Beauty and the Beasts

“I’m not going,” Bluepool said, sounding irritated.

Parker, who had just finished roasting a piece of meat, called out to her. “Qingqing, hurry over and eat.”

“Oh,” Bai Qingqing responded. She said to Bluepool, “You should come and eat with us.”

She had just finished speaking when Bluepool felt a chill run all over his body. When he turned his head, he found himself looking straight into a blood-red pair of eyes veiled with a threat.

“No need, I’ve already eaten.” As he spoke, he pressed his hands against the bottom of the water ball. A moment later, more than ten luminous balls the size of longans appeared in his palms.

Bluepool handed the luminous balls to Bai Qingqing and said, “There are too many beastmen around tonight. Come to the waterhole tomorrow to look for me when there’s no one around. I’ll lend you the little silver fishes.”

“Alright!” Bai Qingqing replied right away.

Holding the light sources and returning to the bonfire, Bai Qingqing said excitedly, “Let’s mount the luminous balls into the tree hole. In the future, I’ll be able to see in the dark.”

“How are you going to sleep when it constantly stays bright?” Parker asked, sounding jealous.

Winston also chimed in, “With light in the tree hole, it will attract predators who come out to hunt at night. And also insects.”

“Oh, right.” Bai Qingqing’s eyes rolled about. Then, she said, “‘Then just encrust it on a wooden block. When I need to use it I’ll hang it on the wall, and at other times it can be stored away.”

Winston glanced at the pile of firewood, then retrieved one with a dense texture, and started shaving it with a stone blade.

Bai Qingqing watched him carve the wood as she ate. No idea what balls those were, but they gave off quite a bright light and were round like pearls. Winston drilled a hole that was slightly smaller than the ball, then pressed the ball into the hole. Just like that, the balls were mounted into the wooden block.

According to Bai Qingqing’s idea, Winston mounted the ten-odd balls into three wooden blocks. After dinner, when they entered the tree hole with the wooden blocks, the entire tree hole was brightly lit.

“How nice.” Lying in bed, Bai Qingqing gazed at the luminous balls on the walls.

This was even more convenient than lightbulbs, and there didn’t exist the possibility of a power failure.

It didn’t matter to the three males though, for they could see in the dark, to begin with. But no one was in a hurry to keep the balls away. Tonight, all of them were so excited they couldn’t quite get to sleep.

The next day when Bai Qingqing woke up, the luminous balls were still hanging on the walls. However, the glow emitted by them was hidden by the daylight, and so only appeared like an ordinary non-luminous pearl.

Only Curtis was in the tree hole. Upon seeing that she had woken, he flicked out his tongue. “Ssss—”

“Why didn’t you wake me up when it’s so bright out there already?” Bai Qingqing said as she rubbed her eyes.

Laying sprawled on the floor, Curtis propped up his chin with his hand and gazed at Bai Qingqing. “Now that you’re pregnant, it’s better for you to sleep more.”

Bai Qingqing’s expression froze. Oh right, she was pregnant again.

With her petite hand over her abdomen, Bai Qingqing smiled gently. She wouldn’t be getting her period in the next few months. That was actually pretty nice. Hehe…

Early in the morning, Molly came to look for her. She shared with her the intelligence from yesterday.

“The newly arrived female chose an unpopular middle-aged male. But that male has two animal stripes.”

Molly said, feeling glad, “Thank god Alva didn’t participate. Else, she would definitely have chosen him.”

Bai Qingqing mused to herself: Bailey sure can adapt to circumstances.

“Right, I heard you’re pregnant again. You’re terrific.” Molly gazed at her own tummy, the envy of a single girl written all over her face.

“Don’t be anxious. When our village expands, you’ll have more males to choose from.” Bai Qingqing said, “Come, I’ll bring you to look at the fishes Bluepool brought from the sea.”

Molly shook her head repeatedly and said as she retreated, “You can go by yourself. I’ll go and have fun in the Flos Eriocauli field.”

Bai Qingqing felt guilty. This lass still feared Bluepool even now.

“I’ll keep you company.” Curtis suddenly came out of the tree hole.