Beauty and the Beasts

The wolf king walked next to the ape king, wearing a perplexed expression. “It’s like what Rosa said; the snake beastman might harm other young children as well. It’s too dangerous to leave him be. Why not just discard one female? Even if we can’t win against him and can’t sell her away, we can drive them away.”

The ape king smiled, looking pleased. As if he didn’t mind it at all, he said, “Why drive them away? Don’t meddle in the business between the tiger tribe and them. Just listen to my instructions.”

“Alright.”

…

“Snow,” Curtis shook his snake tail and glided up next to Bai Qingqing, saying in a soft voice. “Didn’t you want to look at the baby snakes? I generated more heat and caused them to hatch earlier.”

Bai Qingqing’s eyes gleamed, and she asked in surprise, “Really? Where are they?”

“In the bedroom.”

Bai Qingqing ran toward the bedroom.

A fire was started in the bedroom, casting a layer of warm light around. Bai Qingqing focused her gaze in the direction of the grinding stone and saw small black and red snakes all over the floor. They were about two palms’ length, as thick as fingers, and were wriggling on the floor.

After taking a few breathes, Bai Qingqing encouraged herself. Don’t be scared, don’t be scared. It isn’t scary at all. The baby snakes are soft and small and really adorable.

Bai Qingqing wore a smile, wiped off the dried traces of tears from the corners of her eyes, and then opened up her arms as she walked over in large strides. “Babies, I’m your mother.”

The young snakes uniformly turned their heads toward Bai Qingqing. Their red and black stripes, as well as their red eyes, made them look even more like the red-banded snakes from her world than Curtis did. However, they looked a lot more beautiful and exquisite than red-banded snakes. Their gazes looked especially innocent.

Bai Qingqing found them really adorable and bent over, wanting to touch three baby snakes that were gathered together.

“Ssss!”

The baby snakes opened their mouths and hissed, arching their tender bodies and baring their white as snow fangs. The baby snakes closest to Bai Qingqing stared at her warily, and the ones further away from her, especially the ones that weren’t within Bai Qingqing’s area of sight, were even ready to pounce forth.

“Ahhh!” Bai Qingqing was given a scare and backed off nervously.

Curtis dashed up right behind Bai Qingqing, wrapping one arm around her waist and lifting her off the ground. He then threw a cold glance around the room, spewing out his tongue and giving off a cold warning. “Ssss…”

The baby snakes instantly ceased their attacks, wriggled their small bodies, and gathered together. They opened their big and red eyes, looking at Curtis and Bai Qingqing.

Bai Qingqing opened her mouth, feeling as if something was stuck in her throat as she said with great difficulty, “They… don’t recognize me?”

Curtis consoled her. “They just hatched. They won’t act recklessly after I get them to recognize your scent.”

“En, en.” Bai Qingqing nodded. “Quickly.”

When Parker saw the miniature versions of Curtis previously, he felt really jealous. But seeing that Bai Qingqing was now scared by them, he leaned against the door frame and smiled, gloating.

Winston also stood by the door, looking inside. Only then did he understood that Curtis had always been at home, and he felt at ease. It seemed that this snake beastman wasn’t bad. To think that he had chosen to hibernate in an unsafe place so that he could stay by Bai Qingqing’s side.

Curtis hugged Bai Qingqing and squatted by the baby snakes’ side, spewing his snake tongue. The baby snakes raised their heads and looked at her.

Bai Qingqing also looked back at them, not daring to touch them recklessly.

One of the baby snakes attempted to get close to Bai Qingqing. Her heart skipped a beat and she immediately squeezed into Curtis’s embrace.

Curtis’s expression turned a little strange. He then smiled, patted Bai Qingqing on the back, and said, “Don’t be scared. With me around, they don’t dare to act recklessly.”