Chapter 55

Ye Baizhi listened thoughtfully. She spoke, “Once we get out, let’s visit the marketplace first, then the city.”

“I’ve never seen it before—I don’t know what it’s like.”

The thought slipped out unconsciously as she pondered.

Hearing this, Ye Wulan’s expression shifted. He knew her past.

She had once been a noble female of the Rabbit tribe in the imperial city, but after her exile, she returned to the Northern Region’s Rabbit tribe. The central imperial city had numerous streets filled with shops, with designated marketplaces. Even though this was the Northern Region, it wasn’t much different. There was no way she wouldn’t know about them. Yet, she claimed she had never seen them and didn’t know what they looked like.

A realization struck Ye Wulan—when she first arrived at the Rabbit tribe’s settlement, he hadn’t sensed anything unusual. But then, one day, he suddenly knew—it was her. Her transformation had been drastic.

For a brief moment, a wave of panic surged within Ye Wulan. He suddenly felt an urge to hold onto her tightly.

Ye Baizhi noticed that Ye Wulan’s face had grown even paler and asked, somewhat puzzled, “Are you feeling exhausted?”

“It’s nothing. As long as I’m by your side, I won’t feel tired.”

“When we leave here, wherever you want to go, I’ll go with you.”

“Whatever you want to see, we’ll see it together.” A quiet fear lingered in him—the fear that she might suddenly vanish.

Ye Wulan continued to gently follow her lead, though Ye Baizhi remained unaware of the thoughts running through his mind. She smiled. “Alright! Once we’re strong enough, we can travel across the Beast Continent and explore every corner.”

“Each place has its own special foods!”

Ye Wulan gazed at the brightness in her expression, his eyes softening with a warm, shimmering light. Holding Da Bao in his arms, he walked ahead. He was tall and long-legged, standing a full head above Ye Baizhi. But he deliberately slowed his pace to match Ye Baizhi’s steps.

When they reached the orchard, he said, “This is the orchard.”

“There are several different types of fruit trees.”

Ye Baizhi looked ahead and saw not only hawthorn but also peaches, apples, and tomatoes.

“There are so many kinds of fruit—this is amazing.”

“But why do only a few trees have fruit while the others are bare?”

They looked like fruit trees as well.

Ye Wulan explained, “Years ago, when that force invaded the tribe, they harvested all the fruit and damaged the trees. Many of them have since died.”

“In truth, the Enchanter Demon tribe’s actual orchard is vast. This one in my secret realm is just a tiny fraction.”

The Enchanter Demon tribe had a long history, with many cultivated fruit trees. But they had all been devastated by the enemy.

Ye Baizhi listened to his words and glanced at the ruined trees—it was such a shame. Then, an idea struck her. She wondered if wood-based abilities or the spiritual spring water could revive the trees. If they could come back to life and bear fruit again, that would be incredible. After all, fruit trees needed years to grow before producing fruit, unlike watermelons or grapes, which could mature in just a few months.

Ye Baizhi pushed aside her thoughts and said, “I see.”

“But maybe, given the right opportunity, these trees could come back to life.”

“Let’s pick some fruit—these can be juiced, the tomatoes can be turned into sauce, and any leftover peaches can be made into preserves…”

She excitedly listed different ways to prepare the fruits.

Ye Wulan wasn’t familiar with them. He reached out, preparing to gather all the fruits at once and let them fall to the ground.

Ye Baizhi stopped him. “If they get crushed when they land, they won’t store well. Let’s pick them properly.”

“We can’t eat them all at once—let’s just take what we need for now.”

She carefully selected a few of each kind.

Ye Baizhi picked extra hawthorn berries, eager to make candied hawthorn when they got back. She wove a basket from tree branches on the spot, filled it with the harvested fruits, and carried it home. With their bounty secured, her mood was bright. She thought that having some fruit after a meal would help cleanse the palate and soothe the throat.

Apples could be made into apple muffins, apple pancakes, caramelized apples, or fruit leather. Of course, hawthorn could also be used to make fruit leather. There were so many possibilities for food.

Feeling excited, Ye Baizhi unconsciously started humming a tune.

“I came from the mountains, bringing orchids, planting them in a courtyard, hoping they bloom early…”

She hummed as she walked, her steps light, fingers brushing against the roadside wild grass, breathing in the fresh air—it felt invigorating.

Ye Wulan and Da Bao listened, utterly spellbound.

Ye Wulan watched as Ye Baizhi walked slowly, bathed in sunlight, as if enveloped in a luminous glow—gradually becoming almost translucent.

“Miss Ye!” A surge of panic rose in Ye Wulan’s heart, and instinctively, he reached out and grabbed her hand.

Ye Baizhi paused, turning to look at him. “What’s wrong?”

The unease that had suddenly gripped Ye Wulan was difficult to put into words.

“Will you leave? Will you disappear?”

Ye Baizhi thought he might still be unwell. She said softly, “How could I? You and Da Bao are here—where would I disappear to?”

“Are you feeling unwell? Having hallucinations?” As she spoke, she reached out to touch his forehead. “No fever!”

“You should be fine!”

Da Bao stretched out his arms, asking to be held.

Ye Baizhi handed the basket to Ye Wulan and scooped Da Bao into her embrace.

Da Bao hugged her tightly and said, “Mom, your song was so beautiful. Are you a goddess?”

Uh… Ye Baizhi thought for a moment and replied, “It’s a song I dreamt of in my sleep. There are many more—I’ll sing them for you later.”

“Mom is amazing!”

Hearing Ye Baizhi’s words, Ye Wulan finally relaxed, the tension in his heart slowly easing.

Once they returned to the wooden house, Ye Baizhi began making dumplings and then prepared the candied hawthorn. After dinner, the three of them sat in the courtyard, enjoying the breeze while eating candied hawthorn and fresh fruit. It was peaceful and pleasant.

Still, Ye Baizhi found silence a little awkward, so she began telling Da Bao a story—the tale of the Seven Fairies.

When the story ended, Ye Wulan fell silent, his aura shifting.

Da Bao, now drowsy, nestled against Ye Baizhi and drifted off to sleep. She carried him to bed. But when she sat back down, she suddenly felt unsure of what to do with her hands and feet, glancing uneasily at Ye Wulan beside her.

Ye Wulan saw her expression and immediately knew—she wanted to escape. His gaze darkened, a subtle hint of allure flickering in his eyes. He could no longer let go. No matter the means, he had to keep her here. If she truly disappeared one day, he would go mad.

A realization dawned on him—her origins might be a mystery. Perhaps she was not who he had once believed her to be.

As Ye Baizhi prepared to stand up, Ye Wulan suddenly started coughing.

“Cough… cough…” Blood trickled from the corner of his lips, a striking contrast against his ethereal beauty.

Under the night’s glow, his presence seemed almost hypnotic. But his frail appearance startled Ye Baizhi. She immediately reached out to support him.

“You… What’s wrong?”

“How are you coughing up blood?”

She lifted her gaze to meet his eyes—not the usual warmth, but a depth as vast as the ocean, drawing her in, leaving her unable to pull away.

Seizing the moment, Ye Wulan weakly pulled her into his arms, closing his eyes as if utterly spent. Softly, he murmured, “It’s nothing. With Miss Ye by my side, I feel much better.”