Yunyang had Pei Wenye help her wash her hands, then dried them by the warmth of the bonfire before tearing off a small piece of meat and putting it into her mouth.
The rich meat aroma mingled with the pure fragrance of the seasonings. The outside was crisp and charred, while the inside was tender and juicy. The moment she bit down, the pleasantly warm juices burst across her tongue.
This skill was no worse than that of the several beastmen in her household.
Sure enough, Nuo Xiao had clearly roasted meat before.
Seeing the anticipation in Nuo Xiao’s eyes, Yunyang did not expose him. Instead, she nodded obligingly. “It’s delicious.”
After all, one’s mouth was full after eating someone else’s food. Even if Nuo Xiao’s cooking had been mediocre, she still would have said the same.
The moment Nuo Xiao heard those two words, he seemed to have been injected with a stimulant. He picked up another skewer of prepared raw meat and began roasting it. Yunyang had not even finished her first skewer when he handed her the second.
Yunyang was somewhat helpless. “Nuo Xiao, I can’t eat that much.”
The Snow Owl Tribe’s method of roasting meat was still rather primitive. They skewered very large pieces of meat together, and even the male beastmen of the Snow Owl Tribe would be full after eating two or three skewers.
Those with smaller appetites would be satisfied with just one.
Yunyang truly could not eat that much.
Seeing that she did not look as though she was merely being polite, Nuo Xiao reluctantly took the roasted meat back. “All right, then I’ll eat it myself.”
Beside the bonfire, the beastmen of the Snow Owl Tribe were either roasting or eating meat. From time to time, they chatted with their fellow clansmen, and the atmosphere was exceptionally harmonious.
Yunyang glanced at Pei Wenye, who was standing guard beside her, then tore off another piece of roasted meat. “A-Ye.”
“Mistress, I—”
Before he could finish saying “am,” a piece of fragrant roasted meat was stuffed into his mouth.
He instinctively clamped his mouth shut to keep the meat from falling out, then looked at Yunyang in confusion.
Yunyang only smiled softly, offering no explanation for what she had done.
Pei Wenye’s heart softened. Somewhat reluctant to part with it, he chewed and swallowed the meat in his mouth.
Watching the unreserved intimacy between the two, Nuo Xiao suddenly found that the roasted meat in his mouth had lost all its flavor. He wanted to eat meat fed to him by Lady Yunyang, too.
If he offered himself to share her bed, would Lady Yunyang accept him?
Nuo Xiao ate his roasted meat with his mind full of such thoughts. He did not even hear the clansman calling him from beside him.
The clansman was helpless and could only kick him before shouting, “Nuo Xiao, your clothes are about to burn off!”
Nuo Xiao, who had been kicked, initially wore an angry expression. But upon hearing those words, he hurriedly lowered his head. Sure enough, a large portion of his clothes had already been burned away by the bonfire.
If he had been any later, he would have lost the entire outfit.
Nuo Xiao quickly glanced at Yunyang. When he saw that her attention was elsewhere, he rushed back to his residence to change clothes.
He absolutely could not allow himself to stand before Lady Yunyang dressed in such shabby clothes!
Since Yunyang’s attention was not on Nuo Xiao, she did not notice that he had left, returned, and changed into another outfit.
She and Pei Wenye finished the remaining half of the roasted meat together, then sat beside the bonfire and watched the festivities among the beastmen of the Snow Owl Tribe.
Even without taking part in it, merely sitting there and experiencing the atmosphere gave her an inexplicable sense of peace.
The bonfire gathering continued until midnight.
The firewood had been prepared in just the right amount. The moment midnight arrived, the last bundle of wood was about to burn out.
Embers drifted through the air. Some floated toward Yunyang, but they went out before landing on her.
The Star Dawn Festival had arrived.
The Federation’s livestream ended at 12:05 a.m. Once the broadcast was shut down, Si Zhao and Si Yanning simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.
“Mother, next time, you should do the livestream instead.”
Si Yanning felt that hosting the livestream was even more exhausting than her usual lessons.
“You can’t handle even this little hardship?” Si Zhao raised her hand and tapped Si Yanning between the brows with her index finger. “If I put you in charge of the Federation right now, wouldn’t you quit after half a day?”
Si Yanning nodded frantically.
Absolutely.
She knew all too well how busy her mother usually was. Even with Father and her other imperial consorts helping, Mother had very little time to rest.
Si Yanning felt that she could never endure a life like that.
She would be worked to death. ৹˃^˂৹
Si Zhao shook her head helplessly. “I know you’re tired. Go back and rest.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Si Yanning immediately stood up. “Mother, you should rest early, too. Those matters can wait until tomorrow.”
The Insect Mother was dead. There was nothing in the Federation that absolutely had to be handled overnight.
Only after seeing Si Zhao nod did Si Yanning hurry out like a gust of wind.
He Youchuan glanced at his daughter’s retreating figure, then quickly turned his attention back to Si Zhao. “Your Majesty, shall I carry you back to rest?”
Si Zhao shook her head. “Take out that spatial crystal mother crystal.”
He Youchuan hesitated for only a second before obediently doing as she asked.
He took out the spatial crystal mother crystal and, while mobilizing his power, smashed it open, revealing the last spatial crystal inside.
Looking at that spatial crystal, Si Zhao drew in a deep breath.
This was her final chance.
Beast God above.
Si Zhao silently offered a prayer in her heart, then resolutely picked up the spatial crystal and began absorbing it.
The spatial crystal was absorbed quickly, but converting its energy would take some time.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Si Zhao changed out of her overly formal clothes, took a shower, and put on comfortable homewear.
After sitting down on the sofa again, she inhaled deeply and began examining her powers.
This time, her power level had not changed much. She still had not managed to break through to SS rank.
But she could clearly feel that her spatial power had undergone a complete mutation—one even more profound than the first time she had absorbed a spatial crystal.
The spatial passage she created this time had become increasingly similar to the insect race’s wormholes.
Whether it could truly rival a wormhole would require further experimentation.
There was certainly no opportunity to do so tonight. Si Zhao closed the spatial passage and held out her hand toward He Youchuan, who was standing beside her.
He Youchuan obediently bent down and picked her up, then carried her toward the bedroom.
·
On Snowstar, after the bonfire burned out, the beastmen of the Snow Owl Tribe gradually returned to their homes.
Seeing that most of the beastmen around them had already left, Yunyang also planned to take Pei Wenye back to the habitation pod to rest.
But the Saintess suddenly spoke. “Lady Yunyang, I think there are some things I should tell you.”
Yunyang blinked.
She had always felt that this Saintess might be able to answer her questions, so she did not hesitate at all. She simply followed the Saintess with Pei Wenye.
Nuo Xiao had just been about to offer himself to share Yunyang’s bed. When he saw her leave, he instinctively wanted to follow.
However, the clan leader blocked him with his cane.
“The Saintess and Lady Yunyang have important matters to discuss. You are not allowed to go up there and cause trouble.”
Nuo Xiao looked at the cane in front of him.
Given his strength, if he insisted on following them, the clan leader certainly could not stop him.
But the clan leader had said it was something important. If he followed them and Lady Yunyang or the Saintess discovered him, they would surely dislike him.
He did not want Lady Yunyang to dislike him.
Nuo Xiao stopped, but he still asked curiously, “Clan Leader, what is this important matter? Can’t I listen, too?”
