| GB | Let's Practice | 72
In the harsh winter month, heavy snow sealed the mountains.
The roads in and out of the territory had frozen over. From the watchtower, the tribe was surrounded by a glacial snowfield, with the ice stretching as far as the eye could see. The only creatures moving about were large, ferocious beasts like wild bears, which roamed boldly in the cold month.
The Yuan tribe had stored enough food this year, and for safety's sake, they didn't send any orcs out for winter hunting.
Yu Bai hadn't left the house for several days, he often staying indoors by the fire, passing the time with snacks.
He fried pork meatballs and set a pot on the fire to simmer snow pear soup.
The pork meatballs were lined up on a ceramic plate, and Yu Bai patiently brushed each one with sauce using a pig hair brush. He then took two bowls from the cupboard and ladled the simmered snow pear soup into them.
The little wolf wagged its tail eagerly at the pork meatballs.
"Awoo~~"
It wanted to eat!
Yu Bai picked out a few meatballs without sauce and placed them in the wolf's bowl. The little wolf lowered its head, its long tongue sweeping the meatballs into its mouth, chewing and swallowing them quickly.
The little wolf had a big appetite and knew that these tiny meatballs, smaller than its mouth, wouldn't fill its stomach. After satisfying its craving, it didn't bother the two-legged creature anymore and went outside to gnaw on the beast meat it had buried in the snow.
After finishing, it wiped its mouth repeatedly in the snow to clean its fur before sauntering back inside.
As soon as the little wolf entered, Huo Duo'er returned from the yard, pushing the door open.
He had cleared the snow and ice outside.
This year, the entire orc world had been hit by frequent snowstorms. If the snow wasn't cleared for a few days, it would block the paths completely.
Even the stronger orcs found it difficult to move through the thick snow.
Last time, Yu Bai had almost slipped on the ice while stretching his limbs around the yard. Since then, Huo Duo'er had made it a habit to clear the snow and ice every day.
Huo Duo'er first brushed the snow off his shoulders and patted away the cold before lowering the animal skin curtain and stepping inside.
Yu Bai sat on the chair, a small blanket draped over his knees and calves.
He waved his arm: "Come over and have something to eat."
Once Huo Duo'er had settled down, Yu Bai reached out to brush off the ice crystals from the top of his head, muttering softly, "We haven't been going out recently, so there's no need to sweep the snow every day."
His ears turned slightly red: "It was an accident when I slipped last time…”
Huo Duo'er hummed in acknowledgment but continued to do what he thought was necessary.
Yu Bai, who was never good at arguing with him, could only shoot him a helpless glance.
However, he had always been lenient with Huo Duo'er. Even at his most difficult moments in bed, the most he would say were repeated phrases like "Don't" or "Stop it," which hardly counted as scolding.
At his most severe, he would bite, but the force was neither too light nor too heavy. Huo Duo'er actually wished Yu Bai would bite harder, especially on his shoulder or Adam's apple, as it would only fuel his intensity.
Yu Bai seemed to sense what Huo Duo'er was thinking, his ears and cheeks flushing with heat. He rubbed them vigorously and pushed the bowl of stewed snow pear soup toward him.
"Drink more..."
He then added, somewhat pointedly, "Snow pear soup can clear heat and moisten the lungs. It's cold now, and we’ve been warming ourselves by the fire every day. You’ve been eating a lot of meat too, so you need to cool down the internal heat..."
The continuous heavy snow made training unsuitable, so Huo Duo'er hadn’t been going out to train the orcs.
The orcs' internal heat had been building up, and in the warmth of their home, the object of his training became his mate.
Not to mention daily, even every two or three days was too much for Yu Bai to handle.
Especially after the night ended, the next day, for the sake of applying medicine, Yu Bai often didn’t even wear shorts.
Yu Bai's face alternated between red and pale as he supervised Huo Duo'er finishing the snow pear soup, only then did he slowly drink his own bowl.
Winter days were short, and darkness quickly enveloped the entire tribe.
Huo Duo'er tidied up the house, and Yu Bai brushed his teeth, preparing to rest.
He lay down for a while, and soon Huo Duo'er returned, having wiped himself with hot water. Every inch of his firm, well-proportioned skin exuded a warm, damp heat. With a sweep of his arm, he pulled Yu Bai into his embrace.
Huo Duo'er massaged the delicate nape of Yu Bai's neck with his palm, one stroke after another.
Yu Bai quickly found his eyelids growing heavy, his head resting against Huo Duo'er's chest as he drifted into a semi-conscious state.
"Bai, are you still feeling uncomfortable?"
Last night, Huo Duo'er had held him, and although he had applied medicine afterward, it was still important to take care of his body carefully.
Yu Bai responded with a muffled hum from his nose, his words barely audible, like sleep talk.
Misinterpreting his response, Huo Duo'er lifted his arm and let his fingers slide over.
He gently rubbed, as if checking for any injuries, not missing a single fold.
Yu Bai trembled all over, his knees tightening.
His wide, round eyes opened, jolting him awake from his semi-conscious state.
"Huo... Huo Duo'er..."
Huo Duo'er stopped, withdrawing his fingers.
Yu Bai pushed him away: "I just applied medicine..."
He then added in a small, indignant voice, "You wiped it all off."
The medicinal ointment had melted onto Huo Duo'er's hand, and the veins on the orc's forehead throbbed visibly. He examined his fingertips, where the sensation of being gently sucked in still lingered clearly.
Huo Duo'er's throat moved: "Let me apply the medicine for you again."
Yu Bai turned his back, burying his head in the bedding.
"Don't..."
Afraid that Huo Duo'er might reach in again, he kicked his calf against Huo Duo'er's knee.
"I want to sleep!"
Huo Duo'er noticed that Yu Bai had turned his back to him, so he decided to give up for the moment. He waited until Yu Bai was sound asleep before gently pulling him into his arms, their faces pressed close together.
In the third month of winter, the snowfall became less frequent, and occasionally, the sun could be seen.
On this rare clear day, the male orcs of the Yuan tribe gathered at the training square. Huo Duo'er assigned the leadership of several teams to his deputies: A’Sen, Ze, Jiu Fe, A’Lin, and Mao Mao, each responsible for the training of their respective groups.
Each team had its own strengths—some excelled in archery, others in defense or offense. While their training methods varied, all the orcs started on the same footing when it came to physical conditioning.
The female orcs, who had been watching from inside, were not to be outdone. They stepped out and joined the training voluntarily.
Huo Duo'er's training regimen was not suited to the female orcs' physique, so he reduced the weight burden for them. They only carried two sandbags on their calves and knees, jogging slowly around the field. After their run, they practiced with wooden spears.
Yu Bai, who had originally stayed at home to warm himself by the fire, also wandered out to join the excitement. A small wolf with thick fur trotted beside him. Before they even reached the training square, the wolf let out a howl, causing the orcs to turn and look.
One after another, they called out to Huo Duo'er, "Bai is here."
Jiu Fe, who was holding a wooden arrow and flying in the air, saw Yu Bai and his gaze darkened. He landed on the snow and was the first to stop in front of Yu Bai.
Yu Bai greeted him with a smile, "Jiu Fe."
Jiu Fe nodded slightly but said nothing.
Although Yu Bai would not accept any other orc, this smile brought a sweet sense of satisfaction to Jiu Fe’s heart. Before Huo Duo'er could approach, Jiu Fe quickly turned and flew away.
Yu Bai stepped down the stairs before Huo Duo'er could reach him and waved his arm in greeting.
Mian, a female orc who was training, greeted Yu Bai, but as soon as she spoke, she was scolded by the deputy leader. She stuck out her tongue and continued her practice.
Yu Bai took Huo Duo'er's outstretched hand and jumped from the three steps onto the snow.
His delicate brows and eyes were filled with a playful smile as he suddenly said, "I want to join their training too."
Having been cooped up for almost the entire winter, Yu Bai was feeling a bit restless.
In the year he first arrived in the main city, Huo Duo'er could still do some odd jobs to pass the time during the winter. But now, with him occasionally teaching the orcs and being their leader, those tasks were no longer necessary for them to handle.
Most of Yu Bai's time was spent studying medicinal herbs. He had familiarized himself with the effects of most of the herbs he collected, and for those he didn't fully understand, he sought advice from the old priest or other witch doctors.
On several occasions, even Priest Mien participated in the discussions, and surprisingly, he was willing to share knowledge about some orcish herbs that Yu Bai didn't fully recognize.
Huo Duo'er, on the other hand, spent most of his time training the orcs and strengthening the tribe's defenses.
As for the hunting parties during spring, summer, and autumn, they took turns going out, led by several deputy leaders, so Huo Duo'er didn't have to oversee everything personally.
Huo Duo'er took Yu Bai's delicate hand in his and examined it. The cold weather had turned his slender, pale fingers slightly red.
"Bai, you don't need to work so hard."
Huo Duo'er felt that Yu Bai already spent enough energy on the herbs and couldn't bear to see him doing weight training.
Yu Bai pointed to the sub-female orcs nearby: "If they can do it, why can't I?"
With that, he sidestepped Huo Duo'er, trotted through the snow, and picked up two sand-filled burlap sacks, testing their weight.
The little wolf nudged the sacks, then with a flick of its neck, it howled and tossed the sacks onto its back before running off, joining in the weight training.
However, the little wolf was just having fun and didn't consider it training.
Yu Bai handed the burlap sacks to Huo Duo'er and proactively rolled up his pant legs.
His eyes sparkled with anticipation, his fair face slightly red from the cold, but he revealed a shy smile with his teeth.
"Huo Duo'er, can you tie these two sacks for me?"
Unable to resist his partner's soft and gentle request, Huo Duo'er picked up two more sacks.
He knelt on the ground, placing Yu Bai's ankle on his knee as he tied the sacks.
Yu Bai let out a surprised "Huh," noticing something.
"Why are these two sacks so small?"
Huo Duo'er glanced at him.
Yu Bai walked around with the sacks tied to his legs, moving quite briskly.
The sub-female orcs passing by couldn't help but laugh.
"Bai, those are sacks for the young orcs."
Yu Bai's ears, hidden under his fur hat, suddenly felt hot. He chased after Huo Duo'er: "Give me a different one..."
Huo Duo'er didn't agree, nor did he let Yu Bai catch him.
After running three or four laps with the sacks tied to his legs, Yu Bai leaned on his knees, panting, and was about to sit down and rest when Huo Duo'er supported his arm and walked him slowly.
He pursed his lips, then smiled first.
"Tomorrow, give me two sacks like the other orcs. What's the point of tying the young orcs' sacks to me..."
Huo Duo'er sighed helplessly: "Bai, don't make it difficult for me."
With that, he picked him up: "Let's go back and rest."
Yu Bai kicked his legs: "They haven't finished training yet..."
Huo Duo'er shook his head, gently caressing his flushed face after the exercise.
"They're all watching you."
He added: "If you want to train, we can do it back in the room."
Yu Bai hugged Huo Duo'er's neck, muttering: "You're not jealous again, are you..."
He was afraid of Huo Duo'er's jealousy; last time he got jealous, he tricked him into walking circles in the room.
But that night, Huo Duo'er didn't make him walk in circles. Instead, he hung Yu Bai's legs over his shoulders, saying it was to train the flexibility of his legs.
In the latter half of the night, Yu Bai trembled as Huo Duo'er massaged his legs, even the tip of his toes were shaking.
After that night, Yu Bai gave up on the idea of training with the orcs.
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