Chapter 98: Stealing

Xuan Ya looked at Lu Qiancha’s adorably clueless expression and couldn’t help but sigh softly.

So clumsy, no trace of the cleverness her own disciple had inherited.

Then, Xuan Ya’s gaze shifted to the clothes Lu Qiancha was wearing—far too thin, and the size didn’t fit well either.

This only deepened Xuan Ya’s already rigid impression of Xun Xue’s irresponsibility.

“Xiao Qianqian, why are you dressed so lightly?”

Xuan Ya extended her index finger and poked Lu Qiancha’s faintly visible belly.

“Mm~”

Lu Qiancha covered the spot she was poked and took a small step back. Then she looked up at Xuan Ya and said, “I’m not cold.”

Xuan Ya shook her head gently and beckoned Lu Qiancha over. “Come here, I’ll get you something to wear.”

“I’m not cold.”

Lu Qiancha frowned and emphasized once again.

But Xuan Ya grabbed her in a tight hug and forcibly carried her into the room.

There’s a kind of coldness called ‘when parents think you’re cold.’

Lu Qiancha’s thin clothes were taken off, replaced by a velvet long-sleeve shirt and a thick cotton coat that Xuan Ya put on her.

Feeling the heavy layers wrapping her body, Lu Qiancha was a bit uncomfortable.

The earlier outfit had been better—much cooler.

Just as Lu Qiancha was about to step out the door, Xuan Ya pulled her back again.

“Hm?”

Tilting her head, Lu Qiancha looked at Xuan Ya with confusion, as if asking: Is there something else?

“Have your parents taught you literacy and cultivation yet?”

Xuan Ya asked softly.

Lu Qiancha nodded.

Seeing this, Xuan Ya said no more, only warning her not to go digging in the snow again.

“Master is so weird…”

Lu Qiancha shook her head and returned to her room.

She extended her spiritual awareness into her storage pouch and took out a stalk of Dendrobium nobile orchid.

“Ah wu,” she opened her small mouth and bit into the stem.

After chewing on it for over a month, the effect was still as potent as ever.

Lu Qiancha even doubted whether Xun Xue’s desensitization therapy was just a trick to fool her.

But the next moment, she pushed all those doubts aside and immersed herself in the fragrance of the Dendrobium nobile orchid.

She didn’t even notice when someone knocked on the door.

“Knock knock knock!”

“Senior Brother, are you home?”

Gantang stood outside and knocked. Then she continued, “I came to bring you some clothes.”

***

After waiting a while with no response from Lu Qiancha, Gantang changed her mind and decided on her own to leave the clothes somewhere obvious inside the room and leave.

But the moment she stepped in, her heart jolted.

“Senior Brother! Are you feeling unwell? Why are you lying on the floor?”

Gantang hurried forward, picked Lu Qiancha up, brushed off the dust, and laid her on the bed.

“Gan… Tang?”

Lu Qiancha looked up at Gantang for a long moment, seeming to wonder why she was there.

But then she gave up thinking.

Her ears itched, rubbing against Gantang’s hand.

Her tail was itchy too, pressing into Gantang’s palm.

“?”

Gantang looked at the tail suddenly pressed into her palm, feeling somewhat bewildered.

“Pet.”

Lu Qiancha tilted her head back, blue eyes shining with a trace of plea.

Gantang’s palm moved mechanically back and forth.

Senior Brother curled up in her arms asking to be petted like this… she felt like she had a similar dream a few days ago.

Gantang wanted to pinch herself to check if she was dreaming.

But after hesitating for a moment, she gave up on the idea.

Forget it, no pinching—what if, like last time, she accidentally woke herself up from a dream? That wouldn’t be good.

Snapping back to reality, Gantang looked down at the little wolf cub in her arms, blue fur fluffy, eyes dreamy, purring softly while nudging around.

Unconcealed tenderness flashed in her gaze.

She placed her left hand on top of Lu Qiancha’s head, gently massaging the small twitching ears.

Her right hand slowly stroked the restless big wolf tail.

“Ying wu wu~”

Lu Qiancha’s expression showed great contentment.

No need to move herself, so happy.

Her small mouth opened, “Ah wu,” biting again into the Dendrobium nobile orchid held in her paws.

A burst of sweet, milky fragrance exploded in her mouth.

Strangely, the raw Dendrobium nobile orchid tasted sweet with a milky aroma, but cooked, it tasted like chopped scallions.

When crushed, it smelled sharp and pungent, like chili powder.

After only a few bites, the orchid in Lu Qiancha’s paws was already gone. She lazily lay in Gantang’s arms, enjoying the gentle stroking.

Gantang’s hands never stopped moving, sometimes scratching Lu Qiancha’s trembling ears, sometimes gently grabbing her chin, while her right hand caressed the big tail from top to bottom.

Looking at this blue-furred, fluffy, dreamy-eyed little beast in her arms, purring softly and completely letting down all defenses and distance…

Gantang’s heart seemed to be struck hard by this ultimate softness.

Her hand rubbing the ears grew lighter and gentler, fearing to disturb this trust…

The strokes along the tail became smoother and softer…

“Wuying~”

Lu Qiancha let out a faint, dreamlike hum, as delicate as a mosquito’s buzz. Her small body, under Gantang’s doting touch and fur-smoothing, finally surrendered all weight.

Like a half-melted Blueberry Milk Candy, completely softening in Gantang’s arms.

After a while, Lu Qiancha’s deep blue eyes, originally veiled in a misty haze, gradually cleared to a bright clarity.

Her consciousness felt as if it had disconnected from the Murphy Network and her thoughts reconnected to her body.

She blinked in confusion and saw Gantang holding her.

“Whoosh!”

A rush of burning heat shot from the soles of her feet straight to her crown, and her entire small face flushed red at a visible speed.

“Se-senior sister?! Why are you here?”

Lu Qiancha’s voice changed tone, tinged with barely perceptible panic.

Her two furry little paws quickly retreated to her chest, tightly crossed, her body twisting and curling in Gantang’s arms as if trying to curl into a ball of fur.

“Phew.”

Gantang’s worried heart finally settled as she exhaled softly. Senior Brother was back to normal.

But a strange twinge of disappointment inexplicably flashed in her heart.

She shook her head and quickly brushed away the uncalled-for emotion.

“I came to bring Senior Brother clothes.”

Gantang’s face brightened again, her voice crisp as she pointed at several delicate, perfectly tailored cashmere coats sitting on the nearby table, obviously made to fit Lu Qiancha’s size.

“Here, they’re all here!”

“Um… I—I’ll take them…”

Lu Qiancha almost interrupted, her voice hurried and embarrassed. “Thank you, Senior Sister, you—you should go ahead!”

She struggled to sit up, trying to shake off the overly intimate posture. “I need to cultivate now!”

“Oh, okay!”

Gantang went with the flow, carefully placing the soft, warm little wolf cub back on the edge of the bed. Then she nimbly flipped down to the floor.

The light footsteps of “da da da” echoed as she walked away, the door softly closing behind her.

Leaning against the bedpost, Lu Qiancha completely relaxed, letting out a long sigh.

Her little paws patted her burning cheeks hard, seemingly trying to dispel the embarrassment of the social death she had just experienced.