After Crossdressing and Provoking Long AoTian

“So you were actually thrown out by your family?” Scholar Xiao was somewhat surprised after getting the full story from Ziyun. “Your mother told you to go out and start a family of your own, which is why you set your sights on Brother Yu...”

“On the day I came of age, Mother made me lots and lots of delicious food.” Ziyun wilted as soon as the subject came up. “Did I eat too much? The next day, she threw me out and said it was time for me to live on my own.”

The Snow-Treading Fox King let out a muffled chuckle. Perhaps he felt sorry for her, because he restrained himself from laughing too loudly.

“Some clans drive their cubs away once they reach adulthood so they can establish territories of their own.”

“But that custom fell out of practice long ago. Nowadays, most demonfolk imitate humans and live together in clans.”

“As for why your mother did it... perhaps she wanted you to grow into your own sooner.”

Then, with deliberate wickedness, he added, “Of course, she might simply have thought you ate too much.”

Chi Yantian could not resist asking, “Then why did you choose him? Those two are...”

He gestured between Ye Chenyan and Yu Qingtang, brow furrowed as he struggled to find the proper description. Eventually, he settled on, “Already entangled.”

Yu Qingtang: “...”

Ye Chenyan: “...”

“It happens all the time in those human stories.” Ziyun’s eyes widened. “The hero saves the beauty, and then the beauty repays him by marrying him. He was the first person I saw when I opened my eyes, so naturally it had to be him!”

“According to the stories, we should become... an immortal couple, some bird-something and immortal-something.”

She muttered under her breath, “At any rate, I should be able to keep my stomach full.”

Yu Qingtang breathed a sigh of relief. “So this is about filling your stomach?”

“I don’t mean filling it with you!” Thinking he had misunderstood, Ziyun hurriedly explained, gazing at him with complete sincerity. “I mean we start a family, then figure out how to keep ourselves fed together!”

She thumped her chest confidently, then asked with an expectant expression, “I’ll hunt from now on, and you can... Do you know how to roast meat?”

“I do, but—”

“You really know how to roast meat!” Ziyun was astonished. “You’re so smart!”

Yu Qingtang: “...”

He slowly turned to look at Ye Chenyan.

How should he put this?

When he had read the original novel, he had also complained that Ziyun’s love had come far too suddenly.

Yet just now, he seemed to have finally understood how her love had begun.

She thought men who could roast meat were incredible, and that day, Ye Chenyan had roasted seventy-four fish for her.

Seen that way, her love was surprisingly practical.

Yu Qingtang was still debating whether to share this discovery with Ye Chenyan when Ye raised an eyebrow.

“Why are you looking at me? She’s waiting for your answer, Brother Yu.”

“Ahem.” Yu Qingtang came back to his senses. Taking Ye Chenyan’s hands, he made Ye cover his own ears, then instructed him solemnly, “No eavesdropping.”

Ye Chenyan narrowed his eyes in silent protest, but did not lower his hands.

Yu Qingtang swept his gaze around the group. “The rest of you should know what to do too.”

“All right, all right. We won’t listen.” Scholar Xiao motioned for everyone to turn around, and they cooperatively covered their ears.

Only then did Yu Qingtang turn back to Ziyun. He cleared his throat seriously.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have room right now.”

He pointed discreetly at his chest.

“No room in here.”

The tips of his ears reddened slightly. He stole a glance at Ye Chenyan, growing embarrassed before anyone else could.

Understanding dawned on Ziyun. Her eyes widened a little, and she looked disappointed.

“Oh!”

Yu Qingtang cleared his throat and tried to console her. “You’ve only just left home. You aren’t used to living alone, so you want someone to stay with you.”

“But marriage is a serious matter. I don’t know whether demonfolk think of it that way, but it definitely isn’t as simple as finding someone to hunt with. And it certainly isn’t as simple as marrying the first person you see when you open your eyes.”

Ziyun hung her head. “I don’t understand.”

Yu Qingtang patted her shoulder. “That’s all right. Love is simply that difficult to understand.”

He admitted honestly, “I don’t understand it very well either.”

“But I won’t be staying on Great Wilderness Mountain. If you want a companion who knows how to roast meat, you can’t choose me.”

That part, Ziyun understood.

She reluctantly accepted his answer. “...Oh.”

Yu Qingtang exhaled and called to the others, “All right, you can turn around now.”

Chi Yantian and Huayi turned around almost simultaneously.

Yu Qingtang slowly looked between them and gave a cold laugh. “You two were eavesdropping, weren’t you?”

Huayi denied it without hesitation. “No!”

Yu Qingtang narrowed his eyes. “Then how did you hear me tell you to turn around?”

Chi Yantian’s eyes widened. Mortified, he could not think of an answer.

Huayi’s eyes darted sideways. She pointed at him. “I turned because he did!”

“I—” Chi Yantian could not defend himself no matter how many mouths he had. Scratching his head, he looked at the others in disbelief. “Did the rest of them really not eavesdrop?”

“Of course they did.” Scholar Xiao chuckled and turned around as well. “Had they truly heard nothing, they would have reacted when the rest of you started making such a commotion.”

“The fact that they’re standing there as stiff as logs without reacting at all only makes it more obvious.”

“Tsk. Thoughtless brat,” the Snow-Treading Fox King complained. “Why expose us?”

“Oh, dear.” Scholar Xiao’s eyes curved with laughter. “I merely thought that since we all listened, we should share both blessings and hardships.”

“Brother Ye! Brother Ye, you can turn around too!”

“I didn’t listen.” Ye Chenyan stood with his back to them, eyes closed. “Who knew what private things he was going to say? How could I dare listen?”

Yu Qingtang tilted his head and leaned over to peer at him. “You truly didn’t hear?”

Ye Chenyan opened his eyes. “I didn’t.”

Yu Qingtang shot up a finger and pointed at him. “Swear it! If you eavesdropped and refuse to admit it, then—”

Ye Chenyan covered his mouth.

“I’m not swearing.”

After a pause, he added, “But I still didn’t hear.”

Yu Qingtang blinked in shock. This was the first time he had ever seen Ye Chenyan behave so shamelessly.

“Ah.” Behind them, Ziyun gazed sorrowfully across the overlapping mountain ranges. She closed her eyes briefly, then made up her mind. “In that case, I’m leaving.”

Yu Qingtang did not immediately understand. “Huh?”

Ziyun abruptly transformed back into a Thundercrest Leopard. On the Snow-Treading Fox King’s none-too-broad back, she sprang into the air and pounced on the group, rubbing herself wildly against everyone.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Yu Qingtang had gotten his share of cat fixes before, but this was the first time a cat had gotten a human fix from him—especially a cat this enormous.

Ziyun rubbed herself all over every one of them, paying particular attention to Yu Qingtang until his clothes were nearly covered in black fur with a purplish sheen.

Yu Qingtang resisted the overwhelming temptation to pet the leopard and raised both hands high, displaying his innocence with a righteous expression.

Ye Chenyan wore an odd look as he brushed black fur from his sleeve. “You...”

At last, the Thundercrest Leopard butted Yu Qingtang with her head and said reluctantly, “I’ve left my scent on all of you. If any of you face a lightning tribulation in the future, come find me on Great Wilderness Mountain if there’s time. I’ll help you withstand it.”

She turned back to say farewell.

“Sometimes I can sense them in advance. If I get a premonition, I’ll come find you!”

“I’m leaving!”

She wheeled around and bounded away.

Yu Qingtang froze, then instinctively called after her, “Wait—”

The Thundercrest Leopard slammed on the brakes without the slightest hesitation, spun around, and immediately returned to his side. Her eyes were perfectly round.

“What is it? Did you change your mind? Are you coming with me?”

Yu Qingtang: “...”

She really did not need to be quite so receptive to advice.

He cleared his throat. “Aren’t we going to a funeral feast? Why not eat before you leave?”

Ziyun’s stomach growled obligingly.

“You have quite an appetite yourself.” Yu Qingtang earnestly tried to persuade her. “It isn’t often you get a free meal. Eat as much as you can, and it’ll keep you going for a few extra days.”

As Ziyun listened, her tail swept behind her. Thoroughly persuaded, she sat down.

“That makes sense.”

“I’ll leave after I eat.”

Yu Qingtang stared at her sleek, glossy fur, his hands itching. He took out a spirit stone and placed it atop her head.

Ziyun’s two none-too-intelligent eyes rolled upward in an attempt to see it.

Yu Qingtang laughed. “You should get one too. After all, everyone who witnessed it deserves a share.”

“Good!” Ziyun did not consider it too little. She shook her head and tucked the glittering stone beneath her body.

“Ahem.” Ye Chenyan cleared his throat. “Scholar Xiao, calculate how we should divide the rest.”

He stared pointedly at Yu Qingtang.

“I’m afraid someone might hand things out at random.”

Yu Qingtang blinked innocently. “Stingy.”

Scholar Xiao pulled an abacus from his storage ring and began rattling off calculations.

“Brother Dragon here only wants the Dragonbone Jade, so he won’t be included in the division of the remaining spoils.”

“Miss Huayi did not participate directly, but she did warn us. Brother Yu has already paid the Fox King’s fare, but since he also backed us up, he should still receive a token of our gratitude. We made quite a substantial haul this time. How does ten thousand spirit stones each sound?”

“As for the remainder, since the rest of us fought together, everyone may first select what they need. I’ll estimate the value afterward, and we’ll use spirit stones to balance the difference.”

At first, Yu Qingtang listened seriously and tried to follow the calculations. By the end, his eyes had gone blank, and he knew only to nod along.

“The Monkey Wine goes to Brother Ye, and the Heaven-Tempered Yellow Crystal to Brother Chi.” Scholar Xiao pointed at the remaining spiritual herbs, medicinal plants, and snakescale armor. “Would you two like to choose first?”

In the end, Canglang took the snakescale armor, Scholar Xiao took the medicinal plants, and Yu Qingtang took the spiritual herbs.

Since Yu Qingtang’s herbs were worth the least, he received the largest share of spirit stones to make up the difference.

Dazed, Yu Qingtang accepted the Treasure-Gathering Basin with trembling hands.

“You didn’t miscalculate, did you? Tell me again. How many spirit stones am I getting?”

“Three million.” Scholar Xiao beamed at him. “And that is only because we had already put some distance between ourselves and the auction house, so the customers there were not included. Otherwise, the number would have been even more astonishing.”

“A Demon King went to tremendous lengths to set that trap. Had everything proceeded smoothly, a single successful operation would have brought in a hundred million spirit stones. Practically pure profit.”

Yu Qingtang leaned backward and peacefully closed his eyes.

“Don’t speak to me yet. Give me a moment to process the emotional impact of a poor man becoming rich overnight.”

Then he turned his head, eyes glittering as he looked at Ye Chenyan.

“What do you think about replacing Biehe Sect’s mountain gate with one made of solid gold when we return?”

Laughter flashed through Ye Chenyan’s eyes, but he suppressed it and turned his head aside.

“Whatever.”

“Why are you still angry?” Yu Qingtang thought for a moment, then took a single spirit stone from the Treasure-Gathering Basin and stuffed it grandly into Ye Chenyan’s arms.

Ye Chenyan raised an eyebrow. Pinching the lone spirit stone between his fingers, he forcibly suppressed the corners of his mouth before they could rise and glanced sideways at Yu Qingtang.

“You think this is enough to buy me off?”

“No—” Yu Qingtang widened his eyes. “I’ve become rich, so I’m sharing my happiness with you.”

He pointed solemnly at the spirit stone.

“The stone may be small, but it bears the weight of my happiness. What I’m sharing with you isn’t a spirit stone. It’s my joy!”

Ye Chenyan closed his hand around the stone and asked softly, “Then...”

He reached out and poked Yu Qingtang in the chest.

Yu Qingtang clutched his chest and recoiled in horror. Only belatedly did he remember that he was not currently wearing the glitchy illusory chest that could clip through someone’s hand. There was no need to make such a fuss.

“Ahem.” Yu Qingtang cleared his throat. “Brother Ye, why are you putting your hands all over me?”

Ye Chenyan leaned closer and whispered beside his ear, “You said there was no room in your heart. What’s taking up all the space?”

Yu Qingtang: “...”

So you did eavesdrop!

He raised the Treasure-Gathering Basin in his hands and answered honestly, “Spirit stones.”

Ye Chenyan turned his head away, speechless.

Yu Qingtang continued counting on his fingers. “And Biehe Sect, Master, my senior brothers and sisters, all kinds of delicious food, the friends I’ve made along the way, and...”

He deliberately omitted Ye Chenyan’s name to tease him.

Unexpectedly, Ye Chenyan moved closer, took his hand with complete confidence, and said, “Then make them move over. I can squeeze in.”

Yu Qingtang: “...”

He instinctively looked toward the others.

Scholar Xiao gave two dry laughs and turned the heads of the tactless fools away one after another, leaving the pair some privacy.

There were more and more of these tactless fools. Two hands were barely enough to manage them all.

Ye Chenyan ignored them. He kept his eyes fixed on Yu Qingtang and, as if unwilling to let the matter go, poked him in the chest again.

“It’s been so long. Even if your heart were made of iron and stone, I should have chiseled out a place for myself by now, shouldn’t I?”

Yu Qingtang glanced around like a thief. He raised a hand to warn Ye Chenyan not to make a sound.

Only then, under Ye Chenyan’s expectant gaze, did he lightly nod, the tips of his ears glowing red.

Author’s Note:

Yu Qingtang: Guys! I’m rich, guys! Three million! Three million!

Ye Chenyan: Guys! I’m in his heart, guys! He admitted it!

A Certain Rabbit Who Wishes to Remain Anonymous: Guys! I’m going out carousing tomorrow, guys!

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