Chapter 31

When Xue Youchen appeared, Ye Baizhi was placing prepared cabbage into a jar. Once sealed and fermented, it would become pickled cabbage.

Over the past few days, Ye Baizhi had been wandering the nearby mountains, where she discovered a large amount of cabbage. There was far more than she could consume, so she stored some in a cave and used the rest for pickling.

However, as she was pickling the cabbage, she realized she didn’t have enough clay jars. Initially, she planned to exchange for more at the market. However, she then considered whether the tribe could produce its own clay jars, thereby eliminating the need for trade.

Of course, pickling cabbage requires a significant amount of salt. Fortunately, in her spatial farmhouse, she had plenty stored. She had accumulated a vast quantity back during the apocalypse, so she had no reservations about using it for pickling. She had also gathered a good amount of lemons, which she could use for curdling tofu or as a substitute for vinegar in soups.

As she watched her steadily growing stockpile of ingredients and prepared foods, a sense of accomplishment filled her heart.

Over the past few days, she had been so busy that she nearly forgot about Xue Youchen. So when he suddenly appeared, Ye Baizhi was momentarily stunned.

The moment Xue Youchen saw her, the restrained longing in his eyes surged forth like a flood breaking its dam. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and gently wrapped his arms around her. Then, he tightened his embrace—but carefully avoided her stomach. At that moment, the emptiness in his heart was finally filled.

Breathing in Ye Baizhi’s delicate fragrance, Xue Youchen felt a rare sense of reality. In a hoarse whisper, he asked, “Did you miss me?”

The cold and distant aura that usually surrounded him seemed to soften the instant he faced her. Even his voice carried a tender warmth.

Ye Baizhi inhaled the crisp scent of Xue Youchen—a cool, understated fragrance that brought her a sense of peace. “Mm, I did.”

Held in his arms, she realized she truly had missed him. His scent, subtly cool yet deeply alluring, was one she loved.

Ye Baizhi softly voiced her longing, and in that moment, Xue Youchen felt an overwhelming urge to pull her into the depths of his heart.

A faint scent of blood reached Ye Baizhi’s nose, and her expression shifted. She quickly stepped out of Xue Youchen’s embrace, looking at him with concern. “Are you hurt? Why do I smell blood?”

Xue Youchen gently stroked her hair, his gaze so tender it seemed to overflow. “I’m not hurt. It’s someone else’s blood.”

A muffled sound—”Mmmph…”—drew Ye Baizhi’s attention. She turned and finally noticed the bound, bleeding figure of Kasai.

Kasai knelt on the ground, glaring at Ye Baizhi with venomous hatred and jealousy. If her mouth weren’t stuffed with cloth, she would likely already be spewing curses. Even now, she was angrily making muffled noises, unable to speak.

Ye Baizhi frowned at her. “She’s a cat beastman?”

A chill flickered through Xue Youchen’s eyes as he looked at Kasai. “She is Kasai. The matter with the cat tribe has been completely settled.”

He turned to Ye Baizhi and said, “I’ll leave her to you.”

Xue Youchen knew how much Ye Baizhi despised Kasai, so he was giving her the chance to personally deal with her.

“Don’t worry—her meridians have already been destroyed. She’s powerless now, just a cripple.”

“And this—this is your elder brother’s gifted bone.”

Xue Youchen had already retrieved it from Kasai and stored it safely in his spatial ring.

Ye Baizhi’s expression shifted slightly. With this, she could finally help her elder brother regain his strength. The thought stirred something deep within her, and she looked at Xue Youchen, gratitude shining in her eyes. “Thank you.”

Xue Youchen sighed softly. “Fool, there’s no need to thank me.”

For her, he was willing to do anything, and he did so gladly.

Ye Baizhi truly appreciated him. Without Xue Youchen, she might never have learned about the gifted bone, nor would she have been able to seek justice for her brother so quickly. She couldn’t deny the satisfaction she felt, watching Kasai kneel there, reduced to a powerless wreck.

Her brother and mother weren’t home at the moment, but she could interrogate Kasai just the same.

Ye Baizhi stepped closer, crouched down, and removed the gag from Kasai’s mouth.

The moment she was free, Kasai spat out a furious curse. “Ye Baizhi! What right do you have to claim the Snow Wolf King? What right?”

The way Xue Youchen and Ye Baizhi embraced so effortlessly—so intimately—drove Kasai to madness.

The Snow Wolf King was the most noble of beast rulers, cold and distant, never drawn to females. A creature of pristine elegance and restraint. How could someone like Ye Baizhi possibly catch his attention?

“You Baizhi! You’re nothing but a false noble cast out from the imperial city—a worthless outcast. A female abandoned by the Beast Emperor, rejected and despised! What right do you have to stand beside the Snow Wolf King?”

“Snow Wolf King, don’t let her deceive you! She is the most hated and despised of all females. Look at me! Look at me! I am devoted to you, utterly loyal. You would be my only mate…”

Even now, Kasai’s gaze remained fixated on Xue Youchen, burning with obsession. Yet Xue Youchen didn’t spare her a single glance. His eyes rested solely on Ye Baizhi, filled with warmth.

The Snow Wolf King had always been cold and distant, yet here he was, showing tenderness—for a lowly rabbit female.

Kasai was consumed with jealousy, on the brink of madness.

Why? Why wouldn’t he look at her? She was far superior to Ye Baizhi.

Ye Baizhi, however, didn’t let Kasai’s insults provoke her. Without hesitation, she swung her hand, landing a sharp slap across Kasai’s face.

Smack!

“Ugh—!”

A sharp cry escaped Kasai as blood trickled from the corner of her lips. Her face instantly swelled, leaving her momentarily speechless.

Kasai spat out a mouthful of blood, her face swelling from the force of the slap. The pain was so intense that she was momentarily speechless.

Ye Baizhi never considered herself a good person, and after all the insults Kasai had hurled at her, she saw no need to waste words when actions spoke louder.

“Give up. Xue Youchen is my mate.”

Kasai had never been humiliated like this before. She trembled with rage. And then came those words—like a stone striking her skull, shattering whatever composure she had left. The pain of them was maddening. She glared at Ye Baizhi with hatred so sharp it could kill if looks alone could wound.

“Why? Why—!”

Ye Baizhi lazily replied, “No reason. He’s my mate, and that’s all there is to it.”

Xue Youchen listened, his gaze indulgent, his expression full of affection. It was as if hearing her say it made him genuinely happy.

Kasai’s voice trembled with resentment. “Back in the imperial city, the noble beastmen wouldn’t even look at you. How could the Snow Wolf King ever choose you?”

“Did you use some kind of trick?”

Ye Baizhi didn’t bother refuting her. It was true—her former self had been widely despised in the central imperial city. But that had been a carefully orchestrated setup. And when she was exiled to the northern territory, assassins had pursued her. If she hadn’t escaped in her beast form, she would have died long ago.

One day, she would reclaim everything.

Ye Baizhi leaned back, unbothered. “You can think whatever you like.”

“But since you seem to know me so well, tell me—did you intentionally target the rabbit tribe?”

“Or, more specifically, did you deliberately set your sights on my elder brother just to harm him?”