Daily Survival After Inheriting a Harem (GL) - Chapter 17
Qiu Qi always enjoyed good fortune and fled from hardship.
She thought, even if Pei Yuqing were to kill her tomorrow, she would still be thoroughly intoxicated in this beautiful place today.
“Um… can I have another kiss?”
In Qiu Qi’s expectant gaze, Pei Yuqing leaned closer to that beautiful face, then her eyes narrowed, killing intent hidden behind her eyelashes. “Hm? What did My Lord say?”
“Nothing, nothing, I meant, once I recover a bit, I’ll immediately help you remove the ring,” Qiu Qi said coaxingly, rubbing her tail around Pei Yuqing’s arm and starting to talk about topics Pei Yuqing liked. “Don’t be afraid. No matter what happens, I’ll always be by your side.”
Pei Yuqing smoothed the silky fur on her back, her eyes flickering slightly, and responded deeply with a “Good.”
•••
When she woke up the second time, Qiu Qi distinctly felt her body was different. Not only was she chilled all over, but there was no longer that fluffy comfort when she squeezed her palm.
She rolled over and sat up, the thin blanket covering her bare body sliding down. Qiu Qi blinked, staring at her clean, slender fingers.
Had she changed back?
With a thought, she twisted her head, but then she caught sight of her tail wagging behind her bottom, and her ears drooped in disappointment.
Fine, now she was truly some kind of grotesque, neither human nor beast.
Realizing she had just returned to human form and had no clothes, Qiu Qi stared at the clothes hanger by the bed, her first instinct being to quickly find something to cover herself.
She took a step to get out of bed, but her movements were too rushed. She forgot that Pei Yuqing was still lying on the bed, tripped over her leg, and instantly crashed headfirst onto the floor, falling flat on her face.
Pei Yuqing was a light sleeper and had woken up long ago from such a commotion. She had simply wanted to give Qiu Qi some face, allowing her to put on clothes decently before opening her eyes. But she hadn’t expected the other party to be so clumsy, tripping herself just by getting out of bed.
“My Lord, are you alright?” Pei Yuqing extended a helping hand to Qiu Qi.
“Wuwu…” Qiu Qi scrunched up her face, arching her back and burying her head. “Madam, don’t look at me, quickly close your eyes.”
Her current posture could only be described as “awkward” from any angle.
Her head was on the ground, but her legs were still hanging off the bed. And Pei Yuqing was still behind her. Qiu Qi knew, without even thinking, how “spectacular” the view was in the other’s eyes right now.
Even if she had no shame, she was still an unmarried young woman. This situation, for her, would also be embarrassing, okay?!
“Alright,” Pei Yuqing turned her back. “My Lord, I’ve turned around.”
“Mm, I didn’t say it was okay, you’re not allowed to turn back.”
Qiu Qi patted her aching elbow, climbed up from the floor, dressed herself at the fastest speed of her life, then tugged at her collar and awkwardly spoke, “Okay, you can turn back now.”
Pei Yuqing turned around, her gaze on Qiu Qi. She was looking down, tidying the crumpled, wide sleeves, and the ears on top of her head twitched along, apparently genuinely struggling.
“Let me do it, My Lord.”
“That’s wonderful!” Qiu Qi looked up, trotting excitedly towards Pei Yuqing. She had been waiting for those very words. “What would I do without Madam?”
Being gazed at with such sparkling eyes gave Pei Yuqing a fleeting illusion that among the countless passersby in the world, the other person only saw her.
If it was an act, then she truly had to commend Qiu Qi; she acted so convincingly that one would want to believe her.
Pei Yuqing remained silent, lowering her eyes, carefully helping Qiu Qi smooth out her sleeves, then turning out and tidying the collar that had rolled into her neck.
Cool fingers touched her neck, and Qiu Qi instinctively recoiled.
“My apologies, I’ll be more careful next time.” Pei Yuqing withdrew her hand.
“Don’t,” Qiu Qi grabbed Pei Yuqing’s hand and gently breathed on it. “Madam has a weak constitution; I just need to warm it up more.”
Pei Yuqing’s gaze lingered for a few seconds on the furry tail behind Qiu Qi, which wagged incessantly with her mood, then steadily moved away, offering no rebuttal.
Then, using the pretext of tidying Qiu Qi’s stray hairs, she subtly rubbed those fluffy, upright ears, a faint smile playing on her lips.
She thought that it might be quite nice if this person remained like this.
“My Lord, last night you were sleeping soundly, so I didn’t call you for dinner. Are you hungry now?”
“Yes…” Qiu Qi touched her rumbling stomach. “I really am hungry.”
“Then I’ll have the kitchen send some over.” Pei Yuqing made to get up and call for someone.
“Hey, wait,” Qiu Qi quickly pulled on her sleeve.
“Hm?” Pei Yuqing cast a questioning glance.
“I’ll make it myself,” Qiu Qi said softly.
Pei Yuqing thought for a moment and then guessed the reason.
At lunch that day, she had already noticed that Qiu Qi’s taste had changed drastically. She wouldn’t eat freshly slaughtered meat, instead preferring the human way of steaming, stir-frying, and boiling.
“What ingredients does My Lord need? I’ll go to the kitchen first and have them prepared for you.”
“Let’s go together,” Qiu Qi took her hand.
••••
By this time, everyone had already finished their breakfast, and the kitchen staff was preparing for lunch.
When Qiu Qi entered, the old master chef from last time was sitting in front of a basket, peeling a snake skin with his hands.
Qiu Qi glanced at it, immediately averted her gaze, and patted her startled heart.
“Old Chen, you and everyone else go to the back and get busy. Wash the vegetables there first. My Lord needs the kitchen for a while,” Pei Yuqing said, partially blocking Qiu Qi’s view.
The old master chef’s eyes lit up. “My Lord, do you have a new dish to present?”
He couldn’t be blamed for his excitement. These past few days, Qiu Qi had been constantly experimenting with new dishes in the kitchen. Watching her, he had indeed learned a lot. Because of this, his “tigress” wife at home had become much gentler towards him, and his children, who weren’t close to him before, now clung to his pants legs every day, begging for food.
Qiu Qi nodded. “Today, let’s make some pig liver congee to nourish Madam.”
The congee had a light flavor, suitable for Pei Yuqing’s taste, and pig liver was good for bl00d, just right to restore Pei Yuqing’s strength after her recent injuries.
Pei Yuqing hadn’t expected her to willingly cook for her sake. Her eyebrows raised, and her gaze on Qiu Qi’s back deepened.
Qiu Qi rolled up her sleeves and asked the old master chef, “Do we have any freshly slaughtered pigs? Get me a few pig livers.”
The old master chef nodded and quickly retrieved a bloody mass from a basin. “Yes, yes. It’s just that we usually treat these organs as trash. Can they really taste good when cooked into a dish?”
Qiu Qi pointed at him. “This is where you don’t understand. Let me tell you, every part of a pig is precious. There’s no meat that isn’t delicious. Don’t look down on them just because they’re chubby.”
“Aye aye, My Lord is right,” the old master chef replied. He hadn’t forgotten the lard fried rice from last time that made his mouth water in his dreams at midnight.
“Speaking of which…” Qiu Qi turned her head. “Where’s my lard? It wasn’t thrown away, was it? That stuff can be kept for a long time.”
“No, no,” the old master chef responded, hurriedly getting a chair and carefully bringing down a small oil jar from the highest shelf. “It’s all here. I’ve been watching it carefully; not a drop has been touched.”
The jar of lard was enshrined in a high place, with a piece of paper stuck to it, displaying a few domineering characters:
NO UNAUTHORIZED TOUCHING.
Qiu Qi thought to herself that she shouldn’t be considered an unauthorized person, so she tore off the paper and placed the jar aside for later use.
First, she soaked the rice in water, then used that time to prepare the pig liver, washing it and cutting it into small, easy-to-eat slices, and placing them in a bowl with prepared seasonings to marinate.
After she mentioned it last time, Yan Wan had specifically gone to the human market to buy many seasonings, greatly improving the upper limit of her cooking skills.
After a while, Qiu Qi picked up the soaked rice and put it into cold water in the pot. She turned up the heat to start boiling and instructed the old master chef to stir it with a spoon on the side, ensuring the rice didn’t stick to the bottom.
She, meanwhile, picked up the marinated pig liver, heated oil in a pan, sautéed chopped scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant, then added the pig liver. She quickly scooped it out once it had just changed color and was barely cooked through.
By this time, the water in the pot had boiled. Qiu Qi told the old master chef to remove some firewood, lower the flame, and then she put in the stir-fried pig liver, stirring it while slow-simmering.
When the rice was almost cooked, Qiu Qi scooped out a small spoonful of the lard she had saved and added it to the pot.
Congee cooked with added oil would have a smoother and richer texture. This was another little life hack her old neighbor had taught her.
She continued to cook until the rice grains had burst open and the aroma could no longer be contained by the pot lid. Only then did Qiu Qi serve the congee.
“Madam, please have a taste.” As usual, the first bowl was offered to Pei Yuqing.
“Thank you, My Lord.”
Pei Yuqing took the bowl and drank it under Qiu Qi’s expectant gaze.
Perhaps because the animals in the courtyard ate and drank well, and constantly absorbed what they called “heaven and earth spiritual energy,” even unmarinated organs didn’t have much of a fishy taste. Now, with seasonings added, the inherent quality of the ingredients was even more highlighted.
Pei Yuqing swallowed the congee, feeling it warm her esophagus. She had to admit, having such a warm meal in the morning indeed made her feel much more comfortable all over.
This was her first time eating pig liver, and she hadn’t expected its texture to be so tender and smooth. After one bite, she eagerly wanted another.
“Is it delicious?”
“Mm, delicious.”
Even though Pei Yuqing’s feedback words were always limited, Qiu Qi could tell from the subtle expressions on her face that Pei Yuqing genuinely liked this bowl of congee.
“It’s great that you like it!” Only then did Qiu Qi smile, scoop a bowl for herself, and let the old master chef distribute the rest to others.
“Ow-woo.” Qiu Qi took a big, fearless mouthful, instantly narrowing her eyes in happiness. “I truly am an unremarkably talented little chef.”
••••
Before lunch, Qiu Qi dragged Yan Wan to prepare for the ring removal ceremony, finally leaving Pei Yuqing alone. She flashed into the secret base behind the rockery, where the few of them held their confidential meetings.
“Sister Pei, you’re finally here. Why are you so late?”
“What else could it be?” Zu Mianmian looked at Pei Yuqing with a pained expression. “It must be that demon’s daytime debauchery, tormenting Sister Pei since morning and not letting her come down.”
Pei Yuqing shot her a look that instantly silenced Zu Mianmian.
“I accompanied her to the kitchen to prepare some food. Speak quickly.”
“To the kitchen again?” Xu Zishe, a rare participant in the meeting, fanned herself. “I’ve been seeing her go there a lot lately. What, has she cooked up something new?”
Pei Yuqing did not deny it.
Yin Ci brought the conversation back on track. “Have you gone soft on her?”
Pei Yuqing glanced sideways. “What do you mean?”
“That day, she willingly blocked the Demonic creature’s attack for you, and these past few days you’ve been constantly sticking together. I can see that the determination for revenge in your eyes has diminished.”
Pei Yuqing’s fingers, hidden beneath her wide sleeves, tapped rhythmically. Following Yin Ci’s words, she reflected on her own state of mind and found that the interactions of these past few days had indeed greatly changed her perception of Qiu Qi. The other party’s self-sacrificing rescue that day had indeed shocked her, but more than being touched, her heart was filled with deeper questions.
Even due to the Beast Core Orb, could a person change so much? But Qiu Qi’s eyes, always openly gazing at her, showed no flaws.
All of this, was it real or fake?
“It’s not softness. Given the current situation, we can only wait and see,” Pei Yuqing said, taking a sip from her teacup, her gaze calm. “She still has benefits we can gain, and we have enough weapons to threaten her. So, we’ll keep her for now.”
“So we can’t touch her then?” Xiao Chu’er stood up. “I don’t want to live in fear every day.”
Pei Yuqing scoffed softly. “Once the Profound Ice Ring is removed, the one living in fear every day will likely be her.”
“Chirp…” Lan Tang flapped her wings. “But the big demon is so bad, she always bullies master. Lan Tang hates her!”
“Yes, even if her personality has changed drastically, I cannot let go of my resentment,” Lin Yujin added.
“I only said for now,” Pei Yuqing’s gaze drifted into the distance, ignoring their anxious looks, maintaining her own composure. “And the most important thing right now isn’t this. The Demonic race has offered a heavy bounty for her head. If the Beast Core Orb falls into their hands, the consequences would be far worse than they are now.”
Hearing her mention this, everyone present’s expressions darkened.
This assassination incident had served as a wake-up call. The Beast Core Orb was too tempting to the world, and now Qiu Qi herself was in a weakened state, unable to fully control it. The outside world would surely try to seize this opportunity.
But the outcome of the Beast Core Orb falling into outsider hands was something they dared not even imagine.
“Not the Demonic race, so that means we can just do as we please?” Zu Mianmian rubbed her hands, her face full of excitement and anticipation. “Sister Pei, don’t worry. I’ll go prepare right away. I definitely won’t let that demon take liberties with you for nothing.”
Pei Yuqing’s brows quickly furrowed upon hearing the words “take liberties,” but before she could explain anything, Zu Mianmian had already run off, skipping.
Pei Yuqing looked up at Yin Ci and asked, “Yin Ci, are my words difficult to understand?”
Yin Ci lowered her head. “Mianmian… she usually doesn’t understand common sense.”
“Fine then. I’ll see what kind of trouble she can stir up.”