Future Beast World: Becoming A Pampered Beauty-Chapter 162 - 106: He Didn’t Fill You Up?

The more detached a person seems on the outside, the more cunning they truly are.

Lan Cang’s intuition told him this Sea Emperor was a man of many schemes. Not wanting to deal with him any further, he cupped his hands and said, "If Your Highness the Sea Emperor has no other business for me, I will take my leave."

"One moment," Lou Xianyue said, tossing him a Space Ring. "It’s filled with some useful items, including Bone Marrow Cleansing Liquid. It will cleanse your marrow and refine your bones, which should be a great help in improving your innate talent."

Lou Xianyue looked down on Lan Cang’s innate talent, but the man’s disposition was at least straightforward. He was also loyal to Sang’er and was her first Beast Husband. After this interaction, Lou Xianyue grudgingly acknowledged him in his heart.

’Since we are all Sang’er’s Beast Husbands, our strength is her asset.’

"Being a True King Rank is certainly impressive among the common folk, but your journey doesn’t end here."

Lan Cang was taken aback. He bowed deeply and said, "Thank you!"

This time, his bow was much more solemn and sincere.

"There’s no need to thank me. I’m also doing this for Sang’er. While she remains by your side, I hope you will take good care of her and protect her." Lou Xianyue fiddled with the Jade Ring on his finger. ’I should get going too.’ "After a while, I will come to pick her up."

’It’s time for me to go into seclusion again.’

’I can’t go back on my promise to her.’

...

「In the backyard.」

Sang Luo was playing frisbee with her three cubs, helping them burn off some of their excess energy.

When she saw Lan Cang return without Lou Xianyue behind him, she figured the Sea Emperor had left.

"Cangcang~"

Sang Luo called out in a soft, sweet voice, only to see her big wolf looking sullen. His gaze was lonely and sad, but he said nothing, simply picking up their three children and starting to head back inside.

Sang Luo’s eyes widened.

’Don’t tell me that bastard Lou Xianyue secretly said something to him to sow discord!’

"Why the long face?" Sang Luo quickly stood up and hurried over to grab his hand.

’She preferred to talk things out openly instead of letting them fester. Otherwise, small problems could easily snowball into huge ones, putting a needless strain on their relationship.’

Lan Cang looked at her, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. "Luoluo," he asked in a low voice, "are your Beast Father and Beast Mother still alive?"

"Of course they are! The two of them are alive and well!"

Lan Cang grew even more dejected. He had always assumed she was an orphan abandoned by her tribe, or that her parents had passed away. That was why he’d never asked about her family, afraid of dredging up painful memories. He never expected that wasn’t the case at all.

’She took Lou Xianyue to meet her parents, but she’s never taken me.’

"I... I want to meet your parents too," Lan Cang said, hugging the three cubs tightly. He lowered his head and continued in a hushed tone, "No matter what, Little Stone, Zhuizui, and Zhi Xin need to be formally acknowledged by their ancestors and entered into the family records. Even if... even if I’m not that important, the three children are your own flesh and blood. They should get to meet their grandparents."

"..." Sang Luo finally understood why he was throwing a fit.

’She still held onto the customs from Earth and had thought about bringing her partners home to meet her parents. But they weren’t from the same world, and she couldn’t take them back right now anyway. Sang Luo had never even mentioned her parents to her Beast Husbands. They had probably already filled in the blanks and invented a suitable backstory for her, so she never had to explain her origins.’

’The only time her parents had ever "appeared" was in the Illusion Realm back at the Insect King Palace. Lou Xianyue had been partially present for that, so he must have found out then.’

’He must have told Lan Cang about it!’

Sang Luo felt a pang of frustration. Unsure how to explain, she just said, "When the opportunity arises, I will definitely take you to meet my parents!"

"..." He looked even more dejected, as if she were just placating him.

"Trust me. The reason I’m not taking you to them is because I can’t go back myself right now. Don’t ask why just yet, but I promise, as soon as I get the chance to see them, I will absolutely take you with me!" Sang Luo said, exasperated. "And don’t listen to that old fish’s nonsense. He’s never met my parents. A few days ago, I was trapped in an Illusion Realm by the Insect Clan, and I saw my parents inside it. He just happened to witness that scene."

It was like a lightbulb went off in Lan Cang’s head. No wonder Lou Xianyue’s tone had felt so strange, as if he were trying to subtly pry something out of him.

’Thinking back on it, Lou Xianyue never actually said he had met Sang Luo’s parents face-to-face. He just used a few carefully chosen words to deliberately lead me to that conclusion.’

’And I almost fell for his trick!’

"I’m sorry, Luoluo. So that’s what happened. I thought you didn’t care about me enough to be willing to take me to meet your parents. It really hurt, and I felt like I was being ignored and left out..."

"Mhm~ So you’re not mad anymore, right?" Sang Luo wrapped her arms around his firm waist, tilted her head up, and pouted her rosy lips. "Cangcang~ I’m hungry~"

Lan Cang’s eyes darkened. "He didn’t satisfy you?"

"..."

Flushed with embarrassed anger, Sang Luo punched him lightly on the chest. "I meant my stomach is hungry!"

Lan Cang quickly busied himself in the kitchen.

Sang Luo followed him. "Have you eaten yet?"

"Not yet." He had been so worried these past few days, he hadn’t had much of an appetite. "I’ll make some extra meat dishes for this meal, all your favorites."

"Mhm~ Cangcang is the best~ You’re so capable, and you understand me so well~"

With his back to her, Lan Cang’s tail was practically wagging. The gloom that had plagued him all day vanished without a trace.

After dinner, Lan Cang sat cross-legged on the living room rug, cradling the three little cubs in his arms.

The three cubs, who were usually boisterous and full of life, were exceptionally quiet and still tonight.

No, it wasn’t that they were being well-behaved—their eyes were glazed over, and they looked about to fall asleep.

Just as Zhi Xin’s eyes closed, Lan Cang forced them open again.

Sang Luo could have sworn she saw an expression of pure misery on the little wolf’s face. She let out a snort of laughter. As she drew closer, she saw that Lan Cang was holding a few books—picture books for teaching cubs how to read.

"Didn’t you say it was too early to teach them how to read and speak?"

"It’s not too early. A while ago, one of the Beastmen under my command had a litter of Wolf Beast cubs born just two days after you gave birth. Their cubs are already starting to learn to read!" Lan Cang said. "And there are other cubs just a month older than them who are already being taken out by their Beast Fathers to learn how to hunt. It makes no sense for my three cubs to learn slower than others. That would make me an incompetent Beast Father!"

"...The kids are all yours. You can raise them however you see fit."

’Sang Luo had zero experience raising Beastman cubs anyway. Lan Cang was fully in charge of the children’s development and education.’

’Learning to read before they were even a month old and weaned seemed a bit terrifying, but her three cubs were all quite precocious. It probably wasn’t too harsh, and as their father, Lan Cang surely knew what he was doing.’

"Right. We can’t let the children fall behind at the starting line!" Lan Cang nodded. "We can’t spoil them. Wolves of Ice can’t be raised like delicate flowers in a greenhouse."

"..."

’So it’s not just humans,’ she thought. ’Beastmen are caught up in the parenting rat race too!’

Sang Luo hadn’t slept well that morning, so she felt drowsy after dinner. It was almost her bedtime anyway. After a yawn, she told Lan Cang she was going to head back to their room to rest.

Before falling asleep, Sang Luo reminded Lan Cang to wake her up on time in the early hours of the morning.

Lan Cang seemed to recall something and nodded with a smile.

...