Only because of this face that causes people to dislike her, it seemed she had no chance to explore more possibilities in life.
Looking up at the dense branches and leaves, a sudden feeling of helplessness quietly rose in her heart.
She was not a strong child. Growing up in the orphanage, every child was forced to learn adult lessons early.
She had complained before that even if she had to live alone, avoiding people all year round, she still wanted to live well.
When she was young, Xyliana hated the face given to her by heaven. She wanted to play and laugh freely under the sun like other children.
Beauty is what everyone desires, but she was just a powerless orphan in this world.
For her, this beauty was like a curse marked on her body, a shackle and a chain.
It locked all her beautiful dreams and her heart as well.
As she grew up, Xyliana let go a little and tried to live quietly, just wanting to pass this life plainly. But fate played a huge joke on her at this moment.
Tears filled her eyes, and her vision became blurry.
She wiped her eyes roughly and forced herself to stay strong. Xyliana got up and picked some leaves from the open ground around her.
She found some reed-like plants and quickly made a simple dress from them, then changed out of her wet pajamas.
After tidying up, she lay down on the simple bed she had made.
The bright moon hung in the sky, shining faintly through the dense leaves above, with stars scattered across the night.
Looking at the twinkling stars, a sad feeling came over her. Soon, tiredness pressed down on her thoughts, and she fell asleep.
In the dark night, the fireflies added a peaceful and quiet feeling to the forest.
The next day
The first rays of morning sunlight spilled through the leaves and shone on Xyliana's face.
Birdsong sounded crisp nearby, mixed with the cicadas overhead and frogs by the lake in the distance. It seemed to remind her a new day had arrived.
She opened her eyes to the warm sunlight on her face.
Suddenly, she recalled a sentence she once read in a book:
"As long as the sun rises tomorrow, we never give up."
Back then, it felt like just a motivational phrase, but now it truly gave her some hope.
No matter if she was lost in the wild or crossed into another world, life was only one lifetime. She should lift herself up.
Wearing her pajamas that dried overnight, Xyliana sat on the ground thinking.
The town she passed yesterday was probably not a good place anymore.
It seemed she could only walk the opposite way.
Poor her, after yesterday, even her rabbit slippers that never fit well were gone.
Luckily, she had watched some survival shows before. Following those ideas and memories, Xyliana made a simple pair of shoes from some big leaves and branches she didn't know the names of.
"They just need to hold up. I hope they last a little longer," Xyliana comforted herself looking at her worn-out shoes.
Worried about her face that drew attention, she gathered a dozen kinds of grass and leaves from the forest.
This forest looked different from usual. Many plants Xyliana had never seen anywhere else.
But she still found some similar to those on Blue Star, even some herbs.
Because she studied traditional Chinese medicine in college and grew up beside the orphanage director's mother, she recognized most herbs.
She had no plan for her future before.
But now, by some chance, she had crossed worlds. Maybe she didn't need to worry about it anymore.
She was alone anyway, so what difference did it make?
Shaking her head to stop the messy thoughts, she washed the leaves by the lake.
Then she found two big stones, using one as a table and the other as a hammer to crush the leaves. She rubbed the paste on her face and body.
After some time, a pale yellow girl appeared from nowhere. Without other options, Xyliana could only do this.
Feeling a little uneasy, she picked some black berries in the forest and crushed them to smear juice on her body. She dotted many black spots on her face.
On the clear lake surface appeared a girl's face.
With a yellow-brown face full of dense spots, anyone could tell she was an ugly girl.
Only her eyes were clear and bright, with a gaze that seemed a little enchanting.
But in the next moment, anyone would be scared and not want to look at the black face.
Seeing this look of herself, Xyliana was very satisfied.
She took the berries she had picked and gathered her strength, ready to set off.
What awaited her this time was unknown.
But some people and some things might have been destined from the start.
Xyliana followed the small path for a long time. The scorching sun was overhead. Although it was late spring, the heat was still unbearable.
Bright sunlight pierced through the layers of clouds. She looked up at the blazing sun above her and decided to take a break.
She sat under the shade of a tree and pulled out some fruit she had picked earlier.
The fruit looked like a peach, but it was slightly larger. It wasn't as sweet as a honey peach, only a little sour, and really not very tasty.
She deeply missed carbonated drinks from the fridge and chilled fruit. But right now, this unknown fruit was all she had to satisfy her cravings.
While she was eating, she suddenly heard chirping and chattering in the distance. The noise was mixed with voices and the sound of hooves.
Xyliana instinctively wanted to hide, but then she remembered she was already in disguise. There really was no need to worry.
Not far away
"Xerxes, I see a clearing up ahead. The sun is fierce today. Why don't we take a break there? Miss Zhiyina looks tired too."
"Alright. Let's rest here for a while and continue when it gets cooler."
Their conversation drifted over faintly, and Xyliana caught the general idea.
A group of people on horseback was approaching the clearing where she was.
Leading the group were two young men who looked to be in their twenties.
They were both tall, dressed in fine clothes, and had gold pendants at their waists. One wore amber-colored robes, the other a dark purple outfit. Both looked quite striking.
"Why does every man I meet look like this…" Xyliana thought to herself.
At that moment, the two men at the front noticed Xyliana sitting under the tree.
They were both startled. How could there be a woman alone in such a remote area?
And completely by herself—no guards, no followers. Could her beast husband be dead?
The two looked at each other, reading the same confusion in each other's eyes.
In the entire Beast Continent, whenever a woman is seen traveling alone, it's necessary to ask about her situation.
Offering help to women is something all men in Linghuan Continent understand.
So the two of them walked toward Xyliana.
Xyliana looked up and saw the two men approaching. She dusted off her clothes and stood up.
It wasn't easy to run into someone. She needed to find a way to ask them for information. Xyliana was already thinking of a plan.
The two stopped in front of her and saluted. The man in the dark purple robe spoke first.
"I'm Xerxes of the Cloud Leopard Tribe from North Wing. This is my companion Xicob.
We're on our way to Wanling City. Seeing you here alone, may I ask if you need any help?"
Xerxes secretly studied Xyliana. Her appearance was strange.
Her hair was loose, and she wore shoes made of leaves. It looked like she had been walking through the forest for quite a while.
Her shoes were torn and falling apart, like they might break down completely at any moment. What had she been through?
Xicob was just as puzzled.
"Ah… you two, I… I'm Xabrina."
Xyliana glanced at the half-eaten fruit in her hand and suddenly had an idea.
She hadn't figured out the situation yet, so caution was necessary.
But why was her voice so hoarse? What happened to her voice?
Xyliana was still surprised when Xerxes asked,
"Miss Xabrina, why are you out here alone? Where are your followers and beast husband?"
Followers? Did he mean that literally? Beast husband?