Si Lu also saw some beastmen selling pearl shells and similar things.
Not gonna lie, they were pretty.
But she already had some, so she didn't need more!
Thinking of this, Si Lu raised her hand and touched the pearl necklace around her neck. In that instant, the image of that icy-blue fish appeared in her mind.
That handsome face, that long blue hair like seaweed... Mmm, just thinking about it made him seem dazzlingly beautiful.
Si Lu wasn't even sure if she'd ever see that big fish again.
"Lu Lu?" Hei Yao looked at Si Lu in that state and chuckled lightly.
Seeing her touch the necklace on her neck, he immediately knew she was thinking about the merman.
Hei Yao started thinking—should he go catch a merman for Si Lu?
As long as it was something she liked, he wanted to give it to her.
Only, he didn't know which fish she was thinking of.
After all, he hadn't seen it himself.
"I'm fine," Si Lu said a little shyly.
"Then you guys keep strolling. Song Zhan, Nansi, and I are going to trade for some fine salt," Bai Di said to Si Lu.
He knew the little female wanted to walk around, but he had to trade for salt. If they went too late, there might not be any left.
Their supply wouldn't last many more meals, so this was a pressing matter.
"Okay, you all be careful," Si Lu said to the group.
"Don't worry, we'll come find you soon," Bai Di replied.
"We'll be back quickly," Nansi added, looking at Si Lu.
"Wait for us," Song Zhan said reluctantly, and with that, the three left.
Now, only Hei Yao, Cheng Mo, and little Cheng Yu were left with Si Lu.
"Let me carry Cheng Yu for a bit, your arms must be sore by now," Cheng Mo said considerately.
"Mm, here you go," Si Lu handed the little one to Cheng Mo.
Honestly, her arms were getting tired.
The little one behaved the same no matter who held him.
Although he loved clinging to his mommy, he understood that holding him too long would tire her out, and he truly cared about that.
Hei Yao didn't say a word. He stayed on Si Lu's right, with Cheng Mo holding the cub on her left, effectively shielding Si Lu in the center.
Street stalls were scattered around. Si Lu looked around but didn't see anything she liked or wanted.
Other than this, there didn't seem to be much else.
As she kept strolling, she started to feel like it wasn't that interesting after all.
"Lu Lu~" Just then, Si Lu heard someone calling her.
She recognized the voice immediately—it was Tata!
Sure enough, when she turned her head, she saw Tata and her two tall beastmen partners. These two weren't the same ones Si Lu had seen before.
"They're bear tribe beastmen," Hei Yao explained to Si Lu.
He knew she couldn't tell a beastman's tribe just by smell, so he told her directly.
"Oh, no wonder. They really do look big and strong," Si Lu commented, tugging the corner of her lips into a smile.
Tata had mentioned she had two more partners from the bear tribe. These must be them.
They really did match Tata's description—tall, strong, and fierce-looking.
With Tata in between them, she looked especially petite and adorable!
"Tata, I didn't expect to see you here!" Si Lu said, smiling.
"Came on a whim. Have you seen anything you like? I'll buy it for you," Tata said generously.
"Not really. I'm just wandering around, nothing I really need," Si Lu replied with a smile.
"Oh right, I forgot to introduce them—these are my beastmen mates. They're bear tribe beastmen. This one is Xiong Da, and this one is Xiong Er. They're brothers," Tata said proudly.
You could tell she really liked them.
"I remember you mentioning them, but it's the first time I've met them. They're exactly how you described—tall, strong, and fierce," Si Lu said with a smile. "These are my beastmen mates—you've met them. Hei Yao and Cheng Mo," she added.
Tata knew already, but Xiong Da and Xiong Er didn't, so of course she had to introduce them.
But the names "Xiong Da" and "Xiong Er" reminded Si Lu of a cartoon she'd seen before with bear brothers by the same names. Now she was seeing real-life versions of them.
"Of course! Hehe, Lu Lu, let's go stroll over there," Tata said with a smile as she directly pulled Si Lu toward another area.
Xiong Da and Xiong Er, along with Hei Yao and Cheng Mo, exchanged polite nods—considering their beloved females were good friends, they couldn't act too distant.
Female friends meant the males would naturally be on friendlier terms in the future.
After greeting each other, they followed behind the two females, guarding them and staying alert to the surroundings.
There were too many beastmen here, so caution was necessary.
"Lu Lu, I haven't seen you in a few days. How have you been?" Tata asked, showing her concern.
Honestly, she had missed Si Lu a lot over the past few days.
It was rare to find a female she could get along with so well.
"I've been great. And you? How about your little ones?" Si Lu asked with a smile.
After all, Tata had three cubs. She wondered if they were being a handful.
"I'm doing fine. The cubs are too. Just a bit noisy—fighting every day. It drives me crazy. You have no idea how annoying it is. Having too many kids is a hassle; there's no peace."
"I really envy you, just one cub, and such a well-behaved one at that. I don't even dare bring mine here—they'd drive me nuts, running everywhere," Tata said with deep helplessness as soon as the topic of cubs came up.
Having too many cubs really was a headache!
But as a female, her duty was to give birth to more cubs.
For females in the beast world, their life purpose was to bear cubs and find partners.
"You envy me, but I envy you too! So many cubs to play with, how fun and lively!" Si Lu smiled brightly.
Seriously.
Her own cub was still small, unable to play with her yet.
Once he could shift into human form and talk, then it'd be much more fun.
Honestly, Si Lu was really looking forward to it.
"Heavens, you think it's fun? I'm losing my mind. If you want to play, I'll send my cubs to you for a few days," Tata said.
Having a few less cubs around would bring her so much peace.
"Sure! I don't mind. The question is—can you bear to let them go for a few days?" Si Lu laughed cheerfully.
"What's there to bear? I'd be glad to! I'll send them to you when I get back," Tata said without hesitation.
Behind them, the four males all showed helpless expressions.
Er… (⊙o⊙)…
"Eh? Lu Lu, that eagle in the tree—it's been staring at you, hasn't it?" Tata suddenly looked up and pointed out an eagle in a nearby tree.
"Huh? Where? I didn't see anything," Si Lu followed the direction Tata pointed to, confused.
Nothing there.
"Uhh... it was just there. How could it be gone already? Did I imagine it?" Tata muttered, puzzled.
No way, she definitely saw it just now!
But after blinking, it was gone?
That was strange!
Was she really seeing things?
Tata was full of doubt.
Meanwhile, Cheng Mo and Hei Yao exchanged a glance. Si Lu clearly saw the seriousness in their eyes.
Once or twice could be a coincidence—or a mistake.
But this had happened several times already.
Was it really just an illusion or a fluke?
[Cheng Mo]