Beauty and the Beasts

There were too many people in the village, and the paths were also flattened and firmed up from all the usage. They were very clean, and when the sky was clear, they looked just like floor tiles.

Bai Qingqing jumped off from Curtis’s back, stepping onto the cool floor with her bare feet. She couldn’t help but sigh.

“Wow! It feels so comfortable!”

In the past, she had complained a lot about how uncomfortable it felt to step on stones. But now, she found it comfortable. She had been through too much hardship in the desert.

Curtis’s heart ached for her, and he held onto one of Bai Qingqing’s hands tightly, not saying a word. The strength of his grip showed his heartache.

Bai Qingqing walked with her head raised while he paid attention to the ground. When he saw rocks, he used his tail to sweep them away.

Bai Qingqing called for the leopard cubs as she walked. She only heard the leopard cubs’ excited howls when she had almost arrived at the tree hole she used to reside in.

“Howl howl?”

There was an oval-shaped tree hole on the big tree thick as a water tower. After the sounds came out, three golden yellow leopard heads squeezed out from it.

The leopard cubs opened their big golden eyes and looked around, then their gazes landed on a lump of animal skin.

Bai Qingqing’s body was basically wrapped up by animal skin. Ignoring the pair of eyes that were similar to the leopard cubs’, it was as if a piece of animal skin had grown legs and was running by itself.

The leopard cubs first blinked in disbelief, then all of them came flying out from the tree hole, stumbling on the ground. They then got up and ran toward their mommy.

It was an expected reunion scene, but Bai Qingqing’s eyes teared up uncontrollably. She squatted down to receive the children.

They hadn’t met for half a month, and the cubs seemed to have grown a little bigger and also ran quicker. They didn’t know to hold back and were about to knock into their mommy when a snake tail suddenly appeared in front of them.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three collision sounds rang out as the leopard cubs banged into the snake tail. All of them were sent flying, looking just like when their father had knocked into a tree.

“Pffft!” Bai Qingqing instantly burst out laughing. “Hahahaha… You guys are really Parker’s children. Do you guys have to share such a resemblance to him?”

She then threw an amused glare at Curtis before saying, “You too. Why did you suddenly stop them midway? Wouldn’t it be fine if you stood in front of me earlier?”

They’d still be able to touch you easily, then.

Curtis thought this to himself but didn’t explain anything. He said, “You’re hungry. Let’s go back first. After settling you down, I’ll go and hunt.”

At the mention of food, Bai Qingqing’s stomach started rumbling away, unable to wait for a moment more. She pulled him and walked.

“Children, come with us quickly. Have you guys eaten today?”

The leopard cubs started howling away. Bai Qingqing wasn’t of the leopard tribe but seemed to understand what they meant as if she shared a spiritual connection with them. She smiled and said to Curtis, “You’ll have to catch more prey now. The children haven’t eaten yet, either.”

“Okay.”

After arriving at the stone castle, Bai Qingqing’s heart settled down. She let out a sigh and said in a soft voice, “We’re home!”

“Howl howl!”

The leopard cubs were extremely excited. All of them rushed over to the front door, laying down in front of the stone door, scratching and patting at it. When they turned and saw that their mommy and Curtis weren’t coming yet, they started digging the ground.

Bai Qingqing did not doubt in the slightest that if they didn’t open the door, the leopard cubs could dig a path to crawl in.

The stone door that the cubs couldn’t budge opened with a gentle push of Curtis’s tail. They were used to independence after having no adults to care for them for half a month or so. They felt that they were very amazing, but only after seeing Curtis’s act did they realize that the adults were still more amazing.

They raised their heads, looking at Curtis with admiration-filled gazes.

If Parker was present, he’d be so infuriated that he’d spurt blood.