Chapter 126: I’ll Coax You Tonight

Chapter 126: Chapter 126: I’ll Coax You Tonight

Gu Weilan raised an eyebrow slightly, listening in silence as Shen Mianzhou’s mother continued to nag.

"I know there is a little misunderstanding between you and the male Xuanshuo. However, he came here with great sincerity this time to seek cooperation.

"You can’t just push away money that’s handed to you!

"Our Mianzhou wasn’t born into a good Beastman family. His father and I don’t really know the tricks of making money.

"So, he had to rely on himself, joining a Hunting Team to fight for his own future.

"But this isn’t a reliable, long-term livelihood. We know how dangerous this industry is. That’s why we’ve always hoped he could retire early.

"Yet, retiring and supporting a family becomes another problem.

"I just wanted to pull some strings for him and find him a good way to make a living. As it turned out, the male Xuanshuo—whom you matched with before—came with utmost sincerity, only to be chased away by your Zhan Heng Beast Husband.

"Look, you develop patents hoping to make money off them, right? Yet the male Zhan Heng pushed away an interested partner. Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?"

Gu Weilan pursed her lips. Before she could speak, Shen Mianzhou, his face looking awful, said to his mother, "Mother, the male Xuanshuo has never had good intentions!

"Female Master even took me in. At that time, the male Xuanshuo’s Beast Rank was higher than mine, and his Fertility was also higher. Have you never wondered why my Female Master terminated the match with someone like him?"

Shen Mianzhou’s mother glared at him angrily. "When a female is speaking, what right do you have to interrupt?"

Gu Weilan chuckled. "People only use words like that to shut others down when they can’t think of a reasonable argument.

"I speak harshly, and I fight ruthlessly. Don’t mind me. Once you’ve spent enough time around me, you’ll understand that I’m actually quite polite to Beastmen who know their place."

Lorenzo’s mother had originally looked down on Gu Weilan, but after hearing her speak so bluntly, she couldn’t help but gasp.

She realized that this was not a daughter-in-law she could show an attitude to. She decided it was best to stay quiet.

It was then that she noticed the three elders of the Shi Family sitting nearby. Their postures were all very relaxed, looking as if they were entirely used to this.

Lorenzo’s mother understood even more clearly now—this was likely not the first time her daughter-in-law had spoken so harshly.

Seville Riel’s father, on the other hand, couldn’t help but glance to the left. While he appeared calm and collected, his eyes were darting around so wildly they were practically rolling out of their sockets.

Seville rested his hands lightly over his lower abdomen and nodded at his father, silently assuring him not to worry—the Female Master wouldn’t hit him because he hadn’t crossed any boundaries.

Seville’s father blinked slightly, his eyes conveying that his concern wasn’t about getting hit. He was actually worried that, given how uncompromising she was, she might not agree to let them take the cubs back to their clan’s territory.

Seville completely missed his father’s true concern and just continued to comfort him, nodding slightly to reassure him that he shouldn’t be so tense, as his Female Master was actually very kind.

Seville’s father raised an eyebrow slightly, continuing their silent exchange. He wondered if she would really agree, and if so, whether she would allow the cubs to take their family name.

Seville frowned, puzzled by his father’s lingering anxiety, and silently insisted that everything would be fine. He warned his father not to let his Female Master think he had a problem with her, lest it ruin the relationship between him and his Female Master.

Seeing his son frown, Seville’s father sighed inwardly. He gave a slight nod, silently conceding that if the cubs couldn’t take their surname, then so be it. As long as they lived a good life together and she didn’t hit Seville, that was enough.

Meanwhile, Shen Mianzhou’s mother was completely choked up by Gu Weilan’s sharp retort.

Shen Mianzhou was so anxious he looked like he was about to cry. The redness at the corners of his eyes made Gu Weilan feel a pang of pity for him.

Gu Weilan waved Shen Mianzhou over, gesturing for him to sit beside her.

Shi Lingfeng had originally been sporting a slight smirk, feeling incredibly proud that the elders of his family knew when to advance and when to retreat, ensuring they wouldn’t drag down his relationship.

Now, the smirk vanished. Gu Weilan had just asked him to scoot over and make room.

However, Gu Weilan silently mouthed to Shi Lingfeng, "I’ll coax you later."

Shi Lingfeng’s lips instantly curved back into a delighted smile.

After having Shen Mianzhou sit beside her, Gu Weilan looked back at Shen Mianzhou’s mother, completely dropping the polite respect she had shown earlier.

There was no contempt or disdain in her eyes—only pure, absolute indifference.

It was as if everything in the world was simply a tool to her: what was useful, she would use; what was not, might as well be dead to her. It was a shocking, bone-chilling kind of apathy.

Although Shen Mianzhou’s mother didn’t have much capability and was notorious for kissing up to the strong while trampling on the weak, there was a certain advantage to being that kind of Beastman.

For example, such Beastmen possessed an unusually sharp intuition when it came to sensing danger and judging whether another person’s aura was truly formidable.

She instantly sensed that this female, Gu Weilan, was not someone she could afford to provoke! If she did, she might end up wishing she were dead.

Shen Mianzhou’s mother hurriedly waved her hands, forcing an awkward smile. "Ah—if you’re not willing, then let’s just drop it! I was only worrying about my own son. It’s only natural for a male to support his family, but his work in the Hunting Team truly makes me anxious."

A cold sweat broke out on her back as she counted on her fingers, detailing it for Gu Weilan. "Hunting Teams don’t provide any insurance or guarantees. There’s only a death settlement."

She dabbed at the corners of her eyes, speaking with a slight nasal twang. "Weilan Female is also a mother now. You must understand my clumsy intentions, all meant for the sake of my child, right?"

A faint smile touched Gu Weilan’s lips. She gently patted Shen Mianzhou’s arm and said softly, "You don’t need to worry about that. Mianzhou is my Beast Husband, and I have my own plans for him.

"The businesses on Zhan Heng’s end, along with some of the Shi Family’s businesses that are collaborating with me, require certain plants. These plants are all located on the Deserted Star, so we need to send reliable Beastmen there.

"Mianzhou can take friends he trusts with his life to help supervise the Beastmen we hire and bring the goods back. Some Hunting Teams accept missions but lack any sense of contractual spirit. After we pay a massive sum, they still pocket the precious medicinal herbs and minerals they find for themselves.

"We need a Beastman entirely loyal to us to act as an overseer. The danger level will be much lower than what he faces in the Hunting Team.

"If he prefers another career path, I’ll help him find a more suitable position. None of this is an issue."

Shen Mianzhou’s mother understood perfectly. Gu Weilan’s underlying message was that she could easily resolve the dilemma of Shen Mianzhou’s dangerous line of work.

Therefore, the older woman needed to stop using this as an excuse to force a discussion about Xuanshuo’s cooperation proposal.

Shen Mianzhou’s mother gave a slight nod. She could still distinguish between a one-time feast and a lifetime of full meals. To her, Xuanshuo’s current cooperation proposal was merely a one-time feast.

If she was tactful and knew her place, she figured her daughter-in-law wouldn’t make things difficult for her and might even toss her some benefits.

Only then did Shen Mianzhou’s mother hurriedly nudge Shen Mianzhou’s father with her elbow.

"Look at Mianzhou transferring energy to the cubs all by himself! It’s so exhausting that his face has gone completely pale! Why aren’t you helping him!"

Shen Mianzhou’s father hurriedly rushed over to help.

Gu Weilan raised a hand to stop him. "It’s fine. The three cubs in Mianzhou’s Incubation Pod have only been stabilized for three days. It’s not yet the stage that consumes the most energy."

Shen Mianzhou’s mother’s eyes instantly lit up. She quickly asked, "We’re actually quite worried about Mianzhou. Would it be possible for us to stay here a few more days to keep him company?"