Chapter 125 - 124: Your Name Sounds Familiar

"So, you don’t need to wonder what a Phoenix looks like. Just look at me."

Chu Liangyu was speechless for a long moment, hearing him say something so matter-of-factly.

"You... you really don’t know me?" he asked, his voice tinged with caution and hope. He clearly wanted a "yes."

’As far as Chu Liangyu was concerned, his amnesia meant he was a new He Yushu. Even if she told him about their past, he wouldn’t be able to relate.’

’Besides, she didn’t know him all that well to begin with. She had her own business here and didn’t have the spare time to help him regain his memories.’

She didn’t want any more trouble, so in the face of his expectant gaze, she simply shook her head. "I don’t."

He Yushu looked a little crestfallen. He had a nagging feeling she wasn’t telling the truth, but he didn’t know what to say.

"I told you my name earlier. What about you? What are you called?"

After that brief test, Chu Liangyu had a good idea of how severe his amnesia was. She didn’t bother hiding her name. "Chu Liangyu," she said directly.

"Oh."

Seeing his lack of reaction, Chu Liangyu figured as much.

"Your name feels a little familiar... I think I’ve heard it somewhere before."

Chu Liangyu paused, glancing at him before replying, "Maybe so."

The atmosphere between them grew still for a moment, but the feeling passed as quickly as it came.

He Yushu discreetly turned his head to study her expression, then asked curiously, "By the lake, I saw your fishtail leap out of the water. It was beautiful."

"It’s just... everyone says females can’t undergo Beastification. How can you? Or... are you a male?"

Chu Liangyu lowered her gaze, thinking. ’I can’t just blurt out that I’m one of the successors to the Beast God. Even if I did, he probably wouldn’t believe me. It would just be a waste of breath.’

After wracking her brain for a good excuse and finding none, she decided to just make something up. "That’s because they’re sheltered. They don’t know there are females like me who can undergo Beastification."

"You shouldn’t just believe everything you hear, either."

"Oh, so that’s how it is. It seems I need to get out more and broaden my horizons."

He Yushu deeply agreed. He rummaged in his feathers with his long beak, then held something in it.

He turned his head and presented the object to Chu Liangyu. "Help me groom my feathers. They’re too messy, it’s a bit unsightly."

It was a wooden comb with no decorative patterns, but each tooth was perfectly uniform. It felt smooth and fine to the touch, a clear sign of how much its owner cherished it.

Chu Liangyu, forced to pause the work of repairing her meridians, tried to negotiate. "Do I have to?"

"You don’t. We can just find a place to land for a bit. We’ll get back on the road after I’m done."

The Red-crowned Crane’s head turned back, seemingly about to take the wooden comb from Chu Liangyu’s hand.

Chu Liangyu snatched her hand back with lightning speed and gave a dry laugh. "Never mind. You keep flying, I’ll groom your feathers."

His feathers, she had to admit, were incredibly soft to the touch.

She ran the wooden comb through them half-heartedly, leaving neat, clean lines in the beautiful plumage.

She smoothed down all the ruffled feathers here and there until only the long stretch of his neck closest to her remained.

This was the first time she had ever been so close to the long neck of a Red-crowned Crane. She didn’t start grooming right away. Instead, she reached out and gently wrapped a hand around his neck.

The downy neck was surprisingly warm. After just a moment’s contact, Chu Liangyu’s hand, which had been chilled by the cold wind, began to warm up.

"What are you doing!"

He Yushu whipped his head around to glare at her, his eyes filled with disbelief.

’How could she be so forward? So bold on their very first meeting!’

’He knew he was handsome, sure, but he’d never met a female this forward before.’

"My hand’s a little cold. Just warming it up."

Chu Liangyu looked completely oblivious, not realizing how improper her action had been.

"That’s not—you..." He Yushu was at a loss for words for a moment. "You still can’t do that," he finally managed.

"Is something wrong with this?"

He Yushu stammered out an explanation. "There are some things I don’t really remember, but I know that only someone very intimate is allowed to touch a Red-crowned Crane’s neck. It’s a way of expressing affection."

"Even though... you’re not nuzzling me with your own neck, it’s... it’s close enough."

In an instant, Chu Liangyu felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. She snatched her hand back from his neck as if struck by lightning.

"Sorry, I didn’t know."

"Mm."

He Yushu grunted, his tone unreadable.

Chu Liangyu, holding the comb, glanced around and asked in a casual tone, "Do you want me to keep grooming?"

"N-No need."

"Oh. Here’s your comb, then."

Chu Liangyu was a little embarrassed too, but she hid it extremely well; her expression betrayed nothing.

’Inside, she was already cursing herself over and over. Couldn’t keep my hands to myself, could I? So stupid!’

’Really, how could she be so curious? Why did she have to give in to the impulse and grab his neck?’

’Great. Just great. He might be her Beast Husband, but right now, the guy didn’t even recognize her.’

’He’s probably already labeled her a pervert in his mind.’

’Besides, she truly had no idea what the neck meant to a Red-crowned Crane.’

’When they first met, the guy had starved himself until he looked like a scarecrow made of twigs.’

’She hadn’t even recognized he was a Red-crowned Crane. She’d given him some food purely out of pity, and he had latched onto her ever since.’

’Back then, how was she supposed to know he only liked grass carp? The food she gave him was just her leftovers.’

’Afterward, he shamelessly stuck to her side, and she couldn’t get rid of him no matter how hard she tried.’

’Later, Chu Liangyu had wondered why. Perhaps he thought that by following her, he’d get to eat lots of grass carp, which was why he tried so hard to stay with her.’

’When she didn’t produce much grass carp later on, he simply assumed it was because he wasn’t her Beast Husband yet.’

’But after he actually became her Beast Husband, he found there still wasn’t an abundance of grass carp.’

’But by then, it was too late. He already had three cubs of his own.’

’He could barely feed himself to begin with, let alone several cubs.’

’His abilities weren’t half-bad, but his overly restrictive diet left him somewhat malnourished, and by extension, so were the cubs he was raising.’

’Fortunately, the cubs of Red-crowned Crane Beastmen mature quickly. After leaving He Yushu, their diets diversified. Unlike their Beast Father, who only ate grass carp, they would eat anything.’

’They raised themselves to be plump and healthy, and they even brought food back for their Beast Father on many occasions, but He Yushu stubbornly refused to eat a single bite.’

’In the end, they had no choice but to find as much grass carp as they could for him, just to keep him from starving to death.’