Chapter 13

After covering the topic of menstruation, the two girls wanted to continue chatting, but Chen Lan's two husbands went back to prepare the pregnancy tea and dinner. Before leaving, they insisted on reminding her to wait for them to pick her up, which left Chen Lan quite speechless as she waved them off: "Go, go! I can go back by myself. Hurry up and do what you need to do!"

The two beastmen reluctantly left, taking three steps before glancing back, hoping their wife would change her mind and wait for them. When they reached the door and still didn't see Chen Lan change her mind, they realized it was pointless and hurriedly ran off, planning to finish their tasks quickly and come back to see her.

Ji Mo Ling found it amusing and covered her mouth to stifle a laugh, teasing Chen Lan with a wink: "Your husbands usually seem so serious and straightforward. I didn't expect them to be so clingy."

Chen Lan, who was being teased, didn't mind and playfully tapped Ji Mo Ling on the head, saying, "You laugh at your brothers now, but once you have husbands in the future, they might be even clingier than them."

Upon hearing this, Ji Mo Ling couldn't help but imagine the beastman from that day transforming into a mini form and cuddling in her arms… um, that might actually be possible. However, she was still a bit puzzled: "I can understand that your brothers are normally gentle. But Li, as a standout of this generation, leads a hunting patrol team. Shouldn't he maintain some kind of image? Isn't it a bit embarrassing for the other beastmen to see such a stark contrast?"

"Haha! You're overthinking it. Seeing him like this, knowing that I'm pregnant, the other beastmen would be so envious of my Li," she said while flipping her hair over her shoulder, radiating charm. "It's been two years since our tribe has had a pregnant woman!" She gestured for Ji Mo Ling to look at Fa and Qian.

Ji Mo Ling turned her head and indeed saw the two beastmen looking enviously in the direction her brothers had left. And these were the unmarried ones; if it were the married ones who still didn't have offspring, they would likely be even more jealous.

"Elder Sister, um… if you're fine, I'll head back to work now." Fa, holding the sleeping Bai, prepared to leave, "Do you need me to take Bai back?"

"Give him to me. The celebratory day is approaching, and you're getting married too. Go on and be busy," Chen Lan replied, taking the little white dog and patting her brother's head with a hint of reluctance since she was going to marry into another tribe.

Fa, feeling shy at the comment, nodded with a red face and quickly walked away.

Seeing this, Qian also felt a bit restless. Although he wouldn't be marrying his beloved until the celebratory day of the year after next, he suddenly wanted to give her something. "Ling, can I head back now?"

Ji Mo Ling immediately understood Qian's lovestruck expression: "No problem. Go ahead!"

With only the two of them left, Ji Mo Ling thought for a moment and then asked, "Lan, do you know anything about Rui? The iron-coated golden Tibetan mastiff I went out with last time." She had been following the leader to handle tribe affairs for several years, so she should know something.

"Hm?" Chen Lan immediately straightened up, realizing that this was the first time Ling had inquired about an unmarried beastman since she arrived at the tribe, "Did you develop feelings for him after going on a mission together?"

Hearing this, Ji Mo Ling tugged at the corner of her mouth: "Well, I guess so… yes!"

Ji Mo Ling was decisive by nature, and knowing she couldn't go back, she was adapting to this world. Since she had decided to settle down, starting a family was only a matter of time.

So far, Rui was the only beastman she felt anything for and didn't mind marrying. Otherwise, she wouldn't have specifically caught him secretly sending flowers or picked him up in his mini form.

In this situation, saying she liked him was indeed accurate! (:з」∠)

Even though Ji Mo Ling's interest wasn't in Chen Lan's brothers, Chen Lan felt happy for her as long as Ling had this thought instead of her previous single-mindedness. However, regarding this choice…

"Are you sure you like Rui? He can be hard to deal with. Why don't you consider the beastmen pursuing you instead? Chasing after a beastman instead might be more difficult."

"… (O_o)" It seemed Lan misunderstood something. However, thinking about it, Rui had been subtly showing his affection for her, and at first, she didn't even realize it. It was normal that no one noticed he was pursuing her.

"Just tell me a bit about him," she insisted. She had clearly discovered Rui's interest last time, and he seemed eager to be with her. Later, he just disappeared. She wanted to know a bit about him before trying to catch him.

Seeing her persistence, Chen Lan relented and began to share information about Rui.

Rui was nineteen this year, and his beast form was an iron-coated golden Tibetan mastiff with strong combat abilities. Among his peers, he was considered a strong fighter, but his personality was somewhat reclusive and temperamental. Aside from completing the tasks assigned by the leader, he rarely communicated with others in the tribe and lived in a corner of the tribe, not far from Ji Mo Ling's house.

He was not born in the tribe but was saved by leader Chen Xiao nine years ago from a flood caused by prolonged rain. He and his family of five were survivors, but his parents and two brothers didn't make it.

When he was young, being an outsider, he was bullied by some younger beastmen. However, he was fierce; even though he got hurt, he fought back against those who bullied him. One time, things got out of hand and caught the leader's attention, resulting in punishments for both sides.

After he grew up, he had integrated into the tribe, but he carried a bad temper and showed no respect to anyone but the leader and his wife. This temper made him unpopular among the females, and he had never pursued any female.

Chen Lan commented, "Sister, are you sure you like him? Think about the other beastmen!"

Ji Mo Ling felt that she might have met a different Rui than the one Chen Lan described. The fierce iron-coated golden mastiff in Chen Lan's words wasn't the same beastman she interacted with. However, there was only one named Rui in the tribe, so it couldn't be mistaken.

Thinking about it, she was the only one who had seen the softer side of Rui's personality, which made her feel a bit happy. ^-^

So, Ji Mo Ling assured that she would handle this properly, and Chen Lan could rest easy.

The two continued chatting until the evening glow appeared in the sky, and Li came bustling to pick her up, signaling the end of their gathering.

After Ji Mo Ling tidied up, she closed the door and prepared to go home to cook dinner. On her way, she encountered a returning gathering team, greeted them, and was handed two large fruits.

As she walked through the wooded path, Ji Mo Ling felt as if someone was following her again. This time, she didn't turn around and opened the door, went in, and shut the door, then peeked outside through the gap.

After waiting for a while, a figure emerged from the bushes, following the path she had taken and stopping about ten meters from her door. The person stood still for a moment, sighed, and hung their head down.

Ji Mo Ling recognized the person behind the door and was quite surprised, though it was somewhat expected. This person, who looked like a stalker, was Rui. She couldn't understand why the other beastmen were openly showing their affection, but he always preferred to hide in the shadows.

Ji Mo Ling felt it was necessary to have a serious talk with him, so she opened the door: "Don't run away! Come here."

Startled, the young beastman instinctively pulled back his foot, but he couldn't help but walk towards her. Seeing the person he liked with a serious expression, he wanted to transform into his small beast form to please her.

"Don't transform!"

"…" It felt like Ling had read his mind!

She brought Rui into the house and gestured for him to sit on a stool while she took the seat across from him.

Noticing his hands resting on his knees and his head bowed, sitting up straight like a student who had done something wrong and was waiting to be scolded, Ji Mo Ling's heart softened, even though she hadn't planned to reprimand him…

"Why were you following me? Was it you before?"

"Mm. I wanted to protect you. And also to see you," Rui replied, quietly observing Ji Mo Ling's expression, his golden eyelashes fluttering like little brushes against her heart.

Ji Mo Ling tried to keep a straight face and continued to ask, "Then why do you always hide in the shadows?" Other beastmen interested in her didn't hesitate to show up; he seemed to be so covert about everything. If she hadn't discovered him, would he have never shown up?

"No female would like an orc like me." Rui seemed to be answering Ji Mo Ling's question while also trying to convince himself, "I don't care if they like me. But Ling is different. That night you treated my wounds, you were so gentle. I like you, but you have so many orcs liking you, how could you possibly like me? So I just want to like you in secret." When she discovered his feelings that time, he felt guilty yet secretly delighted, unable to stop himself from drawing closer to her.

This back-and-forth about feelings almost confused Ji Mo Ling; understanding his meaning left her both amused and teary-eyed: "Who says I won't like you? If I didn't like you, I wouldn't have specially waited for you to appear that day, wouldn't have let you into my home, and wouldn't have hugged you!"

Rui suddenly looked up, somewhat incredulous, and then he heard her say, "Would you be willing to be my fiancé?"

After proposing, Ji Mo Ling felt a bit anxious; she had never thought she would be so proactive one day (:з」∠)

Of course, he was willing! But… "No."

"Ah?" Ji Mo Ling was stunned, "Why not?" Her eyes had lit up when she heard her own proposal.

"My wife can only have me!" No matter if a daughter could be born within ten years, he hoped for a marriage like that of his parents, as well as the chief and Kong. For that, he would become strong enough to bear the responsibility of several, "If I can't be the only one, I'd rather never marry! You are so outstanding; you definitely won't settle for just me. O(╥﹏╥)o" But I still like you.

The first half of his speech was full of momentum, with a fierce tone reminiscent of Chen Lan's description of a tough but golden exterior. However, the latter part revealed a somewhat aggrieved expression. Ji Mo Ling thought there must be some difficult reason behind it, but it turned out to be just this.

If it were a local female, the sense of responsibility for reproduction would have been ingrained in her bones, and given the larger environment of multiple wives for orc husbands, it would be difficult to meet his requirement.

But Ji Mo Ling was different; one wife and one husband was normal for her.

"Who says outstanding people can't have just one wife? Look at the chief; he's quite outstanding, right? Yet he only has Kong."

Upon hearing this, Rui wiped away his tears, looking at Ji Mo Ling seriously and feeling that what she said made sense; he had previously thought it through wrongly.

"I only want you; I don't want any other orc." He had heard that Tibetan mastiffs are very jealous, and he didn't expect this trait to be common in the orc world as well. However, she was confident that she could give him what he desired.

Rui felt her seriousness and wanted to believe her. "Okay!"

Having untied his heartstrings and confirmed their relationship, Rui felt invigorated. Naturally, he occupied Ji Mo Ling's kitchen, preparing to cook a delicious meal for his future wife, showcasing his culinary skills.

With Rui happily busy, Ji Mo Ling turned to the yard to sharpen her arrows.

Ji Mo Ling's bow was a gift from the original owner when she was eight. It had a black wooden body and a white string, made from unknown materials. The original owner, despite being small, couldn't lift it but loved it dearly and practiced diligently afterward.

Now, although Ji Mo Ling still couldn't fully pull the bowstring, she could shoot stone arrows over two hundred eighty meters, having previously hunted numerous fierce beasts with it.

After joining the tribe, besides the last time in the straight wood forest, she hadn't used it much, but the stock of arrows had almost run out, so she had been making some in her free time.

When the sun fully set, Ji Mo Ling lit the fire basin in the yard and sharpened arrows until Rui called her for dinner, prompting her to tidy up and head indoors.

In this world, aside from fire, the only other illumination came from fluorescent stones.

They emitted a milky, yellow-green, or orange-red light in the dark and were not hard to gather; one stone could last over ten years.

When Ji Mo Ling built her house, she left recesses in the walls to place fluorescent stones, covering them with animal hides during the day, making it very convenient to uncover them at night for light.

In the main hall, the table was set with dishes, and the fluorescent stones around the room cast a milky light, illuminating the thirty-square-meter room brightly.

Ji Mo Ling invited Rui to sit down and took chopsticks to start eating. After a few bites, she noticed that he hadn't moved, looking up in confusion to find Rui staring at her with expectation.

Realizing this, she gave a thumbs-up and praised, "It's quite good. You should eat too."

Hearing this, Rui's eyes narrowed in a smile, but then he thought of something, lowering his gaze. He picked up a piece of grilled meat and casually asked, "So, do you think my cooking is better, or is Qing and Shi's cooking better?"

"You're a bit worse than them." Ji Mo Ling spoke honestly, "But in the future, I won't let any other orc cook for me, only you! Next time, you must try my cooking. Now hurry and eat."

When Rui heard the first sentence, he almost rushed out to find those two orcs to pick a fight. However, Ji Mo Ling's subsequent indirect confession soothed him, making him feel as if he had drunk honey water, and he smiled foolishly once more.

"Okay." He obediently started eating.

Ji Mo Ling observed the changes in his expression and felt soft-hearted; Rui was truly adorable, and she wanted to pat his head.

After dinner, the two tidied the table together, with Rui washing the dishes while Ji Mo Ling went outside to enjoy the moonlight and digest her meal.

Once Rui was done, she pulled out two reclining chairs, and they sat side by side, chatting comfortably, feeling exceptionally pleasant.

Realizing they had spent a considerable amount of time together, although reluctant, Rui still bid farewell.

The two agreed to go to the chief tomorrow to register for next year's wedding. This was also a tradition; registering meant the chief would announce it to the entire tribe, establishing Rui as Ji Mo Ling's fiancé.

Following the big news of Chen Lan's pregnancy, the Green Tribe received another significant announcement—Ji Mo Ling was engaged!

Furthermore, she had already declared that regardless of whether she bore a daughter, she would only marry one husband. This had gained the agreement of the chief and elders, causing all unmarried orcs to have their hearts shattered! They felt both envy and jealousy towards the lucky male.

Thus, when Ji Mo Ling and Rui emerged after being briefly detained by the chief for a talk, they were surrounded by unmarried orcs who had received the news.

The three leading orcs, whom Ji Mo Ling was familiar with, were Qing, Shi, and Xi.

Feeling the large hand holding hers tighten, Ji Mo Ling returned the grip and approached with a smile, saying, "Are you all here to congratulate us?"

The surrounding unmarried orcs were momentarily stunned, realizing the hermit seemed genuinely happy. If they were here to advise her against hastily deciding to have "only one husband for life," it would be somewhat disheartening, so they followed her lead and congratulated her.

"Thank you, everyone." Ji Mo Ling had a rough idea of why they were here; she originally planned to change the subject.

However, noticing some of them glaring at Rui with discontent, she saw him defiantly glaring back, even baring his teeth in provocation, which angered many of the orcs. She changed her mind.

She shot a sidelong glance at one of the orcs, who immediately withdrew his fierce demeanor and looked a bit aggrieved as he glanced back at her. Ji Mo Ling silently pouted, pretending not to see.

The orcs across from them exchanged glances, wanting to shout simultaneously: "Shameless!"

They were even more curious to ask Ji Mo Ling: "What do you see in this guy?!"

Facing the eager gazes of the orcs, Ji Mo Ling no longer felt unsure; she calmly asked, "Are you all wondering why I only like Rui? What's so good about him? And what's wrong with the rest of you?"

"Wow…" The young orcs had an expression of "We didn't even ask; how did you know?" that nearly made Ji Mo Ling laugh.

They were sincere, enthusiastic, hardworking, and brave; their feelings were straightforward without much complication, and most of the time, their emotions were written on their faces, making them easy to understand.

"Rui is great in every way, and you are all great too. It's just that in our lineage of hermits, the practice is somewhat unique, and regarding the choice of a marriage partner, we need to follow the feelings of the heart. And my heart tells me: it's him, only him! So, please go pursue someone more suitable for you." Ji Mo Ling decided to resolve the matter in one go; dragging it out or being ambiguous would only make things worse. She repeated the reasoning she had thought about all night.

She had previously explained this to the chief and elders; since it concerned the hermit's practice, they had not commented too much. If things went awry, it would be a loss, which was the main reason they easily agreed.

"My family's Rui might have a bit of a temper, but his heart is just like everyone else's, aiming for the tribe's continuous improvement. I hope everyone can continue to get along well in the future. Of course, if he does anything wrong, feel free to let me know. Well, if there's nothing else, let's all disperse."

Leading Rui away, the orcs surrounding them automatically stepped back.

Once they were far enough away, the previously quiet crowd began to murmur again. Although there was envy and resentment, since they had expressed themselves so clearly, lingering would only be annoying. It was better to collect their thoughts and move on.

The unmarried orcs who had a good impression of Jimo Ling dispersed with their heads down. Some still unwillingly gathered together, thinking about how Rui, that guy, was actually valued by such a good Ling lady and even provocatively taunted them, which really displeased the orcs. Unable to pursue Jimo Ling, they thought of finding a chance to beat Rui up to vent their frustrations!

At this moment, Rui, completely immersed in the sweet feeling while holding his future partner's hand, was unaware that a group of orcs was planning to give him a good beating.

Unable to resist her curiosity, Rui shook their clasped hands. "Ling, your lineage's hermit training is so amazing! How do you usually determine the marriage bond? Is it love at first sight or after spending some time together?"

"…" Could she say that it was a fabricated reason used to fool people?

Seeing him tilt his head as if casually asking, but with a slight blush on his face, Jimo Ling suddenly understood! He was asking whether she fell for him at first sight or developed feelings over time, right?

She could answer: "Everyone's situation is different. I only determined it after spending some time together."

"Oh… I liked you the first time I saw you."

That time, their hunting team had encountered a Tyrannosaurus rex, and the surviving companions were injured. By the time they escaped back to the tribe, it was already midnight, and they were settled in the square waiting for treatment.

Then he saw a new face coming along with Qian—Ling. She was quickly and skillfully preparing medicine under the torchlight, and afterwards, she helped treat their wounds.

When she came in front of him and smiled, Rui felt that his heart was no longer his.

However, she was also very gentle with the other injured orcs and didn't pay special attention to him, so he suppressed the stirring feelings within him.

Yet he couldn't help but start paying attention to her news. Once he could move, he would secretly follow her just to see her more. When he saw her receiving gifts, he felt uncomfortable, thinking they were not as good as what he had prepared.

He heard that Chen Lan intended to matchmake her with the Chen family's triplets, and while he felt happy for her, he also felt as if he had eaten a basket of unripe hawthorn fruit, his heart sour and bitter.

When the chief assigned him to take Ling to the Fine Wood Forest and discussed the other two accompanying personnel, Rui felt like he had received a blessing from above.

So he recommended Lei and Lu, who had a good relationship with him; they were capable of handling this mission and had no ulterior motives toward Ling because they had mutual feelings for each other, but they hadn't confirmed their romantic relationship yet.

Then, he could openly get closer to Ling during the mission. It was simply perfect!

Unfortunately, beautiful days always come to an end. After returning to the tribe, he still didn't dare to openly pursue her. He couldn't accept that his beloved wife might fall for another orc, as that could lead him to do something terrible.

Rui thought that perhaps he would have to live a lonely life.

Unexpectedly, heaven still favored him.

Jimo Ling also liked him and promised to only marry one husband for life! And she was putting it into practice.

Rui thought he wouldn't let Ling down.

Now, he might as well take Ling to see the gifts he had prepared, many of which he had collected earlier but hadn't given away.

"Ling, I've prepared some gifts for you. Let's go to my house, and I'll help you move them back."

Jimo Ling thought, could it be a token of their love? Rui was quite romantic. "Sure, but I haven't prepared anything."

"No need, no need! I can just take you there." You've already given me the best gift in the world.

Jimo Ling shook her head. A token of love should naturally be mutual: "How can I accept this gift unilaterally? I'll make it up to you later."

"Well, okay then." Ling wanting to give him a gift made it hard for him to refuse!

The two walked toward Rui's house, chatting and laughing.

When Jimo Ling saw the two boxes of so-called gifts, she thought she must have misunderstood. She thought Rui was going to exchange something like a token of love. It was really weak!

One large box was neatly packed with various colors and sizes of animal skins. Rui was counting, saying this one could be made into a scarf, that one could be made into a hat, and another one could be made into a coat…

The smaller box contained various beautiful little items, special-shaped luminous stones, a pile of beautiful rainstones, and a bundle of colorful long feathers…

Jimo Ling picked up a pearl bracelet and examined it carefully. The alternating pink and white pearls were uniformly strung together, each about one centimeter in diameter, with a lustrous sheen. The string had some elasticity, and when she slipped it onto her wrist, it fit perfectly.

Seeing her immediately put on the bracelet he had made by hand, Rui was very happy. If he were in beast form, his tail would probably be waving like a fan: "Do you like this? I'll find more shells to make a necklace for you later!" A few days ago, he had come across a box of shell beads and thought it would look great on Ling, originally planning to make a necklace, but unfortunately, he had ruined quite a few while drilling holes.

Jimo Ling looked at Rui, who had a face full of expectation, and felt a surge of warmth in her heart. What kind of feelings was this person carrying while collecting these gifts that might never be given away?

"I like each and every one of these!" Jimo Ling smiled, wrapping her arms around Rui's neck and kissing him on the cheek, "Thank you!"

Rui stood there dazed, staring at Jimo Ling, who had already stepped back. He felt the warmth lingering on his face, and slowly realized what had happened. Suddenly, he felt a rush of blood to his head, not knowing where to place his hands and feet: "Ling, Ling, you, I…"

"Pfft!" Jimo Ling burst out laughing, seeing Rui's honey-colored skin turn red at a speed visible to the naked eye. She reached out, lifted the animal skin vest, and pressed her hand on his heart, which was beating rapidly and fervently.

Even though she felt a bit shy herself, she couldn't help but move closer again.

This time, her slightly pouted red lips covered his mumbling mouth. Not knowing what to say, she decided that saying nothing was the best option.

Recalling the theoretical knowledge, Jimo Ling first gently rubbed against him, then licked his lips. Seeing him still dazed and unresponsive, her mischievous side kicked in, and she bit down gently. Hmm, it was soft like jelly, with a faint lemon flavor, so she licked again.

Finally realizing what was happening, Rui felt like he had opened the door to a new world, his eyes brightening, his breathing quickening.

His stiff body regained mobility, and he tightly embraced the girl leaning against his chest. His lips first responded passionately, then instinctively sought more, his tongue slipping into Jimo Ling's open mouth, conquering territory. Even accidentally bumping into her teeth couldn't stop him from absorbing the sweetness from his beloved.

Jimo Ling felt like her soul was about to be sucked away, her head spinning, probably from lack of oxygen. There was a hard, hot object pressing against her lower abdomen. Cough, although she "hadn't eaten pork before," she knew what that was.

Pushing gently against Rui's chest, her hand met some resistance.

Rui paused for a moment, obediently releasing his "delicious" mouth, lowering his head to see Ling's face flushed, her eyes hazy, so beautiful that the orc was entranced. Reluctantly, he licked her moist red lips, half-embracing her and having her sit on the edge of the bed: "Wait for me a moment." With a shy yet happy heart, he dashed out.

Jimo Ling rubbed her sore cheeks, calming her rapid heartbeat, and then began to inspect Rui's house.

The place wasn't big, there were no separate rooms, just a wooden bed, no tables or chairs, a few wooden boxes on one side, and dried meat hanging on the other. It was a simple single orc's space, but quite tidy.

It wasn't long before Rui returned, having taken a dip in the river. His black, slightly curly hair was still damp, and because he had been running, it was a bit messy. Upon returning home, he casually swept it back, revealing a broad forehead.

With his handsome and sharp features, broad shoulders, slim waist, and strong legs, Jimo Ling admired the beauty of her orc, nodding to herself.

As Rui approached, sensing her admiration, he straightened his back even more.

"I'll help you move your things back home."

"Sure," Jimo Ling nodded. "Let's cook at my place today."

"Yeah," Rui grinned, his face beaming with joy.

Being able to enter the future wife's home was a recognition for the beastman.