Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Chen Siyao, Yang Wanqing, Chen Hao, and Xiao Yue enter a dense forest filled with enormous trees, faintly glowing moss, and unusual fungi. Siyao records the scenery while Wanqing takes photos and posts them online through the Recording Crystal.
• After about ten minutes, the group notices the forest is unnaturally silent. Siyao and Wanqing hear rustling and wet, scraping sounds behind them, but see nothing. Chen Hao says he hears nothing and continues walking.
• Viewers watching the livestream spot movement above and behind the women, but Siyao and Wanqing cannot see the comments.
• A thick, barbed vine suddenly lashes at Siyao. She dodges, and another vine narrowly misses Wanqing. They look up to find a huge tree controlling more than a dozen moving vines and three dried animal carcasses bound to its branches.
• Recognizing it as a man-eating tree, Siyao draws a powerful sword she had chosen from treasures Qin Xiaoyu acquired on the Thirty-Six Islands.

Character developments and interactions

• Wanqing begins excited and playful, focused on exploring and photographing the forest, but quickly becomes frightened as its silence and hidden danger become apparent.
• Siyao shifts from curious documentarian to alert defender, reacting quickly to the vine attack and warning Wanqing.
• The two women support and protect each other: Siyao alerts Wanqing to the second vine, while both retreat and assess the threat together.
• Chen Hao remains composed and dismisses their reports of sounds. His slight smile after turning away suggests he may know more than he lets on.
• The livestream audience becomes an anxious but helpless witness, repeatedly warning the women through comments they cannot read.

Significant themes

• Beauty masking danger: The forest’s striking scenery conceals a lethal predator.
• Isolation and helplessness: The forest’s unnatural silence cuts the group off from ordinary signs of life, while the audience’s warnings cannot reach the women.
• Unequal awareness: Viewers notice the threat before the characters do, creating suspense through dramatic irony.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Siyao and Yang Wanqing escape the reach of one enormous, vine-covered tree after struggling to cut through its tough, sap-filled tendrils.
• A wounded golden creature darts from the bushes, pursued by a huge, red-crested bird. At Yang Wanqing’s urging, Chen Hao agrees to help and races after them with King Xiao Yue.
• Left alone, Chen Siyao and Yang Wanqing discover that vines are descending from every tree around them. Thousands of tendrils close in, turning the forest into a dangerous trap.
• The women fight their way through the pursuing vines, using Chen Siyao’s sword and Yang Wanqing’s lightning-charged halberd, and finally burst out of the forest.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Siyao and Yang Wanqing show courage and resourcefulness under pressure, coordinating their attacks and choosing a route through the vines. Their confidence falters when they realize they are alone in an entire forest of dangerous trees.
• Yang Wanqing is compassionate toward the injured golden creature and persuades Chen Hao to intervene.
• Chen Hao remains calm and decisive, agreeing to help without hesitation, while his absence leaves the women feeling exposed.
• The women support one another throughout the escape, staying close and responding quickly to each other’s warnings.

Significant themes

• Nature as a predatory force: The forest’s trees are not passive scenery but a coordinated, deadly threat.
• Courage under fear: The women are frightened, yet continue fighting and make practical choices to survive.
• Compassion and risk: Their concern for the wounded creature prompts Chen Hao to pursue it, indirectly leaving them to face the forest’s danger alone.

Plot points and events

• After escaping the woods, Chen Siyao and Yang Wanqing discover that the surrounding plants are still dangerous. A man-eating flower nearly swallows Yang Wanqing, but she dodges and destroys it with her halberd.
• Chen Siyao begins checking the livestream comments regularly. Viewers warn them about hidden traps and lethal plants, helping the pair cross a stretch of blue grass filled with carnivorous vegetation.
• Yang Wanqing is scratched by a thorn but shrugs it off, saying the injury is less painful than being slapped by her master.
• On an open slope, a huge swarm of fist-sized, armored insects emerges and attacks in coordinated groups. Chen and Yang fight briefly, then flee when it becomes clear the swarm is too large to defeat.
• Their escape brings them into a series of further insect hazards: irritating moths, marching ants, beetles that spray scalding liquid, and dense clouds of tiny flying insects.
• Finally, they spot treeless grassland and race into it, hoping its open terrain will offer safety from the forest’s vines and other threats.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Siyao adapts to the livestream audience as a practical source of warnings, balancing the phone with her sword as she leads the way through danger.
• Yang Wanqing remains bold and combative, using her halberd and lightning to fight back. She is also stubborn about her injury and humorously compares it to punishment from her master.
• The two work closely together: Chen warns Yang about the flower, they move back-to-back through the plants, and Yang covers their retreat while Chen leads their escape.

Significant themes

• Survival through vigilance and cooperation: The environment demands constant attention, and the characters rely on each other and the viewers’ warnings.
• Nature as a hostile force: Plants and insects alike behave as predators, making even apparently safe terrain dangerous.
• The limits of fighting: The pair can defeat individual threats, but overwhelming numbers force them to prioritize escape.

Plot points and events

• Chen Siyao and Yang Wanqing escape a forest full of man-eating plants and swarms of insects. The creatures stop pursuing them at the grassland’s edge, leaving both women exhausted and wounded.
• They spot smoke and cautiously approach, expecting to find intelligent life. Instead, they discover Chen Hao casually grilling the large bird that had been chasing a small, injured creature.
• Yang Wanqing asks about the creature, but Chen Hao says it escaped into a burrow. After initially confronting him about their ordeal, Chen Siyao and Yang Wanqing sit down to eat the surprisingly delicious bird meat.
• The livestream audience reacts with amusement at the contrast between the women’s desperate escape and Chen Hao’s relaxed barbecue. Chen Siyao also warns viewers that the other world’s beautiful landscape hides serious dangers.
• As the chapter ends, Chen Siyao recalls that Chen Hao seemed to move ahead before the forest attacks and did not turn around when the women were threatened, leaving her to wonder about his behavior.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Siyao remains alert and protective, but exhaustion and hunger eventually take priority over confronting her brother. Her reflections show growing caution about the world’s hidden dangers.
• Yang Wanqing is shaken by the escape but quickly focuses on whether the small creature was saved. She accepts Chen Hao’s explanation and joins the meal.
• Chen Hao appears unconcerned and detached, tending the fire while the others recover. His account of failing to catch the creature—and his apparent lack of involvement in the women’s danger—raises questions.
• Xiao Yue waits eagerly for food and is given a piece of the bird.

Significant themes

• Beauty concealing danger: The grassland and forest may look inviting, but the ecosystem is lethal.
• Comic contrast and camaraderie: The tense survival ordeal gives way to a relaxed shared meal, with the livestream chat amplifying the humor.
• Uncertainty about Chen Hao: His calmness may be confidence, indifference, or something else; the chapter ends by highlighting the gap between his behavior and the women’s experience.

Plot points and events

• After escaping the Man-Eating Tree forest, Chen Siyao and Yang Wanqing find Chen Hao relaxing and grilling meat. His convenient absence during the danger leaves Siyao suspicious, though he says little about it.
• The group eats, then sets off to explore the grassland at the livestream audience’s request. Chen Hao agrees to accompany the two women.
• They discover five radiant white deer with four shifting rainbow-colored antlers and long, luminous tails. The deer calmly watch the visitors but step back whenever Siyao approaches, keeping their distance.
• Viewers flood the livestream with blessings and wishes. A verified researcher identifies the creatures as Fuzhu, spiritual beasts from the Classic of Mountains and Seas said to be Gonggong’s mounts, whose appearance foretells great floods.
• Intrigued, Siyao admits she wants to ride one and asks Chen Hao if he can help. He approaches the deer, but the chapter ends before he answers or acts.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Siyao is still shaken by the earlier danger but remains curious and eager to explore. Her awe at the deer quickly becomes a playful desire to ride one; she respects their boundaries when they retreat.
• Chen Hao remains calm and enigmatic. His earlier behavior suggests he may have knowingly left the women in danger, yet he joins the expedition and is asked to help with Siyao’s latest ambition.
• Yang Wanqing shares Siyao’s excitement and is especially overwhelmed by the deer’s unusual antlers and tails.
• The livestream audience shifts from requesting more creatures to responding emotionally with blessings, wishes, and encouragement for Siyao to ride a deer.

Significant themes

• Wonder and discovery: The grassland’s beautiful, supernatural wildlife turns exploration into a moment of awe.
• Respect for boundaries: The deer peacefully communicate that they do not want to be touched, and Siyao stops approaching.
• The mysterious overlap of myth and reality: A legendary creature from ancient texts appears in the explorers’ world.
• Danger alongside spectacle: The cheerful meal and enchanting encounter contrast with the recent life-threatening forest escape—and Chen Hao’s unexplained role in it.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Hao plays an unfamiliar melody by hand, drawing five rainbow-antlered Fuzhu—gentle spirit deer—to the group. Chen Siyao, Yang Wanqing, and Chen Hao mount three of them while Xiao Yue runs alongside.
• They enjoy a smooth ride across the grasslands, where they spot several unfamiliar herbivores: enormous one-horned white horses, massive horned cattle, and swift six-legged creatures. The livestream audience reacts with excitement, especially to the apparent unicorns.
• Yang Wanqing suggests that predators may be lurking near the woods. Before she can finish, the Fuzhu cry out and abruptly flee. Other animals across the grasslands also run in the same direction, all seemingly escaping an unseen danger.
• Chen Hao explains that Fuzhu are famed for sensing disasters early and warning others. He steers the group toward a nearby hill; they reach its summit, where Chen Siyao looks across the grassland and is left speechless. The chapter ends before revealing what she sees.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao demonstrates his unusual ability to attract the Fuzhu and remains calm when they bolt, explaining their sensitivity and guiding the group to higher ground.
• Chen Siyao moves from wonder and carefree enjoyment to alarm as the animals flee; she observes the surrounding wildlife and spots the hill that offers a vantage point.
• Yang Wanqing eagerly bonds with a Fuzhu and jokes about predators, then clings to her mount when it panics.
• Xiao Yue runs alongside the riders before Chen Hao catches and holds her during the sudden escape.
• The Fuzhu are affectionate and responsive at first, then act collectively as an early-warning system. Their behavior prompts other animals to flee as well.

Significant themes

• Nature’s warning signs: Animals sense a danger the humans cannot yet see.
• Wonder turning to suspense: A peaceful, magical ride gives way to urgent flight.
• Human connection with the natural world: Chen Hao’s melody brings the group into close contact with the Fuzhu, while the animals’ instincts shape the group’s actions.

Plot points and events

• From a hilltop, Chen Siyao, Yang Wanqing, Chen Hao, and the Fuzhu deer see an enormous migration of unfamiliar animals fleeing across the grassland.
• Behind them comes a seemingly endless tide of giant black rats. The rats swallow animals that fall behind—including a limping giant bull—in seconds, leaving almost nothing behind.
• Chen Hao calms the restless Fuzhu with a faint flow of light from his hand. He judges that the rat tide is moving east and will miss the hill.
• The group watches for half an hour. The tide passes, flattening a strip of grassland five or six kilometers wide into mud and leaving a stark scar across the plain.
• Chen Siyao reflects that the grass will regrow, herbivores will return, and another rat tide will eventually follow. Yang Wanqing urges the group to leave.

Character development and interactions

• Chen Siyao remains observant and composed enough to document the disaster, though the sight visibly frightens her. She frames it as part of the world’s natural cycle.
• Yang Wanqing is deeply shaken by the animals’ total destruction; she says she would rather face the man-eating-tree forest and ultimately asks to leave.
• Chen Hao shows a calming, possibly magical ability by soothing the Fuzhu through touch.
• The group supports one another: Chen Siyao comforts Yang Wanqing, while Chen Hao steadies the deer. The Fuzhu’s fear reflects the danger they all sense.

Significant themes

• Nature’s brutality and scale: The rat tide consumes animals without regard to size, making survival depend largely on keeping pace.
• Cycles of destruction and renewal: The swarm devastates the grassland, but Chen Siyao expects it to recover—setting the stage for the cycle to repeat.
• Humanity’s vulnerability: The immense swarm leaves the observers frightened and largely powerless, even as they record it for a vast audience.

Key plot points and events

• After escaping the rat tide, Chen Siyao and Yang Wanqing ride their Fuzhu deer toward a lively forest. The damaged grassland behind them already shows signs of regrowth.
• In the woods, they meet again the small golden, fox-squirrel-like creature with an injured hind leg. It bows for food, and Chen Siyao gives it cookies and jerky. It eats eagerly before carrying some food into the bushes.
• The Fuzhu become alarmed and back away, their antlers flashing a warning, despite the little creature appearing harmless. The women cannot explain their fear.
• In a clearing, Yang Wanqing mistakes a dense patch of fluffy golden “reeds” for plants and tries to pull one up. The entire patch moves, revealing itself to be the many tails of a gigantic fox. The fox rises and fixes its gaze on Yang Wanqing.

Character developments

• Chen Siyao remains observant and cautious, noting both the grassland’s rapid recovery and the deer’s warning signals.
• Yang Wanqing relaxes in the pleasant forest and acts impulsively when she tries to take a reed—unaware that it is part of a huge animal.
• The little golden creature shows intelligence and apparent familiarity with the women by approaching them and begging politely for food.
• The Fuzhu demonstrate strong instincts, sensing danger before their riders understand it.

Significant themes

• Nature’s vitality: The damaged landscape is already recovering, suggesting this world can heal remarkably quickly.
• Appearance versus reality: The cute creature may be more dangerous than it seems, while the beautiful “reeds” conceal an enormous fox.
• Instinct and uncertainty: The Fuzhu’s fear warns the women that appearances alone are not reliable guides to danger.

Character interactions

• Chen Siyao and Yang Wanqing share their excitement over the little creature and its charming request for food.
• The women try to reassure their uneasy Fuzhu, but the animals remain wary.
• Yang Wanqing’s curiosity leads her to touch and tug at the apparent reeds, inadvertently disturbing the giant fox and setting up a sudden confrontation.

Key events

• Yang Wanqing accidentally wakes a giant, many-tailed fox by tugging what she mistakes for a reed. The fox is irritable but harmlessly moves elsewhere and settles down again.
• After the scare, Yang Wanqing becomes cautious, while Chen Siyao keeps checking the livestream chat for warnings.
• They encounter translucent, winged “Air Jellyfish” drifting through the forest canopy. Chen Siyao observes that they propel themselves by contracting their bodies; spiritual energy may explain how they move through the thin air.
• The pair then spot an enormous, partly incorporeal blue whale flying above the trees. Its tail distorts the air, and its layered, chant-like call briefly blanks the minds of both women before it disappears into the sky.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Wanqing’s curiosity gets her into trouble when she touches the fox, but the encounter makes her more careful. She still instinctively reaches toward the Air Jellyfish, and Chen Siyao stops her.
• Chen Siyao acts as the more cautious guide, pulling Yang away from danger and using the livestream audience to help assess their surroundings.
• The women share their reactions to the sky whale, confirming that its sound affected them both.

Significant themes

• The chapter emphasizes the strange, wondrous scale and variety of this world’s creatures.
• It contrasts familiar biological forms with unfamiliar powers, such as jellyfish-like flight enabled by spiritual energy.
• Curiosity carries risk, while observation and caution help the explorers navigate an unpredictable environment.

Key plot points and events

• After witnessing a gigantic sky whale, Chen Siyao and the group continue through the forest as daylight fades.
• They pass through an area filled with bats that absorb sound, creating a zone of complete silence. Sound returns as soon as they leave.
• Chen Hao unfolds a miniature wooden pavilion from his Qiankun Bag, providing a comfortable shelter for the night. The five Fuzhu settle nearby, while Xiao Yue follows Chen Hao inside.
• Chen Siyao ends the livestream, which still has more than four hundred million viewers. She and Yang Wanqing retire to separate bedrooms.
• At the window, Chen Siyao observes an unusually star-filled sky, wonders about the world’s inhabitants and civilization, and notices a brief, distant flash in the forest. She also remains puzzled by the small golden creature that had caused ancient spirit beasts to retreat.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Siyao stays composed through the day’s bizarre encounters, but her curiosity grows as she reflects on how little she understands about the world. She and Yang Wanqing share a lighthearted conversation about the dangers—and excitement—of their first day.
• Yang Wanqing admits that, despite the frightening plants and insects, the journey was thrilling and wants to continue tomorrow.
• Chen Hao remains notably unruffled, setting up the pavilion with ease. Xiao Yue rests on his lap and later gnaws on a bone.
• The livestream audience reacts with awe and fear, especially to the sky whale and the sound-eating bats, and pleads with Chen Siyao not to end the broadcast.

Significant themes

• The unknown and wonder: Each new creature expands the group’s sense of how strange and vast this world is.
• Fear mixed with exhilaration: The environment is dangerous, but Yang Wanqing finds its unpredictability exhilarating.
• Unanswered mysteries: The flash in the forest, the golden creature, and the possibility of intelligent life hint at deeper secrets yet to come.

• A mysterious visitor arrives: Haunted by the day’s strange events—including a golden creature that had unnerved the ancient spirit beast Fuzhu—Chen Siyao hears a noise downstairs. She finds the loft door ajar and the small golden creature waiting outside, its hind leg wounded. She invites it in and offers it jerky.
• The creature is welcomed: Xiao Yue barely reacts to the newcomer. Yang Wanqing, awakened by the commotion, is delighted and enthusiastically pets it. She makes it a bed from an old T-shirt, and the creature curls up there for the night while Chen Siyao and Yang Wanqing head upstairs.
• A hint of danger: After the humans leave, the creature silently watches the second floor. Its golden eyes briefly turn dark red, then return to gold. No one sees the change.
• The next morning: Chen Siyao struggles to wake Yang Wanqing, finally tempting her out of bed with the promise of feeding the “cute little creature.” At breakfast, Chen Siyao starts the day’s livestream; viewers marvel at the otherworldly setting, the food, and the distant Fuzhu.
• The creature disappears: Yang Wanqing looks for their guest, but its makeshift bed is empty. Chen Siyao assumes it has gone to find food, while Yang Wanqing is disappointed not to say goodbye. After breakfast, Chen Hao packs the loft away, shrinking it back into a palm-sized model.
  Character developments and interactions: Chen Siyao is cautious but kind, offering the injured creature shelter and food. Yang Wanqing’s affection is immediate and exuberant; she bonds with the creature through petting and making it a bed. Xiao Yue remains indifferent. The creature accepts their hospitality, but its brief red-eyed transformation suggests it may be more than a harmless animal.
  Themes: The chapter contrasts cozy domestic routines—food, sleep, and companionship—with the unsettling mystery of the new world. It also builds suspense around the creature’s hidden nature, while the livestream highlights the characters’ ordinary lives becoming entertainment for a vast audience.

Plot points and events

• Chen Siyao, Yang Wanqing, Chen Hao, and their Fuzhu deer travel east across the grassland and discover a vast, fragrant sea of unfamiliar flowers.
• The women explore and photograph the strange plants and insects, including moving flowers, luminous blooms, color-changing lichen, and vivid butterflies. Distracted by the spectacle, they miss the live chat’s urgent warnings.
• A huge, organized swarm of fist-sized Killer Bees approaches. The golden creature they encountered the previous day races toward Chen Siyao, then turns to face the swarm rather than keep fleeing.
• Yang Wanqing returns with the Capital Heavenly Thunder Halberd. Chen Hao steps forward and tells the two women to fight some of the bees as combat practice, setting up a confrontation.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Siyao remains curious and attentive to safety, stopping Yang Wanqing from leaning too close to a moving flower. But both women become so absorbed in exploring that they fail to notice the danger behind them.
• Yang Wanqing is exuberant and impulsive, eagerly exploring and asking Chen Siyao to photograph what she finds; when danger appears, she quickly arms herself.
• The golden creature shows unexpected resolve: although chased, it stops beside Chen Siyao and stands its ground. Chen Siyao responds with sympathy and affection, calling it “little cutie.”
• Chen Hao stays calm and directs the group, treating the incoming swarm as an opportunity for the women to practice combat.

Significant themes

• Wonder and danger coexist: the beautiful, unfamiliar landscape offers marvels but can quickly become threatening.
• Curiosity can distract from vigilance, underscored by the ignored viewer warnings.
• Courage and loyalty emerge under pressure, especially in the creature’s choice to stop fleeing and face the bees.
• The chapter shifts from scenic exploration to a test of the characters’ readiness for combat.

Key plot points and events

• The group fights a swarm of killer bees in a sea of flowers. Chen Hao’s white-flame wall destroys most of them, while Yang Wanqing, Chen Siyao, Xiao Yue, and the small golden pet join the battle.
• The pet’s eyes turn red, and it fires precise beams that kill several bees.
• A much larger bee sneaks up behind Yang Wanqing. The pet leaps in front of her and is pierced through the abdomen by its stinger.
• Yang Wanqing kills the giant bee with her halberd. Chen Hao examines the pet and says its internal organs are too badly damaged to save.
• As it weakens in Yang Wanqing’s arms, the pet repeatedly points toward a distant cluster of hills. Chen Siyao suspects its den may contain something that could help. Chen Hao agrees to go.

Character developments

• The little pet, now called Little Mengmeng, reveals powerful abilities and a fierce instinct to protect Yang Wanqing, even at the cost of its own life.
• Yang Wanqing shifts from fighting confidently to panicked grief, blaming herself despite the pet’s sacrifice.
• Chen Siyao shows concern and quickly searches for a possible explanation behind Mengmeng’s gesture.
• Chen Hao remains measured while assessing the injury, but ultimately agrees to follow Mengmeng’s signal.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and self-sacrifice: Mengmeng protects the person who cared for it, without knowing Yang Wanqing could likely have survived the attack.
• The bond between people and animals: Simple acts of kindness—food, shelter, and affection—have created deep attachment.
• Hope amid loss: Though Chen Hao declares the wound fatal, Mengmeng’s repeated gesture gives the group a possible reason to keep trying.

Character interactions

• Yang Wanqing, Chen Siyao, Xiao Yue, and Mengmeng fight together against the swarm.
• Chen Siyao warns Yang Wanqing of the giant bee, but Mengmeng reaches her first and takes the strike.
• Yang Wanqing cradles and tries to treat Mengmeng; Chen Siyao examines it, and Chen Hao delivers the grim diagnosis.
• Mengmeng communicates by pointing toward the hills, prompting Chen Siyao to suggest a possible remedy and Yang Wanqing to urge the group to go.

Key plot points and events

• Yang Wanqing rides a reluctant Fuzhu to the peach grove, carrying the gravely wounded little creature. It points deeper into the grove, but they find no den or healing herbs.
• Comments from medically trained viewers raise doubts: the creature’s wounds and blood loss should have killed it or put it into shock, yet it remains alive and can still direct them.
• Chen Siyao notices the creature’s eyes have turned red and realizes the grove’s overpowering peach-blossom fragrance is poisonous. She and Yang Wanqing take Antidote Pills, clearing their dizziness.
• Chen tells Yang Wanqing to put the creature down. Recalling how Fuzhu and other beasts reacted fearfully around it, and how its repeated “rescues” drew the women’s sympathy, Chen concludes that it has been manipulating them.
• Chen points her sword at the creature. As it recognizes her hostility, its golden fur begins transforming into a translucent, dark red and gray-black membrane.

Character developments

• Chen Siyao shifts from concern to suspicion, using the creature’s unnatural survival and its pattern of behavior to reassess their encounters. She acts decisively to protect herself and Yang Wanqing.
• Yang Wanqing is emotionally attached to the creature and devastated by its apparent injuries, but obeys Chen when warned. She is only beginning to grasp the possibility that it deceived them.
• The creature is revealed as far more calculating and dangerous than its helpless appearance suggested. Its transformation begins once Chen sees through its act.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: The wounded, adorable animal may be a predator using vulnerability as camouflage.
• Trust and manipulation: Repeated acts that seemed to invite protection may have been designed to make the women care for and trust it.
• Perception and survival: The poisonous fragrance clouds judgment, while attention to inconsistencies helps Chen identify the threat.

Character interactions

• Yang Wanqing tends the creature tenderly, while Chen Siyao challenges her assumptions and orders her to take an antidote and put it down.
• Chen supports her accusation with evidence and demands that Yang Wanqing reconsider their history with the creature.
• The creature silently meets Chen’s gaze, recognizing her intent before its transformation starts.

Plot points and events

• The beloved “Little Cutie” is revealed to be a disguised alien predator. Its soft fur collapses into a slimy, gray-black creature with tentacles, hooked legs, compound eyes, and rows of needlelike teeth.
• The creature ignores Yang Wanqing and fixes its attention on Chen Siyao’s head, appearing hungry. Its shrill call summons more of its kind from throughout the peach grove.
• Dozens of the creatures surround the group, watching their heads and gradually closing in.
• Furious at having been tricked into mourning the fake pet, Yang Wanqing attacks with her lightning-charged halberd. Chen Siyao fights with her sword, and Xiao Yue helps by crushing and throwing a creature.
• The group discovers that the aliens are cunning but physically fragile: powerful blows can kill them with ease. More creatures continue to emerge as the fight escalates.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Wanqing swings abruptly from grief and tears to rage, turning her sorrow into comic, theatrical revenge. She calls out Little Cutie as she kills the beasts.
• Chen Siyao stays alert and decisive, defending herself while recognizing that the creatures are targeting heads. She adapts quickly in combat despite being splattered with their slime.
• Xiao Yue proves an effective ally, intervening to stop a beast from trapping Chen Siyao.
• The livestream audience first falls silent at the transformation, then erupts in shock and disgust; viewers also joke about Yang Wanqing’s revenge-fueled rampage.

Significant themes

• Deception and appearances: The adorable pet’s charming exterior hides a monstrous predator.
• Grief turning to anger: Yang Wanqing’s genuine emotional reaction becomes fuel for vengeance once the trick is exposed.
• Cunning versus strength: The creatures rely on deception and coordination, but their bodies are weak in direct combat.
• Horror and comedy: Grotesque transformations and danger are undercut by Yang Wanqing’s absurd, increasingly personal battle cries.

Plot points and events

• Chen Hao watches from a distance as Yang Wanqing, Chen Siyao, and Little Qing defeat the disguise-beasts. He considers their deception crude compared with the demons he once knew.
• After the fight, Yang Wanqing confronts the corpse of the beast she had pitied earlier. She is angry and shaken, but does not cry.
• Siyao and Wanqing follow the strong floral scent deeper into the peach grove, where it gives way to a foul stench.
• They find a clearing full of intact animal corpses, each with a neat opening in its skull and its brain removed. Siyao records the scene, while the livestream audience realizes the beasts used the poisonous grove to incapacitate prey.
• Beneath a tree, they discover at least ten empty golden skins resembling the adorable “Little Cuties.” The evidence suggests the beasts killed and skinned the real animals, then wore their pelts to appear harmless and lure prey.
• A researcher watching the broadcast identifies the tactic as an evolved form of Batesian mimicry. Siyao confirms to Wanqing that Little Cuties were real—but were already dead. She turns off the phone as the audience shares their grief.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao remains calm and detached, trusting the others to handle the fight.
• Yang Wanqing moves from pity and grief to anger during the battle, then becomes quietly devastated by the skins. She and Siyao share a brief, painful exchange without needing many words.
• Chen Siyao stays observant and practical: she investigates the clearing, documents the evidence, and pieces together the deception. Though revenge brings her no satisfaction, she faces the truth directly.
• The livestream comments shift from analysis and horror to collective mourning, reinforcing the emotional impact of discovering that the creatures they admired were only disguises. **

Plot and events

• After discovering the corpses and empty skins of the brain-eating beasts’ victims, Chen Siyao and Yang Wanqing grieve for the “little cuties” they feared were gone.
• Chen Hao directs them to move a moss-covered boulder. Beneath it, they find a narrow burrow marked with claw scratches and hear faint cries.
• Inside, a male little cutie stands guard at the entrance, trembling but refusing to move. Behind him, a crying female cradles their tiny baby.
• The livestream audience realizes the brain-eating beasts may have deliberately kept the family alive as a source of skins, making the family’s danger even more horrifying.
• Chen Siyao and Yang Wanqing decide to rescue them. They try to reassure the male with food and by showing him the dead beasts. The excerpt ends as he watches Yang Wanqing’s bloodied halberd and his ears twitch.

Character development and interactions

• Chen Siyao shifts from helpless grief to resolve, comforting Yang Wanqing and taking the lead in coaxing the family out. She is deeply moved by the father’s courage.
• Yang Wanqing openly mourns the real little cuties and cries when she sees the family. She joins Chen Siyao’s rescue attempt, trying to prove they are safe.
• The male little cutie is terrified but steadfastly protects his mate and baby, placing himself between them and the unknown threat.
• The female little cutie clings to her baby and cries; the baby remains sheltered in her arms.
• Chen Hao quietly guides the others to the concealed burrow.

Significant themes

• Protective courage: The father stands guard despite knowing he is afraid and outmatched.
• Cruelty and exploitation: The beasts’ use of living creatures as material turns survival into prolonged terror.
• Grief and compassion: The women’s sadness becomes a commitment to help the survivors.
• Beauty beside horror: Falling peach blossoms contrast with the ruined bodies, empty skins, and endangered family.

Plot points and events

• Chen Siyao and Yang Wanqing coax a frightened male “little cutie” out of a hole using fruit and shortbread. He carries every offering back to his injured, hungry mate and their baby, refusing to eat himself.
• Once the mother and baby are ready, the male carefully leads them out. The family emerges into daylight, reunites with affectionate nuzzles, then flees when the male spots the dead brain-eating beasts nearby.
• The group follows at a respectful distance. The male finds a massive tree and quickly digs a den for his family, then stands guard at its entrance while watching the humans warily. After a final glance toward Chen Siyao, he joins his family inside.
• Chen Siyao ends the livestream comments and decides the group will rest nearby. Chen Hao sets up their miniature pavilion about a hundred meters from the den, and the group prepares dinner.
• The livestream audience reports that the little cuties have become an online sensation, with trending topics, fan art, and memes. Viewers ask Chen Siyao to keep showing them.

Character development and interactions

• The male cutie is revealed as selfless, cautious, and resourceful: he feeds his family first, checks for danger at every step, finds them shelter, and guards the den. His distrust reflects the trauma he has endured.
• The mother follows his lead while protecting the baby; once outside, she shares a tender nuzzle with him.
• Yang Wanqing is deeply moved by the family’s suffering and reunion, but Chen Siyao stops her from approaching too quickly.
• Chen Siyao balances compassion with patience, recognizing that the cuties need distance and time before they can trust humans.
• Chen Hao quietly supports the group by preparing fruit and setting up their lodging.
• The audience’s emotional investment grows as viewers follow the family’s escape and celebrate their survival.

Significant themes

• Family devotion and sacrifice: The male puts his mate and baby’s needs before his own.
• Trauma and trust: Even after being rescued, the cuties remain wary because of what they have witnessed.
• Compassion through restraint: Chen Siyao and Yang Wanqing help without crowding or forcing contact.
• Safety and new beginnings: The family’s escape and new tree den offer a fragile refuge, though danger remains elsewhere.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Siyao tells the livestream audience to give Little Cutie and his family privacy after their ordeal. She ignores viewers demanding that the family be kept.
• As evening falls, Chen Siyao secretly films Chen Hao in the sunset; viewers gush over his appearance. Chen Hao notices but responds with quiet resignation.
• At dawn, Chen Hao is practicing an old boxing routine when the male Little Cutie appears at the foot of the loft’s steps. He has cleaned much of the mud from his golden fur and brought Chen Hao several nuts.
• Though nervous and unsure whether he is welcome, Little Cutie climbs the steps, places the nuts on the table, and begins to leave.
• Chen Hao offers him a Spirit Fruit in return. After cautiously checking Chen Hao’s reaction, Little Cutie accepts it and carries it home.

Character developments

• Chen Hao shows a warmer, gentler side beneath his reserved demeanor, welcoming Little Cutie and giving him a valuable treat.
• Little Cutie remains wary after his ordeal but takes a tentative step toward trusting Chen Hao by approaching with a gift and accepting one in return.
• Chen Siyao respects the family’s need for privacy, though she playfully films Chen Hao. Yang Wanqing reflects on the male Little Cutie’s courage and affectionately teases Chen Hao.

Significant themes

• Respecting boundaries: The family needs safety and peace, not public attention.
• Trust built through kindness: Chen Hao’s calm welcome and reciprocal gift help ease Little Cutie’s fear.
• Courage and care: Little Cutie’s small size does not lessen the bravery of his effort to protect his family.

Character interactions

• Chen Siyao and Yang Wanqing discuss the male Little Cutie’s courage, while Chen Siyao also jokes at Chen Hao’s expense by filming him.
• Chen Hao and Little Cutie share a quiet exchange of gifts: Little Cutie offers nuts, and Chen Hao responds with a Spirit Fruit.

Key plot points and events

• Little Mengmeng leaves the Chen family’s camp carrying the Spirit Fruit. It pauses to look back at Chen Hao before disappearing toward the large tree where its family lives.
• Chen Hao notices the carefully chosen nuts Little Mengmeng left behind. At breakfast, Chen Siyao and Yang Wanqing eat them and decide to visit the tree, keeping their distance so they won’t frighten the animals.
• During Chen Siyao’s livestream, she tells viewers that Little Mengmeng’s family is well and shows the nuts. The viewers interpret the gift as a touching repayment for Chen Hao’s kindness.
• From about fifty meters away, the women see the male Little Mengmeng outside the hollow and the mother holding their more alert baby inside. When they say goodbye, the male raises its paws in a small, bow-like gesture before returning to the hollow.
• The group leaves on their five white deer and heads toward an unfamiliar forest. Yang Wanqing looks back once and glimpses a tiny golden head peeking from the tree.

Character developments and interactions

• Little Mengmeng shows growing trust and awareness: it brings Chen Hao a gift, looks back before leaving, and appears to return the women’s farewell with a gesture.
• Chen Hao responds quietly to the gift, examining the nuts rather than making a show of it.
• Chen Siyao is pleased that Little Mengmeng has settled in and shares the encounter with her livestream audience. She and Yang Wanqing give the family space rather than approaching too closely.
• Yang Wanqing is openly emotional, especially when the male Little Mengmeng bows. The women exchange gentle goodbyes with it, while Chen Hao waits with the deer for the journey to continue.

Significant themes

• Kindness returned: Little Mengmeng’s nuts and farewell suggest gratitude for the help it received.
• Parting and attachment: The repeated looks back, waves, bow, and final glimpse make the departure tender and bittersweet.
• Respectful care: The humans show affection without intruding on the animals’ home.
• A new journey: The group’s departure toward an unknown forest shifts the story from this quiet farewell to the uncertainty ahead.