Tiger wife

Tiger Spirit Sisters

The moon rose, and the capital fell asleep. The bustling scene of the day seemed like a dream, forming a strange contrast with the silence under the solitary moon.

What was stirring in the darkness?

A sinister and agile black shadow pounced with all four paws. Under the moonlight, it was captured as it stepped on the ground with incredible speed, as if flying. Before a blink of an eye, its huge body suddenly rose, leaping silently over the high wall of a guild hall.

Inside the wall, its four paws landed, and its true form transformed into a human. She changed back into a yellow shirt and trousers.

Since seeing the distressed big tiger on the street during the day, Hu Wa couldn't think of a way to rescue it. It took her some effort to suppress her anxiety. She finally waited until Chang Tian Ci fell asleep, and then she quietly crawled up from his side. Her heart was beating so fast it felt like it would jump into her throat, for fear... for fear that if he woke up, he would try to "have an early childbirth" with her again.

Shaking off the messy thoughts, she patted her cheeks and realized they were burning red. Sigh.

Hu Wa, be more determined! She warned herself.

Making up her mind, she strode forward. Darkness could no longer hinder her. Her eyes flowed with bright light, clearly discerning everything.

The lights in the guild hall were already extinguished, and the surroundings were quiet. Guided by her inner feelings, she went around to a small clearing behind the building and saw the two iron cages placed in a corner, covered with large cloth covers.

Her heart rejoiced. The figure in yellow moved swiftly and reached out to lift the cover—

"Huh?!" Not there?!

She lifted the cloth cover of the second iron cage—

Huh?! There was nothing there either, completely empty.

These were clearly the two iron cages. She couldn't have mistaken them. She had personally seen the burly men drive the tigers into them, lock them up, and easily push them aside, as the cages were equipped with four strange wheels at the bottom, allowing heavy objects to be moved without effort.

Suddenly, she sensed something and turned around vigilantly. At this moment, a soft female voice rang out in the dark night—

"Miss, are you looking for us sisters?"

Hu Wa was stunned. She saw two identical women standing gracefully. The one who spoke was wearing a white shirt, and the other was wearing a purple shirt. Moonlight sprinkled on their hair and shoulders, as if dancing, breathtakingly beautiful.

"You are—" Hu Wa blinked her big eyes. Although surprised, she was not frightened. A sense of kinship flowed between them invisibly. Neither side deliberately concealed it. As she sensed them, the twin sisters were also sensing her.

"I, I'm Hu Wa'er. May I ask which clan of the tiger tribe you belong to?" So they were also spirits cultivating themselves.

The girl in the white shirt smiled at her sister and said softly, "My name is Hu Lan'er, and this is my younger sister, Hu Gui'er."

"How could you... I thought, I thought—" The situation was beyond her expectations. Hu Wa took some time to sort out her thoughts and then asked, "I saw you on the street today. Why were you like that? You clearly had the divine power to protect yourselves, yet you let two hateful men bully you. They whipped you. I was so angry and anxious, so... so... Alas!" She waved her hand.

The younger sister, Hu Gui'er, giggled. She was more lively. "Hu Wa'er, you have a kind heart. So you came specifically to save us tonight?" She tilted her head, her expression cute. "My sister and I are fine. Brothers Yan Da and Yan Er are not bad people. They have saved my sister and me, and not just once."

Hu Wa's small mouth opened and closed, and it took a while before she managed to say, "Are you repaying a debt of gratitude?"

Hu Lan'er nodded gently. "When one receives a drop of water, one should repay it with a gushing spring. Moreover, they have saved us... The brothers are truly good people. We discussed it with my sister before making this decision."

"Hu Wa'er, we are really fine and very happy." Hu Gui'er said with a smile, stepped forward, grabbed Hu Wa's hand, and shook it gently. "My sister and I were just returning to our true forms to help them perform for money. But after spending some time together, we came to appreciate the brothers more and more. Recently, we decided to offer ourselves in marriage."

"Offer yourselves in marriage?" Hu Wa asked blankly. "Are you going to stay with them for a very, very long time, for a lifetime?"

The twin sisters grinned, and much of their sweetness was unspoken. "If we could, we would be willing for any amount of time."

No need to buy tigers; they were very happy with the brothers.

This sentence appeared in her mind without warning. The man's confident and relaxed expression made Hu Wa feel a little strange for a moment, not knowing where something had gone wrong. Just as she was about to say something, she felt footsteps approaching from both sides, and three pretty faces looked up at the same time.

"My man has arrived," Hu Lan'er said softly.

"My man has arrived too," Hu Gui'er said with a smile.

The sisters turned to Hu Wa'er. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Hu Wa'er. You have a kind heart. Thank you." With a graceful curtsy, their beautiful figures transformed. Without needing to form hand seals or chant incantations, they could move and change positions at will. It was clear that the spiritual power of these twin sisters was at a higher level than Hu Wa's.

"Hey, you—" She was briefly stunned, turned around, and lifted the cloth cover of the iron cage. Two large beasts were lying peacefully inside, their dark golden eyes blinking as if smiling.

The footsteps grew closer. Before she could speak, Hu Wa nodded to the twin sisters and then, before anyone could notice, leaped out of the clearing, her body crouching in the shadow of the wall outside the guild hall's backyard.

The man's voice followed, it was the burly men who had been shouting and performing earlier that day.

"Huh, A'er, why are you up?"

Another male voice said, "I couldn't sleep, so I came for a walk. Where's Big Brother? Why isn't he asleep?"

The brothers walked to the cages and heard the sound of the cloth cover being lifted, as well as the low growls of the large beasts. They guessed that the two were watching the large beasts in the cages. After a while, they heard Yan Er say—

"Big Brother, that whip almost hit the tiger today. I was watching from the side, and it startled me."

Yan Da chuckled. "I thought my whip skills were already perfect. Others would think that every strike hit the big beast, subduing them completely. In reality, I was hitting the ground. Alas, I was a bit clumsy today and almost injured the tiger. You saw through it."

"Big Brother, are you troubled by something?"

Yan Da sighed, deliberated for a long time, and then spoke, stuttering a little. "I, I don't understand what's wrong with me... I met a girl, a girl in a white shirt... I can't stop thinking about her."

"Big Brother?!" Yan Er's voice rose slightly, and he began to stutter. "So... so Big Brother has also fallen for a girl. I, I also met a girl, wearing a purple shirt, so beautiful. She, she smiled at me, and I lost my soul..."

The brothers suddenly sighed in unison.

"Big Brother, do you think... will we meet them again?"

"Alas, I don't know!"

Hu Wa returned to the Chang family in the dark of night.

Late at night, when the true form landed in the exquisite garden of the Chang family, she transformed into a human. She stood gracefully, her thin yellow shirt wrapping her slender figure, the moonlight slanting down, slightly hazy.

She stood still, sniffing the natural scents around her. Seemingly annoyed by something, her brows furrowed, and she bit her full lips, sighing softly as she couldn't resolve it.

Tonight, meeting the twin sisters and understanding the whole story completely overturned what she had always believed in her heart. She realized that many things cannot be judged by their surface. What shocked her even more was their resolute decision to offer themselves in marriage. Hu Wa could feel the joy in their hearts when they made this decision, a willing desire to be by their men's side.

My man.

Recalling the way Hu Lan'er and Hu Gui'er referred to the Yan brothers, her face flushed, and her composure was greatly disturbed. Naturally, a handsome and elegant male face appeared in her mind, with deep eyes and a gentle voice. When he looked at her, it was like the winter sun warming her body, with a faint warmth.

"Hu Wa." A second person quietly arrived in the garden.

Her meditation was interrupted. She suddenly looked up and saw the man from her mind turn into reality, standing before her.

"T-Tian Ci... Why are you here?!"

Of course, he was here. Chang Tian Ci was half hidden in the darkness, his sharp gaze concealed.

He had followed her all night, guarding her in the dark. He had seen everything that happened, and finally followed her back through the vast moonlight. Seeing her standing alone in the garden with an unreadable expression, how could he pretend to be ignorant? He wanted to understand what she was thinking, why she was so confused.

Suddenly, he clenched his fist and coughed lightly. Hu Wa woke up as if from a dream, quickly ran to the man, and patted his back.

"You weren't asleep, why are you awake again? What are you doing in the garden?" She touched his thin clothes and was startled. She stamped her foot and said with more urgency, "You, you're still wearing so little?! Do you only feel happy when people worry about you?"

The coughing suddenly stopped. He opened his eyes wide and gazed at her. "Hu Wa, are you worried about me?"

She looked up and met his gaze. Although she felt the cough had stopped rather abruptly, she didn't have time to think deeply, because her heart was like a rootless duckweed, floating in warm waters, her mind in a daze.

Was she worried about him? Was she? Was she? She couldn't help but ask herself.

If not, why did her heart clench when she saw him coughing uncomfortably, his brows furrowed?

Hu Wa, aren't you going to admit it? Has this payment of offering herself in marriage, which started with rejection and hatred, transformed into willing companionship? And have you become so infatuated with his intoxicating tenderness that you want to be a tiger's wife in this world? Is that it? Is that how it is? Hu Wa.

"You... take care of yourself." The question startled her. She wasn't fully prepared and couldn't answer the question she had set for herself. Her lips trembled, showing a hint of timidity.

The man couldn't control himself. He sighed, embraced her, lowered his head, and kissed her full lips. From a light touch to a deep kiss, his tongue was skilled and agile, slowly invading her lips and teeth with a feline l*****g motion, a deliberate seduction, and an expression of emotion, melting her into this captivating intimacy.

Slowly, he withdrew from her. Their breaths were disordered and mixed, their body temperatures high.

"When I woke up at night and didn't see you, I thought you were still angry. Because I didn't buy those two tigers on the street today, you decided not to share a room with me." He said with a smile.

"I, I couldn't sleep, so I came for a walk." Suddenly, she buried her face in his chest, remembering that the Yan brothers were also sleepless in the middle of the night because of the people they cared about.

His hand naturally stroked her back, and his chin rested on his wife's fragrant hair.

"There must be a reason for not being able to sleep. Are you still angry with me, still holding onto those two big tigers?" He kissed the top of her cute head and said in compromise, "You like tigers so much, I'll have Manager Qi buy them from those brothers tomorrow. Don't be angry anymore, okay?"

Hearing this, Hu Wa suddenly looked up and said hurriedly, "No need! I, I won't buy tigers anymore. They are very happy with the brothers..." Fearing he would notice her strangeness, Hu Wa's eyes flickered, and she pursed her lips. "You said so yourself."

In the dim light, a faint teasing flashed in his eyes. "You're not angry with me anymore?"

Hu Wa paused, her nose instinctively nudging his chest. These animalistic gestures of affection and closeness often came out unconsciously. She liked the scent of him, which brought her inexplicable peace, making her forget where she was.

"Hu Wa, what are you doing?"

Suddenly, a man's suppressed chuckle came from above her head. She suddenly woke up and realized that not only had she sniffed his chest, but she had also boldly opened her collar and was l*****g his chest with her tongue.

"I, I..." She didn't know either?!

Hu Wa tilted her head slightly, looking foolishly at the handsome face before her, her lips moist and shiny, her eyes hazy.

"Tian Ci... I'm not angry with you anymore..." Her abrupt reply made him smile.

Chang Tian Ci looked at her deeply, and the next second, he kissed her heavily, engulfing her small tongue.

Hu Wa's two slender arms instinctively wrapped around his neck. Perhaps her thoughts were restless, or perhaps the twin tiger spirits had stimulated her in some way, or perhaps some restraint had been lifted and a new understanding had been gained. Tonight, she seemed particularly docile.

Their lips couldn't separate. The man scooped her up in his arms and slowly moved in a certain direction.

She let out a soft gasp, clinging tighter, and said incoherently, "Tian Ci... Put me down quickly, I, I'm heavy, and you're weak. I'll hurt you..."

That sentence again, that word again.

Chang Tian Ci's gaze deepened. He chuckled lowly, his voice like mellow wine, and murmured in her ear, "Let's see if I'm really weak."

"Tian Ci... Where are you carrying me?" For some reason, she was so thirsty...

"To the room."

"To sleep?" She wanted to drink water.

The man didn't speak, just smiled and kicked open the door with her in his arms.

For Hu Wa, after transforming into human form, integrating into worldly life was full of surprising wonders that touched her heart. If she could stop caring about her original purpose, if she could willingly accept her grand-aunt's arrangements and not think too much about anything, she could live such days peacefully, with a man by her side...

But, alas... every time she wanted to indulge her emotions, she didn't dare to. She was torn between two sides.

She was afraid that this marriage was based on repaying a debt of gratitude. At first, she was unwilling, but her grand-aunt forcefully decided for her. If... if she fell in love and everything went smoothly, and one day the debt of gratitude was repaid, would they have to separate? Could she stay with him for a very, very long time? A lifetime, was it possible?

She couldn't understand her true feelings, and she was afraid to understand them, always forcing herself not to think too deeply.

Then, the days passed leisurely, and she lived her first year in the world in human form.

Tonight was New Year's Eve. Many servants and maids in the mansion had received their red envelopes from the steward and were on holiday. Only a few remained on rotation. Some went home to visit during the New Year holiday, while others, whose homes were far away, simply stayed at the Chang residence for the New Year. Not only were there extra dishes and wine, but they could also gather with acquaintances behind the courtyard for a small gamble to test their luck.

Although the Chang family's business was prosperous, their descendants were not numerous. Old Master Chang had two elder brothers, both of whom died young without leaving any heirs. Although he had married one wife and one concubine, he had only one son, Chang Tian Ci, after so many years. Therefore, the Chang family's reunion dinner only consisted of four members from two generations.

In the hall, festive New Year dishes were spread across the round table. Red-hot charcoal was added to the stove, causing the soup to boil with "popping" sounds. Many delicacies floated in it, emitting a rich aroma.

"Hu Wa, good daughter-in-law, why are you spacing out?! Eat! The flounder is very fresh, try some." During the meal, Madam Chang scooped a spoonful of steamed eight-treasure fish and handed it to her. With an extra person at this year's reunion dinner, she was overjoyed. She couldn't help but give an extra large red envelope earlier, which was marked as a New Year's gift for the unborn grandson, without finding it strange at all.

Hu Wa instinctively held her bowl high to receive it. She had gradually gotten used to her mother-in-law's excessive enthusiasm. She smiled and said obediently, "Thank you... Mother." Her ability to learn and observe had always been excellent. She then picked up a piece of lamb rib and returned the gesture. "Mother, please eat." She picked up another piece and offered it. "Father, please eat."

After a period of interaction, the terms of address had also become much smoother, and it had overturned her original perception of the Chang family. The elders treated her very well, and she could sense their sincerity. Only her husband, the man she married, was sometimes gentle and sometimes domineering. His dark eyes seemed to see through everything, always making her heart flutter.

"Hehehe, good, good." Old Master Chang smiled and took it. He suddenly paused and asked casually, "What about Tian Ci! Don't just dote on us old folks."

Hu Wa pursed her lips, her cheeks slightly flushed, and picked up a third piece of lamb rib with her chopsticks, placing it in Chang Tian Ci's bowl.

"Husband, please eat." Satisfied her vanity! Humph!

Husband? This was the first time she had called him that.

Chang Tian Ci glanced at his wife with a half-smile. Seeing her lower her eyes and not look at him, focusing intently on the fresh fish in her bowl as if it were a matter of great importance, his large hand became restless, quietly creeping onto her thigh. The warmth of his palm penetrated her skirt, pinching and kneading her lightly.

"Cough cough... cough cough cough—" Her heart jolted, and she choked.

"Good daughter-in-law, what's wrong?!" The old Chang couple didn't understand. "Did you choke on a fishbone?!"

"No... it's okay, cough cough cough—" Tears welled up in Hu Wa's eyes.

"How can you be so careless? You, you have an accident even when eating." The instigator showed no remorse, leaned over generously, and his hand openly caressed her chest and back.

"You, you, you person—" Being preempted by him, Hu Wa opened her big eyes and glared at him, busy batting away his intrusive hands.

"Alas, you, do you only feel happy when people worry about you?"

"Ah?!" All her anger inexplicably dissipated upon hearing these words.

Before Hu Wa could react, Old Master Chang waved his hand and said, "Oh, stop talking and eat, eat! Hu Wa, good daughter-in-law, it's fine. Drink some soup, eat a slice of boiled beef, and you'll be fine! This beef slice was sent by Old Li from East Street, it's fresh. Just blanch it and it's ready to eat. Don't cook it for too long, or it will become tough and unpalatable. If you want to know how to cook beef well, just ask me..." He continued talking, blanching slices of meat and distributing them to everyone's bowls. Seeing his son and daughter-in-law staring at each other like statues, unmoving, he raised his voice. "Eat quickly!"

"Oh—" Hu Wa suddenly came back to her senses. She saw that the fish in her bowl had not been eaten yet, and unknowingly, other food had piled up. She didn't know who had done it. She saw Madam Chang's plump face showing a double chin, laughing heartily at her.

"Eat more. You need to be full to have strength, and with strength, you can have babies."

Hu Wa's face grew hotter. She secretly glanced at the man beside her and found him smiling gently at her.

First Day of the New Year

Only the East Street main branch of the Chang family's medicinal herb business was open, to facilitate the medical halls in the city, in case patients came and couldn't buy the herbs they needed. All other shops were on extended holiday, and the shop assistants would not return to work until the fifth day of the New Year. As for the team hired by the Chang family to collect ginseng and hunt large beasts in Changbai Mountain, they had already departed for the north under the leadership of Master Ouyang.

Early in the morning, firecrackers exploded outside, and gongs and drums resounded. Many large businesses had invited dragon and lion dance troupes, hoisted their banners, and paraded grandly and noisily through the streets to offer New Year greetings. The entire capital was enveloped in a thick New Year atmosphere. No matter how cold the weather, the arrival of the human world melted it away.

Inside the bedroom curtains, a warm breath playfully blew into her ear, tickling and making her feel weak. She couldn't help but groan and dodge, but it still followed, refusing to leave her alone.

"Hu Wa, get up. We have to go wish Dad and Mother a Happy New Year. Hurry up."

Hu Wa felt dizzy. Last night, this man had taught her to play dice games. It turned out that drinking also had a set of rules, like "crab claws have eight" and "winking and shrinking your neck." She remembered that she kept losing, kept drinking, and kept drinking and kept losing, a vicious cycle. She was so drunk that she lost consciousness and didn't even remember how she got into bed.

"Oh—Chang Tian Ci, you're despicable—*****. My head hurts..." She squinted and cursed, her cheeks flushed, the smell of alcohol still lingering.

He chuckled deeply, and his hands came to her temples, massaging them with just the right amount of force. His fingertips seemed to possess magic, releasing an invisible spiritual power, just as he had once used moonlight to heal her wounds. This time, it dispelled the discomfort of her hangover.

"Feeling better?"

"Mmm..." She couldn't help but groan, blinked, and opened her mouth to speak. The man's breath had already enveloped her, and he was tightly holding her small mouth.

She was becoming more and more accustomed to his demands. Her composure trembled slightly, her body trembled slightly, and she shared with him. The needle-like headache vanished in this kiss.

A moment later, he raised his head, his eyes shining, and his lips habitually curved into a smile.

"Happy New Year, wife."

Hu Wa didn't have time to be surprised that the dizzying, nauseating feeling had instantly subsided. Her mind was clear. She saw a handsome face hovering above her, with warm eyes and a familiar aura. Hearing his address to her, her heart fluttered, and emotions quietly bloomed.

Chang Tian Ci pulled her up and said joyfully, "I sent Chun Mei home to visit. You don't have any maids to serve you these days, so I'll help you. Let's hurry, we have to go to the front hall to wish Dad and Mother a Happy New Year. We have to do this every year. Then I'll take you out to play and experience the New Year's festivities in the human world. It's very lively outside. It'll be just you and me, no one else allowed." This "no one else" included A'Qi as the first one.

As he spoke, his hands were not idle. He pulled open Hu Wa's thin inner garment and pecked her fragrant shoulders. The more he kissed, the more he became aggressive. His hands explored her soft body, murmuring indistinctly, "You smell so good—"

"Chang Tian Ci?!" Her mind cleared, and she suddenly pushed the man away. Although the discomfort from drinking had disappeared, the blush on her cheeks did not fade; instead, it deepened. "It's not like I'm a little child. I can dress myself!" After saying this, she glared at him and quickly turned sideways to tie the strings of her inner garment, snatching up the clothes that were placed aside.

He noticed that whenever she was nervous, shy, or angry, she liked to call him by his full name.

"I'll help you." He chuckled lowly. The man was like a cockroach that couldn't be killed, quietly approaching from behind, his breath hot, spraying behind her ear.

"No!" She turned and glared at him again. Seeing his innocent expression, Hu Wa commanded herself to be firm. This man was extremely wicked, and only she had experienced it. "You're not, you're not trying to help me. You, you... want to undress me."

Chang Tian Ci suddenly burst into laughter, embracing his wife. The movement was fluid and swift, like the kneading and pushing of animals playing, making intimate and teasing attacks on their companions.

Hu Wa exclaimed, but her hands and feet responded instinctively. The two of them rolled together on the soft mattress for a couple of rounds, with the man on top of her.

Hu Wa was stunned, her big eyes blinking. In an instant, some message seemed to flash through her mind. Something was wrong... or was it... too right?!

Although they were husband and wife, one was human and the other was a beast. Humans had human thoughts, and beasts had beast consciousness. Even after practicing for a long time and freely transforming between her true form and human form, she still found it difficult to understand the complex thoughts of humans. She and he should have a distance, but why... could she feel the beating of two hearts and the aura emanating from him that was so perfectly compatible with hers?

Unknowingly, memories flowed back, as if touching a key that opened something. She remembered abducting him on the official road many years ago, spending a night in a mountain cabin, and later her leg injury inexplicably healed, and he disappeared... She had subtly inquired about this matter, but the answers she received were ambiguous. But alas... there must have been something else that prevented her from connecting everything.

He was also looking at her, nose to nose, gazing into the depths.

"Hu Wa, you're so cute."

"Ah?"

She was foolishly looking at him, not having figured anything out yet, when her soft cheeks and lips were licked by him. It was a beast-like caress but carried human passion, leaving a moist warmth. This action made Hu Wa stunned again. She couldn't utter a single word, only staring at him with her beautiful big eyes.

The next moment, he chuckled and got up, pulling her up.

"We can't play anymore, hurry up! Dad and Mother will fall asleep waiting!"

Like a fleeting flower, the deep meaning in the man's eyes disappeared without a trace.