| GB | Affection | 145 | Ex. 21
Yu Bai was in a daze. Although his fever had subsided, his eyelids felt heavy, and he was constantly in a state of drowsiness.
Even though he was asleep, it didn't mean he had completely lost consciousness. He faintly heard the movements around him and could sense the presence of those nearby.
Realizing that Huo Duo'er had returned, Yu Bai responded in his heart. He was eager to dispel the darkness in his mind and urgently tried to open his eyes.
He struggled for a while, and time seemed to pass quickly. For Huo Duo'er, however, it felt like an ordeal.
Huo Duo'er questioned Mian and several tribe doctors who had arrived, pressing them about Yu Bai's condition. His frantic and almost crazed demeanor frightened the surrounding tribesmen.
The most composed person in the room was actually the young orc standing by the bed, who had been watching his father intently.
Suddenly, Jialai tugged at his father's short robe: "Big Father, his eyelids moved!"
Huo Duo'er returned to the bedside and, just as Jialai had said, Yu Bai, who had been asleep for a long time, slowly opened his eyes.
His eyes were almost stuck together, and his vision was blurry, but gradually, Huo Duo'er's figure came into focus.
"Bai—" Huo Duo'er gently touched him. The rough texture of his fingertips against Yu Bai's cheek caused a slight sting, but the tangible sensation brought a smile to Yu Bai's face. His lips moved slightly, and his voice was hoarse.
"You're back…"
Huo Duo'er looked disheveled, covered in sweat, but fortunately, he was unharmed, with no injuries on his exposed limbs.
Huo Duo'er turned his head, and Jialai, sensing his father's intent, picked up a water jug from the nearby low table and poured a cup of warm water.
The water had a bit of salt added to it. Huo Duo'er helped Yu Bai sit up against his chest and slowly fed him the water.
Mian and the elderly doctors were in a flurry of activity again. After completing their examination and ensuring that their priest was unharmed, they finally wept with joy.
Mian composed himself and walked out the door to inform the various leaders, who had surrounded the courtyard tightly, of the good news.
The leaders, who had rushed back without even taking a sip of water, breathed a collective sigh of relief upon hearing that their priest was safe. They then returned to their homes to rest.
Inside the house, the witch doctors also left, not wanting to disturb the priest and the chief's intimate moment.
—
The house gradually quieted down, both inside and out. Yu Bai looked at Huo Duo'er, whose eyes hadn't left his face, and suddenly smiled.
He reached out and touched Huo Duo'er's neck with his palm: "You're all sweaty. Go clean up."
Huo Duo'er softly acknowledged with an "Mmm," then fetched a clean short robe from the cabinet and went to the courtyard to draw a bucket of water, carrying it into the washroom to clean himself.
He returned to the room quickly, still damp. Yu Bai remained in his position, leaning against the headboard, softly speaking to the young cub.
Jialai chatted with his father for a while, feeling somewhat content. Noticing that his big father had entered the room, he immediately understood and returned to his own room, allowing the two fathers some private time.
Yu Bai leaned against Huo Duo'er's chest, his forehead resting against Huo Duo'er's chin, feeling the roughness and the slight prickling sensation.
"You have a lot of stubble. I'll shave it off for you later."
He then asked, "How is the shell tribe? Did those sea beasts retreat?"
Huo Duo'er looked at him: "We'll talk about that later, Bai. You're not well now and need more rest."
Yu Bai shook his head: "I'm just tired, and I was worried about you… Now that you're back safely, I'll recover soon."
After speaking, he felt a bit troubled but leaned back into the warm, broad chest behind him, lowering his eyes in silence.
Over the years, Huo Duo'er had taken care of him in every possible way. It was no exaggeration to say that even a sip of water was fed to him, and he was carried around whenever they went out.
When one becomes dependent on everything, the pros and cons inevitably intertwine. He knew it wasn't good, but he liked it and didn't want to "correct" it.
The two of them leaned against each other quietly. Huo Duo'er kissed his mate’s forehead once or twice, not daring to kiss more.
His chin had grown too much stubble, and he was worried it might irritate the other's fair skin.
"Bai, are you hungry? I'll go get some food."
Yu Bai wanted to say he wasn't hungry, but he actually was...
These days, all he had been drinking was medicinal soup, and he had no appetite for food. Now that his emotions had settled and he had just recovered from his illness, he was naturally starving.
He nodded, and Huo Duo'er went to the kitchen to prepare some food. He couldn't bear to put Yu Bai down, so he carried him to a recliner and moved the entire recliner, along with Yu Bai, into the kitchen.
Yu Bai was secretly amused as Huo Duo'er carried him around.
The sickly pallor on his face hadn't completely faded, but his eyes had regained some of their sparkle. He was calling out for food and wanted to eat.
Jialai peeked out from the doorway and smiled foolishly at the kitchen.
—
The next morning, Huo Duo'er went out, and Yu Bai stayed at home to rest, taking the opportunity to teach Jialai how to write.
He went to the yard to stretch his limbs for a while. The little wolf seemed to miss him a lot, rubbing against his heels.
Yu Bai spent a long time petting the wolf's head.
The little wolf purred contentedly and then started running wildly around the yard, almost trampling the plants in the vegetable patch.
It was then that Yu Bai noticed the patch of lush green herbs that had sprouted in what should have been a withered vegetable patch. He was astonished.
It had been almost a month since winter began. How could so many herbs have grown at this time?
If he remembered correctly, this particular herb only grew in spring.
He turned to ask Jialai, who was sitting upright and writing seriously. The young orc looked up, his face flushed.
"F-Father, I planted those herbs."
Yu Bai: "How did you plant them?"
Huo Duo'er happened to return just then and, upon hearing this, said, "The power of the mountain god."
Yu Bai's eyes widened, and Huo Duo'er's gaze revealed a hint of pride.
The ability to accelerate plant growth had never been seen before.
Moreover, Jialai was only three years old, having awakened this power even earlier than Huo Duo'er had. For now, Jialai was too young to manifest more than a trace of this power, but with diligent practice, he would undoubtedly grow stronger. If other giants were to learn of this, they would likely be consumed with envy.
Yu Bai held Jialai and looked him up and down, making the young orc blush with embarrassment.
Huo Duo'er held both father and son on his lap, one on each side, and spoke a few words of advice to Jialai in a deep voice.
Jialai listened carefully. With the guidance of his father, he would practice diligently to become stronger and more powerful, just like his father, so he could protect his family and those he cared about.
After instructing the young cub, Huo Duo'er set him down and held Yu Bai close to talk.
He had rarely gone out these past few days, carrying Yu Bai even from the bedroom to the kitchen. He had also shaved his beard clean and would occasionally lean down to kiss Yu Bai.
Outside, there was some sunlight. The warmth of winter was hard to come by, so Huo Duo'er wrapped Yu Bai in a blanket and took him to the small pavilion to bask in the sun.
Yu Bai lay nestled in Huo Duo'er's arms, enveloped by the orc's scent, mingled with the aroma of sunlight, which made him drowsy.
He mumbled, "What about the Shell tribe? How are they?"
Huo Duo'er summarized the key points.
The sea monster tide that the Shell tribe had encountered had temporarily stabilized. At least until the next full moon, they wouldn't appear at the water's edge.
As for the method to repel them...
Huo Duo'er had discovered a plant at the edge of the Blackwater Domain that carried a property similar to "electricity." The sea beasts dared not touch it, and upon contact, they would faint.
He had tried to learn how to control these plants and eventually arranged them along the boundary between the two domains in the form of an "electric net."
After the Shell tribe’s leader learned of the plant's miraculous use, he had assigned specialized disciples to study how to cultivate it. At least until the next full moon, the Water God's Domain would enjoy a period of peace, and various orc clans were now devising ways to deal with the sea beasts.
Hearing Huo Duo'er's explanation, Yu Bai felt temporarily reassured.
He reached into the other's robe, feeling around, only to have his wrist grasped by Huo Duo'er.
"Bai," Huo Duo'er's gaze burned, but his voice was low as he firmly kneaded him for a while, "Your body isn't fully recovered yet."
Yu Bai let out a soft "Mmm," saying, "I was just checking to see if there were any wounds inside."
Huo Duo'er lifted the person in his arms, holding him by the waist, then raised his head and began to nibble.
Yu Bai tilted his neck, now damp from the nibbling, and let out a suppressed moan.
Huo Duo'er exhaled hot breath, restraining himself, and pulled Yu Bai into his embrace, making him lie down properly. His large hand continuously soothed the smooth back beneath the clothes.
The sunlight bathed the two of them, their shadows overlapping.
Huo Duo'er lifted his drowsy orc mate, his thin lips pressing against the slightly thinner cheek, and whispered, "Bai, I will never leave you again."
In the heat of summer, a heavy rain poured down at night. Before dawn, the tribe nestled in the wilderness lit up with scattered flames.
Jialai woke up early, moving quietly as he held a piece of beeswax, using the faint light to wash up.
Despite his gentle movements, the person inside the room still noticed his actions.
The concealed door creaked open, and an unusually tall figure emerged.
Huo Duo'er walked out of the dimness into the courtyard. Jialai dried his hands, looked up, and said, "Big Father."
The conversation between father and son was very quiet, not disturbing the person sleeping inside.
"After you leave, prioritize protecting yourself. Don't make your father worry."
"Mm, I'll remember, Father. I'll be leaving soon."
"Go inside and see him."
Jialai nodded slightly. He moved effortlessly in the dark environment.
His eyes, like his big father's, could see in the dark as if it were daylight.
Jialai didn't wake his father from his dream. After checking on him, he silently left a note, then returned to his room to shoulder his backpack.
Huo Duo'er saw him off at the door. A little wolf lay dozing in the courtyard.
At this moment, it lifted its head, wagged its tail, as if saying goodbye.
Jialai stopped at the door, "Big Father, I'll be back soon."
Huo Duo'er said in a deep voice, "Go."
As Jialai walked away, he could still vaguely see his big father's figure when he looked back. He smiled and strode forward.
1 Comments
Oh gosh
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