Chapter 20
Chapter 20: Hearts Aflutter
“When I went to pick Seven-Star Scarlet Fruit, I killed a devil beast on the way. This is its crystal core. The shape’s a little special—it looks like two little wolf pups. Keep it and play with it.”
Zulu’s palm opened, and the crystal core caught the light like a piece of sky trapped in ice. It was blue-green and flawlessly clear, the edges smoothed as if a river had polished it for years.
He set it in Su Yan’s hands. The chill seeped into her skin.
Su Yan stared, stunned by the unmistakable craftsmanship of nature. She knew enough to understand what she was holding. Beast-shaped crystal cores were rare. Usually only Yellow-grade beasts had a chance of forming them, and anything rare like that meant money—real money.
“You killed a Yellow-grade devil beast?”
Her voice rose before she could stop it.
Zulu nodded, calm as ever. “It wasn’t a big deal. I handled it on the way. Better than letting it bring trouble to the clan.”
Su Yan looked at him as if he’d hung the moon. “My baby’s dad is amazing!”
“…”
Zulu’s ears went red first, then his cheeks. He cleared his throat like he could scrape the heat away. “Even if you weren’t pregnant, I’d still take care of you. Whatever you want to eat, I’ll get it for you.”
“Thank you, Brother Zulu.”
Su Yan leaned into him, letting the steady warmth of his chest settle her racing thoughts.
Zulu’s arms closed around her slowly, carefully, as if she were something precious that might shatter. For a breath, it felt like he was holding not just her, but everything he’d ever wanted.
Su Yan’s appetite soon returned to normal. She went back to a bite of jerky and a cup of milk.
That, strangely enough, made Oro more anxious.
For a female, nothing mattered more than pregnancy and childbirth.
With Su Yan eating like this, she looked less pregnant than when she’d been stuffing herself until she could barely breathe.
“Yan Er,” Oro asked for the third time that day, “are you sure you’re pregnant?”
“Mm.”
Su Yan answered without hesitation. “Earlier, Brother Zulu picked a spiritual ingredient that helps regulate appetite. After I ate it, I stopped feeling hungry all the time.”
“Then… why don’t you eat a bit more?”
Oro didn’t believe one plant could replace meals.
Besides, that sort of thing was for beasts.
Su Yan shook her head. “No. I’m idle anyway. I’ll go look around the stalls.”
Oro’s brow furrowed. “With Little Luo and Zulu there, nothing will happen. You should rest at home. Pregnant or not, your body matters.”
“In a few days we’ll know if I really am.”
Su Yan knew they wouldn’t believe her until her belly actually swelled.
Then she paused, the question she’d been rolling around her tongue for days finally slipping free. “Dad… Zulu said he’d marry into our family. Was he joking, or serious?”
Even now, she couldn’t tell what Zulu truly wanted.
If it was just play-acting, she didn’t mind. She’d had one goal from the beginning—have a child.
If the child was already inside her, then the goal had been met.
Oro answered without wavering. “Of course he’s serious. When the Clan Chief heard, he even called me over to ask what was going on. He’s happy to see Zulu marry into our mouse clan. He said once you give Zulu a child, we’ll hold the wedding. And he also said…”
“What else?” Su Yan asked, already wary.
“He said if you can’t give birth, you can still be a secondary mate and let Rona do it. One male, two females—as long as the male is strong enough, no one will say anything.”
“He’s got quite the plan,” Su Yan said dryly.
She stretched, forcing the tightness out of her shoulders. “I’m going to check the stall.”
“I’ll walk you over.”
“No need. It’s just around the corner. Stay home and make jerky.” Su Yan gave him a look. “These past few days, because of my appetite, you’ve been running yourself ragged. So many people ordered we can barely keep up.”
Oro sighed, defeated. “Alright. I’ll still save the fresh tenderloin for you.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
…
The mouse clan wasn’t huge, but it wasn’t small either.
If anything happened, news traveled fast, carried on idle chatter and children’s games. Even the little kids chasing one another along the road knew it: the rabbit clan’s youngest, strongest male—the Clan Chief’s son—had married into the Mi Lu Te family of the mouse clan.
As Su Yan walked, eyes tracked her from every direction.
Her white hair was too distinctive. Anyone who’d heard rumors could guess who she was, even without seeing her face.
Uncertain, Su Yan glanced down at herself. Was something wrong with her clothes?
The reddish-brown coarse cloth was plain and common. Only the beast-hide shoes stood out.
She’d once worked in a shoe factory. She understood shoemaking, especially drafting patterns.
She’d drawn a boot pattern, even broken it down into separate pieces, and shown it to Little Luo.
Little Luo was clever with his hands. He understood at a glance and spent an entire day sewing a pair just for her.
They fit perfectly—soft, comfortable, and surprisingly pretty.
Su Yan had suggested he stop hunting and focus on boots instead. He could make good money without risking his life.
Little Luo had been tempted. When he brought it up to Oro, Oro agreed immediately.
A safer livelihood was a blessing.
But it wouldn’t happen overnight. They needed to make a batch in common sizes and test the market first.
That was why Su Yan wanted to check the stall today.
Little Luo had brought ten pairs early this morning. She didn’t know if they’d sold.
Being watched like this made her skin prickle, so she opened the System Map.
The world unfolded in her mind—people within a hundred meters outlined like pieces on a board. Their voices drifted into her hearing as clearly as if they were beside her.
“Oro’s kids are something else. The son can make boots that look that good, and the daughter even pulled in the rabbit clan’s strongest male. Maybe they’ll become a major family someday.”
“Too bad my daughter’s already married. Otherwise I’d definitely become in-laws with the Mi Lu Te family.”
“Right? Same here.”
So that was it.
Su Yan steadied her breath, put the map away, and kept walking.
Before she even reached the stall, she saw the crowd—layers of bodies packed tight, the air buzzing with bargaining and excitement.
She hurried, almost running the last few steps.
Zulu spotted her and slipped out of the crush, smiling. “The boots you had Little Luo make are a hit. Everyone’s fighting to measure their feet and place custom orders.”
Su Yan stared at the sea of faces. “Then Little Luo’s going to be swamped.”
“Mm.” Zulu’s gaze lingered on her, softening. “Are you hungry? Want me to take you to get something to eat?”
He reached for her hand, and his fingers closed around hers with an easy certainty.
Su Yan glanced down at their interlaced fingers. His hand was dry and warm, the kind of warmth that sank into the bones. Hers always held a faint, lingering coolness. “Okay. I want some fresh fruit.”
“Then let’s go to Old Wolf’s tavern. He has fruit wine you can try.”
“I have a baby now. I can’t drink.”
Zulu’s eyes flicked to her still-flat belly. He’d asked other males who were already fathers about the odds. Only super high-grade fertility made pregnancy from a single time likely.
High-grade fertility usually took three to five months. Mid-grade could take a year or two. Low-grade might never get pregnant at all.
He wanted to believe Su Yan was pregnant. Her earlier appetite had been frantic enough to match.
But he’d also heard of false pregnancy—wanting it so badly you convinced yourself it was true.
He didn’t want her carrying that pressure.
“Alright,” he said gently. “Then we won’t go.”
“We can go. I’ll eat fruit. You can drink.”
Su Yan smiled, and Zulu’s thumb brushed her knuckles like he couldn’t help himself.
They’d walked only a short while when Su Yan released the System Map again.
Zulu couldn’t see her System. He was still lost in the quiet thrill of holding the hand of the girl he liked, as if the simple contact could steady the whole world.
Su Yan zoomed in behind them, thirty meters back, to a jewelry stall.
A slightly plump female stood there, holding a string of beast-tooth necklaces. She looked like she was admiring the jewelry, but her eyes were locked on Su Yan.
Locked on the hand Zulu was clasping.
And the look in her eyes was sharp enough to bite.