I Abandoned My Beast Cubs for the Protagonist... Oops?-Chapter 69: The Mandatory Honeymoon of Doom

Uh???"

Bai Yue blinked, her mouth hanging slightly open as she stared at the Dragon Princess.

Cāng Yáo stood firmly in the center of the village clearing, her arms crossed over her chest, her chin tilted up at a defiant forty-five-degree angle.

Her golden jewelry chimed aggressively as she stomped one foot, cracking the stone pavement beneath her sandal.

"I am not leaving this place," Cāng Yáo declared, her voice booming. "I don’t want to leave, and that is final!"

"But... but..." Bai Yue stammered, gesturing vaguely at the packed bags and the very annoyed-looking village elders.

"The elders said... the mice... the chaos... you built a palace on someone’s lawn..."

"Hmph!" Cāng Yáo huffed, turning her nose up high. "Do you think I care about the elders? Do you think I care about the mice? Those rodents feared me! It was glorious! And besides..." She leaned in, her eyes narrowing. "Who is going to cook the spicy pain-broth if I leave? My brother? He burns water!"

Behind her, Cāng Jì let out an offended squawk. "I do not burn water! I merely....evaporate it with dignity!"

Everyone ignored them.

Zhào Yàn waved a hand dismissively. "Let her talk. Eventually, she will run out of air and have to follow us."

Han Shān, standing rigidly on the other side of his fellow husband, made a noise that sounded like a strangled cat. He was holding two massive bags of supplies over his shoulder as if they weighed nothing, but he was pointedly looking at a tree about ten feet to the left of Bai Yue.

He hadn’t made direct eye contact with her since the hot spring incident yesterday. Every time she moved, his ears twitched, and a faint pink dusting appeared on his cheeks.

"Are.....are you ready?" Han Shān asked the tree. He cleared his throat, turned his head slightly toward Bai Yue, then immediately looked back at the tree.

"The path... it is cold. At night. I have... extra furs. In the bag. Not for me. For you. Obviously."

He shoved a bundle of soft white fur into her hands without looking at her face, then spun around and marched five steps away before realizing he didn’t know where he was going. He awkwardly sidestepped back into position.

Bai Yue hugged the furs, feeling a mix of affection and the urge to laugh. He was.... surprisingly cute? She could get used to this. "Thank you."

"Grrr," Han Shān replied intelligently, his ears turning a deeper shade of pink.

Before Bai Yue could rescue the Snow Leopard from his own embarrassment, a soft, hesitant voice came from her other side.

"Um. Bai Yue?"

She turned to find Yàn Shū standing there. The Red Panda scholar looked like he might faint at any moment. He was clutching a small woven pouch of herbs to his chest, his knuckles white.

His fluffy auburn ears were pinned back nervously, and his tail was tucked between his legs.

"I... I made this," Yàn Shū stammered, holding out the pouch. "It is... for mosquitoes. And... and stomach aches. In case... um... the food disagrees with you. Not that your cooking disagrees! It is wonderful! I just... I thought..." He trailed off, his face turning the same color as his fur.

Bai Yue’s heart melted. She took the pouch gently. "Thank you, Yàn Shū. This is perfect."

Yàn Shū let out a breathless squeak, looked like he wanted to say something else, then simply bowed deeply and hurried to stand behind Han Shān, peeking out from behind the Snow Leopard’s massive arm.

"Pathetic," Zhào Yàn drawled.

He sauntered over to Bai Yue, his nine tails swishing behind him. Without asking, he wrapped one fluffy tail around her waist and pulled her against his side. "She is perfectly capable of handling mosquitoes. She fought a Hydra, remember?"

He leaned down, brushing his lips against her ear. "But I appreciate the sentiment, scholar. It shows you understand your place in the hierarchy."

"There is no hierarchy!" Bai Yue hissed, though she didn’t push him away.

"There is now," Zhào Yàn smirked, kissing her cheek loudly enough for the entire village to hear. Han Shān made another strangled noise from near the tree.

"Cursed female!"

The moment was interrupted by the wailing of the Panther Triplets. Miao Miao, A-Li, and Xiao Hei were clinging to Mo Xiao’s legs, tears streaming down their furry faces.

"We want to go with you!" Miao Miao sobbed, wiping her nose on Mo Xiao’s trousers.

"Yes! We promise not to cause any trouble!" A-Li added helpfully.

Mo Xiao sighed, rubbing his temples before looking at Bai Yue. "They have been crying since dawn. I believe they think you are going to be eaten by the wilderness."

"We will be back soon," Bai Yue promised, crouching down to hug them. "I promise. I’ll bring you back a souvenir. A... a very large rock."

"A shiny rock!" Xiao Hei corrected.

"Okay, a shiny rock."

"Nooo!" The triplets wailed in unison, but Mo Xiao gently pried them off, promising them extra meat rations if they behaved.

Finally, the group was assembled. It was.....crowded.

Bai Yue looked at the procession. There was her, obviously. Zhào Yàn, who refused to be more than an inch away from her. Han Shān, who was carrying enough supplies to survive an ice age while avoiding eye contact. Yàn Shū, who was hiding behind Han Shān but peeking out nervously.

Then there were the dragons. Cāng Jì was complaining about the humidity, but carrying a large crate of bowls. Cāng Yáo who was currently polishing her gold bangles.

And the cubs. Ruì Xuě was holding Han Shān’s hand, looking much happier than he had in weeks. Yòu Lín was riding on Zhào Yàn’s shoulders. Hóng Yè was marching beside Yàn Shū, glaring at anyone who looked at his father wrong.

"Is this a vacation or an invasion?" Bai Yue muttered.

"It is a mating retreat," Zhào Yàn corrected smoothly. "Focus, little mate."

"I am focusing on not tripping over your tail!"

"Enough talking!" Cāng Yáo announced, striding to the front of the group. "Lead the way, mud-rat! My mouth is already craving the pain! If we do not find spicy peppers within three days, I will eat the Fox!"

"You will not eat the Fox," Han Shān grumbled, finally finding his voice.

"We shall see!" Cāng Yáo countered.