Chapter 19: Drawing a Line

Drawing a Line

"Mother, how are you feeling now?"

"Are you alright?"

Baini looked at Baipei with a face full of concern, his eyes brimming with anxiety.

Baini had returned late, so Chaosheng had briefly told him that Mother had just fought with Xizhi and had been injured.

Chaosheng had just used her Witch Power to examine her; Baipei had suffered some internal injuries, but fortunately, they were not serious and would heal after resting for some time.

Baipei's dignified and gentle face was frozen in coldness, her fair, rosy skin having lost its color due to the injury, turning deathly pale; she forced the corners of her mouth up and replied to Baini, "I am fine."

Then, with a cold and icy gaze, she looked at Baiqi, who was standing among the Beastmen with her head buried, looking at a loss. "Baiqi!"

Baipei glided through the seawater and swam up to Baiqi, who kept her head lowered, not daring to look at her furious mother even once.

Baipei narrowed her eyes, anger burning within them.

"Smack!"

A loud slap landed on Baiqi's face.

"Mother?" Baiqi covered her swollen face, looking in disbelief at the mother who had never spoken a harsh word to her before.

Lianxun, standing beside her, stepped forward nervously, his voice soft and gentle, "Mate, are you alright?"

For once, Baiqi ignored her delicate Beast Husband; she was still immersed in the shock of being slapped by her mother in public.

Baipei looked at Lianxun, the fire in her eyes burning even brighter, and she slapped Baiqi again. "Useless trash!"

This time, Baiqi didn't speak; she was stunned into silence, frozen in the cold water.

Lianxun looked at his distraught Mate with a pained heart, his tone defiant, "Mother, why did you hit my Mate?"

"Those Beastmen weren't brought here by my Mate!"

"This has nothing to do with my Mate!"

Baipei was so angered by Lianxun that her very insides felt like they were burning; she managed to swallow the blood in her mouth and pointed at Lianxun in a rage, "You foolish thing!"

"If it weren't for you, how could my daughter be such a piece of trash!"

After Baipei finished speaking loudly, her body trembled, and she swayed as if about to collapse.

Chaosheng, with sharp eyes, immediately went over to steady Baipei, "Mother!"

Baipei took two steadying breaths, her expression softening, though her gaze remained cold and stern.

Chaosheng supported Baipei and gently consoled her, "Since Mother is injured, do not exhaust yourself over such matters."

"It is a good thing that Mother heroically defeated the Whale Shark Clan Chief just now."

"I imagine they will not dare to offend us again for some time!"

Baipei's eyes flickered slightly, the curve of her mouth pleased; she looked deeply at Chaosheng, her eyes full of meaning, "You are a good one."

"Unlike..." She then cast a pointed glance at Baiqi.

Baiqi's expression was miserable and dejected as she called out dryly, "Mother, I..."

Baiqi's appearance was somewhat similar to both Baipei and Baini, yet Chaosheng felt that Baiqi did not seem like part of the same family as them, always feeling as though something was missing.

Now she realized that what Baiqi lacked was the sharp, domineering aura of an ocean overlord; she was like a piece of warm, unpolished jade, perhaps capable of being a content and happy ordinary person in the peaceful human world.

But this was the ocean world, a place filled with danger and battle everywhere.

She could be like Baipei, gentle in appearance and tolerant in her dealings, but she must never truly develop a weak character.

"Mother, it is fine if you are dissatisfied with me on ordinary days!"

Watching his Mate's heartbroken appearance, Lianxun's heart was breaking; he argued sharply, like a mother wolf protecting her cubs.

"Why must you humiliate my Mate today?"

"If you blame my Mate for being incompetent, causing you to lose face by fighting two opponents alone today..."

"Then why do you punish only my Mate, a female?"

Lianxun looked at Chaosheng with cold, icy eyes, the corners of his mouth curling in a vicious arc, "What about her? Didn't she also stand by and watch?"

"And this disaster today was originally caused by her!"

"She offended the Whale Shark Clan Chief herself and even implicated our Jingju Tribe in offending the Whale Shark Tribe!"

"She even forced you, Mother, to take action today and get injured; if you ask me, she is a bane!"

"Baini should never have married her..."

"Shut up!" Baipei slapped Lianxun again without the slightest courtesy.

Lianxun was brainless; Baipei never interacted with him on normal days, always going directly to Baiqi for anything she needed to say or do.

Baipei's slap was extremely powerful and she held nothing back, directly knocking Lianxun's body sideways; Baiqi nervously helped him up, looking at the redness and swelling on his face with a pained heart, "Xun, stop talking."

Then she looked at Chaosheng with a face full of apology, "I'm sorry, Sheng."

"Xun didn't mean it..."

Chaosheng sighed slightly, her voice as calm and unhurried as flowing water, "Baiqi, I respect you as Baini's sister."

"But please, keep your own Beast Husband in check."

"It was I who killed Rutong and offended the Mad Shark Tribe, and now I have also offended the Whale Shark Tribe."

"I will take sole responsibility for everything."

Her gaze drifted lightly toward Baini, her mouth pursing helplessly, "If you all feel that you have been implicated by me..."

"Then I am willing to draw a line between myself and the Jingju Tribe."

"As for Baini..."

Baini's eyes were alert, his tone aggrieved, "As for what? Don't forget, we are already married!"

He nervously gripped Chaosheng's hand, the heat of his palm and the cool temperature of her wrist alternating; he did not blink, terrified that Chaosheng might say something that would break his heart.

"I..." Chaosheng felt guilty under his gaze and lowered her eyes slightly, ultimately unable to say it.

Baini pursed his lips, looking at her with stubborn eyes, "If Sister feels that you have implicated the Tribe, then draw a line between us as well."

He gripped Chaosheng's small hand tightly, "Sheng, I am your Beast Husband now."

"You have to take responsibility!"

Chaosheng did not speak, and Baini's heart grew increasingly uneasy; his round black eyes welled up with tears of grievance, and the tip of his fair nose turned slightly red.

Chaosheng compromised, looking at him helplessly, "Of course I will take responsibility."

"I will not abandon you."

Only then did Baini's heart settle slightly, and only then did he realize how shameful he looked just now, fearing being abandoned by his Mate; he gave a soft "Mn," then stood to the side, remaining silent.

"It's not that, I didn't mean it like that!" Baiqi explained in a panic, "Sheng, I didn't mean it like that!"

"I didn't want you to draw a line between us!"

"Mate!" Lianxun covered his swollen face, looking at her with dissatisfaction; in his opinion, it would be best to take this opportunity to get rid of this lowly female!

Baipei ignored Lianxun and his words entirely, casting a faint glance at Baiqi, "It is best if you did not mean it."

"It doesn't matter if your Beast Husband is a bit stupid, but you must not follow suit and be stupid too!"

Her gaze was deep, as if she had made a decision, and she took a deep breath, "After we go back this time, you must either divorce him!"

"Or you must take a Beast Husband who has special abilities!"

"I don't want to be fighting someone next time while you just stand by and watch!"

"Mother! I..." Baiqi's eyes were shocked, and he stopped mid-sentence, his gaze then falling upon the humiliated-looking Lianxun, his expression complex.

Very good, he didn't directly refute her this time.

Baipei chuckled with satisfaction, "Decide for yourself."