The two of them rested for a moment on the slightly cool floor tiles of the bathroom, waiting for their hurried breathing to steady.
Ling Wanbai was the first to pull herself together, moving efficiently to put on her neat clothes.
Lu Qiancha, on the other hand, was slow and sluggish as she changed into a clean dress.
One grey and one blue little wolf, one after the other, stepped out of the misty bathroom, carrying a refreshing scent of water and a faint blush that had yet to fully fade.
Just as they returned to Xun Xue’s warm and elegant room, they saw Xun Xue sitting by the small table near the window with Gantang, talking in hushed tones.
The afternoon sunlight filtered through the window lattice, falling upon the table before them.
“Senior brother, are you finished bathing?” Gantang looked up at the sound, her gaze passing over Ling Wanbai to land on Lu Qiancha behind her as she offered a smiling greeting.
At the same time, a trace of confusion flickered deep in her eyes. ‘How did a bath take so long?’
She subconsciously scanned the two of them. ‘Was the dust on the floor really that hard to wash off?’
“Mhm,” Lu Qiancha replied softly. She then took small steps around Ling Wanbai and threw herself directly into Xun Xue’s familiar, fragrant embrace.
She rubbed her small face longingly against the soft fabric, her voice sweet and sticky. “Respected mother…”
Xun Xue’s eyes turned gentle as she took the opportunity to lift the clingy little wolf cub firmly, letting her sit comfortably on her knees.
Her fingertips gently combed through the girl’s still-damp hair as she asked softly, “I heard from your junior sister that you will be heading to Wanghai City with the Sect’s team in a few days?”
“Mhm…” Lu Qiancha gave a muffled response, burrowing her small head further into Xun Xue’s embrace, trying to dispel the upcoming separation in advance.
The little wolf cub thought about how she wouldn’t be able to see her mother for many days, and the irritation that had just been smoothed over began to creep up again.
“Going out for training is a good chance to see the vast world and experience the scenery elsewhere,” Xun Xue said, keenly capturing her daughter’s low spirits.
She tapped the tip of the girl’s slightly wrinkled nose, her voice growing even more tender. “Why do you look unhappy instead?”
“If I go out, I won’t be able to see respected mother…” Lu Qiancha’s voice was muffled against Xun Xue’s clothes, carrying a hint of a grievance.
“Heh, you little silly.” Xun Xue couldn’t help but chuckle softly, her warm palm gently pinching Lu Qiancha’s soft, tender cheek. Her legs were her own; if she wanted to go, who could stop her?
However, Xun Xue did not voice these thoughts. Instead, they turned into a glimmer of mischievous light in her eyes as she prepared to leave a small surprise for her little one.
Under this reassuring and warm embrace, fatigue quietly washed over her.
Lu Qiancha’s tense nerves relaxed completely, and her long eyelashes slowly lowered like the wings of a butterfly.
Before long, the sound of steady, shallow breathing rose. She fell into a deep sleep in Xun Xue’s arms, her small face peaceful.
Gantang watched this heartwarming scene without making a sound to disturb them. She gave Xun Xue a silent bow, mouthed the words “I shall take my leave,” and stepped out of the room with light footsteps.
To the side, Ling Wanbai also showed signs of exhaustion after their intense sparring session.
She did not go to bed but instead found a soft chair not far from the bedstead. Like a lazy cat, she lay quietly across the desk, her chin resting on her arm.
The tip of her silver-grey tail flicked occasionally as she closed her eyes to rest, silently recovering her strength.
***
The shadows shifted until the sun hung low in the west, and the orange-red glow of the sunset saturated the window paper. The room was peaceful and serene.
Suddenly, a thick, sweet, and sour scent — a somewhat pungent yet fragrant aroma of sauce — drifted into the sleeping little wolf cub’s nose.
“Nng…” Lu Qiancha’s small nose twitched unconsciously twice.
“Time to eat.” Ling Wanbai, who had stood up at some point, walked to the bedside.
She reached out a slightly cool hand and gently shook the little wolf cub, whom Xun Xue had already tucked properly into the soft bedding.
“Ha-woo~” Lu Qiancha was shaken awake. She rubbed her eyes drowsily and let out a deep yawn, sitting up in the blankets in a daze. her nostrils were still greedily fluttering. “What is that? It smells so good…”
“Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs,” Ling Wanbai said succinctly, her voice flat.
“Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs?” Lu Qiancha tilted her small head as a fuzzy memory was suddenly illuminated.
Ah, it was the dish that the trash fish priestess promised to make.
In the next second, all the little wolf cub’s sleepiness vanished without a trace.
Her eyes lit up, and she sprang from the bed with a *boing*. Without even bothering to put on her shoes, she rushed toward the fragrant dining table with her bare, white feet going *pitter-patter*.
However, before her small feet could take more than a few steps, she felt a tightening under her armpits.
A pair of slightly cool hands suddenly slid under her arms and lifted her up steadily, her feet instantly leaving the floor.
“Eh — ?”
Suddenly suspended in mid-air, Lu Qiancha froze. She twisted her small head back in confusion and met Ling Wanbai’s grey eyes.
“Put on your shoes and socks before you eat.”
Ling Wanbai’s voice was flat.
“I know…” Lu Qiancha pouted and replied with a long, drawn-out tone.
As she was gently placed back on the ground by Ling Wanbai, she couldn’t help but steal a glance at the other girl’s height, grumbling wildly in her heart.
‘She’s not even much taller than me, so how can she carry me like a little chick? She’s way too strong.’
With a bit of gloom, Lu Qiancha was “deported” back to the bedside.
She lazily pulled a pair of long white socks from her storage bag and sloppily tugged them onto her small feet. Then, her feet casually stepped into the cloth shoes on the floor.
The little wolf cub impatiently asked Ling Wanbai, who was supervising from the side, “Okay, okay. Can I go eat now?”
As a result, just as she raised her foot with full confidence —
“Wait.” Ling Wanbai’s figure blocked her path again.
Lu Qiancha pursed her lips, her eyes filled with the question: ‘What is it now?’
She watched as Ling Wanbai picked her up again and placed her back by the bed with gentle movements.
Ling Wanbai knelt down, looking carefully at the shoes that had been stepped into haphazardly and the crumpled socks.
She looked up, her grey eyes full of seriousness. “Messy attire is a sign of disrespect toward the gods.”
“Goo — !” Lu Qiancha let out a dissatisfied whimper, her face falling. “This is so troublesome.”
She simply decided to let herself go and act like a rogue. She stretched out her white-socked feet toward the kneeling Ling Wanbai and said provocatively, “Fine, then you put them on for me, trash fish priestess. I don’t want to move anyway.”
“Mhm, alright.” Ling Wanbai did not hesitate for a second and nodded calmly.
In the next moment, under Lu Qiancha’s startled gaze, Ling Wanbai actually knelt down properly. She reached out her fair hands and carefully cradled the extended, sock-covered foot.
“Wah, wait, wait!” Lu Qiancha panicked instantly and tried to pull her foot back.
But Ling Wanbai’s hand steadily circled her ankle, leaving her with no way to break free.
Ling Wanbai looked focused as her slender fingers smoothed out the crumpled fabric of the sock at Lu Qiancha’s ankle, bit by bit, with patient detail.
The Little Grey Wolf’s fingertips brushed against the texture of the socks and the sensitive skin of the ankle, sending waves of fine itching through Lu Qiancha.
“Ugh~ ha… It’s, it’s so ticklish! Hahaha… Don’t do that!”
Lu Qiancha’s body jerked, and she couldn’t help but let out a laugh filled with itchiness and embarrassment.
Her small foot twisted and struggled reflexively in the other girl’s hand. “Don’t, don’t do that! Let go, let go! I’ll put them on myself. I’ll do it right now!”
Seeing that Ling Wanbai remained unmoved and persistent, Lu Qiancha became both anxious and ticklish.
In her desperation, she reached out her small hand and tried to push away the small grey head buried near her feet. “Stop, stop it! Trash fish priestess, did you hear me?”