Chapter 158: Contacting an ally
Mira was asleep. Good, Ming Tao needed her asleep and idle of everything he had to do for the day.
The last thing he wanted was for her to worry knowing her sister was still lurking throughout the cheetah clan. Ming Tao got up from the bed, he took one last look at Mira before tip toeing out of his room.
He would arrange for fresh fruits to be served to her to eat. He did not want her to even have to walk to get the water she wanted to drink, he just wanted her to rest and relax. She had already been through so much and he wanted to do everything in his power to take her mind off everything and relieve her of the stress. It was the least he could do after playing a major role in stressing the heck out of her. He also was the one who put her in this mess.
The first thing Ming Tao did the moment he was out of his room was send two of his men standing by his door to summon for some beast women. If he was going to be away from his wife, he would not dare leave her alone. Ming Tao still wanted Mira’s pregnancy to be a secret, when the time was right, it would be announced to everyone in the clan but certain things had to be done first.
It did not take long for the beast men he sent out to call for the women to arrive with a few. These were care takers, basically the ones who ensured the safety and wellbeing of the cheetah cubs.
The beast women courtesied on sighting Ming Tao in front of the door to his home and he signalled them to lift their heads with a sway of his hand up. They obeyed.
"You called for us?" The oldest, and the one standing in the middle, said. There were three beast women standing before Ming Tao, two who looked like underlings to the older woman.
"I need you to take special care of my wife while I am away. If she needs water, give it to her. If she needs rest, let her have it but keep an eye on her. If she needs food, get the best kinds for her. If she needs to wash herself, follow her to the river she chooses. Do not let her lift a single thing be it flowers. I do not even want her feet to touch the ground but I know how stubborn and restless my wife can be so do as she says and you will be fine but do not for one second let her even fetch any single thing no matter how much she insists on it." Ming Tao stated.
The women stared at him with shock written on their faces. The Mighty Cheetah was asking them to do something he had never asked for before and it was for someone else. It was not until Ming Tao stopped talking that he noticed the shocked look on their faces.
"Do you have anything to add?" He asked, his tone casual and polite.
The women exchanged glances with one another before returning their gazes to him. The oldest among them spoke again. "No, nothing. We just cannot help but wonder." The woman cleared her throat. "Has your wife been ridden with illness or a serious wound?"
Ming Tao’s brows furrowed. "No! Far from it, why?" He asked. Panic was in his tone.
The woman’s lips formed a line. She tried not to smile even though she found Ming Tao’s care towards his wife very intriguing to witness. "Nothing. It is just that a woman can do anything freely yet you request she does nothing. I could not help but wonder if she was incapable of doing anything for the time being."
Ming Tao’s cheeks reddened. "I just do not want anything to overexert her. My wife is very delicate." Ming Tao said.
The women began to grin and blush. Their exchanged glances hinted at an obvious thought that passed through their heads. They looked like people who had caught someone doing something naughty. Like they guessed why he said she was delicate. Like they knew the two of them had been intimate. Like they heard them be intimate.
Ming Tao’s could not help but widen his eyes. "Just do as I told!" He immediately said. He did not need to tell anyone anything or clarify any assumptions. Also, he and Mira’s private life was private! Only for the two of them to know.
"Yes, Mighty Cheetah. We never intended not to and we could never not follow your order." The eldest one said and all of them bowed their heads. Hidden behind their bowed heads were snickers and smuggled grins. These women knew what gossip would be trailing out of their lips much later in the day and they delighted in it.
Ming Tao cleared his throat. "It is not an order but a request. Please, take care of my wife like she is your own." Ming Tao said softly.
"We consider her to be our own already, Mighty Cheetah." The eldest said. Their heads were still bowed. "The people of the cheetah clan have not had time to thank Mira Yang for what she has done for us. The farm is growing plants splendidly. The animals are eating and under our watch, a few of them have actually mated and bearing future meals. She has saved us from hunger. And she has also cooked and dined for us even when we were the least welcoming towards her. And to add to that, our young can not help but rain praises her way. Apparently, she was so kind to take them on an adventure and feed them too. Your wife has done so much to prove she is one of us and we are all honoured to have her here. We would not have it any other way." The eldest woman completed her sentence.
Ming Tao could not help but stare at her in amazement as she listed all of Mira’s accomplishments. He had been hypnotised for way too long that he forgot about the farm and the hunger crisis the cheetah clan was facing. He had not even taken the time to check and see how the farm was doing. Everything about his clan was on a stand still in his mind when he was hypnotised. He was not there to witness Mira have fun with any of their young but it made Ming Tao happy to hear that his people had accepted her.
He wanted nothing more than this.
"We will do our utmost best to ensure she is comfortable and ready for you, Mighty Cheetah." The lady said. Her tone gave the hint that she was trying to snap him out of a daze.
The ends of Ming Tao’s lips curled into a subtle smile. "Thank you." He said to the women. "I will leave my wife in your hands till I return." Ming Tao stated.
He walked past the women. "Two of you come with me." He said to the beast men before him and the two beast men followed behind him. These were the same men he had a discussion with the night before about making a journey to find The Lion King. They had been awake all night and he needed them to have some rest as their supplies were being prepared.
Ming Tao walked a significant distance away from his home, towards the farmland. His mouth gaped as he saw the farm. Plants filled where the once barren land laid. They looked so green and fresh and the animals were untied yet they stayed within the farm.
It was just as Mira said. Growing your food to produce more food. The animals had made the farm their home. It was about time a council meeting was held. Mira’s plan had worked and they needed to do the needful but first, Ming Tao needed to address the men behind him.
"Do you remember what we discussed last night?" Ming Tao asked his men without turning to face them.
"Yes, Mighty ruler. Every single word." One of the men said.
"Good. You will rest for the day and begin your journey at the earliest evening. When you are leaving, ensure not a single soul knows the real purpose of your journey. I understand that it would be hard to hide your journey from your families and our brothers and sisters, but do not let them know the true purpose of it." Ming Tao said to them.
"Your will, is our command, Mighty Cheetah." The men chorused in unison.
Ming Tao’s brows furrowed. He knew he told them to return if Jia Hao was not found within seven days, but thinking about it now, having two men go and scout the entire beast region they governed alone in search for one man sounded stupid. He needed more eyes out, eyes that had not been in the cheetah clan and would not say whatever they saw to just anyone. He needed help from the fellow rulers, his co-husbands.
"One more thing," Ming Tao uttered.
"Yes, Mighty Cheetah?" One of the men asked.
"As you return to your homes, send two men to meet me here discreetly. I have a special task for them." Ming Tao stated.
"We will do so at once." The same man responded. Ming Tao heard the sound of their footsteps backing away and he took a deep breath in his alone time.
He already knew the first man he would contact. Hye Yang would surely go down once and for all.
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