Chapter 396: Pregnant with a Tiger Cub

Yu Zhizhi’s hands stilled. Fearing she was just hearing things, she asked again, "Am I really pregnant?"

[System: Correct. The host has been successfully impregnated. The delivery period will begin in approximately one month. Please ensure a safe and restful pregnancy!]

The system repeated itself.

Now that her pregnancy was confirmed, the most difficult part of her mission was complete.

Yu Zhizhi asked, "What about the cub?"

[System: Please wait. Performing lifeform scan... Scan complete. Cub Species: Golden Tiger. Cub Quantity: One. Vital Signs: Strong. Talent: Gestating, not yet formed. Please stay tuned.]

’A little Golden Tiger~’

Seeing that the vital signs were "Strong," Yu Zhizhi felt relieved.

’All I have to do is wait, and once I successfully give birth to the cub, the main mission will be complete!’

Yu Zhizhi slowly opened the door to the long hall. A Lizard Servant was already waiting outside. Seeing the Rabbit Clan Lady, he bowed and said, "Good morning, Ms. Zhi Zhi."

"Good morning."

"The Councilor invites you to dine," the Lizard Servant said with a smile.

Yu Zhizhi nodded. "I’ll get ready first."

She headed toward her own chambers, leaving a special instruction before she left. "If Little Octopus wakes up, have him come find me."

The Lizard Servant replied, "Yes, Ms. Zhi Zhi."

On the way, Yu Zhizhi noticed that the firmament above the Extreme Ice Palace was brighter than usual. She could faintly make out golden cracks, like a web of veins, spreading across the entire sky.

’Is this...’

She kept her head tilted up, and a maid following behind her explained, "It’s the Barrier. The Extreme Ice Palace’s Barrier is even stronger than before. Getting in or out will not be an easy task."

The smile on Yu Zhizhi’s lips froze. Feeling a pang of guilt, she lowered her head and stepped into her chambers.

’They strengthened the Barrier?’

’And here I was, wondering if I could just run for it...’

’But the Councilor came in person, bringing news from the other Empires. Prince Canglan and the Paradise Leader are at a truce, so the Extreme Ice Palace’s defenses have become even more stringent.’

’Spider is the one in control of the body right now...’

’If I go to him, will he agree to take me away?’

’No, that’s not right.’

Yu Zhizhi realized the Councilor was intentionally keeping her and Spider apart. She probably wouldn’t be able to see them at all.

Cang Lan was also nowhere to be found.

’Good thing I’m pregnant with the Golden Tiger Cub...’

’Otherwise, where in the world would I find Cang Lan?’

After changing her clothes, Yu Zhizhi headed to the Councilor’s residence.

The elder was waiting for her outside the hall.

When he saw her, he greeted her with a warm smile. "Ms. Zhi Zhi, please, come in."

Yu Zhizhi entered the hall.

She found that only the two of them were present.

The elder walked over to the dining table and invited her to sit.

The servants in the hall, originally there to serve the meal, had also silently retreated outside the door.

The elder looked at the Rabbit Clan Lady from the Valoran Empire and asked softly, "Ms. Zhi Zhi, when you came all this way specifically to find His Highness, I presume your mind was already made up?"

Yu Zhizhi hesitated.

The elder did not seem surprised.

S-Class females in the Empire all have the right to freely choose their Beast Husbands, to say nothing of the fact that the Rabbit Clan Lady before him had already advanced to SS Level.

In his eyes, it seemed Miss Rabbit also held some genuine affection for the Paradise Leader.

After all, the live broadcast of the hunting season back then had been a global sensation.

Yu Zhizhi took a small bite of an egg tart. She didn’t know how to answer the elder’s question. ’Made up my mind? Not at all... Back then, I just had no other choice.’

The elder said slowly, "Or perhaps, compared to Prince Canglan, Ms. Zhi Zhi finds the Paradise Leader more to her satisfaction?"

He wanted to know the Rabbit Clan Lady’s true feelings.

If he could move this marriage forward, all the better.

’—Oh, definitely.’

Yu Zhizhi couldn’t stop herself from nodding.

The elder was a bit surprised; he hadn’t expected Miss Rabbit to be so "honest." On second thought, the Paradise Leader had come to the Extreme Ice Palace in person. Perhaps their relationship was deeper than it appeared to outsiders.

’With Prince Canglan’s temperament...’

’Could it be that he imprisoned this young lady?’

The elder nodded slightly. "I see."

’No wonder. Last night, he’d noticed that Miss Rabbit’s gaze lingered more often on the Paradise Leader.’

’So it’s an unrequited love on His Highness’s part...’

He smiled faintly. "If Ms. Zhi Zhi truly feels this way, then why not make the Lord Leader your First Beast Husband?"

Seeing the astonishment in the Rabbit Clan girl’s eyes, the elder explained, "The wedding will proceed as planned, but the choice of Beast Husband will be up to you. Though I would prefer you to choose Prince Canglan... your personal feelings are more important. I, on behalf of the Moon Ascending Royal Family, give you my one hundred percent support."

’As long as this Rabbit Clan Lady is willing to stay in the Moon Rising Empire, that’s all that matters.’

’The choice for her First Beast Husband just needs to be a male from the Moon Rising Empire.’

’As for Prince Canglan, he would find a way to keep him in check.’

The elder eagerly awaited her answer.

Yu Zhizhi was conflicted. ’If the wedding has to happen,’ she thought, ’Louis and the others are definitely a better fit than Big Tiger...’

’At least when Louis is around, he can get me out of here.’

’If I have to go somewhere else for a mission in the future, Louis would be willing to... let me go, right?’

The elder saw that the Rabbit Clan girl seemed swayed, so he immediately struck while the iron was hot. "To be frank, Ms. Zhi Zhi, at your current level, establishing your First Beast Husband is the most important thing. Only if you confirm your choice is there any chance the Valoran Empire and the Deep Sea Empire will back down."

He guessed that this Rabbit Clan Lady had traveled a great distance to Moonrise because she didn’t want to remain in the Valoran Empire.

Otherwise, there would have been no need to undertake such an arduous journey and take such a risk.

Yu Zhizhi took a sip of her fruit juice.

’Actually, I’m...’

’...a little tempted.’

’I’ve put off choosing a First Beast Husband for as long as possible, but the situation is urgent now. If I don’t make a decision, I could be dragged back by the Duke, or Lord Shen He... No, no, no, that can’t happen. I can’t go with them.’

’Looking at it this way, the Lord of Paradise seems like the best choice.’

’Although Master Spider is a bit difficult to get along with...’

’...there’s still Louis.’

A kind smile graced the elder’s face. He hadn’t expected that he could actually persuade this Miss Rabbit.

He watched her expression intently. Just as he thought Ms. Zhi Zhi was about to nod her assent, Prince Canglan’s icy voice pierced through the Barrier—

"Her Beast Husband can only be me."

’Oh, dear...’

’Your Highness, you shouldn’t be making trouble at a time like this.’

’Just wait until Ms. Zhi Zhi officially becomes a female of the Moon Rising Empire, then you can find a way to join them.’

’Ms. Zhi Zhi is an SS Level female. According to the laws of the Empire, as long as she is willing, even someone as esteemed as the Crown Prince cannot prevent her from having other Beast Husbands.’

The elder was deeply troubled.

’Isn’t His Highness just making a mess of things?’

Hearing Big Tiger’s voice, Yu Zhizhi looked over in a daze, only then realizing it had come through the Barrier. He himself must be very far away.

’So he heard us from that far away?’

’Is it because the Barrier was strengthened?’

’He never used to ’eavesdrop’ like this before.’