Chapter 58: She Wants to Lock Him Up

Chapter 58: Chapter 58: She Wants to Lock Him Up

Gu Weilan thought for a moment and eventually chose the lake to the northeast.

"The crocodile in that lake was killed, which sounds highly unusual," she thought. "But like you said, it’s already dead, and other Star Beasts have been sneaking over there to drink. That means... the danger shouldn’t be too great, right?"

"Rest assured, Host," Pomegranate Seed replied in her mind. "I’ve already scanned the area. Right now, there are only a few unranked small animals staking out the place, planning to sneak a drink under the cover of darkness.

"Star Beasts usually become active around two in the morning. It’s barely ten o’clock right now. As long as your bath doesn’t take longer than three hours, you’ll have plenty of time."

Gu Weilan nodded and couldn’t help but ask, "What’s the situation with the waterfall to the northwest?"

"There’s a big guy deep in the forest," Pomegranate Seed explained, having thoroughly scanned the terrain. "It fled there from the outside. Judging from its footprints, it visited the edge of the waterfall, which terrified all the native Star Beasts. A fight broke out, too. However, the waterfall is temporarily safe for now."

"It’s fine, we won’t go near the forest waterfall," she reasoned. "I prefer the more open lakeside. That way, if anything goes wrong, it’ll be easier to escape.

"The forest has cover, but in the face of High-level Star Beasts, whether cover exists or not is entirely meaningless. If anything, it’ll just hinder our retreat."

When Gu Weilan’s family of four arrived at the lake, they found the water bathed in soft, milky-blue moonlight. A gentle breeze blew past, stirring up shimmering ripples that danced across the surface. It was a truly breathtaking sight.

Zhan Heng released his aura as a Twelfth Rank Beastman. The small birds roosting in the bushes by the lake were instantly terrified and scattered into the air. He walked up to the water’s edge and sensed his surroundings. "Aside from some First Rank and Second Rank Star Beast fish, there aren’t any other living creatures here. In the woods... there are probably some small animals that fainted from fright. We can bathe in peace."

Gu Weilan nodded and hurriedly took a folding bathtub out of her Space Button.

Shen Mianzhou had a triple-element Beast Rank—Earth Eighth Rank, Gold Fifth Rank, and Water Fifth Rank. He manipulated the lake water, guiding it like a slithering water snake directly into the unfolded tub.

Her cheeks flushed a rosy red as she stripped off her combat training uniform and slipped into the automatically heated water. As she soaked, she let out a contented sigh. "It would be amazing if Zhan Heng could wear a chest chain and perform a dance for me under the moonlight, one full of both power and beauty."

Zhan Heng choked. He didn’t know how to do that...

Shen Mianzhou’s eyes flickered. He knew how, but he hadn’t bought a chest chain. Without a second word, Shen Mianzhou stripped off his shirt, revealing his solid, chiseled muscles, and began to dance beneath the moonlight.

Gu Weilan audibly gulped.

The milky-blue moonlight spilled over the lakeside, illuminating the area like a brightly lit evening stage. Gu Weilan leaned against the edge of the folding bathtub, the moonlight cascading over her bare, fair back, while she watched Shen Mianzhou, who seemed to glow a brilliant white under the lunar glow.

She wondered, "What should a dance combining power and aesthetics look like?"

In the past, Gu Weilan hadn’t held a concrete answer in her heart. Before the Apocalypse, Yutai had featured similar dances. However, compared to Shen Mianzhou’s performance, they lacked a certain visual grace, leaning far too heavily on raw masculinity.

Shen Mianzhou’s dance, on the other hand, struck the perfect balance between powerful vigor and exquisite artistry. With nature serving as his stage and the moonlight casting the perfect theatrical lighting, an extra touch of agility and beauty was added to his movements.

Gu Weilan finally understood why some novels described the male lead seeing the female lead dance and wanting to lock her away to monopolize all her beauty. Now that it was her turn to witness something so utterly breathtaking, not only did she harbor the exact same thought, but she also wanted to shackle Shen Mianzhou to a bed using a delicate chain, much like a chest chain.

It would be best if he played hard to get, if he cried, his eyes turning slightly red... he would definitely look even more gorgeous. And when he was pushed past his breaking point and finally decided to strike back, it would be best if he wept, his eyes brimming with love and conflicted struggle...

That would be a spectacular sight! It would undoubtedly be far more unforgettable than mere physical gratification. It would be a dual satisfaction of both body and soul.

While Gu Weilan watched Shen Mianzhou’s dance and let her imagination run wild, Lorenzo, who had just finished carefully sweeping the surrounding bushes for danger, stumbled upon a peculiar sight. A sturdy-looking, pitch-black, and severely scorched large-headed kitten was limping toward the lake, clutching an equally charred... crow in its jaws.

Lorenzo furrowed his brows. The moment he took a step forward, the cat froze. It planted itself defensively in front of the crow like a beast guarding its prey and hissed at him.

Even though the moonlight was bright, he couldn’t tell if the kitten’s fur was standing on end. Perhaps it had all been singed off?

Having scrubbed herself clean, Gu Weilan decided it was time to get out of the tub. She casually pulled a bath towel from her Space Button, wrapped it securely around herself, and stood up.

Hearing her move, Zhan Heng, who had been standing guard by the lake, finally turned around. Beside him, Shen Mianzhou—who had kept his back to Gu Weilan a moment ago while she dried off, facing the woods—also turned back.

The soft, milky-blue moonlight showered the earth, making it easy to see many things at a mere glance. Coupled with the fact that Beastmen inherently possessed night vision, Gu Weilan immediately caught sight of the situation unfolding in front of Lorenzo some ten meters away.

She tightened her towel and was just about to walk over when Pomegranate Seed blared a sudden alarm in her mind.

"Host, that Star Beast from the northwest is charging this way! It’s a Fourteenth Rank!"

"Wang Defa?" she thought in shock.

Gu Weilan immediately ripped off her bath towel and hurriedly threw on her combat training uniform while shouting at the men, "Pack up! Enemy attack! A Fourteenth Rank Star Beast is rushing right at us!"

Lorenzo sprinted a couple of steps toward Gu Weilan before hearing her add, "Grab those two scorched little things and bring them along! Otherwise, they’ll be dead in a day or two."

Lorenzo frowned slightly, but obediently turned back and scooped up the pitch-black kitten and the faintly breathing crow.

Zhan Heng had already drained the folding bathtub and stored it away in the Space Button. He instantly shifted into his Beast Form—a magnificent, ink-black adult Qilin Beast. Once fully dressed, Gu Weilan vaulted onto his back.

Lorenzo transformed into his Beast Form, a massive rabbit that closely resembled an Eevee, and handed the two charred little creatures over to Gu Weilan. Shen Mianzhou shifted into his Dream-Eating Tapir form, which looked remarkably like Runyu’s Nightmare Beast.

Carrying Gu Weilan, the three men bolted frantically toward their temporary camp.

Gu Weilan immediately fired off a message on the local network chat: [A Fourteenth Rank Star Beast has run over to the lake in the northeast. Any classmates looking to fetch water, do not come this way.]

Just as her message was sent, Pomegranate Seed warned her, "That thing has stopped. It seems to be sniffing a scent on the ground."

Gu Weilan didn’t care about that. They hadn’t provoked that Fourteenth Rank monstrosity, so there was no reason for it to chase after them.

However, the message she dropped into the local network chat had already caused a massive uproar.