CHAPTER 166: CHAPTER 157 KNOWING ONESELF IS PREGNANT_1

Dongchi, still in his summer slumber, stirred faintly. He sensed that something uncontrollable was happening outside, but he was too drowsy to wake up.

Tai Seng immediately had a bad feeling and shouted, "Mu Xiao, you talk too much! Shut your mouth!"

But Mu Xiao, being the blabbermouth he was, couldn’t be stopped and fired off, "Why shouldn’t I speak? Si Yan, you’re quite fertile, having given birth to four Sen Ran cubs. It wasn’t easy raising them all by yourself either. The male was absent during your pregnancy and childbirth, and he was never around to help care for the cubs. In the Beast World, it’s so hard for a female without a male to give birth and raise cubs! Look at him, what a scumbag! Tsk, tsk, tsk. And you still want this trash snake! Snake beastmen truly are no good, not a single one of them! If it were us eagles, we’d cherish you properly!"

Si Yan realized she couldn’t stop him. Feeling a headache coming on, she said, "Mu Xiao, please go outside for now."

"Why send me out? Are you afraid of him or something? He wronged you, so why should you be scared of him?"

The snake beastman’s tail drooped completely, and he looked rather dejected.

Si Yan didn’t know what the Great Demon King was thinking and just said, "It’s not what you think. He doesn’t know anything!"

As soon as Si Yan finished speaking, she clapped a hand over her mouth. Damn it, she shouldn’t have said that! Her words basically confirmed everything Mu Xiao had said.

Behind Si Yan, the dark purple Sen Ran trembled. Feeling helpless, Si Yan pressed her temples. "Please go out first. I want some quiet."

She didn’t actually mind if he knew about the children. However, the children now had their own feelings on the matter, and Si Yan respected their opinions.

Forget it, the truth can’t be hidden forever. He would find out about it sooner or later. There was no need to keep it hidden anyway. Only, how was she going to explain it to him now...

Tai Seng, thoroughly annoyed by the loudmouth Mu Xiao, grabbed his wing. "You just had to run your mouth, didn’t you? Huh? You just had to keep talking! Get out, right now, immediately!"

Mu Xiao was still defiant. "What did I say that was too much? Tell me, which part was wrong?!"

"You’re so annoying!" Tai Seng dragged him away.

The little merman, Lan Hai, also sensed the tense atmosphere. Si Yan stroked Lan Hai’s head. "Lan Hai, you go out first too. I need to talk to your godfather."

"Then I’ll come find Mother later," little Lan Hai said reluctantly, showing his understanding.

Si Yan nodded. Little Lan Hai’s fishtail transformed into legs, and he walked out.

Although Si Yan had sent everyone out, she felt even more uncomfortable once they were gone. And Wang, the cold-blooded snake beastman, perhaps unsure how to face Si Yan, hadn’t even shifted into his human form.

A gigantic Sen Ran, he slowly lifted his massive snakehead. His pupils were vertical, yet large and round, so they weren’t frightening. He hissed twice before speaking first.

"Is it true?"

Although Si Yan’s words had essentially confirmed that she had indeed borne his cubs, Wang still found himself thinking, ’How is this possible?’ In the Beast World, the status of males and females was unequal; females usually formed contracts with males merely to control them. He knew very well that many females who approached him had this motive. It was impossible for any female to genuinely care for him, impossible for any female to willingly bear his cubs. But Si Yan... why was she willing to give birth to Sen Ran cubs? Why was she willing to give birth to *his* cubs? Why? How... how could this be possible?

Si Yan looked at the huge snakehead before her. She used to be very afraid of snakes; even the original host of her body had been terrified of them. But now, she knew he wouldn’t harm her, and she was no longer afraid.

Si Yan gave a direct, affirmative answer, "It’s true."

Wang was utterly stunned. Why? Why would she do this? He used to think that since she had contracted him, he, like any other beastman, should just provide for her according to the rules between males and females in the Beast World. But now, she had borne his cubs. He had kin?

The cold-blooded snake beastman’s pupils grew rounder. His mind felt sluggish, as if he were drifting in the clouds—it all felt unreal. Cubs... he didn’t particularly care for them. Yet, at this moment, he felt like he had a home.

"Are there four?" His voice had changed slightly, becoming hoarse.

Si Yan nodded.

"Are Dongchi and Nan Mo...?" He had sensed it earlier and now finally voiced his question.

Si Yan nodded again.

The snake beastman felt an indescribable emotion surge through him. "What about the other two?" he asked.

"On the way to Dark Sun Lake, we got separated," Si Yan said, her voice tinged with sadness. "One is named Xi Qing. I didn’t take good care of him and injured his face. The other is Bei Ji; he has a wonderful, gentle personality."

"How was his face injured?"

"By fire. I burned him."

Wang looked at Si Yan’s self-reproachful expression. Cold-blooded snake beastman cubs weren’t considered valuable anyway. So what if one got burned? Why was she so distressed about injuring a cold-blooded snake beastman cub? She cared about them. She truly did.

Wang’s huge head nuzzled her cheek gently. "I’ll find a way to heal him," he comforted.

She had been shouldering these burdens alone all this time. At this moment, Si Yan felt as if someone was finally sharing her load. She was somewhat choked up.

"Mm."

"The four cubs... Does Dongchi look like me?"

"Mm."

The cold-blooded snake beastman’s voice grew softer. "Is there one that looks like you?"

"Bei Ji looks like me."

"Then he must be very handsome."

Si Yan smiled faintly. "Yes, he’s quite handsome."

"Si Yan..."

In front of her, the cold-blooded snake beastman gradually transformed. His upper body, then his lower body, until he fully materialized as a tall, handsome male. His long hair cascaded down, as devilishly charming and powerful as ever. Only now, his eyes held a gentleness that had never been there before.

His heart was currently swamped with a multitude of emotions: guilt, disbelief, relief, surprise... More than that, there was an unnameable warmth, an elation, a profound joy. And an emotion he was experiencing for the very first time—something called love.

His long, slender, well-defined fingers gently reached for her cheek, tracing it from one side to the other. Finally, he gently hooked her chin, tilting her face up to gaze at her flawless complexion.

"Yan Yan, my heart is swelling with an emotion I’m not familiar with. It’s... overwhelming me."

His gaze was incredibly complex. "I think... I ache for you. And I desperately want to hold you fiercely, to kiss you with all my might."

Si Yan looked up at Wang and saw desire ignite in his eyes. Her heart skipped a beat.

Wang lowered his head and asked softly, "Yan Yan, I want to mate with you. Is there anything I need to prepare?"