Bai Di's eyes, designed based on the prototype of the character Men Di from Sealed Divine Throne.
"Let's have another picture—of course, another photo of Men Di, who is the inspiration for Bai Di in this story. Eyes filled with the stars and the sea."
"With a white gauze blindfold and white hair."
"In the future, I'll also find pictures of Si Lu's beastman husbands that fit their descriptions and add those. I hope you all like it."
At the thought of flying beastmen, Si Lu couldn't help but think of that wretched owl!
How annoying.
She had been captured by one of those things once, and just thinking about it filled her with disgust.
Anyway, she now had a strong dislike for all owls.
As for other flying beasts, she couldn't really think of any at the moment.
"Mhm, got it," Hei Yao said.
[Hei Yao, a strong-featured handsome man, modeled after the character A'Bao from Sealed Divine Throne. How cool is he? Handsome, right?]
However, he would keep an eye out.
Finding someone attractive and strong wasn't easy, but it wasn't impossible either.
Not just Hei Yao—Cheng Mo had also decided to keep an eye out. After all, they really did need a flying partner.
"Why are you suddenly asking me about this?" Si Lu asked, puzzled as she looked at Hei Yao.
Out of nowhere, he was asking what kind of flying beastmen she liked. She didn't believe he would ask something like this without a reason.
What was Hei Yao planning?
"I'm thinking of finding you a flying mate. That way, it'll be more convenient for travel, and you won't have to suffer like this anymore," Hei Yao explained, his strong, handsome face serious.
Although bringing in another beastman would mean sharing Si Lu's love and attention, for her safety, he was willing to do it.
In order to take better care of the female they cherished, they were willing to do anything.
Moreover, finding a suitable mate for her wasn't that difficult.
Si Lu was stunned by his words.
[A picture of the female lead, Si Lu—white hair, antlers, just like a beautiful mutated white deer! Is she gorgeous or what? Tell me loudly now! Gorgeous, right? She's definitely the perfect image of the Si Lu from the book.]
She was shocked.
She hadn't expected Hei Yao to think this way.
She truly hadn't.
Hei Yao was willing to go this far.
Her heart ached.
Of course Bai Di, Cheng Mo, and the big tiger, Song Zhan, had all heard Hei Yao's words, and none of them objected. They all silently agreed.
[This is what Song Zhan, the big tiger, looks like—a handsome man with golden hair. What do you think? Oh, and some characters' eye colors are left to your imagination!]
They had thought of this too.
For the sake of the female, they were willing to do anything.
So, they wouldn't stop her from finding a mate, especially since it was so important.
"You've been thinking about something like this? I really don't know what to say," Si Lu said, her gaze filled with a mix of heartache and complex emotions as she looked at Hei Yao.
Naturally, she also glanced at Bai Di, Cheng Mo, and the big tiger.
They didn't say anything, but she didn't believe they hadn't heard Hei Yao's words.
Si Lu knew that male beastmen had excellent hearing—there was no way they hadn't heard.
Cheng Mo had been talking to her just a moment ago.
And Bai Di and Song Zhan were right next to her, so it was impossible they didn't hear.
This meant that they all agreed.
Well.
She didn't really know how to respond.
It wasn't that she was happy or unhappy; it was just complicated.
And, of course, there was a feeling of heartache.
If it were her, she couldn't do it—share the person she loved with someone else or hand over the one she cherished to be protected by another.
Maybe she was just selfish that way!
But their love made Si Lu's heart ache.
It was too selfless.
Sigh.
It was true—male beastmen, once they bonded with their mate, devoted themselves completely to taking care of her, putting her above all else, even their own lives.
Si Lu didn't know what to say.
Should she feel sorry for the male beastmen, or should she think they were humbling themselves to the extreme?
Sure, females were lucky in this world, but without strength or abilities, they could only rely on the males to survive, and that was a tragedy. Without male protection, females wouldn't last long.
Si Lu's emotions were complicated.
But she also felt helpless.
She knew that her mates were doing this for her own good.
She wasn't dissatisfied—just filled with guilt and heartache.
"Alright, having a flying mate could be a good thing," Si Lu said.
If she had a flying partner, wouldn't that ease the pressure on them to protect her? Maybe it would lighten their load.
If that were the case, it wouldn't be bad at all.
"Mhm, we'll keep an eye out for one," Cheng Mo said.
As long as the little female agreed, it was fine.
They were only worried that Si Lu wouldn't agree. After all, she had been captured by a flying beastman before, and they were afraid that because of that, she might fear or dislike all flying beasts.
But thankfully, that didn't seem to be the case.
Bai Di glanced at Si Lu, noticing that her mood seemed a bit low.
"Lu Lu, do you have something on your mind?" Bai Di asked, concerned.
She had been fine just a moment ago.
Why did she suddenly look so down?
"It's nothing. I'm just a little tired. I'll lie down on Ah Zhan's back for a while, and I'll be fine," Si Lu said with a smile as she looked at Bai Di.
She climbed onto the big tiger's back, wrapped her arms around his neck, and started to space out.
Bai Di and Hei Yao kept a close eye on Si Lu, relieved that she didn't seem to be in any serious condition.
But her lack of energy made them a little suspicious. Was she just tired?
Hei Yao didn't think too much about it but continued to observe Si Lu's state closely.
Bai Di felt the same.
He suspected that it was the conversation about finding a flying mate that had triggered something. After they had talked about it, Si Lu's mood had shifted.
Of course, he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.
She didn't seem unhappy, exactly. It was more like a sense of helplessness, maybe even a bit of melancholy.
Bai Di frowned, wondering if he was just overthinking it.
But seeing her spaced-out expression made him feel even more...
Never mind. Now wasn't the right time to ask.
He would wait for a better moment to bring it up.
In the meantime, Bai Di kept a close watch on Si Lu.
Si Lu, lost in thought, eventually grew sleepy. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep on the big tiger's back.
Hei Yao, noticing her sleeping face, frowned slightly. Sleeping like this could easily lead to her catching a cold.
He took a fur pelt from his pack and gently covered her with it, then instructed Song Zhan to slow down and move more steadily.
Cheng Mo also noticed and slowed his pace.
Si Lu had no idea how long she had slept.
When she opened her eyes, she found herself lying inside a small cave, with Bai Di by her side.
He had turned into a snow-white fox, resting with his eyes closed. One of his unique, large tails was wrapped around Si Lu's ankle, while the other was draped over her.
Of course, there was also a fur pelt covering her.
As soon as Si Lu woke up, Bai Di opened his eyes as well.
"How are you feeling? Anywhere uncomfortable?" Bai Di asked, his voice full of concern.
"No, I'm fine. I feel much more refreshed after that nap. Where are we now?" Si Lu asked as she looked outside.
It was dusk.
"That's good. We've been traveling, and you fell asleep. Once the sun started to set, we found this cave. The others went hunting, and I stayed here with you," Bai Di explained.
"Mhm, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. How long have they been gone?" Si Lu asked as she stood up and stretched.
"They've been gone for a little while now. But back when we were traveling, I noticed you seemed upset. If there's anything on your mind, you can tell me. I won't tell anyone else," Bai Di said, his voice filled with concern.
He had noticed earlier when they were on the road.
But he hadn't had the chance to ask.
Now with just the two of them, he wanted to bring it up.
He was genuinely worried about Si Lu.
Seeing Bai Di's concerned expression and the way his brow was furrowed, Si Lu reached out and smoothed the crease in his forehead.