TFBAT -Chapter 48

That look carried clear disdain and contempt toward Chi Yuyang — and hostility.

Chi Yuyang merely watched coldly from the side.

She and Hu Jin were sitting in the corner, and the chief was next to them, so for now the females hadn’t crowded over.

Three females alone were already dramatic enough, but in front of Chi Yuyang right now…

She took a quick count — there were about twenty to thirty female tiger beastmen.

They shouted back and forth, arguing noisily.

And, of course, the center of their discussion was Hu Jin —

Who would be his next mate.

When one of the females mentioned Hu Jin’s current mate, all of them paused, glanced at Chi Yuyang’s location in unison, then resumed their arguing as if she didn’t exist.

They completely dismissed her.

Chi Yuyang touched the hard object tucked at her waist — Hu Jin’s keepsake, his milk tooth.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Hu Jin’s smile fading, but the strength of his arms around her tightened.

He was unhappy because she had stopped him from kissing her earlier.

Realizing this, Chi Yuyang leaned close to his ear and coaxed softly, “Hu Jin, there are so many people here… it’s not very appropriate. When we get home…”

She didn’t finish before someone tapped her shoulder.

She turned and saw Hu Shu crouching beside her, moving quietly.

After cautiously checking Hu Jin’s expression and confirming that he didn’t mind her approaching, Hu Shu whispered into Chi Yuyang’s ear, “Xiao Chi, what’s going on with you two?”

“Xiao Chi” was a nickname Hu Shu had given her on her own, and after everything with Hu Ya, she already treated Chi Yuyang like a friend.

Besides, since Chi Yuyang was the mate of the one who used to be Hu Shu’s dream tiger, she admired her more than she resented her — unlike the other females.

“What do you mean ‘what’s going on’?” Chi Yuyang was confused. She herself wanted to ask what these female tigers were doing.

Discussing who Hu Jin should mate with — right in front of her?? What was that supposed to mean?

“You and Hu Jin have already mated, right?” Hu Shu sniffed. The scent on Chi Yuyang was several times stronger than before, but her stomach was still perfectly flat. “Why aren’t you pregnant yet?”

Chi Yuyang was about to explain, but Hu Shu continued, “This is our unspoken rule among females. If winter passes and you still haven’t conceived, you have to give up your mate.”

Hearing this, Hu Zhuo frowned.

He didn’t agree with this so-called rule of this generation’s females, but he had no standing to oppose them.

In the tiger tribe, females were vastly outnumbered by males. As long as a female didn’t commit any outrage, even the chief couldn’t interfere.

This generation of females had truly been spoiled by the males.

Hu Zhuo shook his head and glanced at Hu Jin — silent — and Chi Yuyang, visibly upset. Both of them were outliers. Hu Jin never followed these rules, and Chi Yuyang, an outsider, absolutely wouldn’t let the females control her.

He suspected these two preferred lifelong monogamy.

Chi Yuyang looked up at the still-arguing females and suddenly laughed.

No wonder Hu Shu had emphasized the issue of having cubs and warned her ahead of time about the females targeting her.

These females were arguing loudly, already in a fever pitch.

They were even starting to discuss Hu Jin’s performance, trying to use their “rank” to justify why he should choose one of them.

Chi Yuyang nodded gratefully at Hu Shu, then rose to her feet.

Just in time to hear them talk about Hu Jin’s physique. Glancing at Hu Jin’s firm muscles, she decided she really needed to make him a shirt when they got home.

Hu Shu quietly stepped aside. She had already said what she needed to say — and she had no intention of getting dragged into this.

Hu Jin’s eyes dimmed when his wife left his arms.

But he didn’t get up.

When Chi Yuyang stood, she gently brushed his ear — signaling him to stay put.

“You.” Chi Yuyang raised her chin slightly, picked out the female who had first provoked her before they entered the cave, and hooked her finger. “Didn’t you just say you wanted to fight me?”

The named female froze, and before she could react, she was shoved forward.

“Hu Wan! Go!” the females hooted gleefully. “Show her what you’ve got!”

A moment ago they were all quarreling, but now that they had a common enemy, they instantly united.

Chi Yuyang finally saw the appearance of this female named Hu Wan.

She looked similar to Hu Shu — delicate, like a gentle girl next door. Ignoring the ears and tail, she even looked younger than Chi Yuyang.

But Chi Yuyang wasn’t concerned with her looks.

Hu Wan’s skin wasn’t as pale as Hu Jin’s, but it wasn’t dark either — even in the dim cave, Chi Yuyang could clearly count the black stripes on her arm.

No need to check twice.

The moment Hu Wan stepped forward, Chi Yuyang strode over and, while she was unguarded, executed a clean shoulder throw — slamming her hard onto the cold ground.

After all, she didn’t have a single stripe. No need for hesitation.

Chi Yuyang had learned some basic self-defense. After meeting Hu Jin, she had never worried about her personal safety again…

But she didn’t expect it to still come in handy today.

All the beastmen froze at the unexpected move. Hu Wan stared blankly from the ground.

Standing over her, Chi Yuyang let out a cold smile.

“With that level? And you think you deserve to covet my Hu Jin?”

From the moment these females showed up, Chi Yuyang had been reviewing everything she’d learned about the tiger tribe.

This whole winter, the only female beastmen she’d seen were the mothers picking up their cubs.

Hu Shu had said the tribe’s females needed warmer clothes during childbirth. And during the incident with Hu Ya, most of the speakers were males.

Hu Jin often mentioned he disliked the spoiled female tigers.

Plus, since entering the cave, the females kept talking big but never actually fought.

They had at most one stripe on their arms.

Everything pointed to one truth: the tiger tribe’s strength lay in its males. Not these females who only knew how to argue.

These “tigresses” — had they been pampered into losing their wild instincts entirely?

Seeing tears welling in Hu Wan’s eyes, Chi Yuyang sighed silently.

When they were cubs, all tiger beastmen received the same training. How did they end up so divided as adults?

Just as Hu Wan’s tears fell, another female rushed over to help her up.

Chi Yuyang glanced at her — seven-tenths similar to Hu Wan, with a milk-tooth pendant around her neck. A family member.

But the moment she opened her mouth—

“You can’t even have cubs — who are you to act so arrogant? Hurry up and give up Hu Jin’s mate position!” She even shyly glanced toward Hu Jin after saying it.

“…?”

Getting involved before the bonds are even dissolved?

Chi Yuyang forced herself to stay calm.

This female had a clear black stripe. A first-rank beastman.

She could handle zero-rank opponents, but a first-rank…

Still, she couldn’t swallow this.

What gave this group the right to judge her and Hu Jin?

“Hu Han, shut up.” Hu Jin suddenly stepped from the shadows.

He pulled Chi Yuyang tightly into his arms and whispered, “Wife, you were amazing. But leave the rest to me.”

Flushed from his praise, Chi Yuyang lowered her gaze. Compared to him, her strength was negligible.

“What do you mean, Hu Jin?!”

“How can you yell at females?!”

“Yeah! Your mate is useless anyway!”

Hu Wan, being comforted by her sister, started crying again after hearing Hu Jin speak — yet still stared at him with watery eyes.

The sight made Chi Yuyang break out in goosebumps.

Hu Jin didn’t fall for that type.

“Hu Jin… consider me, okay?” Hu Wan sobbed, but still spoke to him. “Even if I can’t beat your current mate, I can definitely—”

“Definitely what?” Hu Jin shielded Chi Yuyang behind him, offering Hu Zhuo an apologetic smile — without once looking at Hu Wan.

Hu Zhuo only shook his head; he didn’t intervene.

Seeing that, Hu Jin continued.

“In this tiger life, I will only ever have one mate — my wife.”

“When I was young, I didn’t understand why you all stuck to me,” he said. “Back in the nursery, some of you mocked me.”

Chi Yuyang stayed behind him, listening quietly.

He appeared to address the females, but she could tell he was explaining this to her.

He had noticed her unhappiness.

“You said I didn’t look like the others,” Hu Jin added.

His tone was calm, as if recounting something unrelated to him — but Chi Yuyang could hear the displeasure hidden beneath.

He remembered everything since his mother’s time. Naturally, he remembered every comment from his childhood classmates.

Chi Yuyang didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh.

Her tiger was more sensitive than she’d thought.

In that case, the fact that she accepted his cub form so quickly truly had helped their bond.

“No way, we never said that.”

“That was so long ago. I don’t remember anything.”

“I definitely didn’t say it!”

The females denied everything. They didn’t believe his memory was that good — or perhaps they didn’t think their words back then mattered.

“So your confessions,” Hu Jin continued, raising a brow, “this so-called ‘giving me a chance’ — allowing me to become your mate…”

He squeezed Chi Yuyang’s hand behind him.

“I never took any of it seriously. And I don’t need your chances.”

Not once did Hu Jin look at any of them.

“From now on, stay away from me and my wife.”

He lowered his eyes, controlling his emotions.

This was the chief’s cave. He couldn’t lose control here.

“Hu Jin, did the males put nonsense in your head?”

“Yeah! Lots of males asked me to give them a chance too! You should consider!”

“Your mate can’t even give you cubs!”

They repeatedly latched onto the fact that she hadn’t gotten pregnant this winter.

Trying to sway him.

But hearing them evaluate his wife, the coldness in Hu Jin’s heterochromatic eyes surged out uncontrollably.

“Whether my wife can give me cubs — what does that have to do with you?”

“We’re doing this for the good of the tiger tribe!”

“Yeah! Your mate isn’t even from our tribe!”

“You’re so strong and good-looking — your genes shouldn’t go to waste!”

Chi Yuyang truly wanted to gouge out their eyes and rip out their mouths. They relied on numbers and the chief’s inability to control them to openly display their greed for Hu Jin.

“Oh?” Hu Jin’s expression remained cold, but the shift in the air made Hu Zhuo stiffen.

Hu Jin was on the verge of exploding.

And the females were still loudly arguing.

“Your mate—”

“I said,” Hu Jin’s ears trembled, “shut up.”

“Awoo——!”