Chapter – 40
Bai Yuan Is Not Happy
“Are you alright?” Chilin turned to look at her.
Li shook her head lightly.
Chilin looked closely at her forehead, and seeing no injuries, he finally relaxed.
He continued answering her earlier question. “I’m not exactly sure either, but I heard that ever since you were born, their relationship hasn’t been very good.”
Ever since her birth? No wonder the original owner’s memories rarely contained any scenes of her parents being harmonious.
“Before my father caught the plague, Chixiao Xi came to see him. Did you know about that?”
Chilin stiffened noticeably and stammered after a long pause, “She… came?”
He really didn’t seem to know anything.
Li lightly dismissed the doubt and continued, “If this plague has something to do with the Fox Clan, what would you do?”
Chilin turned away evasively, his voice clearly flustered. “How could it be? Xiangxi wouldn’t harm Uncle.”
Li let out a soft sigh. Anything is possible—Chixiao Xi had never liked either her uncle or her brother.
It had been like this since Chinuo’s generation—almost hereditary.
Li gently patted his shoulder. “It’s fine as long as you weren’t involved, otherwise it would be hard to explain later.”
Chilin looked back at her, his eyebrows relaxing a little. “You trust me?”
Li paused for a moment, then smiled. “Why wouldn’t I?”
After that, she walked past Chilin toward the front.
“Let’s go. Everyone’s waiting for their medicine.”
She moved ahead, but Chilin didn’t follow immediately.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, looking back.
Chilin was glancing at the trees to the side. “It looked like someone was eavesdropping on us just now.”
Li hurried over to his side and looked in the same direction. “No way… everyone’s in the cave waiting for medicine right now.”
She didn’t believe it, but her heart was still lifted.
They had just discussed the plague. It was a big matter—after all, someone had already died from it. But it was also something she had already managed to control.
“Maybe I just imagined it,” Chilin said, and then continued walking.
Hearing him, Li also relaxed and followed.
The two of them fell into a silent rhythm.
The tribe had two mountain peaks. Li and Chilin were on the western mountain.
They started from the southwest cave, while Bai Yuan and Ling Mo started from the northwest side.
The others were responsible for the eastern mountain.
Normally, Chilin and Li were two people nobody in the tribe liked. But today, because of delivering medicine, they had regained some respect.
People called them “Master” and “Miss” one after another.
Li became more and more confused—this respect value must be about to max out! Soon they’d be unstoppable.
Chilin, seeing her walking along with a big smile, started chuckling. “Do you really need to be this happy?”
“Wouldn’t you be happy if the tribe respected you?” Li asked.
Hearing this, he laughed suddenly. “They respect me? Is it true respect or just flattery? What do you think, Li?”
He didn’t call her “cousin” anymore, which Li still found a little strange.
“Does it matter if it’s true or fake? As long as it makes me happy,” Li said honestly. If people flattered her, it meant there was still something about her worth flattery.
Chilin hadn’t expected that. The corners of his mouth gradually curved slightly. “That’s actually a pretty good way of thinking.”
“What way of thinking?”
They both turned sharply at the sound.
Ling Mo and Bai Yuan had already finished distributing medicine and came to join them.
“You’ve been busy for so long just chatting?” Ling Mo glanced at the basket of medicine in Chilin’s hands—it was still more than half full.
His eyes scanned their faces, trying to detect any anomaly.
Chilin frowned under Ling Mo’s stare. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
Bai Yuan, in a bad mood today, his handsome features shadowed, spoke in a sarcastic tone, “You might as well let me go with you. I’m younger and faster.”
Chilin laughed, showing his teeth, each word squeezed out from between them. “Just because you’re younger.”
“Bai Yuan, you don’t usually talk much. Today, you’re acting like you’ve been injected with bullets,” Ling Mo said, puzzled.
As usual, Bai Yuan ignored him completely and didn’t answer.
“Let’s just deliver the medicine. Everyone’s waiting,” Li jumped in to smooth things over.
Only a few caves were left, one of which belonged to Qiao Shuangji.
Ling Mo went ahead, the stench in the cave making him wrinkle his nose. It was clear what had happened here earlier.
Qiao Shuangji, wearing only a loosely draped animal-skin skirt and exposing much of her body, half-naked, was lying on the stone bed.
Sensing Ling Mo’s presence, she immediately sat up, almost throwing herself into his arms.
“I knew you were thinking of me, otherwise you wouldn’t have come to bring me medicine.”
Ling Mo turned sharply and avoided her, his eyes full of disgust. “Who’s thinking of you?”
She almost fell, realizing there were still others behind Ling Mo.
“Bai Yuan, Chilin, it’s so good that you’re here too,” she called.
“Qiao Shuangji, are you selectively blind?” Li thought. There’s a perfectly good person here, and she doesn’t see her?
“Pfft. Why should I see you?” Qiao Shuangji narrowed her eyes at Li.
Li took a bowl of medicine from the basket and placed it heavily on her stone table, some of the liquid spilling. “Then just die without taking the medicine, and you’ll never have to see me again.”
“You…” Qiao Shuangji was furious.
“I already told you not to leave the cave, or hang out in someone else’s cave. If you want to die, why involve others in the tribe?”
“Are you talking nonsense? I didn’t…” She sounded guilty and defensive.
Li didn’t want to argue with her and turned to leave. The others followed.
“Hey, Ling Mo, Bai Yuan, Chilin, why are you leaving? Aren’t you going to stay in my cave a bit?” Qiao Shuangji shouted.
The group was startled, especially Bai Yuan, who got goosebumps and wanted to leave immediately.
He looked at Li with some expectation.
Li, however, didn’t care at all. Looking at the empty basket, her expression was slightly excited. “Finally finished today.”
As soon as she said that, she noticed Bai Yuan seemed unhappy. His head drooped, and his two fluffy tiger ears hung low.
“Why the sudden frown? Everything’s done, we can rest now.”
Bai Yuan stared at her eyes and asked, “Why are you so happy?”
Li was a little puzzled and hadn’t answered when Bai Yuan walked off silently.
“What’s his problem?” Li had a questioning look on her face.
Chilin also shook his head in confusion.
Ling Mo, however, seemed to have figured something out. “Probably because of someone.”
Li thought he meant Qiao Shuangji and nodded in agreement. “Looks like she really scared him.”
