Beast World: From Villainess to Cub-Raising Chef

Before Lu Tingyan could get angry, Yodel and his assistant tactfully pulled Bai Xue aside.

Lu Tingyan’s sharp gaze swept over everyone present.

The people present were all villagers, and even the investigators had never seen such a high-ranking official. Everyone uncontrollably lowered their heads, not daring to speak another word.

Bai Su’s mouth twitched as she followed Lu Tingyan away.

She knew what Lu Tingyan wanted to do.

’If he wants to round them all up at once, he can’t alert the enemy.’

’That’s why he deliberately put on an act of protecting his little lover, letting the matter drop.’

’The local criminals hiding in the shadows would surely let their guard down.’

With a dark expression, Bai Su felt a headache coming on as she endured Bai Xue’s furious glare from behind.

Just as she expected.

Bai Su returned to the orphanage without incident, and that very day, rumors spread like wildfire at the foot of the mountain.

The gossip was all about how she’d hit the jackpot with a rich backer. Not only was she about to enter the Federation as a legal resident, but all her past misdeeds were being wiped clean.

The tales grew so wildly exaggerated that they stopped just short of calling her Daji, the femme fatale who could topple a nation.

That night, Bai Su snuck out of the orphanage to meet Lu Tingyan at the foot of the mountain. Under the cover of darkness, the two of them went to Xiao Mi’s house.

Xiao Mi was sitting in her rice storeroom, clutching her Little Beastman and weeping. It clearly wasn’t the first time she had cried.

When she saw Bai Su and Lu Tingyan, she quickly wiped away her tears and nudged her child. "Quick! Kowtow to your godmother and Major General Lu and thank them!"

The child acted swiftly, kowtowing three times with loud THUDS.

Bai Su quickly pulled the child up, her mouth twitching. "Don’t worry. I will definitely save your child."

Xiao Mi stared at her with bloodshot eyes. "If you can really save my child, from this day on, you’ll be my dear older sister, and I’ll never cross you again! As for those idiotic males, you can have them all if you want! They aren’t worth anything, anyway!"

Lu Tingyan raised an eyebrow from the side.

Bai Su waved her hand dismissively, amused. "No, thank you."

Lu Tingyan got straight to the point. "Where is the exchange point?"

Frightened, Xiao Mi tensed up. "T-To answer, Sir... it’s at the entrance of a cave on the back mountain. The child has to be brought to them at nine o’clock tomorrow night."

Lu Tingyan nodded. "Understood."

Bai Su said, "We can follow them secretly, then surround and capture them when the exchange happens."

Lu Tingyan thought for a moment before saying in a low voice, "If we want to catch them all in one fell swoop, we can’t make the arrest at the exchange point. It would alert the others."

Bai Su looked at him. "You mean?" 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Lu Tingyan replied, "Let them take the child back to their hideout. Then we’ll round them all up."

Hearing this from the side, Xiao Mi frantically shook her head. "No, Sir! You can’t do that! What if you’re too late and my child gets shipped off and sold?"

She was terrified and quickly hugged her child, her eyes welling up with tears again.

Bai Su frowned, trying to reassure her. "If he’s going to be the bait, we’ll definitely put a tracker on him. We won’t let anything happen to him."

But Xiao Mi just kept shaking her head. "No, no, no!"

"You said you would save my child, not send him to his death!"

"If a fight breaks out, who will protect him? He’s just a child! What if he gets hurt?"

Bai Su gave Lu Tingyan a helpless look and shrugged.

Lu Tingyan’s brow furrowed. "If we want a permanent solution, this is the best way."

But Xiao Mi just kept shaking her head, listening to no one. She hugged her child, tears streaming down her face.

"Let me go. I can be the bait," a young voice suddenly said from the doorway.

They all turned toward the sound and saw Bai Xiaolang.

Bai Su was taken aback. "What are you doing here?"

Bai Xiaolang replied, "I followed you down. I heard everything. You’re going to catch bad guys, and I can help."

Lu Tingyan sized him up. "You?"

Feeling his masculine pride had been challenged, Bai Xiaolang’s face fell. "I know being the bait is dangerous, and you might not be able to protect me when the fighting starts, but I’m not afraid. I’m a Level 5 Beastman. I’m more than capable of protecting myself."

"Level 5?" Lu Tingyan raised an eyebrow. "How old are you to already be a Level 5?"

Bai Xiaolang was pleased with his reaction. "I’m four years old."

For the Wolf Clan, four years old was equivalent to a human of about ten. They were tall enough, and their minds were fully developed.

Lu Tingyan calmly looked away. "When I was your age, I could already command small-scale offensive and defensive battles on my own."

Bai Xiaolang was speechless.

Bai Su tutted and glared at Lu Tingyan. "Why are you picking on my son?"

Lu Tingyan asked, "He’s your son?"

Bai Su replied, "All the children in the orphanage are my children."

Lu Tingyan pointed out coolly and objectively, "His skill level might be considered outstanding in a backwater place like this, but across the entire Federation, it’s hardly capital to be proud of."

Bai Xiaolang pressed his lips together, his body tensing up.

’He really hates this man.’

’His intuition told him this man would one day steal his Director Mom. It seemed his intuition was right—this guy is so annoying!’

Bai Su’s face darkened. "And you’re proud that you could command a small-scale battle? What’s there to be proud of in an ability gap caused by unequal access to educational resources? If you had grown up in an orphanage, outside the Federation’s borders, I doubt you would have done any better than him!"

It was the first time anyone had ever spoken to Lu Tingyan so bluntly to his face.

It was also the first time anyone had ever refuted his excellence.

Even though his spiritual power was now crippled, no one would deny the excellence of his glorious past.

However...

Lu Tingyan seriously considered her words, a strange light flashing in his eyes. "I admit, you have a point."

Only then did Bai Su look away and ruffle Bai Xiaolang’s hair. "Our Little Wolf is so brave!"

The tips of Bai Xiaolang’s ears turned red again.

"Such a good boy~" Bai Su couldn’t resist ruffling his ears again.

Lu Tingyan raised an eyebrow from the side.

This kid brought him meals every day, yet he was extremely wary. Whenever Lu Tingyan tried to ask about the miraculous Healing Ability in Bai Su’s food, the boy would glare at him with a fierce, warning look.

The last time he and Bai Xue had been lured here, it was clearly this little one’s doing.

’My judgment of people is never wrong,’ Lu Tingyan thought. ’This wolf cub is extremely shrewd. His gaze is dark and intense, and he radiates the ferocity of a lone wolf.’

’Only a woman like Bai Su would believe the wolf cub she was raising was docile and cute.’

Lu Tingyan announced, "Then it’s settled. Bai Xiaolang will be the bait. I’ll have my assistant get our people in position ahead of time."

Bai Su looked at Bai Xiaolang. "Are you sure? You’re really brave enough to be the bait?"

Bai Xiaolang nodded earnestly. "Yes!"

Bai Su gave him an appreciative look. "Good! You truly are Director Mom’s good boy!"

’I’m glad to see him taking the initiative to get involved in punishing evil and promoting good.’

’Doing good deeds is addictive.’

’When you work hard to do something good and earn someone’s gratitude, you gain an immense sense of spiritual fulfillment.’

’The more he participates, the more positive his mindset will become, and the farther he’ll be from becoming a final boss!’

’And my own life will be that much safer!’