Chapter 57

At first, Ye Wulan was gentle—his touch soft and tender. His gaze was filled with warmth and lingering affection, never leaving her.

When he finally let go, Ye Baizhi rested against his chest, breathless. Only then did she realize—he had deliberately entranced her, testing her.

Observing how she would react to him.

Ye Wulan held her close, applying just enough pressure—not too much, never enough to hurt her. His striking eyes carried a restrained intensity.

After the kiss, he realized—he wanted more. At this moment, he wished he could pull her into his very being. But he couldn’t frighten her, nor could he let her evade him. He had to take it slow.

Lowering his head, he murmured in a husky, entrancing voice near her ear, “Miss Ye, if you want to save me, there’s only one way.”

Ye Baizhi felt his breath against her skin, sending a faint tremor through her body. Her ears burned red.

She closed her eyes briefly. “I… I understand.”

Yet, thinking of his fragile condition, she instinctively asked, “Your body… will it be alright?”

Ye Wulan’s expression flickered, his gaze darkening slightly. Then, with a soft chuckle, he brushed his fingers against her ear, his touch carrying a teasing allure. He lowered his voice, his tone carrying a dangerous edge. “Miss Ye, whether I can or not… you’ll find out.”

In his eyes, darkness surged, as if he might devour her whole.

For some reason, Ye Baizhi’s heartbeat quickened. She inwardly sighed—what a devil. Whenever he tempted her, she had no way to resist.

As she lifted her gaze to meet his, she could feel the heat in his eyes—restrained, yet burning with intensity.

“I’m only worried about your health!” It was a pointless remark—one that barely served its purpose.

Ye Wulan’s expression shifted slightly. “How rare. There is someone in this world who actually worries about me.”

Hearing those words, an unexpected wave of pity surged in Ye Baizhi’s heart.

Just then, Ye Wulan seemed to sense something. He turned his head toward the inner side of the room.

“Da Bao, are you awake?”

At that, Da Bao rolled over from the inner side of the bed and sat up, looking a little embarrassed. “Father Ye, Mother, I didn’t hear anything.”

He had just woken up and was really trying to pretend to be asleep. But before he could manage it properly, Father Ye had already noticed.

There was no fooling him—Father Ye was truly sharp.

Ye Baizhi couldn’t help but laugh at the little one’s antics.

“Alright, good, you didn’t hear anything.”

Ye Wulan reached out and picked Da Bao up. “Let’s get you washed up first, then breakfast.”

Ye Wulan adored Da Bao and wanted to care for him personally. But although Dabao was still a child, he was quite independent.

At that moment, Ye Baizhi put everything else aside, quickly got out of bed, freshened up, and started preparing breakfast. She couldn’t let Da Bao go hungry.

Breakfast consisted of sweet potato porridge and pan-fried dumplings made from the batch prepared the night before. She had deliberately made extra dumplings to fry in the morning. Fortunately, there was oil available in the space farmhouse.

Of course, she also prepared some milk powder for Da Bao.

As Da Bao was washing up, he caught the enticing aroma. “Wow, it smells amazing! I wonder what delicious food Mother made!”

Ye Wulan looked at his bright, excited eyes, amused. He gently wiped the water from Da Bao’s face and hands with a cloth.

When caring for Da Bao, Ye Wulan was always meticulous and gentle.

Eager to reach the kitchen, Da Bao wriggled in his arms, trying to get down.

Ye Wulan set him on the ground, his voice warm. “No rush, take it slow.”

Though the little one could walk, he was still a bit unsteady. And being impatient by nature, he wanted to run the moment his feet touched the ground. Sometimes, he would toddle forward on his small legs, already trying to sprint. It was undeniably endearing.

Ye Wulan watched him carefully, only relaxing once he was sure Da Bao was safe.

After washing up, they went to the kitchen to help.

Da Bao was eagerly trying to peek into the pot, but the countertop was a bit too high for him. Unable to see, he grew impatient. Meanwhile, Ye Baizhi was focused on pan-frying the dumplings, carefully flipping them to prevent them from burning.

The firewood beneath the stove burned steadily. Because of this, she didn’t notice Da Bao’s struggle.

When Ye Wulan arrived in the kitchen, he saw Da Bao standing on tiptoe, straining to see.

With a gentle movement, Ye Wulan lifted him up so that he could look down at the dumplings sizzling in the pan.

“Mother, it smells so good! These are the dumplings we ate last night, but last night they were boiled!”

“They didn’t smell this good!”

Ye Baizhi patiently explained, “Last night, they were boiled. This morning, I’m making pan-fried dumplings.”

“Different cooking methods create different flavors. Food cooked with oil tends to have a richer aroma.”

Da Bao beamed with joy. “Mother, I love dumplings!”

Da Bao smelled the delicious aroma and immediately felt hungry.

Ye Baizhi said, “Dabao, drink some milk first.”

Hearing this, Ye Wulan picked Da Bao up and retrieved a bottle. He tested the temperature with his hand—it was just right—before handing it to Da Bao.

Da Bao had a big appetite and got hungry easily. He eagerly took the bottle and drank in large gulps.

Watching him, Ye Wulan noticed how his hair had become tousled from sleep. With gentle fingers, he smoothed it down.

Once Da Bao finished his milk, Ye Wulan set him down and cleaned the bottle.

Da Bao needed to drink milk several times a day.

After washing the dishes, Ye Wulan moved to help with the fire. Although the firewood was already burning beneath the stove, he couldn’t bring himself to let Ye Baizhi handle everything alone. As if something occurred to him, he suddenly said, “Da Bao’s strength has improved—he may soon reach the fourth stage.”

Holding Da Bao earlier, he had clearly sensed the surge in his energy.

Ye Baizhi was stunned. “That fast?”

Such remarkable talent—it was truly enviable.

Ye Wulan spoke, “Yes, reaching the fifth stage will be easy for him, but beyond that, it won’t be as fast. The foundation within the first five stages is crucial.”

Ye Baizhi was still surprised. From what she knew, in the Beast Continent, a fifth-stage strength was already formidable. Most beastmen didn’t even reach the first stage.

In the Rabbit Tribe, her uncle’s fifth-stage strength was the reason they remained safe.

“So, he can reach the fifth stage within a year?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Ye Wulan could discern many things. However, advancing too quickly would expose his spiritual energy. With his body still unhealed, he was unable to perform the secret technique to seal his spirit.

At that moment, the space spoke up. “Master, Ye Wulan can perform the secret technique, but only if his body recovers first.”

“So, Master needs to help Ye Wulan restore his body quickly.”

Ye Baizhi immediately understood. She communicated with the space through her thoughts. “I see.”

Tonight, she would take the initiative. There could be no hesitation.

“Master, you cannot stay in the secret realm for too long.”

“Why?”

“Da Bao needs to absorb the spiritual energy of the outside world to grow.”

With that, the space fell silent.

Ye Baizhi understood—she couldn’t remain in the space indefinitely. Soon, she finished pan-frying the dumplings and served them alongside sweet potato porridge.

The three of them sat down to eat.

“Mother, the pan-fried dumplings are so delicious! They smell amazing—better than the boiled dumplings last night.”

“Didn’t you say last night’s dumplings were the best?”

The night before, Da Bao had showered them with praise at dinner.

Da Bao tilted his head thoughtfully. “But pan-fried dumplings taste better than boiled ones.”

Happily, he dug into his meal.

Watching him eat, Ye Baizhi felt her own appetite grow—she could eat a little more. After finishing breakfast, she resumed her preparations—making tomato sauce and fruit preserves. She had to make as much as possible to sell when they ventured outside.