| GB | Pregnant | 134 | Ex. 10
The next morning, Yu Bai was helped out of bed by Huo Duo'er around ten o'clock.
He rubbed his still slightly bloated belly, his eyes flickering towards the orc's face, his fluffy head bumping against the other's chest a few times.
Huo Duo'er held his orc mate with one arm, using warm water from a basin to wash his face, then picked up a cup for him to rinse his mouth.
Yu Bai tilted his head slightly, gargling before spitting out the water.
He felt rather weak, his slightly curly and messy hair brushing against the orc's neck a few times.
"Hungry."
His ears turned red with embarrassment: "And still a bit bloated."
Huo Duo'er massaged his abdomen: "It's all gone now."
Yu Bai pursed his lips, thinking he would never eat that pink baby fruit again.
Ever since he said last night that the fruit was sweet, Huo Duo'er had been as excited as a big cat on catnip.
The orc was wearing a loose gray linen sleeveless robe. Yu Bai's fingers slightly lifted the shoulder of the robe, revealing a shallow bite mark on the upper part of the tattooed arm. It was from last night when he was so annoyed that he bit Huo Duo'er while being carried and tossed around.
He silently rubbed it: "...Does it still hurt?"
Huo Duo'er: "No."
Yu Bai made a soft "Mmm" sound, mumbling: "Don't do that again next time."
It was too intense, he felt like his whole body was falling apart.
And even now, he still felt weak, his steps were unsteady.
Huo Duo'er also realized his loss of control last night and felt guilty.
"Okay."
Filled with guilt, Huo Duo'er stayed by Yu Bai's side almost every moment he was awake, taking care of him as he recovered over the next few days.
This year has been a prosperous one with favorable weather, and with the granaries well-stocked and the addition of new orcs providing sufficient labor, the two leaders—the chief and the priest no longer needed to be as busy as before and had some leisure time.
One afternoon, Yu Bai lay under the pavilion, basking in the autumn sun and dozing off. In his drowsy state, he seemed to hear some commotion outside the courtyard. When he opened his eyes, Huo Duo'er was nowhere to be seen. The little wolf had taken Jinjin to the mountains to hunt, and the surroundings were quiet.
He slipped on his sandals and opened the door, only to see Xiu talking to two orcs not far away.
After they finished their conversation, Xiu turned around and met Yu Bai's gaze, smiling slightly.
"Bai."
Yu Bai ran out through the door crack and whispered, "Xiu, do you still have any of those pink fruits?"
Xiu replied, "You still want some? There are a few left, I—"
Before he could finish, Yu Bai interrupted, "Please distribute the pink fruits as soon as possible. If Huo Duo'er asks, just say there are none left."
Xiu seemed thoughtful, while Yu Bai guiltily stared at the ground. After a moment, Xiu spoke with a hint of amusement, "No problem."
Yu Bai secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "Come over and have a meal with us when you have time."
Xiu didn't hesitate and agreed readily.
Yu Bai was a decent cook, but over the years, Huo Duo'er had taken care of him and surpassed him in culinary skills. That thick-skinned guy, Man, often came over to mooch meals, which spoke volumes about how good Huo Duo'er's cooking was.
No orc could resist good food, and Xiu was no exception.
After parting ways, Yu Bai walked back to the courtyard. As the sun was about to set, he gathered the dried herbs and brought them inside. Just as he picked up the broom to start cleaning, the door creaked open, and Huo Duo'er returned.
Huo Duo'er placed the fish he had brought back into a stone jar, took the broom from Yu Bai, and with one arm, lifted him up and carried him to a chair under the pavilion.
This year, the cold arrived earlier than usual. After Man and Ze came over for a few meals, the temperature dropped completely.
Yu Bai wrapped himself in a black fur coat, with a fluffy collar around his neck, making his face appear even fairer and softer.
As long as it wasn't the damp, chilly weather, the male orcs in the tribe only needed to wear a simple hemp robe, and Huo Duo'er was no exception. The female orcs and sub-females from the north didn't need to bundle up too much in winter either.
But at the onset of winter, Yu Bai was the only one in the entire tribe dressed in the thickest layers.
Everyone was used to it. Sometimes, from a distance, they would spot a clumsy figure and, without needing a closer look, would call out a greeting.
That night, Yu Bai was already in bed early, embraced by Huo Duo'er.
With Huo Duo'er acting as a super-sized heater, after a bit of movement, Yu Bai quickly warmed up and drifted into a deep sleep.
In the middle of the night, he suddenly heard shouts outside. Struggling to open his heavy eyelids, he reached out to the side—empty, but still warm, clearly just vacated.
Still groggy, he sat up, clutching the blanket. The curtain at the door fell, and Huo Duo'er entered, his voice grave. "Old Wo has returned to the embrace of the Orc God."
Yu Bai's eyes widened, and all sleepiness vanished. He grabbed the clothes from the low table and quickly dressed.
Wo was the old craftsman of the tribe, having followed from the original Yuan tribe to Fantasy tribe, creating many tools for the tribe.
Not to mention the tables and chairs, the first charcoal pencil Yu Bai received was made by Old Wo.
These elderly orc craftsmen, who held onto their skills, never slackened due to age. They worked until their old age, never ceasing to contribute to the tribe. For this, Yu Bai held deep respect.
He walked faster and faster, almost tripping on the way.
Huo Duo'er simply picked him up, touching his slightly trembling hand: "Don't panic."
The cold night wind blew against his face, and Yu Bai nodded lightly, responding with a voice already hoarse.
Outside Old Wo's door, a circle of tribesmen had already gathered.
The younger ones were already crying, while the older ones, whether male or female, were holding back their tears.
"Priest Bai and the Chief are here."
"Priest Bai is here, make way."
Yu Bai asked Huo Duo'er to put him down and hurried into the house.
Seeing Old Wo lying on the bed without breath, he took a deep breath, softly chanting, and gently tapped the other's forehead.
Led by the priest, following the tribe's inherited customs, they sent him back to the embrace of the Orc God, back to the earth.
From that night on, it was like a signal.
Perhaps this year's winter was much colder than previous years, or perhaps the time had come...
In the tribe, for more than half a month, old orcs passed away one after another in their sleep.
Yu Bai presided over the ceremonies each time, his mood gradually sinking.
By afternoon, the sky was gray, with a cold wind blowing.
He had just woken up, listlessly leaning against the head of the bed. Huo Duo'er brought in a bowl of hot porridge, holding him in his arms, slowly feeding him.
"Eat a little, Bai."
With worried eyes, Huo Duo'er looked into Yu Bai's eyes, hoping he would emerge from his sorrow.
Yu Bai forced down a few mouthfuls of sweet potato and minced meat porridge, hoarsely comforting: "I'm fine."
He forced a smile: "I'll be better in a few days."
In such cold weather, having sent off more than a dozen old orcs, he became low-spirited and spoke little.
Huo Duo'er even called A’Li and Man over, hoping to divert Yu Bai's attention and lift his spirits, but it had little effect.
Worried, Huo Duo'er developed blisters on his mouth. Fortunately, there was little work after the cold set in, so he stayed at home, keeping watch over Yu Bai.
That day, Yu Bai didn't eat much and went back to sleep.
Touching the faint blue under his eyes and his thin face, Huo Duo'er tucked him in, leaving the little wolf and Jinjin to watch over him, and went out to bring Mian and several other skilled witch doctors.
He was worried that Yu Bai might be sick, so he brought all the orcs who knew medicine into the house.
After a round of examination, Mian and the other witch doctors looked at each other.
However uncertain they were, they all saw the same answer in each other's eyes.
Huo Duo'er asked: "How is Bai's health?"
Mian cleared her throat: "Chief Huo, Bai is likely pregnant with an orc cub."
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