| GB | Not Made out of Tofu | 20
Huo Duo'er’s neck and chest suddenly felt hot.
The sub-female’s burning breath brushed against him, carrying a bit of dampness. His soft face was practically pressed against his chest. Huo Duo'er held him, crouching on the ground with knees bent, completely afraid to move.
It wasn’t until Yu Bai let out another faint whimper that Huo Duo'er snapped back to reality. He gently placed the sub-female back onto the bedding and wrapped him up again with the blanket.
“Bai, can you hear me?”
After a moment, Yu Bai slowly fluttered his eyelashes open. His voice was hoarse.
“Water… I want some water…”
Huo Duo'er turned to get some.
Yu Bai struggled to sit up to drink, but as soon as his back lifted slightly, he was scooped into Huo Duo'er’s arms. Huo Duo'er blew on the water in the bowl to cool it, then brought it to Yu Bai’s lips.
Yu Bai couldn’t see the giant behind him, so he didn’t know Huo Duo'er’s eyes were full of guilt.
Last night, he never should’ve let Yu Bai witness such a bloody and violent scene.
Yu Bai’s health was fragile, and he was timid by nature. After being frightened and then catching a chill in the wind, he had fallen ill. The bit of energy he’d painstakingly built up over time had completely vanished.
Huo Duo'er asked in a low voice, “Is there anything else you want?”
Then added, “I’ll get you some herbs.”
Yu Bai gave a small nod. “I’ll need to eat something before taking medicine.”
Huo Duo'er picked up the basket of herbs by the bedside. Yu Bai struggled to pull his arm out from the animal blanket and grabbed a few pieces of sun-dried medicinal plants.
He softly instructed Huo Duo'er on what to do, and Huo Duo'er remembered every word, adding water and the herbs into a pot to boil.
After midday, the sun broke through the clouds, and the surroundings began to warm up.
Yu Bai finished eating and drank the herbal decoction. His forehead wasn’t as scorching as it had been that morning.
He had caught a chill, and even now, wrapped in thick layers of animal blankets, he couldn’t stop trembling.
The small hut was built of stone, and in winter, it couldn’t hold in heat, it was especially damp and cold.
Huo Duo'er simply wrapped Yu Bai tightly from head to toe with several more layers of beast blankets. Then, placing his arms at either end of the bed.
The muscles in his arms bulged as he lifted the entire bed, Yu Bai and all, clean off the ground.
Yu Bai, curled up on top, had been drifting in and out of sleep. But when he caught a glimpse of the giant’s movement, his eyes flew open in shock.
He propped himself up weakly on his elbows and stared blankly at Huo Duo'er.
Then, in the blink of an eye, his view shifted. They were under the eaves now, in a spot shielded from the wind.
Sunlight poured in around them, bringing with it a warm, cozy feeling.
Huo Duo'er let go, setting the bed down in that spot so Yu Bai could rest in the sun.
Yu Bai’s blanket slipped down slightly from his forehead, revealing his dewy eyes.
Then he tilted his small face upward. In the sunlight, he could clearly see the worry reflected in those beastlike pupils.
He turned over, his face toward the shaded side, while the thick blanket wrapped around his body was fully exposed to the sunlight. The fur was soft and fluffy, bathed in a layer of warm, dry light.
That warmth slowly seeped into every inch of his skin.
Yu Bai spoke dully, “Huo Duo'er, you don’t need to feel guilty. This isn’t your fault.”
“Bai…”
Yu Bai fell silent.
He hadn’t slept well through the night, and with the fever, his eyelids felt heavy. Curled up inside the sun-drenched blanket, he soon drifted off to sleep.
Huo Duo'er stayed by his side. At one point, Yu Bai woke up briefly, repeatedly licking his dry lips. The damp mist in his eyes had cleared a little, and he cracked them open slightly, looking fragile and pitiful.
Huo Duo'er’s heart softened at the sight. He gently cupped the back of Yu Bai’s head and helped him drink water, his movements unbelievably delicate.
The sub-female in his arms was even more fragile and soft than a cub, someone who needed his protection and care.
Yu Bai sipped the water lightly. When he’d had enough, he turned his face away and gave a faint shake of his head.
“Bai, go back to sleep,” Huo Duo'er said gently.
Yu Bai murmured a vague reply. His body felt much lighter now. With a beastman watching over him, he felt completely at ease and obediently closed his eyes again.
Only after making sure Yu Bai had drifted off did Huo Duo'er quietly get up to tend to other things.
—
To avoid disturbing the sleeping little sub-female in the courtyard, Huo Duo'er dragged the adult yak he had killed the night before down to the river to clean it.
Food was scarce in winter. Orcs had to hunt frequently at the start of autumn to stockpile supplies.
Huo Duo'er hadn’t arrived at a good time, he’d missed the prime autumn hunting season. These past few days, he’d kept going deep into the mountains to hunt, but wild animals were increasingly hard to come by.
This yak, which had attacked the courtyard in the night, was a much-needed stroke of luck. For now, at least, they wouldn’t have to worry about running out of meat.
Handling such a massive yak pig no easy task, but Huo Duo'er worked methodically, without rushing.
—
The river water was cold and damp. He glanced up at the dimming sky, another wind would pick up soon.
Huo Duo'er crushed some nearby grasses, mixing the juice with water to wash his hands, then decided to head back first to move Yu Bai and the bed back inside.
At that same moment, a few horned ox orcs were passing by with their water jugs. Spotting him, they quickly gave up the idea of lingering to watch, and left with their water in hand.
In the tribe, even the strongest orcs needed help from companions to take down a large pig. Hunting an adult wild yak alone was beyond their abilities, let alone killing one barehanded like Huo Duo'er had.
To the horned ox orcs, this giant from the giant tribe seemed even more savage than the yak lying dead. Just the sight of him was enough to warn them not to get involved.
They hurried off, passing Yu Bai, who had come trotting anxiously down the path.
One of the horned ox orc suddenly stopped and turned to glance back.
"Is that the sub-female who treated the wounds of that giant and Wu Yan and his son?"
"Seems like it..."
"He's so small though, can he really be that skilled?"
The orc wanted to take a few more glances, but Yu Bai was so petite that he quickly disappeared behind the bushes near the riverbank.
—
Panting, Yu Bai nearly ran straight into Huo Duo'er on his way back.
Huo Duo'er bent down and steadied him. “Careful, don’t fall. Why are you up?”
Yu Bai had napped under the sun and was feeling much better. His body felt lighter, and a touch of color had returned to his cheeks.
He licked his slightly dry lips, still catching his breath, and peeked his head around Huo Duo'er’s waist.
Huo Duo'er stepped aside. “Are you looking for something?”
Yu Bai stared toward the riverbank. “You didn’t throw away the yak bristles, did you?”
Huo Duo'er: “...They’re still there.”
“What about the organs?”
“Kept them.”
Even the yak’s blood had been collected in a jar.
Yu Bai looked visibly relieved. “Good. I was afraid you might’ve tossed all that out.”
Huo Duo'er suddenly remembered the little pig-bristle toothbrush Yu Bai had made before, that’s why he’d made sure to save every part, and even cleaned it all thoroughly.
This yak had been an unexpected windfall. But with the weather getting colder, storing an entire yak properly was still a challenge.
While discussing what to do, Yu Bai suddenly came up with an idea.
“Let’s just dig out an earth kiln!”
“Earth kiln?”
Yu Bai smiled. “Yeah!”
The courtyard they lived in was fairly small. If they wanted to save a spot for a vegetable patch, the only option was the empty space behind the house to dig.
With the weather turning cold, an earth kiln would make food storage much more convenient.
While Huo Duo'er was carrying the pork back to the house, Yu Bai brought up the idea of digging a kiln to store vegetables, giving him a rough explanation of how the structure worked.
Huo Duo'er agreed, and that same day, he picked a spot just behind the house.
The sky was gloomy and overcast. Yu Bai hadn’t fully recovered from his illness yet and was bundled up in thick layers.
The robe he wore was a little long. He lifted it slightly with both hands, trying to take bigger steps, though it made his movements look a bit clumsy.
He’d made the robe long on purpose.
Back in his old life, his health hadn’t been great, and poor nutrition had stunted his growth, he’d barely passed 170 centimeters and never grew taller.
But ever since arriving in this other world, even though survival wasn’t easy, he could feel his strength slowly returning.
He didn’t know when he’d fully recover, but he believed that if he worked hard and took care of himself, he might still have a chance to grow a little more, so he left a few extra inches on the hem of his robe, just in case.
Huo Duo'er marked the area where he would dig the earth kiln behind the house and quickly got to work.
Yu Bai intended to help.
He had slept until after noon and spent some time in the sun, so his energy was decent by now.
When he picked up a small hoe to lend a hand, Huo Duo'er only let him sit on a nearby stone and told him not to get involved in the digging.
Yu Bai blinked his round eyes in confusion. "But..."
"Bai, be good," Huo Duo'er said, then immediately bent down to continue digging the vertical shaft.
Yu Bai felt a bit discouraged, but soon regained his spirit. He began pushing the dirt aside to make more room. When he started feeling out of breath, he sat down to rest for a bit.
The giant at the bottom of the pit looked up. Yu Bai's head popped out of the hole, and he wiggled his arms around.
He obediently signaled that he wasn’t digging, just moving the dirt a little farther away.
By the time nightfall came, Huo Duo'er had finished digging the vertical shaft, leaving the rest to be done the next day.
Once night arrived, the wind picked up.
They returned to the little courtyard, and Yu Bai cooked a large pot of soup. The meat, wild vegetables, and mushrooms were all simmered together into a hearty stew.
Afterward, he drank a bowl of medicine.
Huo Duo'er was adding firewood to the stove, the flames bright and warm.
Yu Bai sat on a stone, holding the bowl of medicine, sipping it slowly in small, reluctant gulps, his face scrunching at the bitterness.
Huo Duo'er squatted beside him, watching.
"Bai, I’ll get you some fruit to eat."
Yu Bai quickly shook his head. "No, I won’t eat anything after brushing my teeth."
He sighed softly, then murmured, “I’m just glad you’re here. If I were alone... I don’t even know how I’d survive.”
If he had been living here on his own and encountered a wild boar, he would probably have ended up as its meal. But thanks to Huo Duo'er killing that yak, not only was his safety ensured, but they also had a stockpile of meat.
Under the flickering firelight, Yu Bai lowered his face, his eyes meeting Huo Duo'er’s gaze. He hadn’t spoken yet, but the guilt made his eyes slightly misty.
Huo Duo'er’s expression froze. “Bai?”
Yu Bai pressed his lips together and managed a faint smile.
“I’m not crying. I’m just moved.”
“I’ve been meaning to find the chance to apologize to you, to say I’m sorry.”
His voice was soft, but filled with determination.
“Last night, I shouldn’t have avoided you out of fear. If you hadn’t stepped in, my life would have been long gone.”
He was being protected by a giant, yet he was scared of him, and even showed that kind of expression, it was truly wrong of him.
“Huo Duo'er, can you forgive me and accept my apology?”
“Bai, why would you say that...”
In Huo Duoer's heart, the strong male orc was supposed to protect the weaker orcs.
To him, it was a completely natural thing, but Yu Bai was apologizing and saying comforting words to him instead.
At that moment, Huo Duoer's heart felt softer than ever. His arm muscles tensed and flexed, a strong urge to pull the small sub-female in front of him into his embrace rising within him.
Yu Bai didn’t see the emotions surging in Huo Duo'er’s eyes. He kept his head lowered, his face nearly buried against the giant’s chest as he examined him.
“I didn’t get a good look last night. Are you hurt?”
Huo Duoer's breath quickened. “I’m not hurt.”
But no sooner had he spoken than a hard, iron-like arm suddenly wrapped around Yu Bai, pulling him tightly into an embrace.
Yu Bai was startled, his face unexpectedly slamming into the firm chest of the giant with a painful thud, causing him to cry out.
His nose stung, and he muttered in a muffled tone, “Huo Duo'er?”
Huo Duo'er let go of him and saw that his nose was red from the impact. The overwhelming impulse he’d felt earlier finally faded.
“Does it hurt?”
Yu Bai met Huo Duoer's gaze and was startled by the intense heat in his eyes, causing his heart to flutter.
He turned his body away, a slight discomfort flashing in his eyes.
“It doesn’t, it’s fine. I’m not made of tofu, I won’t break just from a little bump.”
“Go to sleep. And… stop looking at me like that…”
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