Help! I transmigrated to a Beast World-Chapter 68: Interspecies Decorum (Is Dead)

Day two of travel.

Or was it day three? Xin Yi had lost count.

All she knew was that her blisters still hurt, her fever still burned, and Qing Lin would not stop bringing up babies.

"If we had a female cub, she would have your eyes," he said casually as they walked through dense forest.

Xin Yi groaned. "Qing Lin, please."

"Or a male. Males are good too. Strong. Can protect the tribe."

"We are not discussing this right now."

"Why not? It is a practical conversation. We are mated. Young are the natural result of—"

"I will fall off this tiger if you finish that sentence."

Kuan Tie was snickering up front. Again. He had been doing that a lot.

Even Yue Ling looked amused. "The King is very......focused on this topic."

"He is obsessed," Xin Yi muttered.

"I am not obsessed!" Qing Lin finally turned around, walking backwards so he could look at her. "I am simply planning for our future! Is that so wrong?"

"It has been two days of nonstop baby talk!"

"And? We have nothing else to discuss while walking!"

[DING! (¬‿¬)]

[Qing Lin has mentioned babies 47 times in 2 days!]

[That’s a new record!]

[Host’s patience level: Critically low! ☆]

"I could talk about the grass," Xin Yi said flatly. "Or the trees. Or literally anything else."

"But babies are more interesting."

"To you!"

"You do not want cubs?" His expression actually looked hurt now. .

Her heart squeezed. "I......I didn’t say that. Just.....not now? When I’m covered in blisters and possibly dying?"

"Hmmm." He turned back around. "We will discuss it when you are healed."

"Oh good."

"In great detail."

"Qing Lin!"

"With planning. And timelines. And—"

"I am going to scream."

By nightfall, they were exhausted.

The forest had gotten both thicker and darker. The trees were huge here, their branches blocking out the stars.

"We should rest," Qing Lin announced. "We are close to wolf territory. Another half day of travel."

"Finally," Xin Yi breathed.

Qing Lin lifted her carefully off Huo Gen’s back. The tiger shifted to human form, stretching his massive arms.

"My back is sore," Huo Gen grumbled. "Females are heavier than they look."

"I am right here," Xin Yi said.

"I know. That is why I said it."

Qing Lin shot him a look. "Be respectful to my female."

"I am being respectful! I could have said she was VERY heavy!"

"Huo Gen—"

"I am joking! Relax, snake!" The tiger laughed and wandered off to help Kuan Tie set up their sleeping area.

Qing Lin carried Xin Yi to a spot under a large tree. Soft moss. Sheltered from wind.

"Is this fine for you?" he asked, settling her down gently.

"Very." She leaned back against the trunk. "Thank you."

He pulled out some wrapped food from his pack, consisting of dried meat, some kind of fruit, and a waterskin.

"Eat," he said, offering her the fruit.

She took it, taking a bit. Yum. It was sweet, juicy. Delicious. She finished the fruit. He immediately offered her another one.

"I am not that hungry—"

"You need to keep your strength up. Eat."

"Qing Lin—"

"Eat. Or I will feed you myself."

She grabbed the second fruit. "You are very bossy when you’re being caring."

"Hmm. And you are very stubborn when you are sick." But he was smiling. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her against his side.

Then he sniffed.

Once. Twice.

His brow furrowed. "Do you smell that?"

"Smell what?"

He sniffed again, his nose wrinkling. "That is.....hmm."

From somewhere in the darkness, there was a sound.

A moan.

Low. Breathy. Definitely not a sound of pain.

Xin Yi froze. "What was that?"

Another moan. Then a male voice—deep, rumbling. "Yes... like that..."

"Oh no," Qing Lin muttered.

A female voice now. Breathless. "Huo Gen... wait... someone might hear..."

Xin Yi’s eyes went wide. "Is that..."

"Yue Ling and the tiger." Qing Lin’s expression was somewhere between annoyed and mortified. "They are......mating."

"Right now?! We are like fifty feet away!"

"Apparently they do not care."

More sounds. Rustling. Heavy breathing. A definitely female gasp.

"Oh my god," Xin Yi covered her face. "How does that even work? She’s a snake! He’s a tiger! The......the..."

"Beastmen can mate in our..non-beast form," Qing Lin said, sounding pained. "Though usually with more discretion."

Kuan Tie appeared from behind a tree, his face bright red. "I......I am going to scout the perimeter. Very far perimeter. Very far away from here."

He practically ran off.

[DING! (⊙_⊙)]

[Awkward situation detected!]

[Kuan Tie’s embarrassment level: Maximum!]

[Everyone’s comfort level: Nonexistent! ☆]

"Should we......say something?" Xin Yi whispered.

"Absolutely not. I am NOT interrupting them to—" He stopped. Grimaced. "Actually, yes. We should. This is inappropriate."

He stood up, keeping Xin Yi behind him, and called out loudly. "Yue Ling! Huo Gen! This is NOT the time or place for such activities!"

Silence.

Then rustling.

Then Yue Ling’s voice, sounding completely unbothered. "Apologies, my king. We will be quieter."

"That is not—no! Be DONE! We are on a mission!"

"We are almost done," Huo Gen’s voice came back, and it lacked shame.

Qing Lin made a strangled sound. "Snakes are supposed to have DECORUM! Control! Not......not THIS!"

"I learned it from the tigers," Yue Ling said cheerfully. "They are very free with their affections."

"We do not hide what we want," Huo Gen added. "Unlike you uptight snakes."

"UPTIGHT?!"

"Very uptight. Always hissing about territory and marks and—"

"I will POISON you, tiger!"

"After I finish here!"

Xin Yi tugged on Qing Lin’s arm. "Just.....just leave them. Come sit with me."

He sat back down, fuming. "This is why I do not like tigers. No respect. They mate like wild untamed beasts! No—"

"Let them be, Qing Lin."

"But they are being LOUD about it."

"Then distract yourself." She leaned against him. "Talk to me about something else."

He was quiet for a moment. Then: "Do you think our young would shift forms? Like their father? Or stay soft like their mother?"

"Oh my god."

"What? It is important to know! If we had a—"

She put her hand over his mouth. "No more talk of cubs. Please. My head hurts."

He made a muffled sound against her palm. Then licked it.

"Qing Lin!" She pulled her hand back.

"Fine. No more talk of young. Tonight."

"Thank you."

He removed her hand and started cleaning her arms gently with a damp material he had pulled from his pack. Wiping away sweat and dirt. Careful around the blisters.

"You do this well," she murmured.

"I have cared for you many days now. I know what you need."

"Still. It.....it warms me."

"Hmm. I will not let my female hurt." He pulled out more fruit and held it to her lips. "More."

"My belly is full—"

"One more."

She ate it. Because arguing was pointless when he got like this.

Doting. Protective. Absolutely impossible to refuse.

[DING! (◕‿◕)]

[Qing Lin’s Doting Level: Off the charts!]

[He’s going to be an EXTREMELY overprotective father someday!]

Xin Yi found herself thinking about it despite herself.

Pregnancy. Cubs. Babies. Whatever snake-human children would be called.

Did she want that?

Maybe. Eventually. When she wasn’t building civilizations and getting mysterious fevers and traveling to wolf territories. But the image of a little Qing Lin with tiny snake features and her eyes...

It was kind of cute.

"I do not want to," she said suddenly.

He looked at her. "What?"

"Have cubs. Right now. I.....I need more time."

His expression softened. "I know, little female. I am not asking you to carry young tomorrow. I am simply....." He trailed off. "I am simply thinking about the future. When we have built our home. When things are stable. When you are ready."

"And if I’m never ready?"

"Then we do not have young." He kissed her forehead. "I want you. With or without cubs. You are enough."

Her chest felt tight. "You’re going to make me cry."

"Please do not. Your fever will get worse."

She laughed. Winced. "Ow. Do not make me laugh either."

"Then just sleep." He adjusted her position so she was lying against his chest. His arm wrapped around her. "Rest. Tomorrow we reach wolf territory. Tomorrow we get your cure."

"Okay." Her eyes were already closing. Exhaustion pulling her under.

"Sleep, Xin Yi."

She did.

[DING! (◕‿◕)]

[Sweet moment achieved!]

[Everyone is settling down for the night!]

[Nothing could possibly go wrong now! ☆]