| GB | Willing | 41
Yu Bai was soaked, looking pitiful, fragile, and utterly lost, which easily stirred the primal instincts of the orc.
Huo Duo'er had already sated his desires once, relying on his willpower and feelings for his mate to suppress the rising urge once more.
He called out deeply, "Bai."
Yu Bai snapped out of his daze at the low call, his tear-streaked eyes fluttering open. Seeing that Huo Duo'er had returned to his original form, he turned his small face away, unwilling to respond.
Huo Duo'er swallowed hard and silently walked to the stone stove. He first filled a clay cup with hot water, blowing on it until it cooled slightly. Then, he scooped the remaining water into a stone basin, making it warm, and brought both to the bed.
"Bai," Huo Duo'er turned the cup toward him, "drink some water first."
Yu Bai's throat was hoarse from earlier cries. Though his voice wasn't particularly loud, it had been enough to push Huo Duo'er to the brink of losing control.
Seeing his mate turn away, Huo Duo'er's earlier satisfaction was replaced with regret. He knelt on one knee at the bedside, holding the clay cup with both large hands.
Though he was somewhat confused, Huo Duo'er realized from Yu Bai's reaction that he might have truly made a mistake.
"Bai, drink water," the giant's thick brows furrowed as he pressed the cup into Yu Bai's hand. Then, he turned and picked up the stone knife with a handle that Yu Bai had made for him from the corner.
Huo Duo'er placed the stone knife into Yu Bai's empty hand, "Bai, punish me."
Yu Bai was startled, finally looking up at him.
Seeing his reaction, Huo Duo'er thought he had done the right thing. His brows relaxed slightly as he wrapped his hand around Yu Bai's, guiding it to the knife's handle and pushing it forward.
The push drove the knife into Huo Duo'er's exposed chest.
Yu Bai gasped, transitioning from one shock to another.
His sweaty hand trembled as he dropped the knife, his eyes fixed on the blood seeping from Huo Duo'er's chest. Rarely showing both anger and confusion, he couldn't understand what Huo Duo'er was doing.
Huo Duo'er picked up the knife again, encouraged by Yu Bai's reaction. He pointed the blade at his chest and handed the handle back to his mate.
"Bai, again," he encouraged in a deep voice.
Yu Bai licked his lips, about to speak, but realized his throat was too hoarse. Instead, he tilted his head back and gulped down the entire cup of water.
As for the knife presented to him, he naturally didn't strike again.
After straightening the orc's robe that had been pushed aside, Yu Bai's face remained flushed and damp. He rummaged through the stone jar of stored items for herbs to stop the bleeding and reduce inflammation.
Huo Duo'er's long arms hung by his knees, his gaze following Yu Bai's movements.
Yu Bai used clean linen to wipe the blood around the wound. Fortunately, Huo Duo'er's thick skin had prevented the knife from piercing any vital organs.
He applied the medicinal powder along the wound, feeling both exasperated and speechless at Huo Duo'er's impulsive nature.
Seeing that his mate still refused to speak, Huo Duo'er felt a tightness in his chest.
Yu Bai shook his head, picked up the linen he usually used, and carried the basin of warm water. His legs were still weak as he walked.
He stumbled, moving like a jelly-legged shrimp.
Huo Duo'er had only used his tongue, so how... how could his legs be this weak?
Yu Bai's appearance made Huo Duo'er's heart race with worry. Fearing that he might fall, Huo Duo'er swiftly took the basin of water from him and followed his slender figure to his dry corner, where he placed the stone basin down.
Yu Bai stole a glance at him but remained silent, his head still bowed.
He sat on a stone pillar covered with a hemp cloth cushion, his legs slightly bent. His tense expression shifted slightly, revealing an indescribable emotion.
He then wet the hemp cloth with water and, turning his back to the room, began to gently wipe his damp skin.
Yu Bai lifted the hem of his robe, his face fluctuating with emotion. He bit the hem of his robe, and the tips of his ears seemed to blush as if they could drip blood.
Beasts are beasts after all, how could they bite in those places...
After cleaning himself, Yu Bai noticed that Huo Duo'er was still in the same position as before. He shook his head and walked back to sit on the bed.
"Bai..." Huo Duo'er was so anxious that his mouth felt like it was about to blister. "Talk to me."
Yu Bai stretched out his leg and lightly kicked Huo Duo'er's bare chest, carefully avoiding the wounds that had been treated with medicinal powder.
However, this light force had no effect on Huo Duo'er. He would rather have his mate stab him twice in the chest than be denied the chance to care for him and talk to him.
This was more torturous than killing him.
Yu Bai's knees hung over the edge of the bed, his expression still dazed and distant. Unlike usual, he didn't curl up in the animal fur blanket to keep warm.
Huo Duo'er added a few more logs to the fire in the stone basin and picked up Yu Bai's feet, cradling them in his lap to warm them.
Huo Duo'er could only repeat the same few phrases, and with Yu Bai ignoring him, he had no choice but to silently guard by the bedside, not going anywhere.
After a long while, Yu Bai grew tired.
The cold weather made it easy to feel sleepy. Having not fully woken up before the earlier incident, the emotional turmoil left him extremely fatigued. He lifted the still-warm animal fur blanket, pulled his legs out of the orc's embrace, turned his back, and wrapped himself up like a cocoon. Closing his eyes, he began to catch up on sleep.
Huo Duo'er had no choice but to remain motionless, guarding him for a while longer. Seeing that it was already late, he went to the stove to light a fire and prepare some hot food, keeping it warm in the pot so that Yu Bai could eat it immediately upon waking.
It wasn't until the afternoon that Yu Bai finally spoke his first words.
Huo Duo'er, who had been working in the yard, immediately dropped what he was doing and came inside as if summoned by a deity. At this moment, he was willing to do anything Yu Bai asked.
Yu Bai glanced at the dirt floor. "Where's the wolf cub?"
It hadn't been killed, had it?
Huo Duo'er replied, "Outside."
The yak-wolf cub needed to relieve itself, and Huo Duo'er certainly wouldn't let it do so inside the house. He tied a hemp rope around its neck and let it out to find a spot to take care of its business.
Yu Bai's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and he gave a small "Hmm."
"Does the wound still hurt?"
Huo Duo'er felt as if he had heard a divine oracle. Yu Bai's words made him feel that even ten more stabs to the chest would be worth it.
"It's fine now."
Orcs naturally had robust constitutions, and the Giant Tribe was among the strongest. Huo Duo'er, with his mountain god's strength, would have had his wounds clot quickly even without Yu Bai's medicinal treatment, likely beginning to heal within a day.
Huo Duo'er went inside and brought out the vegetable and minced meat porridge and steamed eggs that had been kept warm in the stone pot. "Bai, come and eat something."
After the long day's ordeal, Yu Bai was already starving.
Perhaps due to his growing body, his appetite had recently increased, and he could now eat an extra bowl with each meal.
Previously, his weak constitution had affected his digestion, and he could barely manage a full bowl per meal, not to mention the times he would vomit after eating.
Yu Bai scooped up the slippery steamed egg custard and brought it to his mouth, his peripheral gaze flicking towards Huo Duo'er crouching beside him. He instinctively pressed his knees together and said, "If you're busy, go ahead and do your work. I'll stay inside, there's no need to keep watch like this."
After a long day, Yu Bai's anger had dissipated after a good night's sleep. Moreover, Huo Duo'er had just returned after being apart for over half a month. In all honesty, Yu Bai had missed him a little too.
Yu Bai ate the meat stew, which contained fresh mushrooms, not the dried ones.
"Huo Duo'er, have you gone outside?"
Huo Duo'er nodded.
The winter snow had melted, and the mountains were damp, giving rise to many mushrooms. Fresh mushrooms were more tender than dried ones, so he had gathered a large basketful.
Remembering something, Huo Duo'er pulled out the burlap sack he had brought back. Besides the yak-wolf cub, he had also collected many plant fruits and seeds.
But after returning, he had been too excited and had forgotten about them for a while.
"Bai, these are all I..."
Huo Duo'er took out the contents of the burlap sack, his words abruptly cut off, as if in disbelief.
He frowned, "I broke the ice to bring them back, and they were fine then. Why have they turned out like this?"
The fruits and seeds that hadn't had time to fall had been well-preserved in the ice. But now, they had melted into a mushy mess, unrecognizable from their original form.
Yu Bai observed Huo Duo'er's stunned expression and secretly chuckled.
Even vegetables stored in a refrigerator would wilt after a day, let alone plants sealed in ice.
"Bai, I'll gather other seeds for you next time."
Yu Bai nodded slightly, "It's spring now, let's go together."
He said "we," and Huo Duo'er perked up, "Bai, are you not angry anymore?"
Yu Bai turned his face away, presenting the back of his head to Huo Duo'er. After a moment, he said, "Even though spring has come and orcs are affected, we're not in an ordinary relationship... But we have thoughts, our own subjective consciousness, and we can't let that kind of thing control our minds."
Yu Bai looked directly into Huo Duo'er's eyes, "That kind of thing should only happen if both parties are willing."
Huo Duo'er: "You... are willing?"
Yu Bai nodded.
Since Huo Duo'er had considered him as his mate, Yu Bai had also reconsidered their relationship.
It wasn't fair for the other to be serious while he still held onto his old thoughts; that would be irresponsible.
In underdeveloped remote areas, conditions were limited, and information lagged behind the times. It was common for young people to marry early. Most finished junior high and went to work, then returning home to marry and have children within a few years. Yu Bai had seen this often and didn't have a particularly resistant mindset.
But the fact that he and Huo Duo'er had formed a bond was one thing; doing what married couples do... he found it too stimulating and was still shy, he was unable to accept it for now.
And...
Yu Bai's gaze drifted towards a certain direction under Huo Duo'er's animal hide...
He seriously doubted whether his body could really accommodate something like that.
Yu Bai didn't dare to think too deeply about it.
After just this one time, his body, being inherently frail, took several days to recover, and the lost vitality could only be slowly replenished through food.
Fortunately, after discussing this with Huo Duo'er, the other, seeing him frightened and fearing he might ignore him, would occasionally restrain himself, retracting his wolfish and tiger-like gaze, though the strength with which he held him while sleeping remained firm.
If he couldn't manage that, at most he would press against his skin, sniff it, and then pick a tender spot to leave a mark with his mouth.
Yu Bai had never experienced a spring like this before, it was tough for Huo Duo'er, and it was tough for him as well.
Another month passed, and a clap of thunder echoed through the mountains. A fine drizzle drifted in the air, and the snow had melted away from the visible range, with green sprouts emerging from the soil.
The green duckweed floating on the river surface grew thicker, and as the seasons changed, Yu Bai's body began to act up.
Early in the morning, he couldn't sleep well. He got up, had breakfast, and placed half a medicinal herb tablet in his mouth.
No matter how sparingly he used the herbs left by the old orc, only three tablets remained now.
This month, Huo Duo'er had built a thatched outhouse for Yu Bai using wood, and he would clean the surrounding area with water every day.
After being busy outside for a while, he returned to see Yu Bai holding hot water and taking his medicine. In a few quick steps, he crouched down in front of the slender figure.
"No more medicine?" Remembering what Yu Bai had said, he added, "I'll go into the mountains to gather some for you."
Now that it had rained and spring had arrived, the herbs should have grown.
Yu Bai: "Can you recognize them? Take me with you."
Moreover, he wasn't sure if this was the right month to gather the herbs. He only remembered that when the old orc had saved him by the river, there was a lot of green duckweed floating on the water, so it should be around this time.
Huo Duo'er immediately draped a animal robe over him, pulled a fluffy hat over his head, tossed a piece of meat to the wolf pup guarding the door, and carried his tightly wrapped mate outside.
After a month of restlessness, the male orcs had gone out hunting, and the females had begun their gathering work.
The orcs each had their tasks, and seeing Huo Duo'er carrying Yu Bai, they found it quite peculiar.
"Why does he have to carry the sub-female everywhere?"
"Even cubs aren't carried around like that."
"Bai actually came outside? He's so small, how did he not get crushed the other day?"
The chaotic chatter made Yu Bai both amused and exasperated. Hearing the last comment, he quickly composed his expression, feeling a headache from the orcs' unrestrained remarks.
But Huo Duo'er, being straightforward, said after listening, "Bai, I'm not as willing as you said. At most, I'll sniff and lick."
He added, "I won't let you get hurt."
Yu Bai: "..."
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