Werebeast Gongs CH 116 Mingya’s Boldness
A light rain fell in the evening—the first rain of the year. But because it was still early spring, the weather didn’t feel any warmer. Instead, the cold seemed to intensify.
Mura and Zhu Xi weren’t home for dinner. Ever since Zhu Xi had spoken those words that afternoon, Roger’s expression had remained indifferent. At the table, he only mentioned once, "I wonder where they’ve gotten to by now."
Lei Jin was also a little worried, but he knew that bad weather alone wasn’t enough to pose a real threat to those strong werebeasts. Besides, he wasn’t the type to dwell on things. Asking him to constantly fret over this was impossible. So after dinner, he dragged Mingya back to their room as usual, ready to sleep.
Every step sent a burning pain through his lower half. If Xiya and Moya were still home, they definitely wouldn’t have gotten off so easily. But since they were gone, all Lei Jin could do was grit his teeth in frustration.
The whole family knew what had happened, but for the sake of his already tattered dignity, Lei Jin had to pretend nothing was wrong all day. The moment they were back in their own room, though, he collapsed onto the bed, not wanting to move.
He remembered that there was still some of the medicine Chunji had given him last time—not the first batch, which had long been used up, but a newer one he hadn’t gotten around to trying yet. Now, it seemed, it would finally come in handy.
Groaning, Lei Jin rubbed his sore lower back and got up, rummaging through a corner of the cabinet until he found the bottle.
I really need to train harder, he lamented silently. If this keeps up, I won’t even be able to get out of bed. Dealing with two beasts was already inhuman treatment—no, three beasts.
Thinking of the third one—who was still sulking—and then looking at the medicine bottle in his hand, Lei Jin felt another headache coming on.
"Put Grapes in his crib. It’s time for him to sleep," he said to Mingya. "Then come help me."
Mingya didn’t understand, but he was used to obeying Lei Jin’s words, so he placed Grapes down obediently and walked over. "What do you need me to do?"
Lei Jin lay face-down on the bed and handed him the medicine, squinting slightly. "Help me apply this."
Even Mingya wasn’t so dense as to not know where this medicine was meant to go. Especially since Lei Jin had already lifted the hem of his tunic, waiting for him to undo his pants.
Mingya stared blankly at the exposed strip of waist—smooth, elastic, and deceptively soft despite its usual strength. He clenched his fists, about to refuse, but Lei Jin cut him off.
"I can’t do it myself. Or do you want me to go out and find someone else to help?"
"No! You can’t let others see!" Mingya immediately snatched the bottle from his hand. Without another thought, he pulled Lei Jin’s pants down to his knees.
Lei Jin buried his face in his arms, smirking in triumph. Still so easy to handle this little dummy.
But it did hurt. Should he really go through with this tonight? If little dummy thought some more, he would realize that Lei Jin could hardly find anyone else.
Mingya regretted his actions almost instantly. The medicine bottle in his hand felt scalding, and he desperately wanted to throw it away. But it was too late now. Trembling, he coated his fingers with the ointment and carefully applied it to Lei Jin’s still-reddened entrance.
The intrusion made Lei Jin grimace in pain, but the cooling effect of the jade mugwort ointment at least made it bearable.
Mingya’s heart pounded wildly. The familiar warmth and tightness that had once clenched around him so pleasurably now lay vulnerable under his fingertips.
"What are you thinking about? Your face is practically flushed red," Lei Jin teased, propping himself up slightly with a knowing smirk.
Mingya instinctively squeezed his legs together and shook his head rapidly.
"Really, nothing?" Lei Jin clearly didn’t believe him. His hand slid down, brushing against Mingya’s lower half through his clothes. The obvious hardness beneath his palm made his own heart skip a beat.
Maybe he shouldn’t have provoked him.
But it was too late to back out now. So, feigning nonchalance, he flicked it lightly and said, "Quite energetic, huh?"
Lei Jin’s stubborn pride really was his greatest weakness.
Mingya gasped sharply, his eyes darkening with barely restrained desire.
"Want me to help you?" Lei Jin hooked an arm around Mingya’s shoulders, grinning mischievously. His intention had been to offer a hand lest he ended up suffering tonight.
But the moment he saw the fire in Mingya’s eyes, he knew he’d made a mistake. He really should’ve known this little guy had zero self-control when it came to him. And still he provoked him, it really was suicidal.
Yet when Mingya pounced, biting his neck possessively, Lei Jin sighed and gave in. Fine. It’s my fault he’s like this anyway. If he wants it, I’ll give it to him.
Relaxing his body, he closed his eyes and let Mingya press him into the bed, surrendering to the hungry kisses.
Mingya frantically tugged at Lei Jin’s clothes, nearly tearing them in his haste. Lei Jin’s face darkened and he quickly stopped him.
"Xiya already ruined one set yesterday. If you tear this one, I’ll have nothing to wear tomorrow!” There were only so many changes of clothing to go through.
Mingya nodded, but his hands refused to leave Lei Jin’s body, roaming greedily instead. Seeing his state, Lei Jin knew reasoning was pointless. He pushed Mingya back slightly and sighed. "I’ll undress myself."
But just as he’d loosened a few knots, someone knocked on the door.
Mingya seemed to snap out of his daze, leaping off the bed like he’d been burned. He glanced between Lei Jin and himself, looking so miserable he might cry. Without a word, he wiped his face and went to answer the door.
Lei Jin rubbed his chin, suddenly feeling like he was the one who’d just tried to force himself on Mingya. Who could be here at this hour?
He quickly retied his clothes and got out of bed.
"Lei Jin, are you still awake?" Mura, who had left in the afternoon and just returned, walked in.
"Yeah, just finished dinner. Can’t sleep yet." The lie sounded painfully hollow. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to collapse onto that bed and sleep for days. If not for Mingya he likely would have by now.
"What’s the matter? Why are you here so late? It’s raining and freezing out." Lei Jin noticed Zhu Xi standing behind Mura and poured them both hot water, grabbing a handful of pine nuts as well. It was a gift from Moya but Lei Jin really wasn't the type to be idly snacking on nuts.
Mingya still hadn’t come back in. Lei Jin glanced toward the door.
"Mingya said he’s going to sleep at Uncle Roger’s place," Mura said, crunching on pine nuts like a squirrel.
"Keep it down, Mura. Can’t you see Grapes’ asleep?" Zhu Xi lightly smacked his hand.
"It’s fine. He sleeps like a log. Won’t wake up that easily." Don’t know if it was because the child was born weak, but he slept a lot. Sometimes he slept for most of the day without moving, which scared Lei Jin half to death.
But Mura still sheepishly put the nuts down and lowered his voice. "My papa has something to discuss with you."
Zhu Xi then pulled out a long string of blue-green turquoise beads from his pocket and handed it to Lei Jin. "This is for little Grapes."
Lei Jin had seen turquoise in his past life, but such a long strand of flawless beads was rare.
"Grapes is still too young for this," he declined, already guessing the real reason for their late visit. This must be from An Bu.
Sure enough, Zhu Xi said, "Mura and I both adore Grapes. Don’t overthink it. We came now because we were afraid Roger wouldn’t allow it—since it’s from An Bu."
Lei Jin grew even more puzzled. None of this made sense. Unable to hold back, he ventured, "Aren’t you… upset?"
Zhu Xi’s eyes dimmed slightly, but Mura just laughed. "Why would we be upset? We’re thrilled! Just look at Grapes—it’s clear Moya is Dad’s son. Just because I’m not Dad’s biological child doesn’t mean I can’t be happy he has one."
Lei Jin was so shocked his eyes widened.
"What, you didn’t know? The whole tribe knows. My birth father died during a spring hunt like this one. Daddy An Bu grew up with Papa. Later… later they became mates." It was likely Mura didn't know the full details either.
Lei Jin accepted the turquoise for now—after all, it was a gift from Grapes’ granddad. He’d ask Roger tomorrow. If Roger really objected, he could always return it.
But Mura insisted on staying the night, and Lei Jin agreed. Back in his past life, he’d shared beds with strangers plenty of times. Mura was undeniably a beauty—Lei Jin wasn’t losing out.
So he slept soundly, cuddling Mura without a shred of guilt.
Mura found Lei Jin’s sleeping posture a bit odd, but since they were both females, he didn’t mind. Just before drifting off, he mumbled, "Before Daddy An Bu and Papa held their bonding ceremony… Uncle Roger was already pregnant with Brother Moya."
"You weren’t even born then. How do you know so much?" Lei Jin patted his back, urging him to sleep. He himself was so sleepy and he wanted to go out for a walk tomorrow to see if he could find some food and bring some from home to Chunji and his master.
"Mm. I was in Papa’s belly then too."
"So I never met my birth father…"
Lei Jin responded absently, already half-asleep to the sound of rain outside. The past was too complicated. As long as Moya was happy now, that was enough.
He’d expected to sleep well but woke up unusually early. Blaming it on the lack of body heat—definitely not because he’d grown used to those three’s warmth—he got up grumpily.
Breakfast was made by Mingya. Though not as skilled as Xiya or Moya, he was still better than Roger. Not that Lei Jin expected much—being the pampered youngest, Mingya rarely cooked.
After eating, Lei Jin went to the cellar and dug out a wild boar, wrapping it in hide to avoid drawing attention during food shortages. Dragging Mingya along, he carried Grapes to Chunji’s place. Mura tagged along for fun.
Mingya’s wound still needed daily treatment, while Grapes only required acupuncture every ten days.
Chunji adored Grapes, refusing to let go once he had him in his arms. Mingya, meanwhile, avoided Lei Jin even more than usual, so Lei Jin decided not to bother him and instead took Mura for a walk around the tribe.
The rain had left the ground damp, with small puddles everywhere. They walked to the fields outside the tribe, where the snow had mostly melted, leaving only patches of grayish-white residue.
The wheat planted in late autumn showed hints of green, but the rest of the land remained barren yellow, with no signs of spring. Even digging for wild vegetables was futile—there wasn’t a single sprout in sight.
A few females descended from the mountains with baskets of root-like plants. They greeted Lei Jin with strained smiles. It was understandable. No one could be cheerful on an empty stomach.
Only now did Lei Jin truly grasp that this wasn’t some utopia—it was a primitive, harsh society. Before, Xiya and the others had shielded him from hardship. He’d never gone hungry or cold. Occasionally, when he went out to dig wild vegetables and hunted small animals it was for a change of taste or because he didn’t want to rely solely on them. He really never had to worry about his livelihood.
But now, with Xiya and Moya risking their lives for food and the tribe struggling, he felt compelled to act. After all, this was where he would live from now on.
Though he lacked the skills to revolutionize this world despite being a transmigrator, he could at least help with food.
And if he was honest, he was just bored. Bored enough to go stir-crazy. Besides, compared to idling his days away in the corner, he preferred to be in the thick of lively action.
Nowadays, whenever people gathered, conversations inevitably circled back to food within three sentences. Seizing the opportunity, Lei Jin remarked, "I think while the werebeasts are out risking their lives to find food, those of us staying in the tribe should also contribute instead of relying solely on them." When Lei Jin occasionally spoke with seriousness, he could be quite convincing. After all, he had been a leader for years, managing tough characters in his past life—there was no reason he couldn’t rally these females who had grown up in a relatively sheltered environment.
The tribe's females quickly saw the logic in his words. The reasoning was simple—they had grown accustomed to being taken care of by the werebeasts, conditioned to depend on them. But given the harsh realities of their society, they weren’t truly fragile. At the very least, they were capable of action.
Seeing no objections, Lei Jin slowly laid out his plan: the next day, he intended to go fishing by the river and asked if anyone wanted to join. All they needed was a basket. He had noticed long ago that the tribe rarely ate fish, leaving the nearby rivers teeming with plump ones. In summer, no one wanted to eat them, and in winter, ice made fishing difficult. Without proper tools, most resorted to spearing fish directly in the freezing water—something even werebeasts struggled with, let alone the females. So unless starving, no one bothered with the fish.
Hearing they were going to the river, the females hesitated until Lei Jin assured them no one would have to enter the water. Encouraged by Mura’s eager agreement to go, they finally said they’d come along to observe.
Lei Jin didn’t push them. Results would speak for themselves.
The next day, under bright sunshine, Zhu Xi carried Grapes while Lei Jin, Roger, Mura, and Mingya hauled baskets and tools, drawing curious onlookers as they marched toward the river—exactly the effect Lei Jin wanted.
The ice wasn’t as thick as in winter, breaking easily in many spots. Having learned from his previous near-disastrous fall through the ice, Lei Jin came prepared. They floated a bamboo raft, chiseled a hole in the ice, and scattered chopped earthworms as bait. Soon, dense schools of fish swarmed beneath. With a quick scoop of the basket, they hauled up half a basket of fat, thrashing fish—leaving the onlooking females stunned.
After Lei Jin pulled up a few baskets, Mingya took over.
Many of the females on the shore grew eager to try.
Taking advantage of the warm day, Lei Jin and Roger swiftly cleaned the fish by the riverbank—gutting them, removing gills and bloodlines, rubbing them with salt, splashing vinegar, and stuffing them with scallions. Zhu Xi tended the fire while Grapes watched. After a brief marinade, the fish were skewered on branches and roasted over the flames. Under the clear sky, the aroma spread far, the skins crisping golden while the flesh remained tender and fragrant, juices dripping with each bite—utterly delicious, without a hint of fishiness. Lei Jin and Roger generously shared, and soon everyone was devouring the fish, nearly biting their tongues in their eagerness before rushing home to fetch their own baskets.
Word spread quickly, and by afternoon, the riverbank was bustling. But with only Lei Jin’s bamboo raft available, people had to take turns fishing. His goal achieved, his family’s haul—minus what they ate at noon—filled a large basket, enough to last them a while.
Lei Jin also set up small traps near the shallows where the ice had broken, baiting them and weighing them down with stones. They’d return the next day to collect the catch.
With such a bounty, dinner naturally featured fish. Lei Jin took charge, selecting three large fish. He separated the heads, sliced the flesh, lightly salted the pieces, and arranged them on a wooden platter. Scooping lard from a small pot on the stove, he melted it in a pan, stir-fried chili and scallions for fragrance, then added water, salt, and a few drops of soy sauce. Once boiling, he tossed in the fish slices, letting them cook briefly before ladling them over a bowl of silken tofu. The tender tofu paired perfectly with the delicate fish—though Lei Jin would’ve preferred a heavier hand with the chili, he held back for the sake of Mingya’s healing wounds, adding just enough for flavor.
The rest of the fish would be smoked or salted for longer preservation.
At dinner, Grapes squirmed restlessly in Lei Jin’s arms, clearly wanting a taste. Most parents would’ve just pacified the child, but Lei Jin wasn’t one for convention. Chewing a bit of fish himself, he bent down and pushed it into his son’s mouth with his tongue. The baby sucked eagerly, the two of them completely oblivious to the oddity of the scene—though it was quite heartwarming.
Life continued like this. Lei Jin’s popularity soared, and soon he didn’t even need to fish himself—just teaching the tribe’s females how to build rafts. Roger, dragged out daily by Lei Jin, seemed livelier than before. Mura followed him around like an adoring fan, helping with everything, practically starry-eyed.
Only Mingya was rarely seen these days. Lei Jin barely had a chance to talk to him. He now slept in Roger’s room, leaving early and returning only after dinner. Even Mura joked, “Mingya acts like a young werebeast who just found his mate—never home.”
Lei Jin laughed it off, paying no mind.
But even fish grew tiresome after a while. Lei Jin turned his attention to the prairie’s abundant field mice and rabbits. Wild pheasants in the mountains were trickier to catch—if only they had traps. He sought out Jia He, one of the tribe’s werebeast guards, to discuss whether he could make some. By the time he left Jia He’s place, night had fallen. Spotting the warm glow of home through the darkness, Lei Jin tightened his scarf and quickened his steps. He wondered how Xiya and Moya were doing—no news yet. And had Mingya returned today?
“I’m back. It’s freezing—even the streams along the path are iced over,” Lei Jin announced as he pushed the door open.
Roger stood by the table holding Grapes, looking awkward, as if hesitating to speak.
“What’s wrong? Have you eaten?” Lei Jin rubbed his hands, reaching for Grapes—only then noticing Mingya sitting at the table beside a delicate-looking young female, their fingers intertwined.
Lei Jin’s expression flickered briefly before he smiled. “We have a guest?”
Roger stayed silent.
Mingya stood, pulling the female up with him. Meeting Lei Jin’s gaze, he finally bit his lip and gestured to him. “We’re going to hold a bonding ceremony.”
Suddenly, Lei Jin remembered—this was the young man who had always chased after him, calling him “Mingya's female”, bright-eyed and smiling, yet who had tried to shield him whenever danger arose. He let out a soft tsk, his smile unreadable. “Good for you.”
“Grapes, come congratulate… Uncle Mingya.”