Chapter 175: Chapter 163: I Shouldn’t Have Handed You Over to Him
The red figure seemed to hear Gu Ning’s voice, its statue-like body slowly beginning to move.
It turned its head slightly, revealing half of a fair... profile.
Gu Ning’s steps slowed to a halt, her gaze fixed uncertainly on the... person before her.
Now that she was closer, Gu Ning realized the red shape wasn’t a cloak, but a thick mane of long, red hair. And it... he, was crouched on the ground. While not exactly burly, he had the form of a Beastman.
’Is this Barto?’
"Barto?" Gu Ning called out tentatively to the red-haired Beastman. Seeing the cold look he gave her, she stopped two or three meters away, not daring to get any closer for the moment.
This male Beastman was different from the normal ones she had seen. His face was handsome and refined, but it was marred by several red marks, and his eyes held a beastly ferocity.
He looked more like a Dwarf hybrid.
Hearing her voice, the red-haired Beastman turned halfway, bared his fangs, and hissed at her, his ferocity on full display.
Gu Ning immediately took a step back.
After hissing at her, the red-haired Beastman’s pupils suddenly constricted, and he lunged toward her.
Gu Ning instinctively dropped into a crouch to dodge his attack.
The red-haired Beastman vaulted over her head and pounced on something behind her.
Hearing the sounds of a struggle and low growls, Gu Ning froze for a moment before whipping her head around in astonishment.
She saw the red-haired Beastman had tackled one of Kuinan’s men who had been trying to approach her. He slammed the man’s head against the ground several times before sinking his teeth into his throat and tearing it out.
After finishing off the Beastman, the red-haired one whipped his head around to face Gu Ning, baring a set of sharp fangs. Blood dripped from his chin—DRIP, DRIP, DRIP—creating a terrifying sight.
Gu Ning’s breath hitched. Her gaze swept over the familiar pair of fox ears on his head, then fell upon his amber, slitted pupils.
She recognized those eyes.
Seeing that she didn’t run or scream, showing no reaction to him at all, the red-haired Beastman’s eyes flickered. He lunged in front of her, feigning a bite.
Startled by his sudden move, Gu Ning fell and landed on her bottom.
The red-haired Beastman froze with his mouth open before Gu Ning’s neck. He held the biting pose for a moment, and seeing that she had squeezed her eyes shut in fear, he whispered, "Idiot."
Hearing the familiar voice, Gu Ning cracked open one eye to look at him.
"You’re Barto."
Gu Ning swallowed hard, her tone certain. A trembling hand reached out to him.
Barto glanced down at her hand, the indifference in his eyes dissipating. He let out a soft sigh, turned away, and buried his head, not wanting her to see him in this strange state.
"Barto!"
Gu Ning pushed herself up and lunged forward, grabbing his arm. Feeling something wet and sticky, she let go of Barto and opened her palm to look.
Her hand was covered in glaring, fresh blood.
Her heart ached as she threw her arms around Barto.
"What did they do to you?" Gu Ning’s voice was choked with sobs.
Barto’s body stiffened. He couldn’t understand what Gu Ning was saying, but he could hear the sorrow in her voice.
’She’s heartbroken for me.’
"Aren’t you afraid of me?" Barto’s voice was hoarse and tinged with exhaustion.
Gu Ning shook her head, hugging him even tighter.
Barto’s tense body relaxed. He turned and hugged her now-tiny body back.
’So small. She’s really so small.’
’So this is how small she looks in the eyes of a normal Beastman.’
Noticing the chill clinging to her, Barto raised a hand to stroke her damp hair. "How did you find your way here...?"
Gu Ning opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Barto added, "You must be exhausted."
Gu Ning burst into tears.
She had been so tired, so worried, and so scared all day.
She was worried about him and Cook, worried about her identity being exposed, and even more terrified of being mistaken for a Mimic Mixed Species.
But thinking of their safety, she had no choice but to risk it all.
"I’m not a Mimic Mixed Species," Gu Ning sobbed, burying her face in his bare chest. "Do you believe me?"
Hearing Kloer and the others suspect her of being a Mimic Mixed Species had honestly scared her to death.
Seeing her cry, Barto frowned and pulled away to check her over. "Are you hurt?"
Gu Ning shook her head, pressing it against his chest, a mess of tears and snot. "I’m... not a Mimic... Mixed Breed..."
Barto: "...Say something I can understand."
Gu Ning hiccuped and repeated what she had just said, this time stammering it out in the common Beastman tongue.
Listening to her jumbled words, Barto finally understood her series of baffling behaviors over the past few days. It also confirmed his suspicions about her identity.
When he didn’t respond, Gu Ning pulled out of his embrace and looked at him with red-rimmed eyes. "You don’t... believe me?"
Barto sighed and reached out to wipe away the snot that was about to drip into her mouth. "I’m not an idiot. I’m a fox."
Gu Ning looked at him, still sniffling.
Barto: "I believe you."
Gu Ning’s tears fell even harder.
Barto cupped her face. "Don’t cry. I already said I believe you."
"You have to trust me," Barto said. "Idiot."
Gu Ning sobbed, "Let’s... go..."
Barto wiped away her tears with his thumb. "Hm?"
Gu Ning continued to sob. "Go... us... together... Take me with you..."
Seeing this vulnerability she had never shown before, Barto’s lips tightened into a thin line.
"I was wrong." Barto swept Gu Ning into his arms, his voice full of regret. "I never should have left you with him."
"He’s useless."
Gu Ning just kept crying.
Barto held her tighter. "I’ll take you away from here."
Gu Ning: "Cook."
Barto glanced at the small dog standing guard a short distance away, its back to them. "And Cook," he said.
"No more than that," Barto added. "You can’t afford to feed them."
Gu Ning laughed through her tears and lightly punched his now rock-hard chest, then started crying again. "Why... is your fur gone?" She hadn’t even gotten to pet the big fluffy fox much.
Barto: "..."
A fluffy tail was thrust into Gu Ning’s arms.
Gu Ning looked at the tail. "The tail... is still here."
Barto grabbed the tail and used it to wipe her tears and snot. "Is one tail not enough for you to pet?"
The fur tickled her nose, and she let out a huge sneeze right onto it.
"..."
Barto dropped his tail and used the back of his hand to wipe her face instead.
At some point, the surroundings had fallen silent, leaving only the sound of Gu Ning’s soft sobs.
Cook bared his teeth and growled a few warnings at those who tried to get near Gu Ning. He then sat down beside her and Barto, guarding them just as he always did back home.
Gu Ning sniffled and glanced around.
The battle was over. Kuinan was gone, and only Cyril and his people, who had just arrived, remained.
Gu Ning let out a huge sigh of relief. She tried to stand, but her legs were too weak to support her.
Once her tension eased, a wave of exhaustion washed over her, and her vision began to blur.
"So tired," Gu Ning murmured, grabbing Barto’s arm and leaning against him.
"Then sleep." Barto’s sharp gaze swept over the other Beastmen. He cradled Gu Ning’s head, buried his face in her hair, took a deep breath, and whispered, "No one will ever hurt us again."
