"That’s a nice headband."
The words on the tip of Chu Liangyu’s tongue changed into a compliment.
Xiang Qiancheng was visibly stunned, but only for a moment. He promptly took the headband off. "If Female Master likes it, then it’s yours."
His forehead was high, fair, and smooth, the exact same skin tone as the rest of his face; there was no tan line like Chu Liangyu had imagined.
Still, he looked different without the ornament. If he was a refined gentleman, gentle as jade, with the headband on, then taking it off was like undoing some kind of restraint, inspiring an instinctual wariness.
Chu Liangyu’s thoughts paused. ’He... was he wearing the headband not for decoration, but to hide his true capabilities?’
Before she could ponder it any further, Xiang Qiancheng had come closer and was carefully placing the headband on her head.
The headband was Xiang Qiancheng’s signature mark. Everyone in the tribe knew that the male who wore a headband was the chief’s seventh Beast Husband. Now that it was on Chu Liangyu’s head, it carried the weight of a declaration of ownership.
A faint sense of joy and satisfaction bloomed in Xiang Qiancheng’s heart. He gazed at the headband for a long while, then lowered his head, his tone exceptionally earnest. "It looks better on you."
Aside from the hairpin Feng Qiwu had given her after they left the Black Market, this was only the second time she had received a gift from a Beast Husband.
At this thought, Chu Liangyu subconsciously touched the hairpin in her hair. Feng Qiwu’s awkward expression from that day surfaced in her mind’s eye, and she couldn’t help but find it amusing.
Xiang Qiancheng noticed her movement and saw the hairpin. His eyelids lowered slightly, but he didn’t ask about it, only saying, "Female Master was right. I really should go and help."
"Okay, you can go."
There wasn’t a trace of reluctance on Chu Liangyu’s face; instead, she bid him farewell with a faint smile.
Xiang Qiancheng placed the fruit platter back in its original spot before leaving.
His height and long legs were a true advantage; he was far away in just a few steps.
Chu Liangyu had thought he would linger and pester her for a while, but she hadn’t expected him to leave so suddenly and decisively. It was quite a surprise.
Xiang Qiancheng, however, had his own calculations. If he didn’t get involved at all, then his seat at dinner would be the one furthest from Chu Liangyu. That was something he could be sure of.
One end of the headband lay in Chu Liangyu’s hand as she mulled over whether to wear it. A shadow fell over her, and a voice called out somewhat awkwardly, "Female Master, I’m back."
"Perfect timing. Come eat with us."
Seeing Chi Yizhong’s gaze fall on the headband in her hand, Chu Liangyu felt a bit awkward. She coughed, trying to divert his attention, and asked, "Did you find out if he’s done anything strange?"
"Yes." Chi Yizhong frowned in thought for a moment, then said, "He often carves strange, beautiful patterns on wooden hairpins or animal hides, and then he gives them to unmated females for free."
"And how do they react?" Chu Liangyu sat up and asked immediately.
"They love his creations. Some even want him to be their first Beast Husband."
"But he hasn’t agreed to any of them. He said he only wants to be with one person for his entire life and dislikes the idea of sharing a wife with other Beastmen."
Chu Liangyu wasn’t surprised at all; she just found it a little amusing.
It wasn’t that Beastmen who pursued monogamy didn’t exist—the Qingqiu Fox Clan in their tribe was a clear example. It’s just that those who did usually had the blood of an Ancient Clan, possessed formidable strength, and had extremely high standards for their females.
This was also why they had the ability to protect their female and prevent other male Beastmen from coveting her.
But Chu Liangyu had seen before that Zhao Zeming was just an ordinary Golden Lion Clan Beastman, and he didn’t possess any powerful abilities.
If he only relied on small tricks to curry favor, he would just become an overreaching clown and even make himself a target for other male Beastmen.
"He seems to have a certain naivety about him. For now, he’s not a threat. As for what happens later, just have someone else keep an eye on him. You don’t need to handle it personally."
"Okay."
After Chi Yizhong finished answering her questions, his gaze fell back on the white headband. His brows furrowed uncontrollably, and he said, "It’ll be inconvenient to eat with that on. Take it off."
He didn’t say it looked bad on her, because he knew that would make her unhappy.
Besides, there were so many other reasons to want her to take it off; he didn’t need to choose such a clumsy method.
"That’s true."
Chu Liangyu imagined the headband getting in the way. If it were to slip off while she was eating, she would definitely get irritated.
After a moment’s thought, she wrapped the headband directly around her left wrist.
She didn’t know if it was just her imagination, but she actually thought it looked quite good this way and couldn’t help but hold it up to admire it for a few moments.
She already had a few things on her wrist: a Storage Bracelet, and a bracelet formed from her trident. But with the headband wrapped around as well, it added a unique kind of beauty.
Chu Liangyu fiddled with them for a while, then moved the trident bracelet to her right wrist. Now the arrangement looked more harmonious. Satisfied, she finally stopped.
Chi Yizhong watched in silence for a long time, thinking one thing. ’Shouldn’t I give her something too?’
He, too, wanted to see that kind of smile from Chu Liangyu, but he wanted it to be for something of his, not something from someone else.
"Female Master, everything’s ready over here. You can come eat now."
Feng Qiwu arrived at the pavilion with a brilliant smile on his face and a light spring in his step. When he saw Chi Yizhong was also there, his smile immediately froze.
He shot a cold snort in Chi Yizhong’s direction, then forced his smile to return as he looked at Chu Liangyu.
Chi Yizhong’s gaze didn’t land on him at all. He only looked at Chu Liangyu and said, "Female Master, it’s time to eat. Shall we go?"
"Let’s go." Chu Liangyu led the way, then suddenly remembered something. "They don’t know you’re here, so there might not be an extra stool. Don’t forget to grab one from the house."
"Mm, I know."
A hint of a smile touched Chi Yizhong’s eyes as his gaze followed her departing figure.
"You’ve started calling her Female Master too? Why?"
Suddenly, Feng Qiwu grabbed Chi Yizhong’s sleeve, his voice full of accusation and his expression grim.
Chi Yizhong shook off his hand, his voice faint, yet it held a hint of gloating. "Of course. She is my Female Master now, so why shouldn’t I call her that?"
His words weren’t exactly subtle, and Feng Qiwu understood the implication: they had already taken that step in their relationship. Otherwise, he wouldn’t address her with such confidence.
For some reason, Feng Qiwu just felt irritated.
He knew this would happen when the guy first joined, but now that it really had, he found himself unwilling to accept it.
Moreover, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had misjudged him.
He couldn’t believe he’d once thought Chi Yizhong had the desire but lacked the nerve. As it turned out, the man not only had nerve, he was incredibly calculating, too!
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