After The Soft And Cute Beauty Marries The Wolf King - Chapter 13

The days passed uneventfully for a few days.

 

During this time, Lang Zai became busy again, and Xie Zhiqing, thinking it was related to family matters, didn’t dwell on it too much.

 

Fortunately, Aetius didn’t join in the busyness. When Lang Zai wasn’t around during the day, it often came to play with Xie Zhiqing.

 

As days went by, the relationship between Aetius and Fufu got a bit closer.

 

The little rabbit grew rapidly. When Lang Zai first brought it back, it was tiny enough to sit in Xie Zhiqing’s palm. Now, Xie Zhiqing had to use both hands to hold it.

 

Fufu grew bigger, and its temperament became more stable. It was no longer as timid as when it first arrived. Even when Aetius was in the room, Fufu wouldn’t be scared and run around.

 

Whether to please Xie Zhiqing or genuinely wanting to bond with Fufu, Aetius took over the responsibility of providing food for Fufu.

 

Every few days, it would bring back something. It even learned about the types of food the little rabbit could eat. Initially, it was just various types of grass, later supplemented with vegetables. Aetius would arrange and combine them for each meal, even including a chew toy!

 

Fufu, being a little greedy rabbit, eventually succumbed to the offerings.

 

One afternoon, Xie Zhiqing took Fufu for a walk. Upon opening the door, he happened to see Aetius basking in the sun outside.

 

Xie Zhiqing smiled, crouched down, and patted its head. “Didn’t Lang Zai take you out today?”

 

Aetius twitched its ears.

 

Sitting up from the ground, it showed Xie Zhiqing a small piece of lettuce hidden beneath it.

 

Xie Zhiqing laughed, took it, and asked, “Stolen from the kitchen?”

 

Aetius froze, and with guilty golden eyes, it shifted away, refusing to meet Xie Zhiqing’s gaze.

 

“So, you stole it from Lang Zai’s vegetable garden?” Xie Zhiqing persisted, not letting it off the hook.

 

This time, Aetius shook its head.

 

Jokingly, who would dare to steal from Lang Zai’s vegetable garden?

 

Xie Zhiqing ruffled its head playfully. “Alright, I was just teasing you.”

 

He took the small piece of lettuce back to the room, placing Fufu beside it, saying, “Fufu, thank Aetius properly; it always helps you find food.”

 

Fufu smacked its lips, turned its body, and showed its backside to Aetius.

 

Unable to do anything, Aetius nudged Fufu’s ears with its nose, hanging its head low, then lay down.

 

Xie Zhiqing returned to the room, washed the lettuce, and when he came out again, he saw this scene. Unable to resist, he burst into laughter.

 

He poked Fufu’s buttocks, and as it shook its short tail, he laughed, “What’s wrong? I went to wash some vegetables, and you’re sulking again?”

 

Fufu twitched its ears, not moving, just nudging its butt slightly towards Aetius.

 

Aetius, seeing this, used its nose to poke Fufu. It stood up, nudging Fufu’s head, and then, tilting its head, it knocked Fufu onto its back.

 

Fufu rolled on Aetius’s back, and with a turn of its head, it rolled from the top of its head to its back.

 

Aetius stood up straight, turned its head, and swayed its tail towards Xie Zhiqing before leaving with Fufu.

 

Xie Zhiqing: “…”

 

Oh, Aetius took Fufu for a walk, so he wasn’t needed anymore.

 

“…” The lonely and widowed queen Xie Zhiqing covered his face. “Fine, go ahead, you two.”

 

With Aetius around, there was no need to worry about any danger. However, the combination of a wolf and a rabbit was indeed amusing.

 

*

 

Without taking Fufu for a walk, Xie Zhiqing found himself with some free time. After sitting in his room for a while, feeling a bit bored, he decided to visit Lang Zai’s small vegetable garden.

 

Despite the previous cooking mishap, Lang Zai didn’t give up on farming. Xie Zhiqing had advised him a few times, saying the grassland wasn’t suitable for growing decent vegetables, but Lang Zai insisted.

 

“Good, good, good,” Xie Zhiqing laughed, scratching his head. Though Lang Zai claimed to love farming, he still hired a few people specifically to take care of the vegetable garden.

 

The task was easy—fertilizing and pest control for the small garden. After all, it was the Wolf King’s vegetable patch, and no one dared to disturb it.

 

Today, a deer came to clean up. A young girl, similar to Lang Zai’s mother, she was a semi-beast with incomplete intelligence.

 

The girl had a pleasant name, Ling Ling.

 

Ling Ling greeted Xie Zhiqing from afar, “Princess, over here!”

 

Xie Zhiqing wasn’t entirely comfortable with this title. He scratched his head and awkwardly responded.

 

Ling Ling, a spotted deer, had a small plum blossom pattern on her fair face, a characteristic of incomplete intelligence.

 

Xie Zhiqing chatted with her for a while. Ling Ling explained, “On the grassland, it’s windy and cold, but not everything is impossible to grow.” Pointing to a nearby empty space, she added, “The Wolf King even wants to plant some fruits there. Let’s try it next spring; it might actually work!”

 

Xie Zhiqing listened with a smile.

 

On this grassland, there were not only wolves but also various other beasts to some extent. They coexisted harmoniously, even species like wolves and deer, which were naturally antagonistic, managed to live peacefully.

 

Seeing Xie Zhiqing’s curiosity, Ling Ling took the initiative to explain, “Our deer tribe used to have our own territory, but we were weak, couldn’t fight others, only knew how to run. Running around, we lost our home.”

 

Sighing, Ling Ling picked up a small twig and drew a line on the ground, then drew a circle on each side of that line. Pointing to the circle on the right, she said, “Later, we accidentally ran into the wolf tribe. At that time, we were really scared, thinking our lives were over. When was it? Two or three years ago.”

 

Continuing, Ling Ling said, “The Wolf King said that semi-beast tribes like ours didn’t have tender meat, not tasty. So, he kept us here to tidy up the grass, feed cattle and sheep.”

 

Xie Zhiqing burst into laughter. “This guy is something!”

 

Ling Ling laughed too, mimicking Lang Zai’s expression, raising her eyebrows and saying, “Fatten them up before eating!”

 

“Help, you’ve got it down!” Xie Zhiqing nodded repeatedly.

 

They continued chatting, and Ling Ling shared some gardening knowledge, mentioning plans to plant flowers next year.

 

Xie Zhiqing sighed, “Handing this place over to you is really great. You’ll surely manage it beautifully. When flowers bloom next year, it’ll be so pretty!”

 

Ling Ling, however, said, “I’m just here to help. If it weren’t for you, Princess, this place would probably remain barren forever. Speaking of which, if this place becomes beautiful in the future, it’s also because of you.”

 

Xie Zhiqing blinked, feeling embarrassed. “Don’t call me Princess… it’s strange.”

 

“You’re being shy,” Ling Ling teased.

 

Xie Zhiqing couldn’t respond, so he turned his head, letting his gaze wander aimlessly. After a while, he stood up and bid farewell.

 

“Whenever you have time, feel free to come here often,” Ling Ling mischievously blinked. “Maybe the next time you come, this place will look completely different!”

 

“Sure, I’ll come often,” Xie Zhiqing nodded. “I’ll look forward to the flowers here next year!”

 

As they spoke, Ling Ling remembered something and said, “By the way, Princess, whenever you’re free, let’s go buy flower seeds. I’m also colorblind, and I can’t distinguish colors well.”

 

Xie Zhiqing replied, “Sure, I’m always available. What color of flower seeds do you want to buy?”

 

Ling Ling said, “The Wolf King specifically requested flowers in a bright red color. I know a few types, but I can’t be certain.”

 

Xie Zhiqing readily agreed, “No problem.”

 

Afterward, he left. On the way back, Xie Zhiqing found it strange. Why would Lang Zai, a person who couldn’t distinguish colors, insist on planting bright red flowers?

 

Lang Zai can only perceive colors as “deep gray” and “light gray” due to his difficulty distinguishing various colors. Given this limitation, there seems to be no need to specify the color of flowers.

 

Xie Zhiqing shook his head with a smile, unable to understand Lang Zai’s preferences.

 

Upon returning home, Aetius had already brought Fufu back. Aetius was lying down, and Fufu was lying on its head.

 

Seeing Xie Zhiqing’s return, Aetius only opened its eyes for a moment but didn’t move, likely fearing that any movement might cause Fufu to fall.

 

Xie Zhiqing walked over, petted Fufu’s ears, lifted it into his arms, and opened the door for them to enter.

 

However, Aetius refused to move.

 

Sitting at the door, it gazed into the distance, swaying its tail.

 

Xie Zhiqing understood the meaning of this action.

 

Lang Zai was also on his way home.

 

Sure enough, not long after, Lang Zai’s tall figure appeared in the distance. With him was another half-wolf person, whom Xie Zhiqing had seen before – Lang Zai’s trusted aide.

 

They exchanged a few words, and Lang Zai dismissed the aide, then jogged a few steps and entered their home.

 

Before entering, he even picked a small piece of grass from the doorway.

 

Xie Zhiqing had just lit the hand stove and tucked it into his sleeve. When he raised his head, he saw Lang Zai coming back and greeted him.

 

“Back already?” Xie Zhiqing said.

 

After saying it, he felt a bit embarrassed. Xie Zhiqing rubbed his nose, feeling that his words were too casual, as if he and Lang Zai had been a long-married couple for over ten years.

 

He quickly turned around, patting his slightly warm cheeks.

 

Fortunately, Lang Zai was busy with his own affairs, only glancing up at Xie Zhiqing. Xie Zhiqing’s back, even the silhouette, seemed cramped.

 

Lang Zai chuckled, continuing with his tasks.

 

Using the grass he had just picked, he made a little rabbit and placed it on Fufu’s head.

 

“Looks quite alike,” Lang Zai mumbled to himself.

 

Fufu didn’t see what he put on its head but had an instinct that it was something good. It moved its head, wanting to see what it was.

 

Aetius watched anxiously, wishing it could help. However, it didn’t dare to reveal its claws and could only nudge with its nose.

 

After struggling for a while, Lang Zai took it down himself.

 

He walked towards Xie Zhiqing, casually placing the grass-made rabbit on his head, behind the hairpin in his hair.

 

Xie Zhiqing, still facing away, didn’t feel the slight commotion. He only sensed Lang Zai coming towards him, so he turned around to look at him.

 

He appeared completely clueless, with innocent eyes, exceptionally obedient.

 

Lang Zai looked at him, nodded in satisfaction, and said, “Indeed quite alike.”

 

Xie Zhiqing: “?”