Unlike the others, who have gathered in small groups talking about the previous night's events, one sub-beast stood alone near the patriarch's tent, away from the bustling crowd.
Pen, who was standing near the patriarch's tent, was anxiously watching the entrance as he waited for the person he was hoping to see come out.
Ever since he learned what had happened last night, he had been so worried that he couldn't sleep. That's why he hurried here before the sun even rose. He knew he wouldn't be able to relax until he saw Ziqian was safe with his own eyes.
After a while, a female approached him and gently nudged his shoulder. "You've been standing here for a while now," she said helplessly.
"...Sis," the sub-beast murmured quietly without looking away from the tent. "I'm worried about him."
Yan sighed and gently ruffled his younger brother's hair. "Didn't the High Priest already tell us that Ziqian is fine?" she asked softly. "Do you really think he'd lie to us?"
Pen hurriedly shook his head. He knew that the high priest wouldn't lie about the god's messenger's condition, but he still felt restless.
"No." He lowered his gaze, fidgeting with his fingers. "I... I just want to see him with my own eyes."
Yan couldn't help pinching Pen's cheeks, just as she always did whenever she caught him causing trouble back when they were children.
She understood how Pen felt right now, because like him, she wanted to see Ziqian too, but there was no point in standing outside the patriarch's tent all morning doing nothing.
The high priest had also assured them that Ziqian was fine. For now, all they could do was focus on the tasks they had been assigned while waiting for him to wake up.
"Don't worry so much, Pen. Ziqian is fine. He's just resting," Yan said softly. "Instead of standing here worrying, why don't you come help us? It will make things easier for Ziqian if all the ingredients are ready when he wakes up."
Pen didn't answer immediately. He just stared at the patriarch's tent for a while before finally nodding.
"...Okay."
Reluctantly, he turned away and walked toward the group preparing the ingredients for the feast, but every few steps, he couldn't help glancing back.
Yan sighed softly as she watched her younger brother's retreating figure.
She had been trying to convince Pen to distance himself from Gio and Kea for a long time. But Pen had always ignored her warnings and continued following those two arrogant sub-beasts around.
It wasn't until Pen nearly lost his life that things finally changed. After that incident, he stopped spending time with the other sub-beasts.
At first, Yan thought it was for the best.
But as time passed, Yan began to notice changes in Pen. Her younger brother had become quieter and more withdrawn. Even with her, he rarely spoke unless he wanted to ask something about Ziqian.
He also started distancing himself from everyone else, but Yan often caught him secretly following Ziqian around from a distance. When she first confronted him about it, Pen had simply burst into tears and begged her not to tell Ziqian.
Yan agreed that she would not tell Ziqian about it, believing that Pen would soon stop. But she was wrong.
This time, Yan couldn't help but worry again.
She hadn't expected Pen to grow so attached to Ziqian after being saved by him.
Yan wanted to talk to Ziqian about her younger brother's behavior, but she knew he already had too much on his mind after everything that had happened recently. She didn't want to give Ziqian another thing to worry about.
Yan glanced toward the patriarch's tent for a moment before she turned and followed Pen.
~
Inside the right wing of the largest tent in the tribe, Ziqian had just begun to wake up from sleep, but instead of getting up hurriedly like he used to, he curled deeper into the warm fur blanket, unaware of what was happening outside.
A habit that he recently developed after sharing a bed with Xue.
Just as he was about to drift off to sleep again, he suddenly heard a low chuckle.
Ziqian's eyes opened, and he abruptly sat up, his long hair falling messily around his face. Still half-asleep, he squinted with his still blurry vision and looked around.
"Xue, I'm hungry," he mumbled without thinking. He said it so naturally that he didn't even realize it himself.
Another low chuckle came from the other side of the bed.
Ziqian froze.
His still-sleepy mind cleared, and he turned his head toward the sound.
It was Huo.
Huo was lying in almost the same position as the previous night. His complexion was still pale, and his body was now covered with large leaves. He looked like a giant glutinous rice roll, but his golden eyes were bright as he stared directly at Ziqian.
Ziqian tried his best to suppress his laughter.
Huo looked both tragic and adorable at the same time.
"You're finally awake," Ziqian murmured, his voice still slightly hoarse from sleep. "How are you feeling?"
"Better."
"Are you in pain?"
"A little."
This answer made Ziqian move closer to Huo and check his pulse.
"Does it hurt badly?" Ziqian worriedly asked.
Huo shook his head. "It's bearable."
Ziqian frowned and said seriously, "Your soul hasn't fully recovered yet. If you're in pain, don't try to hide it. Do you understand?"
"I know. I won't hide anything from you," Huo answered immediately.
Ziqian nodded, satisfied with Huo's answer. He was about to get up and find Xue for breakfast when Huo, with a faint smile on his pale lips, asked, "You're hungry?"
Then Ziqian remembered what he had just said earlier. His ears slowly turned red from embarrassment. He nodded before quickly shaking his head, unsure of how to respond.
Huo chuckled again, but there was an emotion he couldn't ignore.
Ziqian had called Xue's name the moment he woke up. It was such a small, unconscious thing, but it told Huo everything he needed to know.
The sub-beast had clearly grown so accustomed to Xue's presence that relying on him had already become a habit. And maybe there are other little habits Huo knew nothing about.
The realization brought a familiar ache to his chest.
He was jealous.
Of course he was.
Agreeing to become Ziqian's husband together with Xue didn't suddenly erase the years of envy and insecurity buried in his heart, nor could it erase the time Xue had already spent by Ziqian's side.
But this time, Huo didn't let his jealousy consume him. Last night, he had already made his choice.
He didn't want to compete anymore.
More importantly, he didn't want Ziqian to become something the two of them constantly fought over.
Huo looked at the sleepy sub-beast sitting beside him.
Ziqian's long black hair was a complete mess. His eyes were still barely open, and the blanket remained wrapped around his body. The sub-beast looks like it doesn't have any intention of leaving its warmth anytime soon.
Huo smiled faintly.
Maybe he had missed the chance to become part of Ziqian's habits until now, but that didn't mean he would never have the chance once he recovered.
Hou believed that, but he still couldn't help asking, "Do you always call for Xue when you wake up?"
Ziqian stiffened.
Why are we back to this?
"I—" He couldn't answer, not because he didn't want to, but because he didn't know whether he really always called for Xue when he woke up.
Thinking about it now, there was a high possibility that he did.
Back on Earth, he needed to wake up as soon as the clock struck 4 a.m., no matter how much he wanted to sleep longer, because there was always work waiting for him to do.
But ever since he had started living with Xue and sharing a bed with him, Ziqian always felt that he had become a little lazy.
If he woke up early, Xue would tuck him back into bed and urge him to sleep a little longer.
If he were hungry, Xue would prepare food for him.
If he needed something, Xue would get it for him.
If he were too tired to walk, Xue would carry him.
Ziqian suddenly realized something horrifying.
Had Xue spoiled him?
No!
He was an independent adult.
A perfectly capable, independent adult.
Ziqian firmly rejected the accusation in his mind.
When Ziqian looked at Huo again, he carefully studied the man's expression. There was no anger, but there was a faint grievance hidden beneath his smile.
Ziqian's heart softened, then he reached out and took Huo's hand. "Don't worry, Huo. You have plenty of time to become one of my bad habits too."
For a moment, Huo didn't say anything and just unblinkingly stared at Ziqian.
One of his bad habits, Hou repeated in his mind.
It was as if Ziqian were telling him that there would always be a tomorrow. Enough time for Huo to become a part of his life.
"Okay," Huo chuckled softly. But this time, there was no bitterness behind it. The jealousy he had felt moments ago had faded away, replaced by an overwhelming sense of happiness.
The promise of a future with Ziqian was more precious to Huo than anything else.