Bai Qianluo seemed to recall something from the past, a surge of overwhelming emotions swelling in his heart. Suddenly, he pressed a hand lightly over his chest. His throat convulsed, and he couldn’t hold back a fit of coughing.
"COUGH COUGH..."
As he coughed, a trace of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth like a blooming winter plum—desolate yet stunning. It gave his usually aloof demeanor an alluringly eerie charm.
"Bai Qianluo, what’s wrong with you?" Qiao Suluo was terrified by his sudden episode. "Why did this happen all of a sudden? Was it something I said, or did the food I gave you not suit your taste?"
She panicked, thinking, "He better not be coughing up blood because of the food I gave him. If something really happens, others will think I poisoned him."
These Beast Husbands were all so sickly and crippled, coughing up blood at the slightest provocation. It forced her to walk on eggshells around them.
Seeing Qiao Suluo’s face suddenly turn pale, Bai Qianluo said coldly, "Don’t worry. I’m fine.
"This just happens occasionally. It has nothing to do with you, Wife."
Looking somewhat exhausted, Bai Qianluo suppressed the churning hatred in his heart and finally stopped coughing.
Looking at the blood on his lips, Qiao Suluo inexplicably felt a pang of pity. She instinctively pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Bai Qianluo could feel the tingling touch on his lips, but he didn’t dodge. Instead, he stared at her intently through his hazy white blindfold, his expression completely unreadable.
After wiping his mouth, Qiao Suluo poured a cup of hot water and handed it to him. "Drink some hot water while it’s warm. You’ll feel better."
"Thank you, Wife," he replied.
"We’re all family here. You don’t need to be so polite with me. Take a rest first. There are only two dishes left to make: stir-fried pork with green peppers and tomato egg drop soup. It’s very simple, so you can go back to your room and rest."
Bai Qianluo shook his head. "It’s fine. You don’t have to worry, Wife. I won’t cough anymore. I’m fine, and I’m not tired."
His body was riddled with ailments, and he couldn’t afford to have any emotional fluctuations. As long as he remained calm enough, he wouldn’t cough.
Seeing him like this, Qiao Suluo realized that despite Bai Qianluo’s aloof appearance, he was actually quite stubborn. A person like him would firmly stick to whatever he set his mind on.
She communicated with the system in her mind, "System, what exactly is going on with his body?"
"Host, he probably can’t experience any intense emotional fluctuations," the system explained. "Maintaining this cold and detached demeanor is actually good for his health.
"The innate talents and Blood Power unique to a White Whale Beastman are completely gone from his body. It’s as if they were forcibly stripped away. That’s why his body is so weak and why he doesn’t even know how to swim."
By nature, a White Whale Beastman should have been an excellent swimmer.
"How can I save him?" Qiao Suluo asked. "Is he really going to be okay in his current condition?"
"He won’t die anytime soon, anyway," the system replied. "He’s just a bit weak. Only by reclaiming his innate White Whale talents and Blood Power can his body fully recover."
"Is there any medicine that can treat him and make him feel a little better?" Qiao Suluo pressed.
"You can find a doctor to take a look, but ordinary doctors won’t be able to do anything," the system said. "Rumor has it that the people from Medicine King Valley have the most incredible Medical Skill."
At the mention of Medicine King Valley, Qiao Suluo’s eyelashes fluttered. She remembered her Dog Night Beastman, Yue Hanzheng, whom she had sold to Medicine King Valley.
If she told Bai Qianluo she was taking him to Medicine King Valley, he would definitely think she was going to sell him there too.
She shook her head. "It’s better to redeem everyone first."
"Exactly," the system agreed. "Redeeming them is the most important thing. They are all formidable figures in this Beast World who are highly prone to turning evil. They won’t die easily, so preventing their villainous awakening is the top priority."
After understanding the situation, Qiao Suluo went back to making the stir-fried pork with green peppers and the tomato egg drop soup. Once the food was ready, she called Que Hongjin over to eat.
The three of them washed their hands and sat around the table. Eating her rice paired with the braised pork and stir-fried green peppers, Qiao Suluo found the meal exceptionally appetizing.
It was delicious—absolutely delicious. Eating meat was simply the best feeling. The polished white rice went down smoothly without scratching her throat, and it was wonderfully fragrant.
After finishing her meal, she drank a bowl of tomato egg drop soup, which left her stomach feeling warm and contented. Even Bai Qianluo and Que Hongjin were amazed by the lunch; they both had an extra bowl of rice.
They ate until they were full and comfortable. A cozy warmth settled in their stomachs and spread throughout their bodies, bringing a deeply relaxing and soothing sensation. It was as if their broken bodies had been partially healed.
It was a very strange yet miraculous feeling.
Later that afternoon.
Having finished lunch, Qiao Suluo strapped on her bamboo basket, preparing to head up the mountain. Que Hongjin was busy making cloth dolls and couldn’t spare the time to go with her.
Having already cleared the table and washed the dishes, Bai Qianluo offered, "I’ll accompany you up the mountain, Wife."
Qiao Suluo paused while putting on her basket. Turning to look at him, she said, "Your health isn’t good. It’s better for you to rest more at home. The mountain is dangerous."
Recalling how weak he looked when coughing up blood, she really didn’t dare put him to work.
Bai Qianluo lightly touched the white cloth covering his eyes with his long, jade-like fingers. "Do you think my eye condition makes me useless, Wife?"
With that, he took off his blindfold, revealing a pair of breathtaking, glass-like translucent eyes. The crimson mole at the corner of his eye shifted slightly, making him look both aloof and bewitching. "I might be able to see a little clearer like this."
Having an eye condition meant he was sensitive to light, but he was willing to push through it.
Qiao Suluo stepped forward, took the white cloth from his hand, and stood on her tiptoes to tie it back over his eyes. "If you really want to go to the mountain, you can come along," she compromised. "But you can’t wander off. You have to stay right by my side."
"Alright," Bai Qianluo replied coldly.
At that moment, he looked incredibly quiet and obedient.
Just like that, Qiao Suluo took him up the mountain with her.
They returned to the same area filled with Konjac. She told him, "This whole patch is full of Konjac. We’ll dig some up and take it home to make more Konjac."
They still had to go to town and set up their stall early the next morning.
Qiao Suluo squatted down, set her basket aside, and began digging in earnest. Truthfully, she enjoyed this kind of work. As long as it involved ingredients and good food, she was in a wonderful mood. It was her passion, so she never felt tired doing it.
Bai Qianluo took the initiative to remove his blindfold and started helping.
Before long, they had dug up quite a bit of Konjac. When Qiao Suluo was fully focused on a task, she completely tuned out her surroundings.
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept past, and a RUSTLE echoed through the woods. By the time Qiao Suluo sensed something and looked up, she saw a bright green snake lunging straight at her like a bolt of green lightning.
It was moving so fast that she had absolutely no time to dodge.
In the nick of time, Bai Qianluo moved like the wind, swiftly appearing by Qiao Suluo’s side. His right hand shot out with pinpoint accuracy, pinching the little green snake right at its weak spot just a split second before its fangs could sink into her.
Qiao Suluo’s legs gave out, and she fell backward.
Bai Qianluo caught her with his other arm, keeping her from hitting the ground.
"Don’t be afraid. It’s fine now." Bai Qianluo squeezed his hand, effortlessly dispatching the snake.
Sensing that the person in his arms was acting strangely, he looked down and saw Qiao Suluo’s eyes squeezed shut in fear. Her body was completely stiff, and she didn’t dare move a muscle.
Only her eyelashes were trembling slightly as she stammered, "Is... is it done?
"Can you take it away? Take it far away?"
Bai Qianluo looked at her in absolute disbelief. "Wife... are you actually afraid of snakes now?"