I Transmigrated as a Villainess to Raise Babies, and My Beast Husbands Are Fighting Madly Over Me!

Chapter 299: Illusory Realm

The white mist parted, revealing a tall figure bustling about before her.

It was an ice cave that felt both familiar and strange.

The figure turned around, a bundle of washed fruit in his hands.

"Xixi, the meat will be ready soon. Have some fruit to tide you over."

Qiao Xixi took the fruit instinctively, staring at him in a daze.

Now, his eyes were no longer obscured by the white Jue Sha. His pale blue pupils glittered, reflecting the golden light.

’So beautiful...’

Xijing had a perfectly sculpted oval face and long, pale blue eyes so full of affection they could make a dog feel loved. With just one look, Qiao Xixi felt herself falling for him.

She instinctively clutched her chest, as if trying to quiet her wildly pounding heart.

"What’s wrong?"

Seeing Qiao Xixi staring at him, a faint smile touched Xijing’s gentle eyes. He bent down slightly, bringing his face close to hers.

A few long strands of his hair fell with the movement, brushing against Qiao Xixi’s cheek. The soft touch felt so real.

’Little Demon, is this the illusion that has Xijing trapped?’

’Yes, Host. Xijing has trapped himself in this illusion and doesn’t want to leave. Your job is to wake him up, or things will get very dangerous.’

"Xixi? Xixi?"

Qiao Xixi snapped back to reality and grabbed Xijing’s hand. "Xijing, wake up! We’re in an illusion! You have to snap out of it, or we’ll all be in danger!"

Xijing stared at her, stunned for a moment, before letting out a soft chuckle. He pressed his long, slender fingers to her forehead.

"Hmm? You don’t have a fever. Xixi, what nonsense are you talking about? Didn’t you say you wanted to eat Fish Beast today? Father already went to catch one and will be back soon. How do you want it? Roasted? Or in a soup?"

Seeing he didn’t believe her, Qiao Xixi set the fruit on the ground, grabbed his hand, and pinched it hard.

Xijing furrowed his brow slightly. "Xixi?"

"Does it hurt? It doesn’t, right? Because you can’t feel anything in an illusion. Xijing, what I’m saying is true. Please, wake up!"

Xijing’s pupils trembled, but he quickly smiled and pulled his hand back. "Are you just delirious with hunger? Don’t worry, the food will be ready soon. Be good and wait a little longer. I’ll go get things ready now."

He slowly drew his hand back and turned to continue his work.

Qiao Xixi frowned as she watched his back.

’Why doesn’t he want to wake up?’

’Host, an illusion often manifests a person’s greatest desires. Perhaps we should wait and see what the biggest obstacle in the depths of his heart is—the one thing he can’t get over.’

’Okay.’

Qiao Xixi casually picked up a piece of fruit from the ground and took a bite. As the sweet and sour juice filled her mouth, she widened her eyes in surprise.

’How can this be? Why does something in an illusion have such a realistic taste?’

’Does this mean that when I pinched Xijing just now, he actually felt the pain?!’

’No wonder he looked at me like that.’

Before she could recover from her shock, she heard a noise from outside the cave.

Xijing looked back and gave her a gentle smile. "Father is back."

’Father...’

Qiao Xixi stood up and walked outside.

The tall figure who had appeared in her dreams several times came into view once again.

He lowered the Deer Beast from his shoulder to the ground and looked up at Qiao Xixi.

"Xixi, Father didn’t catch a Fish Beast. How about we just eat Deer Beast meat today?"

Qiao Xixi felt she resembled him a great deal.

They had the same silver hair, the same eye color, and even the same slight upturn to the corners of their mouths. He was just more ruggedly handsome, while she possessed a more delicate, feminine beauty.

"Father..."

"What, not happy? Hmph, Father knows how much you crave it. I was just teasing you. I already put the Fish Beast I caught in the wooden bucket. I’ll prepare it for you later."

Qiao Yi said with a laugh as he took out a bone knife and skillfully butchered the prey.

"Father, I’ll go prepare the Fish Beast."

Qiao Yi glanced up at Xijing, the smile in his eyes fading. His voice grew colder. "Go on, then. Make sure it’s cleaned properly."

"Okay."

After Xijing left, Qiao Yi turned to Qiao Xixi and sighed.

"He looks so frail, yet you insist on treating him like some kind of treasure. I’m telling you now, you can keep him as a mate, but not as your first mate. His beast soul level is too low. He can’t protect you."

Qiao Xixi obediently stepped forward and collected the Deer Beast Blood in a stone jar.

She found herself defending him instinctively. "Xijing seems perfectly fine to me..."

"You can’t choose a mate based on looks alone. Can you eat his pretty face?"

"I know, Father. Keep your voice down."

"Alright, alright. *Sigh.* My little cub is all grown up. She doesn’t listen to this old man anymore."

"You’re not old at all, Father. You don’t even have wrinkles by your eyes."

That night, by the flickering firelight, Qiao Xixi finished the fish soup in her bowl.

After spreading out a mat of animal hides, Xijing stood up, his eyes full of adoration as he looked at her. "Xixi, Father and I will sleep outside. Call me if you need anything."

Qiao Xixi glanced past him and met Qiao Yi’s stern gaze. She knew Xijing desperately wanted to stay, but her father wouldn’t allow it.

"Okay. You should get some rest, too."

Qiao Xixi lay down on the animal-hide mat, which still carried the fresh, dry scent of the sun.

’Little Demon, why is my father in this illusion too? Is he part of Xijing’s obsession?’

’Host, I can’t answer that. I am unable to probe the inner world of a beastman.’

Qiao Xixi closed her eyes. Even in the illusion, she felt sleepy and drifted off without realizing it.

When she opened her eyes, their life continued just as it had the day before—utterly ordinary. Every day, Qiao Yi would go out to hunt while Xijing stayed in the cave to take care of her. Everything was so simple, yet it brought a deeply satisfying happiness.

It wasn’t just Xijing; if Qiao Xixi herself didn’t know this was all an illusion, she too would have become lost in it, unwilling to wake up.

CRASH.

The sudden noise made Qiao Xixi leap up from the hide mat and rush outside.

"Xijing, what’s wrong?"

Xijing had collapsed outside the ice cave, fruit scattered all over the ground.

Qiao Xixi rushed forward and lifted him into her arms, discovering his body was burning hot.

"Xijing, what happened to you?"

Xijing was panting heavily. The moment Qiao Xixi picked him up, he reversed their positions, pulling her down into his embrace.

But just as quickly, some of his reason returned, and he struggled to push her away.

"Xixi... you... you have to get away from me... farther... I... I don’t know why, but... I’ve gone into heat... early..."

Qiao Xixi sensed something was wrong, but how could she possibly leave him?

"Don’t panic. Let’s get you inside the cave first."

Qiao Xixi helped him into the ice cave, but before she could even steady herself, he wrapped his arms tightly around her from behind.