Chapter – 52
Truly Skillful Methods!
Before Jiang Xi even had time to feel embarrassed, she was abruptly interrupted by Yi Yuexi.
She wanted to tilt her head to look toward Lu Liufeng outside the door, but Yi Yuexi seemed to have eyes on the back of his head. With a slight turn of his body, he completely blocked her view.
She raised her head and could only see Yi Yuexi’s snow-white long hair draping down his back—smooth, glossy, and carrying a faint, indescribable fragrance.
Beastmen being too tall was also a rather troublesome thing.
Lu Liufeng looked at Yi Yuexi’s behavior, shook his head helplessly, and reminded him:
“Take good care of the female lord.”
After speaking, he glanced behind Yi Yuexi, but since he couldn’t see the female lord, he gave up.
“Female lord, I’ll head out first.”
From behind Yi Yuexi, a small hand stretched out and waved quickly. An “mm-mm-mm” sound came from behind.
Yi Yuexi muttered to himself—this felt like seeing someone off on a long journey.
Wasn’t he just going to the ice river behind the courtyard to butcher a cow?
Speechless! Speechless! Speechless!
After Lu Liufeng left, Yi Yuexi turned around, leaned against the doorframe, raised his fox-like eyes, twirled his snow-colored hair, and smiled as he spoke:
“Female lord, what shall we do next?”
Jiang Xi didn’t notice the pose he struck.
She counted on her fingers.
“Potatoes, taro, shepherd’s purse, purslane, pork belly, lamb!”
Aside from the black fungus that had already been eaten up, she wanted everything else!
“Chop some pork bones. I’ll start simmering the broth first, and later we’ll make a yin-yang hotpot.”
Of course, a yin-yang hotpot meant two big stone pots—one spicy, one clear broth!
Just thinking about it made Jiang Xi want to drool.
She really wanted to eat it, really wanted to eat it, really wanted to eat it~~
With such heavy snow, hotpot was exactly what was needed!!
If only there were a can of ice-cold beer to go with it—that would be perfect!!
There was grape wine fermenting in the fire room, but sadly it would take another month or two before it could be drunk.
Besides, grape wine didn’t really go with hotpot.
If only she could find wheat someday—then she could not only make noodles, but also brew beer!!
Jiang Xi was immersed in her wonderful fantasies, her dark eyes shining brightly.
Yi Yuexi watched her. Those long, thick eyelashes made his fingers itch.
Thinking so, he reached out and lightly brushed those beautiful lashes.
Jiang Xi instantly turned her head and stared at him warily.
“What are you doing?!”
Yi Yuexi was known for relying on his looks and acting however he pleased—she knew that.
But she didn’t want him suddenly going crazy like Mu Ling and insisting on staying.
“Ahem!”
Yi Yuexi clenched his fist against his lips and coughed awkwardly. His fox eyes flickered as he looked elsewhere, stubbornly replying:
“I just thought the female lord’s eyelashes were quite long. I was curious.”
Jiang Xi said “Oh,” took two steps back, and put some distance between them.
Fortunately, for the rest of the time, Yi Yuexi didn’t do anything beyond their “temporary partners” relationship. He obediently helped chop pork bones, obediently went to fetch water from the ice river, sliced pork belly, and sliced lamb.
When he took the vegetables to the ice river to wash them, Lu Liufeng had also finished cleaning the intestines and was just about to call the female lord over to decide how to divide the beef.
The snow was heavy, so Jiang Xi covered her head with a piece of animal hide and headed toward the ice river behind the courtyard.
A figure suddenly emerged from the snow. Just as she was about to call out to Lu Liufeng, Mu Ling’s sharp, stern face appeared instead.
Jiang Xi couldn’t help but step back.
Yi Yuexi held vegetables in one hand and wrapped the other arm around the female lord’s shoulder.
The animal hide was thick, but beneath it, her shoulder was slim. Yi Yuexi’s fingers sank slightly into the hide, and he couldn’t resist giving it a gentle squeeze.
Jiang Xi didn’t notice his movement. Instead, she grabbed his animal-hide clothing and dodged to the other side.
Mu Ling pressed his lips together, his wolf eyes lowering.
“I was worried the blood would dirty the water, so I went further downstream. Lu Liufeng asked me to come get you.”
After a moment of silence, he said somewhat sadly:
“Female lord doesn’t need to be afraid of me. Mu Ling won’t act against the female lord’s wishes.”
Yi Yuexi, never one to miss some drama, raised his fox eyes.
“Act? What are you planning to do?”
“You!” Mu Ling had endured him for a long time.
He raised his hand and reached for Yi Yuexi’s animal-hide clothes.
“Come fight me!”
He didn’t want the Golden Soul Fruit anymore—there was no need to tolerate him!
Yi Yuexi, however, grabbed the female lord’s hand in return, swaying it in a flirtatious manner.
“Female lord! He wants to hit me!”
Jiang Xi suddenly had her wrist grabbed. Before she could react, Yi Yuexi hid behind her, his other hand resting on her shoulder, as if he were truly frightened by Mu Ling.
Jiang Xi lifted her eyes and unexpectedly met Mu Ling’s gaze.
The wind and snow blurred his figure, but those usually cold and sharp wolf eyes carried a hint of hurt as they quietly looked at her.
Jiang Xi’s heart skipped a beat.
Seeing Mu Ling turn to leave, she instinctively reached out and grabbed him.
“Go… go where?”
“Didn’t you say you were taking me to Lu Liufeng?”
At that moment, the pressure on her shoulder increased slightly, warm breath brushing against her neck.
She raised her shoulder to avoid it, then twisted Yi Yuexi’s hand off her shoulder and said:
“If you’re going to fight, shouldn’t you wait until the weather is better?”
“And it’s almost time to eat. If you go fight now, who’s going to eat? Hotpot has to be eaten at the right time—you can’t keep it waiting.”
Mu Ling lowered his wolf eyes, landing on the slender fingers gripping his animal-hide clothes.
The female lord’s hands had lost their dark coloration faster than her face—most of them were already fair and delicate.
Just holding onto his animal hide like that made his heart start pounding wildly again.
“Alright. We’ll do as the female lord says. We’ll fight another day.”
With that, he directly reached out, grabbed the female lord’s hand, and pulled her toward the ice river.
“Let’s go find Lu Liufeng.”
Yi Yuexi was only loosely holding the female lord’s hand. Caught off guard, Mu Ling pulled her away.
He let out an “Hey—” and hurried to chase after them.
“Wait for me!”
Damn it! When did this single-minded Mu Ling also learn such skillful tricks?!
Jiang Xi followed along in a daze.
The snow was deep—shallow one step, deep the next. She hurriedly called out to him:
“Slow down!”
Mu Ling stopped. Jiang Xi sensed something was off.
Just as she was about to pull back, Mu Ling suddenly bent down and lifted her up in his arms.
“Mu Ling! Put me down!”
Jiang Xi kicked her legs twice and raised her hand to push against his chest.
Mu Ling’s heart was pounding rapidly. He tightened his hold on the female lord and tried hard to suppress the smile threatening to curl his lips.
“Female lord, close your eyes. I’ll use my ability—it’ll be quick.”
Jiang Xi froze for a moment. Then the sound of wind and snow exploded around her ears.
She hurriedly closed her eyes and instinctively burrowed into Mu Ling’s chest, practically throwing herself into his arms, completely fitting into his embrace.
Yi Yuexi had just caught up when, in the blink of an eye, Mu Ling vanished from in front of him with the female lord in his arms.
He stood there, so angry he slapped the thick snow twice.
“Skillful methods! Truly skillful methods!!”
By the ice river, Lu Liufeng stood beside the butchered earth cow.
Suddenly, the sound of wind tearing through the air reached his ears.
He had just turned his head when that blur of a figure brushed past him.
Lu Liufeng looked toward where the blur disappeared in confusion, but then a familiar fragrance drifted faintly through the wind and snow.
His eyes widened as he quickly looked in that direction.
“Mu Ling!! Come back!!”
“Where are you taking the female lord?!”
