Chapter 73: This won’t work

In the end, Liu Qiu still reached out and touched the fluffy, oversized tail wrapped around her waist.
It was truly soft, like sinking into a marshmallow.

She cried as she stroked it, her slender fingers curling and spreading, the smooth white fur slipping through the gaps between them.

“Wife, do you like it?” Su Li’s clear and pleasant voice sounded beside her ear.

Liu Qiu closed her eyes, letting the tears gathered in her lashes roll down.
“I don’t want to say,” she murmured, sounding aggrieved.

Golden light reflected Liu Qiu’s dark crown in Su Li’s luminous eyes as she reached out and gently pinched Liu Qiu’s cool earlobe.

Demons had excellent memories.
Although the time she had spent with Liu Qiu was not long, she remembered everything about her clearly.

Especially that moment when Liu Qiu had stopped breathing—when her own heart had seemed to halt in an instant, when confusion, panic, despair, and helplessness had flooded her.
She could not understand how someone could die so easily.

Fortunately, she had dug her out of the grave and brought her back to life.

The body in her arms was soft and light, barely any weight at all, yet it filled her embrace completely.

She had cast cleansing spells every day, so even now Liu Qiu still carried a faint medicinal fragrance.

Su Li released Liu Qiu’s earlobe and pressed a hand against the back of her head, leaning in close to whisper by her ear, “Wife, I’m going to start eating now.”
Her teasing voice drifted slowly into Liu Qiu’s ears.

Liu Qiu’s heart instantly turned cold.
She tried to dodge, but her head was pinned in place, leaving her nowhere to hide.

Her earlobe was enveloped by warm, damp lips, moisture spreading from that sensitive spot.

Liu Qiu’s fingers clenched abruptly, her body trembling lightly.
Was she starting from the ears?
That was terrifying.

“C-Can you make it not hurt?” she asked timidly, her small request trembling as her tear-soaked lashes fluttered wildly.

Of course she was afraid.
But with this frail body of hers, how could she possibly resist a demon?
She didn’t even know whether being eaten would mean reincarnation or existing again as a wandering soul.

Su Li lightly bit her earlobe before releasing it, then placed kisses in succession across her ear, her forehead, her cheek…

The ticklish sensation made Liu Qiu shrink her neck involuntarily.
Was this some kind of ritual before eating?

“Y-You… do you do this every time before you eat someone?” she asked in a tiny voice.

Su Li kissed the corner of her lips, tasting the salty trace of tears, then trailed downward along her mouth until she reached her collarbone.
There, at the elegant curve of bone, she bit down gently, leaving behind a neat, round mark.

“Hm? Wife, what did you just say?”

Liu Qiu pressed her lips together.
“Nothing.”

Su Li stared at the fresh bite mark she had just made, admiring her handiwork.
One hand held the back of Liu Qiu’s head while the other wrapped around her waist, trapping her firmly in her arms.

“Finished eating.”

Liu Qiu blinked blankly, her chin resting against Su Li’s shoulder.
“Finished already?” she repeated faintly.

It was obvious she had not caught up yet.

Su Li buried her face in Liu Qiu’s neck and chuckled softly.
“Wife, why are you so slow? If I wanted to eat you, why would I go to the trouble of reviving you?”

“…Ah.”

Liu Qiu finally realized she had been tricked.
Color slowly bloomed across her pale cheeks, spreading all the way to the tips of her ears.

[System, I feel so embarrassed.]
She had cried so miserably just now, truly thinking she was about to be eaten piece by piece.

The system comforted her.
[Host, it’s fine. It’s all that fox spirit’s fault for not being honest.]

Liu Qiu’s hand was still buried in the fluffy tail.
She lifted both hands to Su Li’s shoulders, opening and closing her mouth without managing to speak.

Su Li’s body was warm and fragrant.
Liu Qiu tightened her grip, wishing she could crawl into a crack in the ground.
Her face flushed as she closed her eyes and muttered softly, “Liar.”

The atmosphere gradually quieted.
Outside the cave, the sound of rain striking the forest became clearer, damp air carrying the scent of earth and grass drifting inside.

Su Li held Liu Qiu as they fell back onto the stone bed.
In her arms, Su Li transformed into a fox—not a small one, but a large snow-white fox nearly Liu Qiu’s size.

Her entire body was covered in fluffy, sleek fur, breathtakingly beautiful.

Strong forelegs pressed down on Liu Qiu’s arms, pinning her beneath the fox’s body as her tongue extended to lick her chin and lips.
The barbs on that tongue left a tingling, prickling sensation.

Liu Qiu no longer dared treat Su Li casually.
She lay stiffly on the bed with her hands placed at her sides.
Her eyes were still red from crying, the corners tinged crimson, tears shimmering within them, making her look innocent and pitiful.

A small fox was adorable.
But one the size of an adult human was frightening.
Pressed against her like this, Su Li’s body completely covered her.

There was always the sense that she might truly be eaten.

“Su Li… can you become a little smaller?” Liu Qiu’s hoarse voice trembled with the remnants of tears.

The fox paused her licking and parted her jaws, human speech emerging from the fox’s mouth.
“No.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Su Li extended her long tongue again.

Each swipe of that thick tongue carried a faint sting.

Liu Qiu couldn’t help turning her head aside.

Su Li did not grow angry and instead began licking her neck.
She intended to lick every inch of this human’s body, marking her as belonging to her.

Staring at the dim cave ceiling, an overwhelming wave of exhaustion suddenly swept over Liu Qiu.

Her eyes slowly closed as she murmured, “Su Li, I’m sleep—”
Before she could finish, her consciousness sank entirely into darkness.

---

Liu Huang’s sleep was restless, her consciousness drifting as chaotic images flooded her mind.

She dreamed of Liu Qiu again.
She knew very clearly that it was a dream.

In the dream, she returned to the scene from earlier that day, dragging Liu Qiu into an alley and pressing her against the wall, kissing her madly.

Liu Qiu’s pitiful whimpers were the most potent aphrodisiac, reducing her reason to ashes.

Her hand untied the ribbon at Liu Qiu’s waist.
The long skirt fell open, revealing bare skin beneath.

Then she began kissing downward from Liu Qiu’s lips.

“Liu Huang… ah…”

In the dream, Liu Qiu’s legs rested on her shoulders, her fingers pressing against her head in a gesture that seemed both to push away and to plead for more.

Her crimson lips called her name in broken fragments, unbearably enticing.

The noisy voices from outside the alley spilled in.
If someone were to enter at that moment, they would witness an absurd scene.

Liu Huang kissed the place she had long fantasized about, sucking and nibbling.

The dream was so exquisite that it felt impossible to wake from it.

Why was it not her who had married Liu Qiu?
The one her parents had taken in should have become her wife.

They shared the same surname, grew up together, even had similar temperaments.
She and that sickly girl were the most suitable pair.

In the dream, Liu Huang knelt and lifted her head, her fingers parting—

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“Liu Huang…”

A faint, fragile voice called from above.

Liu Huang let out a low laugh.
“Even in dreams, you’re this beautiful.”

She didn’t only want to see her in dreams.
She wanted to experience her for real.

In the pitch-dark room, Liu Huang suddenly opened her eyes, her body burning hot.

The dream scenes remained vivid.
She could still feel that soft, enveloping sensation, as though it had escaped the dream and lingered on her fingertips, scorching and intense.

Liu Huang turned to look at the motionless wooden puppet lying beside her pillow.
She picked it up and pressed it to her lips.

“Liu Qiu, you’ve hidden yourself.”
She didn’t know where Liu Qiu had gone, but she was sure she was nearby.

Her fingers slid downward, touching dampness.

“Liu Qiu.”

The puppet would not answer her.
Cold and rigid, it maintained the same unchanging expression.

Liu Huang closed her eyes and moved her arm.

Suppressed gasps escaped her throat, echoing faintly through the room.

“Liu Qiu… ngh.”

She set the puppet down and, in the faint light, gazed at its face—Liu Qiu’s beautiful face.

Her movements grew increasingly exaggerated, a flush spreading across her wheat-toned skin.

“Mm… Liu Qiu.”

Again and again.

She placed the puppet sitting before her as if watching.
Her eyes were dark, thick with desire.

“Liu Qiu…”

Half-asleep, Liu Qiu heard someone repeatedly calling her name.

She remembered that she had just been pinned to the stone bed by Su Li in her large fox form.

With that thought, she slowly opened her eyes.

The enlarged sight before her caused her nerves to snap taut in an instant.

W-What is this?!

She looked up and saw Liu Huang’s face.
Unable to control herself, she shouted, “Liu Huang, what are you doing?!”

Liu Huang stared at the vivid expression on the puppet’s face, pleasure blooming across her own features.

Liu Qiu tried to stand and leave the bed, but Liu Huang’s foot suddenly pressed against her back.
She lurched forward, and the puppet’s rigid fingers pressed into soft flesh.

“Liu Huang!” Liu Qiu cried out.
What on earth was she doing?!

Liu Huang tilted her head back, her neck forming an elegant line.
“Ngh… Liu Qiu—move aside.”

The little puppet was pushed away.

A faint sound followed.

A dark stain spread across the bed.

Liu Qiu lay there, staring blankly.
Her puppet body had nearly been splattered.

Liu Huang panted heavily, reaching out to pick up the puppet and set it aside.

Liu Qiu floated out of it, her mind spinning, unsure what to say.

Ancient people having such needs was normal, right?

She clenched her fingers.
“Liu Huang, you…”

Liu Huang wiped herself with cloth, then reached out and dragged Liu Qiu into her arms, savoring the icy temperature.
Her lips curved upward, her voice hoarse and ambiguous.

“What ‘you’? Sickly girl, your timing is perfect.”

“Were you watching for a long time? You’re a ghost anyway. You could strip away your form and sneak a look, and I wouldn’t even know.”

If Liu Qiu still had a physical body, she would definitely be bright red right now.
“I wasn’t,” she protested.

Liu Huang really had no good words when she opened her mouth.

Liu Huang closed her eyes and buried her face in Liu Qiu’s chest, breathing in the cold aura.
“Between me and Su Li, whose is more tempting?”

Liu Qiu’s voice grew even smaller.
“Why compare that?”

Who in their right mind compared things like that?
Liu Huang truly was insane.

“I’m tired. I’m going to rest.”

Afraid Liu Huang might ask something even more shocking, Liu Qiu quickly changed the subject.

Liu Huang fell silent.
She wrapped her arms tightly around Liu Qiu’s waist and, after a long pause, murmured softly, “Sickly girl, thank you for bringing me back today.”

Liu Qiu lowered her eyes to the top of her head and poked her lightly.
“If you want to thank me, let me leave this puppet.”

“No.”

As expected.
Liu Qiu wasn’t too disappointed.

Staring at the dim room, her thoughts drifted.
Had she been dreaming earlier?

Everything in that cave felt too fantastical.

Only now did she realize how terrifying it was that her corpse had been dug up.

She couldn’t help asking softly, “Liu Huang, did you really bury my body in the ground?”

Liu Huang patted her backside.
“Mm. I saw it with my own eyes. I’m going to sleep.”

“If I don’t, I’ll have to do it again.”

Liu Qiu frowned and fell silent.
She certainly wasn’t sleepy.

Trapped in Liu Huang’s embrace, unable to go anywhere, she sighed.

[System, play some TV for me.]
She needed something new to flood her mind and overwrite all these strange, unsettling things.