Werebeast Gongs CH 091 Life And Death
“Berg…” Having witnessed life and death countless times over the years, Lei Jin had thought he was numb to it all. He didn’t even care much about his own life, let alone others’. As a mobster, others might see him surrounded by subordinates, living a glamorous life, but who knew when a bullet might come his way? It was nothing unusual—his godfather had died just like that. So from the moment he took over, he had envisioned the end of his own life. It wasn’t that he had seen through life and death—he wasn’t that enlightened—but compared to others, he was more accepting.
Yet now, watching Berg stop breathing right before his eyes, he found himself at a loss for how to react.
"Berg…" He nudged Berg’s head again.
Berg’s head lolled to the side, his eyes still closed.
Lei Jin’s hands trembled slightly, unsure whether he should check Berg’s breath for final confirmation.
"Lei Jin!" Roger called out sharply, snapping him out of his daze.
"Huh?" Lei Jin finally heard him and reflexively looked up.
Roger was holding the egg in his arms and sighed helplessly. "Cover him with the blanket beside you. He just gave birth—he can’t catch a cold. I’ve called you several times, and you didn’t hear."
Lei Jin looked down and carefully observed Berg. Though his breathing was weak, it had steadied. Only the cold sweat under Lei Jin’s palm remained as evidence of his earlier panic. Lei Jin wanted to bang his head against the wall. What kind of misunderstanding was this? He roughly pulled the blanket over and tucked Berg in, resisting the urge to slap him. Giving birth was one thing, but why stage this deathbed scene? And worst of all, he had played along like an idiot, nearly turning it into some melodramatic farewell.
Damn it. My twenty-eight years of suave, composed image—completely shattered tonight!
"Since you just gave birth, I’ll let you off this time," Lei Jin muttered as he adjusted the blanket, consoling himself that at least only Roger and Healer Qing Qiao had witnessed his moment of weakness. Hopefully, they’d been too busy with the delivery to notice.
But when he looked up, he met Roger’s teasing gaze.
Lei Jin’s scalp prickled, but he forced a nonchalant smile. "Let me see the egg Berg laid."
Roger handed it over gently, chuckling. "Hold your newly adopted son carefully."
Lei Jin nearly retorted, who the hell wants to be a dad to an egg? But then he remembered he had promised Berg. So… did that mean he really had an egg for a son now?
"Where do we put this?" The egg felt too soft, and Lei Jin didn’t dare grip it tightly. The semi-transparent shell was thin, with liquid sloshing inside. The tiny golden merbaby, pink where there were no scales, slept soundly, blowing little bubbles from their mouth.
"If we put it under Berg, will it get crushed?" Lei Jin pondered seriously. If this was an egg, didn’t it need to be incubated? Since the father wasn’t here, that duty fell to Berg.
The vein on Roger’s temple twitched. "I don’t think Berg needs to incubate it. The baby’s already fully formed—it just needs to break out of the shell on its own."
Healer Qing Qiao, who had just finished washing his hands in the prepared basin, chimed in, "I agree with Roger. But I’m not sure how to raise it. Berg’s asleep, so we can’t ask."
Outside, Xiya knocked on the door. "Father, Lei Jin, how’s it going in there?"
"Come in. Berg’s already given birth," Roger replied.
Xiya and the others entered, immediately crowding around the egg in Lei Jin’s arms, fascinated. But none of them knew how to care for it.
Finally, Roger suggested that since merfolk lived in water, they should keep it in water for now and wait for Berg to wake up.
They brought over the bathtub, filled it with warm water, and added a handful of salt. Lei Jin carefully placed the egg inside, watching as it bobbed up and down contentedly. Only then did everyone relax.
Dawn had broken. After the long night, Roger asked An Sen to escort Healer Qing Qiao home, along with a freshly butchered sheep as thanks. Though tribal healers didn’t charge, it was only right to show gratitude for being roused in the middle of the night. Qing Qiao, familiar with the family, didn’t refuse. After giving a few more postpartum care instructions, he left with An Sen.
Xiya went to cook breakfast before Mingya woke up. An Luo tidied the courtyard, which had been left in disarray during the chaos.
Only Roger and Lei Jin remained in the room—Berg didn’t count, as he was still dead asleep.
Roger noticed Lei Jin staring intently at the egg. "The baby’s cute, isn’t it?"
Lei Jin swirled the egg gently in the water and nodded. "Yeah. Berg’s belly was so huge—how is the baby this small?" He held up his hand for comparison. "My palm’s bigger than its head."
Roger walked over. "It’s actually not that small. Any bigger, and Berg would’ve suffered even more."
"True," Lei Jin agreed, recalling Berg’s agonized state last night.
After a pause, Lei Jin added, "But it seems Berg has no intention of telling the father." Even at death’s door, Berg hadn’t mentioned him. If not for his pain-induced cursing, they wouldn’t even know the man’s name.
"The child you birth is yours alone. Only you can protect them, and they can only rely on you," Roger said meaningfully.
"That’s a thing?" Lei Jin missed the deeper implication, only thinking of Moya. Roger clearly adored Moya—did that mean no matter who the father was, the child was still Roger’s?
"Of course it is," Roger countered, raising an eyebrow.
Lei Jin nodded, deciding not to press further. Poking at Roger’s sore spots never ended well.
(Little did Roger know he’d one day regret drilling this mindset into Lei Jin.)
"By the way, why did you tell me to agree to Berg’s request earlier?" Lei Jin had genuinely thought Berg was dying.
"Just to ease his mind. The more anxious he was, the harder the birth would be," Roger explained, sitting by the tub.
"How’s your hand?" Lei Jin had initially mistaken the blood for Berg’s, but now he saw the scratches on Roger’s hands—likely from Berg’s claws.
"It’s fine. I’ll apply some medicine later." After weathering so many storms, these minor injuries meant nothing.
"Good." Lei Jin’s gaze drifted to the old, neatly healed scars on Roger’s left wrist—clearly from a blade, and deep enough to have been fatal.
Roger noticed his stare and subtly adjusted his sleeve. "You’ve been up all night. Eat breakfast and then get some more sleep."
Not wanting to pry, Lei Jin changed the subject. "When do you think this little one will open its eyes?"
"Hard to say. Xiya and the others took two or three days. I’ve no idea about merbabies." Roger no longer avoided mentioning that he’d birthed Xiya and the others.
"Roger… was it that painful for you too?" Last night had shaken Lei Jin. Though he’d heard childbirth was grueling, seeing Berg’s torment firsthand made him grateful he’d never have to endure it.
"By Mingya’s time, it was much easier." Xiya, as the firstborn, had been difficult. But Moya’s birth had been the hardest. Mingya had been the most obedient, arriving without trouble.
Roger spoke casually, but Lei Jin squirmed uncomfortably. With Berg and other local females, he could rationalize that they were meant to bear children. But Roger was from his world—how could he have given birth?
Roger understood Lei Jin’s struggle. His own acceptance hadn’t come overnight—how could he expect Lei Jin to adjust immediately? He just hoped Lei Jin wouldn’t harm the child growing inside him out of denial. Otherwise, one day, he might regret it too late.
After breakfast, Lei Jin and Roger checked on the egg again. The golden merbaby still slept, and Berg showed no signs of waking, so they each returned to their rooms to rest.
The tribe’s crops were nearly ready for harvest, so the werebeasts had gone to help. Xiya had wanted to stay with Lei Jin, but Lei Jin insisted he was fine—his fever had subsided—so Xiya left somewhat reassured.
Exhausted, Lei Jin slept deeply. When he woke, it seemed to have rained—the air carried the scent of plants and damp earth. Though awake, he kept his eyes closed, cozy under the warm blanket.
"Awake?" A moist kiss brushed his eyelids, accompanied by a soft chuckle.
Lei Jin opened his eyes to find Moya sitting by the bed, tired but smiling gently.
"Did you miss me?" Moya bent down, seeking a kiss.
His slightly long hair tickled Lei Jin’s face. Lei Jin reached up to touch his head, his heart melting despite himself. After a brief internal struggle, he gave a tiny nod.
The kiss that followed was far more intense, sending shivers down Lei Jin’s spine.
"Lei Jin! Mingya did something bad! I poked a hole in the egg—" Mingya burst in crying, interrupting the intimate moment.