Chapter 170 - 160: Why Do You Think I Keep Indulging You?
Things on Jiang Wu’s end seemed calm on the surface, but they were still reeling from Su Mo’s poison.
The poisoned Beastmen found their Inner Strength suppressed. While the antidote she formulated could control the poison’s spread, their Inner Strength could not be restored immediately.
And the ones most deeply poisoned were all key soldiers.
Jiang Wu was fuming in her tent. "Useless, all of them! A simple poison has them completely hobbled!"
Ai Ci frowned. "Su Mo’s poisons have gotten stronger. She’s a menace. It’s all that useless Jin Tong’s fault for not getting rid of her sooner!"
At the mention of Jin Tong, Jiang Wu’s expression grew even fouler.
She knew the man was nearby. And while she didn’t know what leverage he had over Su Mo, she was certain that he and Su Mo were not truly on the same side.
’Since their relationship is one of mutual exploitation, why can’t I use him one more time?’
Jiang Wu let out a cold laugh and whispered a few words to Ai Ci.
Ai Ci frowned. "But Jin Tong is a two-faced backstabber. He’s not reliable!"
"Who cares if he’s reliable or not? I just want him to be a blade in my hand."
Jiang Wu moved to a nearby stool and sat down. ’Someone like Jin Tong, who was disloyal to me, could he possibly be loyal to Su Mo?’
’Absolutely not. I know Jin Tong better than anyone!’
’Did he naively think he could escape my control just by having Su Mo cure his poison? He can never escape my grasp.’
’Not in the past, not ever! It’s impossible!’
’Once you’ve served as my blade, you can never dream of escaping my control!’
For the next two days, Jiang Wu did not dispatch her troops, and Long Yan held his forces back as well.
Mo Xiao and Xuan Shuang, however, made sure to keep causing trouble for Jiang Wu. They guessed she wanted to use these two days to regroup and were determined not to let her rest in peace.
That evening, Yue Ying came into the tent from outside, took a gulp of water, and started complaining to Mo Xiao.
"I haven’t seen Su Mo in three days. I’m going to go crazy."
Mo Xiao merely shot him a glance. "With Fei Yan and Xuan Qing by her side, she’ll be fine. Besides, she has her Guardian Totem now. Protecting herself won’t be a problem."
Yue Ying slammed his cup down on the table. "We agreed when she left—three days at most! And now? There’s no end in sight. If I’d known, I would have stayed by her side!"
Mo Xiao frowned at him, not bothering to reply.
’He missed her too. But with Jiang Wu’s forces between them, the Dragon Clan facing threats both internal and external, and the North Wing’s safety to consider, who could afford to be careless?’
「Dragon Clan Tribe.」
By now, most of the injured soldiers had been treated, and those with minor wounds were already well on their way to recovery.
Over the past few days, Su Mo had gotten to know everyone well. People often crowded around her. "Miss Su..."
"Miss Su, about this..."
It seemed they always had endless things to say to her.
Whenever young Male Beastmen came over to make conversation, the two Little Dragons would cling tightly to Su Mo’s legs, glaring at the men with wide eyes.
Their gazes were a clear warning: ’Back off! This is the Lord Major General’s future wife!’
Fei Yan came over to Su Mo with a bowl of water. "Thirsty? Have a drink?"
Su Mo was parched. She had no idea how much she’d been talking all morning. She took the bowl and drank nearly half of it.
Fei Yan took the bowl from her and gently wiped a stray droplet of water from the corner of her mouth.
His eyes fell upon a faint red mark on her neck, and his gaze darkened slightly.
’He always told himself to exercise restraint, but in the heat of passion, he would inevitably lose control...’
’It had been so quiet these past few days, with no one to compete with. The time was so wonderful that he sometimes felt like he was dreaming.’
Fei Yan took her hand and said softly, "Let’s go eat."
He knew she wasn’t fond of Dragon Clan cuisine, so he and Xuan Qing had prepared most of her meals for the past two days. Su Mo, however, could tell at a glance who had made each dish on the table.
Xuan Qing preferred to cook light, preserving the food’s natural freshness and aroma. Fei Yan, on the other hand, knew she liked bold flavors and would add chili peppers.
At mealtimes, the two Little Dragons would inevitably drag Long Yan over to get in on the food.
The moment Su Mo sat down, she took a bite of spicy chicken, her eyes widening in delight.
She then tried a piece of hot and sour fish. But as she reached for the spicy braised pork, she saw Xuan Qing calmly look up from across the table.
Su Mo paused, her chopsticks hovering. She silently switched her target to a piece of the braised fish he had cooked.
After chewing and swallowing, she said with a pleased squint, "It’s all delicious!"
’It really was delicious, but she was the kind of person who craved things that excited her taste buds.’
Just as Su Mo was about to go for the spicy chicken again, she heard Xuan Qing’s calm voice. "You’re on medication. You can’t eat too many strongly-flavored foods."
Su Mo’s brow furrowed.
’I only had a few bites! He wants to control everything, and now he’s even micromanaging what I eat? This is too much!’
Xuan Qing gave her a cool glance. "Go ahead. I’ll just adjust your prescription tonight."
’What does he mean by that? Is he going to give me even more bitter medicine?! The audacity!’
’Fine... I won’t stoop to his level. It would just make me look petty.’
Fei Yan placed some stir-fried pork with wild greens in her bowl and smiled. "You really should eat less of the spicy stuff. I only made it to give you a little taste."
Su Mo pouted.
’Fine, I won’t eat it. Once I send him back to the Tiger Clan, I’m going to feast on whatever I want!’
Fei Yan shot a sidelong glance at Xuan Qing, but his expression remained impassive.
After finishing her meal, Su Mo took the two Little Dragons to wash the dishes. Just as she returned and set the bowls down, she saw Xuan Qing approaching with a bowl of cooled medicine.
"Drink this, then you can take your afternoon nap."
Su Mo took it, gritted her teeth, and downed it in one gulp.
Then, she narrowed her eyes at the man before her.
’He spends all day putting on this act of a noble gentleman, untouched by the mortal world. It just makes you want to rip that hypocritical mask right off!’
Su Mo suddenly took a step toward him, her lips curving into a smile. "You’re becoming more and more competent in your role as a fiancé. Tell me, how should I reward you for being so dedicated?"
’I’m no saint. Right now, I just want to see that icy facade of his crack. Serves him right for following me around all day, constantly feeding me medicine!’
Su Mo’s luminous eyes stared directly into his, as if trying to pierce through his perfectly feigned self-control.
Her lips curved playfully, a glint in her eyes. "If you keep this up... I might start to think you’re falling for me."
’The thought of him looking all flustered... Tsk. I’m kind of looking forward to it.’
An awkward silence fell. Xuan Qing simply gazed at her, his eyes utterly calm, as if he had already seen through her little game. There was even a faint hint of indulgence in his look.
Su Mo frowned. ’Can a person’s emotions really be this stable? No way. I need to hit him with something stronger!’
She put on a mischievous smirk and poked his chest with a finger. "You know, I have many Beast Husbands. If you end up with me, I’m afraid you’ll suffer for it. A man as refined and noble as you is hardly a match for a worldly woman like me. I’d advise you to retreat while you still can..."
Suddenly, the man before her grabbed her wrist.
A dark glint flashed in his deep-set eyes. "Have you had your fun?" he asked, his voice cool and restrained.
The searing heat from his grip on her wrist made Su Mo’s brow twitch.
She frowned and struggled against his grip. "If you don’t like me, just say so! I’ll arrange to send you back to the Tiger Clan. Why are you grabbing me? A gentleman uses his words, not his fists!"
Su Mo’s attention was entirely focused on her reddening wrist.
She failed to notice the way his eyes had darkened. With a slight tug, Xuan Qing pulled her flush against him.
Looking down at the woman now inches from him, his Adam’s apple bobbed. "You touched me first."
Su Mo’s eyes widened as she retorted instinctively, "I never said *I* was a gentleman!"
He suddenly leaned in, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered, "And what makes you think I am?"
Su Mo felt the hand gripping her wrist burn like a branding iron, sending a flustered heat through her entire body.
His voice, cold and steady but laced with that same restraint, sounded by her ear again. "Why do you think, Miss Su... I’ve indulged you time and time again?"