"System, get the hell out here!"

"What is it, Host?"

"I’m asking you, did the original owner meet Xijing on the ice plains?"

The voice in her head fell silent for a moment. "I don’t know either, Host."

Qiao Xixi sneered. "I’m starting to seriously doubt your motives. You’d better think carefully about whether or not you’re going to tell me the truth!"

The system went completely silent.

This only confirmed Qiao Xixi’s suspicions. She’d had her doubts for a while. As a cub-raising system, the tasks it issued at the beginning were all quite normal, but the further along they went, the stranger things became.

But she hadn’t thought much of it at the time, not until it accidentally said something about becoming the "overlord of the beast world." That was when she knew something was wrong.

She had transmigrated into a book. According to the original plot, the cubs were all supposed to be the villains.

And as the villains’ mother, her main quest line should have been about raising her cubs. What was all this about becoming an overlord?

But whether it was Sangqi or Xiya, she had no memory of them at all, which made her feel that something was even more wrong.

From what she remembered, the original owner’s body had never suffered any serious trauma, so there was no reason for her to have inexplicably lost a chunk of her memory.

’There’s definitely something fishy going on here!’

Now, the system’s reaction further solidified her suspicions.

"I’m not going to force you, but you’d better think it over. With my temper, if you push me, I’m fully capable of just letting it all rot. The worst that can happen is death. Eighteen years from now, I’ll be back as good as new."

After a brief silence, the system finally spoke again.

"Host, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you. It’s just that I was attacked before, and some of my data was lost. That’s why I don’t know either. The reason I went to upgrade was to recover that lost data."

"Then what do you know?"

"I just know that I’m a cub-raising system and that the tasks are issued according to the system’s protocols. But I’ve been trying to recover the lost data during this time, so please don’t be anxious, Host. Once I’ve recovered it, I’ll definitely tell you everything I know."

Qiao Xixi didn’t like this feeling of being kept in the dark. Since the system couldn’t tell her the truth right now, she would have to find a way to figure it out herself.

"Auntie?"

Qiao Xixi snapped back to reality and reached out to lift Xiya onto her lap.

"Xiya, Auntie is very curious. Have you lived in the sea for as long as you can remember?"

Xiya nodded. "Yes, Auntie. I’ve always been in the sea with Father."

The system had previously explained to her that three days after a successful mating, a merfolk child is separated from the female’s body and given to the male for further gestation.

’That means after Xijing mated with the original owner, they were together for at least three more days before separating. So why doesn’t he recognize me?!’

Just as Qiao Xixi was pondering this, Xijing walked in.

"Father, you’re back."

Xijing nodded, turning his face in Qiao Xixi’s direction.

"Xixi, I may have to leave for a few days. Can you stay here with Xiya for the time being? It’s safer here than on land."

"Where are you going?"

"The summoned merfolk will be arriving soon. We need to formulate a battle plan. I don’t want you to risk coming with us."

Qiao Xixi had no intention of acting tough about this. She simply walked up to Xijing and suddenly raised her hand to the tip of his nose.

Sensing Qiao Xixi’s movement, Xijing was a little confused, but he still took her hand and took a deep sniff. "What’s wrong, Xixi?"

"Xijing, have you ever seen me before?"

Xijing paused, but quickly shook his head. "No, we’ve never met."

"Then do you know who Xiya’s mother is?"

This question made Xijing hesitate. "I used to know, but now I’m not sure. But... I will find out."

"It’s me."

"What?"

Both Xijing and Xiya were stunned.

Xiya ran over to hug Qiao Xixi’s leg, her big, light-blue eyes filled with astonishment and delight.

"Auntie, what did you say? Are you my mother?"

Qiao Xixi nodded. "Yes. But I’ve lost the memory of meeting your father. I want to find out what really happened."

Xijing was now too shocked to speak.

"Xijing, can you tell me everything you know?"

"Okay."

The two of them sat down on a stool, and Xijing began to recall.

"Five years ago, an underwater volcano erupted. As I was leading my people away from our home to escape the disaster, we encountered a school of Shark Beasts. They were savage, brutal, and extremely territorial. We fought, but they outnumbered us, and we were at a disadvantage. To protect my people as they retreated, I was gravely injured and carried by the ocean currents to the ice plains."

Qiao Xixi frowned. This matched the dream she just had.

"Who rescued you?"

Xijing knitted his brows. "A female. She told me that she had saved me, mated with me, and conceived my child. After she gave the child to me, she left, saying she would come find me."

Qiao Xixi shook her head. ’I didn’t say anything like that in the dream.’

"Did you see that female?"

Xijing nodded. "Yes. Afterward, she did come to find us."

Qiao Xixi was shocked. "It wasn’t me?"

"Xixi, she was from the Wing Clan. Even though I can’t see now, I can still distinguish your scents."

’Huh?’

’Someone would actually impersonate me for something like this?’

"After she came to find you, did she do anything?"

Xijing pursed his lips, his voice low and raspy.

"Not long after she left, the Land Beasts from Tiger Beast City launched an attack on us and seized our salt fields. But, Xixi, you should know... it’s impossible for other beast clans to know the location of our merfolk territory."

Qiao Xixi had a sudden realization. "You suspect that the Wing Clan female had something to do with Tiger Beast City’s precise attack."

Xijing pressed his lips together. Previously, when he still thought the other female was Xiya’s mother, he was unwilling to think that way. But now things were different. He was more willing to believe that Qiao Xixi was Xiya’s true mother.

"Yes. That’s why I must find her and ask her exactly what is going on."

Qiao Xixi also wanted to meet this Wing Clan female. Perhaps she might know something.

"I understand. You go do what you need to do. I’ll take good care of Xiya."

Xijing nodded. When he heard Qiao Xixi admit she was Xiya’s mother, he felt an irrepressible joy in his heart. However, because of the matter with the Wing Clan female, he didn’t show it.

It was best to clarify the present situation first; it wouldn’t be too late to investigate the rest later.

After Xijing left, Xiya happily hugged Qiao Xixi.

"Auntie, are you really my mother?"

Qiao Xixi nodded and picked her up. "Yes. I’m sorry, Xiya. I wasn’t able to take good care of you before."

Xiya leaned against her and shook her head. "This is great. It’s so, so great that you’re my mother."

"Xiya, can you tell me about your... previous ’mother’?"