Leander who is strong was tasked with helping expand and remodel the rooms, while Elias with his sharp eyesight was assigned to patrol the area near the hideout.
But...
"It seems Qiong Xing’s strength won’t be enough."
"...Yes, that’s right."
As a human, Qiong Xing lacked the physical strength to lift the heavy rocks like Leander could and likewise did not have eyesight as sharp as Elias’s to see far into the distance.
Thinking that perhaps he could help in the kitchen, he went there, but while trying to observe, he accidentally cut his finger lightly with a knife in front of Joa who had co to check on him and it was imdiately taken away.
Then, thinking cleaning might be suitable for him, he offered to clean the bath, but he slipped, fell, and hit his rear hard.
Fei reported this to Joa and Qiong Xing was excused from the task.
"I’m sorry for being useless."
"Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Just find what you can do."
Qiong Xing hung his head and apologized, looking dejected and Joa patted his head gently.
After being brought to Joa’s room by Fei, Qiong Xing had been apologizing constantly since then.
He seed worried that Leander and the others might be blad because of him.
In reality, Qiong Xing hadn’t accomplished much, but no one raised a voice to bla him.
The residents who are initially wary of him for being human had gradually stopped avoiding him as they lived alongside him and ca to understand his character.
As Qiong Xing repeatedly apologized sincerely for being unable to do anything, no one could possibly bla him.
Soone even remarked that he looked like a puppy that was abandoned in the rain.
"Am I really allowed to stay here?"
Qiong Xing felt depressed, he flopped onto the sofa and lay down.
"Of course you are. I’m the head, so nobody’s going to say anything anyway."
Even without that, no one would have said anything.
"That’s not enough. I’m not a child, so I need to do sothing useful. It wouldn’t be right for to rely on everyone. And... if I do nothing, you will be blad for bringing such a useless person here."
Qiong Xing’s murmured insistence surprised Joa.
It wasn’t just about Leander and the others, Qiong Xing wasn’t concerned about what others would think of him, but that Joa would be blad by others.
Joa was shocked that Qiong Xing cared that much about him.
Approaching Qiong Xing who kept apologizing, Joa scooped him up onto his lap.
Qiong Xing seed surprised to be held in a horizontal embrace, but he didn’t resist.
Feeling pleased, Joa continued to gently stroke his back.
"I told you, everyone has things they’re suited for. Right now, you just haven’t found the kind of work that suits you. Keep trying different things, and you’ll find sothing eventually."
Hearing that he was okay, Qiong Xing seed to calm down a little and rested his head on Joa’s shoulder with a soft plop.
"I hope so... Thank you... Hehe, this is the opposite of last ti, isn’t it?"
Joa recalled that night when he had cried and how Qiong Xing had patted him then.
He had cried like a child, yet Qiong Xing had never laughed, mocked, or left him alone.
He just continued pat his back just like what he’s doing now.
Qiong Xing accepted him so completely, it almost felt as if he were the older one wrapping Joa in warmth.
Clinging to Qiong Xing, wanting never to let go of that kindness, Joa rembered how he stayed by his side quietly until late at night.
Since then, Joa had felt a weight lifted off his shoulders.
He rembered the touch of Qiong Xing’s hands that conveyed it was okay not to overexert oneself, that it was okay to say no and that he had done well.
He would never forget it.
"Then it’s even, I guess."
Unlike that night, now Qiong Xing’s current behavior who is snuggling up to Joa like this was entirely childlike, leaving Joa unsure which version was Qiong Xing’s true self, but he was happy to be in the position to be spoiled.
"You, huh... You’re naturally skilled, but you always end up doing sothing that surpasses that skill."
Even with cooking, he had handled tasks dexterously, yet had cut his finger and stained the ingredients red.
When cleaning, he had done it ticulously, yet slipped and hit his rear. Then, when trying to get up, he had fallen again, hitting his knee hard.
Hearing about that, everyone had been so exasperated that they couldn’t say anything.
Despite being injured, Qiong Xing tried to do sothing, but everyone, thinking he shouldn’t risk himself, restrained him out of concern, resulting in him accomplishing nothing.
"Everyone worries too much. I’m obviously just a regular human and clumsier than all of you beastn, but I’m a man! A little injury won’t kill !"
"...Yeah, that’s true."
Qiong Xing said "a little," but Joa knew better.
He knew that the cuts from the knife weren’t just one, that sitting on the sofa was slightly painful from the fall, and that the bruised knee, though hidden by pants, had apparently drawn so blood.
For injuries accumulated in just a few hours, it was enough to worry anyone.
Despite being far below beastn in strength and agility, Qiong Xing was still trying his best to find sothing he could do.
No one thought he was useless.
Even though he was injured, he insisted he was fine, refusing to complain, which only made everyone more worried and overprotective.
"For now, stay put in your room until the injuries heal. If you don’t like that, go play with the kids."
Knowing that Qiong Xing would never stay quietly, Joa said this and after so hesitation, Qiong Xing reluctantly nodded.
Just like his two mates, Joa also wanted him to avoid him getting injured as much as possible.
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