Chapter 124: Trying Every Way to Stay

"If you like it, I’ll give it to you once we get to the Beast World..." Yin Zhi subconsciously reached for Wen Qian’s hand.

His voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough for everyone to hear.

This time, Little Fox didn’t bicker with him, and even Shen Mqing fell silent. He secretly glanced at Wen Qian and muttered, "But she’s human..."

Before he could finish, Gu Mian’s icy gaze fell upon him, and Shen Mqing quickly shut his mouth.

The Beast World and Blue Star were two separate entities.

If not for that accident, Blue Star and the Beast World would never have crossed paths.

They were all looking for the Critical Stone not to break this balance... but to restore it. To return everything to its original state and permanently seal the passage between the two worlds.

Wen Qian didn’t respond, merely reaching out to gently touch the Xuan Beast’s fur. Its long, narrow eyes squinted into slits. The Xuan Beast tilted its head, then rubbed against Wen Qian’s palm as if to curry favor.

After a moment, it looked over at Yin Zhi. Seeing the man nod, it immediately nudged Wen Qian’s waist gently with its snout.

In the next second, a force lifted the young woman into the air. Before she could even react, she landed securely on the Xuan Beast’s soft fur...

"Qianqian, hold on tight," Yin Zhi said to Wen Qian.

Coming to her senses, Wen Qian immediately gripped the fur on the Xuan Beast’s neck. A second later, the Xuan Beast straightened up and darted out of the warehouse like a gust of wind.

The wings that had been hidden at its sides suddenly unfurled. Wen Qian froze for a moment, and soon the distinct sound of wind rushed past her ears.

The Xuan Beast’s scorching body heat warmed her palms. Wen Qian was incredibly excited.

The Xuan Beast soared into the air, carrying her above the warehouse to overlook the city’s beautiful nightscape.

In that moment, Wen Qian’s eyes shone brightly, as if she were experiencing the most interesting thing in the world.

Wen Qian had always been daring. When her high school organized a field trip to an amusement park, she would specifically pick the most thrilling rides, riding a roller coaster five times in a row without getting dizzy. She also loved having dreams of falling from a great height; the immersive sensation was exhilarating.

’If only I could really fly,’ she often thought.

’Does this count as a dream come true?’

Wen Qian was a little lost in the moment.

This was the first time she had admired the city from this angle... the towering skyscrapers, the brilliant neon lights. The entire city was enveloped in a multicolored glow, as if the stars from the heavens had fallen to earth.

The streams of traffic on the highway, like a weaver’s shuttle, painted streaks of light on the dark roads, resembling the ticks of a clock... constantly moving forward.

The Xuan Beast flew her toward the distance. She saw the sleepless commercial streets, the lively bars, the wild nightclubs, and also the still-bustling barbecue stalls on the city’s edge and the gardens that had fallen into slumber.

For some reason, Wen Qian felt her eyes grow warm.

After the girl left, Gu Mian’s gaze slowly fell upon Yin Zhi, his scrutiny obvious.

Gu Mian: "You did that on purpose."

Yin Zhi stared back at him, his face expressionless, a hint of laziness in his voice. "What, you’d have the heart to leave her on Blue Star alone?"

He was doing everything in his power to showcase the wonders of the Beast World. He wanted her to become curious, to look forward to it...

"It’s not for us to decide," Gu Mian said lightly.

The Beast World was indeed wonderful, but that was from their perspective... Wen Qian was different. She lived on Blue Star. All her joys and sorrows were given to her by Blue Star.

She could come to like the Beast World, but she would never dislike Blue Star.

"What do you mean?" Yin Zhi frowned. His gaze toward him turned colder. "I won’t let her stay here."

"You have to respect her wishes," Gu Mian said, his tone a bit stiff.

"You’re talking to me about respect? If I hadn’t respected you all, you might..."

"Alright, alright, stop arguing..." Little Fox rubbed his ears. His long, narrow eyes curved into a charming arc. "I could choose not to return to the Beast World and stay here to take good care of Qianqian."

And just like that, everyone’s gazes converged on Little Fox.

"Once the Critical Stone is repaired, you think you’ll have a choice in staying or leaving?" After a moment of silence, Gu Mian’s voice was a little cold.

His slender fingers lightly toyed with the blue crystal on his neck. Little Fox said casually, "Then we just won’t fix it."

"Don’t even think about it," Yin Zhi snarled, reaching out to snatch the stone from his neck.

Little Fox easily dodged him and shrugged without another word, but his nonchalant expression made Yin Zhi grind his teeth in frustration.

"If we can choose whether to stay or go, I’ll stay with Qianqian too," said the previously silent Chi Heng.

"You can forget about it too!" Yin Zhi’s eyes were red with fury.

If he couldn’t stay, then none of them could.

He wasn’t the type of person who, having been caught in the rain himself, would hold an umbrella for others. If he was getting rained on, he would tear all of their umbrellas to shreds!

"It still comes down to Qianqian’s wishes. And from what I know, if the Critical Stone is truly repaired, it’s highly likely all Beastmen will be transported back to the Beast World," Gu Mian said, lifting his chin.

A Beastman’s transformation was inextricably linked to the Critical Stone. If the Critical Stone was successfully repaired, there would only be two outcomes: either all Beastmen would be transported back, or none of them would be.

Gu Mian leaned toward the former. Otherwise, future Beastman transformations would become an issue.

"I’ll find a way to convince her..." Yin Zhi’s voice was sullen.

Gu Mian wanted to tell him not to pressure her, but he swallowed the words... After all, he ultimately wanted the same thing as Yin Zhi.

Shen Mqing: "Why don’t we just tie her up and..."

"Shut up!"

A sound came from outside the warehouse.

A few seconds later, the Xuan Beast walked in through the main entrance carrying Wen Qian. It lay down docilely in front of Yin Zhi, then tilted its body to let Wen Qian slide off.

The moment her feet touched the ground, Wen Qian turned and gave the Xuan Beast a big hug. "You worked hard!"

It was the first time the Xuan Beast had been treated this way, and its eyes sparkled. Its claws scraped excitedly against the ground, its face filled with glee, but it had to suppress its emotions, afraid that too large a movement would scare the young woman beside it.

"It seems to like you a lot," Gu Mian said, walking over and ruffling Wen Qian’s hair.

Wen Qian nodded, the corners of her lips turning up involuntarily, revealing a smile that showed eight perfectly white teeth.

The feeling was so wondrous, as if a fairy tale had come to life. She wouldn’t even dare to have a dream this fantastical.

"We’re going home now, so you be good..." The second before leaving the warehouse, Wen Qian didn’t forget to remind the Xuan Beast.

In that instant, the massive creature was just like a docile puppy. It let out a pitiful WHIMPER. Then it splayed its limbs on the ground and nudged its nose forward, reluctant to see her go.

Wen Qian couldn’t resist rubbing its face one more time before waving vigorously at it.