Chapter 81: Plucking Flowers

Plucking Flowers: Another Day of Training the Wolf

The cold pine scent lingering at the tip of her nose, combined with the overly close distance, made Ji Yingran feel a touch uneasy. She instinctively wanted to step back.

That momentary daze from Ji Yingran, along with her slight discomfort, was successfully caught by Mu Ci.

“Hahaha!”

Without any warning, Mu Ci doubled over in laughter.

Ji Yingran was filled with question marks.

“Hahaha… The phone didn’t lie to this wolf. It really works.”

Ji Yingran silently took a few steps back. Had this wolf really gone mad? Though she had always been pretty wild herself.

Mu Ci laughed heartily before her laughter suddenly cut off. She looked toward Ji Yingran, who had retreated several steps, and belatedly realized her mistake.

No, that ambiguous atmosphere should have continued. She ought to have kept exuding charm and maintained the close contact, not burst into triumphant laughter like this.

Even if she wanted to gloat, she should have done it secretly afterward, not right in her face.

She had completely ruined the ambiguous mood. What a waste of the perfect opportunity she had created.

Mu Ci felt a surge of regret, her face showing clear frustration. She had finally built up that atmosphere, only to shatter it herself.

After a moment of regret and frustration, Mu Ci grew angry and let out a low whine.

One moment laughing, the next annoyed, then angry again.

Mu Ci’s series of reactions looked, in Ji Yingran’s eyes, exactly like the onset of madness…

“Wolfie, are you… okay?” As she spoke, Ji Yingran took two more steps back.

Mu Ci’s face showed clear displeasure. What did this human mean, keep backing away like that?

She got it—definitely because of the earlier eye-blowing closeness. She was shy.

Yes, that had to be it. She was shy.

Mu Ci couldn’t help but feel smug again. As expected, this wolf’s moves were unbeatable. Piece of cake, seducing her in minutes.

Such a vulgar, shallow two-legged beast, unable to resist the slightest temptation. Disqualified.

Since close contact had such an immediate effect, should she press the advantage now? Pretend more sand in her eye and have her blow again?

Mu Ci’s clever mind turned it over and decided no. Using the same trick twice would definitely lose its punch.

She really shouldn’t have laughed earlier. What a shame, such a shame.

While lamenting the missed opportunity, Mu Ci scooted back to the pot to eat. She hadn’t finished the food inside earlier, what with pretending to be ladylike and refined.

Mu Ci ate with loud smacking sounds. As she chewed, she occasionally shook her head, muttering, “What a shame, what a shame.”

What was she lamenting?

Ji Yingran tentatively asked, “Is today’s meal not to your taste?”

Mu Ci licked the pot clean.

Actions spoke louder than words. Licking it that thoroughly—it couldn’t possibly be distasteful.

After licking the pot clean, Mu Ci glanced at the human and rolled her eyes. “Disqualified.”

Ji Yingran smiled helplessly. She had worked so hard to cook her a meal, but expecting a thank-you was nearly impossible. Not only no thanks, but she even got scolded.

Disqualified every single day. Who knew what would qualify in her eyes.

Clang!

The pot was flipped onto the ground with a loud crash.

Mu Ci had finished eating and now began tossing the pot.

Ji Yingran stared at the pot on the ground, black lines forming on her forehead. “You’re doing it again. You eat so happily, then smash the pot when you’re done. This isn’t the first time. I’ve told you I don’t like it when you do that.”

Mu Ci lifted her chin and tilted her head aside. Not listening, not listening.

“You’re still not listening. What kind of wolf doesn’t obey like this?” Ji Yingran deliberately put on a stern expression. “If you do it again, I’ll get mad.”

Mu Ci snorted coldly, defiant and unruly.

Ji Yingran said, “You flipped the pot yourself. Pick it up.”

Mu Ci snorted again and didn’t move, refusing to obey.

Ji Yingran’s tone turned icy, enunciating each word: “Pick. It. Up.”

Mu Ci shot back, “I’m not picking it up. Who do you think you’re ordering around, you lowly human?”

They stalemated for a full minute before Mu Ci grumbled curses and picked up the pot.

Ji Yingran held back a laugh. This one—talk nicely to her and she ignored it completely. Had to give her a stern glare and a cold face before she’d rein it in a bit.

In short, she was itching for a scolding.

Ji Yingran felt that just making her pick up the pot wasn’t enough. She was far too disobedient; she needed a proper training session.

“Wash the pot. I cook, so you handle the washing.”

“This wolf isn’t washing it! Who do you think you’re ordering around, you lowly human?”

One minute later, beside the kitchen sink, Mu Ci clumsily rinsed the pot with water.

As she washed, she whined from her mouth, venting her inner dissatisfaction.

“Wash it cleaner. Rinse off all the detergent.”

“Whine whine.”

“After washing, remember to wipe the water dry from inside the pot.”

“Whine whine.” Mu Ci was furious.

“And you’re still whining.” Ji Yingran put her hands on her hips.

Mu Ci sneaked a glance at her and saw the displeased expression. She stopped whining.

But when Ji Yingran wasn’t paying attention, she started up again with quiet, aggrieved whines.

Damn two-legged beast. Putting on a cold face for who? Once this wolf finishes washing this pot, I’ll ignore you. This wolf’s going to note this down in the diary.

[Today the two-legged beast is another disqualified day.]

[She actually scolded me. Lowly human, just wait for this wolf’s revenge. I’ll make you pay.]

[…]

From afar, Ji Yingran saw Mu Ci sprawled over the table, gripping a pen in her fist and laboriously scribbling in her notebook. Her eyes even gleamed with resentment.

Ji Yingran walked over, and the wolf immediately slammed the notebook shut, looking fully guarded.

Ji Yingran tugged at the corner of her mouth. What exactly was she so afraid of? She could barely write a few characters anyway, scribbling in her diary every day, then terrified of others seeing it.

The key point was, no one else could read it anyway.

Cold winds had blown for several days, but today was a rare fine day in winter—blue skies, white clouds, sunlight warming anyone it touched.

Mu Ci naturally wouldn’t miss such perfect sunbathing weather. Early in the morning, she had sprawled out on her lounge chair, limbs splayed every which way.

With the nice weather, Ji Yingran also got in the mood. She brewed some tea to sip in the gazebo.

Ji Yingran drank tea and admired the flowers in the gazebo, while Wolfie sunned herself on the lounge chair. Neither disturbed the other; it was perfectly harmonious.

However, five minutes later, Ji Yingran retracted her assessment of “neither disturbing the other, perfectly harmonious.”

Because the wolf had suddenly grown curious about what the human was drinking. Her eyes went wide, and her tongue began smacking in anticipation.

How could Ji Yingran not know what that meant? She quickly explained, “This is green tea, a bit bitter. You won’t like it. You can think of it as steeping tree leaves to drink.”

As if Mu Ci would listen. She lunged over and snatched the teapot.

“Hey! You’re doing it again. I can let you have some, but you…” Don’t be so hasty.

Ji Yingran didn’t finish her sentence before the wolf lifted the teapot and started gulping straight from it.

Ji Yingran tried to stop her, but she darted away. Naturally, Ji Yingran couldn’t catch up.

She couldn’t be stopped. The scalding tea had her hopping around the courtyard, whining “whine whine whine” from her mouth.

Ji Yingran felt both exasperated and amused watching her.

When Ji Yingran went to check on her, Mu Ci wouldn’t have any of it. “Such an insidious human, drinking this bitter, scalding stuff. You did it on purpose to burn me. Ulterior motives, insidious two-legged beast!”

Ji Yingran was utterly speechless.

“You found out I wrote bad things about you in my diary, so this is your sneaky revenge. Such a heavy grudge.”

Well, well. So she really had been writing bad stuff about her in the diary.

Once Mu Ci realized the tea tasted bad, she didn’t try to snatch it again and went back to lounging in the sun.

Good thing she was a demon; the scalding didn’t really hurt her. Otherwise, with how she chugged it, she’d probably need a hospital for burns.

Ji Yingran shook her head and brewed another pot of tea, taking a slow sip. First bitter, then a lingering sweetness.

As Ji Yingran savored her tea, Mu Ci wandered over to the camellia bush and reached out toward one of the flowers, intending to pluck it.

Ji Yingran immediately set down her teacup and stood. “You can’t pluck that.”

Mu Ci’s hand paused mid-reach, her rebellious streak flaring. Now she just had to pluck it.

Ji Yingran anticipated her thoughts and hardened her voice. “All the flowers in this courtyard are ones I’ve raised with great care. Not a single one can be plucked. If you do, I’ll get mad. Really mad—not joking.”

Mu Ci’s hand, touching the flower, hesitated for a moment before withdrawing. She didn’t pluck it.

Mu Ci tsked. “Who wants to pluck your stupid flower anyway? Why yell at me?”

Ji Yingran breathed a sigh of relief but didn’t forget to reinforce the lesson. “You can’t pluck them in the future either. I cherish every flower in this courtyard. You can admire them, but don’t reach out to pick them.”

Mu Ci pouted. “So annoying.”

Ji Yingran chuckled softly. Don’t let the “annoying” fool you—Ji Yingran could tell she had taken it to heart. She probably wouldn’t randomly pluck flowers anymore.

Mu Ci loved going against her, but if Ji Yingran spoke to her seriously about something being off-limits, she would listen.

Call it reluctantly obedient among her disobediences?

At any rate, they weren’t completely unable to communicate. With some patience, Mu Ci did understand reason.

Winter deepened, and the weather grew ever harsher.

The cold had no effect on Mu Ci, who lived year-round on Snow Mountain. She still roamed the courtyard daily, sometimes in especially thin clothing.

But for Ji Yingran, once it got cold, she stayed indoors with the heat whenever possible.

The cold wind stung her face like needles. On days like this, one should hole up in a warm room.

Ji Yingran couldn’t even empathize with her past self who had climbed Snow Mountain. She was so afraid of the cold—how had she ever mustered the courage?

The heating was too stuffy, so Ji Yingran went to the window and cracked it open for some fresh air.

A cold breeze brushed her face, turning the inside and outside of the house into two entirely different seasons.

Perhaps because the room was too warm, Mu Ci no longer cared to come into her home. Even when she visited, she would simply crouch outside the window, watching her.

With those big golden eyes blinking curiously just beyond the glass.

What felt cozy and warm to humans was sweltering to wolves.

Every time Ji Yingran saw her sprawled out there, keeping vigilant watch, she couldn’t help feeling sorry for her—an inexplicable surge of pity that made her want to step outside and play with her for a while.

So why wasn’t she standing guard outside today?

Ji Yingran grew curious and leaned over to peer out the window.

The sight that greeted her gave Ji Yingran a real scare, and she bolted out of the house in a hurry.