Beast World: From Villainess to Cub-Raising Chef

Bai Xiaolang sounded a bit helpless. "I know you don’t trust Mom yet, but believe me, we’ve been looking for you all this time."

The Snake Child felt a flicker of joy, but his face remained distrustful. "Maybe you just want to round us all up to pull some other nasty trick!"

The enticing aroma of food soon wafted into the living room.

The Snake Child twitched his nose. "What’s that smell?"

Bai Xiaolang said, "That must be Mom’s cooking. It’s almost ready."

The Snake Child was skeptical. "Food? Does canned food smell like this?"

Bai Xiaolang smiled and explained, "No, it’s food Mom cooked herself. I heard it’s a lost culinary art from Ancient Blue Star. Mom awakened a Healing Superpower. My eyes and tail were healed by eating her food."

The Snake Child didn’t say anything to that, just stared at him. "You call her ’Mom’ now?"

Bai Xiaolang froze, unsure if he should tell him now that Bai Su was their biological mother.

But it seemed Bai Su herself didn’t know.

’Forget it. I’ll wait until he has a better opinion of Mom before I tell him.’

With that thought, Bai Xiaolang quickly changed the subject. "You should eat a lot later. You must have had a really hard time out there these past few months, haven’t you?"

The Snake Child snorted coldly. "I’m not eating anything that woman made!"

Bai Xiaolang replied, "If you hate her so much, why not eat more? She spent money on it, and she spent time and energy making it. The more you eat, the more you can take advantage of her and make things difficult for her!"

The Snake Child thought about it and realized he had a point.

He gritted his teeth. "I’ll eat every last bite later!"

Bai Xiaolang couldn’t help but sneak a smile. ’Besides inheriting the Snake Beastman’s trait of holding grudges, he’s actually quite simple-minded.’

The food was brought to the table.

Bai Su called the children to wash their hands.

The little ones cheered and lined up to wash their hands.

The Snake Child was dragged along to the sink.

He glanced at the happily clamoring kittens and Little Tiger, then turned to look at the heartwarming scene in the dining room, where Bai Su and Lu Tingyan were bringing dishes to the table.

He had seen scenes like this back when he was being sold from one Beastman family to another as a slave.

Back then, he could only watch with a heart full of envy, never imagining that he would one day be a part of such a scene himself.

When the Snake Child was pulled to the table after washing his hands, he still wore a grim expression.

Bai Su just smiled, handed him a spoon, and ruffled his hair. "Go on and eat. I didn’t know what you like, so I made some extra meat. Tell me what you like, and I’ll make it for you from now on."

The Snake Child snorted and turned his face away, avoiding her touch.

Bai Su wasn’t annoyed. She just served him some more food.

The rich, meaty aroma continuously wafted into the little one’s nose.

Beside him, Bai Xiaolang and the kittens were already digging in heartily.

He finally couldn’t resist. With the grim determination of someone trying something potentially fatal, he scooped up a piece of sweet and sour chicken with his spoon and put it in his mouth.

The rich, sweet, and sour flavor exploded in his mouth.

The Snake Child’s eyes widened in disbelief. For a moment, he didn’t even dare to chew.

Bai Xiaolang’s eyes crinkled with his smile. "How is it? Isn’t it delicious? Mom’s cooking is amazing!"

The Snake Child wanted to keep his stern expression, but the flavor in his mouth was too wonderful. He had never eaten meat this delicious.

In his experience, raw meat always had a gamey taste, and while canned chicken wasn’t gamey, it was bland.

It was absolutely nothing like what was in his mouth now—a flavor that was rich, sweet, and sour, with meat that was tender, juicy, and smooth to the bite.

Bai Su laughed. "Eat up. I used thigh meat for the chicken, so it should be quite tender and easy for you to digest."

She served the little one a few large pieces of beef, scooped some quail eggs onto his plate, and added some ribs. "Look how thin you are. You must have suffered a lot out there. Eat more to build up your strength."

The Snake Child looked at everyone at the table, who were all watching him with beaming smiles. Even Lu Tingyan, who usually looked cold and unapproachable, had a gentle expression on his face.

A strange, sour feeling welled up in his chest. Fighting back the lump in his throat, he stiffened his neck and said, "You don’t have to serve me. I can get it myself!"

But even though he tried to make his voice low and fierce, he couldn’t hide the sob in his tone.

Bai Su’s heart melted. She desperately wanted to pull him into a tight hug but was afraid he would resist.

’The poor little thing. The original owner sold him when he was so young. And to be found so dirty and scrawny... he must have suffered so much out there.’

After dinner, all the little ones went upstairs to line up for their baths.

Bai Su was cleaning up in the kitchen, putting the dishes and utensils into the dishwasher.

She turned and asked Lu Tingyan, "Where did you find him? Was he... was he..."

Lu Tingyan said, "When we found him, he had just escaped from a family’s home."

"According to that family, he was bought to be a servant. They said he was punished because he stole something from the masters and broke an expensive vase."

"He couldn’t take the punishment, so he ran away. But from the looks of his injuries, I don’t think it’s that simple."

Bai Su nodded. "Thank you."

Lu Tingyan said, "I’ve already bought him back for you and completed the paperwork. Don’t worry, he’s not an undocumented resident."

Bai Su said, "Okay."

Lu Tingyan leaned in closer again. "It’s getting late. Can I... today..."

Bai Su gave him an amused look. "How about next time? Right now, my mind is completely full of the Snake Child. I want to focus on taking care of him."

Lu Tingyan had guessed she would say that. He didn’t insist, just sighed. "Can I have a hug then?"

He considered himself composed and self-possessed, but he had no idea that standing there with his arms open, asking for a hug, he looked exactly like a big puppy wagging its tail and begging its owner for affection.

Bai Su was amused by her own mental image and threw herself into his arms, giving him a solid, proper hug.

Lu Tingyan pulled her tightly into his arms. The solid contact made him let out a contented sigh, and he buried his face in the crook of her neck, taking a few deep breaths.

The sweet scent of honey peaches filled his senses.

Bai Su couldn’t hold back a laugh, ruffling his hair. "Alright, you should go home now."

Lu Tingyan held on to her, refusing to let go. "What am I to you now? Can I be your Beast Husband yet?"

Bai Su’s lips curved into a smile. "Mmm... that’s too fast. I’m not ready yet. You just said you were going to pursue me today, and you already want to be my Beast Husband tonight?"

Lu Tingyan nuzzled the crook of her neck and hummed softly. "Can’t I?"

Bai Su said, "We’ll see how you do."

Lu Tingyan tightened his embrace, as if trying to merge her into his body. "This feels like a dream. Bai Su, you’re really going to let me pursue you, right?"

Bai Su said laughingly, "Yes, yes, yes... You’re squeezing me so tight I can’t breathe!"

Instead of loosening his grip, Lu Tingyan held her even tighter. "I just took over my new position, so I might be a little busy for the next few days and won’t have much time to spend with you. Wait for me."

Bai Su was exasperated. "Okay."

’How did I never realize that Lu Tingyan was this clingy in private?’

’He’s not like a wolf at all.’

’He’s just a big puppy trying to be cute and win affection.’

But she also enjoyed this kind of embrace.

Being held so perfectly in his broad embrace, the two of them pressed tightly together.

A hug that offered such an immense sense of security was often more moving than a thousand words.

Only after sending Lu Tingyan off did Bai Su go upstairs.

The other children had already finished their baths. Only the Snake Child was still curled up in the living room, looking wary.

Bai Xiaolang stood beside him helplessly, pajamas in hand, trying to negotiate with him.

Bai Su took the pajamas from Bai Xiaolang’s hands. "Let me. You all go to bed first."