Su Qinglan stared in shock as Hu Yan hauled the sulking Rong Ye straight out of the house without a shred of mercy.
Outside, Hu Yan finally released him and turned around with a serious expression.
"Shut up," Hu Yan said flatly. "And listen to me."
Rong Ye froze. That tone made his ears twitch.
Hu Yan crossed his arms and leaned closer. "Do you really think behaving like this will make her see you as an adult? Pouting, sulking, throwing tantrums every time you feel ignored?"
Rong Ye opened his mouth to argue, but Hu Yan did not let him.
"Rong Ye," Hu Yan continued, tapping his chest firmly, "you are a grown beastman. Strong, healthy, and shamelessly handsome. If you want her attention, then act like it. Show confidence. Show strength. Show charm."
He glanced back toward the house briefly before lowering his voice. "Not this whining. This only makes you look like a spoiled child fighting for meat."
Rong Ye stood there, stunned.
Hu Yan stepped back and patted his chest again, this time harder. "Use this. Not your mouth."
Then, with a knowing, almost teasing smile, Hu Yan turned and walked back inside, throwing Rong Ye one last suggestive look over his shoulder.
Rong Ye remained frozen for several seconds.
Then suddenly, something clicked.
It felt as if a light bulb inside his head flickered, went dark, and then lit up brightly all at once.
His eyes widened. His ears perked up. His entire posture straightened.
"Ah!" he exclaimed, fists clenching in excitement. "Hu Yan really is the best!"
His lips curled into a confident grin. "I vote for him to be first husband."
With renewed energy and a completely different aura, Rong Ye turned and walked back inside, his steps lighter, his chest lifted proudly.
This time, when he returned, he did not sulk or complain. He simply sat down beside Lan Lan, picked up his bowl, and began eating quietly, as if nothing had happened at all.
Su Qinglan looked at him suspiciously. When he did not say anything, she took another bite, and soon the only sound in the house was of eating the meal.
Then Su Qinglan suddenly remembered something.
"Oh," she said casually. "Bai Ling gave birth today."
Everyone looked up.
"She had three children," Su Qinglan continued. "And one of them is female."
The reaction was instant.
"A female?" Hu Yan stood up.
Rong Ye’s eyes widened. "Three? All at once?"
"Yes," Su Qinglan nodded. "The whole tribe is happy."
The mood shifted immediately.
Su Qinglan looked at Rong Ye suspiciously. "You’re calm?"
He nodded proudly. "Of course. I’m a mature man."
Han Jue snorted, and Hu Yan laughed.
Su Qinglan shook her head, but smiled anyway.
Whatever lesson Hu Yan had given him definitely worked, but what she did not know was that this lesson would soon come back to bite her on the ass.
After a while, Hu Yan put his bowl down and looked up at her.
"There’s something I should tell you," he said.
Su Qinglan paused mid bite and looked at him. "What is it?"
"The female in the next house," Hu Yan said calmly. "She woke up."
Su Qinglan froze. Her expression went completely blank. For a second, she did not even react. Then it hit her.
"The female," she murmured.
Only then did she remember. There was another female.
She turned her head slowly toward Han Jue, and he stiffened immediately.
"Don’t look at me like that," he said awkwardly. "We were busy."
Su Qinglan did not reply, but guilt rose quietly in her chest.
Yesterday, they had been outside the whole day. Today, she had gone to Bai Ling’s house early and stayed there until everything was over. Almost two full days had passed.
And that was not all.
Her expression darkened slightly as another thought crossed her mind.
Her fake mother was also tied up. She would still be alive, right? She hoped so.
She clenched her fingers unconsciously. She took a slow breath and forced herself to calm down.
After they finished eating, Hu Yan stood up and packed a portion of food into a stone bowl, covering it carefully to keep it warm.
"I’ll take this to her," he said.
"I’ll go," Su Qinglan replied immediately.
They walked toward the next house together, the rain still falling lightly outside. When they reached the door, Hu Yan stopped.
"I’ll stay outside," he said. "I won’t go in. If anything happens, I’ll be right here."
Su Qinglan nodded. She stepped inside alone.
The room was quiet. The female sat near the window, her long black hair falling loosely down her back. Her azure eyes were fixed on the rain outside, unfocused and distant. She sat very still, like someone who had been sitting there for a long time.
There was loneliness in her posture, and something else too.
A calm grievance, deep and silent, like she had already cried too much and had no tears left.
Su Qinglan stopped just before stepping fully inside, letting her presence be felt.
The female reacted instantly.
Her gaze snapped toward Su Qinglan, and her eyes widened, just like when Su Qinglan had been shocked.
For a moment, both of them just stared at each other.
They were similar. Their features were different, yet strangely alike. The shape of the eyes. The calmness in their expressions. Even the way they held themselves.
The female spoke first.
"Who are you?" she asked quietly.
Su Qinglan raised an eyebrow.
"Shouldn’t I be the one asking that?" she replied calmly. "After all, I’m the one who saved you."
She walked forward and placed the steaming stone bowl gently on the table.
"Eat," Su Qinglan said. "You’re not in good health yet."
The female stared at the bowl for a second.
Then suddenly, she stood up and bowed deeply.
"Thank you," she said sincerely. "Thank you for saving me and my child. I am deeply grateful to you."
Her forehead almost touched the floor.
Su Qinglan frowned immediately.
"Hey," she said, reaching out to stop her. "Don’t do that."
She helped the female sit back down gently.
"You don’t need to bow like this," Su Qinglan said. "Just sit properly. You’re still weak."
The female hesitated, then nodded obediently.
"I’m sorry," she said softly.
"There’s nothing to be sorry about," Su Qinglan replied.