Beauty and the Beasts

When Curtis found her, he would have to return to looking at her from afar.

Muir gently said as he stroked Bai Qingqing’s tummy that appeared bigger than yesterday, “I will take good care of you.”

Bai Qingqing had no idea how to respond to that. Actually, Muir was what was troubling her the most now.

She washed her face by the river, then let Muir help her apply the purple ball liquid again, before dabbing the ash from roasting the meat on her arms and legs, making her appear dusty.

2

Under Muir’s reluctant gaze, Bai Qingqing went back to the peacock village with big and small bags.

No idea what it was that Alva said, but Bella seemed to have forgiven him—the two of them were sitting on a tree branch chatting and laughing. Upon seeing Bai Qingqing, the smile instantly vanished from Bella’s face.

“Hey! Where are the pine nuts you said you were going to peel for me?” Bella, who had slightly upturned eyes, asked.

Bai Qingqing took in a deep breath to make herself calm down, before saying, “They’re in the wooden house. I’ll bring them over to you right now.”

When Bai Qingqing came out with a tree leaf holding the pine nuts, Bella murmured, “You really did peel them.”

Just then, something seemed to occur to Bella, which made her shove Alva fiercely.

“You gave her pine nuts again! And you said you don’t fancy her! Scram!” Bella howled hysterically.

Although the pine cone was big, there were only two or three handfuls of pine nuts inside. Bai Qingqing had peeled the pine nuts from around two pine cones.

“No, I only gave her two pine cones,” Alva explained anxiously. “It must be other males…”

He had wanted to go on when Bai Qingqing interrupted his words. “I didn’t eat the pine nuts Alva gave me. I’ve peeled them all for you.”

Bella’s expression turned sunny at hearing this. She picked up the peeled pine nuts and started eating them. “That’s more like it.”

1

Bai Qingqing heaved a sigh of relief. She was about to leave when she heard Bella say, “Alva told me that you were the one who roasted the meat. Since that’s the case, roast it for me every day.”

Just then, the sharp-eyed Bella saw that Bai Qingqing had brought roast meat again. In a tone that suggested she wasn’t to be refused, she said, “First hand me that meat you roasted. I feel like eating it now.”

Bai Qingqing, who couldn’t help getting angry, widened her eyes. “What if I refuse?”

This was no longer a fair trade, but plundering.

“Then scram from this place.”

The person who spoke was Alva. He gazed coldly at Bai Qingqing, as though he was looking at a stranger, completely different from yesterday.

Tears welled up in Bai Qingqing’s eyes. Holding back the urge to cry, she gritted her teeth and said, “Fine, I’ll give it to you guys then.”

After feigning nonchalance and tossing the food into the house, Bai Qingqing turned around, and the tears in her eyes finally slipped down her cheeks. Her throat felt a little choked, yet she forced herself to not make a single sound.

Alva said as he gazed at Bai Qingqing’s back view, “If you feel aggrieved, you can find a peacock male as a mate. This way, you wouldn’t need to do chores for someone else.”

Hearing that voice from behind, Bai Qingqing inhaled deeply to suppress the urge to cry. “No need, I’ll leave after giving birth.”

With that, Bai Qingqing strode away.

The village chief who was on the top of the tree saw this scene.

Bella said with a pout, “I’ll believe you now that I hear you asking her to choose other males.”

“Great.” Alva tapped Bella’s nose in an indulging manner. “You’re the most beautiful female in our village. How can I possibly like someone other than you?”

Bella said with a chuckle, “But I’m still fuming, I get angry at the sight of that Bai Qingqing. I haven’t decided to give you my first time. It will depend on your performance.”

“I won’t let you down.”