Chapter 181

Chapter 181

Snowflakes began to drift down sporadically at first. By the time the arctic fox and the black lion were nearing home, the snow was coming down harder. Before long, the ground was covered with a thin white blanket.

"Auspicious snow promises a bountiful year." Occasional snowfall is quite beneficial for farmland, as the old saying goes, "sweep snow into the fields." Sweeping snow into the fields helps prepare overwintering crops for their spring growth.

Many young cubs had run out to play in the snow along the way. Seeing the fast-moving black and white figures, one little cub shouted, "Brother Xue Tuan, come have a snowball fight—"

The little snow fox laughed. "No, you all should hurry home and bring in the laundry!"

"Did you hear that? We need to go collect the laundry," the little snow fox said, patting the black lion's ear.

Since no one was home, the two of them had to gather the laundry drying on the balcony and bring it inside.

The black lion twitched his ear and replied, "Got it."

He carried the little fox to his house first. As soon as they entered, the black lion shifted into his human form. Perched on his shoulder, the little snow fox directed Zhong Yan to go to the first floor, then to the second, quickly gathering all the clothes hung outside.

Thanks to their timely efforts, the clothes were barely damp.

The little snow fox asked, "We agreed to have a barbecue in the yard tonight. What should we do now?" The two families had planned to have a big meal together in the courtyard yesterday.

Zhong Yan thought for a moment. "How about we try pulling out the sunshade?" Their sunshade was made of beast hide. Usually, in the summer when they wanted to eat in the yard, they would pull it out and prop it up on bamboo poles for shade.

The little snow fox glanced out the window. "Let's start preparing then. If the snow gets too heavy, we can always move it inside."

So, before the others returned, the two of them began making preparations.

Zhong Yan pulled the beast-hide sunshade down from outside, and the little snow fox, holding a hemp rope in his mouth, passed it to him so he could tie the hide to the bamboo poles.

Fortunately, the snow had lightened up after they returned home, and their sunshade proved sufficient.

When the family members returned one after another, they found a barbecue setup already arranged in the yard.

"Oh my, we get to eat as soon as we're back," Hui Qiong and Mu Shi said, returning together and walking into the yard with smiles.

The charcoal fire was blazing. Zhong Yan, acting as the head chef for the day, grilled lamb skewers with practiced skill, having learned a thing or two from Xue Tuan.

Zhong Yan grilled a few portions as people arrived. Once everyone was present, he no longer held back, single-handedly managing the portions for both families.

Rong Shan was also stewing horned goat meat soup in the kitchen. A bowl of that warmed everyone up from head to toe, making them even more eager to dig into the barbecue.

The little snow fox was naturally the center of attention. When it came to "winter nourishment," he wouldn't be left out. Everyone wanted him to eat more and gain some weight sooner.

Meanwhile, the little snow fox was also concerned that Zhong Yan had lost quite a bit of weight. He urged his brother to eat his fill and then take over for Zhong Yan, so Zhong Yan could come over and have some meat himself.

Seeing how hard Zhong Yan was working, Bing Qiu reluctantly agreed.

"Let me handle this. You go eat," Bing Qiu said, motioning with his chin toward where the little snow fox was sitting.

Zhong Yan looked over and saw the little snow fox watching him with wide, expectant eyes. He wiped his hands, handed the grill over to Bing Qiu, and walked over to sit beside the little snow fox.

"You can eat spicy today if you want," the little snow fox whispered generously into Zhong Yan's ear.

In fact, for this entire winter, the little snow fox wouldn't stop Zhong Yan from eating spicy food. Having an appetite meant eating heartily, which would help him regain the weight he'd lost.

The little snow fox used his paw to push a large plate of meat in front of Zhong Yan.

"Okay." A smile touched Zhong Yan's eyes. He knew the little snow fox wanted him to eat more, even going so far as to not restrict his spicy food intake.

Of course, he wouldn't disappoint the little snow fox's thoughtful gesture and dug in heartily.

It was rare for the little snow fox to see Zhong Yan eating with such relish, and he ended up having a few more pieces of meat himself.

The adults chatted nearby, their eyes occasionally drifting toward the little snow fox and Zhong Yan. But they were mindful not to stare for too long. If the little snow fox noticed their gaze and became uncomfortable, that wouldn't be good.

Especially Mu Shi. He never interfered in matters between the two children, but seeing Xue Tuan and Zhong Yan getting along so well since childhood filled his heart with more joy than anyone else's.

Many years ago, when he decided to raise Zhong Yan, he had prepared himself for a lifetime of just the two of them depending on each other.

Mu Shi never imagined that one day, his and Zhong Yan's lives would become so wonderful. Even when he grew old and passed away someday, he wouldn't have to worry about Zhong Yan anymore.

Zhong Yan had no idea that a simple barbecue meal could lead Grandpa Mushi to ponder so much. He simply cherished every day spent with Xue Tuan and hoped they could continue like this for a lifetime.

That day was just an ordinary one in winter, yet everyone wore smiles and looked content.

Winter passed quietly like this. Frost no longer formed on household thresholds, and the accumulated snow in the corners of yards had completely melted.

The morning air still carried a chill, but it was no longer biting.

Zhong Yan was in the yard changing the feed for Ju Ju and Chi Chi. Today, he had made plans with Xue Tuan to visit the tribe's "Flower Market," so he was here early, waiting for Xue Tuan to wake up.

The "Flower Market" in the Mountain Water Tribe wasn't open to outsiders yet. It was a brief gathering for the tribe's beastmen to exchange items among themselves.

For example, some people had particular tastes, liking certain vegetables unique to the beast world that most others disliked. Such foods typically weren't cultivated on a large scale within the tribe.

So, those who enjoyed them would grow some in their own yards. When the Flower Market came around, they could take their produce to exchange with others who shared the same preference.

Once the tribe's beastmen gradually became familiar with and accustomed to the Flower Market's existence, the Mountain Water Tribe's gatherings would gradually open to outsiders.

For now, it was about letting everyone gain some experience and taking things slowly.

Inside the house, the snow fox on the bed twitched his ears. For some reason today, he could hear even the slightest movements in the yard with exceptional clarity.

He knew it must be Zhong Yan feeding Ju Ju and Chi Chi.

He's here so early, the snow fox thought to himself. He rolled over and slowly opened his eyes.

His tail gradually emerged from under the blanket, as if testing the outside temperature, then quickly retreated back in.

Mornings really are still cold. The bedding was so warm that it created a huge temperature contrast for the snow fox, who shouldn't normally fear the cold, making him reluctant to leave the cozy nest.

But he had promised to go to the Flower Market with Zhong Yan today and couldn't laze in bed any longer. The snow fox pawed at the blanket a couple of times and kicked it off.

As soon as his paws touched the floor, the snow fox suddenly felt something strange. Why did the bed and table seem lower?

Zhong Yan, having finished feeding the animals, was sweeping the yard with a large leaf broom when he suddenly heard a loud shout:

"Zhong Yan!"

Hearing Xue Tuan's voice, Zhong Yan couldn't help but smile. He turned and looked up:

Only to see a giant snow fox suddenly leap out from Xue Tuan's window!

In that instant, Zhong Yan froze.

Before his eyes stood a giant snow fox, its fur so pure white it seemed to glow. Yet under the sunlight, the tips of its fur appeared to form silvery-white patterns, flowing along its back with the wind, shimmering with a radiant light.

Chong Yan instinctively stepped forward and caught the leaping massive snow fox. The force knocked him backward, and he landed flat on his back.

He gazed in astonishment at the indescribably beautiful snow fox in his arms.

The giant snow fox's limbs were firmly braced against Chong Yan's body, his nose almost touching Chong Yan's cheek, his warm breath washing over his face.

The snow fox's azure blue eyes, as clear and dazzling as an icy lake, instantly captured all of Chong Yan's attention.

"Hahaha! I've grown up!" The giant snow fox was ecstatic; the day he'd been waiting for had finally arrived!

The snow fox's fluffy tail brushed across Chong Yan's face, tickling him into a jolt and snapping him back to reality.

Chong Yan's heart was pounding wildly; he could even hear his own rapid breathing.

In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a giant black lion, firmly scooping the snow fox into his embrace.

"Hey! That's not fair." The snow fox struggled violently but was pinned tightly by the black lion, unable to move.

Although the snow fox was now the size of an adult Beast Form, compared to the black lion, his frame was still slightly smaller.

"Ahem." A cough sounded.

The giant snow fox turned his head and immediately saw his family members, attracted by his yelling.

The snow fox happily shifted his focus, rushing toward his family and giving each member an enthusiastic pounce.

"Finally." Hui Qiong was very pleased, finally seeing his cub grow up healthy.

Feng Yan and Rong Shan felt the same; they had been waiting for this day for a long time.

From this day on, the once frail, sickly little cub who had barely survived had finally grown into an adult.

"Tuanzai! I'm so happy!" Bing Qiu excitedly hugged the giant snow fox. Even though Xue Tuan's Beast Form might be the smallest in their family, it didn't change the fact that Xue Tuan's health was now completely restored.

Size didn't matter anymore!

The giant snow fox felt the strength in his family's hugs, truly feeling their genuine happiness for him.

After enough hugging in Beast Form, the giant snow fox transformed back into his human form in a flash, and Xue Tuan hugged each of his family members once again.

That he could grow up so healthy was inseparable from his family's love for him; they were the ones he was most thankful for.

"Haha, it feels so good to be able to freely control my Beast Form!" Xue Tuan released Rong Shan and turned to look at Chong Yan.

Not far away, Chong Yan's eyes had never left Xue Tuan. When Xue Tuan looked at him, he couldn't help but walk up to Xue Tuan and give him a tight hug.

The two of them held each other silently for a long time.

Xue Tuan was first overjoyed, then suddenly startled. He whispered in Chong Yan's ear, "Watch it, everyone's watching..."

After saying this, Xue Tuan suddenly remembered—wait, he was an adult now, so he should be free to be in a relationship, right?

Chong Yan thought of this too. He held Xue Tuan's hand and turned, facing everyone together with Xue Tuan.

He looked directly into Feng Yan's eyes and suddenly, without warning, blurted out, "Please, let me be with Xue Tuan!"

Just like many years ago when the little black lion had proactively asked to go out with them, due to extreme nervousness, Chong Yan's voice was unconsciously exceptionally loud!

However, this time he was equally resolute; no matter how nervous he was, there was no retreat in his voice, and it no longer trembled.

Xue Tuan turned to look at Chong Yan. He suddenly realized that when facing his fathers, Chong Yan was actually braver than he was.

Xue Tuan tightened his grip on Chong Yan's hand and said earnestly to his family before him, "I like him, and I'm willing to be with him."

Upon hearing their mutual confessions, Feng Yan and Bing Qiu suddenly turned and walked away with a swish.

Xue Tuan: "?"

Rong Shan, however, smiled and said, "Don't mind those two; they're just reluctant to let you go. We've known about you two for a long time, and your father agrees too."

Hearing this, Xue Tuan's face flushed red. So, all this time, he was the only one "acting" for everyone? If he had known earlier, he wouldn't have tried so hard.

Hui Qiong chuckled heartily and patted Chong Yan's shoulder vigorously. "I'm entrusting our cub to you now; don't let me down."

Chong Yan's eyes were practically crinkling with joy. He said solemnly to Hui Qiong, "I understand. Thank you, Grandpa."

"Good, good, good. Weren't you two planning to go to the Flower Market today? Go on, go on." Hui Qiong casually pushed the two young people out.

Rong Shan made a gesture to go back inside; he still had to deal with the two inside the house, so Xue Tuan and Chong Yan could go play without worry.

Thus, Chong Yan openly held Xue Tuan's hand as they walked out of the snow fox's home, heading toward the Flower Market.

For a while, neither of them spoke again, but their joined hands remained firmly clasped together, never letting go.

Author's Note: Thanks for the paw prints [head pats]

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