I Transmigrated as a Villainess to Raise Babies, and My Beast Husbands Are Fighting Madly Over Me!-Chapter 22: Can’t Let a Cub Rest Easy

The Tribe Shaman looked at Qiao Xixi.

"You may live in the tribe, but you must not do anything to harm its beastmen."

Qiao Xixi nodded.

"Rest assured, Tribe Shaman. We’ll get along well with everyone, but..."

Qiao Xixi’s gaze swept across the faces of all the beastmen.

"But from now on, if anyone attacks us with baseless malice because of our status as Wandering Beasts, we will not meekly endure it."

"Good."

The Tribe Shaman looked at Lin Mu. "Take them to the stone houses in the west."

"Okay."

Lin Mu was grateful to Qiao Xixi and her group for saving Mi Lan, so his attitude toward them had completely changed.

He enthusiastically helped Jin Ling carry the food.

"Follow me."

"Your shoulder hasn’t fully healed yet. Let me hold Qiaoqiao."

With Lin Mu carrying all the food, Jin Ling’s hands were now free.

Qiao Xixi glanced at the soundly sleeping Qiao Qiao and said softly, "No, it’s fine. The cub is very light."

Jin Ling actually wanted to carry Qiao Xixi, but he knew she would refuse. So, he turned and picked up the two cubs, Qiao Ang and Qiao Lie, instead.

Qiao Lie and Qiao Ang had been riding on Jin Ling’s back for the past few days, so they didn’t resist being held in his arms.

The Black Stone Tribe was situated in a low-lying basin, surrounded by mountains.

As Lin Mu led them through the tribe, Qiao Xixi saw many stone and wooden houses. This seemed to be the more concentrated residential area for the beastmen.

After passing through the scattered houses, they finally arrived in front of a stone house in a relatively remote location.

"This is it."

The place the Tribe Shaman had arranged for them consisted of three stone houses, their walls looking somewhat old.

Weathered rubble was piled up at the base of the walls, but the rooms were fairly spacious—already much better than the igloo they had been living in before.

"Thank you."

"My home is just a short distance ahead. If you need anything, feel free to come find me."

After Qiao Xixi thanked him, Lin Mu left in a hurry, still worried about Mi Lan.

Qiao Xixi surveyed all three stone houses, an irrepressible smile on her face.

’Finally, no more sleeping out in the open.’

Jin Ling tore a handful of branches from a tree outside and swept out the most spacious of the stone houses.

After a simple tidying of the house, he took out some animal hides, spread them on the ground, and said to Qiao Xixi, "You all rest for a bit. I’m going to go roast some meat."

Before Qiao Xixi could even say anything, Jin Ling had already turned and gone outside.

Qiao Xixi placed Qiao Qiao on the animal hide, covered her with a hide blanket, and then followed him outside.

Qiao Lie and Qiao Ang were wandering around outside the stone house.

Qiao Ang was grinning from ear to ear.

Although Qiao Lie remained expressionless, his red eyes were constantly scanning their surroundings, filled with curiosity. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"If you’re tired, go sleep for a while. I’ll call you when the meat is ready."

The two cubs shook their heads.

"We’re not tired."

Qiao Xixi let them be.

She went to check on the other two houses.

The other two stone houses were smaller, with some cracks in the walls and roof, but nothing too serious.

’Tomorrow, I’ll get some yellow mud and stones to patch them up.’

After surveying the rooms, she grabbed some branches and leaves and began to sweep.

Qiao Xixi stood on her tiptoes, trying to clear a spiderweb hanging on the wall, but she wasn’t tall enough to reach it.

Just as she was about to jump for it, a strong, large hand took the branch from her.

"Your injuries haven’t fully healed yet. Don’t move around too much. Leave this kind of work to me."

Jin Ling gently steadied her by the shoulders, and with one long sweep of his arm, the spiderweb on the wall was gone.

As he moved, his body pressed against Qiao Xixi’s back.

A faint, grassy scent drifted to her nose, and her back grew hot.

Qiao Xixi swallowed hard.

’Help me!’

’Who could possibly resist a powerful male with perfect proportions, broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and features so handsome they looked divinely sculpted!’

She was completely enveloped in Jin Ling’s unique scent.

Qiao Xixi felt that if she didn’t get away now, she was going to fall for him.

But as soon as she turned, she bumped right into Jin Ling’s firm embrace.

Jin Ling’s palm pressed lightly—whether intentionally or not—pushing her body closer to his.

His powerful heartbeat reached her ears, and Qiao Xixi’s own heart began to pound in response.

"Xixi."

His low, husky voice sounded beside her ear.

Qiao Xixi looked up in a fluster, only to meet a pair of eyes filled with deep affection.

Startled, Qiao Xixi clutched her animal-hide clothes tightly.

Jin Ling watched her, her eyes lowered and her feathery lashes trembling, like a feather teasing his heart.

"Xixi..."

His searing palm lifted her chin as he slowly leaned closer.

Their warm breaths mingled.

Watching his handsome face draw nearer and nearer, Qiao Xixi froze completely.

Just as their lips were about to touch, a small, curious face wedged itself between them.

"A-Are your wounds hurting again?"

Qiao Ang’s childish, slightly cocky voice held a trace of concern.

Qiao Xixi pushed Jin Ling’s hand away and quickly stepped back.

But his gilded golden eyes remained locked on her.

"No, my wounds don’t hurt."

Qiao Ang blinked his light brown eyes in confusion.

Finally, his little brow furrowed.

"You’re lying! If your wounds didn’t hurt, why did you need the big male to kiss you!"

Jin Ling’s voice was light. "Qiao Ang, your mother’s injuries haven’t fully recovered. It’s possible they still hurt sometimes."

Qiao Ang’s little brow furrowed even more tightly.

"Quick, let the big male kiss you! A kiss will make it stop hurting."

Qiao Xixi looked with surprise at the bright amusement in Jin Ling’s eyes.

Qiao Xixi was rendered speechless. The boomerang of her own lie had just hit her right between the eyes.

"Qiao Ang, I’m really not hurting, just a little hungry. Let’s go eat the roast meat. Come on, let’s hurry up and eat."

Qiao Xixi quickly made her escape.

Qiao Ang watched her retreating back as if he were looking at a disobedient cub.

"She’s such a handful."

Jin Ling watched her slender back, a gentle smile touching the corners of his eyes.

As Qiao Xixi ate the roast meat, she thought it tasted wonderful, even without any seasoning.

’Perhaps it’s because after wandering for so long, I finally have a place to settle down, at least for a while.’

While Qiao Xixi was happily dreaming of the future, the atmosphere on the other side of the tribe was not nearly as harmonious.

After Lin Mu brought Qiao Xixi and her group into the tribe, the Tribe Shaman also returned to his own residence.

A male beastman wearing a circlet of vibrant red and white feathers, with red pupils almost identical to the Tribe Shaman’s, walked up to him.

"Father, why did you let those Wandering Beasts stay? You know the Clan Leader hates Wandering Beasts more than anyone. When he returns and finds out, he’ll definitely be displeased."

The Tribe Shaman walked to a wooden chair, sat down, and glanced at Hong Xi.

"That powerful Golden Tiger Beast male isn’t a Wandering Beast. One female Wandering Beast and three cubs pose no serious threat to the tribe."

The Tribe Shaman took a sip of water before continuing, "What’s more, that little female cub has a Healing Skill. Keeping them in the tribe is more of a benefit to us than a threat."

Hong Xi was still worried, but he couldn’t change a decision his father had made.