Free Web NovelChapter 97: Chapter 97: Treat Jiang Xia First
Two days later, Yan Huoshui’s spiritual power collapse value had successfully dropped to 50%.
Shi Lan suggested performing a Spiritual Connection on him.
Yan Huoshui smiled thoughtfully. The sharp glint in his fox-like eyes dissolved, replaced by a watery softness. The red mole between his brows gave him the serene face of a Guanyin, compelling others to obey him instinctively.
"Lanlan, this healing pace is still a bit too fast. Why don’t we spend a few more days building trust? It will also increase the success rate of the Spiritual Connection."
Shi Lan pondered for a moment. "Alright."
In fact, she had always respected the opinions of every Lord. If they wished to postpone the Spiritual Connection, that was acceptable.
After all, these things should never be forced.
"Then if I’m not treating you for the next few days, can I see Lord Jiang first?"
’That way, Jiang Xia can return to his human form sooner, and he won’t have to keep looking at me with such expectant eyes every time I walk by.’
she suggested. Yan Huoshui’s smile tightened almost imperceptibly before he nodded. "Go ahead."
Jiang Xia couldn’t believe his luck. He immediately stood at the protective entrance of the neighboring cell and shouted excitedly, "Lanlan, I’m ready too!"
As he spoke, his tail wagged back and forth excitedly, like a puppy’s.
’This is great! It’s finally my turn!’
’He’d been wanting to get back to his human form for ages. He wasn’t blind; he’d noticed Lanlan sneaking glances at the others in the prison ever since they were able to transform.’
’So what if they’re a little better looking?’
’I’m not so bad myself.’
Jiang Xia lifted his chin smugly, ready to put on a real show.
Yan Huoshui rubbed the space between his brows, feeling rather speechless. ’To think I have to compete with such an idiot for my wife.’
’And to make matters worse, Shi Lan seemed to actually like Jiang Xia.’
His fox-like eyes narrowed. ’As a proud member of the Nine-tailed Fox Clan, I can’t let myself fall behind.’
"Lanlan, go treat Jiang Xia first. After you’re done, come back here. We can try some trust-building exercises."
"Trust-building exercises?" freewёbnoνel.com
’I thought just delivering his meals like before would be enough, giving him a few days to mentally prepare for the treatment.’
’But from the way Yan Huoshui put it, it didn’t seem so simple.’
Yan Huoshui explained in a gentle voice, "That’s right. We have to spend more time together to let our guards down. Establishing a bond of trust isn’t always easy."
Shi Lan wanted to bring up Ye Ming and He Hanshi as examples, but trust was a deeply personal and subjective matter. Perhaps Yan Huoshui was simply a very guarded person by nature.
Although the "trust-building exercises" still felt strange, she couldn’t find a reason to object, so she just nodded.
Yan Huoshui gently touched the corner of his mouth, his lips pulling into a pleased smile.
After their conversation, Shi Lan went to Cell Four.
Jiang Xia was already waiting at the protective entrance. He was staring intently at the meal slot, his face serious and silent.
’For the first time, he realized just how high the meal slot was.’
’In his beast form, he couldn’t rest his paws on it like the others could.’
Seeing this, Shi Lan’s heart melted.
He was like a little cat, eager to climb up high but unable to find a way, pacing anxiously in place with a look of pure, bitter frustration on its face.
She knew Jiang Xia was sensitive about anyone calling him short, so she didn’t laugh. Instead, she squatted down to his eye level and said, "Can I come directly into the cell to treat you?"
’My spiritual power is stronger now,’ she thought, ’and my confidence in my abilities is growing by the day.’
’Besides, Jiang Xia’s collapse value is only 63%, so the risk isn’t that high. If something really went wrong, even if it triggered a spiritual power rampage, I could send Xiao Du to pacify him.’
’Of course, this is a special case. If possible, it would be better to administer Basic Healing from outside the cell first, like I did with He Hanshi and the others.’
Jiang Xia was still dejected that his grand treatment plan had failed at the first hurdle—the height of his beast form. When he saw Shi Lan approaching, the head he had held so proudly moments before drooped in embarrassment, and his ears wilted.
His eyes were filled with a mix of grievance and humiliation.
’I can’t believe I made a fool of myself like that again, right in front of the female I like.’
’My beast form isn’t imposing at all. Lanlan is probably going to be disappointed in me.’
But just as he was wallowing in dejection, Shi Lan’s words instantly lifted his spirits.
As if terrified she might change her mind, he immediately nodded, letting out a single, "Okay."
The word had barely left his mouth when Jiang Xia remembered his mother’s advice: one shouldn’t be too eager with females.
But this was Shi Lan, not just any other female. Jiang Xia found it hard to restrain his affection.
His golden eyes fixed on her once more. Through the protective barrier, the joy in his gaze was on full display. He had always been one to wear his heart on his sleeve; unlike the others, he found it difficult to hide his feelings. Even the swishing of his tail did nothing to conceal his giddy delight at seeing Shi Lan.
Staring into those pure, ardent eyes, Shi Lan’s heart inexplicably skipped a beat. For the first time, she realized with crystal clarity that the Pallas’s cat before her was completely different from the little kitten she had imagined him to be. He wasn’t just a Pallas’s cat; he was a grown man.
She suddenly felt a pang of regret for her suggestion, but she knew that if she backed out now, Jiang Xia would be utterly crestfallen.
’I don’t want to see that look on his face.’
So, the hesitation lasted only a second before she quickly pushed it down.
She deliberately ignored Jiang Xia’s intense gaze, focusing instead on his fluffy, plush beast form as she opened the cell door and stepped inside.
The needle in Ye Ming’s hand pricked his finger. He snapped his wandering gaze back and turned his head away.
Jiang Xia’s gaze swept over them. The black and white figures stared at each other. Then, for reasons unknown, he pressed the button on the cell door.
The transparent protective barrier slowly turned opaque, solidifying into a blue wall that completely concealed everything inside.
The last thing Ye Ming saw was Jiang Xia excitedly scampering toward Shi Lan’s feet.
Shi Lan paid no mind to Jiang Xia’s little antics. The moment she stepped into Cell Four, she couldn’t help but sneeze, her body shivering.
’So cold...’
’I almost forgot. Jiang Xia’s cell is kept at a constant low temperature.’
Jiang Xia then realized he had forgotten such a crucial detail. He immediately ordered the robot to turn off the artificial snowfall and raise the temperature.
Then he ran to Shi Lan’s side and pressed his furry body against her leg, trying to warm her with his own body heat.
"Lanlan, are you okay?"
He looked at her, his eyes full of worry and concern. Noticing the warmth against her leg, Shi Lan glanced down at him.
She had always thought Jiang Xia’s beast form was tiny, but up close, she realized he actually came up to her thigh. He only seemed short in comparison to the other Beastmen’s forms.
Perhaps because he was worried she was cold, he now had his tail wrapped around her leg as well, as if trying to transfer all of his body heat to her.
A comfortable warmth spread from her leg, like being wrapped in thick cotton, and she couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.
Jiang Xia always had a way of making her go soft on him.
’He’s just too cute.’
As a lover of all things fluffy, it was hard for her to see his beast form and not adore him.
Shi Lan couldn’t resist patting his soft, fluffy head. A puff of white vapor escaped her lips. "I’m fine."
