Beauty and the Beasts

Bai Qingqing sank into the preposterous dream once again.

There was an endless stretch of desert, with sand flying around and the blazing sun scorching the land. Even the air seemed to faintly distort.

A small oasis was the only bit of greenery and vitality in this desert.

Hot!

This was Bai Qingqing’s first feeling.

Bai Qingqing stood on the ground where the grass was sparse, the bottom of her feet feeling like steak in a frying pan, so hot that her skin was turning hard. Her skin exposed to the sun seemed to be emitting oil.

Where was this place?

Bai Qingqing looked around. The overly-blazing sun made it impossible for her to open her eyes. She could faintly discern that there was a desert in front of her.

Suddenly, the top of her head became dark, and a green color appeared above her vision.

A large leaf was covering her head.

“Why did you come out again? It’s hot outside. Females aren’t able to withstand it.”

A male voice rang out behind her. Bai Qingqing could tell that it was that scorpion beastman.

The scenes from the dream a few days back all came back. She seemed to have lived with this scorpion in the oasis for a few days now.

Bai Qingqing turned and saw that it was that young man with black hair and eyes, who had no animal stripes on his face.

The young man immediately smiled. “Chris, I’ve sent scorpion beastmen to the forest to look for some fruits. Come and try them.”

The young man took Bai Qingqing’s hand and walked toward the center of the oasis. To match Bai Qingqing’s speed, his strides were extremely small and slow, causing his movements to look a little unnatural.

Bai Qingqing corrected him as she did a few days ago. “I’m not called Chris! I’m Bai Qingqing!”

If this were to go on, a day would come when even Bai Qingqing would believe that she was called “Chris”.

However, the young man seemed as if he couldn’t hear her and just continued to walk.

This strange behavior caused Bai Qingqing’s blood to suddenly turn cold. Since all these were already established, then, no matter what she said or did, nothing would change. Even a butterfly’s wings wouldn’t be able to flutter even once.

Even if she tried hard to break free, it’d be useless. The young man showed no reaction, and her struggle seemed to be non-existent.

Walking to the center of the oasis, a short and thick tree blocked the blazing sunlight. The parched air seemed to ease up a little.

The young man brought her to the rock under the tree and clapped his hands. A scorpion beastman carried over a big chest made from an unknown material.

“What’s this?” Bai Qingqing asked curiously.

Thankfully, the young man heard her question this time around. He replied, “Silvermoon Fruit. The females in the forest love to eat this the most.”

After saying that, he opened the chest, and a cold gust of cold air came out.

Three dark red fruits each the size of a fist lay neatly in the chest, only taking up a very small space. The other parts of the chest were filled with ice, allowing the fruits to maintain their freshness.

Even Bai Qingqing was given a great surprise. Where did the ice come from in this blazing summer?

She then vaguely remembered that the place she had been sleeping in the past few days seemed to be cooling as well.

A fair and slender hand reached into the chest, taking out a fruit, slowly peeling the skin and revealing the semi-translucent flesh. Judging from its appearance and flesh, this Silvermoon Fruit looked like a large-sized lychee.

The young man smiled as he peeled the fruit before handing it to her. Bai Qingqing ate it out of curiosity, realizing that it was very delicious. She then finished off all three fruits at one go.

“There are more in the underground vault. If you want to eat them, you can do that at any time,” said the young man dotingly.

Bai Qingqing was thinking back on the taste of the fruit and didn’t pay the young man any heed.

The young man suddenly grabbed her hand and asked, “Do you like me now?”