TFBAT -Chapter 50

It was a fox.

To be precise, a completely snow-white fox.

Chi Yuyang looked more closely and realized it was much bigger than Hu Jin’s cub form.

This fox wasn’t like the Arctic foxes she remembered—its ears were upright and triangular, not the rounded ones typical of Arctic foxes.

It resembled an ordinary fox, just with white fur.

“Hu Jin, is that a fox or a fox-tribe beastman?”

Chi Yuyang quietly moved the hand she had extended behind her back.

“Is it female or male?”

If it was male… and worse, a male beastman…

She glanced at the white tiger facing off against the fox. His whiskers were trembling nonstop.

Even though she hadn’t done anything yet, she couldn’t help feeling vaguely guilty toward Hu Jin.

So she walked over to him.

“Hu Jin, if it’s just a fox, howl once. If it’s a beastman, howl twice.”

“Awoo!”

Just a fox?

“…Awoo!”

“Is it a fox or a beastman?”

Chi Yuyang pinched the white tiger’s ears, then stepped in front of him to block the fox’s line of sight.

Maybe the fox was female.

She definitely didn’t want any other female seeing Hu Jin’s naked body.

“Wife, it might be a fox… or a juvenile fox-tribe beastman.”

Hearing his voice behind her, Chi Yuyang turned around, took the animal hide she had worn around her shoulders, and wrapped it around Hu Jin’s waist.

“Put some clothes on first.”

Once he’d covered his important parts, Chi Yuyang fetched the shirt she had specially sewn for him during the day.

“Will it be too hot?”

“No.” Hu Jin lowered his head. “Wife, help me put it on.”

They were standing extremely close—barely a breath of space between them.

Chi Yuyang’s hands trembled slightly as she dressed him.

Since coming back from the snowy mountains, she could clearly feel that Hu Jin’s body had become leaner, firmer— the body of a fully grown man.

Yet he still had that slightly baby-faced look.

The contrast made the lines of his muscles even more striking.

Whether his human form or tiger form, most places she’d touched had always been soft.

But right now… she inexplicably wanted to try touching something firm.

Yet the moment she accidentally brushed his chest muscles, the scene from that day in the forest flashed through her mind.

And she could feel a faint gaze on her from somewhere near her feet.

So she casually moved her hand upward instead and rubbed the soft, slightly wavy hair on Hu Jin’s head.

The little fox watched their interaction silently.

“Juvenile beastman?” Chi Yuyang rested in Hu Jin’s arms, keeping a safe distance from the furry creature on the ground.

“Didn’t the chief say beastmen never leave the tribe before adulthood?”

“Mm.” Hu Jin nodded.

That was also why he wasn’t sure at first whether it was a beastman.

But now, his instincts were telling him the fluffball in front of them was a fox-tribe beastman.

“I lean toward it being a juvenile.”

The furball didn’t react, just lay motionless on the ground.

“There’s actually a way to confirm whether it’s a beastman,” Hu Jin said after a moment of thought.

The furball finally moved.

It tried to run out the door.

But before it could lift its paw, Hu Jin grabbed it by the scruff with one hand.

“I also think it’s a beastman,” Chi Yuyang said.

It could understand their conversation.

“Since it’s a fox-tribe beastman,” Hu Jin said, carrying the fox to the bamboo door, “then it has nothing to do with us.”

Cat-type and dog-type beastmen had always been natural enemies.

Also—how did some random creature barge into their stone house in the first place?

After dropping the fox at the doorway, Hu Jin walked back toward Chi Yuyang.

“Hu Jin…” She froze slightly. “Its leg…”

She saw the little furball limping pitifully back inside.

Its hind leg looked injured.

Hu Jin turned.

The dog-type beastman was dragging itself toward Chi Yuyang with great difficulty.

Head lowered, crawling hard in her direction.

Hu Jin’s expression darkened.

Not long ago, he’d seen the thing dash into the house like the wind.

And now it was acting weak in front of his wife?

“Hu Jin, maybe… we should take it to the healer tomorrow?” Chi Yuyang said hesitantly.

Although she was a veterinarian, if the fox had a fracture, she wouldn’t be able to treat it right now.

“Wife, it’s pretending.” Hu Jin grabbed the fox’s hind leg, trying to prove it.

“Wait! Hu Jin, don’t touch it!” Chi Yuyang stopped him immediately.

Her tone was urgent, as if the fox were highly poisonous and touching it would be dangerous.

Hu Jin stared at her blankly, freezing mid-movement.

“We’ll let the healer check tomorrow.” Chi Yuyang lowered her head to avoid his crystal-clear eyes.

What if it’s female?! There’s no way Hu Jin can touch it!

She’d already witnessed firsthand how attractive he was to female beastmen. Even if this one was from another tribe…

Not that she would ever admit she was jealous of a juvenile beastman!

But Hu Jin had told her that beastmen considered mates even before adulthood, and once grown, they could mate immediately.

Chi Yuyang forced a calm look and held Hu Jin’s hand.

“Let it stay here for the night. We’ll see the chief tomorrow.”

“Wife, we’re keeping it?” Hu Jin’s tail drooped.

“Mm.”

“If it’s a lost juvenile from another tribe, its parents must be worried.”

…

By dawn, Chi Yuyang had only managed to nap a little.

Hu Jin hadn’t closed his eyes once—he’d watched the fox’s every move through the night.

Thus, the only one who slept well… was the fox intruder.

Groggy, Chi Yuyang suddenly remembered the missing fruits.

It must have been the fox!

While she and Hu Jin were away, it must have sneaked in and eaten their food stores.

So after waking up, she checked everything again.

“Hu Jin, what do you want for breakfast?” Chi Yuyang asked while counting the fruits, turning to the head resting on her shoulder.

“I’ll hunt on the way back to the tribe. Maybe I’ll catch a fox.” Hu Jin shot a side-eye at the furball on the ground.

Its breathing turned erratic.

At some point, it had crawled to Chi Yuyang’s feet.

She watched it tap her pants leg gently with its front paw.

“Aoo.” A soft, tiny sound—almost coquettish.

Chi Yuyang couldn’t help covering her mouth with a laugh.

Foxes were supposed to be cunning, yet this one looked so stupid in front of her.

She couldn’t help but doubt whether it was pretending.

Still, seeing it try so hard, she placed a fruit in its paw.

It immediately started munching.

Then Hu Jin grabbed it by the scruff with one hand and quickly stuffed it into a bamboo basket.

The fox fit perfectly inside.

“Wife, just hold the basket.” Hu Jin handed it to her, then shifted into his tiger form.

Seeing how eager Hu Jin was to get the fox to the healer, Chi Yuyang patted his head. “Hu Jin, your cub form is way cuter than this little fox.”

She meant it. At least right now, she didn’t have the urge to pet this fox bald.

Back then, when she first saw Hu Jin, she had touched him everywhere.

She had thought he was just a weak, pitiful tiger cub.

Thinking of this, she glanced at the fox in the basket, hoping it was truly a juvenile beastman.

“Awoo!” Hearing his wife praise him, the white tiger responded happily.

“Awoo awoo awoo!”

“All right, all right! I know you’re happy!” Chi Yuyang held the basket in one arm and hugged the tiger’s neck with the other. “You go hunt first, then we’ll head to the tribe.”

—

Chi Yuyang and Hu Jin brought the fox to Healer Hu Yu.

Hu Yu’s cave was not far from the chief’s residence. Today, Hu Zhuo happened to be there.

“Healer, Chief, hello.”

“Little Chi… Hu Jin.” Hu Zhuo paused before saying Hu Jin’s name.

“Chief, is something wrong?” Chi Yuyang noticed the odd tone.

Hu Zhuo gave Hu Jin a meaningful look.

“A few more males want to fight you… ow, ow, ow!”

The healer was massaging the chief’s sore spots, making him yelp.

“Getting old… bones aren’t what they used to be… and you tiger brats keep giving me trouble!”

Hu Jin swallowed the words “They’re courting death.”

“What brings you here today?” the healer asked.

Chi Yuyang placed the basket before them.

The fox poked its head out and blinked at the two elders.

Its eyes were oval with reddish-brown pupils— more seductive than cute when it blinked.

“A fox-tribe beastman?” The healer picked it up and examined it. “And a juvenile.”

“Healer, its leg is fine, right?” Chi Yuyang asked.

“Looks fine.” He placed it back in the basket.

“Wife!” Hu Jin used the tip of his tail to quietly push the basket away. “It really was lying!”

Chi Yuyang pretended not to see his little action.

“Mm. And it also stole our food.”

If it had been truly injured and unable to hunt, she could forgive it for eating their stores.

But it wasn’t injured—and it lied.

That was unforgivable.

Even juvenile beastmen could hunt.

“You found it near your stone house?” the chief asked.

Hu Jin had previously told him where their stone house was.

“But even the stone house is far from the fox-tribe’s territory.” He paused. “Aren’t you two heading to the snake-tribe soon? You can drop the fox off at the fox tribe along the way.”

“Where is the fox tribe located?” Hu Jin asked.

He vaguely remembered skipping class to fight with the lion tribe when the lessons about the fox tribe were taught.

Hu Zhuo looked at him with deep disappointment.

“Right, healer,” Chi Yuyang asked, “is this fox male or female?”

“Hu Jin, see? This is why you should’ve paid attention in class. You know nothing.” The chief seized the opportunity to lecture him.

Hu Jin thought: If it’s male, then it must be trying to steal my wife!

Chi Yuyang thought: Please don’t let it be female. Hu Jin is too dangerous to females…

“The fox tribe…” the healer began.

“They choose their gender when they reach adulthood,” the chief finished.

“As for this one—” The healer looked at the obedient little fox in the basket. “It’s probably close to adulthood.”