Que Hongjin found that his wife’s eyes were truly unique now—clean, clear, beautifully expressive, and glowing with an innate intelligence. When she smiled, they were as bright and radiant as the sun, full of life, inadvertently drawing people in deeply. The most crucial part was that they seemed to speak; with just one look, one could guess what she was thinking.
It was truly fascinating. She had never had such a gaze before. In the past, her eyes had only held greed and chaos, as if her very soul had been replaced by another person. At this thought, a ripple of light shimmered in Que Hongjin’s picturesque, elegant eyes.
Qiao Suluo’s eyelashes fluttered. After a moment of hesitation, she asked softly, "Were your wings intentionally cut off by someone? Did it hurt a lot?"
Que Hongjin’s expression froze, a dark gleam flashing through his eyes. However, in an instant, he adjusted his emotions. Looking at her with a half-smile, he asked, "Is my wife showing concern and feeling sorry for me?"
This was the first time anyone had ever asked him if it hurt. It caused a faint ripple across the calm lake of his heart.
Qiao Suluo met Que Hongjin’s gentle, water-like gaze. When those eyes softened, they seemed naturally affectionate, capable of easily bewitching one’s soul. She slightly averted her gaze. "I just figured that if your wings hurt a lot, doing chores would be painful too.
"Why don’t I do it instead? I can just stay up a bit later tonight to finish everything."
Que Hongjin replied leisurely, "Does my wife disdain me for being a cripple?"
Qiao Suluo hastily looked up at him and explained, "No, absolutely not. I don’t disdain you at all." She had no intention of hurting his pride.
Que Hongjin looked at her, his picturesque eyes hiding hazy emotions. "Since my wife doesn’t disdain me, then let me handle these chores.
"You care about me, and I equally cannot bear to see you exhaust yourself."
Suddenly, Qiao Suluo was at a loss for words. If they continued like this, it would start sounding like sweet nothings. However, she knew better than to take such words seriously. "Then you can keep working on this, but don’t tire yourself out," she said. "I’m going to make lunch."
With that, Qiao Suluo left the room and headed to the kitchen to prepare their meal.
Meanwhile, Bai Qianluo was already sitting in the courtyard, washing the black locust flowers in a basin of water. He had rolled up his sleeves, revealing arms as pale and flawless as jade that shimmered with a lustrous sheen in the sunlight. As he washed the flowers, the lines of his arms looked exceptionally elegant and attractive. He worked with utmost concentration, his movements graceful and noble, as if he were crafting an exquisite piece of art rather than doing manual labor. His usual aloof demeanor was softened by the mundane chore, grounding him with a touch of worldly warmth. He looked like a breathtaking ink wash painting, inadvertently leaving people in awe of his beauty.
As if sensing Qiao Suluo’s footsteps, Bai Qianluo’s cool voice rang out. "Does my wife need any vegetables washed? Just leave them to me."
Qiao Suluo snapped back to reality. "Oh, then could I trouble you to wash the green peppers and tomatoes we bought?"
She first rinsed the rice, lit the fire, and set the rice to steam. A short while later, after Bai Qianluo finished his task, Qiao Suluo began chopping the green peppers, tomatoes, scallions, and ginger. The scallions were a gift from the tribespeople. However, there was no ginger here, so she had exchanged for a small piece from the Space Mall. She also traded for a bit of white sugar to make braised pork.
Her points in the space were running low. She would have to take a trip up the mountain this afternoon to forage for mountain goods to exchange for more points in the Space Mall. Returning to her cooking, she started by searing the pork belly over the fire to scrape off the impurities and wash it clean. Then, she chopped it into pieces, pan-fried it lightly in hot oil, and finally added the seasonings to caramelize and braise the meat.
After Bai Qianluo finished washing the black locust flowers, he took the initiative to enter the kitchen and help Qiao Suluo tend the fire.
Once the meat had simmered for about half an hour, Qiao Suluo said, "We just need to let it stew on low heat now."
"Alright." Bai Qianluo’s voice was clear and cool, like melting snow in the mountains—exceedingly pleasant to the ear.
As the braised pork stewed, its mouthwatering aroma began to permeate the air. Even Que Hongjin, who was fully concentrated on his needlework in the bedroom, smelled the fragrance. He had to admit, this scent was intoxicating. He had never smelled such a delicious aroma of food before. Was it the smell of meat?
There was not a single hint of gaminess. The scent instantly made his stomach rumble, and he unexpectedly found himself looking forward to lunch.
Distracted for a split second, the needle in Que Hongjin’s hand accidentally pricked his finger. Looking at the bead of blood welling up, he took out a handkerchief to wipe it away and shook his head with a wry smile. To think that the aroma of food could distract him enough to prick his own finger while doing needlework. He hadn’t done such a thing since he first learned how to sew as a child.
Once the braised pork was done, Qiao Suluo scooped it out and prepared to stir-fry the green peppers with meat. However, seeing Bai Qianluo sitting quietly by the fire, she picked up a piece of the braised pork with her chopsticks. "Do you want to have a taste first?"
Bai Qianluo didn’t move. "We can just eat together later."
Qiao Suluo felt he wasn’t down-to-earth at all. "It’s such delicious food! People need to have things they enjoy. Even loving good food counts as a hobby."
Only by having things and activities one liked could one truly love this world. She always felt that Bai Qianluo’s personality was far too indifferent, and she didn’t think it was good for him. She wondered what he had experienced in the past to make him this way. He was a White Whale Beastman. He was supposed to be naturally adept in the water, yet now he didn’t know how to swim. Had something gone wrong with his White Whale physique?
According to the original owner’s memories, she seemed to recall hearing that he had been harmed by someone, which caused his physical ailments. Therefore, she blew on the piece of braised pork to cool it and offered it to his lips. "Open your mouth and just try a bite. It’s really delicious.
"Really, I’m not lying to you."
The crisp, lively, and slightly sweet tone rang in his ears, while the savory aroma of the food filled his senses. For some unknown reason, as if truly bewitched, he parted his lips slightly. In a flash, the morsel of food was popped into his mouth.
At that moment, the mellow richness of the meat bloomed on the tip of his tongue. The texture was tender and melt-in-the-mouth, yet possessed a slight bounce upon chewing. Accompanied by a fragrant sweetness, it left a lingering, delightful aftertaste in his throat long after he swallowed.
It was a delicacy he had never tasted before. Who knew meat could be this delicious? At this moment, even his breath was steeped in the rich aroma, comforting him so deeply that it made him want to sigh softly.
Qiao Suluo looked at him with expectant eyes. "Well? Is it good?"
At this instant, it felt as though something had gently nudged a certain spot in Bai Qianluo’s chest. Like a pebble dropping into a tranquil pond, it shattered the cold, dead stillness of the water. Even the hand holding the firewood trembled slightly. "It’s very good, truly delicious. Thank you, my wife."
The corners of Qiao Suluo’s lips lifted into a smile. "You don’t have to be so polite.
"While I don’t know what you’ve been through in the past, I think there are still many wonderful things in this world. Like good food—isn’t eating a delicious meal such a happy thing?
"Try to focus more on the beautiful things in life. Don’t punish yourself for the mistakes of others.
"As the old saying goes, it is never too late for a gentleman to take his revenge."
Hearing these words, Bai Qianluo’s body stiffened, as if a sudden clap of thunder had exploded beside his ears. Ever since he was stripped of his White Whale Blood Power, all his innate talents had vanished. He couldn’t even save himself if he fell into the water, and his eyes were...
No one had ever spoken such words to him before. Was he punishing himself? It seemed he truly had been using the mistakes of others to punish himself. And as for revenge... did his current body still possess the capability to seek it?