Beast World: A Fragile Beauty Blessed with Many Children-Chapter 31 - 30: This Conversation Can’t Continue

Si Shuo’s heart hammered in her chest. Face flushing, she turned away and took a small step back. "Whether I’m impressive or not isn’t for you to say."

Xu Chi hummed in acknowledgment. "I’ll protect you until Zhi Le finds us."

Now that the unspoken tension between them was out in the open, Si Shuo felt awkward all over. She lightly tapped her head. ’It must be that stinky bug grass.’

’Whether it’s men and women or males and females, there’s no such thing as a purely platonic friendship!’

’I thought too highly of Xu Chi, thinking he was above all this. How could a male like him have nothing but mating on his mind too?’

Just then, a Beastman called them to come out. Xu Chi followed behind Si Shuo, and they sat down by the campfire together.

Xu Chi casually took the leftover meat he had saved for Si Shuo and began to roast it. He knew she didn’t have a large appetite, so he gave her a roasted pig leg. The rest of the meat, including the rabbit leg she hadn’t finished, went into his own stomach.

Si Shuo tore at the meat viciously, glaring at him with every bite, as if she were biting him instead.

Xu Chi’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He glanced back at her. "Don’t look at me like that. I feel like I’m the one you’re roasting."

’Can’t this male be a little more subtle?’ Si Shuo’s face instantly flushed crimson.

Everyone was curious about Si Shuo and came over to see her. Some Beastmen couldn’t resist pressing gifts on her—males, females, and even young Beastmen alike.

It was an enthusiasm born from simple, genuine affection.

Away from the Qianmiao Tribe, and without Yu Jiao, Ma Hui, and their group adding fuel to the fire, the Beastmen here weren’t hostile toward her status as a Mutated Beast. At most, they treated her with pity, sympathy, and a sense of regret.

The atmosphere was much more relaxed, and Si Shuo even joined a group of females, holding hands and dancing around the campfire.

It was like she was in a different world, finally understanding the charm and joy of communal dancing. Her face was wreathed in smiles all evening, and she temporarily cast all her previous unhappiness aside.

Back in the hut, the space was very cramped—only about fifty or sixty square feet.

Xu Chi wasn’t burly and massive like the bear or Bull Beastmen. Instead, his body was lean and athletic, with firm, well-defined muscles. But as he squeezed in with her, the hut felt even more constricting.

The temperature in the air seemed to rise by several degrees.

"Xu Chi, about... us. Let’s wait until Zhi Le gets here to talk about it! Until then, you... you are not allowed to sleep in here with me," Si Shuo said weakly, covering her face with her hands.

’Zhi Le hasn’t even started making arrangements, and I’ve already attracted two suitors for myself. Oh, just let lightning strike me dead!’

Xu Chi grunted in acknowledgment. "I’ll just stand guard here. You get your sleep."

The hut’s doorway was just a movable wooden fence, and like every other home, it was covered with old, tattered furs to block the wind. It didn’t feel secure at all.

’Still, I can’t just tell him to go sleep outside in the cold wind.’

Si Shuo lay down on the bed, which was padded with several layers of Beast Skins, and pulled another thick layer over herself. She sighed silently. Her thoughts were a tangled mess.

Every sound of the night seemed to be magnified, carried far on the wind. The rising and falling cries, which seemed to be vaguely competing with one another, made Si Shuo shudder. She silently pulled the Beast Skin over her head to block them out.

Xu Chi tilted his head, then stepped forward and tugged at her covering.

Si Shuo clutched it tightly, whispering a warning, "Xu Chi, you... you control yourself! Don’t you get any funny ideas!"

"Funny ideas about what? Don’t cover your head, you’ll suffocate," Xu Chi said, still tugging.

Si Shuo uncovered her head, her eyes darting around evasively. "It’s a little noisy outside. I can’t sleep."

With a wave of his hand, a transparent membrane of light flashed and then vanished. Instantly, the noise from outside ceased, replaced by silence.

Si Shuo’s eyes brightened. "Xu Chi, how did you do that? Is it difficult?"

’Ji Liang can do it, and so can Xu Chi. Does that mean anyone with a superpower can do it? I want to learn, too!’

"It’s not difficult, but your superpower isn’t strong enough to sustain it," Xu Chi said, shaking his head. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Are you a Female Saint?"

Females with exceptional fertility would receive a superpower after being granted a Blessing by the Beast God, which enhanced their ability to survive.

’If she has a superpower, she should be a Female Saint. But how could a Female Saint have low fertility?’

"I’m not. Where I’m from, I was tested and my fertility is low," Si Shuo said, shaking her head firmly. "If you want cubs, you’ll have to find another female."

Xu Chi stroked her head. "I don’t need cubs. Once I’ve committed to a female, I won’t change my mind."

’Ah, this damned loyalty of Beastmen... I can’t resist it at all.’

’Fine, I give up! I’ll lay my cards on the table. I’m just a deeply hidden king of the seas, one who has been forced (or rather, unearthed) by the "beautiful" survival rules of this Beast World Continent!’

Si Shuo huffed, sat up, and began to count on her fingers. "We can talk about this after you formally defeat Zhi Le and earn his approval."

"Zhi Le is incredibly strong. Back where we were, he was widely known as a male with supreme talent."

"He was injured saving our tribesmen, so his Combat Power has regressed for now, but he’s still exceptionally powerful."

"And, hmm, there’s also Ji Liang in line ahead of you. He’s a male with a Seventh level Combat Power Value."

"He’s a Snake Beastman, but the Traveling Merchant Team he leads is very principled and has an excellent reputation." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"It won’t be easy to earn their acknowledgment."

Xu Chi watched her quietly. "Then do you want me to defeat them and become your Beast Husband?"

Si Shuo gave a light laugh and raised an eyebrow, unable to resist tossing the question back at him. "And what if I do? What if I don’t?"

"If you want me to, I’ll go easy on them. If you don’t, I’ll have to consider whether or not I should flay their hides."

Xu Chi’s expression remained placid, his eyes serene. ’How could he say something so brutal with such a calm face?’

Si Shuo felt her breath catch, and her expression darkened. "Xu Chi, is that how you always fight? That’s completely immoral!"

"But you were smiling."

Si Shuo was speechless.

’This conversation is impossible!’

Si Shuo’s intuition told her that Xu Chi wasn’t a bad person, but his way of handling things lacked a certain tact and consideration. She couldn’t help but try to reason with him.

"Look, it depends on the person. When you’re dealing with bad people, anything goes. But with some people, you have to leave them a little dignity... Wait a minute. Xu Chi, who do you think you are, talking so big?"

"Even if you could fight above your rank, you might barely be a match for Zhi Le. But Ji Liang has Seventh Level Combat Power..."

And yet, Xu Chi’s face showed not a hint of fear. He waited for Si Shuo to finish her rambling, then simply said, "Are you avoiding the question?"

Si Shuo froze for a moment, her mind still trying to catch up, as he pressed on, "Do you want me to be your Beast Husband or not?"

Si Shuo felt the small space grow hotter again. The scent of the stinky bug grass in the air seemed even more intoxicating now.

She gave a low cough. "I want to take a bath. I’m starting to smell so bad it’s addling my brain, I can’t even think straight."

Xu Chi nodded. "I’ll go heat some water for you." As he stood up and walked to the doorway, he seemed to let out a soft chuckle. "My Father always says that no answer means yes. So, you do want me to, right, Si Shuo?"

’Father, Father, always his Father!’ Si Shuo couldn’t help but grab a nearby piece of fruit and toss it at him. ’Is he some kind of daddy’s boy?’

Xu Chi caught it effortlessly and took a bite before tossing out another teasing line, "I don’t go around protecting just any female who has ’blossomed’ and is traveling alone."

"But you’re different, Si Shuo. And I hope that I am different to you, too."