Chapter 285: Extra: Feng Qiwu, Give an Inch, Take a Mile

“Female Master, Chi Yizhong went too far! About the bet…”

Wiping the sticky teardrops from her face, Chu Liangyu discreetly scooted to the side.

Only when she figured his spit could no longer reach her face did Chu Liangyu’s furrowed brow finally begin to relax.

“Female Master! Did you hear what I was saying?”

Seeing he was about to fly off the handle, Chu Liangyu cleared her throat and quickly said, “I heard you. It’s just that Chi Yizhong misunderstood you and gave you a beating.”

Feng Qiwu hadn’t thought much of it when he said it himself, but now, hearing the words come from her mouth, he felt his face start to burn.

“You were definitely wronged here. How about I go and give Chi Yizhong a beating for you?”

“Th-that won’t be necessary.”

‘If she really did that, the entire tribe would know. I might as well just die of shame.’

“I see. So, why did you come to see me?”

Feng Qiwu opened his mouth, looking uncharacteristically bashful. “I just felt a bit down and… and wanted to talk to you, Female Master.”

“Oh~”

Chu Liangyu pulled a wicker chair identical to her own from her storage bag. She lifted her chin slightly, a smile playing on her lips. “In that case, come and bask in the sun with me.”

“Okay!”

Most of the dejected expression on Feng Qiwu’s face vanished. If his tears hadn’t literally just landed on her own face, Chu Liangyu would have thought she was seeing things.

She was stunned for a second, but then she remembered that Feng Qiwu’s moods always came and went in a flash, and she relaxed.

“Female Master, if I really have to crow like a chicken tomorrow morning, are you going to laugh at me?”

Chu Liangyu turned to meet his earnest gaze, but her mind was already filled with the image of Feng Qiwu crowing like a chicken. ‘Seriously, how could she *not* laugh at that?’

‘She could barely contain herself just thinking about it, let alone witnessing it live tomorrow.’

‘That’s what she thought, but she could never say it out loud. Otherwise, Feng Qiwu would throw another fit.’

“Of course not.”

Feng Qiwu pouted and called her out without hesitation. “Female Master, the corners of your lips were just turning up.”

Chu Liangyu coughed and subconsciously touched her face. “No, I didn’t. You must have seen wrong.”

“Female Master!”

Feng Qiwu couldn’t stop himself from crying out, his anger clearly mixed with a sense of being wronged.

Now that he had seen through her, Chu Liangyu decided to stop worrying about his pride. She not only nodded to admit she had been smiling, but her voice was tinged with an irrepressible mirth as she spoke.

Annoyed, Feng Qiwu shot out of his chair. In two quick strides, he was in front of Chu Liangyu, planting his hands on either side of her wicker chair and facing her directly.

The sudden confinement made Chu Liangyu sense a hint of danger. She quickly wiped the smile from her face and tried to distract him.

“Speaking of which, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen your beast form. We have some rare free time today, how about you let me see it?”

The dark look in Feng Qiwu’s eyes wavered slightly, as if in confusion. “See my beast form?”

‘Could it be? Does the Female Master think my Phoenix form is especially beautiful? Does that make her happy?’

‘I knew my beast form was the most magnificent of all—worlds better than Chi Yizhong’s, at the very least.’

‘In that case, if she wants to see it, I’ll show her.’

As he transformed, the Phoenix’s beautiful, magnificent feathers drifted down. Their downy touch on Chu Liangyu’s face was slightly ticklish, yet not at all irritating.

With that, the tense atmosphere from moments before mostly vanished, and Chu Liangyu let out an imperceptible sigh of relief.

Now that she was relaxed, she somehow found herself wanting to tease Feng Qiwu again.

She raised a hand to stroke the feathers on the Phoenix’s neck, her voice filled with curiosity. “Feng Qiwu, what’s the difference between a Phoenix’s cry and a chicken’s crow?”

“Of course there’s a difference!”

‘A Phoenix is a Phoenix, and a chicken is a chicken! The two can’t even be mentioned in the same breath. Their calls are completely different.’

“Oh~ I see. Then let me hear you make a sound.”

“Fine, I will.”

Feeling he had been challenged and not suspecting a thing, Feng Qiwu obediently did as Chu Liangyu said and let out a cry.

The Phoenix’s cry was clear and resonant, echoing as if from a distant past, filled with ancient mysteries that naturally inspired a sense of awe.

Despite this, Chu Liangyu still said, “But… I still can’t hear the difference.”

“You know, I don’t think I actually know what a chicken’s crow sounds like. Why don’t you imitate one for me? After I’ve heard both, I’m sure I’ll know the difference.”

‘How does a chicken crow? It just… crows. How has the Female Master never heard it?’

Feng Qiwu raised one wing and scratched his head in confusion, but he didn’t give it much thought.

Still fixated on her claim that there was no difference between a Phoenix’s cry and a chicken’s crow, Feng Qiwu, desperate to set the record straight, immediately imitated a chicken’s crow.

When he finished, Feng Qiwu looked at Chu Liangyu expectantly. He didn’t say a word, but his thoughts were practically written all over his face.

Chu Liangyu hadn’t expected Feng Qiwu to be so gullible. She was trying so hard to suppress her laughter that the corners of her mouth were twitching uncontrollably.

Feng Qiwu, however, thought his imitation wasn’t convincing enough. He composed himself for a moment and then crowed like a chicken a few more times.

“Well… AHEM… the difference is… certainly huge.”

Chu Liangyu reached out and pinched his beak. “It’s a very good imitation. I hear the difference now. You can stop. Save your performance for everyone else tomorrow.”

Feeling the suppressed tremor in her fingertips, Feng Qiwu’s clear eyes went blank for a moment. Then, in a daze, something seemed to click into place.

A storm of anger and shame flooded his mind. His beast form receded, revealing a handsome face flushed with a faint blush. Perhaps it was the anger, but he opened his mouth and bit down on Chu Liangyu’s fingertip.

“Female Master… y-you tricked me!”

Even though his words were muffled, Chu Liangyu could still guess what he was saying.

“I did not. Don’t you slander me.”

Seeing that he still wouldn’t let go of her hand, Chu Liangyu said helplessly, “Tired of being a Phoenix? Want to be a dog now? Let go, you’re about to get drool all over my hand.”

Feng Qiwu maintained his posture from before he transformed back, keeping Chu Liangyu pinned so tightly she could barely move. She had no choice but to try and coax the ruffled chicken.

But it was precisely her calm, composed attitude, as if she had everything under control, that infuriated Feng Qiwu. For some reason, he remained perfectly still, his teeth still gently clamped around her fingertip.

Seeing this, Chu Liangyu knew there was little chance he would let go on his own. ‘In any case, he’s only biting down symbolically. I should be able to pull my hand free if I use a little force.’

However, just as her attention was focused on how to free her finger, a sudden weight settled onto her, making her breath hitch.

Her gaze drifted downward. Only then did Chu Liangyu notice that Feng Qiwu had one knee braced in the space between her legs. His chest was pressed extremely close to hers; it wouldn’t be inaccurate to say he was pressing down on her.

Her hand was free now, just as she’d wished. However, the new sensation on her lips told her that she wasn’t entirely free after all…