After I Dumped 7 Beast Husbands and Ran

The site of the new cave was chosen very carefully.

Stepping out of the cave revealed a magnificent view of the vast ocean.

Lanxing said, ”Sister, the Mermaid Clan People have observed this area. The tide won’t reach here, even when it’s high.”

A glimmer of light finally returned to Lanxing’s worried and weary eyes at the thought of Nan Zishi living in the place he had chosen.

Nan Zishi nodded. The cave was filled with signs of recent chiseling.

The cave was still quite plain, with only a single stone bed—likely because everyone had been so busy lately.

But the cave was sturdy, much better than a tent. To have even this much was already a great improvement.

Nan Zishi spread the Beast Skin over the stone bed. Without much thought, she said to the weakened Hu Bai, ”Hu Bai, you sleep here.”

Hu Bai looked up at Nan Zishi in surprise, then glanced over at Lanxing.

But Lanxing showed no hint of displeasure. He simply nodded at Hu Bai and Nan Zishi.

”Brother Hu Bai isn’t well, so he should definitely stay in the cave. Sister, Brother Hu Bai, I won’t go far. I’ll just rest by the shore. I’ll come back for you tomorrow morning.”

Lanxing was too worried about Little Fu to care about her sleeping with Hu Bai.

She would have many Beast Husbands in the future; the time she could spare for him would be limited.

But as long as she was nearby, he was content.

”Sister, I’ll be going now.” A smile touched Lanxing’s lips. ”You and Brother Hu Bai should get some rest, too. Build up your strength. We have to go see Scorpion tomorrow, after all.”

Nan Zishi nodded. ”Mm.”

Hu Bai lay on the stone bed deeper inside the cave, while Fox Qi and She Yang slept on another small stone bed in an alcove near the entrance.

Nan Zishi had fled from the swamp to the sea, barely daring to sleep along the way. The moment she arrived, she had to deal with the two Silver Wolf Pups, the situation with Little Fu, Hu Bai’s condition, and the plan to meet Scorpion the next day.

Only now did the exhaustion finally hit Nan Zishi.

She was covered from head to toe in dried swamp mud and sweat—absolutely filthy.

Luckily, there was some water in the cave.

She knew it couldn’t have been easy to haul the water here, especially since it had been her little cub, Aqi, who had done it.

She called out to Fox Qi in the small alcove, ”Aqi, can I use this water to wash up?”

”Mother, use as much as you want!” Aqi replied, his voice full of excitement. ”If you run out, I’ll go get more!”

Hu Bai said gently to Nan Zishi, ”Female master, please, use it. Aqi may be young, but we can’t let him grow lazy. Males in the Beast World take pride in their work. Besides, he’s thrilled that the water he brought is for you.”

Nan Zishi smiled. ”Hu Bai, you’ve raised Aqi so well.”

Hu Bai shook his head. ”I just haven’t spoiled him. Aqi is resilient on his own.”

Secretly listening to his father and mother praise him, Aqi couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from turning up. His heart felt as sweet as honey.

’Father is good, Mother is good, and they both love Aqi.’

’There’s nothing happier than this!’

Little Snake Yang lowered his head, burying it in Aqi’s fluffy belly.

’I’m so jealous of Brother Aqi right now,’ he thought. ’I’m different. I’m just a cub that even my own father and mother didn’t want...’

’But now I have a godmother who wants me! And Godfather Hu Bai and Godfather Lanxing want me too!’

’It feels so good now that I’ve joined my godmother’s family. It’s so much better than the old days of being despised and chased away.’

And just like that, She Yang managed to comfort himself.

Nan Zishi hung a curtain and washed herself behind it, using the limited water.

She had caked herself in thick mud to mask her scent during her escape.

She brushed off the dried mud, gathering it into a pile to throw out of the cave later.

Then she took a towel from her space, wet it, and began to scrub her body clean.

She used the water sparingly, knowing Little Aqi had worked hard to bring it back.

By the time she had scrubbed the grime from her body and washed her face, the water was filthy.

When Nan Zishi emerged from behind the curtain, Hu Bai was already there to take the basin and empty it outside.

”You should be resting,” Nan Zishi said.

Hu Bai smiled at her. ”I’m not tired. This is work a male is supposed to do.”

Nan Zishi and Hu Bai lay on the stone bed.

Though Hu Bai had slept beside her before, it had always been in his beast form. They had never shared the same covers while he was in his human form.

This was the first time they had slept face-to-face under the same covers while he was in human form.

Nan Zishi was exhausted.

”Female master.” Hu Bai lay on his side, his gaze full of heartache. ”You’ve gotten so thin. Have you been through a lot these past few days?”

Faced with such a warm-hearted Hu Bai, Nan Zishi felt her own heart begin to ease.

’That Xuan Jin has no idea how to treat a woman with any tenderness. Hasn’t he forced me to suffer all this time?’

She mumbled groggily, ”I’m fine. I didn’t lose weight, I got toned. All my fat turned into muscle. You can feel it if you don’t believe me.”

The moment the words were out, Nan Zishi froze, her mind clearing slightly.

’What did I just say? I asked Hu Bai to feel my muscles?’

’I must be delirious. I have no shame left! Aaaah!’

Hu Bai’s slender, large hand reached out from under the covers. The moment Nan Zishi felt the warmth of his palm, her cheeks flushed red against her will.

’Why? Why are a male’s hands so big?’

”It does seem firmer,” Hu Bai remarked with a faint smile.

Feeling Hu Bai’s large hand on her, Nan Zishi didn’t dare move a muscle.

She gave an awkward laugh.

”Female master, are you worried about Little Fu?”

His large palm cupped the back of her head. With his other hand, he pulled her into a sudden embrace, pressing her head against his chest.

Nan Zishi was instantly enveloped by the White Fox’s powerful male scent, her mind going completely blank.

His voice was a low, magnetic murmur. ”Don’t be afraid. Whatever happens, we’ll face it together as a family.”

Her wildly thumping heart gradually calmed. As Hu Bai continued to soothe her, Nan Zishi’s emotions stabilized.

”Mm.”

...

When Lanxing arrived early the next morning, Nan Zishi was already up and ready.

Lanxing observed Nan Zishi’s complexion with concern. Seeing that she looked well, he shot Hu Bai a grateful glance.

’Hu Bai must have taken very good care of her last night.’

Nan Zishi’s gaze fell on the seven or eight mermaids following Lanxing.

Lanxing explained, ”Sister, these are the ones who can walk on land. The surface isn’t our domain, after all, and not many of us can change our tails into legs.”

Nan Zishi said, ”Little Fu was sold by the Scorpion Beastman, but her safety is our top priority right now. We shouldn’t start a direct conflict with them until we know her exact whereabouts. So, this number is fine.”

”Aqi, take good care of your father,” Nan Zishi instructed.

Seeing Hu Bai still trying to follow, Nan Zishi shook her head. ”Little White, you need to focus on getting better. We all need you—the healthy you.”

Hu Bai was a Seven-striped Fox King. If he could regain his health, the strength of Nan Zishi’s family would increase dramatically.

Not wanting to undermine her authority, Hu Bai finally relented and stayed in the cave.

But he repeated, ”I’ll focus on recovering. You have to be careful. Female master, you must remember that you are the heart of our family. You are the most important one.”

Thinking of that snake, Hu Bai coughed lightly and couldn’t help but think—

’Our family still lacks a Beastman who’s good at fighting.’