| GB | Bullied | 62
The night was deep, and a stone basin placed by the bedside held hot charcoal, filling the surroundings with a warm haze.
Yu Bai slept in a daze, suddenly lifting his face from the orc fur blanket and letting out a soft moan.
The orc curtain was tightly drawn, and a few snowflakes occasionally drifted down from a small hole in the corner of the roof. The faint sound of wind could be heard, and the sky had not yet brightened.
Huo Duo'er took out a stone, wrapped it in linen, and placed it on the table. The faint firelight revealed the slightly translucent hue of his knuckles.
He paused, his gaze intense, as thoughts restrained by reason suddenly broke free like a beast unleashed.
Without hesitation, he slowly changed the angle of his fingers, following the traces left behind.
His mate in his arms trembled, and the orc's high, prominent brow furrowed between crimson hues.
The ten fingers connected to the pink star, and he felt the warmth and tightness along his fingertips, twisting into his heart.
Yu Bai curled his legs, his slender nape resting against Huo Duo'er's mouth. The hot, heavy breath on his delicate skin caused him to shiver.
He buried himself in the orc's embrace and murmured, "Don't..."
The firewood crackled with a sharp sound, mingling with the wet noises. Huo Duo'er kissed Yu Bai's damp, misty eyes.
After a while, Yu Bai lifted his slightly intoxicated, unfocused eyes and instantly met the orc's gaze fixed on him.
Huo Duo'er's sharp face was calm, but his brow bone twitched uncontrollably with excitement. He stared intently, licking his knuckles until they were almost clean.
Yu Bai: "..."
His eyes widened suddenly, overwhelmed by the scene before him, and he pushed his arm forward.
Only then did Huo Duo'er rise, fetching water to thoroughly wash his hands.
—
He slept until noon.
The room was empty, and the wooden box on the table had been put away. The stone basin held fresh charcoal, clearly replaced by someone.
Yu Bai sniffed, his cheeks warm.
Lethargic from the winter, he leaned against the headboard, not immediately getting up, as if savoring something. He buried his face in the thick, soft orc fur blanket, leaving only his thin, red ears exposed.
The little wolf lay at the foot of the bed. Seeing the small two-legged creature awake, it immediately raised its head and affectionately nuzzled his arm.
The thick fur of the yak-wolf made Yu Bai chuckle softly. He had no choice but to push the wolf's large head away. "Your fur is tickling me too much."
He then asked, "Did Huo Duo'er leave already?"
The weather was cold, and orcs were generally lazy, not venturing out unless necessary. The Brown Clan had been restless lately, taking advantage of the lax defenses of the Yuan to send warriors to the edges of their territory, their intentions unclear.
He had vaguely heard Huo Duo'er's instructions in the morning, saying he was leading a team of warriors out to patrol and would return by evening at the earliest.
Arf arf!
That's right!
When the big two-legged creature was around, the little wolf often kept its tail between its legs. Today, since the other had gone out to hunt for the small two-legged creature, the entire house had become its territory.
The little wolf left its scent all around the room, then nuzzled the small two-legged creature until it was covered in its own scent. Its big tail wagged proudly, like a large fan.
Yu Bai couldn't help but laugh, rubbing the wolf's head. He draped a thick fur cloak over himself and stepped down.
The winter was silent. Pushing open the door, the ground was covered in a blanket of pure white snow, the accumulation reaching up to his ankles. The snow that had fallen all night had stopped.
The little wolf squeezed past his legs into the yard, rolling around a few times, then shook its fur, scattering the snow caught in its coat.
Woof woof~
Play with me~
Yu Bai truly understood its meaning and grabbed a handful of snow to toss at it.
The little wolf nimbly dodged, thoroughly enjoying the game of avoiding the snowballs thrown by the small two-legged creature.
After playing for a while, Yu Bai felt less cold as his limbs warmed up, his face and ears flushed with warmth, and the tip of his nose turned a bright red.
He served the hot food left on the stove and, after satisfying his hunger, returned indoors to do some manual chores.
The little wolf, having had enough fun with the snow, obediently followed him inside, circling around him a few times before lying down at his heels, its large head resting on his instep.
Awoo awoo awoo~
Small two-legged creature, I’m taking a nap~
Yu Bai rubbed its head and, only after seeing the yak wolf close its eyes, did he shift his attention back to the task at hand.
—
As evening approached, the sky turned gray and the wind grew stronger, howling through the slightest crack in the door.
Yu Bai heard a clattering sound and, following the noise, opened the door to find the firewood stacked in the corner of the eaves scattered all over the ground.
He pulled the hood hanging on the rack over his head and, braving the wind, slowly picked up the scattered firewood.
Just then, Huo Duo'er pushed the door open, set down what he was carrying, and swiftly gathered the remaining firewood.
"Back already?" Yu Bai approached the orc, brushing the back of his hand against the other's.
Huo Duo'er was covered in snow and wind, wary of passing the chill to his mate, so he sidestepped and said, "Bai, go inside first. I'll take care of this."
As he spoke, a puff of white mist escaped his mouth.
With everything covered in ice and snow, Yu Bai's fingertips had already turned red from the cold while gathering the firewood.
He obediently went back inside, rubbing his slightly stinging fingers by the fire.
Soon after, Huo Duo'er closed the door and entered. With the little wolf lying on Yu Bai's left, he sat down on the right.
Yu Bai handed him a cup of hot water and, catching sight of the prominent Adam's apple bobbing, he suddenly recalled a certain moment of swallowing, causing his face to flush with heat.
Only after Huo Duo'er finished the water did he continue speaking.
"How are things? Did the Brown Tribe orcs come to cause trouble?"
"Yes, the Brown Tribe orcs seemed to be deliberately probing."
The people of the Brown Tribe had only circled the border before leaving, not seeking an opportunity to attack. Instead, after raising their guard, they collectively turned and left, as if merely creating a show of force.
A’Lin had initially wanted to lead the tribe in pursuit but was stopped by Huo Duo'er.
Most orcs are straightforward in their thinking. In daily life, if they dislike someone or a conflict arises, the two sides would engage in verbal disputes or even directly fight.
The same principle applies between tribes. Small tribes without the ability to protect themselves are often swallowed up by larger tribes. Even medium-sized tribes, if rich in resources, can attract the covetous eyes of larger tribes.
The Yuan Tribe had always held an advantage in producing and weaving hemp, which the Brown Tribe had often coveted.
Now, the development speed of the Yuan Tribe has far exceeded the expectations of all tribes, not only giving rise to many new orc legacies but also recruiting warriors from several small and medium-sized tribes.
Even the largest Brown Tribe would find it difficult to seize an opportunity to annex the Yuan Tribe now.
Huo Duo'er looked at Yu Bai and said, "It's very difficult for the Brown Tribe to launch a surprise attack on the Yuan Tribe. They only brought a small team of warriors,they were clearly not intending to attack. Perhaps they have other plans."
That's why he stopped A’Lin from leading the orcs in pursuit, instead arranging for warriors to set traps within the border area and assigning orcs to take turns guarding it daily.
A faint curve appeared on Huo Duo'er's brow: "Bai, I've already used the method you taught."
The tribal territory wasn't vast, but timely communication was still a challenge.
Last time, Yu Bai suggested using smoke signals to convey messages.
After winter set in, some orcs began building wooden towers at key checkpoints throughout the territory. These towers were strategically placed to allow for high vantage points.
If an enemy attack was spotted, the watchtowers would ignite a mixture of dry and wet firewood, using the rising thick smoke to send a warning.
Huo Duo'er personally led the orcs to test this method, and it proved highly effective. Within just over two months, it was implemented at all major thoroughfares in the territory.
As they spoke, Huo Duo'er set a clay pot over the fire, adding the meatballs Yu Bai had prepared earlier in the day to the broth. He then gradually added sliced fish, vegetables, and spices to the pot.
The fire burned brightly, and the aroma of the simmering soup wafted continuously, making Yu Bai swallow hard.
He served himself some chili garlic sauce and sweet-and-sour fruit jam. Huo Duo'er, who wasn't fond of spicy food, stuck to the savory dipping sauce.
Yu Bai blew on a piece of fish dipped in the chili garlic sauce before popping it into his mouth. Soon, his lips turned a bright red, catching Huo Duo'er's frequent glances.
After sipping some soup, Yu Bai, ever observant, asked, "Is there something else on your mind?"
Huo Duo'er's eyes flickered, but he didn't deny it.
It turned out that the snowstorm was so severe that Huo Duo'er had taken the opportunity to go out and re-mark the signs left for the giant tribe. Over the past year, he had traveled to many places but found no trace of his people.
Apart from deliberately avoiding him, Huo Duo'er couldn't think of any other reason.
"Why…" Yu Bai was puzzled. "Don't they want to find you?"
Huo Duo'er lowered his beastly eyes, his expression unreadable.
"It's not that they don't want to find me, but that they don't want to return to the tribe."
"Bai, I've told you before, my clan has guarded the mountain god for generations. But… the miasma in the tribe has been growing thicker, and many of our people have lost their lives or fallen ill, their lifespans drastically shortened."
They followed their ancestors' decree to guard the tribe for their entire lives. However, as the number of giant orcs dwindled, those who remained began to suspect that the mountain god had abandoned them, hence the unrelenting miasma that plagued the tribe.
Huo Duo'er had always adhered to the clan's rules, but when his people began leaving the tribe in groups, he started to question whether he had made a mistake and whether his persistence was worth it.
So he set out to find his people. Whether he could bring them back was another matter, but at least he wanted to locate them first.
Huo Duo'er's expression darkened. "They're afraid I'll bring them back to the tribe, so it's natural they don't want to contact me."
"Bai, have I really made a mistake?"
Blindly following the ancestral decrees of the orcs, while disregarding the lives of his people.
Between the ancestral decrees and the few remaining clan members, the conflicting thoughts often left him deep in contemplation.
Yu Bai hadn't realized the heavy burden Huo Duo'er carried. To him, the legacy of the ancestors and the people around him were equally important—one was the past, the other the present. But if he had to choose…
He took Huo Duo'er's large hand and said softly, "Live in the present and find them first."*
Huo Duo'er's expression shifted, and he gripped his mate's hand tightly, pressing it against his chest.
—
That night, Huo Duo'er carefully held Yu Bai close to his chest.
His long arm reached across the table, picking up a stone to warm it before slipping it under the animal-fur blanket.
Yu Bai weakly pushed back, his soft lips murmuring, "It hasn't been four days yet…"
Huo Duo'er grew somewhat impatient, his nose brushing heavily against Yu Bai's earlobe before he tossed the stone back into the wooden box.
It was yet another snowy night.
After confiding the thoughts he had kept hidden to Yu Bai, Huo Duo'er abandoned his usual composed and reserved demeanor. His rough, moist fingertips slid over Yu Bai's lips, pressing down with a slow, elastic heat.
The firelight was faint, and the orc's eyes burned with a dark gray glow, like a beast spotting prey in the night. The muscles on his back glistened with sweat, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
The wind howled fiercely, and the door trembled faintly.
Before long, Yu Bai shook his head, tears dampening the corners of his eyes, pitiful yet endearing. It was precisely this tenderness that made Huo Duo'er want to transform into a mighty warrior.
Huo Duo'er held him tightly, his voice gruff, "Then just half, let's try half first."
The little wolf crouched in the corner let out a whimper, watching as the shadows on the ground slowly shifted. It sniffed the air, wondering why the big two-legged creature was bullying the small two-legged creature again.
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