“Su—Su Xuan, I’m going out first. You… take care of yourself.”
Su Xuan: “?”
He turned around, but Sang Dai had already bolted, disappearing without a trace.
Su Xuan let out a helpless, incredulous laugh.
“Take care of myself?”
He was about to explode! If she truly felt sorry for him, she could just agree to be his wife. Then he wouldn’t have to suffer like this!
“Ungrateful little thing,” Su Xuan muttered.
He glanced downward, gritted his teeth, and closed his eyes, channeling his spiritual power to cool down his body temperature.
What torture.
—
Sang Dai ran into the courtyard, still feeling uncomfortably hot. Cui Shao happened to be entering with a tray of food and was surprised to see Sang Dai standing there.
“Madam, why is your face so red? Are you running a fever?”
Thinking Sang Dai’s meridians had become chaotic again, Cui Shao grew anxious. She quickly set the tray down and hurried over to check, reaching out to touch Sang Dai’s forehead. “It’s not hot. Then what’s wrong?”
Sang Dai dodged her touch, walked over to the stone table, picked up a teacup, and poured herself several cups of water, drinking them in one go.
“I’m fine. I’m just a little hot.”
Cui Shao murmured softly, “But it’s already autumn. The weather has been quite cool lately…”
Sang Dai: “…I-I was just practicing my sword techniques. That’s why I’m hot.”
Cui Shao understood immediately. “Then, Madam, please stay here and drink some tea. I’ll go prepare the meal.”
Sang Dai nodded. “Alright.”
After Cui Shao left, Sang Dai finished the remaining water in the teapot. The water room was silent—there wasn’t even the sound of water. She had no idea what Su Xuan was doing.
Her mind wandered back to the scene in the hot spring, and the heat that had just subsided returned to her face.
She closed her eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply, but it did nothing to calm her embarrassment. When she opened her eyes again, she glared at the water room with frustration.
It was all his fault.
Sang Dai sat beside the stone table, waiting. Nearly an hour passed. The dishes Cui Shao had brought were reheated several times before Su Xuan finally emerged from the water room.
He wore a fresh, loose black robe—not the one she had brought in for him, nor the one he had worn earlier in the day. This particular fox was overly fond of cleanliness; clothes he wore for a day or even those that touched water had to be sent for washing.
Sang Dai figured there must be a stash of new robes in the water room.
Their eyes met, and Sang Dai heard Su Xuan’s accusatory voice in her mind.
[Ungrateful little thing. I nearly died of discomfort, and you don’t even know how to feel sorry for me.]
Sang Dai clenched her fists helplessly.
She had no idea how Su Xuan had “resolved” his issue, but he appeared fine now—aside from the sharp, accusing look in his eyes. Otherwise, he seemed perfectly normal.
Feeling a twinge of guilt after seeing the scar she’d left him, Sang Dai stepped forward and took his hand, channeling her spiritual energy into him.
In a small voice, she said, “I’ll help you dry your hair.”
The little fox rarely dried his hair after bathing. Being born with hellfire, the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan’s hair would dry quickly on its own.
But this was the first time Sang Dai had ever helped him dry his hair.
Su Xuan allowed her to hold his hand, turning his head away to maintain a “cold and aloof” demeanor as though ignoring her, though the corners of his lips curved upward uncontrollably.
Sang Dai looked at him with a complicated expression.
It didn’t take long for his hair to dry. Just as Sang Dai was about to let go of his hand, the fox turned and grasped her hand instead, naturally pulling her along toward the dining room.
“I’m hungry. Let’s eat,” he said.
Sang Dai: “…You don’t need to hold hands just to eat.”
Without looking back, Su Xuan replied, “I’m cold. I need you to warm me up.”
Sang Dai: “…You’re a Nine-Tailed Fox.”
“So what?”
“Nine-Tailed Foxes are born with hellfire.”
“My bloodline is impure. The hellfire is useless.”
Sang Dai: “I’m not dumb, and I’m not blind.”
If his bloodline were impure, the golden divine mark wouldn’t exist on his forehead. In his true form, the mark was prominent, proof of his perfectly pure bloodline. Both of his parents were genuine Nine-Tailed Foxes of high status.
Su Xuan turned back to glance at her, clicking his tongue and shaking his head. “No, you’re dumb and blind.”
“…That was in the past.”
“I don’t care. I’m holding your hand.”
The fox began to act shamelessly.
Sang Dai added another descriptor to his growing list: childish.
At most three years old.
Sometimes, he was like a little princess, unreasonable and fussy, overly delicate yet fond of acting spoiled.
Princess Su held onto his precious “heart” and looked ready to burst with joy.
When they arrived at the dining room, Cui Shao was about to heat the dishes once again. Seeing her running back and forth several times, Sang Dai quickly stopped her.
“You don’t need to keep reheating them. Go eat and rest. We’ll handle it ourselves.”
Cui Shao glanced at their intertwined hands, lowered her head to hide her laughter, and said, “Yes, I’ll take my leave.”
Princess Su elegantly took a seat, summoning his hellfire to warm the slightly cooled dishes.
Sang Dai: “…Didn’t you say your hellfire was useless?”
Princess Su feigned realization. “Oh, did I? Wow, it suddenly seems to be working again.”
Sang Dai: “…”
A piece of pork rib appeared in her bowl. Su Xuan said faintly, “You’re too thin. When we go to Chunqiu Tower this time, I don’t want them to think I’m starving my wife. How can the Beast Queen be this skinny?”
Sang Dai glanced at herself silently. Compared to when she first arrived in the Beast Realm, she had already put on a little weight. She had a small frame, and her sword practice burned off a lot of energy, so while she looked thin, it wasn’t nearly as exaggerated as Su Xuan claimed.
“Eat,” Su Xuan said. “Gain some weight.”
Sang Dai retorted, “We’re going to Chunqiu Tower tomorrow. How am I supposed to gain ten pounds overnight?”
It was meant as a joke, but Su Xuan clearly took it seriously. He reached out, pinched her chin, and tilted her face back and forth as he frowned slightly. “You’re right. That does seem unlikely.”
Sang Dai rolled her eyes and glared at him before biting into the rib in her bowl.
However, Su Xuan kept staring at her. Sang Dai, being nowhere near as thick-skinned as Su Xuan, felt incredibly embarrassed under his gaze. She couldn’t even chew properly, her movements stiff and awkward.
And yet, the fox had no awareness of the problem, continuing to watch her eat with rapt attention.
Sang Dai glared at him, her cheeks puffed full of food.
[…So cute. How can she look so beautiful even when she’s angry?!]
Sang Dai: So he knows I’m angry, huh?!
[I should’ve been shameless earlier and stolen a kiss. At most, Dai Dai would stab me. A kiss for one stab—totally worth it!]
He brought up what happened earlier again. Sang Dai’s face turned red, and she found it increasingly difficult to tolerate his presence.
Scooting her chair away, she wore a distinct expression of wanting nothing to do with Su Xuan.
Su Xuan instinctively leaned closer to her.
Sang Dai moved away.
Su Xuan followed.
Sang Dai moved again.
Su Xuan pursued her.
Sang Dai was nearly circling the table at this point when Su Xuan finally had enough. He hooked the leg of her stool with his foot and, with a slight tug, dragged both Sang Dai and her stool right back to his side.
“Sit still and eat. I’m hungry.”
Sang Dai swallowed the pork rib in her mouth and muttered under her breath, “Can’t you just eat quietly?”
Su Xuan replied, “What did I do?”
He hadn’t said a single word, had he?
Sang Dai: “…”
Annoying. She really didn’t know how to respond.
It was true—he hadn’t said a word. He’d said everything in his head!
Lowering her head, Sang Dai’s heart pounded violently. She didn’t reach for any food herself, but she didn’t refuse what Su Xuan placed in her bowl either. Whatever he picked, she ate.
Su Xuan, seeing this, felt a soft warmth in his heart. Resisting the urge to ruffle her hair, he willingly busied himself serving her—peeling shrimp, picking out bones, scooping rice, and selecting dishes. The Beast King happily waited on his little sword cultivator, showing not even a trace of reluctance.
By the time they finished the meal, the sky had long turned dark. Cui Shao entered to clear the dishes, and just as Su Xuan reached out to hold Sang Dai’s hand again, she reacted first.
Grabbing the hem of her skirt, she quickly hurried out of the room, her steps quick and flustered, like she was escaping.
Su Xuan froze for a moment, while Cui Shao stifled a laugh nearby.
The fox shot her a glare, and Cui Shao immediately held her laughter back.
Su Xuan stood silently in the dining room for a while. It wasn’t until Cui Shao finished tidying everything up and was about to leave that Su Xuan suddenly called her back.
“Stop.”
“Lord, do you have any other instructions?”
Su Xuan hesitated, then asked, “What… what do you think of how I treat Dai Dai?”
Cui Shao blinked before answering, “The Lord treats Madam very well. You take excellent care of her.”
Su Xuan frowned. “Then… does she like me?”
Cui Shao paused, stunned by the sight of her master—his expression unusually serious, tinged with vulnerability.
Truthfully, Su Xuan had no shortage of admirers. His striking looks were renowned across all four realms, his cultivation unmatched, and as the Beast King and a Heaven-grade spiritual root awakener, he stood at the pinnacle. But Su Xuan’s temper was fierce, and his laziness even more notorious. Unless it was to visit Sang Dai, he rarely left the Beast Palace, making it nearly impossible for outsiders to see him.
Yet Sang Dai was the same. With her extraordinary beauty and strength, she was also admired throughout the four realms. However, due to her cold demeanor, she spent most of her time either eradicating evil or training in Sword Sect. Over the years, only Su Xuan persisted—despite being beaten half to death repeatedly, he would still shamelessly smile and go find her again.
Cui Shao believed these two could only belong to each other.
One was cold, yet gentle with him.
The other was fierce, yet endlessly tolerant of her.
Straightening her back, Cui Shao met Su Xuan’s expectant gaze and spoke softly, “My Lord, Madam is naturally shy. Perhaps it’s because she’s spent all these years alone, without anyone familiar by her side. She grew up in Sword Sect, without true friends or real family. Aside from teaching her how to cultivate, Sword Sect ignored everything else. That’s why Madam is a little slow and overly cautious when it comes to emotions. But with you… it’s different.”
Su Xuan pursed his lips, saying nothing.
“She treats you differently than Young Master Liu, or even myself,” Cui Shao continued.
To Liu Lixue, Sang Dai was polite yet distant. To Cui Shao, she was trusting and grateful. However, she never allowed anyone to get too close, nor did she show her true self to them. At least in front of Liu Lixue and Cui Shao, Sang Dai was strong and resilient. Even with severed meridians, she would endure the pain silently, getting up countless times no matter how hard she fell. She wouldn’t cry, nor would she show vulnerability.
“But in front of you, she cries, she relies on you, she gets angry, and she shows happiness. I truly believe that, to Madam, you are different.”
Su Xuan lowered his gaze, murmuring softly, “Different…?”
“Different,” Cui Shao said firmly. “You are the most suitable person for Madam. With her personality, only you can enter her heart.”
Sang Dai didn’t need someone righteous and kind, nor someone exceptionally talented or powerful.
What she had always needed was someone who believed in her unconditionally, someone who would accompany her without hesitation. Someone who could tolerate her coldness and slowly melt away the thorns she had built up around herself.
Cui Shao smiled. “After all these years, only you persisted. Every time Madam beat you half to death, you would still come back smiling, telling us, ‘Dai Dai’s cultivation has improved again. She’s amazing.’”
Her words sounded teasing, yet since coming to the Beast Palace, Cui Shao had seen Su Xuan’s true nature. She had come to believe her Lord was an exceptional person.
Cold on the surface but soft-hearted, childish and hot-tempered at times, yet he never killed indiscriminately. He fiercely protected his people and guarded the Beast Realm with steadfast care.
He was not only a good demon but also an extraordinary ruler.
Smart and powerful, Su Xuan was someone who could stand alongside Sang Dai, shoulder to shoulder. Together, they would stand at the pinnacle of the world, unmatched by anyone.
Cui Shao wasn’t afraid of him, and Su Xuan wouldn’t truly get angry at her.
“So, my Lord, I believe Madam will like you—just as the people of the Beast Realm adore her. Madam is shy, but she likes you. She will soften her heart. She needs someone who will love her without reservation.”
“And at the same time, Madam needs unwavering companionship and trust. You must always believe in her and stand beside her.”
“So, you can afford to be a little bolder—perhaps a little more passionate.”
Su Xuan remained silent for a long time.
Cui Shao waited quietly, the seconds stretching into nearly a full quarter of an hour.
Finally, the previously still and silent figure moved.
“You’re right.”
With Sang Dai’s turtle-like personality, he needed to pry open her shell bit by bit.
Su Xuan strode purposefully out of the dining hall. His destination?
The main hall—where Sang Dai lived.