Chapter 36: Rabbit Is Delicious

Wasteland.

Snow and ice filled the sky.

The farther one moved from the City, the fiercer the wind and snow became without the protection of the Magic Formation.

In the snow, a faint figure trudged on with difficulty.

Li Ang hunched over and looked ahead.

The swirling blizzard blurred his vision. His limbs had already grown numb, but he grit his teeth and pressed on, shouting Liyas’s name as he went.

Suddenly, not far in front of him, a small and slender figure appeared.

His spirits lifted, and he immediately called out, “Liyas?”

That figure seemed to pause for a moment, as if hearing Li Ang’s voice.

Seeing this, Li Ang quickly made his way toward her.

As he drew closer, his vision gradually became clearer.

The figure ahead slowly emerged in front of him—a young girl with dark red long hair, and those slightly damaged demonic horns that immediately confirmed her identity in Li Ang’s mind.

The girl’s face was flushed red from the biting wind.

Snowflakes drifting from the sky nearly dyed her dark red hair white.

The thin clothing on her body had long since been soaked and then frozen dry by the snow.

The little Succubus’s face was full of stubbornness, as if she didn’t feel the cold at all.

Li Ang approached her and called again, “Liyas?”

The girl seemed to have heard his voice, turned her head to see him, and her dark red eyes brightened.

Only then did Li Ang notice that the girl was holding two things in her hands.

The two of them huddled together against the wind and snow, and seeing how each other shivered from the cold, they couldn’t help but laugh.

“What are you doing out here looking for me?”

Liyas still seemed a bit angry. She puffed out her cheeks and gave a soft humph.

Li Ang stared into the girl’s eyes and said, “You disappeared. I was a little worried.”

When the little Succubus heard this, her gaze grew a little awkward, but her mood clearly improved.

She really was easy to cheer up.

Right after, she raised her hand to show what she was holding, and Li Ang saw clearly—it was two Snow Rabbits.

Then, he heard the girl’s proud voice, “Stupid Li Ang, look! I caught these myself, didn’t steal from anyone!”

“These two Snow Rabbits are delicious, I’ll give them all to you…”

The little Succubus’s tone turned a bit awkward, tinged with some unease.

“So don’t be afraid of me, okay…”

The little cat-like Succubus’s voice was very small, but Li Ang still heard it clearly.

The girl hadn’t left without a word, nor was she throwing a tantrum—she was just afraid.

That’s why, in her pride, she’d gone out hunting by herself, trying to prove to Li Ang that she’d listened to his words.

Li Ang’s nose stung. He took the little Succubus’s hand and said softly,

“All right, let’s go home.”

***

By the time the two returned to the house, it was already deep into the night.

The fire in the stove had long since gone out.

Li Ang fetched more firewood and rekindled the flames.

The two sat around the stove, rubbing their hands to warm themselves.

Liyas took off her frozen, dried clothes, revealing her fair, delicate skin.

The scars on her body had nearly healed, leaving no ugly marks.

Li Ang glanced at her, cheeks flushing red.

Luckily, he’d been frozen quite badly already, so it wasn’t too obvious.

“Aren’t you going to take off your clothes?”

Liyas tilted her head, a little puzzled.

“I don’t need to…”

Li Ang hurriedly got up, took the blanket from the bed, and draped it over the little Succubus.

That finally calmed his nerves a bit.

“I’ll just go change clothes.”

Li Ang picked up a set of clothes and left the room.

The chilly breeze outside helped clear his head a little. He frowned slightly.

That strange hot feeling he had just now when seeing Liyas’s body—was it because of the Succubus’s physique?

He pondered this as he began preparing a simple dinner.

He just happened to have those Snow Rabbits that Liyas brought back; tonight, they could have rabbit meat.

At that thought, he couldn’t help but lick his lips.

In this weather, eating meat was no easy feat.

When he brought Liyas back to the City earlier, he’d carefully hidden the rabbits in his clothes.

Cities on the border were nowhere near as safe as one might imagine.

After handling the rabbits, Li Ang thought for a moment and made a decision—one would be made into rabbit congee, the other stir-fried.

He rummaged through the remaining dried chilies and ginger at home, quickly removed the gamey smell, and stir-fried one.

The aroma spread at once.

Soon enough, the fragrance drew Liyas running out.

The two of them moved the table by the stove, warming themselves by the fire while eating rabbit meat.

The moment she tasted the first bite, the little cat Succubus’s eyes sparkled.

She ate bite after bite, unable to stop at all.

It had been so long since either of them had meat. In no time, the table was swept clean, and with their stomachs full, they both lay down on the bed, basking in the warmth of the room, feeling utterly comfortable.

This was definitely the fullest they’d eaten in days.

“Dummy Li Ang,” Liyas suddenly spoke up.

“What is it?”

Li Ang lay on the bed, rubbing his belly.

“Should I go catch a few more rabbits tomorrow?”

The little Succubus, wrapped in the blanket, poked her head out, sounding excited.

No other reason—because rabbit was just too delicious!

Why hadn’t she realized before how tasty rabbit was?

Hearing her words, Li Ang turned, gazing seriously into the girl’s eyes, “No, it’s too dangerous in the Wasteland right now. If you’re not careful, you could get lost. I only found you by pure luck earlier.”

“And judging from your injuries… you were being hunted, right?”

Liyas froze for a moment, hesitated, then nodded, “Mm, it was my Sister…”

Then, the girl softly began to recount her story.

The fire flickered. For the first time, the girl lowered her guard completely and shared her past with the boy before her.

Although Li Ang already more or less knew what Liyas had been through, only now, as she spoke those painful memories with trembling lips, did he truly feel her despair from back then.

Her Parents had been killed by the Sister she trusted most.

She herself had almost died at her Sister’s hands.

No wonder she’d acted so wary and skittish in the beginning, like a frightened little cat.

“So, you want revenge?”

Li Ang spoke softly.

Liyas’s gaze became resolute.

She nodded, “I do!”

Then, as if recalling something, her tone softened, and she whispered, “Actually, I was planning to leave here once my wounds healed.”

Li Ang caught the meaning in her words and, half-smiling, asked, “And now you don’t want to go?”

Liyas nodded, “Because I realized… I don’t really have anywhere else to go…”

There was a hint of confusion in the girl’s eyes.

Then, she turned to the boy beside her and asked softly, “Li Ang, can I trust you?”

She seemed to be asking, and also confirming something.

“Of course.”

Li Ang answered firmly, his expression serious.

“You can always trust me.”

“Okay.”

Liyas curled up under the blanket, burrowing in completely.

Li Ang watched the little cat Succubus wriggle inside, finding it a bit amusing.

Then suddenly, the corner of the blanket was lifted, and his smile froze.

The girl lay on her side, opening her arms toward Li Ang, revealing her lovely figure without reservation.

Her dark red hair cascaded over her delicate skin, hiding some parts, but Li Ang’s face still turned bright red.

Liyas urged, “Come on, let’s go to sleep. It’s cold on the floor.”

She didn’t seem to realize just how much impact her actions had on a teenage boy.

Seeing Li Ang dawdle, she simply reached out and pulled him into the blankets.

Mmm, the blanket was big, warm, and carried a faint milky scent.

Li Ang felt that he’d definitely get a good night’s sleep tonight.

In the small wooden hut, the boy and girl fell asleep side by side.