Chapter 574: He Doesn’t Remember Anything

By the time Qiao Xixi finally emerged from Jin Ling’s room, the sky had already grown dark.

“Xixi, I’ve finished cooking. Come over and eat.”

Following the voice, Qiao Xixi walked into the living room, where Qiao Yi had already brought out the steaming hot food. With everything finally settled for the time being, the delicious aroma of the meal made Qiao Xixi’s mouth water. Qiao Yi placed several generous pieces of roasted meat into her bowl. Watching his cub eat with such relish, a look of gratification filled his eyes.

“Father, don’t just serve me. You need to eat too.” Taking a brief pause from her meal, Qiao Xixi reached out and scooped a bowl of meat broth for him.

Qiao Yi smiled affectionately. As he picked up his bowl, he suddenly asked, “Xixi, is it all really over? That monster… it won’t appear again, will it?”

Qiao Xixi paused. She knew Qiao Yi definitely had many questions, but he had never asked her directly. Perhaps he was worried that some things simply couldn’t be spoken of. By not asking, he was trying to spare her from being put in a difficult position.

Setting down her bowl and chopsticks, Qiao Xixi looked at him seriously. “Father, to explain this, I have to start from many years ago.”

She gathered her thoughts and explained everything clearly to Qiao Yi—how she had arrived here, what she had experienced, and what exactly they had been fighting against. Qiao Yi listened in stunned disbelief; the things she described far exceeded the limits of his comprehension. A long silence fell over the room after she finished speaking. Qiao Xixi didn’t say anything either, giving him time to process it all.

“Xixi, besides Jin Ling and the others, who else knows about this?”

Qiao Xixi shook her head. “No one else. I haven’t dared to tell anyone.”

Qiao Yi let out a quiet breath. “Good. You can’t say a word. You can’t let anyone else know, or you’ll be in danger.”

Looking at him, Qiao Xixi’s eyes suddenly reddened. He was, after all, a father who loved her dearly. Even after taking in so much unbelievable information, his very first thought was still of her safety.

“Mhm. Besides you, Father, I won’t tell anyone else.”

After they finished eating, Qiao Yi prepared hot water so she could take a proper bath. Qiao Xixi sighed at her father’s thoughtfulness. Soaking in the hot water, she felt incredibly relaxed, as if the heavy burden on her shoulders had finally been lifted.

By the time she came out, the night had grown deep. Seeing her finished, Qiao Yi walked her back to her door.

“Get some good rest tonight. If you need anything, just call for me. I’ll be sleeping right next door.”

“Okay. You should hurry and rest too, Father. You’ve been exhausted lately.”

Qiao Yi nodded and turned back to his own room. Qiao Xixi pushed open her door. Inside, the gentle glow of a sea pearl illuminated the entire room. The moment she stepped in, she met a pair of teary, wet eyes. Slightly startled, Qiao Xixi closed the door and walked over.

“Yaya, you’re awake.”

Upon seeing Qiao Xixi, the tears that Yaya had been holding back streamed out uncontrollably. “Mother… Waaaah…”

Thinking about how pitiful the little cub was, Qiao Xixi immediately went over, picked her up, and softly coaxed her. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

Yaya buried her face against Qiao Xixi’s shoulder, her little body trembling as she cried even more heart-wrenchingly. Hearing those intermittent sobs made Qiao Xixi feel awful. Regardless of what the adults had done, Yaya was just an innocent cub.

After crying for quite a while, Yaya finally stopped, letting out soft hiccups. “Mother, am I never going to see my father again?”

Thinking of Kunlin, Qiao Xixi frowned. After Yun Ji had ordered him brought back, he had been kept under guard in the stone hut out back. She didn’t know what his current condition was.

“How could that be? Didn’t we bring him back?”

“Really? Then… then I want to go see my father, okay?”

Qiao Xixi felt a bit conflicted. Xiao Yao had told her that the reason Kunlin’s body was repeatedly possessed was partly due to his own nature. He harbored dark thoughts deep within his heart; otherwise, the possession wouldn’t have gone so smoothly. Although the mastermind had been destroyed, she couldn’t be sure what state Kunlin would be in when he woke up. Still, she could understand how Yaya was feeling.

After a moment of thought, Qiao Xixi carried her out of the room. “Let me get you something to eat first. Once your tummy is full, we’ll go see your father, alright?”

Hearing that she could see her father, Yaya broke into a happy smile. “Okay.”

Qiao Xixi didn’t know when Qiao Yi had left his room, but when she went to the backyard to fetch food, she saw him walking in through the back door.

“Father, where did you go?”

Qiao Yi was equally surprised to see her up. “What’s wrong? Are you still hungry?”

Qiao Xixi shook her head and explained Yaya’s situation. Qiao Yi frowned. “Kunlin has woken up.”

Qiao Xixi understood; someone must have come to inform Qiao Yi. “Is he… normal?”

Qiao Yi’s frown deepened, and his tone turned slightly sour. Even though he knew Kunlin wasn’t the one responsible for what happened in Elephant Beast City, the perpetrator had used his body. It was impossible for Qiao Yi not to harbor some resentment.

“You could say he’s normal, but at the same time, not quite.”

Qiao Xixi’s expression shifted slightly. “Not normal? Could it be…”

“No, it’s not that. Never mind. Since she’s his cub, just take her over to see him.”

Qiao Xixi hadn’t expected Qiao Yi to agree to let Yaya see Kunlin. “Alright. I’ll feed her something first.”

“Mhm.”

After Yaya ate her fill, Qiao Xixi carried her to the stone hut in the back. Yun Qiong, who was standing guard outside the door, looked a bit surprised to see Qiao Yi and the others.

“Why are you here so late at night?”

“His cub was fussing to see him,” Qiao Yi replied.

Yun Qiong glanced at Yaya and didn’t say anything else. They had always been lenient toward cubs and females.

The door was opened, and Qiao Yi hung two sea pearls inside to illuminate the room. Kunlin was sitting slouched in a corner of the stone hut. Though he wasn’t restrained in any way, Qiao Xixi quickly noticed that he appeared completely drained of strength, his face looking rather pale.

“Father!”

Hearing the voice, Kunlin looked up, staring at Yaya in astonishment. “Yaya? You… why are you here?”

Qiao Xixi let go, and Yaya threw herself into Kunlin’s arms. “Father, you are my father.”

Deep confusion flashed in Kunlin’s eyes, as if he didn’t understand why Yaya was reacting this way. “Of course I’m your father. But Yaya, answer me first—why are you here?” He then looked toward Qiao Xixi. “And… who are you? Why is Yaya with you?”

Seeing that the confusion in his eyes didn’t look feigned, Qiao Xixi realized what Qiao Yi had meant earlier. Normal, but not quite normal.

Qiao Xixi stared straight at him, as if trying to confirm whether he was putting on an act. “Do you really not remember anything?”

Kunlin frowned, his expression turning icy. “I don’t know what it is you think I should remember. Did you people kidnap Yaya? Who exactly are you!?” By the end of his sentence, his gaze had turned sharp and hostile.