Chapter 18: You little bandit, you are so shameless! You actually snatched the crystal core from your space beast.

Hearing Ling Yu’s words, Ye Wuyou pouted, wanting to argue back. But when she glanced at her swollen hand, puffed up like a pig’s trotter, she gave up. She really couldn’t move around freely right now. Even if she went up the mountain, she wouldn’t be able to help and might just cause trouble. So, she could only pout in grievance, say nothing, and head back to her room.

Seeing the brat sulking again, Ling Yu felt like he was seeing ghosts. Why did this girl have such a big temper every day? He’d only told her not to go up the mountain—why was she angry again? With a sigh, he turned to his younger brother.
“You go on ahead. I’ll rub some medicinal oil on her hand, then catch up with you.”

After that, he followed Ye Wuyou into the room. She was sitting on the bed, sulking. Ling Yu rolled his eyes, then fetched the medicinal oil and sat down in front of her.
“Stretch out your hand. I’ll rub it with some oil, see if it heals faster. If you want to go up the mountain, you’d better get well quickly.”

Ling Yu had been a soldier before, so he wasn’t good at all the little twists and turns of emotions. He didn’t know how to coax girls, either. In his mind, just softening his tone a little was already “coaxing.”

Ye Wuyou let him apply the oil. Over the past couple of days, she could feel her swelling had gone down quite a bit. Seeing the improvement, Ling Yu dared to use more strength, massaging along her veins to stimulate blood flow. Her hand was so small even when swollen—he couldn’t imagine how tiny it would be once she fully recovered. He figured he’d have to nourish this brat properly. She was already seventeen, but still looked like a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old girl.

After all, she was nominally his fiancée. If things really did work out between them and they had a child or two one day, how could her small body handle it? Ling Yu couldn’t help but think further ahead. Remembering her fiery temper, he thought that if they did spend their lives together, at least it wouldn’t be boring.

“Hiss! Lighter, will you? Are you trying to kill me~~” Ye Wuyou cried out, unable to endure his increasingly rough hands.

Ling Yu snapped out of his thoughts and quickly loosened his grip, though he refused to admit he’d been too forceful.
“If I don’t press hard, your blood won’t circulate properly. What if your hand gets ruined? I’m just doing this for your own good.”

“For my good? You nearly broke my hand! Look—this whole spot’s gone white. Doesn’t that tell you how hard you pressed?” Ye Wuyou pointed at the pale patch of skin with grievance. Ling Yu felt a little embarrassed but kept up his stubborn front.

“Alright, alright, I get it. I’ll be careful next time. Just stay home and rest. When I come back, I’ll see if I can bring you some wild fruit from the mountain.”

After speaking, Ling Yu poured her a glass of water in the kitchen and placed it on the nearby table, worried that she’d have trouble even drinking while they were gone.

“Open your mouth.”
“What for?” Ye Wuyou asked instinctively, not knowing what he was up to.
“Just open it. Why do you always ask so many questions?”

Ling Yu was in a hurry to catch up with his brother. Seeing her still uncooperative, he pinched her cheeks open and popped a lump of brown sugar into her mouth.
“Alright, I’m off. The water’s right here. Just take care of yourself and don’t cause trouble.”

Feeling the sweetness melt in her mouth, Ye Wuyou stared at Ling Yu’s departing figure. Even though he had a sharp tongue, she found she didn’t really mind.

No way, bandit girl—you’re not actually falling for him, are you? No way, no way! Yesterday you were still complaining about wanting to kill him, and today you like him already? Even flipping a book isn’t as fast as you flipping your feelings!

Youyou, who had been tidying supplies in the space, had gotten so bored that she started watching outside instead. When it sensed Ye Wuyou’s thoughts, it cried out in disbelief.

Startled, Ye Wuyou snapped back:
“What nonsense are you spouting, you fat cat? Want me to skin you and make a fur coat out of you? I’m going to leave this place someday and do great things. How could I ever fall for such a sharp-tongued man?”

Fat cat? Youyou bristled. How many times have I told you? I’m a leopard! Leopard is my true form. I only look like a cat now. But deep down, I’m still a leopard. Why won’t you ever listen?

“Shut up. Get lost. I’m going to cultivate now. I need to grow stronger, then settle old scores. I won’t let those who wronged me live better than me. I’ll make them live in shabby huts on this mountain and know what it’s like to be dirt poor.”

With that, Ye Wuyou closed her eyes and started cultivating inside the space.

Youyou pouted in grievance. This bandit girl never listened whenever it tried to reason with her. But suddenly, panic struck it—where was Ye Wuyou getting crystal cores to cultivate with? In her past life, she had absorbed every core she got, only tossing a few low-grade ones to Youyou as snacks. Which meant she had none of her own. The only crystal cores around were the ones Youyou had collected!

“Wha—Bandit girl, have you no shame?! You’re stealing my crystal cores? Do you know how long it took me to gather those? Last time you snatched a few, I let it slide. But now you’re at it again? We can’t even go back anymore, and those are my only snacks—the only joy I have left!”

Before Youyou could finish ranting, Ye Wuyou tossed it out of the space, leaving it somewhere in the wilderness.

Bandit girl, curse you! You heartless brat, stealing my crystal cores! Shameless! Uuuugh, my cores, my snacks, my only happiness in this lifetime~~