Werebeast Gongs CH 078 Unwanted
Chunji knew his reputation in the tribe wasn’t great. Even Mura, who had a decent relationship with him, always acted furtively when they met. In contrast, Lei Jin had visited him several times openly and without hesitation. At first, Chunji had approached Lei Jin simply because he found him interesting. But as they spent more time together, he realized that Lei Jin’s carefree and straightforward personality was quite endearing. While he couldn’t speak for others, at the very least, Lei Jin had won him over.
After several interactions, Chunji also learned that Lei Jin was quite averse to the idea of having children. He had intended to warn Lei Jin not to take the jade mugwort, but after seeing how well Xiya and the others treated Lei Jin, and knowing that Lei Jin was about to leave soon on the hunting trip, he thought it could wait until he returned. As for Lei Jin’s desire to return home, Chunji had always known it was impossible, so he hadn’t given it much thought.
Before Lei Jin left, he had come to Chunji to say goodbye. At that time, Chunji was certain Lei Jin hadn’t taken the jade mugwort.
Who could have predicted that a single trip would turn everything upside down?
Chunji placed his hand on Lei Jin’s stomach. He hadn’t noticed it before, but now it was clear that Lei Jin had taken the jade mugwort, and his physique had changed.
“Are you saying that Lei Jin…” Moya stared at the spot where Chunji’s hand rested, his lips moving several times but unable to form the words. From Lei Jin’s perspective, this shouldn’t be a cause for celebration, yet Moya couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of hope.
Xiya, hearing this, couldn’t stay seated either. Though he tried to maintain his composure, the sudden spark of joy in his eyes was unmistakable.
Roger’s expression, however, was complex and inscrutable.
Only Mingya was completely clueless, entirely out of the loop.
Chunji glanced at Xiya and Moya. Females were rare in the tribes, and those who could find a female partner usually wouldn’t choose to be with a werebeast. After all, who wouldn’t want their own child?
Who wouldn’t be happy to become a father for the first time?
But things rarely go as planned.
A mocking smile appeared on Chunji’s otherwise expressionless face. “Don’t think that just because you secretly gave him the jade mugwort, Lei Jin will obediently bear your children. The best laid plans often go awry. I don’t know how you managed to encounter the banyan fruit, which only grows near the swamps where jade mugwort thrives. The banyan and jade mugwort counteract each other…” He didn’t believe Lei Jin could calmly accept the idea of bearing children after this trip. The only possibility was that they had acted behind his back.
Was this what they called love? Using underhanded methods to make a female pregnant with their child? In Chunji’s eyes, the so-called love of werebeasts for females was nothing more than a means to satisfy themselves and produce offspring.
“So what?” Moya forced the words out, though he already guessed the answer. He wanted to hear the truth directly.
“So Lei Jin will never be able to have children, no matter how much jade mugwort he takes,” Chunji said coldly, his lips parting to deliver the harsh reality.
“What?” After a moment of stunned silence, it was Roger who spoke first.
Xiya staggered, his face twisted in pain. He had been the one to pick those banyan fruits.
“Papa?” Mingya tugged at Roger’s pant leg. “What is Brother Chunji saying?”
“Don’t ask, Mingya,” Roger sighed. He knew this might not be a bad thing for Lei Jin, but seeing his sons in such pain, he couldn’t feel at ease either.
“Is Brother Chunji saying that Lei Jin can never have a baby?” Though young, Mingya wasn’t entirely clueless.
Roger nodded. The truth was out, and Mingya deserved to know.
“Will Lei Jin be sad?” Mingya’s first concern was Lei Jin’s feelings.
Roger shook his head. “Lei Jin doesn’t like the idea of having babies. He probably won’t be sad about this.”
Mingya thought for a moment, resting his head on his paws.
“Are you sad, Mingya?” Roger asked.
“No. If Lei Jin isn’t sad, then I’m not sad either,” Mingya shook his head.
Roger nodded, relieved. He had always known that his youngest son, though a bit naive, had a one of a kind pure and kind heart.
“What were you thinking about just now?” Roger asked, noticing how seriously Mingya had been pondering.
“I was thinking, if one day Lei Jin suddenly wants a baby, where can I find one for him?”
Mingya seemed to think babies were as easy to find as weeds on the ground.
“Why don’t you have one for him?” Roger was at a loss for words, unsure how to handle his youngest son.
“I’m a werebeast,” Mingya replied, aware that werebeasts couldn’t bear babies.
“If you want to, you can,” Roger said, not wanting to argue further.
“Really, Papa? Can I have a baby for Lei Jin?” Mingya’s eyes lit up.
“You really have no sense of being a werebeast,” Chunji muttered, rubbing his temples.
All of them standing there were really getting on his nerves. Chunji waved them off. “Everyone except Lei Jin, get out. It’s getting late.”
“Chunji, Lei Jin’s arms are also injured,” Moya explained in detail about their encounter with the dragon bird. Despite the suffocating pain in his heart, there was no use dwelling on it now. Elder Brother must be the most guilt-ridden, as they would never have children now.
Just moments ago, they had thought Lei Jin might be pregnant, but the reality was far crueler. The sudden shift from joy to despair was something only those who had experienced it could understand.
Forget it. Now wasn’t the time to think about this. Moya forced himself to focus. Lei Jin was still unconscious. Could his injuries have worsened?
Chunji had heard about the incident from others in the tribe. After examining Lei Jin, he had a rough idea of the extent of the injury to his arms.
“I know. Moya, put him in my room. The rest of you, leave,” Chunji pointed to the courtyard gate. He wasn’t a good person anyway and didn’t care about his reputation. He did as he pleased.
“Let’s go home, Xiya,” Roger reached out to take Xiya’s hand, but it was cold and unresponsive. “Xiya, what’s wrong?”
“Papa?” Xiya rarely called Roger “papa” because Roger didn’t like it.
“Let’s talk at home,” Roger patted the back of Xiya’s hand.
Xiya glanced back at the lit room. Then he turned and left with Roger and Mingya.
“Can I stay here with him? I’m worried he might need help if he wakes up at night,” Moya said, laying Lei Jin on the bed, loosening his clothes, and covering him with a blanket.
“Do you think he’s going to wake up in this state?” Chunji crossed his legs and sat leisurely on a nearby stool. “Besides, if you stay here overnight, people who don’t know the situation might start rumors. I can’t afford that kind of reputation.”
“Then I’ll come see him tomorrow morning,” Moya knew Chunji wouldn’t budge. He tucked the blanket around Lei Jin.
Chunji had been about to say, “Don’t be a nuisance,” but seeing the concern in Moya’s eyes, he changed his tone. “Do as you please.”
As Moya was about to leave, Chunji’s voice called out from behind, “Don’t you want children?” He hadn’t missed the hope in Moya’s eyes earlier.
“I do,” Moya said before stepping out.
“What does that mean?” Chunji muttered. Moya clearly wanted children, but hearing that Lei Jin couldn’t have them didn’t seem to faze him much. Chunji couldn’t figure it out and decided not to waste his energy. There were other things to deal with.
“Alright, stop pretending. They’re gone,” Chunji said with a grin, sitting down beside Lei Jin.
Lei Jin slowly opened his eyes and smiled lazily. “Long time no see, Chunji, my beauty.”
He had genuinely passed out earlier—no one wanted to embarrass themselves in public like that. But Chunji’s medicine was excruciating, the kind of pain that could wake the dead. Lei Jin had woken up but was still weak. He had planned to rest with his eyes closed, but then the whole drama unfolded. Honestly, he was shocked too and didn’t know how to react, so he decided to play along.
“Aren’t you going to ask how I figured it out?” Chunji leaned in closer, almost touching Lei Jin’s nose.
“Help me sit up first. It’s uncomfortable talking while lying down,” Lei Jin said without ceremony.
“Do you think I’m one of your obedient little leopards?” Chunji grumbled but still grabbed two large pillows and propped Lei Jin up against the headboard, supporting his back as he sat up.
“You haven’t had other men in this bed, have you?” Lei Jin glanced at the blanket covering him. He had a bit of a cleanliness obsession and didn’t want to risk catching some bug.
“If you’re so picky, don’t sleep here. This is the only bed in my house. You should be grateful I’m letting you use it. Others can’t even get near it. I didn’t see you complaining when your little leopards were holding you.”
“They’re different. They have good hygiene habits,” Lei Jin said honestly, without bias.
“Yeah, right. It’s all because of Roger’s strict rules. Everyone in the tribe knows that.”
“As long as it’s good, who cares whose rules they are?”
“Of course it’s good. Did they make you feel good too?” Chunji smirked, reaching out to touch a purplish hickey near Lei Jin’s ear. “You’ve got marks all over, front and back. Was it two of them, or all three? It couldn't have been just one.”
“Don’t drag Mingya into this,” Lei Jin said, though he cared for the little guy, the idea of being with him that way was unimaginable. It felt too much like taking advantage of a child.
“So it was Xiya and Moya then. No wonder they looked so hopeful when I touched your stomach. They thought there might be a baby in there.”
“Was what you said true?” Lei Jin asked.
“Which part? I’ve said a lot today,” Chunji replied, unsure which statement Lei Jin was referring to.
“The part about someone giving me jade mugwort, and being able to have children.”
“Of course it’s true. Why would I lie? What do you think caused the nosebleed?” Chunji poured a glass of water from the table.
“I thought it was because of the hot springs,” Lei Jin frowned.
“Nonsense. The hot springs might slow the healing of your shoulder wound or cause some bleeding, but the nosebleed was definitely from taking both jade mugwort and banyan.”
“Are you saying they drugged me? That I could really have a child?” Lei Jin’s voice was cold. Was this what their so-called love amounted to? Deception and lies? All this time, he had felt guilty for not being able to return their feelings, thinking of ways to make it up to them before he left.
And what had they done? Tried to trap him with a child? Keep him here, bound to them, having children?
Xiya, Moya, I’ve never tried to deceive you, even if I couldn’t accept your feelings. But what have you given me in return? Was all that warmth just for the sake of a child? A small voice in Lei Jin’s heart whispered: Is that really true? Can’t you feel it? If not, why would they go behind your back?
Chunji saw the coldness creeping into Lei Jin’s eyes and knew things had taken a bad turn.
“There’s something I should have told you earlier. You thought you weren’t a female of this world and couldn’t bear children. That’s not entirely wrong, but there’s a herb here called jade mugwort. Its flower can alter your physique, allowing you to conceive after being with a werebeast.”
“So my stomach…” Lei Jin looked down with disgust. The idea of a man’s body bearing a child was something he had never considered.
“Be honest. Have you been with them in their beast forms?” If so, that would complicate things. Given Lei Jin’s current state, he clearly didn’t want a child. If it was early, Chunji might not be able to detect it. But if they waited until the pregnancy was advanced, it would be dangerous to terminate.
Lei Jin shook his head firmly. “Does that matter?”
Chunji continued, “You should know that the beast form is the true form of a werebeast, and it’s when they’re at their strongest. Being with them in that form greatly increases the chances of pregnancy. Of course, it can happen at other times too, but the likelihood is much lower, though not impossible.”
“I’ll stay here for a few days,” Lei Jin said, closing his eyes, exhaustion evident on his face.
“Stay as long as you like. But I think they…”
Lei Jin cut him off. “Don’t mention them to me right now.”
“Alright, I won’t. Here, drink some water,” Chunji handed him the cup.
“Rest here for now. I had some meat stewing in the pot earlier. The fire’s probably out by now. I’ll go check.”
Lei Jin avoided Chunji’s outstretched hand. “Don’t lay me down. I’ll just sit for a while.”
“That’s fine. You can try my cooking later. Let me tell you, in this tribe, when it comes to cooking and healing, if I say I’m second, no one dares claim first.”
Lei Jin knew Chunji was trying to distract him and nodded along.
Though the room was lit, it was still dim, filled with the scent of pine resin. By the time Chunji returned with the meat stew, Lei Jin still hadn’t sorted out his thoughts.
“Try this. I added a lot of medicinal herbs. It’s flavorful and nourishing,” Chunji said, knowing Lei Jin’s arm was immobile. He climbed onto the bed with the bowl, and the two ate together.
After Lei Jin swallowed a bite, Chunji asked, “See? I didn’t lie, did I?”
Chunji’s stew was delicious, with thinly sliced meat and a hint of herbal flavor. But Lei Jin had no appetite.
After the meal, the two lay side by side on the bed.
“Will my arms heal?” This was Lei Jin’s biggest concern. If his arms didn’t recover, he wouldn’t even be able to take care of himself, let alone think about anything else.
“Leave it to me,” Chunji said confidently.
“Then I’m relieved,” Lei Jin buried his face in the blanket. The unfamiliar scent around him was a stark reminder that those he was familiar with were gone. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.
Once his injuries healed, it would be time to start searching for a way home.