Chapter 68 - 67: Don’t Guess a Beast Husband’s Heart

"Sister Liangyu, when are you planning to tell them to come over?" Xiong Jiaojiao asked as she surveyed their surroundings.

"The sooner, the better. It would be best if everyone could migrate over before winter sets in."

Some things, once delayed, become impossible to say when they’ll ever get done.

"So... who will go deliver the message?"

"Feng Qiwu. He has wings."

Chu Liangyu said it without a moment’s hesitation.

Feng Qiwu hissed. ’So just because I have wings, I’m the one who has to be the messenger, huh?’

"Female Master, I’m a Phoenix, not a carrier pigeon," he retorted, sounding somewhat helpless.

Chu Liangyu patted his shoulder, her tone serious. "I know."

"Then can you pick someone else?"

’I’d only just managed to spend a few days by her side, and now she’s trying to send me away again. It’s just so unfair.’

"No." Chu Liangyu lowered her hand, her rejection unfeeling.

"Fine. I get it."

"When do I leave?"

Seeing he got the hint so quickly, Chu Liangyu raised an eyebrow. "You’re tired today, too. Rest for the night and set off tomorrow."

Feng Qiwu nodded in agreement, but his gaze lingered on her, as if he still had something to say.

"What is it?"

Feng Qiwu lowered his head, just in time to see his own reflection in her eyes.

Suddenly, he forgot what he had wanted to say.

"Hm?"

Feng Qiwu snapped back to his senses and covered his embarrassment with a cough.

"This is a long journey. Even if there’s no merit, there’s hard work involved. Aren’t you going to give me some kind of reward?"

Chu Liangyu frowned in thought, feeling he had a point.

"What do you want?"

Feng Qiwu had only asked on a whim; he hadn’t expected her to agree so easily.

But he hadn’t decided what he wanted yet, and here was Chu Liangyu, her lips already moving, pressing him to hurry up.

Feeling rushed, he grew a little agitated.

He leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers.

The soft sensation made his mind wander for a moment. ’But to be honest, this feels really good.’

His hand cupped the back of Chu Liangyu’s head, and he deepened the kiss.

Chu Liangyu was stunned. ’Feng Qiwu has the kind of personality that would make a dog shake its head, yet when he kisses someone, he’s surprisingly gentle.’

Xiong Jiaojiao was still wondering why the people who had just been talking had suddenly gone silent.

She turned her head, only to be met with that very scene.

She squeezed her eyes shut, then stiffly turned her body away.

Everyone else copied her movement, turning their backs and pretending they hadn’t seen a thing.

"Elder, this location really is great, huh? What do you think about us settling down in that spot over there?"

"I think that’s acceptable."

Chi Yizhong’s gaze had never left Chu Liangyu; he was the first one to witness the scene.

A wave of discomfort washed over him, but he remained standing right where he was, watching, with no intention of turning away.

This self-torturous behavior was witnessed by Xiang Qiancheng, who had turned away a moment later than the others.

For a rare moment, he showed a trace of sympathy for the newcomer.

’But then again, how am I any different from Chi Yizhong?’

Suppressing the flicker of irritation in his heart, he stood up and walked out of the Beast God Temple.

After what felt like an eternity, just as Chu Liangyu was starting to feel dizzy, Feng Qiwu released her.

"That’s my reward."

A blush crept to the corners of Chu Liangyu’s eyes, making her seem less distant and adding a touch of feminine charm and delicacy.

Feng Qiwu’s heart stirred at the sight. He unconsciously cupped her cheeks with both hands, his thumbs caressing the flushed corners of her eyes.

"I’ve finished preparing the game. Come and eat."

Chi Yizhong, for reasons he himself didn’t quite understand, suddenly pulled Chu Liangyu over.

Using a clumsy excuse to separate the two naturally drew a displeased look from Feng Qiwu.

Chi Yizhong was not the least bit intimidated, sweeping a cold gaze over him.

"I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll let it slide."

Feng Qiwu said, glancing meaningfully at Chu Liangyu beside him.

A faint smile played on Chu Liangyu’s lips, but she simply watched without offering any opinion.

Chi Yizhong wore a stony expression; he was clearly angry.

But he said nothing, silently handing the food to Chu Liangyu.

He had picked out all of Chu Liangyu’s favorites, and they were prepared meticulously and cleanly.

After all, plucking a chicken so clean that not even a single downy feather remained was no easy task.

"Aren’t you going to eat?"

Chi Yizhong stared at her for a long moment before shaking his head. "I’m not hungry."

"No, you’re hungry." Chu Liangyu pretended not to hear him and stuffed the food into his mouth.

Left with no choice, Chi Yizhong was forced to start chewing.

The chestnut chicken, which normally tasted delicious, now felt like he was chewing wax.

In the light of the crackling fire, he kept his head down, silently chewing the food in his mouth without a word.

The warm yellow light softened the profile of his face. His half-lidded eyes, veiled in a thin shadow, reflected the burning firewood, making him look somewhat lonely.

Chu Liangyu’s heart wasn’t made of stone. Seeing him like this made her ache for him.

She softened her voice and called his name. "Chi Yizhong."

But he seemed to be lost in his own world, unable to hear Chu Liangyu’s voice.

Chu Liangyu paused. She was suddenly reminded of the first time they met.

’This guy... he really must not like being around other Beastmen.’

’He’s something of a socially anxious person at heart, but he’s acted so normally these past days by my side that I’d completely forgotten about it.’

She turned his face toward hers. Her tone was gentle, yet her words were pragmatic. "This is how it is by my side. You have to get used to it. If you can’t stand it..."

Chu Liangyu stared into the fire, her eyes swirling with emotion. She paused, then said, "If you can’t stand it, then go back to the sea."

Chu Liangyu’s words were piercing: if you can’t take it, then get lost. She didn’t have that much energy to spend managing their feelings.

’If all my Beast Husbands were like him, demanding to be coaxed every time they got angry, I’d never get anything done all day.’

Chi Yizhong’s eyes flickered; he had clearly taken her words to heart.

He took Chu Liangyu’s hand and said slowly but firmly, "I won’t leave."

It wasn’t a flashy promise, just a single, firm declaration: he wouldn’t leave.

Chu Liangyu’s heart fluttered. She refocused her gaze on him and squeezed his hand back. "As long as you understand."

After that conversation, the awkward atmosphere between them dissipated.

In fact, there was now a hint of intimacy between them that hadn’t been there before.

Xiang Qiancheng had just stepped back into the temple when he was greeted by this scene.

He paused his movement—he had been about to return to his own fire—and instead changed direction, sitting down directly across from Chu Liangyu.

He nonchalantly picked up some food from nearby and began to eat, as if he hadn’t seen a thing.

With a third wheel present, Chu Liangyu naturally lost the mood for romance.

She let go of Chi Yizhong’s hand and focused on eating.

She had barely eaten a few bites while patiently counseling Chi Yizhong just now.

’After a whole day of traveling without food or drink, even a person made of iron couldn’t take it.’

So now, all she wanted to do was eat and not say another word.

"Have some water."

Absorbed in her meal, Chu Liangyu was caught off guard by the voice and looked up in surprise.

Xiang Qiancheng’s well-defined hand held out an earthenware pot. He watched Chu Liangyu, waiting for her to take it.

"Thank you."

Since he was extending an olive branch, Chu Liangyu wasn’t one to refuse. She murmured her thanks and took it.