After I Dumped 7 Beast Husbands and Ran

Lanxing looked at the three caves in front of him.

Nan Zishi’s cave was the largest, and Xuan Jin’s was the closest to hers.

Hu Bai’s cave was nearby, but it was separated from Nan Zishi’s by an awkward gap—one just too small to dig a new cave in.

’Unbelievable.’

’That snake has really pulled out all the stops just to be closest to the female master!’

Nan Zishi came to Lanxing’s side. A faint smile touched Lanxing’s red-rimmed eyes. "Sister."

"Are you going to dig a cave, too?" Nan Zishi asked.

Lanxing nodded. "Later."

Right now, his mind was consumed with thoughts of the missing Little Fu. Food was tasteless, and he couldn’t sleep. ’I’ll dig the cave next to Sister’s later, when I’m in the right frame of mind,’ he thought.

Nan Zishi handed him a freshly roasted sea fish. "Here, Lanxing. Eat this."

Lanxing and Nan Zishi sat together on a large rock nearby. Holding the sea fish Nan Zishi had given him, Lanxing took a careful bite.

"Little Fu is a lucky little mermaid. I’m sure she’ll be safe and sound."

Lanxing set the fish down, his beautiful blue-violet eyes focused intently on Nan Zishi.

"Sister, thank you for helping me look for Little Fu."

"Why are you thanking me? Little Fu is my little one, too."

Lanxing gazed out at the azure sea.

He shook his head. "In the Beast World, females can have many Beast Husbands and cubs. In many cases, a female will choose to abandon her cubs."

Just like that wild wolf cub rolling around nearby, Little Lao Liu, who was also abandoned by his mother.

"Huh?" Nan Zishi was taken aback.

A smile touched Lanxing’s eyes. "You didn’t abandon Little Fu. That makes me very happy."

...

Meanwhile, the Cold-blooded Snake Beastman Xuan Jin waited and waited in his cave for Nan Zishi, but she never arrived.

’Did the little female choose another beast tonight?’

As a newcomer to the family, Xuan Jin wasn’t accustomed to this yet. His mind raced, analyzing the situation.

’That damn fox’s health is a wreck. There’s no way he can properly mate with her now.’

’That damn fish lost his cub, so he’s probably in no mood to mate with her either.’

’That just leaves me.’

’It’s not like I care about anything, anyway.’

’As long as she comes to me, I can mate with her and show her the ultimate pleasure!’

’Once she’s satisfied, I’ll have won her over. Then, she’ll finally have eyes for me.’

Yet, as he waited and waited for Nan Zishi to no avail, he suddenly began to doubt himself.

’The little female really dislikes me. My Mate Totem is practically on the sole of her foot.’

’So she’s not coming?’

Xuan Jin abruptly stood up. Just as he walked out of his cave, he saw a familiar figure by the sea.

Nan Zishi, the Seven-color Mermaid, and Lanxing, the blue-violet mermaid, jumped into the ocean with a SPLASH.

Xuan Jin: "...?"

’She’s a mermaid? How did I not know that?’

’And... she chose that damn fish tonight??!!’

Hu Bai, who also happened to be outside his cave, shot Xuan Jin a mocking glance.

The corner of Xuan Jin’s mouth twitched, and he glared back.

Hu Bai couldn’t be bothered with him and simply turned back into his cave.

Xuan Jin: "..."

’When had he, the great Eastern Swamp Snake King, ever been slighted like this?’

’So, this is family life, huh.’

Xuan Jin’s gaze fell on a small, blue Snake Beastman slithering nearby.

He snatched up the little Snake Beastman.

Yang’er immediately began to struggle violently.

"HISS, HISS! You stinking snake, let me go! Don’t think you can get away with anything just because you’re my father! I will not acknowledge you!"

Dangling the flailing Little Snake, Xuan Jin spoke as he walked toward the sea.

"Little one, did you think I was going to have some loving heart-to-heart with you? ’Oh, my dear son,’ ’Oh, my dear father.’ That sort of thing? Spare me the melodrama."

"..." She Yang calmed down, glaring at him in a huff.

"You call her ’Godmother’ now?" Xuan Jin asked.

"Hiss." ’What’s it to you?’

"Between you, that little fox, and that Little Mermaid, who does she favor the most?"

Little Snake Yang grew angry. "Hiss, hiss, hiss! You want to get close to Godmother and win her affection?! Don’t even think about me helping you!"

’Win her affection?’

’As things stand now, I’ll be lucky if she doesn’t hate me.’

’That damn fox and that damn fish are both good-looking... but I’m not bad myself. My type is rare in the East, isn’t it?’

’So why doesn’t she seem to appreciate me?’

Little Snake Yang retorted angrily, "Hiss! In other families, when the father is favored, the cub benefits. What are you trying to pull? We haven’t even officially acknowledged each other, and you want me to help you curry favor? How pathetic!"

Xuan Jin lifted She Yang by the tail, leaving him dangling in the air, completely bewildered.

"Little one, even though you haven’t acknowledged me and I haven’t acknowledged you, our relationship is a fact. When it comes to your mother, we sink or swim together. We’re on the same team, understand?"

Little Snake Yang’s pupils instantly constricted into vertical slits.

’Mother! My scumbag dad called Nan Zishi his mother!’

’My guess was right after all. Godmother is my mother.’

Once the little snake cub had his answer, his heart was a whirlwind of emotions, like a toppled spice rack, a little bit of everything mixed together.

’I have a mother, too.’

’I’m a cub who has a mother...’

Fat tears began to roll from his eyes.

"What are you crying for now?"

Xuan Jin, disgusted by the crying, tossed him directly onto the ground.

"A Cold-blooded Snake Beastman, crying. How pathetic."

Showing no weakness, Little Snake Yang hissed back his own retort. "Hmph!"

Little Snake Yang wasn’t hurt by being tossed aside by his father; it wasn’t the first time, after all.

He scurried away to hide in the grass and cry.

Xuan Jin looked up toward the ocean.

’Tsk. I had a little mole right here, and I didn’t get a single thing out of him.’

...

When Nan Zishi and Lanxing reached the seabed, the other mermaids spotted them and swarmed over in excitement.

"Princess! Prince!"

In the ocean, the Princess’s position was higher, so Nan Zishi was always greeted first.

Nan Zishi greeted the mermaids one by one before returning to the palace with Lanxing.

"Lately, all the mermaids in the ocean, including my older sister and brothers, have been helping to search for Little Fu."

Nan Zishi said, "I think as soon as we find Little Fu, we need to capture Yu Chen immediately. With Little Fu disappearing a second time, Yu Chen is highly suspicious."

Lanxing nodded thoughtfully.

Nan Zishi gently pinched his cheek. "Don’t worry. Tomorrow, we’ll go to the Bird Beastman Tribe and ask around. We’ll find Little Fu."

"Mm."

Nan Zishi and Lanxing lay down together on the shell bed in the palace.

Lanxing’s spirits were still low, and Nan Zishi couldn’t bear to see him like this.

She slowly snuggled into his arms, trying to comfort him.

Lanxing pulled her into a tight embrace, resting his chin on top of her head.

"Sister, I’m so glad you’re here."

"Mm-hm. Once we find Little Fu, our dear Lanxing can go back to being the carefree Little Mermaid of the seabed, crying when he wants to cry and laughing when he wants to laugh," Nan Zishi said with a gentle smile.

Lanxing held Nan Zishi even tighter.

His large, blue-violet tail twined around her seven-colored one.

The handsome young merman gently lowered his head, his lips finding hers in a soft, unerring kiss as he sought comfort.

The two beautiful mermaids breathed through their gills on the shell bed, needing no air to break their kiss.

When they finally parted, Nan Zishi gently patted his back, soothing him.

"You haven’t slept well in days. You even have dark circles under your eyes. Get some proper sleep now."