Chapter 3

“Really?” Li Yueying asked reflexively.

Li Jiangying grabbed hold of the little madwoman, staring straight at her, trying her utmost to make her believe every word came from the bottom of her heart: “I’m hungry, really!”

It wasn’t entirely a lie to placate her. Having not eaten for a day, even someone accustomed to hunger like Li Jiangying was finding it hard to bear.

Hearing this, Li Yueying was overjoyed. Holding the ridiculously oversized chicken-like creature with both hands, she excitedly shoved it into Li Jiangying’s arms: “Jiangying, eat quickly!”

The chicken was almost as large as Li Jiangying herself. Her newly healed body was nearly injured again by the little madwoman’s shove.

Li Jiangying forced a difficult smile, her weak body collapsing to the ground under the weight of the giant chicken.

Li Yueying squatted down beside her, her dark brows curved prettily, propping her excessively pale, slender chin on her hands, grinning: “Jiangying, eat quickly!”

Li Jiangying stared silently at the dead chicken before her: “I have a question for you.”

“Hmm?” Li Yueying tilted her head, blinking, the blood drops still on her face.

Li Jiangying cursed “shameless acting cute” inwardly, then said: “Do you people always eat your food raw?”

Li Yueying was stumped by her question. She started pondering in a daze, unconsciously biting her index finger, her little fangs grinding back and forth, unable to find the answer for ages.

At this, Li Jiangying inwardly and alarmingly reassessed the severity of the little madwoman’s illness—she was truly deeply ill!

Just as Li Yueying was racking her brains, Devil Palace subordinate Liang Yiman, who had been accidentally sent flying by her own Highness and then nearly lost her life for no apparent reason, reappeared at the window, supporting her askew chignon.

“this humble one’s waist… hiss…” Liang Yiman looked with deep resentment at the two women inside, one sitting and one squatting. Dutifully, she sought to solve Her Highness’s dilemma. “Your Highness, a common mortal like her, not at the Innate Realm, cannot eat just anything.”

Li Yueying: Pondering earnestly.

Li Jiangying looked urgently at Liang Yiman: “Save me!”

Liang Yiman gave a wry smile. She straightened her chignon, brushing off the bits of leaf stuck to her clothes, and said gently: “Your Highness, you’ll scare Miss Jiangying like this.”

The little madwoman, who had been earnestly pondering, swished her head up, her large eyes round and wide. Li Jiangying suddenly noticed she had vertical pupils!

“Jiangying will be scared. What should I do… Please don’t be scared, okay?” She reached out to take Li Jiangying’s hand, but finding it buried under the giant chicken, Li Yueying changed targets mid-reach, catching Li Jiangying’s cheeks with both hands and squeezing!

Li Yueying frowned slightly and said seriously: “Jiangying, don’t be scared. I’ll protect you.”

Li Jiangying, her face being pulled, couldn’t help but roll her eyes back like a dead fish: “Please, stop talking. What I fear most right now is you!”

Liang Yiman came into the room but didn’t approach Li Yueying. Instead, maintaining a cautious, extreme distance, she came to stand behind Li Jiangying.

No matter how Li Jiangying looked at it, it seemed she was using her as a shield.

Liang Yiman coaxed the little madwoman in a soft, gentle voice: “Your Highness, mortals don’t eat food like that. Give it to Sister Jiang. The food she makes will definitely please Miss Jiangying.”

Although she didn’t know who this Sister Jiang was either, being able to eat normal food was truly wonderful. Li Jiangying nodded frantically in agreement.

Li Yueying stared at Li Jiangying without blinking, her wine-red pupils holding nothing but her reflection. Hearing this, she reluctantly released her grip on Li Jiangying’s cheeks: “Is that so? Then give it to her.”

Li Jiangying forced herself to give her an encouraging smile: “Thank you, Your Highness.”

“Don’t call me Your Highness.” Li Yueying smiled shyly, as if embarrassed, pressing her lips together. “Jiangying should call my name.”

“Yueying?” Li Jiangying tried calling out tentatively.

The little madwoman’s large, wine-red eyes instantly sparkled. She bit her lip, giggling softly. Extremely pleased by this, she grabbed the giant chicken between them and tossed it at Liang Yiman, saying, without raising her head, “Make it quickly.”

Li Jiangying suddenly realized the price of not eating raw food—she would have to be alone with this little madwoman!

No… don’t abandon me! Li Jiangying tried to extend a pleading hand towards Liang Yiman, but just as her hand rose, Li Yueying took it as a request for a hug and pounced right into her!

Thud!

Li Jiangying was knocked to the ground.

She sobbed silently: “Devil Venerable Lord, are you made of stone? You’re so frickin’ unbelievably heavy!”

Liang Yiman looked down at Li Jiangying, collapsed on the floor, cast her a sympathetic glance, then grabbed the giant chicken and hurriedly slipped away.

Li Jiangying reached to push Li Yueying off but couldn’t budge her. Struggling to breathe and not be crushed to death, she gasped: “Get up!”

“No!” Not only did she refuse to get up, but she wrapped all her limbs around Li Jiangying like an octopus, clinging tightly. Burying her head in the crook of Li Jiangying’s neck, she rubbed back and forth. Her smooth long hair quickly became a tangled mess. She murmured quietly, “I have to hold on to Jiangying. I can’t let go, or Jiangying will fly away.”

Li Jiangying rolled her eyes at the carved wooden beam overhead: “I won’t. I absolutely can’t fly. Really! As a human, I can only run away!”

“Really?” Li Yueying didn’t seem to quite believe it.

“Absolutely true!”

Hearing this, Li Yueying said sweetly and cloyingly, “Jiangying is so good.” But she absolutely refused to loosen her hold. Not only did she not loosen up, but it was as if encouraged—she hugged Li Jiangying even tighter!

With an unrefusable strength and a posture twisted enough to make one question if bones were properly aligned, she entwined around Li Jiangying and shouted joyfully in her ear: “Jiangying is so good! I like you so much!”

Crack…

Li Jiangying seemed to hear her own skeleton protesting.

“My, bones…” Li Jiangying trembled, her weak and feeble voice trailing off. Staring at the carved beams overhead, adorned with dragons and phoenixes, two streams of hot tears rolled down her cheeks.

“I like Jiangying so much… missed you so much… missed you so much…”

Li Yueying repeated tirelessly.

Yet, the more persistent she acted, the more Li Jiangying wanted to flee.

What if she discovered she was a fake? What if she stopped being as mentally regressed and easily coaxed as she was now, and instead returned to that mad, cold-blooded state from yesterday?

Li Jiangying was just a mere mortal. Death would be certain.

What rescued Li Jiangying from her fate of being nearly squeezed to death was Liang Yiman and the tray in her hands.

A massive serving tray; she carried it over with just one hand, setting it down on the table. Three dishes and a soup, along with some translucent, glistening, fragrant rice.

Fortunately, the mad Devil Venerable still remembered that her Jiangying needed to eat. Only then did she loosen her limbs and let Li Jiangying go.

Li Jiangying thought she had finally escaped disaster. She hadn’t expected that, after she sat down at the table, the lingering ghost of a little madwoman would cling to her again!

Like a spirit permanently attached to her back, she lay draped over Li Jiangying, her arms slung loosely in front, her cascading long hair naturally falling to tangle with Li Jiangying’s own.

“Jiangying…” The little madwoman whispered softly in her ear, “Did you think about me?”

Li Jiangying replied woodenly: “I want to eat.”

Getting no response, the little madwoman didn’t get angry; she just kept asking the same question over and over.

Liang Yiman let her eat but didn’t approach herself, saying Devil Cultivators didn’t need to eat every day like mortals.

Li Jiangying was already hungry. Smelling the fragrant aroma of the food, she didn’t stand on ceremony. Picking up chopsticks, she grabbed a piece of chicken and stuffed it into her mouth.

Instantly, her eyes lit up, and hot tears brimmed: “Delicious!”

There was nothing more healing than good food! From the moment she had abruptly arrived here until now, all the hardships and perils she had endured seemed worth it!

This was the most delicious chicken she had ever eaten! One bite, and a warmth spread through her, soothing her entire body.

“What kind of chicken is this…” Li Jiangying ate ravenously, asking indistinctly, “It’s so good!”

Liang Yiman pulled out her exquisitely embroidered handkerchief again, flicking it to cover her mouth as she laughed “youhoho”: “This is no ordinary chicken. We generally call this creature a Little Phoenix Bird. It contains a trace of a Cinnabar Phoenix Bloodline within it, brimming with Fire Spirit energy, extremely nourishing. However, if a mortal eats it unprepared… mild cases result in vomiting blood; severe cases lead to the body exploding and death!”

“??!” Li Jiangying froze. For a moment, she didn’t know whether to swallow the chicken in her mouth or spit it out.

“Pfft hahaha…” Seeing she had frightened her, Liang Yiman couldn’t help but burst into delighted laughter.

Her laughter actually made Li Jiangying breathe a sigh of relief. As expected, she was just trying to scare her.

Liang Yiman covered her mouth, laughing: “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. That only happens if it’s not prepared correctly. Sister Jiang is skilled at processing ingredients. The food she makes brings only benefits when eaten, no harm.”

Although she didn’t know who Sister Jiang was, blessing Sister Jiang! Amen!

Li Jiangying had just swallowed the chicken in her mouth when Liang Yiman added, “But…”

Was there more? Li Jiangying stared at her silently.

Liang Yiman giggled twice, suddenly leaning forward, her expression cryptic. “But, items from the Devil Domain, no matter how carefully processed, always carry a bit of Devil Qi. I wonder if Miss Jiangying can withstand it.”

Li Jiangying: “Oh.”

Seeing her lack of reaction, Liang Yiman curled her lip in slight disappointment: “No fun.”

Li Jiangying found it a little amusing: “You’ve already said everything in the Devil Domain is like this. Not eating means starving to death. Since there’s no other choice, I can only accept it.”

“You understand clearly enough.” Seeming to find nothing left to tease her about, Liang Yiman raised a hand to smooth her sideburns and said, “this humble one will take her leave now. Her Highness is in Miss Jiangying’s hands.”

Ah, leaving again. Li Jiangying was quite unwilling, trying to get her to stay, but the other slipped away too fast—vanishing in the blink of an eye.

She could only disappointedly withdraw her half-outstretched hand.

“Jiangying, missed you so much.” The little madwoman, draped over her back, still hadn’t gotten a response, so she rubbed against Li Jiangying again.

Li Jiangying couldn’t help but frown.

Come to think of it, she wasn’t wearing much. And the person behind her wasn’t wearing much either. At this moment, pressed so tightly against her back, the soft sensation of a certain area was particularly noticeable.

Li Jiangying lowered her eyes slightly, reaching out her chopsticks to pick up a roasted wing tip. Slap! The hand that had been resting over her shoulder, quietly playing with her hair, suddenly darted out and smacked Li Jiangying’s chopsticks aside.

The chicken wing she had picked up naturally fell to the ground.

“What’s wrong with you?” Li Jiangying felt she was nearly at her limit. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself not to be too rash, lest she anger this madwoman and lose her life.

The little madwoman, however, pressed close to her neck and murmured: “You are what you eat. Jiangying can’t eat wings. You’ll fly away.”

Li Jiangying sighed weakly.

“I can’t fly. Really.” Li Jiangying picked up her chopsticks, not even bothering to act disgusted, and rinsed them with tea before continuing to use them.

Li Yueying began muttering unintelligible fragments of words again, completely lost in her own world.

Suddenly, Li Jiangying’s hand, holding the chopsticks, froze mid-air. Gritting her teeth, she growled: “What, do, you, want, now?!”

Li Yueying was silent for a moment, then offered a small defense: “I don’t want anything.”

“Then why are you licking my neck?!”

Li Jiangying reached up to push her away but found the clingy, shameless thing couldn’t be budged.

Li Yueying stammered, unwilling to answer and even less willing to let go. She even sneaked another lick!

Even her tongue was cold. A sudden, icy, wet swipe sent a violent shiver through Li Jiangying.

Li Jiangying took a deep breath: “When under someone else’s roof, you have to bow your head. I’ll endure!”