Beauty and the Beasts

Alva felt extremely remorseful. He clearly liked Bai Qingqing’s personality, but he chose to give her up for Bella’s beauty. He had never imagined that Bai Qingqing would turn out to be so much better looking than Bella. What an irony.

It should have occurred to me. For her to have a three-striped admirer, her looks couldn’t be that bad.

He had bullied Bai Qingqing so terribly back then. Would she still like him?

6

After soaking for a long time, the abnormal sensation in Bai Qingqing’s heart dissipated, and she had calmed down by quite a bit.

After rubbing her red and swollen eyes, she was going to try lifting her leg, when she suddenly felt a weight upon her head as an animal skin was laid over it.

“Your hair is wet. Let me help you wipe it.”

It was Alva’s voice, and it carried a hint of caution. He was also incredibly gentle, making Bai Qingqing feel like this was an entirely different person from the one who had pressed her into the water earlier.

1

Bai Qingqing mocked at him, her tone of voice as usual. “You’ve mistaken me for someone else. I’m not Bella.”

Alva’s heart skipped a beat out of fear.

Bai Qingqing reached for the animal skin and wiped her hair as she got up to her feet with much difficulty. She was just about to stand straight when she suddenly felt her legs dangling in the air as Alva lifted her horizontally.

“Let me carry you back, it’s difficult for you to walk back on your own.”

He didn’t dare to look at her expression. After pressing her face to his chest, he speedily ran below the tree and walked upwards steadily with Bai Qingqing in his arms.

Going up and down a tree was indeed a troublesome matter for Bai Qingqing. Hence, she didn’t refuse his offer.

Her clothes had already dried by then. Alva set her down on the animal skin and quickly sized up the wooden house.

The last time he came here, it was to arrange accommodation for Bai Qingqing. He had casually chosen a house that was at a lower height, to make it more convenient for the pregnant Bai Qingqing to move up and down the tree.

From what he could remember, this house was indeed a little run-down. After all, no bird had lived here for a long while. He had initially prepared to add some items into her house bit by bit, but due to Bella, he had purposely neglected it.

It was only upon this visit that Alva realized that this place was incredibly shabby.

2

How could a female live in a house like this?

Alva wished he could carry her to his own house. This place was total proof of how he had been mistreating Bai Qingqing.

“Qingqing, I talked things over with Bella just now. From now onwards, the two of us have nothing to do with each other,” Alva said.

1

Wrapping herself with animal skin, Bai Qingqing looked up with her reddened eyes and cast an incredulous glance at Alva.

The peacock tribe placed more importance on appearances than the other tribes. But the fact that even the males were so fickle made Bai Qingqing felt incredulous.

“That’s your matter and has nothing to do with me. Go out now. I don’t wish to see you.” Bai Qingqing’s voice sounded stuffy as she started to pack what little luggage she had.

The anxious Alva knelt by Bai Qingqing’s side on one knee and said as he grabbed her hand, “You’re leaving? No, don’t leave the village.”

“Let go of me.” Bai Qingqing instantly withdrew her hand.

Alva stared at her painfully. With her hand in his, he gently kissed the back of her hand, like a noble prince proposing marriage to his beloved princess.

“Will you give me a chance? I won’t ever mistreat you again.”

3

Bai Qingqing’s mouth twitched as she cast a disdainful glance at the back of her hand. She said, “You merely like me for my appearance. If one day I become ugly, will you still like me?”

Alva replied without a thought, “You would still be you. In my heart, you will remain the way you look right now, forever.”

Bai Qingqing sneered. “Then what if one day you find someone more beautiful than me?”

This time around, Alva gave the question serious thought before answering her solemnly, “If we’ve become mates, I naturally will stick with you forever. If not, I will choose the better-looking one.”

8