The state of the “little white-eyed wolf” did not last long. With food replenishing his spiritual energy, Luo Ningning’s diligent treatment, and Xie Shiqi’s night of meditative recovery, when Luo Ningning opened her eyes early the next morning, what she saw was a White Wolf who had grown larger after stretching out. He was already in the form of a normal wolf, standing approximately as high as her thigh.
Luo Ningning was astonished by how quickly he had recovered, but she could not help feeling terribly disappointed as well. She tried to wheedle him. “Wolf Lord, can’t you turn back into a little wolf cub? It would save you energy that way.”
Xie Shiqi lifted an eyelid and gave a derisive snort. “Give it up. This is the smallest beast form I have. Last night, I was severely wounded and on the verge of death, which was why I took on the form of a young beast. Now that I’ve recovered somewhat, it’s impossible for me to become like that again.”
So yesterday’s little wolf had been a limited edition with no rerelease?! Luo Ningning was consumed by regret! If she had known that a little chubby wolf was such a rare opportunity, she should have ignored all consequences and petted him a few more times first.
The spirited mood she had enjoyed yesterday was gone. Luo Ningning had originally wanted to get up early and catch breakfast for Wolf Lord, but now she had no motivation left. Fortunately, Wolf Lord was already large enough to hunt for himself. At noon, they made another transfer. Although Wolf Lord’s body was weak, he could still accurately sense approaching danger and determine the direction of a new oasis. This time, Luo Ningning was the main force behind their escape. The little carriage was not fast enough, and they spent quite some time maneuvering along the way. By the time the two of them were finally able to rest at the oasis, Luo Ningning’s forehead was already covered in fine sweat.
She leaned against a tree trunk, took out a handkerchief, and wiped her face. Once again, she felt utterly exhausted. Xie Shiqi watched her silently from the side, then after a moment walked over to a massive boulder.
Thinking he wanted to sleep there, Luo Ningning hurriedly called out, “Hey, Wolf Lord! Don’t sleep there, all right? I want to sleep there tonight.”
She had taken one look at that huge rock and fallen for it. It was flat and dry, and if she spread out her bedding, it could barely serve as a bed. But Xie Shiqi paid her no heed. He still leaped onto the boulder and even cast a cleaning spell over it.
Luo Ningning said, “?? No, wait. Wolf Lord, you’re not picky about where you sleep, so why are you fighting me for it?”
Xie Shiqi said nothing. As his tail swept back and forth, it brushed away the fine dust still clinging to the boulder. After making one circuit, a patch of the large white tail had turned gray, while the boulder had become perfectly clean.
Xie Shiqi jumped down from the boulder and casually settled into a pile of grass. “You worked hard today… I cleaned the stone for you, so save your spiritual energy.”
Luo Ningning was slightly surprised at first, then smiled. A furry broom naturally did an excellent job, and even Luo Ningning could not find fault with the result. She spread out her bedding and sat down. “Wolf Lord, you were cleaning it for me?”
Xie Shiqi’s eyes were half-closed, as though he had not heard her. Luo Ningning kicked off her shoes and happily swung her feet. “I’m really not used to you suddenly being so considerate. Thank you.”
Her fingertips hooked into the hem of her skirt and lifted it an inch or so. The shoes she had kicked onto the ground were stained with mud, yet her feet remained as white and smooth as spring snow. The girl’s ankles were slender, and her rounded toenails glimmered with a polished sheen, like little shells arranged in neat rows. As her lower legs moved, they pressed against the boulder, the flesh sinking into a soft, supple curve that seemed too delicate to withstand any rough treatment.
The dazzling whiteness made Xie Shiqi lose focus for a moment. After a while, he gave a quiet “Mm,” turned his head, and closed his eyes.
That afternoon, Luo Ningning transferred spiritual energy to Xie Shiqi twice more. By nightfall, Xie Shiqi was already capable of hunting demon beasts the size of wild boars. Knowing that Luo Ningning disliked filth, he deliberately chose a place far away from her, ate the demon beast there, and then went to the stream to wash the blood from his body.
There were small fish in the stream. Startled by the disturbance he made entering the water, they suddenly scattered and fled. Xie Shiqi paused midway through shaking out his fur. He stared carefully into the stream and slowly flexed his claws.
Luo Ningning had been continuously using spiritual energy over the past two days. She felt that her strength had improved, but she was also truly exhausted. She lay drowsily in her bedding when she suddenly sensed someone standing in front of her.
Luo Ningning opened her eyes hazily and saw, beneath the moonlight, silver hair more dazzling than the moon itself. For some reason, Xie Shiqi had transformed into human form again. He wore a silver-gray fitted shirt with matching silver-gray trousers and boots. His waist-length silver hair was simply tied back, and he was looking down at her.
Still sleepy, Luo Ningning murmured, “Mm… What is it?”
Even when the girl was unhappy, even when she was cursing someone, her tone was always warm and soft. This indistinct little question was even sweeter, as though she were not asking him something but acting spoiled instead. Xie Shiqi froze for a moment, his expression turning slightly unnatural. He took out something strung together with a grass cord from behind his back. “Would you like some fish? They don’t smell fishy.”
Luo Ningning’s eyelids drooped and lifted again, and she finally became a little more awake. Sitting up, she looked at the string of small yellow fish still dripping with water in front of her, somewhat intrigued. “Hey, you caught these?”
Xie Shiqi stepped back a little to keep the water droplets from dirtying the boulder. “Mm. This fish is called yaoyu. Its flesh is tender and delicious even without seasoning.”
Luo Ningning grew interested. “Really?” Then she looked at Xie Shiqi hesitantly. “But I don’t know how to cook. Will you make them for me?”
She seriously doubted that Xie Shiqi knew how either, but Xie Shiqi merely sat down beside the tree and asked again, “Do you want to eat them?”
Luo Ningning put on her shoes and climbed down as well, replying with reserved dignity, “Then let’s try them.”
She sat down beside Xie Shiqi and watched the man busy himself. Xie Shiqi removed one of the small fish and held it in his hand. His fingernails, which had been no different from an ordinary human’s, suddenly lengthened. His hands were very attractive, with distinct knuckles and long, well-proportioned fingers. The sharp claws did not look out of place; instead, they added several touches of wild beauty. It was a pity that such beautiful hands received no care from their owner. The tip of one claw pierced the fish’s belly like a pair of scissors, and with a light slice and scoop, he pulled out all its innards.
His movements looked quite practiced. Hope rose in Luo Ningning, and she felt that there might actually be fish to eat today. “Wolf Lord, you’re pretty skilled at this. Do you often eat fish this way?”
Xie Shiqi glanced at her. “Do you think I would eat fish like this?”
Luo Ningning recalled the way he had eaten the demon beast. He could bite through bones, and he could swallow fur and dirt alike… Unable to help herself, she shifted a little farther away. “Then why are you so skilled at gutting fish?”
Xie Shiqi lowered his eyes, their icy-blue depths glowing faintly in the night. “If you do enough cutting open of bellies and disemboweling, you naturally become skilled at it. The process is more or less the same.”
Luo Ningning fell silent.
The black bear she had seen the previous night, with its intestines spilling out and its belly torn open, suddenly flashed through her mind. Luo Ningning felt as though she had heard a ghost story on a children’s television channel and no longer wanted to speak. Xie Shiqi remained calmly absorbed in his task. He took a twig and skewered the fish crookedly. Then the man raised his hand. His long, beautiful fingertips flicked, and a cluster of dark-blue flames sprang to life. He held the fish over the flames, which wrapped around it as though they were living things. When the flames finally died away, wisps of fragrance began to rise.
He handed the skewer of fish to Luo Ningning. “Try it.”
The cooking process had looked somewhat magical, and far too casual. Luo Ningning accepted it doubtfully and blew on it several times to cool it down. “Is it cooked?”
Xie Shiqi gave a soft snort. “Are you doubting my control over fire?”
Luo Ningning stopped blowing. She really wanted to project an image of the charred, foul-smelling leg of demon beast he had roasted when they first met and show it to him. But the grilled fish truly smelled delicious, so she still brought it to her lips and took a small bite.
The fish was cooked without being overdone. Its flesh was so tender that it nearly melted in her mouth, and its fresh, savory flavor immediately conquered her taste buds. Luo Ningning’s eyes lit up. “It really is delicious!”
She shifted back beside Xie Shiqi and urged him, “I want more. Keep roasting them.”
A smile appeared in Xie Shiqi’s eyes, one he himself did not notice, and he began swiftly gutting more fish. Luo Ningning had not eaten properly for quite some time, and her appetite was excellent. She ate every fish Xie Shiqi had brought back. When the last fish had finished roasting, Xie Shiqi asked in surprise, “Do you want more?”
Luo Ningning shook her head while eating. “No, I’m stuffed.”
Xie Shiqi said with amusement, “Seeing how much you eat when you consume immortal pills, I assumed you wouldn’t be able to eat this much.”
He finally had a moment to study Luo Ningning. Even when eating fish, the little fairy chewed slowly, her movements refined and graceful… She made it look as though she were eating some kind of ginseng or immortal herb. Her full lips parted slightly, and her tender red tongue emerged to curl around the white fish flesh…
Xie Shiqi’s Adam’s apple moved faintly, and he lost himself for a moment. He felt that he had only been dazed for an instant and had not thought of anything at all. But in Luo Ningning’s eyes, it looked as though he had been startled senseless. Her eyes widened. “Ah! Your—your ears! You’ve grown ears!”
Only after saying it did Luo Ningning realize that she had stated the obvious. But who could understand her feelings?! She had suddenly seen two white wolf ears growing out of the man’s silver hair, and she was far too excited! A handsome man with beast ears—this was the stuff of her dreams! She had seen quite a few members of the demon race in the cultivation world, but she had genuinely never seen such a high-quality, perfect combination before!
Luo Ningning stared blankly for a moment, then casually tossed aside the twig skewering the fish and threw herself in front of Xie Shiqi, her heart surging with excitement! Having learned from the experience of missing out on the limited-edition little wolf cub, Luo Ningning reached out without a second thought! She touched the tip of one of those fluffy white ears. “Wolf Lord, why have you suddenly grown beast ears? You…”
The ear beneath her hand trembled, and Luo Ningning lost her chance to continue her “concerned questioning.” She only felt the world spin around her before she was pressed onto the grass! Xie Shiqi’s five fingers clamped down hard on her shoulders, wrinkling the merfolk-gauze magical robe into deep creases. His long legs followed, restraining both of hers and completely sealing off every possible struggle. The man’s jawline tightened into a cold, hard curve, and his brows and eyes carried an unyielding viciousness as he asked, each word distinct, “What are you doing?!”
Author’s Note:
Yes, when members of the Silver Wolf clan fall in love, wolf ears and a wolf tail will appear. Unfortunately, our Little Wolf Lord grew up all alone, so he has absolutely no idea.