BXBX NOVEL Chapter 136: A Feast
Chapter 136: A Feast
Translated by: iris.knight
"Awake?" Qi Wan asked softly when he noticed her stirring.
Gu Qingyu raised her head and looked at Qi Wan's pretty face with a confused meow. "Why are you here?"
Qi Wan didn't know if he should laugh or cry. "Boss, you fell asleep in my arms."
Gu Qingyu shook her head. Because the weather was relatively cold, she remained curled up in Qi Wan's arms and didn't want to get up. But she still asked with a short meow, "What time is it?"
"It's about six o'clock..." Qi Wan looked out the window and replied.
Another meow followed. "Is Ye Jin back?"
Qi Wan shook his head. "Not yet."
Gu Qingyu nodded, stood up, and decided to go out to find Ye Jin. But as soon as she stood up, her legs turned into jelly and another dizzy spell hit her, and she plopped into Qi Wan's arms again.
"Be careful." Qi Wan picked her up and sat up, "Boss, you've lost too much blood and your injuries have not healed. I'll take you where you want to go."
Gu Qingyu immediately shook his head and laid back into his arms, Qi Wan was badly injured as well. She answered with a meow. "You're the one that should stay put."
Qi Wan laughed and was about to reply when someone knocked on the door and opened it. It was Qi Yichen. Gu Qingyu's ears wiggled at the sound of knocking and meowed at Qi Yichen. "Why are you here again?
"Do you not welcome me?" Qi Yichen fanned himself and smiled flatteringly. "Brother Zhu, Brother Jia is back."
Upon hearing this, Gu Qingyu immediately stood up shakily but Qi Wan pressed her back now. "Don't move, you've hardly recovered.”
"Xiao Yu'er!" Ye Jin appeared at the door.
Gu Qingyu saw Ye Jin and stood up again, but her legs gave out yet again. Ye Jin walked over hastily, caught the tiny white tiger, and plucked her from Qi Wan's arms. He looked at Qi Wan, and said something that Gu Qingyu did not expect, "Thank you for taking care of her."
Qi Wan squinted slightly, then smiled and said, "This is what I should do."
Gu Qingyu twisted around to look at Ye Jin and bumped her head against his arm with a sweet meow. "I'm hungry!"
"Then I bring you to dinner right away, Xiao Yu'er." Ye Jin rubbed the tiny white tiger's head tenderly and walked out of the room. As Ye Jin was closing the door behind them, Gu Qingyu immediately realized something was amiss. She leaned over his arm and looked back through the shrinking crack. Qi Wan was smiling at her and Qi Yichen was waving at her with a wide grin on his face. Wait! Qi Wan was badly injured! Would leaving him and Qi Yichen alone be alright? What if they start fighting again?
"What are you looking at, Xiao Yu'er?" Ye Jin asked with a laugh as he stopped. He followed her line of sight and turned back, then he closed the door and tapped her head. "What are you worrying for?"
Gu Qingyu leaned back into Ye Jin's arms again and let out a soft cry as he walked.
"I know you're hungry, we'll be there soon." Ye Jin looked at the cat in his arms, "I was only away for a while, how did you end up like this? I can't take my eyes off you for one second."
She whined again.
"Okay, got it." Ye Jin gently rubbed the tiny white tiger's heads as she curled up in the crook of his arm. "You, you just push yourself too much sometimes."
Gu Qingyu blinked a few times as she gazed at Ye Jin with sparkling, onyx eyes.
"Here." Ye Jin pushed open a door with a creak.
They walked into the empty dining room. Ye Jin raised his hand to pull out a chair. Ye Jin's hand paused in the air for a few seconds, and then he placed his hand on the tiny white tiger's head as if nothing had happened. "I'll cook. What do you want to eat?"
Her eyes lit up the moment he said that. Ye Jin's cooking is one of the best she has ever had. She pawed at his arm, then climbed up to his shoulder in her excitement. He laughed as he tilted his head to give her more room. "Okay, what do you want to eat?"
Gu Qingyu did not hesitate and spat out a long list. "I want cake, noodles, and fried rice. Oh, and fried chicken! And burgers!"
Ye Jin was speechless. "Xiao Yu'er, what are you talking about?" He was familiar with fried rice, and noodles. But cake, fried chicken and burgers? Those sounded like food items from her world.
The tiny white tiger shook her head with a soft meow. "Okay, okay, I will eat whatever you cook." Ye Jin smiled and walked into the kitchen.
When he arrived in the kitchen, Ye Jin first spread out a clean white blanket on a table (which had somehow appeared from nowhere) and placed the "white furball" on his shoulder onto the blanket. The "white furball" slowly rolled around on the blanket, before settling on its back and stretched, then rolling back onto its stomach again. The "white furball" and the white blanket melted together, creating the perfect camouflage. Ye Jin stroked the feline's fur and then started cooking.
After Gu Qingyu turned into a tiny white tiger, her sense of smell had become more sensitive. The fragrance of food overwhelmed her nose as she sniffed the air and drooled while Ye Jin tossed the wok. Ye Jin chuckled when he saw the string of drool that trailed from her mouth. The food should be well-cooked, scooped out a portion onto a small plate, and set the plate in front of her. "Eat, greedy cat."
It was fried rice, with eggs and meat and more. The tiny white tiger stretched out her tongue and licked Ye Jin's hand affectionately, then buried her head in the fried rice. It was beyond delicious! Each grain of rice still retained its slightly chewy texture, and it was seasoned perfectly. The more she ate, the hungrier she became. And soon she devoured that small plate of fried rice. When she lifted her head, Ye Jin had just finished preparing a bigger portion for her. He scooped it into a bigger bowl and placed it in front of her and kept the small plate. "Eat."
The fragrance filled her nostrils and she practically dived her head into the bowl.
"Eat slowly, don't choke, there's still more." Ye Jin lifted the wok gently and tossed the golden rice a few more times. Then he brought over another pot, poured in some water, and began to prepare soup. The tiny white tiger licked the bowl clean, and then the bowl in front of her was taken away by Ye Jin and replaced with a bowl of bone broth.
The tiny white tiger cheered. "Xiao Zhezhe is best!" She lowered her head and lapped up the broth. Ye Jin smiled and watched her silently.
After her meal, Gu Qingyu hiccuped and glanced at the two empty pots then looked at her round belly as she laid down on the blanket on her back with half-lidded eyes, completely content. She meowed at Ye Jin. "Leg massage, please~"
"Okay." His hands stretched out immediately and gently kneaded the little white tiger's short legs. The strength was not light or heavy, it was just right.
Gu Qingyu looked at the ceiling and sighed. I do enjoy life like this, but when can I turn back?
"Xiao Yu'er, don't you have a Spirit Gem?" Ye Jin suddenly remembered something and said.
Gu Qingyu's eyes lit up in an instant and she whined. "Why did I forget this! But I had to swallow to turn back the last time..."
"You lost too much energy. But it should get better after a few more days." Ye Jin rubbed the tiny white tiger's head then continued to massage her legs.
Gu Qingyu growled with annoyance and frustration. "How many days? We're supposed to leave tomorrow! Whatever, it'll be good enough if I could turn back at all. When life gives you lemons, make sweet lemonade."
"Okay, Xiao Yu'er, it's getting late, let's get some sleep." Ye Jin picked up the little white tiger and cradled her in his arms. "You really want to leave tomorrow?"
Meow! "Of course!"
"Okay, okay, Xiao Yu'er. Whatever you want."
Gu Qingyu suddenly sobbed. "But my mother..."
"I've looked through it." Ye Jin stroked her fur gently. "Gu Yi was also involved in this matter. His background is not as simple as we thought. He was once a member of Ye, but he left the organisation and changed his appearance and voice.
Gu Qingyu was taken aback. It was Gu Yi... that killed her mother? She loved him! She loved him so much! And he loved her too! Why? She could accept and rationalise anyone else, except her father, the person that her mother loved the most. No, that man was not her father, not anymore. Since the beginning, she only saw her mother as family.
Ye Jin sighed softly, perhaps he had read her mind. He clarified, "Xiao Yu'er, he's after me."
The person that Gu Yi hates has always been Ye Jin, so whether it is her mother, her sister Gu Yan, or even herself, they were all just Gu Yi's chess pieces for the ultimate revenge. That's why there was a flame pattern, because he knew what it meant, so he added that himself. He was the only person that could get close to Mrs Gu, so he used her trust against her. Which was why when he brought a bowl of medicine to her, she drank it without hesitation. She believed that he would never trick her, never harm her, because she loved him. Gu Qingyu felt a pang of sorrow. Mrs. Gu found the person she wanted to spend a lifetime with, but it was not the person for her. She deserved better. Gu Qingyu sighed.
"Xiao Yu'er?" Ye Jin was a little flustered when she didn't continue. "You...are you okay?"
Gu Qingyu answered with a dejected whimper. "How can I blame you for this? I must avenge my mother."
Ye Jin seemed to have made up his mind. He rubbed the tiny white tiger's head and looked down at her, his eyes filled with gentleness. "Okay, let's go now."
"Now?"
"So, have you decided on the method?" Ye Jin's eyes were full of smiles.
"Of course!"
Ye Jin opened the window, holding the tiny white tiger in one hand, and grabbed the window ledge with the other. He jumped, vaulted over the window ledge and dropped down. He fell through the air, landed steadily on the ground and walked forward. Their destination? the Gu Residence.