160 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

Before stepping into the hall, Bai Jin's voice floated out from within: "Oh dear, why isn't cousin here yet? I'll go check!" With that, not waiting for Hu Hou to stop her, she dashed to the door, bumping right into Ren Qing Yue and Yan Zhao. "Co—" The word had just left her lips when, under Ren Qing Yue's cold gaze, Bai Jin hastily corrected herself, "Sister Ren! Finally, you're here. I've been waiting for you so long. Come, try our palace's special peach blossom cake!" Lively and chatty, Bai Jin reached out to pull Ren Qing Yue into the hall. Smack— Out of nowhere, a hand slapped Bai Jin's hand away. Stunned, Bai Jin looked down to see her hand swelling visibly. It didn't take long for her to identify the culprit. "Yan Zhao!" Bai Jin exclaimed, jumping up in surprise. "What are you doing here!" Yan Zhao squeezed into the limited space between Ren Qing Yue and Bai Jin. The gap wasn't large to begin with, and her action made it even tighter, forcing Bai Jin to take half a step back. Crossing her arms, Yan Zhao tilted her head upward, her eyebrows raised in a provocative manner. "I'm here. So what?" Bai Jin, flustered, stammered, "You... I..." "Hmph~" Yan Zhao snorted through her nose. Bai Jin was so furious, her eyes turned red. The more Bai Jin fumed, the more pleased Yan Zhao was. No one was allowed to take her senior sister away from her. But, misfortune can strike unexpectedly. Just as Yan Zhao was basking in her triumph, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her ear. "Ouch." She winced, craning her neck in the direction Ren Qing Yue was pulling her ear. "Senior sister, it hurts!" Ren Qing Yue, not letting go, added more force, an expression of exasperation on her face. "Who allowed you to hit people? Apologize immediately!" Yan Zhao protested, aggrieved, "You always blame me! When she bit me, why didn’t you say anything then?" Ren Qing Yue was momentarily at a loss, her grip loosening enough for Yan Zhao to break free. Yan Zhao rubbed her reddened ear repeatedly. At that moment, the soothing yet authoritative voice of Hu Hou came from within the hall: "What's going on here?" The crowd turned at the sound to see Hu Hou gracefully emerge from the inner hall. Hu Hou instantly noticed the unfamiliar young woman behind Ren Qing Yue. "Aunt!" Bai Jin snapped out of her daze, quickly running to Hu Hou's side, pointing accusingly at Yan Zhao. "She trespassed into Qing Qiu and has even made her way to the palace! Arrest her!" Hearing this, the surrounding guards raised their swords vigilantly. Ren Qing Yue instinctively stepped forward, lifting her arm to shield Yan Zhao, urgently explaining to Hu Hou, "Senior, there is more to this story." Hu Hou's gaze moved past Ren Qing Yue's shoulder to Yan Zhao. The girl was young, her expression defiant, looking like someone who wouldn’t easily yield to authority. Even though she had a tiff with Ren Qing Yue because of Bai Jin, Ren Qing Yue instinctively stood up for her. From the looks of it, Bai Jin too knew this girl, and they shared a playful sort of relationship. Hu Hou motioned the guards to lower their swords and, choosing not to pursue an explanation immediately, suggested, "Let’s go inside for some food and discuss matters at leisure." Bai Jin wasn't too pleased with this resolution, but with Hu Hou speaking, she couldn’t go against her elder and could only huff as she returned inside. With food now present, half of Yan Zhao's ire was soothed. The remaining half dissipated completely when Ren Qing Yue set a cushion for her, inviting her to sit beside her. Sitting by Ren Qing Yue's side, Yan Zhao reached for food on the platter, only to have her hand lightly swatted by Ren Qing Yue. "Did you forget everything I taught you?" Ren Qing Yue gave her a sidelong look. Yan Zhao lowered her head, not speaking. Ren Qing Yue sighed, knowing full well Yan Zhao hadn't taken a word to heart, still sulking. "Don't be so restrained," Hu Hou encouraged with a gentle smile. "Eat whatever you like." Yan Zhao glanced at Ren Qing Yue out of the corner of her eye. Ren Qing Yue, resigned, picked up a piece of floral cake with chopsticks and placed it onto Yan Zhao's plate. Immediately, Yan Zhao broke into a smile, grabbing the cake and taking a big bite. Delicious. "Young lady," Hu Hou said, pouring a glass of water for each of them, "Can you tell me what this is all about?" Reluctantly, Ren Qing Yue recounted the story of Yao Shen Zi and Yan Zhao's clandestine escort mission to Hu Hou. "I see," Hu Hou replied with understanding. "If that's the case, Miss Yan here is also a benefactor of Qing Qiu. Bai Jin, how could you speak so rudely to our benefactor?" Bai Jin, having been unaware of the true story, turned red and quickly apologized, "I... I'm sorry, Miss Yan. I misunderstood you." She spoke so quickly it almost blurred her words, but those present heard it clearly. Bai Jin's straightforward way of admitting fault made Ren Qing Yue nudge Yan Zhao: "Bai Jin has apologized to you, now you should also address your wrongdoing." Yan Zhao lifted her gaze, glancing at Bai Jin, then at her senior sister and Hu Hou, who was observing the scene. Under so many watchful eyes, she felt that if she didn’t apologize, she'd be shown up by Bai Jin and make her senior sister unhappy. She could not allow Bai Jin to one-up her and needed to ensure her senior sister favored her too. "I shouldn't have hit you. I'm sorry." Yan Zhao confessed honestly. Seeing her genuine repentance, renouncing her stubborn defiance, Ren Qing Yue breathed a sigh of relief. Feeling a touch of compassion, she reached out to pat Yan Zhao's head, "It's good you recognize your mistake. Don't do it again." Bai Jin raised an eyebrow, deciding to forgive and make peace with Yan Zhao; after all, it was a trivial matter, and Yan Zhao had been punished by Ren Qing Yue pulling her ear. "Miss Yan!" Bai Jin's tone turned cheerful. She was about to express goodwill when Yan Zhao's cheeks puffed out, announcing irritably: "Apologies aside, you cannot, under any circumstances, try to take my senior sister." Hu Hou looked intrigued, Ren Qing Yue fell silent. Bai Jin: "…” Frustrated, her plans at friendship with Yan Zhao futile! Chapter 174 "Stop talking nonsense!" Ren Qing Yue, face flushed, habitually flicked Yan Zhao’s forehead. Yan Zhao winced from the sting, cradling her head, "I wasn't talking nonsense." Ren Qing Yue glared at her, "Quiet." Yan Zhao: "..." And she sulked. Hu Hou watched with an amused smile. Since Yan Zhao's arrival, Ren Qing Yue seemed more animated, and even her demeanor had become more lively than the previous day. Bai Jin, upon realizing, was greatly shocked: "You... you mean!" Even though Ren Qing Yue forbade her from speaking, Yan Zhao shot a challenging glare back at Bai Jin, each feature on her face challenging authority. It was as if sparks crackled in the air, tension mounting. Ren Qing Yue shifted slightly to cut off the fiery glares between Yan Zhao and Bai Jin. At this moment, Hu Hou interjected, "Alright, Bai Jin, sit properly." Bai Jin swallowed the rest of her words, reluctantly sitting down. Ren Qing Yue placed a firm hand on the back of Yan Zhao's head, forcing her to bow slightly. She spoke to Hu Hou, "A Zhao was undisciplined in youth, stubborn and hard to train. If there's any offense, I beg your pardon, Senior." Hu Hou's gaze softened with amusement, "No worries, such candid nature is quite endearing." Under Hu Hou's meaningful gaze, Ren Qing Yue felt her face heat. Though they hadn't officially acknowledged their kinship, both were tacitly aware of each other's identities, adding a layer of significance to the situation that left Ren Qing Yue feeling slightly awkward. Forced to keep her head down and listening to Ren Qing Yue and Hu Hou’s formal and polite exchanges, Yan Zhao was none too pleased. To vent her displeasure, she took another bite of her floral cake. Bai Jin rolled her eyes. Who could match Yan Zhao's brazenness? Hu Hou replaced the empty plate before Yan Zhao with a new one. Ren Qing Yue patiently instructed Yan Zhao, "What should you say now?" Yan Zhao looked up briefly, catching Hu Hou's eye but quickly averting her gaze, replying obediently, "Thank you, Senior." Hu Hou's gentle smile remained, "No need to thank me, eat as much as you like." Finally, to ease the atmosphere, she shifted the conversation, "Since Miss Yan arrived with Yao Shen Zi, may I ask where Yao Shen Zi is currently?" Ren Qing Yue explained, "Senior Yao Shen Zi perhaps had other pressing matters. He departed after escorting A Zhao to me, so I am unsure of his current whereabouts." Hu Hou nodded in understanding, not pressing further. Ren Qing Yue then suggested taking Yan Zhao to apologize to the demon tribes they had encountered the previous day. Hu Hou initially intended to let the matter rest, but seeing how insistent Ren Qing Yue was, she instructed the guards to bring the male peacock. It was his first time being summoned to the demon palace, and he wondered if he had done something wrong, feeling anxious on his way there. Upon seeing Ren Qing Yue, a sharp pain seemed to shoot through the back of his head, a reminder of the bulge left by a heavy blow from the previous day. Hu Hou explained the reason for the summon, leaving the man both startled and honored. Ren Qing Yue discreetly signaled to Yan Zhao with her eyes. Reluctantly, Yan Zhao stood up and followed Ren Qing Yue to face him. Ren Qing Yue, expressionless, clasped her hands in salute: "My junior sister was mischievous and mistakenly injured you. I have sternly reprimanded her. Today, we ask for your forgiveness concerning yesterday's incident." The man was surprised to see that the person who hit him was a demure-looking young girl who seemed completely harmless. His sense of lost dignity returned. He straightened his back, adjusted his collar, cleared his throat, and even styled his hair in what he thought was a dashing manner before pompously responding, "No worries, no worries! With such sincerity, of course, I forgive you." Though he said this, his gaze lingered on Ren Qing Yue's face. Unexpectedly, a voice, intentionally lowered and laced with an unmistakable threat, echoed suddenly in his mind: "Stay away from my senior sister, or I'll beat you up every time I see you!" The voice was directly in his head, with no one around showing any sign of having spoken, indicating that only he could hear it. His expression froze, fright overtaking him as he locked eyes with Yan Zhao. He found himself staring into a pair of cold and indifferent eyes. Yet, before long, the sharp glint in those eyes vanished. Yan Zhao retracted her menacing aura, performed a mock bow, and drawled, "I'm sorry—" The man's complexion changed abruptly, and Ren Qing Yue sensed something amiss, her eyebrows knitting together. She glanced at Yan Zhao, seeing her bow with good grace, yet finding no apparent problem. Doubt crept into Ren Qing Yue's heart. However, before she could speak, the man stepped back nervously, his voice trembling, "N-no worry, really, I too was at fault for intruding! S-sorry!" With that, he hastily followed up with a deep bow to both Yan Zhao and Ren Qing Yue. At Hu Hou's consent, he made a swift exit, anxious to escape lest Yan Zhao bear a grudge against him. Observing this, Ren Qing Yue seemed thoughtful. Having "apologized," Yan Zhao turned to return to her seat and continue eating the flower cake. She was halted by Ren Qing Yue after a few steps. "Senior sister?" Yan Zhao paused and turned back, her expression innocent. Ren Qing Yue's gaze lingered briefly on her face, noting her clear eyes, showing not a hint of anything amiss. She chose to believe she was overthinking. Concerned Yan Zhao might cause trouble if left unsupervised, Ren Qing Yue decided to keep her close. This proximity meant Ren Qing Yue was particularly strict in her teachings, aiming not only to instill proper moral values in Yan Zhao but also to maintain her own responsibilities as a senior sister, preventing Yan Zhao from disturbing her focus. Life alongside Ren Qing Yue felt unchanged for Yan Zhao. Each day followed a routine: mornings spent practicing calligraphy, afternoons concocting elixirs, evenings learning swordsmanship with her senior sister, and meditating at nightfall. The schedule, relentless as it was, even left Bai Jin amazed. Bai Jin frequently complained to Hu Hou about wanting to take her cousin out to explore Qing Qiu’s mountains and waters, but Ren Qing Yue was always too occupied with teaching Yan Zhao to join them.