299 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

Indeed, she was born with a rebellious streak; when Nan Gong Yin let her go, Yan Yuan Qing oddly didn't want to leave. "If you keep running, I'll keep chasing," Nan Gong Yin spoke to her, "The world is only so big; wherever you run, I'll follow." Yan Yuan Qing arched an eyebrow, chuckling as she asked, "Really?" Nan Gong Yin replied, "Yes." Yan Yuan Qing swiftly appeared fifty feet away, "Then should I go?" Nan Gong Yin didn't respond. Yan Yuan Qing began to walk away, pretending to leave, when suddenly she heard a dull thud behind her. She quickly turned around to see Nan Gong Yin lying on the ground as if unconscious. Yan Yuan Qing exclaimed, "?!" Her foot, poised to take a step, retreated swiftly, and in the next moment, she was by Nan Gong Yin's side, bending down to lift her. At that very moment, a pair of hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her downwards. Caught off guard, Yan Yuan Qing fell onto Nan Gong Yin. Nan Gong Yin's long lashes fluttered gently, then her eyes opened. She lifted her chin slightly, pressing her lips unerringly onto Yan Yuan Qing's. Yan Yuan Qing's eyes widened, freezing momentarily before comprehension dawned. Oh, she had been tricked again! Nan Gong Yin held her tightly around the waist, and though Yan Yuan Qing wished to escape, she feared struggling too fiercely might actually harm Nan Gong Yin, which left her feeling constrained. In a burst of anger, she simply opened her mouth, clinging to Nan Gong Yin and biting down hard. Nan Gong Yin's half-closed eyes opened a sliver, a subtle smile playing on her lips, as she let Yan Yuan Qing gnaw at her head indiscriminately. Yan Yuan Qing deliberately bit Nan Gong Yin's lip, a drop of red spreading out subtly, a sight both alluring and ambiguous. Once their lips parted, Nan Gong Yin's lips were swollen from Yan Yuan Qing's intense nibbling. At some point, Nan Gong Yin had released her, and Yan Yuan Qing sat straddling her waist without any intention of getting up. Nan Gong Yin tilted her head back slightly, looking up at Yan Yuan Qing with a smile as she asked, "How did you fall for the same trick twice?" Yan Yuan Qing's gaze shifted downwards, an amused snort escaping her nose. "If I don't fall for it, how can you catch me?" Chapter 327 In Yan Yuan Qing's abode. Yan Zhao sat by the flowerbed, holding a little fox, gently stroking its soft, silky fur. "What do you think my mother and Nan Gong Yin are up to?" Yan Zhao tilted her head, a puzzled expression on her face. Clearly, there was no argument; they hadn't left in a huff. Yan Yuan Qing seemed to enjoy the game. With limited capacity for such ponderings, Yan Zhao soon stopped dwelling on it. The little fox, enjoying Yan Zhao's petting, snuggled closer, flipping over to expose its belly for a rub. Yan Zhao fondly rubbed the little fox's belly, recalling what Yan Yuan Qing had told her—that Ren Qing Yue, due to severe injury to her primordial spirit, had the mindset of a two or three-year-old child now that she had just awoken. Unfortunately, the healing technique could only be used once a day, and with Yan Yuan Qing absent, she feared misusing it might harm her senior sister further, leaving Yan Zhao to suppress her thoughts for the moment. With nothing else to do, Yan Zhao wandered around the abode with the little fox. Yan Yuan Qing's residence was quite large; there were many places Yan Zhao herself hadn't explored yet. Holding the little fox, she thought of a place and appeared there in an instant. The surroundings changed abruptly. Yan Zhao blinked, looking left and right before making a judgment, "This seems to be a study." She wasn't particularly interested in studies. She’d once visited Ren Qing Yue’s study, and Ren Qing Yue had gifted her hundreds of books, so many they piled up in her spatial pouch and couldn’t all be read. She felt overwhelmed at the thought of books. Just as she was about to leave for another place, the corner of her eye caught a bright splash of color on the wall, drawing her attention. She turned her head to see a painting hanging centrally on the wall not far away. A breathtaking beauty, clad in vibrant red, danced drunkenly under the moonlight with a silver spear. The only person Yan Zhao had seen use a spear was Nan Gong Yin. Considering Yan Yuan Qing's relationship with Nan Gong Yin, it was likely this was Nan Gong Yin depicted in the painting. But Yan Zhao had never seen Nan Gong Yin in red attire. The Nan Gong Yin in her mind always wore dark robes, emanating a solemn, somewhat oppressive aura. Nothing like this lively figure in the painting, dancing freely, vividly different from her usual demeanor. Yan Zhao remembered that Nan Gong Yin's study also had many paintings, each one of Yan Yuan Qing. Therefore, this painting was very likely her mother’s work. Their painting styles were utterly different; Yan Yuan Qing painted with a free, effortlessly spontaneous hand, capturing only the essence, not confined by form. Thus, at first glance, the figure in this painting seemed to be moving. Marvelling at her mother's artistic prowess, Yan Zhao felt inspired. One day, she decided, she would hang a painting of her senior sister in her own room, a work created with her own hands. With this thought, her gaze drifted over to Yan Yuan Qing's desk, and she mused to herself, “Why not practice now?” So she placed the little fox on her shoulder, moved to the desk, and took the paper and brushes from the cabinet behind it, spreading them flat on the table. Yan Yuan Qing's study was structured almost identically to Nan Gong Yin's, and it was easy for Yan Zhao to find a palette of bright paints. Imagining her senior sister in her mind, Yan Zhao let her creativity flow freely. As the painting neared completion, the little fox peered over to take a glance at Yan Zhao's work, blinking its foxy eyes in bewilderment. How could there be a green monkey in the world? It had never seen monkeys that looked like this. Bored sitting on Yan Zhao’s shoulder, the little fox jumped down, exploring the study while Yan Zhao busied herself, peeking here and there, scratching about randomly. Finally, Yan Zhao added the last stroke, admiring her work with satisfaction, before inscribing her name on the side in imitation of her mother and Nan Gong Yin. That’s when she heard a rustling noise beneath the desk. Bending down, she saw the little fox perched at the edge of a bookcase, body mostly inside, tail waving outside as it rummaged through something. "What are you doing?" Yan Zhao crouched, picked up the little fox, and placed it on the table, pointing at the painting, "Look, does it resemble?" Thud. A book dropped onto the painting as the little fox yawned widely. Yan Zhao: "…" "Ah, it’s pointless asking you, not until your memory returns." Accepting reality, Yan Zhao set the little fox aside and picked up the book that had fallen from the bookcase. The book looked quite worn from its cover. Having studied with Ren Qing Yue for a long time, Yan Zhao opened the inner cover and instinctively began reading. "One hundred and eight styles of bed..." She stopped midway, scratching her head, "What's this character... Never mind, let's continue... Secret technique?" Seeing the term "secret technique," Yan Zhao's eyes lit up. "It’s a martial technique!" She had been worried about her lack of strength, always being a burden to her senior sister, and needed to improve swiftly—this secret technique seemed perfect. Yan Zhao eagerly turned to the first page. "The first move, 'double phoenix style'…" She read earnestly, exclaiming, "Does this secret technique require two people to practice?" She randomly flipped a few more pages, muttering, "But why are the little figures in this book unclothed?" The book was filled with images of two little figures practicing together, unclad. Soon, she reached the last page, feeling a bit regretful, "What a pity, this technique can’t be practiced alone." An entire book, and not a single solo move. She wondered if her senior sister had ever learned it; once her sister fully recovered, perhaps she could inquire. If her sister hadn’t learned, then they could train together. Yan Zhao tucked the secret technique into her spatial pouch. After all, her mother had no shortage of books; giving her one should be entirely fine, right? It would suffice to mention this to her mother when she had the chance. With the book put away, the ink on her painting had dried. Yan Zhao rolled up her "masterpiece" and stored it in her spatial pouch. At that moment, she thought of something and glanced under the desk. The bookcase, disarrayed by the little fox, still held more than a dozen books. Her mother's study might well contain other secret techniques. Thinking this, Yan Zhao decisively seated herself on the floor, pulled the bookcase from beneath the desk, and casually picked up a book to browse through. Another book detailing two unclothed figures practicing together. The techniques were all sorts of strange, featuring postures Yan Zhao had never even seen before. No matter, though; the oddity of a technique wasn't an issue as long as it was useful. Yan Zhao casually tucked the latest find into her spatial pouch, reaching for the next book. After about half an hour, Yan Zhao had thoroughly searched through the contents of the bookcase. Alas, despite the vast collection, she hadn't come across a single technique meant for solo practice. After everything was said and done, Yan Zhao frowned. "Why are all of Mother's collected manuals for pairs?" Perhaps these manuals were used by Mother and Nan Gong Yin in past training sessions. The more she thought about it, the more sense it made, and she figured she could discuss it with Nan Gong Yin after leaving here. Just as this thought passed through her mind, the surrounding scenery abruptly changed. She found herself in a new, unfamiliar location. The sudden shift startled the little fox, which leaped into Yan Zhao's arms. Yan Zhao caught it and turned to see Yan Yuan Qing and Nan Gong Yin, realizing she had exited the residence. Seeing the two together, Yan Zhao blinked, "Mother, weren't you leaving home?" "Not anymore. It's tiring to run so far," Yan Yuan Qing settled down where she stood, casually tossing some firewood into a pile and kindling a small fire. "I suddenly felt that having the whole family together is quite nice." Nan Gong Yin's lips curled into a smile as she nodded, "It indeed is nice." Yan Zhao noticed the injury on Nan Gong Yin's lip and asked, puzzled, "Nan Gong Yin, what happened to your mouth? It seems swollen." Nan Gong Yin didn’t immediately answer, instead casting a sideways glance at Yan Yuan Qing. Yan Yuan Qing felt a bit guilty but maintained an air of nonchalance, occasionally poking at the firewood with a stick. Nan Gong Yin then turned to Yan Zhao to answer, "It's nothing; I just bumped it accidentally while looking for your mother." "Oh." Yan Zhao didn't doubt it, earnestly advising Nan Gong Yin, "You should be careful when walking. It's just a bump on the mouth, which is fine, but a fall could be serious." Yan Yuan Qing pouted slightly, a gesture that Nan Gong Yin noticed. However, Nan Gong Yin chose not to expose her, smiling as she reassured Yan Zhao, "Okay, I'll be careful in the future." Yan Zhao felt satisfied with Nan Gong Yin's agreement. Not wanting the conversation to linger on, Yan Yuan Qing cleared her throat, inviting Nan Gong Yin to, "Stop standing, come sit for a while." "Sure," Nan Gong Yin agreed easily, smoothing her robes before taking a seat next to Yan Yuan Qing. Yan Zhao recalled the manuals she had found earlier in the study. With both her mothers present and seemingly unoccupied, it seemed like a good opportunity. "I found some manuals in Mother's study," Yan Zhao tugged on her mothers' sleeves, earnestly requesting, "Could you explain them to me?" Yan Yuan Qing, realizing the atmosphere was slightly awkward and eager to engage, perked up at Yan Zhao’s words. She confidently pounded her chest in assurance, "No problem! Show me the manuals you've got!" So, Yan Zhao pulled out the sizeable stack of manuals in front of both mothers, randomly selecting one to start with. "Let's start with this one." To her surprise, it was the very same one the little fox had brought to her. Upon seeing the cover of the manual, Yan Yuan Qing's breath caught. The cover boldly read: “One Hundred and Eight Styles of Bedchamber Secrets.” --- *At this point, there might be a playful scene where Yan Yuan Qing and Nan Gong Yin exchange knowing glances or comments, recognizing the nature of the manuals while dealing with Yan Zhao's curiosity in a humorous or light-hearted manner.*