The Sickly Beauty and Her Guide Leopard - Chapter 35

The sparrows suddenly opened their eyes, flapped their wings, and scattered in all directions.

The small animals in the back mountains heard the earth-shattering roar from below and paused their activities to look toward the source of the sound. But after only a moment, they lost interest.

Jian Li let out a cry, clutching her chest. With lightning speed, she shoved Yan Qingshuang away with her right hand. Yan Qingshuang, unwilling to exert force, was pushed backward along with her reclining chair, tumbling to the ground.

Given Yan Qingshuang’s cultivation level, she merely leaned back for a moment before quickly regaining her balance.

The poor Jian Little Leopard, however, lost all support. Still unaccustomed to her human body, her legs inexplicably weakened, her steps faltered, and her arms flailed uselessly as she teetered on the verge of collapse.

Seeing this, Yan Qingshuang hurriedly rose and wrapped an arm around Jian Li’s waist. “Xiao Li, are you alright?”

Jian Li had always found Yan Qingshuang’s face pleasing to the eye, even comforting. Seeing it daily made her work feel more invigorating.

Now, the situation had reversed. She was human now, which wouldn’t have been a problem if she hadn’t been lying naked in Yan Qingshuang’s arms, having her tofu thoroughly devoured.

If not for this, she might have continued her friendship with Yan Qingshuang, remaining close friends, perhaps even progressing to a familial bond.

What was even more outrageous was that Yan Qingshuang had fondled her naked body without telling her she had successfully transformed.

And she had even held Jian Li to feed her! Of course, Jian Li had to admit she was partly to blame—she was just too greedy.

Having never tasted anything good in her previous life, she acted like a starving ghost reincarnated whenever food was involved in this one.

Feeling Yan Qingshuang’s hand still on her waist, Jian Li, disregarding Yan Qingshuang’s fragile emotional state, roared, “I’m not okay! I’m not okay at all!”

Still retaining her Snow Leopard instincts, she butted Yan Qingshuang’s chest with her head. “Go away! Go away! Don’t touch me!”

Yan Qingshuang waited until Jian Li stood still, then closed her Spiritual Sense. “Alright, I’ll leave now.”

Panting, Jian Li watched Yan Qingshuang turn, open the door, and start to leave. Suddenly remembering something, she shouted, “Yan Qingshuang! Where are you going?!”

This was the first time Jian Li had formally addressed Yan Qingshuang by her full name, her voice no longer childishly soft but clear and vibrant with youthful energy.

Yan Qingshuang gripped the doorframe, not turning back. “Just taking a walk.”

The stone tablet recording the Great Tonic Pill recipe stood by the door. Concerned about Yan Qingshuang’s health and wanting to secure her own tablet, Jian Li’s tone softened slightly, though it remained stiff.

“Where do you think you’re going? You’re sick! Get back in bed!”

Yan Qingshuang: “That’s not appropriate.”

The season was already cold, and now that the door was open, a gust of icy wind rushed into the room. Jian Li hesitated to return to bed. “Unlike you, I don’t take advantage and run. Seriously, you and Zhang Yuan are exactly the same!”

Yan Qingshuang remained silent, the bone-deep pain of her illness piercing her heart. “I’m sorry.”

Jian Li rummaged through Yan Qingshuang’s wardrobe, muttering, “Don’t leave yet… don’t go.”

Yan Qingshuang stood motionless, veins bulging on the back of her hands and neck, cold sweat dripping from her forehead. “Mm, I won’t leave.”

By the time Jian Li found some underwear and a slightly thicker outer robe and hastily threw them on, Yan Qingshuang probably wouldn’t mind her wearing her underwear, right?

The robe dragged on the floor. Jian Li inwardly grumbled about how it fit Yan Qingshuang perfectly, while on her, it was practically a floor-sweeping train.

It was just like her leopard tail—sometimes she forgot to keep it tucked in her mouth, and it would drag on the ground all day, turning her into a walking, free mop.

Ignoring the details, warmth was all that mattered. She turned her head and saw Yan Qingshuang still there, her figure trembling slightly.

Although Yan Qingshuang had wronged her, she was sick and blind, and Yan Qingshuang was the owner of the house. If anyone had to leave, it should be her.

Jian Li approached Yan Qingshuang and stopped behind her, only then realizing she was quite short… She sighed in resignation. After taking the Form Transformation Pill, why couldn’t she at least be as tall as Yan Qingshuang?

Dismayed by the height difference, Jian Li’s expression darkened. “Yan Qingshuang, go lie down. I’ll brew some Chinese medicine for you.”

Yan Qingshuang’s teeth chattered. “I won’t take medicine.”

Jian Li reached out and placed her hand on Yan Qingshuang’s shoulder, forcing her to turn around. “You’re a grown woman. If you don’t take medicine, you’ll burn yourself to death.”

Facing each other, the height difference became even more pronounced. Jian Li couldn’t resist gesturing with her hand.

Oh, my head only reaches Yan Qingshuang’s nose. I’m feeling a bit self-conscious.

Yan Qingshuang’s condition didn’t allow for self-pity. Jian Li reached out and touched Yan Qingshuang’s flushed cheek—still burning hot.

“Hiss, this won’t do. Go rest immediately. I’ll take care of you.”

Yan Qingshuang replied coldly, “There’s no need. Is there anything else?”

“Just keep being stubborn,” Jian Li retorted. “Do you really think you’re made of iron?”

As she spoke, Jian Li pushed Yan Qingshuang, and to her surprise, Yan Qingshuang moved easily. Jian Li secretly rejoiced, remembering how, as a Little Leopard, she had felt particularly safe nestled in Yan Qingshuang’s arms.

Jian Li had subconsciously assumed Yan Qingshuang was strong and difficult to move. But when she grabbed Yan Qingshuang’s arm, she realized how slender Yan Qingshuang actually was—her five fingers could easily encircle Yan Qingshuang’s forearm.

Only when she had half-pushed Yan Qingshuang to the edge of the bed did Jian Li relax. Seeing Yan Qingshuang standing motionless, she asked curiously, “What’s wrong? Do you want me to undress you too?”

“I can manage myself,” Yan Qingshuang replied.

Jian Li covered her eyes, turned away, and walked to her small stone slab. “Of course you can! I’m not like you, sneaking around and touching me.”

“I’m sorry,” Yan Qingshuang said, clenching her fists. She desperately wanted to calm down, having already exerted immense self-control to suppress her rising passion.

The stone slab had been inconvenient to move when she was still a Little Beast. Now, she easily carried the sixty-centimeter slab to a corner and covered it with a cloth.

I hope Yan Qingshuang doesn’t find my ‘little diary.’

“It’s fine,” Jian Li said. “You’re sick, feverish and confused. I’ll just pretend nothing happened.”

“Okay, thank you,” Yan Qingshuang replied.

Hearing the rustling of blankets and bedboards, Jian Li asked, “Are you under the covers?”

“Mm-hmm,” Yan Qingshuang confirmed.

Jian Li strode back to the bedside in a few steps. Having long legs is so convenient, she thought. Unlike Little Leopard, who has to sprint even indoors with those short legs just to get from one room to another.

Leaning over the bed, Jian Li saw Yan Qingshuang’s eyes tightly shut, sweat beading on her forehead. When Jian Li touched the back of her hand to Yan Qingshuang’s forehead, the woman gasped and flinched away.

Jian Li gently straightened Yan Qingshuang’s head and commanded, “Don’t move. I’m checking your temperature.”

Yan Qingshuang remained perfectly still. After a prolonged examination, Jian Li’s expression turned serious. “You have a high fever,” she concluded.

She summoned the System. “How much for fever medicine?”

The System interface displayed modern antipyretics like ibuprofen and acetaminophen. Jian Li clicked on the price and whistled. 300 Spirit Stones? I only earn that much from completing a whole mission!

But seeing how quickly it worked, she clicked “Purchase.” A small, oval-shaped white pill materialized in her palm.

Realizing she’d been caught in a capitalist trap, Jian Li cursed at the System. “Are you a greedy hen? 300 Spirit Stones for one pill? Your prices are outrageous! How hasn’t the Time-Space Administration gone bankrupt yet?!”

The System replied helplessly, “Host, our prices are clearly marked. You just didn’t read them carefully.”

Fine, at this critical moment, Jian Li had no choice but to swallow her pride. She had only 12,635 Spirit Stones left.

She had initially considered forcing Yan Qingshuang’s mouth open and shoving the pill down her throat, but she knew Yan Qingshuang would inevitably grill her with questions afterward, her face stiff with disapproval.

“I’ll go brew some medicine,” Jian Li said. “You should sleep first. I’ll wake you later.”

Yan Qingshuang rolled over, turning her back to Jian Li. “Mm.”

Jian Li interpreted this strange behavior as Yan Qingshuang refusing to acknowledge her. How could she act like this?

I’m the one who was taken advantage of! Pushing her away was a perfectly normal reaction. I don’t want our familial friendship to become something else.

Jian Li poked Yan Qingshuang’s back through the blanket. “Yan Qingshuang, you’re being unreasonable.”

Yan Qingshuang didn’t respond or turn around. Jian Li huffed and stomped off to the kitchen to “brew traditional medicine.”

Halfway there, Jian Li stopped running. She couldn’t shake her Little Leopard habits—she loved running everywhere.

Brewing medicine was just an excuse. She’d wait until later to feed Yan Qingshuang the pill and claim she’d bought a medicinal Pill.

She activated her Spirit Mirror and switched the view from the kitchen to the backyard. She circled the peach tree a few times, poked at the soil beneath it, and decided to discuss removing the tree with Yan Qingshuang another day.

She couldn’t understand why Yan Qingshuang refused to cut down this dying tree. Perhaps it was sentimentality.

When she opened the Spirit Mirror, she discovered a barrage of messages from Zhang Yuan, their content summarized in four words: throwing in the towel.

With dramatic flair, Murong Zheng vehemently denounced the inhuman treatment she had endured at Jian Li’s hands—being bound with iron chains, her arms scratched raw, and left bleeding profusely.

As Jian Li read on, her jaw dropped. She couldn’t determine who was truly the victim, as Murong Zheng seemed to bear plenty of wounds herself.

Who’s lying here?

Jian Li couldn’t be bothered to investigate. She sent Zhang Yuan a message: The Form Transformation Pill you gave me is useless!

Zhang Yuan, staring blankly at her breakfast with disheveled hair, saw the Spirit Mirror vibrate. She snatched it up, nearly spitting bl00d. Is the pill really the issue here?!

Impossible! I bought it from Medical Cultivator Chang for 1,000 Spirit Stones.

1,000 Spirit Stones for this garbage? The transformation delay is ridiculous, and it doesn’t even come with clothes! If the seller was Chang Chi, it would make sense.

Chang Chi, who could blow up his own alchemy furnace and house while brewing a simple pill, was hardly reliable.

Jian Li considered herself the most dependable person she knew, followed by Yan Qingshuang, and then Hua Feiyi, who had covered her expenses.

She tapped the Spirit Mirror: I don’t care about your feud with Murong Zheng. She’s a bear, and she’s hard of hearing. You’re not even protecting her ears while doing… those things. You’re awful.

What’s it to you? Zhang Yuan retorted. She’s been screaming in that cell day and night—that’s how she ruined her hearing.

That’s because you’ve been torturing her daily and starving her! Jian Li shot back.

After a moment, when Zhang Yuan didn’t reply, Jian Li knew she was right. Though not a saintly type, she couldn’t bear to see Spiritual Beasts suffer.

Jian Li: I’m delivering Murong Zheng’s lunch this afternoon. Prepare to atone to her.

Zhang Yuan sent back a question mark. Jian Li repeated: You’re bad, she’s good.

There was no doubt about it. Aside from the fact that the Little Raccoon shared her Beast Clan heritage and showed her no contempt, Murong Zheng had even revealed the locations of Forbidden Texts in the Scripture Repository and shared contact methods for the Demon Race.

These acts alone were enough to make Jian Li want to befriend the Little Raccoon, Murong Zheng.

Zhang Yuan was the manager, skilled and empowered by Spiritual Power, while Murong Zheng was just a helpless Little Raccoon. It was clear that Zhang Yuan would be the sole beneficiary of the fruit.

As Jian Li silently mourned for the Little Raccoon, she sent a message through the Spirit Mirror to Chang Chi: Heartless Merchant

Chang Chi, who was about to take a morning bath before meeting her dream lover, saw the message and sent back a question mark.

Jian Li didn’t reply. Pretending to brew Chinese medicine, she poured a bowl of water from the kitchen and prepared to feed Yan Qingshuang her medicine.

The curtains in their sleeping quarters were usually half-drawn, but after Jian Li woke up, she pulled them completely open.

As Jian Li pushed open the door, her eyes were met with a pitch-black space, and she heard faint, labored breathing.