Chapter 27: The Fight Broke Out

"Shut up!" Wen Qian snapped, and Yin Zhi instantly fell silent.

Wen Qian pulled a small stool from the corner and sat across from Gu Mian. Her face was filled with eager anticipation, her eyes fixed on him. "Go on," she said.

"Alright." Gu Mian’s lips curled into a slight smile, and he didn’t keep her in suspense. He shot a cool glance at Yin Zhi before turning his attention back to Wen Qian.

Yin Zhi squeezed his eyes shut, clearly trying to restrain himself. In his fifteen years in the Beast World, he had never met such an insufferable Beastman.

’No wonder the Gu Family lives in seclusion. If they’re all this rotten, it’s only a matter of time before someone wipes them out.’

Meanwhile, Wen Qian was resting her chin in her hands, listening, completely captivated. Her already bright eyes now shone like crystal.

’So another world really existed, just like in the novels, and it was completely different from her own Blue Star.’

Gu Mian’s description of the Beast World sounded a bit like a recently released fantasy movie. It was a land of cascading waterfalls, mirror-clear lakes, and giant vines dangling from the trees.

In the Beast World, each race had its own unique traits, and their homes were all different. In terms of architectural style alone, there was classic Eastern influence and elegant Western design. Some dwellings were mysterious, like ancient castles in a fantasy series, while others were as dreamlike and magical as something out of a fairy tale.

As she listened to his description, images flashed through Wen Qian’s mind.

Spires, looming in the hazy morning mist; arched windows, sunlight streaming through; stone pillars, carved with clan totems; and eaves, decorated with plants. There was also... elegant furniture, warm feather quilts, dinner plates inlaid with pearls... and all sorts of birds and animals she had never seen before.

The animals and Beastmen of the Beast World were two completely separate species. Those who could shapeshift were called Beastmen; those who couldn’t were called animals. This was different from Blue Star, where Beastmen were considered mutated animals.

’But what were the animals in the Beast World like...?’

According to Gu Mian, most of the common animals were similar to those on Blue Star. Creatures like butterflies, dragonflies, chickens, ducks, geese, and pigs... were mostly just animals. Even when there were Beastmen whose original forms resembled these animals, they weren’t called by the same names.

In addition, there were Spirit Pets. Spirit Pets were the mounts of Beastmen. They were enormous in size and far more advanced than regular animals... essentially serving as a Beastman’s mode of transportation. After all, in the Beast World, Beastmen wouldn’t reveal their original forms unless it was absolutely necessary.

On Blue Star, Beastmen had always been seen as a product of "the disaster," or perhaps a genetic mutation, or even the result of some mysterious scientist’s experiments... After all, any of those possibilities sounded more plausible than the existence of another world.

Most people believed that in this era of rapid technological development, there was nothing that couldn’t be explained by science. If something couldn’t be explained, it simply didn’t exist.

After all, people were more inclined to believe in what was familiar and tangible.

...

’Throughout Gu Mian’s explanation of the Beast World, Yin Zhi had been on edge, terrified that the guy would start embellishing the story of his engagement. Thankfully, this whole time, that damn snake hadn’t mentioned it, and what he said was reasonably factual. Otherwise, he...’

"Now, let’s tell Qianqian about the clans." Just as Yin Zhi was thinking this, the man changed the subject, his tone suddenly taking on a meaningful edge. Yin Zhi froze, a sense of foreboding washing over him.

"Let’s start with the Tiger Clan." Gu Mian tilted his handsome face up slightly, a cold glint appearing in the dark eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses.

Two silver-white beast ears popped out from the top of his head and twitched uncontrollably.

"You’d better not say anything out of line..." Yin Zhi warned, placing a hand on Gu Mian’s shoulder, his eyes glinting dangerously.

Gu Mian chuckled, completely ignoring the threat. He spoke nonchalantly, "Come to think of it, the Tiger Clan’s Young Master chose that marriage for himself..."

"You! Are! Dead!"

The next second, a fist whistled through the air, aimed straight at Gu Mian’s face. He dodged with a tilt of his head and raised a hand to counter. Just like that... the two men who had been sitting on the sofa were now in a full-blown scuffle.

"Hey... you two! Stop it!"

Gu Mian and Yin Zhi fought their way from the sofa to the bedroom door, neither giving an inch. They knocked over the table and chairs, and even smashed Wen Qian’s new vase.

Wen Qian was furious, her heart aching for her broken vase. She wanted to break them up but was afraid of getting caught in the crossfire. Finally, she just grabbed a nearby mop and slammed it on the floor in front of them.

A loud THUD echoed through the room.

While the two men were stunned, Wen Qian seized the opportunity to grab Yin Zhi by the ear and drag him back to the sofa.

’He was still the cat she’d been raising for a month, after all. Was he really going to attack his owner?!’

Yin Zhi was fuming. The man before him might have looked dapper and decent, but he didn’t fight fair at all. Yin Zhi’s style was a direct, fierce assault of fists and flesh—you could see the damage immediately. But Gu Mian? His movements seemed subtle, yet he specifically targeted inconspicuous weak spots. You wouldn’t see any injuries, but the pain would linger for half a day.

Yin Zhi was certain that in a real fight, Gu Mian was the type to use insidious tricks, like hiding razor blades between his fingers.

Wen Qian still hadn’t let go of Yin Zhi’s ear. Surveying the wreckage of her room, she finally understood what it meant to be seething with rage. She really wanted to just throw this guy out!

’What in the world has gotten into him? First, he’s biting people, now he’s hitting them. What’s next... can Beastmen get rabies?’

"Ow... that hurts." As she tightened her grip, Yin Zhi let out a pained whimper from the sofa.

"Hurts?" Wen Qian let out an exasperated laugh. She pointed at the wreckage. "Why don’t you ask the vase on the floor if it hurts!" she roared.

"You’re... yelling at me over a vase," he whimpered, his amber eyes looking watery.

But Wen Qian wasn’t falling for it this time. She glared, gritting her teeth. "Stop acting! I’m telling you, you are cleaning this room up today! And... you will apologize to Gu Mian!"

"Why should I!" Yin Zhi nearly leaped off the sofa. Forgetting all about his ear, he glared at her with wide, defiant eyes.

"Why?" Wen Qian laughed in exasperation again. She reached out and grabbed his chin. As if finding the texture pleasant, she gave it an extra squeeze or two. Her voice was fierce. "Because you threw the first punch!"

Yin Zhi instinctively wanted to deny it, but he held back. ’Wen Qian saw me throw that punch,’ he thought. ’If I lie now, she’ll just brand me a liar.’

’Would Wen Qian ever trust him again after that?’

’He should have been the one to tell Wen Qian about his real identity and his fiancée. Now everything was a mess... and it was all that damn snake’s fault!’ His eyes filled with rage, and he instinctively glared in Gu Mian’s direction.

"Stop staring!" Wen Qian snapped, noticing his glare.