After the footsteps faded away, the treasury returned to silence.
“Come out.” Ling Ze’s voice rang out, calm and indifferent.
From an unremarkable shadow at the side, Lu Qiancha and Xun Xue slowly stepped out and walked up to Ling Ze.
Ling Ze clapped his hands, his gaze falling upon Lu Qiancha, the appreciation in his eyes entirely undisguised: “Xun Xue, you truly raised a fine son.”
He paused, his tone carrying a deeper meaning, “Not only is his cultivation talent extraordinary, but his ability to read people’s hearts and plan each move is nothing short of astounding.”
“My child is, of course, the best.” Xun Xue unceremoniously pulled Lu Qiancha closer to her side, her blue eyes sweeping Ling Ze with open disdain, “Unlike your family’s…”
“Cough!” Ling Ze coughed loudly, forcibly cutting off Xun Xue’s impending ridicule.
He turned his burning gaze toward Lu Qiancha, his tone abruptly grave, “Qiancha,” “Your junior is here.” Lu Qiancha saluted calmly.
“This plan is ingenious…” Ling Ze stared intently into Lu Qiancha’s eyes, asking word by word, “But tell me, have you ever considered, one day, sitting upon the throne above all others?”
Xun Xue: “?”
Are you trying to steal my daughter right in front of me?
Xun Xue’s face suddenly darkened, cold air seeping from her whole body as she seemed ready to explode at any moment.
“Your Majesty flatters me.”
Lu Qiancha’s voice was calm and unruffled, her answer resolute and clear, “This junior is merely a little clever, nothing fit for the grand stage. The weight of ruling a nation, Your Majesty should choose someone more worthy.”
Her refusal was clean and without a trace of hesitation.
A flicker of disappointment flashed across Ling Ze’s eyes, as if he’d expected this, but he did not insist.
He quickly changed the topic, “Very well. Then, what should we do next? Qiancha, tell me the follow-up plan, so that the Sovereign may prepare in advance.”
Lu Qiancha considered for a moment, then raised her head, a spark of brilliance flashing in her eyes, “Your Majesty, the next act of this drama—will be performed by your junior.”
She stepped forward, lowering her voice, “At that time, Your Majesty need only do this…”
The tedious and dull conversation in the great hall finally drew to a close. Xun Xue was still speaking with Ling Ze, the topic so dreary that Lu Qiancha’s eyelids grew heavy.
She slipped away alone back to Shuiqian Palace, shed her disguise, and sprawled herself lazily across the cool jade table like a cat basked full in sunlight.
Thinking really is exhausting—it felt as if every thought in her mind had been wrung dry.
“Hawu~”
Lu Qiancha let out a great yawn, heavy drowsiness sweeping over her. Today, her mind had truly worked overtime—she was utterly spent.
No matter what, even if the sky falls, I’m going to sleep first.
She gently closed her eyes, and before long, the quiet room was filled with the soft and steady sound of her breathing.
Stare—
Ling Wanbai’s usually emotionless gray eyes were now fixed intently on Lu Qiancha’s small hand, carelessly resting on the table.
She remembered quite clearly—just a short while ago, this had been a soft, downy wolf’s paw.
Now, how had it changed to this?
Could it be some kind of illusion?
A glimmer of curiosity flickered in Ling Wanbai’s heart.
She tilted her head ever so slightly, then, as naturally as a small animal seeking confirmation, stuck out her pink tongue and quickly licked the smooth back of Lu Qiancha’s hand.
The touch was warm and soft, the skin delicate, carrying a faint milky scent with a hint of vanilla.
There was none of the furry sensation she’d expected.
How strange.
“Mm…”
Lu Qiancha’s sensitive ear tips twitched, and she unconsciously withdrew her “attacked” hand, hiding it by her side.
Target switched.
Ling Wanbai’s gaze unimpededly landed on Lu Qiancha’s other small hand, which still lay on the table.
This time, she opted for a more thorough verification.
“Awo.”
She opened her mouth slightly, and without hesitation or error, gently took one of Lu Qiancha’s slender, fair fingers into her mouth.
The taste on her tongue was still that faint milky fragrance.
The texture was unmistakably that of skin—smooth and soft, without the fine fur she’d imagined.
How strange.
“…Mmm.”
The damp, warm sensation from her finger finally roused Lu Qiancha from her slumber.
She rubbed her eyes in a daze, her sleepiness heavy, and looked over—only to see Ling Wanbai calmly holding her finger in her mouth, as if savoring some rare delicacy.
Lu Qiancha: “?”
“Ling Wanbai! What… what are you doing?!”
Lu Qiancha instantly bristled like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on, yanking her finger back. A thin strand of silver, gleaming in the light, stretched and then snapped with her movement.
“I’m eating your hand.”
Ling Wanbai’s reply was direct and matter-of-fact, her face expressionless.
“Of course I know you’re eating my hand…”
Lu Qiancha choked on the frankness and utter lack of remorse in that answer, her cheeks puffing like a squirrel stuffed with nuts, “What I’m asking is—why are you doing this? Why are you gnawing on my hand?!”
“I wanted to know why your paw disappeared.”
Ling Wanbai was as calm as ever, as if discussing the weather. She even helpfully pulled a clean, soft handkerchief from her sleeve and offered it over, “Wipe it off, don’t be angry.”
“Gu…”
A meaningless little whimper escaped Lu Qiancha’s throat.
She took the handkerchief and wiped her hand, then suddenly thrust the recently tasted hand out toward Ling Wanbai, palm up, eyes burning, “Let me touch your tail, and I’ll forgive you.”
“Alright.”
Ling Wanbai agreed briskly and obediently. She turned slightly, and placed her fluffy, gray-white tail gently into Lu Qiancha’s outstretched palm.
“Humph!”
A triumphant, slightly smug smile instantly bloomed across Lu Qiancha’s face.
She couldn’t wait to spread her two little hands, fingers splayed wide, and then, without reservation, began to knead and squeeze the fluffy tail without rhyme or reason.
“Hoo…”
The corners of Ling Wanbai’s previously tranquil brows furrowed ever so slightly, as if a stone had been tossed into a still pond, sending out faint ripples.
Lu Qiancha’s eyes were wholly absorbed by the fluffy tail in front of her, sparkling with excitement and novelty.
Others were always the ones kneading her tail—she’d never properly kneaded someone else’s before.
Thinking as she worked, her little hands became even more enthusiastic, switching angles and pressure, ruffling through the sleek, thick fur and feeling its warm fluffiness.
“Huu~”
A barely audible, slightly suppressed moan slipped through Ling Wanbai’s tightly pressed lips.
Two faint blushes quietly blossomed across her cool, aloof face.
Her body seemed to tense slightly, as if she were trying her best to endure something, and that tormented, fluffy tail trembled uncontrollably in Lu Qiancha’s hands.
A short, soft “ying wu~” escaped Ling Wanbai’s lips, and her whole body seemed to melt, boneless, into Lu Qiancha’s arms.
Her usually impassive gray eyes now revealed a trace of dazed confusion.