repeated gently.
Only then did he react, his body glowing faintly as he shifted into his fox form, trembling as he lowered his head.
He gently licked the cub slowly, cleaning it and soothing it, and the cub’s cries gradually softened.
This was the most crucial step for these beastmen, as females could not turn into beasts, so this responsibility always fell to the beast husbands.
They had to clean the child and help them take their first proper breaths, and it was also meant to calm them down with their presence in the strange new world.
Soon the second baby was passed to him, and then the third, each one crying loudly until his tongue brushed over them, calming them down.
The bear husband stood stunned, his large hands clenched tightly, watching with wide eyes, his chest rising and falling heavily as emotion crashed over him.
Suddenly, Lin Muyu gasped softly as she checked the third baby more carefully.
"Wait," she said, her voice sharp with surprise. "This one... this one is female."
The room went completely silent.
What?
"A female?" someone whispered.
"A female baby?" Grandma Lin repeated, disbelief clear in her voice.
It had been many years since the tribe had seen a female baby born.
The fox husband froze again, then lifted his head proudly, his fox eyes shining as he looked at the bear beastman with unmistakable smugness.
The bear beastman stared back, stunned, then let out a shaky laugh, shaking his head in disbelief.
The fox husband immediately rushed back to Bai Ling’s side, licking her cheek affectionately in his fox form before transforming back, unable to contain his joy.
"My mate," he whispered, pressing his forehead to hers. "You gave us a daughter."
Bai Ling barely smiled, her eyes half-closed, her lips trembling.
"I’m... so tired..." she whispered weakly.
Qinglan leaned close, brushing her hair gently.
"Sleep," she said softly. "Do not worry. When you wake up, your babies will be right beside you."
Bai Ling nodded faintly, smiling weakly.
"Thank you... Qinglan-jie..." she murmured before her eyes closed completely.
Because she knew that even though Qinglan-jie had been silent most of the time, she could feel a comforting energy from her. If not for that energy, maybe she would never have been able to give birth this smoothly.
Her fox husband immediately lay beside her, holding her carefully, guarding her like a treasure.
Nearby, Lin Muyu and her mother gently washed the three fox cubs, their movements careful and practiced, while Su Qinglan stepped closer at last, her heart filled with awe as she looked at the tiny lives.
"Oh... how tiny they are..." Her eyes were almost overflowing with maternal joy. Soon, she would also hold her own cubs.
She patted her bulging stomach and said softly, "Babies, I am waiting for you. See, your brothers and sister have already arrived. Now it will be your time."
Su Qinglan moved closer, her steps light, as if afraid even the sound of her breathing might disturb the fragile peace that had finally settled in the room.
She crouched beside the soft bedding where the three fox cubs lay wrapped together, their tiny bodies still warm, their breaths shallow but steady. Slowly, carefully, she reached out a finger.
"Shh... it’s alright," she murmured softly, her voice instinctively gentle, almost a coo.
The first cub stirred, its small nose twitching before it nudged clumsily against her finger, letting out a faint, squeaky sound. Su Qinglan’s heart melted instantly. The second followed, pressing closer, their tiny paws flexing weakly as if searching for warmth.
She closed her eyes briefly, extending her plant-type ability to check them, and she sighed in relief when all of them were healthy and in good condition.
"They’re strong," she whispered.
Her gaze lingered on the third cub...the female. Even wrapped in cloth, she was visibly rounder, her tiny belly full, her fur already thicker than her brothers’. The cub shifted lazily, then let out a loud, indignant squeak, as if offended by the attention.
Su Qinglan smiled helplessly. "So chubby already," she whispered with fond amusement. "You really didn’t leave anything for your brothers, did you?"
The cub responded by opening her mouth wide and gnawing gently on Su Qinglan’s finger, startling a soft laugh from her lips.
Watching them, Su Qinglan placed a hand over her own stomach, warmth spreading through her chest.
"Grow well," she whispered, both to the cubs before her and to the lives waiting quietly inside her.