Muir only hesitated because he was uncertain if the "underground passageway" could lead to the villa. Seeing how certain Curtis was, he followed him without hesitation.

Bai Qingqing put her hand to her forehead, unable to continue watching this. She turned back to them and said, "Forget it, let's go."

"En," Parker replied excitedly, taking her hand and walking forward.

Winston took her other hand. He had taken note to control his strength, but his grip was still so strong that Bai Qingqing's hand started to hurt.

She drew her hands from theirs, saying, "We can't do this. In our world, one woman can only have one mate. We shouldn't hold hands."

"Huh?" Parker's countenance turned anxious, and he looked a little helpless upon seeing Bai Qingqing's expression. "Are you going to give up on three?"

Winston threw a glance at his mate nonchalantly, then looked toward Parker with a wary gaze.

With things coming to how they were, there was no way he'd leave Bai Qingqing. If only one of them could stand by her side, he wouldn't cower, not even if the other party was Curtis.

Bai Qingqing kicked the rocks on the ground as she walked, saying softly, "Of course not, unless you guys don't want me anymore."

Parker heaved a huge sigh of relief and put his hand to his chest, saying, "You gave me such a fright. I don't want anyone else, I only want you. We still have the spousal mark. Even if we haven't become mates, I only want to be with you."

Parker's words were also what Winston felt. With Parker saying everything, Winston stayed silent. He only picked up Bai Qingqing's hand once again.

Bai Qingqing was very worried about him and didn't draw her hand out.

Parker was also planning to take her hand, but a backpack was thrown into his chest.

"I already said that I can't be with two males."

Parker let out a moan, unable to accept this. He felt regretful that he wasn't faster than Winston.

Although both of them had entered the sewage, as they were capable, they didn't get dirty stuff on them at all. Only the bottom of their feet was a little dirty.

As Parker walked, he rubbed his soles against the grass on the ground, asking, "Where are we going? There are so many humans here. If every family stays in a house like yours, is there enough land to accommodate everyone?"

At the mention of population and housing, even Bai Qingqing, someone who hadn't entered the society yet, couldn't help but sigh. "We manage somehow. No one will die of starvation."

After walking to the bus stop, Bai Qingqing asked while they waited for the bus, "Oh, right. Winston, when did you come?"

"Yesterday," Winston replied in a deep voice, his gaze never leaving her.

Bai Qingqing leaned against his arm. Rather than saying that she was relying on him, she could be said to be consoling him. She knew that right now, Winston needed her a lot.

"This means that you've been waiting there for six years, too?" Bai Qingqing asked.

Winston nodded. "I became a stripeless beast one year after you were gone."

Bai Qingqing's heart ached and she fell silent.

This meant that Winston had waited for five years for no reason. No wonder he'd feel so unsettled and his character would go through such great changes. He must have despaired after not having been summoned by her for five years.

"I'm sorry." After staying silent for very long, Bai Qingqing spoke with a hoarse voice. Her eyes felt sore and swollen, and her vision started to blur.

Winston pulled her into his arms, deeply inhaling his mate's scent, even though the air was filled with more of the piercing and foul car exhaust fumes and dust.

"It's not your fault. It's fine that I managed to wait for you," he said.

Bai Qingqing shook her head. "I should have applied for leave to rest. If I did that, you might have been able to come over five years ago. Winston, only six days have passed for me."

Winston paused as well, then hugged his mate even more tightly and said, "It's not your fault."

Hearing his mate's explanation, the last bit of ill-feeling in Winston's heart disappeared as well. It was fine as long as she cared about him. He had thought… he had thought that Qingqing didn't care about him that much and thus hadn't summoned him for so long.