weddingnovel Chapter 329: Putting My Life in Your Hands
Chapter 329: Putting My Life in Your Hands
"Xixi, the hot water is ready. Do you want to take a bath now?"
Before Qiao Yi could speak again, Jin Ling came out.
"Okay, I’ll wash up now."
Qiao Xixi picked up the happily playing tiger cub.
"Qiaoqiao, Xiya, it’s time for our bath."
After speaking, she looked at Yaya. "Yaya, do you want to join us, or should I wash you separately in a bit?"
Yaya quickly reached her hands out toward Qiao Xixi.
"I want to be with Mother."
Qiao Xixi led them into the bathing room.
Jin Ling walked over to Qiao Yi, sat down, and poured him a cup of water from the kettle on the table.
"This is Xixi’s favorite sour fruit water. She says it helps settle her stomach after a meal. You should try some too, Langqi."
Qiao Yi grunted in acknowledgment, picked up the wooden cup, and took a sip.
The tart flavor had a hint of sweet floral fragrance. It was a very refreshing taste.
"Langqi, would you like to hear about what happened between Xixi and me?"
Qiao Yi glanced at him, leaning his large frame back into the chair. The simple movement was full of power.
"Let’s hear it."
Jin Ling lowered his gaze, his voice very soft. "My life... Xixi was the one who gave it to me..."
In a low voice, he concisely recounted everything that happened when he first met Qiao Xixi.
"The last great war with Tiger Beast City was even started because of us. The City Lord of Tiger Beast City is incredibly ambitious. Although he hasn’t made a move yet, he definitely won’t let things go."
Qiao Yi’s expression darkened as he listened. He had imagined it wasn’t easy for Qiao Xixi to raise the cubs alone these past few years, but he never expected the dangers she faced to be so much greater than he had thought.
"I can tell you care a great deal for Xixi, Langqi. Like a father."
Qiao Yi’s pupils constricted, his wolf-like eyes locking onto him.
Jin Ling raised his head and met his gaze directly.
"I also know that you’re certainly stronger than any of us, Langqi. So, I hope you will teach us. Help us become stronger so we can better protect Xixi and the cubs from any dangers we might face in the future."
When he finished speaking, they stared at each other in silence.
An unknown amount of time passed—long enough for Feiyan to nearly rub the wooden bowl in his hands to splinters—before Qiao Yi’s hearty laughter rang out from the courtyard.
"HAHAHAHAHA."
Qiao Yi’s gaze was like a torch, sharp and bright. "You may be Jin Wei’s cub, but you’re stronger than him. However, Jin Ling, I’ll tell you this: wanting to become stronger is no easy task."
Jin Ling clenched his fists. "No matter how difficult it is, I won’t give up."
Qiao Yi stood up. "Good. Then let me see just how determined you are."
The moment he finished speaking, Qiao Yi formed fists with both hands and lunged at Jin Ling.
Jin Ling’s pupils constricted and he retreated quickly.
"Let’s take this to the open space outside."
Two figures flashed across the courtyard and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Unable to restrain himself, Feiyan tossed aside the wooden bowl in his hands and came out, only to find the courtyard already empty.
Xijing had just finished putting away the clean bowls and chopsticks and was wiping his hands, about to go outside, when Feiyan grabbed him.
"You know that Langqi best. What’s his deal? Jin Ling is a 9-star beast soul, but to hear him talk, you’d think he was a 1-star cub!"
Xijing paused as he was pulled, then gently patted Feiyan’s hand away, a faint smile gracing his lips.
"I think Langqi is just bluffing."
Feiyan: ???
"However, I don’t know if Jin Ling is his match, but you... definitely are not." With that, Xijing turned and walked toward the bathing room.
Hearing this, Feiyan’s fluffy fox tail puffed up in anger. "You old fish, looking down on this fox! Just you wait! I’ll make him taste defeat at my hands tomorrow!"
When Qiao Xixi came out of the bathing room with the cubs, she saw the hopping mad fox and the fish waiting by the door, smiling at them.
"Huh? Where are Jin Ling and the others?"
Xijing walked up to her, reached out, and expertly took the tiger cub from her arms. His gentle voice held a trace of grievance.
"Xixi, can you not bear to have Jin Ling out of your sight for even a moment? Look at me, won’t you?"
Qiao Xixi blinked. ’For a second, I felt like some kind of two-timing scoundrel.’
"Didn’t I miss you when you weren’t around earlier?"
"Xixi, I have a gift I want to give you. Will you come to my room tonight?"
"Father, are you going to give Mother the gift you’ve been preparing for so long?" Xiya asked, her face full of pleasant surprise.
Xijing nodded. "Mhm."
This piqued Qiao Xixi’s curiosity. "Alright. I’ll put the cubs to sleep first."
"I’ll help you. It won’t take long."
Yaya looked at Xijing, then at Qiao Xixi, before trotting over on her short little legs and taking Xiya’s hand.
"Big sister."
Xiya thought Yaya was so thin she looked a little pitiful, so she let her hold her hand. "Yaya, do you want to sleep with us?"
Yaya glanced at Qiao Xixi and said, "I want to sleep with Mother."
"Yaya, we’re big cubs now. We can’t sleep with Mother anymore. You should sleep with us tonight."
Xiya led Yaya into her room. Qiao Xixi followed, carrying the tiger cub and Qiao Qiao.
"Mother, I want to sleep with An’an tonight."
"Okay."
The tiger cub was tired after spending most of the day playing outside the tribe. As soon as Qiao Xixi placed her on the bed, the little one closed her eyes.
Xiya lay down and pulled up the blanket. "Mother, I can get my little sisters to sleep. You should go rest too."
"Alright. Good night, then."
Once the door was closed, Qiao Qiao asked curiously, "Big Sister Xiya, what kind of gift is Father Xijing going to give Mother?"
Xiya grinned. "I don’t know either."
"Huh?"
"I was just making it up."
Qiao Qiao’s little face went blank. She stared, stunned, at Xiya’s smiling face.
’Big sister’s gone bad.’
Qiao Xixi followed Xijing into his room and looked at him curiously. "Didn’t you say you had a gift for me? Where is it?"
Xijing locked the door behind him, slowly walked over to her, and led her by the hand to sit on the bed. When Xijing let go of her hand, a lustrous pearl was resting in her palm.
Qiao Xixi recognized the pearl. "Isn’t this your Jue Pearl? How can you give it to me?"
Xijing gently embraced her from behind, his long, slender, pale hands enveloping hers.
"Xixi, after a merman forms a pact with their mate, a secondary pearl is created. It’s the equivalent of placing my life in your hands. With it, you can have the same abilities as a merman in the sea, free to come and go as you please."
Qiao Xixi’s face lit up with a pleasant surprise. "If I use it, can I use Illusion Technique like you, too?"
"Mhm. You can try it right now."
"How do I try?"
Xijing took the pearl from her hand and gently pressed it to her lips.
"Mm?"
Xijing cupped her face and slowly leaned in, taking the other half of the pearl into his mouth.
As their lips touched, Qiao Xixi’s eyes widened in shock. A flash of white light burst before her eyes, and she felt as if she were floating among the clouds...