| GB | Hungry | 135 | Ex. 11
Huo Duo'er had everyone leave the room, and the interior fell into a quiet stillness. Yu Bai was still in a daze.
One moment he lifted his clothes to stare at his soft, pale belly, and the next, his pupils trembled slightly.
Huo Duo'er carefully let the door curtain fall back into place and closed the door. Seeing his orc partner on the bed, lost in thought and looking somewhat dazed, he found it endearing and decided not to disturb him for the time being.
Yu Bai finally regained his senses and glanced at the orc standing by his side like a towering guardian. He pressed his index and middle fingers together and placed them on his pulse.
As he felt his pulse, he indeed detected signs of a "slippery pulse."
His delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly before relaxing again.
After forming their bond, his intimate life with Huo Duo'er had been quite frequent.
The male orc had a high demand, and Yu Bai hadn’t refused. Shortly after settling in the new tribe, they had resumed their previous rhythm of intimacy every one or two days.
In the past few years, he had never conceived an orc child. Could it really be because of the pink baby fruit he had eaten, which had somehow affected or altered his constitution, leading to his current pregnancy?
Huo Duo'er sat down, took his hand, and pulled him into his embrace.
"Bai?"
Yu Bai murmured, "It feels like a dream."
He pinched himself and then pinched Huo Duo'er.
"..."
Huo Duo'er's brow twitched slightly. Finally, he laid Yu Bai down on the pillow, smoothed out the stray strands of hair, and kissed his eyelids.
"Bai, sleep for a while. You haven’t rested well for several days."
Yu Bai obediently said, "Oh," and though he was still in a daze, he instinctively became more compliant, afraid that if he didn’t rest well, the little one in his belly would suffer as well.
He slept soundly and woke up the next day feeling much more refreshed than he had in the past few days. However, he still seemed a bit dazed, doing whatever Huo Duo'er asked without question, even walking with a slight awkwardness.
After breakfast, Yu Bai changed into his priestly attire and was taken out by Huo Duo'er.
Today, they were to cremate several elderly orcs who had passed away. As the priest, Yu Bai had to personally oversee every ceremony.
Birth, bonding, and death—these three stages were of utmost importance to the orcs.
Most orcs, upon sensing that they were about to return to the embrace of the Orc God, would inform the priest of their preferred method of departure.
Some revered the nature gods and believed in returning to the earth, choosing burial. Others hoped to receive the blessings of the Fire God and opted for cremation.
If they hadn’t had the chance to inform anyone, their family members or the priest would make the decision for them.
The cremation ceremony ended just past noon.
Yu Bai felt exhausted, with a cold sweat breaking out on the back of his neck.
Huo Duo'er carried him home to rest and immediately went into the kitchen to prepare soup.
Not long after, Mian arrived and began fussing over him.
Yu Bai shook his head, "Sit down. You’re making me dizzy."
He added, "I’m fine, just a bit tired. I’ll recover after some rest and recuperation."
"Priest Bai, you need to take care of yourself. If there’s anything, you can talk to Chief or even me."
Yu Bai nodded, "Mm."
He then explained, "It’s just that I’ve been feeling a bit sentimental lately. Old Wo and the others, like you, were among the first orcs to learn from me. Now that we’ve finally settled down, before we could even enjoy a few peaceful and comfortable days, they’ve all passed away one by one."
Outside the door, Huo Duo'er entered carrying a pot of soup. Yu Bai spoke up, "Let's not talk about this anymore."
Mian knew that Huo Duo’er could take good care of Bai, so she didn't stay long and got up to leave first.
The wind began to pick up outside, and the window eaves rattled noisily.
Inside, after finishing his meal and drinking most of the soup, Yu Bai started to sweat again.
Seeing this, Huo Duo'er brought in a basin of hot water. He first helped Yu Bai change into a loose set of winter pajamas made of soft, tanned leather. As soon as the clothes were draped over him, the skin beneath the hem felt the warm touch.
Huo Duo'er took a hot washcloth and carefully wiped Yu Bai's body, from his face down to his neck, meticulously tending to every inch of his skin.
That day, Huo Duo'er didn't go out. In the afternoon, he held Yu Bai as they napped together.
Two whole years had passed, and regardless of the season, the orcs had been busy rebuilding the tribe. They were no exception, and it had been a long time since they had been able to spend such quiet, uninterrupted time together, free from any disturbances.
As if thinking the same thing, Huo Duo'er said, "Bai, I'll spend more time with you from now on."
Yu Bai's eyes sparkled with dependence, and he spoke softly, "Stay with me a little longer."
Huo Duo'er tightened his embrace, ensuring that his orc mate was snugly pressed against him.
—
In the following days, the weather grew colder, and most of the heavy work in the tribe came to a halt, to be resumed in the spring.
With nothing major happening, Huo Duo'er stayed home. Whenever Yu Bai woke up, he found warmth beside him, with a sturdy, warm body pressed against him under the blankets.
Before dawn, Huo Duo'er prepared breakfast and then returned to sleep with him.
Yu Bai, who was sensitive to the cold, was wrapped in a thick animal fur blanket.
Huo Duo'er, with his robust constitution, wore only a medium-thick robe and draped an autumn blanket over his waist and legs.
It was still early. Since becoming pregnant with their orc child, Yu Bai had been sleeping and waking up earlier than usual.
He nuzzled against Huo Duo'er's neck, only to have his chin lifted and his lips captured in a long, breathless kiss before being released.
Huo Duo'er gently touched his flushed cheeks, "Let's freshen up first, then have something to eat."
Yu Bai nodded obediently.
He wasn't alone anymore; to give birth to their orc child, he needed to strengthen his body and store more energy.
Half a month later, a new orc child was born in the tribe.
Yu Bai wanted to see it. He was bundled up tightly, and Huo Duo'er carried him over by supporting his waist and hips.
Mian, along with a few female orcs, was in charge of the delivery. A crowd of orcs had already gathered outside the door.
Seeing the chief and the priest arrive, they quickly made way.
Yu Bai lifted the brim of his hat, his voice muffled by the fluffy scarf around his neck.
"Just stand here, no need to move."
The probability of female orcs getting pregnant was low, and for sub-female orcs, it was almost impossible. Given the risks associated with childbirth, Mian had spent the past few years learning various delivery techniques to protect pregnant orcs and their unborn children.
In the past two years, Yu Bai had even taught her about cesarean sections, she roughly understanding the method, preparing the necessary materials, and practicing on the tribe's domesticated wild chickens, ducks, pigs, yaks, and other animals.
Back when the territory was first established, food mostly relied on hunting and gathering, which was quite consuming. Sometimes they would slaughter the domesticated animals, not wasting any part, and directly distribute the meat as the day's ration.
However, his talent in this area was truly inferior to Mian's, so he later handed it over to her, letting her select some diligent and eager-to-learn orcs to continue delving into this technology.
This summer, Mian was already able to perform cesarean sections for orcs in difficult labor.
After the successful delivery, Huo Duo'er held Yu Bai and stood by the window for a moment, clutching the priest's bone chain, reciting the most sincere blessings.
Huo Duo'er carried him back to the courtyard, and Yu Bai stopped at the door, still remembering the scene of seeing the newborn orc for the first time.
He looked up at the already withered trees, dazedly lost in thought.
After a long while, the confusion that had been present since he became pregnant with the orc cub disappeared, and a smile reappeared on his face.
In the tribe, as old orcs leave, new orc cubs are born, just like the two trees planted in front of the door.
New leaves grow in spring, and by late autumn and harsh winter, the leaves fall completely, ending their life cycle.
It repeats over and over, following the natural order.
Yu Bai touched his belly, and his acceptance suddenly became very good.
—
In the middle of the night, Huo Duo'er, half-asleep, felt something soft poking at the muscles of his chest.
He instinctively grabbed it, opened his eyes, and in the dim room, accurately caught the curved eyes of his orc partner.
"Bai," he immediately sat up, afraid that the other might catch a cold, quickly pulled up the quilt to wrap him tightly, holding him in his arms.
"Why did you wake up? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
Yu Bai swallowed: "I'm hungry."
Huo Duo'er was stunned, then overjoyed.
Lately, with all the busyness, his always tired orc partner was asking for food for the first time.
He said hoarsely, "What do you want to eat? I'll prepare it right away."
"Pork ribs..." Yu Bai touched his belly, licked his lips, and didn't forget to add a request: "Stew a few ribs, make them sweet and sour..."
Huo Duo'er responded in a low voice, cupped his face, and planted a kiss on each cheek.
In the middle of the night, the lights in the room were on, Yu Bai wrapped in a fluffy animal quilt, watching the figure outside the door.
As Huo Duo'er walked out the door, he turned back to look at his obediently waiting orc partner.
Yu Bai waved his hand: "Huo Duo'er, I'm so hungry..."
Huo Duo'er's Adam's apple bobbed, his usually steady and silent face twitched slightly, and he smiled, which was rare.
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Hehe
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