| GB | Don't Look at Them | 53
The sky was dark. Yu Bai moved his half-dangling legs, his knees trembling as they bent. His body felt incredibly weak.
The sensation of his soul ascending to the heavens took him a long time to calm down. Listening to the heavy, rough breathing, he wanted to turn away and not look, but a large hand gripped his ankle.
His voice was hoarse, unable to make a sound. His eyes seemed filled with water, moist and wet, as if they could seep into one's heart.
Yu Bai shook his head, his sweat-drenched bangs clinging to his flushed cheeks. He whispered softly, "No... I can't anymore..."
Huo Duo'er responded with a deep "Hmm," not asking him to do anything, just holding his foot, admiring how even the toenails were trimmed so neatly and adorably. He couldn't help but let out a heavy breath.
The rough palm rubbed vigorously several times, yet it was far from satisfying. Feeling increasingly restless, he used his other hand to grab the sole of Yu Bai's foot and rubbed against it.
Yu Bai's eyes widened in disbelief, tears streaming down the corners of his eyes. His face was burning red, filled with shame. He never imagined an orc could do something like this.
He curled his toes, the sole of his foot assaulted by a scorching heat.
Yu Bai had been ill for over a decade and rarely went out. Since coming to this otherworld, his outings were always with Huo Duo'er carrying him.
Unlike the rough limbs of most orcs, even the soles of his feet were soft and delicate.
Now, being rubbed and caressed like this, he was on the verge of dying from embarrassment.
He turned his head away, refusing to look, but his limbs wouldn't obey him.
Huo Duo'er simply took control of both soles, his muscles tensed, his breathing erratic.
It wasn't until Yu Bai's feet went numb that he finally stopped.
At the door, there was a scratching sound. The little wolf had been waiting in the yard for a long time and was getting impatient, howling and scratching at the door.
Yu Bai averted his gaze from the orc's intense stare, wanting to say something, but the atmosphere was hardly suitable for conversation.
He felt that any movement from him would only provoke Huo Duo'er to continue doing things he had never seen before.
In a hoarse voice, he said, "I want to wash..."
The soles of his feet were dirty.
Huo Duo'er nodded slightly, casually wrapping an animal robe around his body. He opened the door, and the little wolf darted in, sniffing the air with its keen nose.
The little wolf howled a few times. The smell was too strong; the entire room was filled with the scent of the large two-legged beast.
It tucked its tail and looked toward the bed, catching a glimpse of the small two-legged beast still lying there dazedly, as if without strength. Something kept dripping from the soles of his feet, which were half-hanging off the bed.
The wolf's tail swished, and for some reason, this yak-wolf grew increasingly agitated.
Huo Duo'er brought in a basin of warm water and cleaned his mate. Noticing the little wolf pacing anxiously around the bed, he snorted and said, "Out."
The little wolf went out, finding a cool stone in the yard and pressing its belly against it, rubbing back and forth.
Huo Duo'er cooked a pot of fish soup, rich and flavorful with sour onions and ginger. Yu Bai smelled the aroma, his stomach growling. After such exertion, he was starving and lightheaded.
He drank the soup in large gulps. Huo Duo'er placed deboned fish meat into his bowl, and Yu Bai picked it up, chewing and swallowing. At this point, he was too hungry to care about embarrassment, focusing solely on eating.
After a hearty meal, Yu Bai touched his slightly bulging belly and noticed the moon had risen.
The tribe was devoid of any light. He pursed his lips, realizing that Huo Duo'er had indeed kept him occupied for a long time. The meal he had just eaten felt more like a midnight snack.
The orc returned after a shower, ready to carry him back to bed to rest.
"Don't..." Yu Bai raised his hand to block him, eyeing Huo Duo'er's lower body with some wariness, then lay down on the bed himself.
He stammered, "You... you were really too much today."
Huo Duo'er leaned over and sat at the head of the bed. "Bai, it's my fault."
Yu Bai gently turned his head back, casting a small glance over.
Apologies aside, his body was...
What was with that noticeable bulge?
That night, Yu Bai slept restlessly, dreaming of a large beast devouring him whole. Perhaps the dream was too vivid, as he woke up the next day feeling sore all over.
The sun was already high in the sky. Yu Bai had only fallen into a deep sleep at dawn, and by the time he woke up, most of the day had passed.
He gazed at the sunlit courtyard, where the vegetable leaves glistened with a glossy green. In a corner of lush greenery, clusters of bright red peppers peeked out. The fruits and melons growing along the wall seemed to have grown a bit more, promising a good harvest this autumn.
Yu Bai stretched lazily and paced back and forth in the courtyard.
Huo Duo'er had already gone out hunting, leaving food warming in the pot for him.
The little wolf patrolled the perimeter of the courtyard a few times before hearing movement and leaping over the wall to nuzzle affectionately against Yu Bai's waist.
In just half a year, the growth rate of the yak wolf had exceeded his expectations.
The once small and weak wolf pup he had rescued now had thick fur, sharp teeth, and a body that reached up to his waist. If it stood on its hind legs, it would be almost as tall as him.
In another year or two, the fully grown yak wolf would be even stronger and taller than him.
Yu Bai sat on a small stool eating steamed egg custard when suddenly, the chief's voice called from outside.
He went to open the door and stepped aside to let him in.
Perhaps it was just his imagination, but the chief's gaze seemed more intense than usual, much like Huo Duo'er's had been since he returned yesterday...
The chief ordered the warriors who had accompanied him to stand guard outside, forbidding any orcs from approaching.
Inside the house, Yu Bai felt slightly uncomfortable under the chief's stare.
"Chief?"
The chief's eyes were blazing, and even the pair of large horns on his head seemed to glow.
"Bai, I beg you, become the apprentice priest of our Yuan tribe."
"I already refused last time."
"Bai, I swear by the god of the Yuan tribe, after Mien steps down, only you will succeed him. There will be no other apprentice priests."
"But I don't know how to perform rituals, nor do I understand the customs of orc priests. Moreover, the high priest said I'm too soft-hearted to be a priest."
The chief grew agitated, his face flushing as he immediately retorted, "You are suitable!"
Yu Bai: "..."
The chief: "You... you have inherited the blessings of the beast god. Not only can you make linen and pottery, but you can also heal and recognize medicinal herbs. When faced with the wrath of the thunder god, you even saved our lives!"
If it was just a coincidence at first, the series of events that followed made the chief realize that Yu Bai was truly different.
His wrinkled face drooped with disappointment: "Bai, the priests of our Yuan tribe... haven't received the blessings of the beast god for many years."
Yu Bai's arrival was nothing short of a divine gift from the ancestral god of the orcs!
The chief pleaded repeatedly, and Yu Bai, being soft-hearted, couldn't help but waver.
But when he remembered his original purpose and Huo Duo'er, who stood by his side, he turned his face slightly and said, "Chief, I can't become a priest. The blessings you speak of... they don't necessarily have to be passed down by a priest. As long as it's something I know, if the orcs are willing to learn, I'm happy to teach them."
The chief sighed, then rallied himself.
He rubbed his hands together: "Teach only the Yuan tribe, don't share it with other tribes."
He added, "I will ensure that the orcs of the tribe respect you. From now on, you will receive two-tenths of the tribe's offerings. How about that?"
The distribution of offerings to Yu Bai was already on par with that of a priest.
The chief was worried that Yu Bai might run off with Huo Duo'er, so he had no choice but to treat him like a priest to keep him.
Since Yu Bai didn't want the status of a priest's disciple, the chief decided to spread his reputation instead.
The orcs respected him, and over time, they would naturally treat him as the tribe's priest.
The reason their Yuan tribe had been declining year after year, even being plundered by other tribes, was that they hadn't received the ancestral god's inheritance for a long time. Without progress, they would inevitably fall behind and suffer.
Yu Bai still didn’t agreed right away.
He only said, "I'll discuss it with Huo Duo'er when he returns before making a decision."
Since they were living together, he couldn't make such an important decision alone.
The chief wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Alright, alright..."
After seeing the chief off, Yu Bai stood in the courtyard, lost in thought for a while.
Not long after, he picked up his basket, called for the little wolf, and planned to gather some things from the surrounding mountains.
The tribal trade fair was approaching soon, and Yu Bai wanted to exchange more goods with other tribes. Currently, he only had some linen, pottery, and herbs prepared to bring.
He had asked Huo Duo'er for advice, but the other man had said that anything of his would be fine.
Yu Bai sighed helplessly. On the way, he ran into A’Li and the Tata brothers and shared his troubles with them.
Apart from hunting, A’Li and his group of orcs spent their free time making pottery.
Pottery-making had already spread throughout the Yuan tribe, and every household of orcs could use some. The rest was made for the trade fair to exchange for other goods.
Pottery only appeared in the Yuan tribe, making it a rare item for other tribes. No matter how much they made, it wouldn't be excessive, and the success rate wasn't high.
Yu Bai could produce relatively intact and aesthetically pleasing pottery, while A’Li and the others barely managed to make usable pieces—as long as they didn't leak, it was considered a success.
So they were envious of Yu Bai's well-made pottery.
A’Li said, "Bai, if you just lay out the pottery and linen you've made, there will be plenty of orcs willing to fight for them! And you can heal injuries. After summer, orcs go out hunting every day, and many get hurt. If you sit in front of them, there will be plenty willing to let you treat them!"
Only the larger tribes could afford a priest. To ask a priest to heal or treat illnesses, the offerings required were substantial!
Over the past half year, many orcs from the Yuan tribe had privately sought Yu Bai for medical treatment. Even though they still revered the priest, the balance in their hearts had gradually begun to shift.
They knew very well who could actually heal—Bai or the priest!
Yu Bai took A’Li's advice into consideration.
Besides exchanging goods, the trade fair also had competitions—to see which warrior was the strongest, who could hunt the best, and who had the best medical skills. The winners would receive rewards.
After listening to A’Li and the Tata brothers' general introduction, Yu Bai felt a sense of anticipation.
—
Half a month later, the Yuan tribe assembled a team of a hundred orcs to head to the location of the orc trade fair.
The procession was long, with not only orcs but also wooden carts carrying pottery and linen.
Yu Bai and Huo Duo'er were both in the group.
Under the bright sunlight, Yu Bai walked among the orcs, wearing a linen sun hat. Huo Duo'er was leading the group this time, responsible not only for looking after Yu Bai but also for ensuring the safety of the orcs.
The giant orc was tall and powerful, and with Huo Duo'er's cold and imposing demeanor, no one dared to disobey when he spoke. Managing this hundred-strong team was relatively effortless.
Before noon, Yu Bai was already tired from walking.
Gradually falling behind, Yu Bai was unaware when Huo Duo'er, who had been walking at the back, caught up and without a word, scooped him up in his arms.
The orcs, seeing this, started to tease him.
Yu Bai's cheeks flushed red, half from the heat and half from embarrassment.
One shameless male orc shouted, "I want to find a sub-female like Bai!"
Another replied, "Keep dreaming!"
"Bai is good-looking, smart, and hardworking. If he doesn't mind having more..."
Before he could finish, Huo Duo'er's cold gaze swept over, and he immediately shut up.
Yu Bai couldn't bear to listen.
The orc tribe was open, and after living in this other world for a year and a half, Yu Bai had gradually come to understand them.
For example, when they praised a female orc as being good, hardworking, or for having a large butt, it was all meant as compliments. There was no other reason; the genes for reproduction were deeply ingrained in the orcs' bones. To them, this was the most primal and direct form of praise.
It was the hottest month of summer, and when the orcs took a break, they couldn't wait to lift their hemp robes to cool off.
Some simply went bare-bottomed to the nearest river to wash, while others stayed where they were.
Yu Bai was shocked and didn't dare to look up.
Huo Duo'er held him and wiped his sweat.
At this moment, the male giant's heart felt slightly uneasy.
As a native, Huo Duo'er was indifferent to the orcs going bare-bottomed. It was common for orcs not to cover themselves when the weather was too hot.
In the impoverished tribe, not every orc could afford to cover their bodies with hemp cloth or animal skins.
But now that he had Bai, his possessiveness surged.
Bai was so easily embarrassed and attracted the attention of the orcs. Naturally, Huo Duo'er didn't want his mate to see those things.
He lifted Bai's sun-reddened face, licked it gently, then slightly parted his muscular legs and guided Yu Bai's hand to touch him.
"Don't look at them, look at me."
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