"Do the cubs know about Wen Yan?"
It was, after all, the first thing she had to ask upon arriving at the tribe. Chu Liangyu knew it was highly likely Yu Tu had already told them, but she couldn’t help but ask anyway.
"I didn’t want to hide it from them, so I told them when they asked."
A guilty look appeared on Yu Tu’s face. "If he hadn’t gotten mixed up with me, he wouldn’t have... so I’ll protect them well. Consider it my way of making it up to Wen Yan."
Chu Liangyu didn’t know what to say. In that situation, it wasn’t wrong for Yu Tu to try and grasp at a life-saving straw.
Sighing, Chu Liangyu’s tone grew heavy. "You’re right. You should protect them well."
Chu Liangyu remembered one of the little rascals, Wen Yuehong. The cub had been separated from her Beast Father and had been staying in the tribe. Reuniting with her siblings should have been a happy occasion, but now she had learned of her Beast Father’s death. ’It must be a huge blow,’ Chu Liangyu thought.
"Female Master, why upset yourself over things that can’t be changed?"
Hearing this, Xiang Qiancheng walked over. His towering height instantly cast Chu Liangyu in shadow. She could see some unreadable emotion in his calm eyes, but for a moment, she couldn’t quite decipher what it was.
They all knew about Wen Yan. It wasn’t that they lacked sympathy, but this world was one where the strong preyed on the weak. Ultimately, Wen Yan’s death came down to a lack of strength.
Here, weakness was the original sin.
"You’re right, so..." Chu Liangyu scanned him up and down, then paused before continuing, "if you die in some accident, I’ll take your advice and just not think about you."
Xiang Qiancheng’s expression stiffened. That wasn’t what he meant at all; he had only been trying to comfort her.
’Does she really not understand, or is she just pretending not to...’
He watched as Chu Liangyu turned back to talk with the other Beast Husbands. He was so close, yet he couldn’t hear what they were discussing.
After they returned to Chu Liangyu’s small courtyard, everyone else got busy preparing the food, but he just stood there, motionless.
Chu Liangyu naturally saw this, but she said nothing, continuing to lounge leisurely in her wicker chair.
Xiang Qiancheng’s eyes suddenly darkened. He knew Chu Liangyu was doing this on purpose, but that didn’t stop the knot of discomfort from forming in his chest.
That night they kissed, it was true he had initiated it, but she had clearly been moved too. Why was she acting so cold now, as if she had forgotten all about it?
Xiang Qiancheng strode forward. His tall frame loomed over Chu Liangyu like a wall as he braced his arms on either side of the wicker chair. He called out to her, "Female Master."
It was a normal form of address, yet it was tinged with possessiveness and gritted-teeth frustration. His dissatisfaction and sense of being wronged were all poured into that single address.
Unflustered, Chu Liangyu popped a piece of fruit into her mouth. She smiled up at him and asked, "Shouldn’t the Seventh Beast Husband be helping? Or is there something you wanted to say?"
The flavor of the fruit exploded in her mouth, sweet and fragrant. Chu Liangyu’s eyes lit up, and she couldn’t help but lick her lips, reaching out to grab another.
But Xiang Qiancheng was faster. He pulled the fruit platter away, picked out a fruit identical to the one she had just eaten, and placed it in his own mouth. He didn’t eat it, however. Instead, he said, "Since the Female Master likes it so much, how about you let me feed you..."
Her lips were forced open, and the fruit from his mouth was passed into hers. His lips then pressed firmly against her own, unmoving, as if waiting for her to finish eating.
The red mole between his brows, a mark that had appeared when he’d leveled up, added a demonic charm to his actions, making him seem like a mountain sprite luring people to their doom.
Through his slightly open collar, Chu Liangyu caught a glimpse of the scenery within. Before she knew it, she had eaten the fruit.
"If you’re done eating, then it’s my turn."
"What are you two doing?"
Cang Yu’s voice betrayed no emotion, but his gaze remained fixed on the two of them.
Xiang Qiancheng slowly stood up straight, even taking a moment to wipe the corner of Chu Liangyu’s mouth.
Straightening his own slightly wrinkled collar, he replied, "The Female Master couldn’t reach the fruit. I was just helping."
"What, do you need something from the Female Master?"
His good moment interrupted, Xiang Qiancheng wasn’t in the best of moods, and his tone was tinged with impatience.
Cang Yu glanced first at Chu Liangyu in her wicker chair, then said nonchalantly, "Everyone else is helping out, but you’re here idling about. That doesn’t seem very appropriate."
"It’s one thing for you to criticize me, but it’s not right to imply things about the Female Master."
Cang Yu froze, not expecting the guy to twist his words like that. He was about to retort when someone else spoke first.
"To think there’s a Beast Husband like you who looks down on the Female Master for not working. I’m truly enlightened."
"Xiang Qiancheng, I never knew you were so eloquent. You’ve enlightened me, too."
Cang Yu snorted coldly and turned to leave.
"TSK TSK TSK, your ability to piss people off has certainly enlightened me as well."
Enlightened +3. Xiang Qiancheng hadn’t thought much of the phrase just now, but hearing it from Chu Liangyu, he felt a wave of helplessness. He was almost exasperated enough to laugh at her "let’s watch the world burn" attitude.
"So, the cold shoulder you’ve been giving me... is that also because I made you angry?"
"A little bit."
Chu Liangyu raised her hand, pinching her thumb and index finger together to show him how little.
Xiang Qiancheng stepped forward, frowning. "What was it, exactly? I don’t seem to recall."
’What he said about Wen Yan made sense, but being right was one thing, and getting her to agree with him was another matter entirely.’
’If she brought it up now that Xiang Qiancheng was asking, it would just make her seem overly sentimental.’
"Cang Yu was right. Everyone else is busy preparing food. Isn’t it a bit inappropriate for you to be here?"
"There are plenty of them; they won’t miss me. But you, on the other hand... without me here, wouldn’t you be bored?"
"Especially this fruit. What would you do if you couldn’t reach it again?"
His fingers tapped lightly on the fruit platter, slow and unhurried, yet it inexplicably brought to mind the little drama from moments ago.
TAP TAP TAP. It was like he was tapping on one’s very heart, a ticklish sensation like the brush of a feather.
Chu Liangyu felt very uneasy seeing him like this. This wasn’t the self-disciplined and courteous Brother Xiang she used to know. There was a hint of an old house catching fire.
Especially the way he kept staring at her lips, his gaze dark, while the rhythm of his tapping remained steady, making it impossible to read his thoughts.
"Xiang Qiancheng." Chu Liangyu narrowed her eyes, looking up at him as she called his name.
He lowered his head slightly, and the white headband slipped down from his neck and shoulder, making his features seem softer.
It was as if he wasn’t the same person who had forcefully kissed her twice. The sense of disconnect was intense.
This time, Chu Liangyu also noticed his headband. Before winter, he had woven them from grass and vines. Now that there were no green plants, he had made one himself from silk.
But then again, his craftsmanship was excellent. The headband, when worn by him, took on a certain charm and suited him perfectly.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter