Werebeast Gongs CH 067 Moya's Return
The rain grew heavier, and Moya quickened his pace. As he approached the cave, he heard Lei Jin's shouts. Instantly anxious, he ignored the lightning and thunder, transformed into his winged leopard form, and flew over. But what he saw stunned him: Lei Jin, half-naked, was pinned beneath his older brother, Xiya, whose head rested in the crook of Lei Jin's neck. However, he quickly realized something was wrong—Xiya wasn't moving, and Lei Jin's voice didn't sound like they were engaged in anything intimate.
Moya immediately understood that something had happened. He rushed over, crouched down, and placed a hand on Xiya's shoulder, asking Lei Jin, "What happened?"
Lei Jin, frantic and unable to free himself from under Xiya due to his paralyzed arms, had been trying to help Xiya, whose hand was slowly turning black from a wound. Seeing Moya suddenly appear, Lei Jin didn't react at all other than to urgently try to suck the venom from Xiya's wound.
Moya, noticing the bite on Xiya's hand, quickly grasped the situation. He grabbed Lei Jin's arm and said, "No, you can't do that. You have wounds on your lips." He had already seen the bite marks on Lei Jin's mouth.
"Moya..." Lei Jin finally recognized the person before him, as if grasping a lifeline. Though panicked, he quickly composed himself and said clearly, "Xiya was bitten by something. It's been a while. You need to check him."
"It's a young blue-tailed lizard. Its venom isn't too strong. I'll suck the poison out for him," Moya said, identifying the creature. He bent down to help.
"Wait, Moya. Are you sure you'll be okay?" Lei Jin asked, recalling that sucking venom could be dangerous for the person doing it. He didn't want to save one only to lose the other.
Moya's eyes softened with a familiar warmth. He leaned in, kissed Lei Jin's lips, and said, "I'll be fine. I don't have any wounds in my mouth."
Soon, the blood from Xiya's wound turned red from Moya's first aid administrations, indicating the venom was gone.
"It's clean now. He should be fine," Moya said.
Seeing Xiya's breathing stabilize, Lei Jin felt relieved.
Moya carried Xiya back to the cave and then returned to help Lei Jin.
"What happened to your arms?" Moya asked, noticing Lei Jin couldn't use any strength in them.
"They're injured," Lei Jin said casually, downplaying it. Seeing Moya's obvious concern, he added, "They'll heal soon." He didn't want Moya to feel obligated or responsible for him.
Moya, however, remained silent, his eyes fixed on the scars on Lei Jin's shoulders. The wounds had scabbed over but were still raw and gruesome.
Lei Jin looked into Moya's eyes and saw a mix of emotions—guilt, gratitude, regret, and most of all, pain. He had never seen so much emotion in someone's eyes before, and he actually understood it all.
"You think this is some kind of drama? A passionate embrace in the rain? It's cold, and I'm not even wearing clothes," Lei Jin said, breaking the tense atmosphere. He naturally had no sense of romance.
Moya, though confused by some of Lei Jin's words, chose not to ask. He had enough experience with his papa to know not to ask lest he got scolded. He simply smiled, picked up the clothes from the ground, and handed them to Lei Jin. Then he scooped Lei Jin up in his arms.
"I told you I hate being carried like this. Are you trying to provoke me?" Lei Jin complained.
Ignoring him, Moya focused on carrying Lei Jin through the heavy rain.
"Damn it, Moya! Where are you putting your hands? I'll break them!" Lei Jin yelled, feeling Moya's hand slide suggestively over his backside.
"Did this place miss me?" Moya asked, his voice teasing despite his efforts to sound serious.
Lei Jin's face darkened. He couldn't believe those words actually came from Moya. What an utter rogue! With arms and now legs out of commission, he could only bite Moya's neck hard, drawing blood.
Moya winced but didn't stop him. When Lei Jin finally let go, Moya said lightly, "My papa taught me that blood debts must be repaid in blood."
Lei Jin's left eyelid twitched. Damn it, Roger, what kind of sons did you raise? he thought.
Meanwhile, far away, Roger sneezed as he stepped outside. "Someone must be cursing me. Probably Lei Jin," he muttered. It could only be Lei Jin after all.
"It's been almost two months. Why haven't we heard anything from them?" An Sen asked, his lavender eyes filled with worry.
Roger looked north.
"Don't worry, Xiya and Moya will find Lei Jin. They care about him too much." An Sen hugged his shoulder, comforting him.
That's exactly why he was worried. If something happened to Lei Jin, Moya might never forgive himself, not to mention Xiya. Roger still recalled Moya's words before he left. He was afraid they might come true. Besides, he couldn't bear the thought of losing Lei Jin either.
"An Luo has gone to find Mingya. Mingya is almost an adult. You have to believe in his abilities. He's a leopard werebeast, after all. He can handle most wild animals," An Sen continued to reassure him.
Roger nodded, hoping they would all return safely. The house felt emptier and quieter without them.
Back in the cave, Moya lit a fire and hung their wet clothes to dry.
"Stay close to the fire. It's warmer," Moya said kindly.
"Then give me the new clothes to change into," Lei Jin said, pointing to the bundle in the corner. Hao Chen had made those clothes, and Lei Jin had been saving them for fear of ruining them on the journey.
"Why change? These will dry soon," Moya said, his eyes glinting with mischief. He pulled Lei Jin close, letting him rest his head on his lap.
Lei Jin found it comfortable and decided not to argue.
Moya kissed his forehead and then each of his fingertips.
"Did Berg hurt you?" Moya asked, playing with Lei Jin's hair.
"Who's Berg?" Lei Jin asked, though the name sounded familiar. Then it clicked. "Oh, that goldfish?"
Moya chuckled. The golden merfolk had been reduced to a goldfish in Lei Jin's words. "Yes, that goldfish. Did he hurt you?"
"That sneaky coward," Lei Jin spat. "Today's been unlucky. Always getting attacked from behind."
"Where did he hurt you?" Moya asked, flipping Lei Jin over to check his back. The swelling had gone down, but faint marks remained.
Berg, whatever issues we have, you shouldn't have involved Lei Jin. This isn't over, Moya thought.
"Are you trying to suffocate me?" Lei Jin complained, his face pressed against Moya's chest. Worse, Moya wasn't wearing clothes, and Lei Jin didn't want things to escalate.
They had been together enough times to know where this could lead.
But ironically, Lei Jin's breath as he spoke against Moya's skin only made things worse. Moya's body reacted visibly, and the head even bumped into Lei Jin's lips. He quickly shut his mouth.
A familiar heated palm trailed down Lei Jin's back, lingering on the red marks. After a moment, he said, "The clothes are dry. Put them on."
After helping Lei Jin dress, Moya changed into his own dry clothes.
The atmosphere between them had grown charged again. Moya remained silent, so Lei Jin broke the silence. "Why hasn't Xiya woken up yet?"
"Rest is the best way for werebeasts to heal. The blue-tailed lizard's venom is concentrated in its eyes. The mouth venom is less severe, and this was just a young one, probably out hunting for the first time," Moya explained. "But Elder Brother looks exhausted. He must have been overworking himself. This injury will force him to rest."
Lei Jin looked at Xiya's gaunt face, realizing how much Xiya had been pushing himself—caring for Lei Jin, searching for Moya, and not resting properly.
"You stay here with Elder Brother. I'll go find some herbs," Moya said suddenly, standing up.
Lei Jin glanced at the pouring rain outside. "What herbs are so urgent? Can't you wait until the rain stops?"
"I need to find some stone orchid. It counteracts the blue-tailed lizard's venom. Since we found one here, the herb should be nearby."
"But you said Xiya would be fine."
"It's just a precaution."