Chapter 130: Chapter 130: Fluffed-Up Changxia

“Nan Feng!” Chen Rong didn’t care that his hands were dirty—he immediately pulled Nan Feng away and deftly took Changxia from her, holding her protectively against his chest.

At the same time, he kept a wary eye on the overexcited Nan Feng.

Nan Feng had moved so fast just now.

By the time everyone else reacted, they were all left speechless. Was Nan Feng crazy? She’d almost scared Changxia to tears!

Ahem, well…

It’s true that Changxia’s beast form is ridiculously cute!

But this was just too much.

No wonder Changxia’s always reluctant to transform—if there were a few more tribe members like Nan Feng, she’d have to live in constant fear every day.

“Uh, sorry, I just got a little too excited,” Nan Feng apologized. “It’s been years since Changxia transformed, and it’s so rare to see her beast form. I just couldn’t help myself.”

As she spoke, she kept sneaking glances at Changxia, clearly scheming for another chance to hug her.

“Hmph!” Changxia perched on Chen Rong’s shoulder, shot Nan Feng a cold look, and scolded, “Nan Feng, if you lay a hand on me again, I’ll beat you up.”

Damn it—

Her little belly was sore from all the rubbing.

If she hadn’t called for help in time, she’d probably be bald by now.

Nan Feng, just you wait.

Once I get some more practice, I’ll rub all the fur off your head!

Changxia angrily swished her tail, grumbling under her breath.

It made Chen Rong’s heart itch—honestly, with Changxia being this cute, it wasn’t just Nan Feng who wanted to pet her. Even Chen Rong was tempted. Maple Leaf, Warm Spring, and the others probably felt the same.

“Chen Rong, take me to the bath. I need a hot soak,” Changxia ordered, telling him to grab the clothes from Lu You and leaving instructions, “Lu You, you all stay for lunch. Eat before heading back to the tribe.”

“Yay!”

“Sister Changxia’s food is the best!”

Immediately, a dozen or so little ones cheered and bounced around excitedly.

There was bone broth simmering on the stove, and a pot of hot water boiling nearby. Changxia didn’t have to worry about not having hot water. Chen Rong carried her into the kitchen to fetch some. When Changxia tried to get down, he held her fast.

“My clothes, don’t forget my clothes,” Changxia reminded him.

“It’s fine, I’ll carry you to the bath and bring your clothes over in a bit,” Chen Rong replied.

“No, I’ll walk myself,” Changxia insisted stubbornly.

After being carried by Shan Que for so long, she’d recovered most of her strength. No way was she letting anyone carry her anymore.

Changxia was adamant.

Chen Rong had no choice but to let her down.

He watched as Changxia walked into the bathhouse, feeling a pang of regret. It was such a rare chance to see Changxia’s beast form—what a shame he couldn’t hold her a little longer.

“Hurry up, Chen Rong,” Changxia called.

She was eager to bathe, get dressed, and return to her human form.

Hmph—

Even through the walls, she could feel Nan Feng’s resentment.

And the barely restrained excitement from Maple Leaf, Warm Spring, and the others.

No more “accidents.”

Not ever again.

Everyone in the courtyard looked at Nan Feng with a mixture of regret and reproach.

If only Nan Feng had kept her cool, Changxia wouldn’t have rushed off to bathe so quickly. She would have at least greeted everyone and chatted for a bit.

That way, they might have had a chance to do something, too.

Now, it was all gone.

"Nan Feng—"Maple Leaf rubbed her hands together, flashing Nan Feng a brilliant smile.

This time, Warm Spring and the others still didn’t try to stop her.

In fact, they even joined in, ganging up to give Nan Feng a good beating.

The young beast cubs like Mountain Sparrow found it hilarious, swinging their tiny fists and jumping into the fray. Instantly, the atmosphere became lively, and the noise echoed across the entire White Lake.

A while later—

When Chang Xia finished her bath and came out, the courtyard of the cave dwelling was already being swept up, nearly done.

The tree pits had been left open, and the corner by the wall hadn’t been paved with snowflake stone yet. Instead, all the remaining stones were stacked there, waiting for Chang Xia to bring back fruit trees to plant before finishing the paving.

“You’re all so fast!” Chang Xia looked around the whole courtyard in amazement. The pool hadn’t been filled yet, since there was no running water brought into the cave, so filling it wouldn’t be easy.

The flowerbeds were still bare, with no plants or flowers yet, but everything looked neat and tidy.

Still, Chang Xia imagined the pool filled with water, the bottom lined with pebbles, and beautiful fish swimming inside. With flowers and fruit trees all around the courtyard, the scene in her mind was simply stunning!

“With more people, the work goes quickly,” Shen Rong said.

Chang Xia wiped the water from her hair, beaming. “Nan Feng, I won’t hold a grudge this time. For lunch, just tell me what you want to eat…”

Happy as could be, Chang Xia was in a generous mood.

After more than two months of hard work, she finally had a cave dwelling that was truly her own.

The joy she felt was overwhelming.

Home—a simple word, but truly having one is never easy.

“Chicken noodle soup—!”

Nan Feng blurted out. She’d missed out on chicken noodle soup that morning, and there was no way she’d let lunch pass without it. Besides, Chang Xia had spent the whole morning training with the tribe and must be tired.

As soon as Nan Feng spoke, the others immediately caught on.

“Chang Xia, how about chicken noodle soup and roast meat for lunch?”

“I’ll go catch a few fish from White Lake and make some fish stew.”

Having tasted Chang Xia’s braised meat before, Maple Leaf wanted to try her fish stew too. She wondered if it would be as tender and smooth as the fish balls.

Once they’d settled on the menu, everyone sprang into action.

Some went to catch fish, others to catch chickens.

In an instant, only Chang Xia and Shen Rong were left in the courtyard. Well, along with the twin cubs in Chang Xia’s arms. As for Mountain Sparrow and the other beast cubs, they’d all dashed off to the lakeshore to help catch fish and chickens, running faster than ever.

“I’ll go knead the dough—” Chang Xia hesitated.

Shen Rong shook his head. “You and the cubs should sit and rest for a bit. Wait for Maple Leaf and the others to come back before you start on the dough. I’ll sweep the courtyard again with some leaves.”

“Alright!” Chang Xia didn’t refuse—she was still a bit tired. She cuddled the twin cubs, gently kneading them, and sighed, “I thought training at the tribe’s training ground this morning would be easy, but who knew… I couldn’t even keep up with Mountain Sparrow and the others.”

“You’ve just recovered, so it’s natural to be a bit behind. Once you get used to it, you’ll definitely be able to outrun them,” Shen Rong comforted her.

Hearing this, Chang Xia nearly exploded.

Outrun Mountain Sparrow and the other beast cubs!!!

Was that really all Shen Rong expected of her?

Seeing Chang Xia’s eyes go wide, Shen Rong lowered his head and chuckled to himself.

Teasing Chang Xia was just too much fun.

But he couldn’t let her catch on—otherwise, she’d get mad for sure.

“Don’t worry. For now, just train with Mountain Sparrow and the others to build your foundation. When the rainy season ends, we’ll be able to go into the forest. Then, you can hunt or forage as much as you want.”

Seeing that she was almost convinced, Shen Rong quickly followed up.

As soon as he said that, Chang Xia brightened up.

She’d risked embarrassment to train with a bunch of beast cubs, all for the hope of one day leaving the tribe to hunt and forage in the forest.

Thinking that day might come soon, Chang Xia felt that all her hard work and exhaustion would be worth it.

Suddenly, Chang Xia remembered Su Ye’s promise, and a wave of worry and nervousness hit her.

It was already the second day since Su Ye and Bai Qing had returned to the Kanasha Holy Mountain’s shaman hall. She wondered if the Lion and Bear tribes had sent anyone to the shaman hall yet.