Qilian leaned back against his pillows in a casual posture, his dark hair falling loosely. The collar of his robe was slightly open, making him look somewhat disheveled. He pinched Tong You’s soft, warm, furry ear and refused to let go no matter what.
Experiencing alternating sensations of cold and warmth on his ear, Tong You inexplicably found it quite comfortable. In fact, it would be even better if his head could be patted as well. Ever since turning into a little nine-tailed beast, he had grown very fond of being petted by others and was completely hooked, though he was too proud to ask for it outright.
Tong You buried his head, tucking his two paws on either side of his head, and quietly enjoyed it. At first glance, he looked like a ball of fur nursing a deep grievance, stubbornly ignoring the master who was trying to coax him. Looking at the aggrieved lump nestled in the crook of his arm, Qilian couldn’t resist poking a finger into the scruff of his neck, taking in his wronged expression. “The way you’re acting makes it look like this lord is bullying you.”
[Isn’t that exactly what you’re doing? You, a dignified Demon Lord, are actually threatening a little furry beast who was born just a day ago and knows nothing. Have pity on me, born without a father or mother in sight, unloved and uncared for, forced to bear everything a creature of my age should never have to endure at such a young age!]
[And you’re still petting me! You took advantage of me, yet you glared at me and threatened me. Sob, sob… My life is so bitter…]
As he thought about it, Tong You really did start feeling aggrieved. Sure, his life wasn’t in mortal danger right now, but what about later? Who could say for sure? Besides, this man was as unpredictable as the weather; even when letting him be petted, he still ended up getting hit. It was utterly hateful, and his head still hurt a little.
Tong You pushed and kicked against Qilian’s arm with his hind legs, shoving hard with his head while his nine tails coiled up behind him like a spring, looking as though he might unleash some magic power at any second.
Suddenly, the back of his neck tightened, and the entire little beast was hoisted up into midair. Tong You looked at Qilian, somewhat dazed and teary-nosed. Wait a minute, my snot is still hanging here! Do I even have any dignity left?
That wave of embarrassment hit him all at once. Tong You puckered his lips tightly and inhaled sharply through his nose, trying to suck the snot back up. But the harder he sniffed, the faster the mucus streamed down, completely unstoppable, forming a literal waterfall over his whiskers.
How humiliating.
Qilian wore a foul expression, looking utterly disgusted. “You little snot-slug.”
Tong You lowered his head, thinking Qilian was going to put him down, but instead, the man leisurely pulled a handkerchief from his robes and slapped it right across his face.
[Mmph…] Tong You’s face was completely covered by the handkerchief.
“Blow. Hard,” Qilian commanded, holding the handkerchief firmly over his nose.
Could this person actually be nice enough to wipe my nose for me? Tong You’s eyes widened in disbelief, but he still squinted and blew hard through his nose.
“Pfft—”
“Done?” Qilian asked.
Just as Tong You wanted to nod in response, Qilian gripped the handkerchief and scrubbed vigorously across his nose, incidentally wiping away the waterfall on his whiskers before tossing the handkerchief straight onto the floor.
[Hiss… Ow…] I knew it! He was definitely just looking for an excuse to torture me! Tong You raised a soft paw, curling it slightly to cover his chafed nose.
Seeing that Tong You’s face was finally clean, Qilian dropped him back down.
“Stop messing around. This lord is tired.” Qilian scooped Tong You up, pulled him into his arms, and closed his eyes.
Tong You planted his two front paws on Qilian’s arm while bracing his hind legs against his body, struggling to pull himself out of Qilian’s embrace. Yet, try as he might, the fellow was holding him far too tightly. Tong You stretched himself out so long he felt like he was being pulled into noodles, but he only managed to budge an inch.
Finally, he stretched his neck out and collapsed limply against the man’s arm, letting out a deep sigh: [With cultivation levels like yours, aren’t you supposed to just meditate? Why do you still need to sleep?]
“This lord feels like it.” With that, Qilian pulled Tong You even closer into his chest, holding his belly with one hand while pressing down on his head with the other.
[Oh gosh, if you want to sleep then just sleep, what are you hugging me for?] Tong You’s head was pressed firmly against Qilian’s body, his face squeezed entirely out of shape as he let out a complaint in local dialect.
Receiving no further response, Tong You’s soft ears drooped to the sides. One of his paws began scratching back and forth rhythmically against Qilian’s clothes, neither too heavy nor too light. The soft rustling sound of the fabric was soothing, occasionally punctuated by the crisp click-click sound of his claws piercing through the cloth and pulling back out. His nine gorgeous tails curled around Qilian’s body, radiating a gentle warmth.
The surroundings grew eerily quiet, save for the soft, steady sound of Qilian’s breathing. His heartbeat was calm, as if he were truly fast asleep. Tong You lay flat against his chest, moving gently up and down in sync with his breathing.
Listening to Qilian’s heartbeat, Tong You began to grow drowsy himself. He tilted his head to rub his face against Qilian, settled into a comfortable position, and closed his eyes in peace. By the time he woke up again, his tails were trembling from the cold.
Brr, so cold. Shivering, Tong You burrowed his head toward Qilian’s shoulder and arm. Vaguely dazed, he wasn’t quite sure what he was doing; he just knew it was warmer a little further down.
At first, it wasn’t too bad, but as Tong You began pushing with more and more force, Qilian finally opened his eyes. Glaring at the little furry ball frantically trying to wedge itself under his arm and shoulder, he reached out to pinch the scruff of its neck, his breathing heavy with annoyance. “What are you doing?”
With a hazy gaze, Tong You was forced to lift his head, his two fluffy ears drooping to the sides as he completely lost his previous spirited energy. [I’m so cold…]
Petting the soft fur on his body, Qilian remarked, “Don’t tell me this pelt of yours is fake?”
[I really am cold!] Tong You tilted his head, rubbing against Qilian’s hand.
Qilian stroked his tails again and realized that his body had indeed grown much colder. It suddenly dawned on him that the Demon Realm constantly alternated between extreme heat and extreme cold. Since this little creature had just taken human-like form without yet beginning formal cultivation, his endurance had strict limits. Relying solely on spiritual stones to nourish him wasn’t a long-term solution. It seemed he really was going to have to take this little furry ball under his wing and start training him.
He sat up, gathered the pitifully chilled Tong You into his arms, and gently stroked him while channeling cultivation energy to warm him.
A newborn little furry ball was just like a newborn child. Though they belonged to different species, in the end, one simply had to invest a little more time in them.
Tong You curled himself into a tight ball, hugging his soft tail to use as a pillow while wrapping his remaining tails around his body for protection.
The furry ball in his arms gradually grew warm, and he could feel the gentle heat radiating right through his clothes. Suddenly, he noticed a patch of fabric on his chest that was a shade darker than the surrounding cloth, and his brows twitched as a foreboding premonition washed over him.
Saliva! This little furry ball actually drooled in his sleep! Furious, Qilian stripped off the stained outer robe. Paying no mind to Tong You, who was still fast asleep in his arms, he stood straight up.
Startled awake in a panic, Tong You instinctively hooked his paws onto the garment Qilian was about to toss away, tumbling down to the floor with it. Before he could demand to know what kind of nervous breakdown the man was having this time, a barrage of clothing suddenly rained down on him from above.
[What the heck! Are you losing your mind again?!]
Trapped inside the heap of fabric, Tong You scrambled around wildly before finally bursting out. Looking left and right for that lunatic so he could give him a piece of his mind, he discovered that the hall was already completely devoid of the man’s shadow.
[Agh, agh, agh!] Showing his teeth in rage, Tong You stomped a few angry times on Qilian’s discarded robe. As he lifted his paw to step off the fabric, his short little legs failed to clear the collar, and with a thump, he tripped and face-planted onto the floor.
Tong You rolled around on the floor in silent agony.
After taking a good while to recover, Tong You slowly hauled himself back up from the ground. [That nearly killed me.]
Reaching out a paw to touch his chin, Tong You muttered, [Ow, my handsome face! Who knows what wire crossed in that guy’s brain this time? He goes on a rampage and just leaves. Being a Demon Lord makes you think you’re hot stuff, huh?]
“Youyou, are you here? I brought you something delicious.”
Shien bent over, holding a food box as she tiptoed into the hall. She hadn’t received the Lord’s permission to come here this time, but she missed Youyou terribly and seized the chance to sneak over when she saw the Lord heading to the hot springs.
[Hey! I’m here, I’m here!] Tong You replied, enduring his aches as he went out to greet Shien. After all, she was the only person he’d met so far who seemed somewhat normal.
Seeing Tong You practically crawling forward, Shien hurried over to squat down, asking with concern, “What happened to you now?”
[Took a tumble. It’s all that durian guy’s fault,] Tong You grumbled indignantly.
Shien stroked Tong You’s fur and comforted him, “Our Lord’s name is Qilian, not durian guy. Shh, don’t call the Lord by his name directly; that’s showing disrespect to the Lord.”
[Stinky Durian.]
“A fall shouldn’t be a big deal. Once the pain passes, you’ll be fine,” Shien gently patted Tong You’s head.
“By the way, I brought you some tasty treats from the mortal realm.” Shien opened the food box she had brought.
Tong You stepped closer with rising anticipation. As the lid was slowly lifted, a plate of delicate pastries was revealed, with a skewered bunch of candied hawthorns resting diagonally beside them.
They certainly looked pretty enough, though he had no idea how they tasted. Tong You gazed at them, realizing he had never tasted handmade ancient pastries before.
Shien took out a piece of pastry and held it up to Tong You’s mouth. Without hesitation, Tong You took a bite and chewed slowly. It was fragrant, sweet, and exceptionally delicious. His eyes lit up, and he quickly polished off the remaining half from Shien’s hand.
Sitting on her knees on the floor, Shien asked, “Well? Is it good?”
[Mm-hmm, delicious!] Tong You nodded. [Did Stinky Durian tell you to come?]
“No, I sneaked over to see you on my own. I figured since I had good food, you’d definitely like it, so I brought some for you,” Shien said.
[Mmh, mmh, thank you for always thinking of me,] Tong You wrapped his paws around Shien’s leg.
Seizing the moment, Shien scooped Tong You up into her lap and laughed, “Of course I think of you.”
With that, she buried her face in Tong You’s head and rubbed against it, her hands wandering wildly all over his body.
Tong You: I messed up. This sister’s cat-petting addiction definitely flared up.
[Where did that stinky durian go?] Tong You asked with a deadpan expression.
“The Lord probably went to bathe in the hot springs,” Shien replied.
Taking a bath? Stinky Durian is taking a bath… Well then, I’ve got to go check it out. Tong You pushed against Shien with his paws. [Sister, stop sniffing me.]
[Where is that stinky durian washing up? I need to find him about something, can you take me there?]
Shien suddenly froze and stared at him in silence. Seeing her look so serious, Tong You figured it probably wasn’t allowed. [Oh well, if you can’t, never mind.]
“I can, but you have to call me Older Sister first.”
[Older Sister~]
Tong You’s voice was milky-sweet, melting straight into Shien’s heart. She hugged Tong You tighter as she stood up, rubbing her head against his. “Sister just loves you to death.”
His hairstyle completely ruffled from the rubbing, Tong You urged, [Let’s go, time to find Stinky Durian.]
“Where should I put the food I brought you?”
[Put it…] Tong You looked left and right. [Put it behind that pillar! That pillar looks pretty big.]
“Okay.”
Shien carried Tong You out of the hall, turned left, walked a few paces, and stopped in front of a doorway.
“This is it,” Shien whispered.
[Go on in,] Tong You pushed at the door with his paw.
“You go on in, I won’t go in,” Shien said, breaking into a sweat.
Tsk, a stinky man taking a bath, why would I drag a young girl along with me? [Fine then, just help me open the door a crack, and you can close it for me after I go in.]
Shien pushed the door open just a tiny crack, and Tong You carefully squeezed his way inside. “Youyou, I’m heading back first, then.”
[Alright, bye-bye, Sister.]
“Bye-bye.”