| GB | Would You Be Willing | 23
After returning from A’Li’s home, Yu Bai couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward around Huo Duo’er.
It was as if he’d been frightened by another side of the orc, or perhaps there was still some inner conflict lingering within him.
He had just opened the door and was about to head inside, his head down, walking so fast that he accidentally stepped on the hem of the orc robe. Not even Huo Duo’er had time to catch him.
Yu Bai fell flat on his face.
His mind was still blank when his whole body suddenly felt weightless.
Strong, muscular arms slipped under his bent knees and back, lifting him effortlessly. At the same time, Huo Duo’er’s deep voice, full of concern, sounded by his ear.
“Bai?!”
Yu Bai let out a dazed “Ah,” his limbs tangled in the robe. The ear-covering hood made from gray-furred mouse-rabbit had slipped forward, covering his forehead and drooping over his petite nose, a truly pitiful yet comical sight.
Huo Duo’er carefully removed the hood from his head, his rough fingertips gently brushing aside Yu Bai’s hair.
“Did you get hurt from the fall?”
Yu Bai came back to his senses and shook his head quickly.
“I didn’t hit anything.”
He lowered his gaze, the dazed look fading from his face, replaced instead by a hint of embarrassment.
“I was dressed too thick… I didn’t really hurt myself with that fall.”
He pulled his hands out from the robe and patted himself down, arms, legs, and torso — giving himself a full check in front of the orc. He muttered softly, “Really, I’m fine.”
Huo Duo’er’s gaze was deep and steady, locked onto Yu Bai’s eyes and expression.
Yu Bai kept dodging his eyes, again and again, until Huo Duo’er furrowed his thick brows and asked, “Bai, are you avoiding me?”
“Why?”
Huo Duo’er had already sensed something was off ever since they came back from A’Li’s place and now, at this very moment, his suspicion was confirmed.
Yu Bai murmured vaguely, voice low and hesitant, his attitude unclear.
Huo Duo’er asked, “Did I make you angry?”
Yu Bai: “N-No.”
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “It’s not your fault. It’s my own problem.”
He still wasn’t used to this overly unrestrained world. Even if he explained it to Huo Duo’er, the other probably wouldn’t understand.
He changed the subject. “My hair’s gotten so long. If it hadn’t been hanging over my eyes, maybe I wouldn’t have tripped just now.”
Yu Bai feigned a troubled look. “Maybe it’s time to cut it a bit shorter. What do you think?”
With that, he began rummaging around for a stone knife on his own, not giving the giant any chance to speak up.
Orcs often had straightforward, even clumsy, ways of thinking, Huo Duo’er was no exception. He remained confused for quite some time.
That night, firelight flickered across the stone walls. The house was cold, and as usual, Yu Bai shared the same bed with Huo Duo’er.
He lay with his back turned, the animal fur blanket tucked over his head, making his whole face feel warm.
Huo Duo’er seemed quieter than usual.
An odd silence lingered between them. Yu Bai, half-asleep, was still drifting in and out of consciousness when suddenly—
A sharp, explosive crack tore through the winter night.
Along with that thunderous boom, a familiar fear spread through Yu Bai’s chest like a spiderweb tightening around his heart.
His heart clenched, then pounded violently.
Before he could react, he and the animal fur blanket were scooped up and held tightly in Huo Duo’er’s arms.
They huddled close together in one corner of the bed.
A violent wind howled outside. Dark clouds churned, and countless streaks of ashen light fell from the sky, like tens of thousands of light blades piercing through the worn, broken tribe below.
Countless razor-sharp gusts of wind slashed open gashes in the heavy black-red sky.
Even though Huo Duo’er was covering his ears tightly, even though the orc’s massive frame shielded him completely, the familiar rumble and wailing winds still made their way to Yu Bai’s senses, slowly bringing clarity to his stunned mind.
This was a storm.
He had actually run into a second storm.
The piercing shriek of wind tore through the sky in the dead of night, and the splits in the cloud layer leaked streaks of pale and brilliant light.
In an instant, the land shrouded in night was flooded with a dull gray glow.
The wind howled endlessly, and the stone walls crumbled with a terrifying sound.
Yu Bai stayed buried in Huo Duo’er’s arms for a long time, so long that his body began to go stiff. He tried to lift his head.
Through the thick, soft blanket, his damp black eyes met Huo Duo’er’s lowered gaze.
He blinked slowly and asked in a hoarse voice, “How is it out there?”
Then added, “Are you okay?”
But the wind was screaming so fiercely, the orc couldn’t hear a word he said.
Yu Bai was securely shielded in the corner against the wall. Huo Duo’er had formed a protective circle around him with his own body, as if no storm, no harm in the world, could ever touch him.
Still, Yu Bai could hear the sound of stones rolling and objects being swept away. He couldn’t help worrying that something might fall and hit Huo Duo’er.
Huo Duo’er gently cupped the back of his head with one large hand and patted it lightly, silently signaling him to stay close, to keep leaning against his chest.
The first time he encountered a storm, Yu Bai could only curl up in a corner and shiver.
But this time, there was a giant who used his body to hold up a space of warmth and safety just for him.
Unknowingly, Huo Duo’er’s chest had grown slightly damp.
He felt the wetness at the corner of the young sub-female’s eyes and assumed it was from fear. His arms tightened around him, and his large hand gently patted the back of that soft, furry head in silent comfort.
—
As dawn approached, the howling of the storm slowly faded into the distance. Eventually, the world fell into complete silence.
It remained quiet for a long while before the ringing in Yu Bai’s ears finally subsided.
He realized the storm had passed some time ago. Slowly coming back to himself, he shifted stiffly in Huo Duo’er’s arms.
He had held the same position for too long, his arms had gone numb. As soon as he tried to move, he let out a few muffled groans, unable to lift them just yet.
Huo Duo’er let go of his head and looked down at the sub-female still nestled in his lap.
“Bai, are you alright?”
Yu Bai’s face was pale, and his delicate brows were tightly furrowed in discomfort.
“…I’m fine.”
Huo Duo’er gently massaged along his arm.
Yu Bai was far too slender, soft and delicate as he leaned against him. Huo Duo’er didn’t dare use even a bit of force.
After just a few kneads, tears welled up in Yu Bai’s eyes, clear and shimmering. Huo Duo’er’s gaze wavered, and he froze, flustered and helpless.
“Did I hurt you?”
Yu Bai let out a soft grunt. “It’s just that my arm’s too numb… it’ll pass soon.”
He lifted his head from the orc’s chest. As his gaze drifted upward, he saw dust floating in the air, and more than half the roof was bare, the leaves and bark that had once covered it long gone.
His eyes were unfocused. After a long silence, he let out a hoarse sigh.
If the house looked like this now, the outside probably wasn’t in much better shape.
Yu Bai nudged Huo Duo’er’s chest. “Let’s go take a look outside.”
The two stepped outside. Yu Bai covered his mouth and nose, staring blankly.
Just as he had expected, the yard was a mess, wooden planks scattered everywhere, most were completely swept away.
After the storm passed, sounds of conversation gradually rose from around the tribe as the orc folks who had hidden through the night began to emerge and assess the damage.
Unlike the main city, which had solid walls to withstand such storms, the outer tribes scattered along the outskirts had no such protection. Life here had never been particularly stable.
The homes they had painstakingly built, the supplies they had stored, their food, all had suffered varying degrees of destruction in the sudden storm.
But the orc folk were used to it. Even if they were angry or upset, at most they cursed a little under their breath, then went right back to clearing the wreckage and rebuilding from scratch.
As the sky lightened into early dawn, many orc folk were already hard at work.
Yu Bai looked at their small, now desolate courtyard, and sniffled slightly.
“Huo Duo’er… should we start cleaning up too?”
Huo Duo’er reminded him, “Put on something warm.”
Then added, “Let’s eat first.”
Yu Bai responded with a quiet "okay." Even if he wasn’t in the mood to eat, cleaning up the aftermath would require strength, there were things that had to be done, regardless of how he felt.
He layered on more clothes, picked up a few scattered wooden planks from the messy courtyard, and went outside to set up a temporary stone stove to cook.
Fortunately, they had dug a clay cellar before winter set in. Most of their food had been stored inside, safely protected from the storm.
When Yu Bai walked to the corner of the wall, he found that the kiln they had built was still mostly intact.
He used a stone knife to knock open the hardened clay. Despite the storm raging through most of the night, there was still residual warmth inside.
Using wooden tongs, he carefully pulled out the fired pottery, tapping each piece one by one.
Six of them gave off a clear, crisp sound. The other five sounded dull and had visible cracks at the base.
Including the ones they’d fired a few days ago, they had about twenty intact pots in total.
Huo Duo’er carried food up from the clay cellar and, seeing the pottery on the ground, helped gather them up one by one.
As full daylight finally broke, the full extent of the destruction was revealed the tribe lay in ruins, exposed and bare under the clear morning sky.
The surrounding trees were leaning in all directions, scattered and half-dead grass plants were lying flat against the ground, and broken pieces of wood and stone littered the area. Wherever the eye could see, the scene was one of disarray and collapse.
Yu Bai surveyed the small house, noting that it was in no better condition. Being still young and inexperienced, he hadn’t faced many hardships in his life.
In the face of such devastation, his heart ached with bitter sorrow. Slowly, he slid down against the corner of the wall and hugged his knees tightly.
He had come to this strange world with a sickly, fragile body and no family to rely on.
The disasters and hardships he had faced in just this one year had completely surpassed anything he’d encountered in the past decade, even shattering all his previous understandings of life.
All the negative emotions piled up, and in an instant, tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.
When he cried, no sound came from his mouth. The tears surged from his eyes, but the sobs were swallowed back down with all his might.
Huo Duo’er stepped out of the house, his gaze freezing for a moment.
The yard was a mess, covered in dust, and the frail sub-female was curled up in the corner of the wall, her shoulders trembling continuously. It was truly pitiful to see.
He held his breath and moved closer, kneeling down to gently pull Yu Bai’s frail and small form into his embrace.
"Bai, don't cry."
Yu Bai hiccupped for a moment, his clear eyes now red and swollen from the tears.
He let out a long breath and let out a slight smile.
"...It's not that I want to cry, it’s just that seeing all this... it stirred up my emotions. It’ll be fine after a while."
Huo Duo’er wiped away the tears at the corner of his eyes, his expression focused. "I’ll rebuild the house. I’ll always take care of you. Don’t be afraid."
"Take care?" Yu Bai murmured, his eyes misting with tears again, unable to suppress a quiet, bitter laugh.
"Such words can’t just be promised like that. Those are things you say to someone you want to spend the rest of your life with."
He looked at Huo Duo’er, then glanced away, his gaze falling on the tear that hung at the corner of his eye.
"You really want to take care of me for a lifetime?"
Huo Duo’er’s throat tightened, and just as he was about to speak, Yu Bai pushed him away and stood up unsteadily.
—
Yu Bai didn’t let Huo Duo’er follow. Instead, he moved a stone and sat down outside on his own.
After composing himself, he began by making a pot of mushroom and meat soup with the available ingredients. Then, he placed some lard into a smaller clay pot, cracked in three eggs, and carefully flipped them, frying them until fully cooked.
The rich, savory aroma soon filled the air, causing passing orcs to turn their heads in curiosity.
A few sub-females carrying wood stopped in their tracks. After hesitating for a while, they eventually made their way over.
"Bai, your meat smells so good. Are those slices of egg? What’s your secret for cooking vegetables like this?"
Sub-females weren’t usually looked down upon by orcs, but recently, Yu Bai had done one amazing thing after another, leaving the orcs in awe.
Curious about him, and considering they were of the same kind, they couldn’t help but feel a little closer to him.
Orcs often made meat soup, but none of them could make it smell as delicious as Yu Bai’s, nor could they fry eggs into such perfect slices.
Yu Bai’s eyes, hidden beneath his hair, curved into a soft smile, and a shy grin appeared at the corners of his lips.
He felt a bit awkward and cleared his throat.
“I added some earth ginger and salty beans as spices, and used plenty of fresh vegetables. That’s why it tastes so fresh.”
The other ingredients were familiar to the sub-females, but the ginger was something new.
“What is ginger?”
Yu Bai kindly explained, “It’s called a spicy root. It can help reduce the gamey taste of meat. Also, if you’re feeling cold or have a runny nose, you can chop up a few pieces of ginger, crush them, and brew it into a drink.”
The sub-females were hearing about this for the first time.
“Ginger?”
Yu Bai nodded gently. “You can dig it up at the foot of the Chizu tribe’s mountains.”
“If this really works that well, we’ll go and dig some up in a few days.”
They received news from Yu Bai that they had never heard of before, and they felt a little embarrassed to take such a good thing for free.
"Bai, once I dig up the spicy root, I’ll bring you half."
Yu Bai smiled. "Then thank you."
The meat soup was already done. Despite the enthusiasm of the sub-females, Yu Bai didn’t want to dampen their spirits.
He went inside to grab three more baked clay bowls and served them each some of the freshly made soup.
"Here, try it."
After a terrifying storm, on this cold morning, having a bowl of steaming, flavorful soup was the most comforting thing.
The sub-female’s eyes lit up, and they smacked their lips in delight.
"This is so good!"
"The soup tastes so great. Is it because of the spices?"
"I’ll go to the Chizu tribe tomorrow."
"This bowl is different from the stone bowls we use."
"Bai, what are your pots and bowls made of?"
The sub-females had a lot of questions.
When they had been watching earlier, they noticed something, Yu Bai’s food cooked much faster.
Orcs usually have to heat up their pots with fire for a long time before adding the ingredients once the water boils.
Yu Bai explained, “These pots are made from clay dug from the riverbank. They’re fired in a kiln and can be used to both cook and fry food. They conduct heat much faster than stone pots.”
"Clay?"
The sub-females gasped in surprise, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"Clay can be made into these things?"
They couldn’t believe it, but what they were seeing was right before their eyes.
Yu Bai didn’t hide anything, so he shared the method of making pottery with the sub-females.
Orcs generally used stone tools.
These stone tools required a lot of effort and skill to shape, as they had to use stone knives to chisel and grind the materials into usable tools. The whole process was labor-intensive, and even just finding suitable stones consumed a lot of time. Making pottery, on the other hand, was much easier.
After hearing this, the sub-females were stunned.
"Really? Can it be done like that?!"
"Bai, who taught you this? Even the priests don’t know about it."
"Bai, can you teach me next time?"
Their enthusiasm overwhelmed Yu Bai, but he didn’t push them away. Instead, he wore a modest and shy smile on his lips.
Suddenly, one of the sub-females asked, "Bai, you and that giant, your relationship is so good, are you going to form a bond with him?"
Yu Bai's heart skipped a beat. "Form a bond?"
"It’s really amazing that Bai could find such a powerful male orc."
"Yeah, they always look down on sub-females, but there’s so much we can do, too… well, except for having cubs…"
Though they said that, their voices grew quieter and quieter.
The orcs place great importance on reproduction. Not being able to have offspring means they can’t continue the bloodline of their people, and that is indeed considered useless.
"If Bai could bond with that male orc, it would definitely surprise the other orcs."
"Exactly!"
"Bai, your yard is so small and dilapidated. If you form a bond with a giant, you’d definitely be able to live in the tribe’s main city."
Yu Bai froze. "What do you mean?"
The sub-females explained, each chiming in.
The land in the main city is divided based on strength, and the male orcs are at the top of the hierarchy.
Male orcs with great strength can secure a spot in the main city by forming a bond with a female.
This way, the main city gathers the strongest of the orcs who can contribute to the tribe, whether in hunting, guarding, or securing the survival of their bloodline.
The stronger the male orc, the wider their choice of mates.
The giant tribe is the most unique in terms of power among all the orcs. They are the guardians of the mountains and inherit the power of the Mountain God.
Even if the orcs don’t like the giants, they still fear them and avoid provoking them, as they are afraid of angering the Mountain God.
Given how powerful Huo Duo'er is, if he chose Yu Bai as his mate, even the chief wouldn't say anything, even if Yu Bai were just a sub-female.
Yu Bai, however, was distracted and didn’t really care. He and Huo Duo'er had no emotional foundation, how could they easily form a bond?
Once the other sub-females left, Yu Bai filled a large bowl with meat soup, adding two slices of fried egg, and stood up to deliver the food to Huo Duo'er.
The yard was empty. Huo Duo'er had gone into the mountains to collect usable bark and branches and hadn't returned yet.
The cold wind made Yu Bai shiver. He worried the food would get cold, so he returned to the stove and continued to stoke the fire, keeping the food warm.
By midday, the sky was overcast with heavy clouds, creating a gloomy atmosphere that weighed on the heart.
Yu Bai spotted Huo Duo'er carrying a large bundle of branches and bark down the mountain from afar. He quickly took the bowl of soup from the stove and carefully headed over to meet him.
"Huo Duo'er, come eat something."
"Bai," Huo Duo'er wiped the sweat from his forehead, the furrow between his thick brows remaining, "It's going to snow soon, I need to cover the roof first."
It was winter, and with the storm approaching, Huo Duo'er feared the weather would worsen and that Yu Bai's body wouldn't be able to endure it. He wanted to finish covering the roof before nightfall.
Yu Bai held a bowl in his hands. "Snow?"
A gust of cold wind hit his face, and he sneezed.
Huo Duo'er responded in a low voice, drawing the stone knife at his waist and preparing to scrape the tree bark clean, piece by piece.
The world was harsh and cold, and Huo Duo'er worked quickly. Sweat kept dripping down his exposed arms.
Yu Bai wanted to help but didn't know where to begin. He couldn't keep up with the orc's speed and could only stand by the wall, looking obedient but also a bit at a loss.
A cold breeze slipped down his neck, making him shiver. Then, he felt a few drops of coolness on his forehead. He reached up to touch it and found several snowflakes in his palm.
It really started snowing.
Apart from the sound of the wind, the world was eerily quiet.
The sound of chopping wood and scraping bark filled the air, and Yu Bai watched as the white flakes fell. The snowflakes clung to Huo Duo'er's bare shoulders, mixing with the sweat.
Huo Duo'er's movements grew faster.
Suddenly, he lowered his head, his nostrils flaring slightly.
"Huo Duo'er, I'm going to A’Li's house to check on them and see how they're doing."
Huo Duo'er raised his face, with sweat rolling down it. "Bai, you..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Yu Bai had already run off.
—
This time, Yu Bai lied. He didn’t go to A’Li's house; instead, he headed to the main city of the tribe.
He ran with all his might, crossing the city gate. The sharp, cold wind was mostly blocked by the city walls, and the snowflakes that landed on his brows seemed much softer now.
Yu Bai gasped for breath, and when he looked up, he nearly collided with an orc carrying firewood beside him.
The main city was very quiet. The houses, though not built well, stood firm and silent in the snow. Even though they had been through storms, they hadn’t been affected too much.
The snow was falling heavier, and Huo Duo'er had been busy almost all day, trying to get the house done as quickly as possible...
If he could have a house in the main city, maybe things wouldn’t be so hard…
Yu Bai rubbed his tired eyes and took a deep breath before turning to run back.
—
That snowy night, Huo Duo'er stirred the cooked meat soup and his gaze landed on the small figure across from him.
"Bai, come eat something."
Yu Bai was in a daze, holding the bowl and almost spilling the soup.
Huo Duo'er called him a few more times, but Yu Bai changed the subject, burying his head in the bowl and taking a few bites of the rich meat soup.
As they were about to sleep, Yu Bai quietly curled up, and Huo Duo'er lay on his side, his eyes lowered as he watched him.
"Bai, what's wrong?"
Ever since Yu Bai came back from A’Li's house, something had been off about him.
"Did A’Li bully you?"
"Or is it your body that's not feeling well?"
Yu Bai opened his eyes slightly and shook his head.
Huo Duo'er’s palm gently touched his forehead, brushing away the stray hair, his gaze locking onto his furrowed brows.
"Bai, tell me."
"Y-you are very strong..."
Huo Duo'er thought he misheard. "Strong?"
His gaze turned a little puzzled. "What kind of strength are you talking about?"
Yu Bai's spirits lifted, his scattered thoughts quickly coming back together. He hurriedly explained, "I mean, strength! Physical strength!"
Huo Duo'er nodded.
"Bai, why are you asking about this?"
Yu Bai seemed to be hiding something, and Huo Duo'er grew worried that he had been bullied.
After a brief pause, Yu Bai lowered his voice, barely audible, as if the words were struggling to escape from his mouth.
"@#%...?"
Would you be willing to bond with me?
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