It needn't be mentioned that were it not for the curse, their Sovereign Lord would have had a harem filled with thousands of goddesses at his beck and call. Surely, Her Ladyship was a highly fortunate woman! Due to the curse, she gets to have one of the most powerful and prominent gods in the Heavenly Realm all to herself!
The foxes hummed in approval. Turns out, Lang Ju was a high ranked inner palace servant for good reason, they thought in agreement. Nobody heeded the golden fox's words.
"We'll see if I'm right or wrong." The golden fox, Yan Wen answered mysteriously.
Langu Ju was definitely not far off the mark with his discernment but neither was Yan Wen. Bai Qingyue was indeed on cloud nine while Li Meirong was as unsettled as ever.
Perhaps the word "upset" was not an accurate description of her emotions.
In this world, for someone to lend a helping hand without rhyme or reason was a rarity. The man in front of her definitely didn't give Li Meirong the impression of being a noble, caring soul.
The first time they met, he disappeared without a trace all too suddenly, most likely hoping to wipe himself clean of the events at the brothel that night. The second time they met, he had clearly distanced himself from her. In her nervousness, she was barely able to speak a word to him, and he went as far as to force her into joining a battle tournament, obviously colluding with his father against her.
Now, it turns out he has his own tragic history, despite being the lunatic Grandmaster's son.
A small part inside of her melted when she heard of his tragic tale. The handsome, cold faced man who was apparently the sect leader's lost child had actually been a poor little boy who grew up with endless hardship, struggling to survive in this cruel world.
And yet, the alarm bells kept ringing in her head, warning her to stay clear of him. Li Meirong's instincts warned her not to be fooled by a few heart-rending words. Something about him wasn't quite right. Something about his words… felt like a pack of lies.
Assuming Zhu Qingyue was telling the truth and didn't want her pet, Snowball, the next question which is raised is whether he desired something else from her? Otherwise, why would he assist her? Li Meirong silently mused in thought while repositioning her arms above the stone surface, pressing her palms together with fingers stretched out and interlaced.
After a long period of silence, she finally asked, "If you don't want my Fox Spirit, then what do you want? Why did you help me?"
The first time Zhu QIngyue saved her did appear to be completely coincidental, finding themselves stuck together in the same place at the same time provided her with the opportunity to escape with his aid.
But now? He had leapt in front of her defensively, facing everyone who opposed her. What explanation could there be for that?
During the time Li Meirong was absorbed in her thoughts, the Fox Lord was left entranced by her intense glare and pouting cherry lips. It felt as though he could spend a lifetime trying to make sense of what goes through her head.
The flash of her pearly white teeth snapped him out of his reverie as she made her inquiries.
What did he want? Why did he help her?
Finally, she asked him. It appeared to him as if she would never understand her position unless he would come out with a declaration. The only concern remained in how to go about explaining it.
Bai Qingyue's faint smile curved into a cunning smirk. He had been anticipating this precise question. Now, he could finalize his plan.
Gazing directly at her squinted eyes, twinkling like two pristine stones of onyx in the daylight, Bai Qingyue's own golden ones glowed like the setting sun as he placed his elbows on the stone table and leaned himself towards Li Meirong, their noses nearly touching in such close proximity.
"I only want to protect you. You're my woman... if I don't take care of you, who will?" In a thickly modulated voice, Bai Qingyue professed in the form of a question, letting the cat out of the bag.