Warden of the Beast World: Everyone is a Hakimi

"In other words, my father cheated on me." Chi Heng stood in the center of the living room, his fists clenched, his expression solemn as if he had just solved an ancient mystery that had troubled him for over thirty years.

His logic goes like this: Bai Jianjia is not his biological mother, but his father is definitely his biological father, so his father must have had other females besides Bai Jianjia.

Conclusion: Chi Yan cheated on his wife. This conclusion almost made him jump up on the spot. All the pent-up frustration he, Firebird, had felt over Bai Jianjia's dominance for so many years finally had an explanation. "Great! She's not my mom! Hahahaha—"

"Shut up!" Ye Tang rushed forward, stood on tiptoe, and covered Chi Heng's mouth with his hand. His shout could be heard throughout the entire building. Is cheating something to be proud of?

This silly bird is making a racket in public without any evidence. Doesn't it fear the social wrath of its father? Ye Tang wondered how this little fool had grown up without being beaten to death.

"You're so happy that the person just now wasn't your biological mother?" Ye Tang let go of his hand and glared at him.

"Um, little warden, you don't know..." A look of grievance and longing appeared on Chi Heng's face, an expression he hadn't shown in front of anyone since he was five years old. He was so happy, so happy he wanted to spread his wings and fly a couple of times. But before he could finish speaking, Ye Tang interrupted him.

"Stop, let's talk about it when we get back." Ye Tang made a pause gesture, then sighed. "I was just guessing, it doesn't count. What if your father couldn't bear to let his beloved female get pregnant and gave birth, so he used some secret method to give birth and incubate the eggs himself?"

Chi Heng tilted his head and thought for a moment, his mouth slightly open. His expression changed from ecstatic joy to confusion, and then from confusion to a wavering sense of doubt. It seemed to make some sense.

He had seen his father's sycophantic nature before; if Bai Jianjia frowned even slightly, Chi Yan would kneel down, hold her hand, and ask where she felt unwell.

If Bai Jianjia said, "I don't want to get pregnant, you get pregnant," her father might actually go searching the world for a secret method to get pregnant and hatch the egg himself. Other male beasts wouldn't do such a thing, but her father definitely would.

"I'll go back and ask my grandfather if such a secret method really exists." Chi Heng nodded seriously, adding this possibility to his list of "mysteries of his origins" to investigate.

"Tangtang, do you want to go shopping again?" Youlie turned to look at Yetang when he saw that Chiheng had finally quieted down.

She looked tired; after shopping for several hours straight and dealing with Bai Jianjia and her son, the mystery of Chi Heng's origins, and Ling Shou's arrogant gift-giving, her energy was clearly depleted.

"Hmm, that's enough shopping, I'm done." Ye Tang rubbed her temples. She really couldn't shop anymore.

The twelve research institute guards standing behind him were already conspicuous enough, and with Chi Heng's loud voice that didn't control its volume, calling him a "spoiled chicken," "cheating," and "not his biological mother" all the way, all the surrounding customers strained their ears.

She felt like she wasn't there to go shopping, but to participate in a live broadcast of social death.

The group, who were about to head home, had just reached the mall entrance when they were blocked by a silver-gray figure. Ling Shou leaned against a pillar at the mall entrance, his arms crossed over his chest, his long silver-gray hair fluttering slightly in the wind.

He was still wearing that silver-gray short robe today, with one button undone at the collar, looking both casual and dignified. His narrow, hawk-like eyes lit up slightly when he saw Ye Tang, then quickly returned to their usual cold and arrogant demeanor.

"Hey, little bean sprout."

"Free-range chicken? What a coincidence." Ye Tang stopped in her tracks, a slight smile unconsciously curving her lips.

"You didn't wait here for me on purpose, did you?" Ye Tang tilted her head and looked at him, her eyes sparkling, clearly having seen through everything.

"Who's waiting for you? This young master isn't!" Ling Shou's ears turned red at a visible speed, and coupled with his cold and arrogant face, the phrase "all bark and no bite" was perfectly embodied at this moment.

He cleared his throat, trying to regain some of his composure, "You come to my territory and don't even bother to come and see me." The sourness in his tone was so strong it could be used to dip dumplings, and he didn't even realize it himself.

"You're not good-looking either." Ye Tang's expression and tone were extremely honest, without a trace of sarcasm, simply stating her personal aesthetic standards.

"You're talking nonsense! This young master is peerless in his elegance!" Ling Shou's voice instantly rose half an octave. Several passersby at the mall entrance all turned to look. He would always be so angry at Ye Tang that he would jump up and down, but he always wanted to argue with her.

During the few days he was home, he found the nutritional supplements unpalatable, the roasted meat bland, and even the bed he'd slept in for decades inexplicably uncomfortable. He'd scolded the cook at the old Tianling Falcon Clan's house three times for serving boiled meat with coarse salt, a dish he used to think tasted normal, but now something felt off after just one bite.

He was so hungry in the middle of the night that he couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned on the perch, his mind filled with images of Ye Tang pushing the food cart into the Zero Prison.

"Hmph, this young master won't bother with you." Ling Shou took a deep breath, suppressing the inexplicable irritation in his heart, and pulled out an exquisite satin bag from behind him, stuffing it into Ye Tang's arms.

"I bought this on a whim because I felt sorry for you. If you don't want it, just throw it away." He turned and left, his steps so fast it was as if he were being chased. His long, silver-gray hair drew a sharp arc in the air. He walked very fast, his ear tips so red they could bleed, afraid that if he slowed down even a step, Ye Tang would see his embarrassing state.

"Yes, yes, it must have been convenient." Ye Tang called out to his back while holding the bag. Ling Shou paused for a moment, then walked faster.

Ye Tang lowered her head and opened the bag. Inside was a complete set of exquisite jewelry. The pale gold gemstones shimmered softly in the sunlight. Beneath the jewelry were several expensive short swords and daggers, the hilts of which were engraved with the emblem of the Skyfeather Falcon Clan. The scabbards were made of the finest magical beast hide, and each one was so sharp that it could cut a hair in two.

A combination of pragmatism and luxury—this gift was so thoughtfully chosen that she would never believe it was a casual purchase. This free-range chicken has the toughest beak of all.

On the hovercar ride back, Ye Tang leaned against the window, still clutching the satin bag, a lingering smile on her lips. You Lie sat beside her, silent for a long while before speaking, his voice low: "Does Tang Tang like Ling Shou?"

"I don't like it." Ye Tang looked up from the bag, her expression frank and straightforward. "I'm not a masochist, why would I like someone who argues with me every day?" She paused, then suddenly raised an eyebrow, her tone becoming teasing. "What? You like it?"

"Tangtang—I am a male beast—I am yours…" Youlie's ears turned red at a visible speed, and the usually calm and aloof General Canglang was now at a loss for words. His wife really didn't treat him like an outsider, and she could ask him all sorts of outrageous questions.

"Youlie, listen carefully." Ye Tang put away her joking expression, placed Ling Shou's bag aside, and turned to face Youlie. The light and shadows flashing past the floating car window fell on her face one by one, and her eyes were so serious that it seemed she wanted to carve every word into Youlie's pupils.

"Although the rules and traditions of the Empire give me absolute control in marriage, Ghost Hunter, you are my first beast husband. Your feelings are very important to me, and I will not marry a male beast you do not like."

Ghost Hunter's eyelashes trembled slightly, and something flickered in his gray-blue eyes. He had grown up in the Gray Wolf Clan, and from his father to his brothers, every married male beast taught him how to be careful with his words and actions in front of his wife.

He couldn't be jealous, he couldn't interfere, and he couldn't let his own petty thoughts make things difficult for his wife. He thought he would spend his life like all married male beasts, quietly standing in the corner, watching his wife marry one new beast husband after another, and then spending the rest of his life cultivating a virtue called "magnanimity." But now his wife told him that he didn't need to cultivate it. Her favoritism had been his from the very beginning.

"Tangtang..." Youlie lowered his eyelashes, his eyes slightly reddening. He hadn't felt his eyes welling up with tears in a long time.

"Good boy." Ye Tang reached out and gently patted his head, her fingertips running through his silver-gray hair. The touch was light, just the kind of pressure he liked best in his beast form. Whose pet is this obedient, love-struck, loyal dog? Oh, it's hers.

"Brother Youlie..." Chiheng's head suddenly popped out from between the front seats.

He eavesdropped on the entire conversation from the front row. When Ye Tang said, "I won't marry a male beast you don't like," he started to plan. Since entering the family required You Lie's approval, wouldn't it be better for him to please You Lie?

He blinked his bright red eyes, trying to make his voice soft and sweet, "I'm so good, you won't have the heart to refuse me, right?"

"Don't ruin the atmosphere..." Ye Tang slapped Chi Heng's head back from the middle of the front seat.