Chapter 231: Chapter 231: Someone Save Her

Qiao Xixi’s gaze landed on the blackened, roasted fish-beast meat, and she swallowed hard.

’I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been eating nothing but raw food these past few days, but right now, even this burnt fish-beast meat gives me the illusion that it’s delicious!’

Feiyan picked up a piece of the fish-beast meat, used a bone knife to slice off all the blackened parts, and placed the tender meat inside into Qiao Xixi’s bowl. Then, he looked at her with hopeful eyes.

Qiao Xixi picked it up and took a bite. Surprisingly, despite the burnt taste, it was already an improvement.

"Feiyan, your cooking is getting better and better."

Feiyan’s fox tail nearly shot up to the heavens.

What was most ingenious was that Feiyan even knew to hollow out a coconut, add diced meat, and simmer it with coconut water to make a meat soup. Who knows when the guy started putting real effort into this stuff.

"Mother, can Father come sit and eat with everyone?"

Qiao Xixi was so hungry she had been focused only on eating, and hadn’t noticed that Xiya and Xijing had been standing off to the side, not moving.

She scooted over on her bottom. "Of course. Come, sit down and eat."

"Xixi, sorry to be a bother."

As soon as Xijing said this, several intense gazes fell upon him.

Xijing just stood there cautiously, the white Jue Sha over his eyes fluttering in the sea breeze, making him look so fragile he might break.

Feiyan, being the blunt one, couldn’t help but snap, "It’s just a meal. Who’s stopping you? Stop playing the victim."

Hearing this, Xijing turned toward Feiyan in a fluster. "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to blame anyone. I was just afraid of being a bother to you all."

"Father," Xiya said, unhappily tugging on Xijing’s hand.

Feiyan glanced at Xiya and swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

Jin Ling placed a bowl and utensils in front of Xijing. "You can’t see?"

After Xiya helped him sit down, Xijing nodded. "Yes. But it doesn’t get in the way. It’s just... a bit more inconvenient."

Merfolk were sea beasts, after all, different from Land Beasts like them. Jin Ling didn’t press for details on what "a bit more inconvenient" meant. After all, both sides were still wary of each other; it was impossible to show such considerate concern right off the bat.

Jin Ling ladled another bowl of soup for Qiao Xixi. "Eat more. You’ve gotten thinner these past few days."

Just then, Sunxiao placed some deboned fish-beast meat in front of Qiao Xixi.

Sangze tried to follow their lead and shell a crab for Qiao Xixi, but it was the first time he’d ever seen such a thing. He didn’t even know how to eat it.

Qiao Xixi saw him about to stuff the whole crab in his mouth and quickly stopped him with a laugh. "Sangze, let me peel it for you."

"Crabs are a bit troublesome to eat, but if you know the technique, it’s quite simple."

The words had just left Xijing’s mouth when Qiao Xixi saw his long, slender fingers nimbly working on a crab. In just a moment, a bowl of neatly shelled crab meat appeared in a stone bowl.

Xijing picked up the stone bowl and offered it to Qiao Xixi. "Xixi, would you like to try some?"

Just as Qiao Xixi was about to reach for the stone bowl, she felt several intense stares land on her. It was as if they were saying that if she dared to accept that bowl, she would face some serious consequences!

Qiao Xixi frantically shot a look at her potential backup.

Qiao Ang had his head down, stuffing his face. Xiya was teaching Qiao Qiao how to peel a crab. Qiao Lie was intently studying the octopus in his bowl. And Sangqi, just like his father, was cluelessly pondering the crab in his hands.

’Damn it, all my backup is offline!’

’Someone save me!’

"Meow!"

Just as Qiao Xixi was caught between a rock and a hard place, the tiger cub let out a little "AWOO" and bit down on the bowl in Xijing’s hand.

Xijing had no choice but to follow the momentum and put the bowl down.

The tiger cub buried her face in the bowl and began to feast.

"AWOO, AWOO~" ’So yummy~~’

Qiao Xixi silently gave the little cub a huge thumbs-up in her heart. ’What a good girl! She knows how to save her dear old mom in her hour of need!’

"Thank you, Xijing. I know how to peel them myself. You guys, hurry and eat. Everyone, eat up, eat up."

Xijing just smiled gently and withdrew his hand.

Sangze, still holding the crab, was completely baffled. So, how exactly do you eat a crab?

Feiyan glanced at the dazed Sangze, snatched the crab from his hand, and bit down with a loud CRUNCH.

"You’re a guy who captures fierce beasts alive, and now you’re worried about peeling a shell? How come you never complained about it pricking your mouth when you were chewing up beast bones?"

Sangze paused, realizing Feiyan had a point. "I guess you’re right."

Jin Ling put some diced fish-beast meat into the tiger cub’s bowl, watching as she gobbled it up in a few huffing bites.

Once everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Sunxiao and the others took Xijing aside. The males were likely discussing their next move.

Qiao Xixi didn’t join them. ’All they need to do is tell me the final outcome of their discussion,’ she thought. ’Then I can offer my opinion or just play along. Simple enough.’

"Sprite, Sprite?"

Qiao Xixi sat on a beast-hide mat and called for her system again, but there was still no response.

’The one she was most worried about was still Huang Ying. If she couldn’t get any useful information from Sprite, she would just have to rely on herself.’

Qiao Xixi opened the system store. She still had a few points left, but not many, so she needed to find a support item with the best value.

"AWOO~!"

After selecting an item and exchanging her points for it, Qiao Xixi’s consciousness returned to the present.

The tiger cub was wobbling toward her older siblings, who were playing nearby.

From her eager expression, it was clear she desperately wanted to join them.

Seeing that the tiger cub had almost been stepped on, Sangqi quickly picked her up.

"Be careful, little sister. You’re still too small to play ’Catch the Bad Guy.’ How about I play something else with you first, okay?"

"MEOW~~"

The tiger cub’s two little paws patted Sangqi on the chest, making him cough twice.

"Oof, little sister, you’re... really strong."

"Sangqi, bring your sister over here. You go play with Qiao Lie and the others."

Sangqi carried the tiger cub over and sat down next to Qiao Xixi. "Mother, I’ll stay here with you and little sister."

Looking at his sweet, obedient face, Qiao Xixi couldn’t resist hugging him and giving him a kiss.

Sangqi’s little face immediately flushed, though you couldn’t really tell because of his darker complexion.

"Mother."

Qiao Xixi hugged him and the tiger cub, her gaze softening as she looked out toward the sea.

"I’m so happy to have you all. Our family... we all need to stay safe and well."

’No matter what kind of mission Huang Ying has, she will not become a reason for my family to be harmed. I will never let her succeed!’

Meanwhile, on the island with the salt fields, Huang Ying and Fenglin met with Jin Che.

He had lost an eye during the great battle with the Divine Leopard Tribe, which had a significant impact on his combat prowess. Because of this, he hated Jin Ling and Feiyan to the bone.

But that bunch of idiots had never managed to find him.

He didn’t have time to worry about them now, though. His purpose in coming to the salt fields this time was to pick up the goods.

He just hadn’t expected there to be trouble at the salt fields—trouble that was apparently related to the Wing Clan female standing before him.

"You’re the one who let those merfolk escape?"

Facing Jin Che’s displeasure, Huang Ying was not the least bit afraid. ’He’s just a 2D character,’ she thought. ’How dare he shout at me.’

"That’s right. I’m the one who let them go."