Chapter 113: A Life of Worries (7)

The sound of those footsteps was extremely light, like cat paws stepping on a plush carpet, yet they struck a precise chord on Bai Li and Ziya’s nerves.

The two of them froze instantly.

Ziya’s hand, which had not yet fully released Bai Li’s mouth, subconsciously tightened its grip.

Bai Li’s eyes widened, his back pressed firmly against the low cabinet behind him as his heart beat so fast it felt as though it would shatter his chest.

The footsteps stopped outside the door for two breaths.

There was no knock, nor did the person leave.

The Little Meow Maid shrank behind Ziya’s skirt, her pointed ears drooping low.

Her tail curled into a tight ball of fur, and her small meows were stifled into mere breathy sounds in her throat.

Suddenly, a crisp, deliberately lazy yawn came from outside the door.

“Sister Ziya, daughter, are you two finished chatting?”

It was Longjiu’s voice.

Her tone was light, as if she had heard nothing at all, without even a hint of anger.

Ziya and Bai Li exchanged a glance, both seeing the dazed look of having survived a disaster in each other’s eyes.

Ziya released her hand first and rubbed her somewhat numb cheeks.

Clearing her throat, she replied in as natural a tone as possible, “Almost… almost finished! Sister Longjiu, we’ll be there right away!”

“Mhm, I’ll wait for you in the corridor.”

The footsteps sounded again.

This time, they were no longer deliberately light but carried a certain sense of casualness.

It was only when the sound completely disappeared around the corner that Bai Li let out a long sigh of relief.

He slid down the side of the cabinet and sat on the floor, clutching his chest as he gasped for air.

“Scared me to death… I thought she was going to barge right in and demand an explanation.”

“Father, you underestimate Sister Longjiu too much,” Ziya said.

“If she wanted to lose her temper, she wouldn’t have given us any face at all. Acting like this shows she’s playing dumb and giving us a way out.”

Bai Li used the floor to push himself up and tidied his crumpled skirt, his brows knitting into a tight knot.

“Playing dumb? That girl’s thoughts are getting harder and harder to guess.”

“She is the Dragon Queen, after all; her mind runs deep.”

Ziya picked up the curled-up Little Meow and reached out to help Bai Li smooth the stray hairs on his forehead.

“But don’t worry, Father. I spent all morning chatting with her and have a feel for her temperament. Right now, she wants to keep you tied to her, but she’s also afraid you’ll truly leave. That’s why she’s using this method to remind us not to dream of escaping.”

Bai Li curled his lip, a complex mixture of feelings swirling in his heart.

“Let’s go. It’s time to eat.”

He took a deep breath and straightened his small frame.

“When the soldiers come, the general blocks them; when the water comes, the earth covers it. We have to face it eventually. Even if it’s a Hongmen Banquet, I have to find a way to get out.”

Ziya nodded, carrying Little Meow as she followed behind him.

Hearing their footsteps, Longjiu turned around.

Her gaze held undisguised tenderness when it landed on Bai Li, yet a hint of playfulness was added when she saw his tense little face.

“It seems my daughter has come to her senses? You’re no longer hiding in your room sulking?”

Bai Li’s cheeks turned slightly red. He stiffened his neck and said, “I wasn’t sulking. I was just organizing my thoughts.”

“Oh? And what thoughts have you organized?”

Longjiu stepped forward and naturally took hold of Bai Li’s wrist.

Her palm was broad and warm as it wrapped around his slender wrist, yet it carried a controlling force that would not allow him to break free.

Bai Li instinctively tried to pull his hand away, but she gripped him a little tighter.

“Don’t move around; the corridor floor is slippery. With your fragile constitution, it would break my heart if you fell.”

Those words gave Bai Li goosebumps, but he was helpless and could only let her lead him along.

Ziya followed behind them with Little Meow, watching this bizarre scene of “maternal affection and filial piety.”

The dining hall of the Dragon Palace was even more luxurious than Bai Li remembered.

On the long sandalwood dining table sat a dazzling array of dishes, exquisite pastries, and even the soufflés that Ziya loved.

What surprised Bai Li the most was the fragrant Roasted Suckling Pig placed right in the center of the table — it was the food he had been best at making back then, and it had been Longjiu’s favorite as a child.

“You still remember this?”

Bai Li looked at it, his tone carrying a hint of surprise.

Longjiu pulled him to a chair next to the head of the table and sat him down.

She then took the seat at the head herself, looking every bit like the head of the household.

“How could I forget?”

She smiled, a trace of nostalgia flashing in her eyes.

“When I was little and threw tantrums by refusing to eat, you would make Roasted Suckling Pig to coax me.”

That period of time had been his proudest days as a father and the time when Longjiu relied on him most.

Now, their roles were completely reversed and disordered.

“Now, it’s my turn to make it for you.”

Longjiu’s voice pulled him back to reality.

“The chefs in the kitchen practiced for one month just to replicate this flavor. Taste it and see if it suits your appetite.”

Bai Li picked up a fork and poked a piece of the suckling pig into his mouth.

It was fragrant and crispy, melting the moment it touched his tongue.

The flavor was almost identical to what he used to make.

But this familiar taste only made his heart feel increasingly bitter.

He lowered his head and whispered, “It’s good.”

“If it’s good, eat more.”

Longjiu seemed to have received a reward, and the smile in her eyes deepened.

She then gave a piece to Ziya and Little Meow respectively.

“Sister Ziya, Little Meow, you two eat as well.”

“Thank you, Sister Longjiu!”

Ziya’s eyes lit up, and she began to eat immediately.

Little Meow also held her own pudding bowl and meowed happily, eating with great joy.

The atmosphere in the dining hall became warm for a moment, as if a real family were enjoying breakfast together.

Bai Li wanted to take the opportunity to mention going to the Blood Tribe Camp, but seeing Longjiu’s gentle appearance, the words reached his lips and were swallowed back down.

He knew that now was not the time.

The meal passed without any major disturbances, yet every part of it felt bizarre.

Longjiu spent the entire time putting food on Bai Li’s plate, from the belly meat of the Roasted Spirit Fish to the marrow from the Stewed Dragon Marrow Soup and various exquisite desserts.

She piled his porcelain plate high, all while constantly nagging:

“My daughter is growing and needs to eat more. Your constitution is too weak; you need to nourish yourself properly.”

Bai Li’s scalp felt numb as he listened, but he didn’t dare refuse.

He could only force himself to keep eating.

By the end, he was so full he couldn’t even straighten his waist, clutching his stomach with a frown.

“Are you stuffed?”

Longjiu immediately put down her chopsticks and reached out to gently rub his lower abdomen.

Her movements were incredibly tender.

“Don’t… don’t touch!”

Bai Li recoiled as if he had been burned, his cheeks turning a deep red.

“I… I can do it myself!”

Longjiu’s hand froze in midair.

A flash of grievance appeared in her eyes, but she quickly regained her playful expression.

“What are you shy about? When you had a stomachache as a child, wasn’t it I who helped rub it?”

“That… that was different!”

Bai Li was so flustered he began to stutter.

“Back then I was your father, and now… now…”

“Now you are my daughter.”

Longjiu accepted this as a matter of course and reached out again to press against his abdomen, rubbing with gentle pressure.

“A mother helping her daughter when she’s uncomfortable is only natural.”

Ziya and Little Meow bowed their heads in unison, pretending to be engrossed in their desserts while their ears were pricked high, eavesdropping on the conversation.

Bai Li felt his body go soft from her rubbing.

Embarrassed and distressed, he could only let her have her way.

After a while, the bloated pain in his stomach gradually eased.

He pushed Longjiu’s hand away and whispered, “Okay, it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Longjiu withdrew her hand and took a handkerchief to gently wipe the pastry crumbs from the corner of his mouth.

Her tone suddenly became serious.

“Bai Li, let’s talk business.”