Free Web NovelChapter 29: Chapter 29 Give Me a Bite
The suffocating feeling in the corridor grew heavier with every passing second, and before Xue Yao could even decide whether to hide the roasted meat or pretend she had not been bribing the guards, a tall figure slowly walked out from the shadowed end of the prison pathway.
He was not Lie Lang.
And he was definitely not the terrifying Grand Alpha Yun Kai had just described.
The man had long dark-grey hair tied carelessly behind his back, with some long strands falling over his face. A pair of grey, sharp wolf ears stood proudly on his head. His lips carried a lazy smile, yet his eyes made Xue Yao’s heart tighten because they looked like they were smiling and judging at the same time.
A fluffy little boy with round cheeks followed beside him, and the moment the child smelled the roasted rabbit, his eyes became so wide that Xue Yao almost thought they would fall out of his head.
"Beta Han Luo," the guards immediately greeted, their backs straightening so fast that their bones almost made a sound.
Han Luo’s smile widened as he looked around the corridor. His eyes swept over Yun Kai, the fallen meat on the floor, the guards pretending not to drool, and finally Xue Yao, who was still holding a piece of roasted rabbit in her hand.
"Well, well," he said lightly, his tone soft enough to sound harmless, yet somehow it made every wolf lower their head even more. "I was wondering why half of the prison guards disappeared from their posts, but it seems they were all guarding one human girl with roasted meat."
Yun Kai’s face turned pale. "Beta, I can explain."
"Can you?" Han Luo asked, still smiling. "Good, I like explanations, especially the kind that sounds convincing before I punish someone."
Yun Kai immediately shut his mouth.
The little boy beside him tugged on Han Luo’s sleeve. "Uncle Han Luo, I want it." He pointed at the meat in Xue Yao’s hand.
"No." Han Luo said in a manner that resembled the scholars.
"I want it." The little boy frowned, his lips pulled downward while blinking at him with misty eyes.
"No." Han Luo shook his head.
"It smells very good." He reasoned, while his ears fell to the side of his head.
"I have a nose. I know." Han Luo sighed while already knowing he had no way to escape from the little bundle of trouble.
"Then you should also want it." The little boy said innocently.
Han Luo slowly looked down at him. "Are you trying to drag me into your greed?"
The little boy nodded without shame. "Yes."
Xue Yao almost laughed, but the Beast Heart Pendant pressed warmly against her chest, and she could feel the emotions in the corridor rolling toward her. Fear from the guards, embarrassment from Yun Kai, curiosity from Han Luo, and from the little boy, there was nothing but pure desire so strong that it almost slapped her in the face.
’This little pup is worse than Tian Lan,’ Xue Yao thought inwardly.
As if remembering something, she turned slightly toward the grill.
Her eyes froze... almost budging out from their sockets.
Two large pieces of roasted rabbit had disappeared.
"Tian Lan," she called inwardly through gritted teeth.
Tian Lan appeared beside the fire with an innocent expression, licking oil from her tiny fingers. [What?]
"Where is my meat?"
[I kept it safe.] She replied nonchalantly.
"You ate it." Xue Yao’s face turned red with rage.
[I kept it safe in the system space first, then tasted a little to make sure it did not spoil.]
Xue Yao’s lips twitched. ’A little? Two whole pieces vanished, and she calls that a little? This system is really a calamity sent to test my patience.’
The little boy had already pressed himself against the bars, his nose almost passing through the gap. "Human, give me one piece."
Xue Yao looked down at him. "Do I look like your cook?" Her voice did not bother to hide the annoyance in it.
He nodded. "Yes."
"..."
Han Luo chuckled softly. "Little ancestor, you are begging a prisoner."
"She cooks better than our cooks." He deadpanned.
The prison corridor instantly fell silent. Several guards stiffened, but none of them dared deny it.
Han Luo’s gaze moved back to Xue Yao, and for the first time, the amusement in his eyes deepened into something more cautious. "Is that so?"
Xue Yao lifted her chin slightly. "Your guards have been standing here for three days smelling my food. You should ask them."
The guards wished the ground would swallow them. Why did she have to throw them under the bus just like that?
Han Luo looked at Yun Kai.
Yun Kai immediately looked away. He looked at Mu Tian.
Mu Tian suddenly found the prison wall very interesting.
Han Luo smiled even more. "Interesting."
The little boy tugged his sleeve again. "Uncle."
Han Luo sighed as though he had suffered a great injustice. "Fine. Since our little prince is about to die from smelling roasted meat, let him taste it."
Xue Yao’s eyes narrowed. "And what do I get?"
Han Luo looked amused. "You bargain even now?"
"I am a prisoner, not a charity hall." Xue Yao deadpanned, while crossing her arms across her chest.
The smile on Han Luo’s lips paused for a fraction of a second before he laughed. "Good. Give him a piece first, and I will owe you one small favour." An unnerving glint flashed through his eyes.
Xue Yao did not trust him one bit, but the little boy’s desire was so strong that even the pendant seemed to buzz against her chest. She tore off a small piece of rabbit meat and passed it through the bars.
The boy grabbed it with both hands and bit into it. The next second, his whole body froze.
His ears shot upright, his white tail puffed behind him, and his golden eyes became misty as he chewed slowly. The guards watched him as if he had ascended to heaven in front of them.
"Is it good?" Han Luo asked. Everyone in the wolf’s clan was well aware of how picky the little disaster was. Throwing tantrum whenever the food didn’t reach his insane level of likeness.
The boy swallowed, then hugged the remaining meat to his chest. "If anyone takes this from me, I will cry."
"And yet you can’t even say thank you. No manners at all." Xue Yao muttered under her breath.
Han Luo’s smile finally changed. He ignored Xue Yao’s remarks even when he heard it clearly.
Han Luo reached out lazily. "Give me a bite."
"No." The little prince immediately pulled the meat away from his reach, growling slightly.
"I am your uncle."
"No. Uncle, you shouldn’t be begging me for meat. You have to keep your dignity." His little eyes narrowed fiercely.
"I allowed you to eat, and you are worrying about my dignity when I asked for some?" Han Lou said with a calm smile.
The boy hesitated, then reluctantly tore off a piece so small that even a mosquito would feel insulted.
Han Luo stared at it. "You are very generous." He deadpanned.
"You taught me well." The little boy flashed a wide smile at him.
Xue Yao almost choked. When it came to stinginess, she realized she had a lot to learn.
