| GB | We Are Both Men | 3
The sky was dark, and the stars flickered in the night.
Yu Bai followed the orc group for a day's journey. By the time they returned to the settlement, there was no time to pack up, so he sat down on a stone in front of the door to catch his breath.
The storm had swept across a wide area, and the houses nearby had sustained varying degrees of damage.
Yu Bai, relying on the moonlight, could faintly see the chaos inside and outside the small hut. The wooden beams and leaves that made up the roof were mostly blown away, and from inside the hut, one could see the flickering stars through the gaps.
Living on the edge of the tribe, life was never too stable.
Yu Bai drank the last bit of water from his water pouch, and after recovering some energy, he walked into the stone house, using the moonlight to find the firestone hidden in the wall.
The firelight illuminated the surroundings, and the air was thick with the smell of blood.
He walked over to the stone bed and checked the breath of the giant orc that A’Li had helped drag back. After confirming that there was still a breath, he felt a bit relieved.
Then, Yu Bai stripped the giant orc of its tattered cloak.
The firelight flickered, and the body, cleaned with a quick wipe, appeared like a carved stone under the dim light, its muscles firm and strong.
Yu Bai avoided the wounds as he cleaned the giant orc, his gaze briefly stopping on the giant orc's left arm.
The giant orc's left arm was covered in dark blue-black markings, which, up close, resembled intricate patterns twisting around a giant tree. The designs were complex and mysterious, and staring at them for too long could make one feel unnerved.
Yu Bai looked away, focusing instead on the floor. He pulled a beast hide from the side to cover the giant orc's lower abdomen.
He stepped out of the stone house, now more concerned about the extent of the damage to the house.
Yu Bai lit a match, carefully stepping over the half-collapsed wooden door, and looked around, silently checking the situation.
The wild winds had left the small yard in front of the house in disarray. He had cultivated a small vegetable patch on the right side, but the seedlings, roots and all, were nowhere to be seen.
The entire yard was barren, and the stone walls that enclosed it had collapsed in places.
Building the house and yard took time, and Yu Bai knew he couldn't afford to be hasty. So, he quickly tidied up the inside of the house before grabbing a wooden basin and heading to the nearby river to fetch water.
—
The starry river overflowed onto the riverbank, its surface shimmering in the light. Not long after, the orc group returned with supplies, and the place was bustling with activity.
A’Li came over to find him, waving a piece of roasted meat in his hand.
"Bai, have you eaten yet?"
Yu Bai instinctively placed a hand on his stomach. A’Li handed him the roasted meat.
"Last time, you helped my mother with her illness. This is from her, she asked me to bring it to you."
Most orcs lived in tight-knit groups, and even the most inconspicuous female orcs formed their own communities.
Yu Bai, being weak and living alone, was a rare sight among them.
A’Li didn’t understand why Yu Bai didn’t live with other female orcs, but he raised the meat and urged him, "Take it. You’re always out hunting, and it’s too late now. It’s not safe to go out."
Yu Bai accepted A’Li's kindness, "Thank you."
A’Li chuckled. "Then I'll head back."
Yu Bai stood still, quietly watching A’Li leave before walking back to his small hut with the food.
That night, Yu Bai boiled some water, quickly ate the roasted meat, and re-applied medicine to the unconscious giant orc. The days of continuous travel had drained him mentally and physically, leaving him with little energy.
After lighting a mosquito-repellent herb, he collapsed onto the small wooden bed, and as soon as he closed his eyes, he fell into a deep, hazy sleep.
—
He slept until the following afternoon. Sunlight streamed into the stone house, casting warm beams onto the beast hide covering Yu Bai. The air was thick with floating dust particles.
Yu Bai reached out, and in his blurry state, his hand brushed against the dry, aged warmth of the blanket.
His long lashes fluttered open, and his pitch-black, bright eyes gazed at a corner of the stone house. After a moment's pause, he shakily stood up from the makeshift wooden bed.
His body felt sore and weak, and he had no strength.
He licked his dry lips, opened his water pouch, and drank a few sips of the water he had boiled the previous night.
Yu Bai glanced back at the stone bed, then moved closer, checking the giant orc’s breath once more.
The giant orc was still breathing. Yu Bai poured the remaining water from his pouch into the giant orc’s mouth before gathering the water pouch and his washing supplies to head to the river.
—
The sun was high, and the river’s surface sparkled with the sunlight, the water on the top layer feeling warm.
Yu Bai splashed some river water to wash his face, then picked up a wild boar toothbrush he had made himself and carefully brushed his teeth.
A’Li was passing by with some other orcs on their way out, noticed him using the small brush and couldn’t help but feel curious.
"Bai, what are you doing?"
When orcs feel discomfort in their mouths or have bad breath, most of them chew on plants with fresh scents, such as tree branches and grass roots.
Yu Bai had often been confined to his stone house, resting and recovering, and rarely interacted with other orcs. Many of them had never seen him before.
At that moment, he was squatting by the riverbank, just having washed his face. He wiped the water droplets from his hair, which had fallen onto his forehead, revealing smooth, pale cheeks and delicate features. His eyes were hazy, with tiny, clear droplets of water still glistening on the corners of his eyes.
A’Li froze, and the other orcs did the same.
They all thought to themselves: So, this is what Yu Bai looks like.
Feeling the gaze of several pairs of eyes, Yu Bai softly explained, "I’m brushing my teeth."
The orcs thought chewing on tree branches was more convenient than brushing their teeth.
A’Li spoke up, “Once you're done, come with us. The leader will be distributing the meat.”
Among the orc group that went out this time, in addition to the supplies they gathered, they had also hunted a couple of large wild boars, and the meat could be divided according to their contributions.
Yu Bai primarily gathered herbs and seeds. He didn’t hunt, so he exchanged what he gathered with the other orcs.
After hearing A’Lis words, he immediately followed him to where the leader was.
—
This time, the group had hunted two large wild boars.
The distribution of meat was based on effort—the more a warrior contributed, the more meat they received.
Although Yu Bai didn’t have much strength, he had saved a few injured male orcs on the way back, so he received a slightly larger portion of meat.
He carried a substantial amount of raw pork, and based on his small appetite, he estimated that even if he only ate meat every two or three days, this supply would last him for over two months.
A’Li hurriedly followed, carrying a large piece of meat.
"Bai!"
Yu Bai smiled, his eyes partially hidden beneath his hair. All A’Li could see was the slight curve of his lips.
A’Li lowered his gaze to Yu Bai’s lips. At first, he was upset, but now, he became flustered, his words coming out in a stutter.
"The leader gave you less meat, but since you saved A’Luo and A’Xin, they’re willing to share some of their portion with you."
Yu Bai weighed the meat in his hand, and instead of getting upset, he asked, "Did you tell the leader?"
A’Li shook his head.
The leader of the orcs had a short temper, and Yu Bai didn’t want A’Li to clash with him. He replied, "This matter is already settled. Don’t worry about it."
Although the leader had given him less meat, he had promised that next time they went out, he would take Yu Bai along.
Yu Bai wasn’t very familiar with the wilderness, and traveling with the orc group was safer than venturing out alone. If he could collect more food and seeds, and successfully grow them, he wouldn’t need to go out so often in the future.
—
Back at the small house, Yu Bai hung up the meat and then went out again to gather a bundle of firewood. He also collected many ripe fruits along the way.
He built a simple stove in the front yard, stacking stones, and used a sharp stone shard to cut the pork into chunks the size of a palm.
After washing and chopping the meat, he sprinkled some salty beans and simmered the meat into a broth. He also boiled a bowl of soft beans and ate them together with the pork soup.
There was still half of the soup left in the stone pot, and Yu Bai planned to save it for dinner, heating it up later.
He sat on a wooden stump in the yard and stretched his legs out and relaxed. The old, gray cloak he wore absorbed the warmth of the sun.
Yu Bai squinted his eyes and picked up a clean fruit, slowly nibbling on it.
The fruits of this season were fully ripe, with juice flowing from them. He planned to turn the fruits he had collected into jam for storage later.
The pork he brought back also needed to be processed.
Since the daytime temperatures were still relatively hot, the meat wouldn’t last long, so Yu Bai cut out enough to last for three days. He planned to smoke the rest and store it for later.
After eating, Yu Bai sat in the broken yard, basking in the sun. Having recently recovered from illness, he still felt weak and often lacked energy. It was only after sitting in the sunlight for a while that he felt the blood flowing through his body again.
He moved his slightly warmed limbs, feeling his strength gradually return.
Yu Bai took out the herbal leaves wrapped in dry foliage from his chest, placed one in his mouth, and began to chew. Then he stood up, ready to tidy up the messy yard.
Half of the stone wall had collapsed, and he could only slowly bring stones back over the next few days to rebuild it.
What would take a normal orc a day or two to complete was a significant physical task for Yu Bai, and he could only manage a little bit each day.
—
As evening approached, Yu Bai had cleaned up the sand and debris in the yard, but by now, he was exhausted, his vision blurred, and he almost collapsed to the ground.
He leaned against the wall, slowly sinking down to sit. His pale, sweat-drenched face rested against his knees as his consciousness wavered, half-conscious and dazed.
After a while, Yu Bai struggled to lift his face, which was cold with sweat. Trembling, he fumbled for the herbal package in his chest, took out a few pieces, and chewed them.
Once his senses returned, he mustered what little strength he had left, using the stone wall for support as he slowly stood up.
Yu Bai went inside, drank some water, and sat on the wooden bed to rest.
After a while, the exhaustion in his body gradually eased a little.
He had just returned from outside, and all the tension and energy he had left drained away completely. A night of rest hadn’t done much to restore him.
After barely finishing the tidying up of the yard, Yu Bai stopped his work. He lowered his head and sniffed himself, and decided to boil some water for a bath before resting.
—
The twilight glow stretched across the sky, painting the broken yard with a reddish hue.
Yu Bai started a fire, reheated the leftover soup in the pot, and boiled a half-pot of water. After eating, he mixed in some cold water to wash himself.
The sky began to darken, with clouds flickering with faint, scattered light.
Yu Bai closed the wooden door of the small house, carrying the beast hide he had dried and climbed into bed.
Exhausted, Yu Bai didn’t fall into a deep sleep as he had hoped. He tossed and turned several times, and finally, unable to bear it anymore, he hugged the blanket and got out of bed, walking over to the stone bed on the other side of the room.
The usually calm and quiet Yu Bai glared at the giant orc sleeping on top of it.
The heat of the day was oppressive, and the smell of blood was strong.
After a moment, he pinched his nose and walked away.
Yu Bai resignedly went out to boil a pot of hot water and mixed it with two basins of cold water. He held his nose with one hand while wiping the blood-soaked giant orc with the other.
After wiping the giant orc's face twice, Yu Bai stopped and stared at him, lost in thought.
He hadn't been mistaken when they first met; after cleaning up, the giant orc indeed had a chiseled face with distinct features.
Thick brows, a high nose, sharp eyebrows, and lips that looked thin and sensual, giving off a somewhat aloof aura.
After observing for a moment, Yu Bai once again pinched his nose and continued to wipe the giant orc's neck and arms.
He avoided the bandaged areas, and when he lifted the giant orc's bedding to reach his abdomen, he couldn't help but stare at the rising curve, his gaze clearly wavering.
Yu Bai quickly diverted his eyes away from that dangerous area and wiped the giant orc's legs, finishing cleaning off most of the dirt and blood.
Although they were both men, Yu Bai had never cared for anyone like this before.
He quickly pulled up the giant orc's bedding and covered the powerful body again. The large stone bed was entirely taken up by the giant orc, leaving no space at all.
Yu Bai turned his back, touching his flushed ears.
They're both men, what's there to be afraid of?
He glanced down at his own worn robe and thought to himself: He has one too.
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