Chapter 405: Wronged

Chapter 405: Chapter 405: Wronged

The look Yin Ze gave her seemed to accuse her of being a heartbreaker.

Bai Wanwan wanted to shout that she was innocent!

"He followed me here himself. I had nothing to do with it," she quickly said, trying to clear her name.

Jin Yi nodded in agreement. "A few days ago, on Beast Pet Street, we saw this Merfolk being whipped by a merchant. He must have secretly followed us when Yan Lie and I escorted Wanwan home, and he’s been hiding in the pond ever since."

Hearing this, Xin Feng stepped forward and took Bai Wanwan’s hand. "Then did he hurt you?" he asked in a low voice.

"No, he’s been hiding the whole time. I only just discovered him when I heard a splash and came to check."

Xin Feng’s gaze turned cold as he glanced toward the pond. "Should I throw him out of the tribe right now?"

Bai Wanwan hesitated.

’This Merfolk’s background is a mystery. If he truly has ill intentions, it would be wrong to let him stay.’

’But what if he really had nowhere to turn and came here seeking refuge? If they kicked him out, he’d be caught by the Beast Pet Merchant and whipped even more brutally. Thrown out of the tribe, he might be devoured by other beasts.’

Xin Feng noticed her hesitation, but he first needed to determine the Merfolk’s intentions.

He strode toward the pond, bypassing the cubs who were gathered around the Merfolk asking questions, and stopped right in front of him.

His gaze, though seemingly calm, was incredibly intimidating.

"I... I won’t bother you. Just let me stay here for five days... Three days is fine, too."

The Merfolk’s voice was as beautiful as music from the heavens, making him sound even more pitiful now.

Several of the Beast Husbands immediately grew wary, their eyes all snapping to Bai Wanwan.

Bai Wanwan rubbed her nose. ’Are they serious?’

’She had to admit, the Merfolk was handsome, but that didn’t mean she liked him.’

’There were countless beautiful things in the world; she knew full well they couldn’t all be hers.’

’Having too many Beast Husbands would only wear her out.’

A wolf cub rubbed against Xin Feng’s leg and looked up. "Father Beast, he’s covered in wounds! He’s so pitiful, let him stay!"

The other cubs also stared at him with wide, expectant eyes.

"Cubs, a strange male is a threat to you and your Mother," Xin Feng said, his tone serious.

The cubs didn’t seem to fully understand, only sensing that their normally gentle Father Beast was unusually stern today.

Xingxing ran to Bai Wanwan’s side, tugging her sleeve and pleading, "Mother, the stories he told us about the bottom of the sea were so interesting! He really doesn’t seem like a bad Beastman. Can’t we let him stay?"

Bai Wanwan understood the children’s curiosity about new things.

’Forcibly driving the Merfolk away would disappoint the children. And if he was plotting something... hmm, better to just play along.’

She turned to Jin Yi. "What’s this Merfolk’s Talent?"

"Green Rank. Considered High Rank among Beast Pets."

"Then let him stay," she decided, making the final call.

The cubs cheered with delight, immediately swarming the Merfolk and demanding more stories.

Xin Feng frowned at her, but Bai Wanwan smiled and explained, "It’s good to have him tell the cubs about the outside world. You all can take turns watching him. If he’s really up to something, we can follow the lead."

Night fell. Chou Rong and Zhu Xiu returned home, and upon hearing there was a new "fish" in the pond, their gazes shot toward Bai Wanwan in unison.

Yan Lie poked his head out of the kitchen, his face full of suspicion. "Wanwan, you weren’t charmed by that Merfolk’s face, were you? Which one of us isn’t better looking than that fish?"

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Bai Wanwan put a hand to her forehead in exasperation. "I have my own reasons for letting him stay. It has nothing to do with his looks."

"I don’t believe you!" Yan Lie said sourly. "With a Merfolk that beautiful, what female wouldn’t be tempted?"

Although Chou Rong and Zhu Xiu didn’t speak, their burning gazes were almost enough to bore a hole through her.

Yin Ze came to her rescue at just the right moment. "I was there too. Wanwan really had no intention of bringing him home."

Yan Lie walked over and wrapped his arms around her. "You’re not lying to us?"

"Why would I lie to you?" Bai Wanwan reached out and pinched his rock-hard abs.

It didn’t actually hurt, but Yan Lie immediately feigned a pained expression. "I was wrong, Wanwan. If you’re still mad, you can pinch me again."

"Pinch you? My hand hurts from pinching you."

The moment she spoke, Yan Lie took her hand and blew on it gently. "I’ll help you pinch next time," he offered.

Zhu Xiu’s gaze swept over them, and his fingertips, which rested on the rim of his cup, suddenly froze.

"Then why keep him?" His voice was laced with a chill.

Hearing Zhu Xiu’s voice, she quickly pushed the troublemaking Yan Lie aside and walked over to him and Chou Rong.

She bent down and hugged his neck. "His appearance is suspicious, so it’s better to keep him where we can watch him. Besides, the children like him. Think of him as another playmate for them."

Zhu Xiu’s expression softened slightly.

Meanwhile, Chou Rong stared at Bai Wanwan’s actions, a flicker in his eyes.

"It’s good that he’s staying. If he has ill intentions, it’s easier to deal with him out in the open than to guard against a thief in the dark."

Bai Wanwan turned her head, thinking she had to treat them all equally. She immediately let go of Zhu Xiu and hugged Chou Rong’s neck. "Right? That’s what I thought, too."

The Merfolk’s appearance had nearly fried her CPU, and she had only just managed to placate her Beast Husbands.

After a discussion, the Beast Husbands decided: At least one Orange Rank Talent holder must be on guard duty each day.

For the next two days, Jiao Yin never approached Bai Wanwan again, merely playing quietly with the cubs.

And the males, while seemingly busy with their own tasks, never actually let him out of their sight.

*******

It was an early morning in the Fiery Season, but the sun already burned the skin.

Bai Wanwan and Yin Mei were taking shelter from the heat in the shade of a stone wall.

"Sister Yin Mei, do you want to have your own cubs?"

Over the past few days, Bai Wanwan had seen clearly that Sister Yin Mei adored her cubs and spent a lot of time with them every day.

When she was with the cubs, the tenderness in Yin Mei’s eyes practically overflowed. ’She would definitely be a good Mother.’

Yin Mei paused. "It doesn’t matter if I want them or not. Wanwan, you have so many cubs, you can’t possibly take care of them all. It’s perfect, I can help you look after them."

Bai Wanwan shook her head with a smile. "I don’t need you to help me. In the future... you just need to take good care of your own cubs."

Hearing this, a bitter smile touched Yin Mei’s lips. "Wanwan, your Sister has nothing to hide from you. The truth is, my fertility is very low. I can’t have children."

"What if the Beast God blesses you? Low fertility doesn’t mean it’s impossible."

As she spoke, she handed over a dark-colored pill. "Sister, here, try this pill."

Without a single question, Yin Mei took it and popped it into her mouth. She chewed it for a moment before commenting, "The taste is a bit strange. Not as delicious as the other things you make, Wanwan."

"Is that so?" A smile tugged at Bai Wanwan’s lips. "Then I’ll make something else for my Sister to try next time."

After Yin Mei nodded, Bai Wanwan suddenly leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "Sister, the Beast God came to me in a dream last night. He told me to tell you that you must mate with Kong Lai tonight. If you do, you’ll conceive a cub."

Yin Mei’s beautiful eyes widened. "Really?"

"You’ll know if it’s true or not once you try."

The words had barely left her mouth when she suddenly felt a gaze fixed to her back.

Bai Wanwan whipped her head around and met Jiao Yin’s eyes, which were as blue as the sea.