Imara Diversifies The Beastmen World

Chapter Nine: Gurl, what a Conversation to have with Bai Qingqing

As soon as Bai Qingqing approached, I noticed her attempt at looking less appealing with fake moles scattered over her face. With a warm smile and large brown eyes, she greeted, "Hi, I wanted to come by and see you. Parker told me you wanted to see me, and ever since I saw you the other day, I wanted to see you too."

I collected myself, reminding myself to set aside any lingering frustrations. "Hi, Bai Qingqing," I replied warmly. "Yes, Parker mentioned you. Thanks for coming to see me." Her face lit up, and I could see a genuine eagerness in her gaze, softened by a hint of nervousness.

As she noticed the furniture Harvey had crafted, her eyes widened. "Did you teach Harvey to make this?" She leaned in, examining the unique handiwork with genuine curiosity. It seemed like she was catching on to the fact that we weren't exactly from the same background as the others here.

I just nodded and said, "Yes," letting it click into place for her.

Her eyes grew even wider, and she reached for my hand. "Then y-you're..."

I gave her hand a gentle squeeze, offering some reassurance. "Mm-hmm," I said, confirming what she seemed to already suspect. "How about this? Let's all go fishing with the guys. We can make some good food and share it around. Then, maybe we can go for a walk and have a little talk, just the two of us?"

Bai Qingqing nodded eagerly, her face lighting up at the idea.

A little while later, we all strolled along the serene lakeside—Parker, Harvey, Bai Qingqing, and myself—our supplies packed and ready. As we set up along the north side of the lake, I noticed the familiar faces of Frank, Steve, John, and Nicholas strolling over, their eyes on me as they came closer.

"Imara!" they greeted in unison, and I could see the worry still lingering in their eyes. John, always the rambunctious one, bounded forward as Frank and Nicholas reached out, as if to keep him in check. They were all clearly concerned, and the way they monitored each other was both adorable and amusing.

"Are you doing okay after... well, after the other day?" Steve asked, glancing at the others as if to make sure he wasn't overstepping. They had been looking out for me, and it warmed my heart.

"Yes, I'm doing just fine, thanks to all of you," I replied with a smile. Before I could say more, John, unable to contain himself, blurted, "So, what are y'all doing today?" His wide grin made Bai Qingqing and me chuckle as Steve gave him a shove, muttering for him to keep his distance.

He grumbled with adorable frustration, "I know, I know you ain't gotta tell me." making Bai and me laugh.

Harvey subtly positioned himself beside me, a quiet reminder to the other guys to respect a bit of space. They complied easily, exchanging glances with one another but clearly catching the message.

When the guys saw we'd packed ingredients for cooking, they eagerly offered to help, each of them trying to be the most helpful. "What can we do? What are you making?" they asked, their tone full of curiosity.

Before I could respond, Parker interjected, "They're making fish steam-boat". He wasn't subtle at all. "Why don't you keep back?" he said, casting a slightly possessive glance toward Bai Qingqing.

She turned toward him, her cheeks faintly pink as she muttered and slightly nudged him, "Parker, don't be so mean." She offered an apologetic look to the guys, who ignored Parker altogether, sparking a laugh from me.

Parker huffed in response, "I'm just telling them," As if his protective instincts gave him the right to dictate everyone's movements.

John rolled his eyes, smirking. "We're not here for your precious Bai, so chill out," he muttered. Which made me laugh, at how he shut him down.