Free Web NovelChapter 67: Chapter 67: Patted His Head
Shi Lan’s long lashes fluttered. She looked somewhat dazed, her thoughts still tangled in a dream.
For a moment, she had the disorienting feeling of having lost all track of time.
Just then, the transparent hatch above her slid open with a CLICK. A series of hurried footsteps followed, and Mu Tangfeng’s enormous, brilliant white avian head appeared before her. The red marking on his brow was as dazzling as a flame.
His golden beak parted, and his dark eyes shone with unconcealed joy. "Lanlan, you’re awake?"
"Mu Tangfeng?"
Shi Lan slowly lifted her eyelids. She froze for a moment. "What are you doing here? Where am I?"
Mu Tangfeng bobbed his head. "Lanlan, you suddenly fainted last night for some reason, so I brought you to the Treatment Pod in my prison cell."
"Are you feeling better now?"
As he spoke, he tilted his head, his eyes filled with a mix of concern and worry. A fluffy tuft of light-orange feathers on his sharp beak made him look much softer than usual, devoid of his typical nose-in-the-air arrogance.
Shi Lan used the handrails inside the Treatment Pod to sit up. Her hand brushed against something soft and fluffy. She glanced down and saw it was the feather she had picked up last night.
She picked up the feather and held it out to him. "Here, you should keep this."
"Oh."
Mu Tangfeng nodded and extended a wing to take it. He actually looked almost obedient, a stark contrast to his usual self.
However, Shi Lan was in no mood to appreciate the sight. A knot of anxiety tightened in her stomach. Surveying her surroundings, she realized she was truly inside Prison Cell Two and quickly said, "I’m fine now."
With that, she immediately climbed out of the Treatment Pod.
Shi Lan remembered what the previous Prison Director had said: never, under any circumstances, open the cell doors.
More importantly, she worried her presence might trigger one of Mu Tangfeng’s spiritual power collapses. His condition was the least severe of everyone here, but there was no telling what might happen.
Mu Tangfeng had been thrilled to see her awake, but watching her immediately head for the exit as if she couldn’t get away from him fast enough, his mood soured. "Why are you running so fast? Afraid I’m going to eat you?"
Shi Lan’s pace faltered for a second before she quickened it even more.
’Mu Tangfeng was starting to act up again. Outside the cell, she could get away with provoking him, but inside, she had to be more careful.’
This only made Mu Tangfeng angrier, but he didn’t dare stop her. He could only watch helplessly as she exited the cell and shut the door tight.
A single door separated them once more. The only thing that remained was the faint, lingering fragrance she left in the air—elusive and distant, just like her attitude toward him. It felt as though their attempts to court her with perfumes had been nothing but a dream.
He felt both angry and wronged. Walking up to the reinforced door, he raised a wing. "Shi Lan, are you disgusted with me because I’ve gotten ugly? You won’t even look me in the eye."
Shi Lan looked over at the sound of his voice. Mu Tangfeng had been incredibly brave fighting the Insect Clan last night, but the Insect Clan was no pushover. Though his feathers had protected him well, he had certainly lost quite a few.
The plumes at the tips of his wings were particularly affected, now uneven and ragged. In one spot, a pale pink patch of skin showed through.
It seemed a single night had wreaked havoc on him.
’For someone as vain as Mu Tangfeng, this must be a huge blow.’
Her gaze softened, and her voice grew gentle. "Thank you for saving me last night. I’m not disgusted with you. I’m just afraid that being in the same cell with you might accidentally trigger one of your spiritual power collapses."
’Spiritual power collapses were unpredictable. And while she could turn into a mushroom to escape, for them, every collapse brought them one step closer to death.’
’She wanted to save them, which meant she couldn’t let them die. Besides, Xiao Du had already been exposed last night. Perhaps she could use this as an opportunity to reveal the truth about her own spiritual power.’
Hearing this explanation, Mu Tangfeng was slightly mollified. But even though Shi Lan hadn’t said anything critical, he still felt a bit disgusted with himself.
He fell silent, quietly found a blanket to cover himself, and even had the mirror in the room covered. He couldn’t bear to look at his own ugly reflection.
’Losing his feathers really did seem to be a huge blow for him.’
’And he had done it to save her.’
Shi Lan stood at the door to Cell Two for a long while before knocking on the meal slot, motioning for Mu Tangfeng to come over.
Mu Tangfeng sulkily walked over. "What is it? Aren’t you fine? If you’re okay, you shouldn’t be hanging around the prison cells."
’He didn’t want Shi Lan to see any more of his ugly state.’
Most Beastmen had very large beast forms, but a larger form sometimes consumed more spiritual power, so most chose to remain in a more comfortable size.
Shi Lan had noticed that when Mu Tangfeng fought the Insect Clan last night, his wingspan made him nearly the same size as his opponents. Now, back in his cell, he had returned to his usual size, about half the height of a person.
Shi Lan gestured for him to come closer to the meal slot, then reached her hand through, letting it land gently and precisely on top of his head.
Mu Tangfeng stared at her, stunned.
’The feathers felt wonderful beneath her fingers, and the tuft on top of his head was even softer. It wasn’t often she got to touch something so fluffy.’ She couldn’t resist giving his head a gentle ruffle. Then, meeting his wide-eyed stare, she adopted a more serious expression and said, "You’re not ugly. You’re still very handsome." free𝑤ebnovel.com
Mu Tangfeng blinked, then put on an air of nonchalance. "Oh. Of course, I know that."
Shi Lan smiled, reluctantly pulling her hand back.
’Mu Tangfeng, too, felt an inexplicable sense of longing.’
’Still, he couldn’t let this female get too indulgent. A Beastman’s head wasn’t something just anyone could touch—especially not before they were married. Allowing her to touch him once was already a sign of his great magnanimity.’
The more Mu Tangfeng thought about it, the more certain he was. Yet, for the longest time, he didn’t move his head away from the meal slot.
Shi Lan was too embarrassed to reach out again. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
She turned her head and found He Hanshi watching her with a concerned expression. She had been so focused on Mu Tangfeng that she hadn’t noticed him.
He Hanshi’s gaze discreetly shifted away from the hand Shi Lan had just used to touch Mu Tangfeng. He was the first to break the silence. "Are you alright now?"
Shi Lan nodded. "I’m fine. I wasn’t injured last night. Thank you all for your help."
"That’s good."
The White Lion gave a slight nod, but fell silent after that. With his head lowered and his ears drooping, he seemed rather unhappy.
Shi Lan glanced at her wrist-chip and saw it was already past nine. Not wanting to linger, she said, "I’ll go make breakfast for you all."
With that, she quickly departed.
Inside the cells, the others hadn’t seen Shi Lan stroking Mu Tangfeng’s head; they had only heard her praise him.
’But for He Hanshi, her touch was far more painful to witness than her praise.’
He looked over at Mu Tangfeng, who was sitting on a chair draped in a blanket, fingering the feather now wrapped in a handkerchief, completely lost in thought. He Hanshi’s heart sank.
’So Mu Tangfeng liked Lanlan even more than I imagined.’
’The Paradise Bird Clan was famously arrogant. Like many Beastmen, their heads could not be touched casually. But for their clan, only a chosen mate was allowed that privilege.’
’It seems he already considers Shi Lan his wife...’
