Ziqian was stunned by Huo's sudden confession. He had already sensed that the man liked him, but he hadn't expected him to blurt it out so directly.
Huo let him go, but his hands lingered as he gently turned Ziqian around. When their eyes met, Ziqian's chest tightened—Huo's face was etched with frustration, yes, but beneath it he caught the flicker of weariness, of hurt, a silent ache of someone who didn't know how else to reach him.
"Can you tell me what's wrong?" he asked worriedly.
"I like you so much, Ziqian… but I'm afraid you won't like me back." Huo pulled him into another embrace. "I'm not as good as him. That's why everyone prefers him. Everyone wants to please him, and he always has the first say in everything. What's so great about that cold-faced guy anyway?"
Even without a name, Ziqian knew exactly who Huo meant. The feud between the twins was an open secret in the tribe—two sides of the same coin, endlessly compared. What puzzled him was how Xue's popularity with others had anything to do with Huo suddenly blurting out a confession.
"Ziqian…"
"Hm?"
"Don't marry him, okay?"
Eh?
When Ziqian didn't respond, Huo's hug tightened, and he hurriedly added, "If you want to marry him, then you have to marry me first, okay?"
Wait, what?! Who's marrying whom?!
The four fluff balls, who had vanished the moment Huo hugged him, suddenly reappeared.
"I think he's talking about you," Ero said innocently.
I know! What I mean is—he just confessed, so why is he suddenly talking about marriage?!
When no answer came, Huo's hands tightened suddenly on Ziqian's shoulders, pulling him closer until their eyes locked. His voice broke the silence, raw and unsteady. "Do you… like Xue?" The question hung in the air, heavy with fear, as if he were trying to hold back tears.
"Huo…" Ziqian murmured, utterly at a loss. He still couldn't make sense of what was happening. His hesitation—meant only to give him time to think—seemed to have the opposite effect.
Huo's grip tightened around him, almost bruising in its desperation. His breathing was ragged and uneven, as though that single pause had confirmed his worst fears.
"I know I can't compare to Xue, but I want you to see me as someone worthy too. Just give me one chance. Everything he can do, I can do for you. I'll hunt, I'll gather herbs, and I'll cook. If you want fruit, I'll bring it to you every day. And—and I'll keep my tent clean—or better, I'll build a new, bigger one, just for you."
He didn't sound like someone making a confession at all. The words slipped out of him like a weary merchant trying to peddle what no one wanted. The tremor in his voice betrayed not confidence but fear—that he was offering himself only to be dismissed. To Ziqian, it felt less like a declaration of love and more like the breaking of a man who had already convinced himself he wasn't enough.
The more Ziqian listened, the more confused he became.
As Huo continued his endless rambling, Ziqian glanced at the four fluff balls. What's wrong with him this time?
"He overheard the tribe's meeting," Ero explained.
Meeting?
"Lia and Bei gathered the elders this afternoon to ask for guidance," Gae added. "Lia was afraid the Beast God would get angry because of all the rumors going around the tribe about you."
Why would the Beast God be angry? Ziqian thought, his head spinning. Huo was talking about marriage, and now Gae was talking about divine wrath. His brain couldn't keep up. All he wanted was to wash up and sleep.
"Lia believes you're the one sent by the Beast God. If anyone offends you, it could anger him," Ero explained solemnly.
The Beast God really was the one who sent me here? Ziqian asked casually.
"Yes and no," they replied in unison.
"He's the one who opened the void so you could transmigrate safely," Gae clarified, "but in exchange, you must help his people."
Ziqian wanted to ask more about the Beast God, but with Huo still speaking frantically in front of him, he chose to set it aside for now. Fine. Then tell me, what marriage nonsense is he even talking about?
This time Phi answered, "Lia wants you to marry Xue at the next Eulogia. Since you're the one sent by the Beast God, they believe you should only marry the most worthy."
I see, let's talk again later. Ziqian let the fluff balls vanish before turning his full attention to Huo.
"I know I scared you when we first met," Huo rambled on. "But that was only an accident. I only wanted to check the bushes when I heard movement, and then—"
Ziqian planned to let him finish, but his ears couldn't take it anymore. He reached up and cupped Huo's face, forcing the frantic words to a halt.
"Huo, please. Calm down."
The man froze. His golden eyes locked on Ziqian as if bewitched.
Beads of water slid down Ziqian's face, catching the light as if each drop added to his allure. With his brows furrowed and clear eyes shining with unintentional charm, he looked devastatingly beautiful, which left Huo's heart stumbling over itself—just as it always did when he looked at the sub-beast.
"I don't care who's considered 'worthy' or not," Ziqian said firmly. "If I marry someone, it will be the person I like. No one else."
Huo's breath hitched. "Really?"
Ziqian nodded without hesitation.
"Then… do you like me?"
The question caught Ziqian off guard. Realizing what Huo meant, he chuckled and pinched his cheek lightly. "I give you an inch, and you're already trying to take a mile?" His playful tone was sweet, almost teasing, and Huo flushed under the touch.
Every day his feelings for the sub-beast only deepened. Whether or not Ziqian was sent by the Beast God, someone so beautiful and kind deserved the best. Huo knew he could never compare to Xue in the eyes of others—but he also knew he wouldn't give up Ziqian without a fight.
"Then… how about Xue? Do you like him?" Huo blurted before he could stop himself, quickly adding in panic, "I mean, it's normal if you do. Everyone says he's the strongest and most handsome beast in the tribe."
Ziqian frowned. Xue again. Clearly, Huo's self-doubt was rooted in the constant comparisons with his twin. It was something Ziqian understood all too well.
"Aren't you strong and handsome too?" he countered.
"But they said—"
Ziqian silenced him by covering his mouth. "Stop. I don't want to hear 'they said' ever again. Don't bother with what other people say—believe in yourself."
His voice softened as he went on. "You and Xue may be twins, but you're still different people. You each have your own strengths, your own personalities, and your own paths. Don't measure yourself against him or anyone else. Instead, find what makes you unique, and embrace it."
He brushed his fingers gently against Huo's eyes, smiling warmly. "Look at you. You're handsome, your golden eyes are beautiful, and your unruly hair suits you perfectly. It matches your fiery personality."
Huo's golden eyes shimmered, a fragile gloss of tears threatening to fall.
"From now on, I don't want to hear you comparing yourself to Xue again. If you do, I'll ignore you completely—do you understand?" Ziqian said, trying to be intimidating.
Huo nodded.
To him, Ziqian was the only one who had ever believed in him—the only one who didn't compare him to Xue. He wouldn't do anything that might cause the sub-beast to abandon him. As long as Ziqian chose him, he was willing to do everything and agree to anything.
Right now, Huo looked almost childlike, waiting to be coaxed. Ziqian couldn't help but find him endearing. A teasing smile tugged at his lips.
"Here's a reward for an obedient beast," Ziqian murmured, his fingers tracing from Huo's cheek to the nape of his neck, drawing the man down into a kiss.
Their lips brushed—soft, deliberate, lingering. Ziqian's teeth grazed Huo's lower lip in a playful nip before he pulled back, leaving warmth behind.
Huo froze, breath shuddering. His lips tingled, and before he could even process what had happened, the sweetness was gone.
"Ziqian…" His voice trembled.
"Hm?" Ziqian tiptoed to loop his arms around Huo's neck, smiling with quiet mischief.
Something inside Huo snapped. He instinctively wrapped his arms around Ziqian's waist and kissed him again, this time with a clumsy urgency that betrayed his inexperience. His lips pressed harder, eager to capture the warmth he'd just lost.
Ziqian chuckled softly against his mouth, teasing but indulgent. He tilted his head and welcomed him deeper. Their breaths tangled, their closeness so tight that even the faintest movement sent sparks racing through them.
The air thickened with heat. Huo's heartbeat thundered in Ziqian's ears, his desperation and longing seeping through every trembling touch. For a moment, it felt as if the world had narrowed to just the two of them—the rush of the stream, the mingling of their breaths, and the faint citrus-and-vanilla fragrance between them.
Ziqian's head spun. Too much…
"Huo!"
The cold, cutting voice shattered the haze like a bucket of ice water.
Both of them stiffened. They broke apart reluctantly, lips swollen, breath ragged. Ziqian pressed his face into Huo's chest, listening to the wild pounding of the man's heart.
Huo didn't answer. He only held Ziqian tighter, burying his face in the sub-beast's shoulder, planting light kisses in his damp hair. Each breath came with a whispered "Ziqian…"—a prayer, a plea, a claim.
"Huo!" Xue's voice cut through the moment again.
Huo gritted his teeth, frustration boiling. "What?" he snapped without turning around.
Even without seeing, Xue knew who Huo was hugging so tightly.
Xue had spotted his brother slipping behind the gathering hall. Normally, he would have ignored it. But when Lia's calm voice carried through the crowd—"Let Ziqian marry Xue in the next Eulogia"—Huo's expression twisted, and before anyone else noticed, he stormed away.
Mother had already told him about the plan. He hadn't objected. As High Priest, her judgment was unquestionable, and if marrying Ziqian would strengthen the tribe, then he would obey.
But Huo—Huo was different. His twin's fixation on the sub-beast was no longer a secret. And his hatred for Xue only grew sharper each time Ziqian smiled at him. Afraid his brother might act rashly again, Xue followed.
The thick scent of Huo's pheromones earlier was saturating the air. It was reckless and dangerous. His jaw tightened. If Ziqian's body reacted, if instinct overrode his will…
"Mother and Father are looking for you," Xue answered.
Hearing this, Ziqian urged suddenly, "Let's go back," pushing lightly against Huo's chest.
"No." Huo's arms locked around him, pressing Ziqian's body to his own bare chest. His voice was rough, trembling with need. "I want to stay with you."
Ziqian's lips curved into a wry smile. Me too… His body ached for more, for the kiss they hadn't finished, for the heat pressing insistently between them, but not here with Xue watching.
He sighed inwardly. How unlucky—such a chance, ruined by timing.
Softening, he cupped Huo's cheek. "They might want to talk to you about something important. We'll continue tomorrow, alright?"
Reluctance warred in Huo's golden eyes, but Ziqian's voice left no room for refusal. Finally, he muttered, "…Okay."
Ziqian rose on tiptoe, kissing the man's chin—a fleeting touch, light but intimate. Then he tugged Huo's hand. "Good. Let's go."
As they passed Xue, Ziqian offered a polite smile. Xue's face remained impassive, but he inclined his head in acknowledgment. Huo, however, didn't spare him a glance, walking past as though his twin didn't exist.
Didn't we kiss? he thought stubbornly. That means he likes me too. I'll be his first husband. No matter what Mother says, I'll prove I'm worthy of him.
Behind them, Xue's blue eyes followed, cold on the surface but touched by a rare glimmer of warmth. What Ziqian had said to Huo earlier—telling him not to compare himself—had been something Xue himself could never voice, and he was grateful.
But gratitude couldn't blind him to danger. His brother was reckless, smothering the sub-beast in pheromones carelessly... It could have ended with consequences neither of them was ready for.