Chapter 43: Is It Actually All Just Fluff?
Upon hearing this, Bai Xuci’s mouth parted slightly. He sat there in a daze, unable to process the words for a good while.
That is, until his position was shifted—he was now sitting on the other person’s lap.
The Great Hall was usually devoid of demons, but the moment Fan Yue stepped inside, all the ghost-fire lamps had automatically flared to life. It was actually quite bright, enough that Bai Xuci didn’t feel too afraid of the dark.
The only thing that terrified him was…
The person holding him.
Although the words spoken just a moment ago hadn’t carried any anger, Bai Xuci still felt a lingering sense of alarm, his body remaining tense and rigid.
He didn’t dare look over.
Fan Yue sat on the high throne of the Great Hall, holding the stunned white-haired youth with one arm. His expression was somewhat cold and indifferent as he simply looked the boy up and down.
In passing, he pinched the wrist he was holding. He observed it for a moment.
Slender, pale, and seemingly fragile.
“Look up.” Fan Yue’s tone was calm, yet it brooked no defiance.
Bai Xuci was already nervous, so the command made him shiver instinctively. He looked up pitiably, tilting his head back. He looked honest, obedient, and easy to bully.
Fan Yue stared at him, his gaze heavy and tangible as it drifted downward inch by inch, as if he couldn’t see enough. Or perhaps, as if he couldn’t quite understand what he was seeing.
Bai Xuci couldn’t control it—his ears suddenly popped out, pressing tightly against his skull. The corners of his mouth tightened into a straight line.
Fan Yue’s eyes lifted slightly, pausing on the fluffy ears for a moment before locking gazes once again with those “red rubies.”
The boy was trembling, unable to hide a single emotion.
“Am I going to eat you?” Fan Yue finally asked.
Hearing this, Bai Xuci thought to himself: I have actually considered that possibility. At least eight hundred times.
His eyelashes trembled lightly.
“Zunshang, I… I don’t taste good,” Bai Xuci replied sluggishly, despite his cowardice.
After all, he had significant trauma regarding being made into a dish. Especially Spicy Rabbit Heads.
After saying this, Bai Xuci heard a very soft chuckle. It was brief.
He immediately felt even more uncomfortable and, reacting on reflex, tugged at his own wrist.
“Struggle once, and I add a quarter of an hour,” Fan Yue said, glancing over with a voice void of emotion.
Bai Xuci froze instantly, his eyes widening into perfect circles. He was both afraid and shocked. He could only let out a few mechanical “ah” sounds before slowly moving his head back to its original position, left to digest the meaning of those words alone.
Fan Yue simply watched Bai Xuci, his eyes harboring a chill, while his well-defined knuckles rubbed against the boy’s wrist a few times.
It was clearly just an insignificant little demon. He couldn’t even shapeshift properly, and his cultivation was meager at best.
What was there to be interested in?
“Alright.” A slightly sullen voice broke the silence, pulling Fan Yue back from his thoughts.
Bai Xuci sighed, lowered his head, and began to console himself.
Actually, being held isn’t a big deal. Demons don’t have human ethics or social norms anyway. He’s probably just holding me because it’s convenient.
It’s nothing. It’s nothing.
Besides, over time, he’s bound to get annoyed.
Fan Yue watched him with lowered eyes, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest twice. He was pondering something.
Since when did I become so patient?
His eyes were light in color, and he remained silent.
The Great Hall—
Bai Xuci wasn’t sure what the situation was anymore. How long had it been? Was he really going to be held like this forever?
He looked down. A large hand was draped across his waist; his originally loose robes now looked as if they had been cinched by a “belt.” His wrist was still being encircled, and the other party showed no sign of letting go.
Bai Xuci fell into a new silence. He thought he was, at most, a small toy. The other party surely wouldn’t “play” with him for too long…
But, right now…
“Zunshang—” He finally couldn’t hold it in and looked up to ask.
Hearing this familiar, submissive voice, Fan Yue shifted his gaze over.
“Mn.”
Although Bai Xuci was a bit scared, maintaining this posture was genuinely exhausting, so he stammered out:
“Can… can we stop hugging?”
He didn’t dare make eye contact, speaking with his head hung low, looking rather well-behaved.
“Mainly, my waist is a bit sore,” he added silently.
Fan Yue frowned, his gaze becoming intrigued. He then asked, “Do rabbits even have waists?”
Bai Xuci froze instantly, plunging into a state of indignant embarrassment. He shot his head up and retorted, “Why wouldn’t I?”
His tone pitched up, seemingly a bit anxious.
Fan Yue watched as the creature on his lap leaned in closer, strictly extending his arms to make himself clearly visible.
“I-I do have a waist.”
Due to the range of the movement, Fan Yue could even feel the soft flesh beneath the clothes, warm to the touch.
“Zunshang, look, I do!” he added foolishly.
Fan Yue lifted his eyelids for a glance. However, his focus wasn’t on the waist, but on that small face. He spoke casually, “Is that so?”
He probably understood why he had such patience now.
Bai Xuci had intended to explain rigorously, but seeing that the other party didn’t seem to be looking there, he suddenly became confused. He had to lower his arms, biting his lip unconsciously.
“Yes, I do,” he said seriously.
Fan Yue looked down and asked, “Is this position tiring?”
Hearing this, Bai Xuci’s expression twisted in a rare display. Isn’t that question way too ambiguous?
Goosebumps rose on his skin.
“Ah…” Bai Xuci suddenly found it difficult to speak, but looking up, he saw the other party looked perfectly serious.
He closed his eyes briefly.
“A little, so Zunshang, how about you let—”
Before he could finish, Bai Xuci was scooped up and shifted into a different position.
“Just like this.”
“…”
Bai Xuci was placed onto the other leg like a ragdoll. The wrist that had been pinched was finally freed, but his other hand was now encircled.
“Zunshang, I think…” Bai Xuci felt he should try to persuade him one more time.
But just then, a sound came from the entrance of the Great Hall. It seemed a demon was entering.
“!!”
Before Fan Yue could speak, he found a head burrowing into his chest, burying itself quite thoroughly. The boy’s hands also gripped his clothes tightly.
Fan Yue glanced at the door, spotting a servant who stood there, frozen in shock. He waved his hand casually.
The servant, who had been holding a tray, instantly vanished from the spot.
Fan Yue looked down at the head in his arms. The rabbit ears were bent, testing left and right before finding a gap and diving right in.
“…”
Bai Xuci’s heart was pounding; he wished he could dig a hole and jump in right there and then.
Fan Yue might not have any concept of ethics, which was fine.
But the problem is, I do!
He burrowed in harder, ensuring not a speck of his face was exposed.
Fan Yue had originally intended to explain, but for some reason, he chose not to speak. He just stared at the small head, feeling a trace of puzzlement.
He reached out and touched the ears. The other party quickly shrank back, moving further away. It seemed he didn’t like being touched.
Fan Yue’s fingers paused. His eyes darkened, giving birth to a peculiar emotion.
He went right back to touching them.
He stroked the base of the ears, circling them firmly so the boy couldn’t retreat.
Bai Xuci had been focusing on burying his head, but suddenly felt a ticklish sensation on his ears. He realized they had been fished out by the other party.
The sensation of being petted was transmitted instantly. It was hard to describe—not exactly uncomfortable.
His ears twitched, wanting to move away, but it was futile; they were still in the other’s hand. The ticklish, numbing sensation returned.
Bai Xuci wanted to lift his head out, but he was worried there was actually a demon inside the hall. The feeling of shame was spreading.
He could only settle for the next best thing and ask, “Zunshang, is there… a demon coming in?”
Fan Yue’s eyes were very calm as he lied without skipping a beat.
“Mn.”
Sure enough, the head didn’t move an inch—it even pressed closer.
“Please don’t touch anymore…” Bai Xuci’s voice sounded muffled through the fabric.
A hand reached up and covered his own ears. No more touching.
Fan Yue raised an eyebrow slightly and let go.
Then, grabbing Bai Xuci by the back of his neck, he lifted the person straight up.
The small face was bright red. Whether it was from suffocation or something else, it was hard to say.
Bai Xuci panted lightly, unsure why he had been hoisted up. But he was worried someone was behind him…
Instinctively, he tried to turn his head to look, but before he could catch a glimpse of anything, he was forcefully pulled into a hug again.
His chin rested on the other’s shoulder, his silver-white hair falling against the dark, black robes. The contrast was striking.
“There is a demon,” Fan Yue explained.
Bai Xuci immediately understood. He wanted to bury his face again. But because the hug was so tight, he couldn’t find the spot near the arm he used before and panicked a little.
He had to bury his face in the crook of the other’s neck. He even held his breath.
Fan Yue held the little demon’s waist, his expression indifferent, though he took the opportunity to measure the waist circumference with his palm out of interest.
Quite thin.
After reaching this conclusion, Fan Yue frowned slightly, puzzled.
His true form looks like a ball, but looking at him now… is it actually all just fluff?
Because Bai Xuci had been holding his breath for too long, he felt uncomfortable. Eventually, he poked out a tiny gap to gasp for air.
Fan Yue felt the warm current of breath. He pursed his lips, tempted to lift the little demon up again.
But soon, the small face buried itself once more.
He held his breath again.
“…”
Bai Xuci had implicit faith in Fan Yue’s words; he never once considered the possibility that the Great Hall might be empty. And since there was nowhere to hide, his only option was this simple, direct method of blocking his face.
Until—
He was lifted up by his collar. His face was bewildered, his hands still unconsciously gripping the other’s clothes.
He looked a bit like a kitten being pulled off a bedsheet.
Fan Yue stared at the little demon, then slowly lowered his gaze to his own clothes, which had been clawed into a mess.
He raised an eyebrow.
Bai Xuci noticed the problem. His fingers snapped open with a pah-da, and the smooth fabric instantly collapsed, hanging loosely.
His red eyes immediately looked guilty, and he didn’t dare look down.
“Let’s go,” Fan Yue said, casually smoothing out his robes and offering a “kind” reminder.
Bai Xuci was distracted by the change of topic. He turned to look behind him, only to discover that the Great Hall was actually empty.
There really aren’t any demons.
He let out a sigh of relief.
Fan Yue looked Bai Xuci up and down, then looked at the waist his hand had just held. He pondered for a moment.
He took out a dried carrot and pulled the person back into his arm.
“Eat.”
Bai Xuci held the dried carrot, a bit confused, but he still tossed it into his mouth and crunched away.
“Mn. Continue.”
Another dried carrot appeared at Bai Xuci’s mouth, handed directly to him.
He frowned. But he still ate it from the other’s hand. Crunch.
Mm, pretty tasty.
Fan Yue lowered his eyes to look at that waist. He still felt it was too slender, so he started feeding him more diligently. The frequency of the handouts increased.
Bai Xuci’s cheeks puffed up, and his eyes filled with mild terror.
He understood this demon’s thought process less and less.
“Zun-Zunshang… I’m not eating anymore.” Bai Xuci pushed lightly with his hand, politely refusing.
He tried hard to swallow the dried carrot in his mouth. It was a struggle; it was a bit dry.
Just then, a noise came from outside the Great Hall again. Bai Xuci was startled and turned to look.
To his surprise, a demon really had arrived.
And it was a very familiar one—Xuan Li.
“Hic!“
In his nervousness, Bai Xuci didn’t swallow properly and let out a loud hiccup.
Xuan Li, who was mid-bow, froze. His eye twitched, and he couldn’t resist looking up.
Familiar red eyes, a terrified little expression. Accompanied by an uncontrollable hiccup.
“…”
Xuan Li suddenly felt he was redundant. He didn’t really want to report his progress anymore. How had this little demon mixed himself into this position?
Living the high life.
Sitting on their Lord’s lap…
Xuan Li’s brows furrowed tightly as he fell into a wave of worry.
Is it true that monkeys are just considered ugly?
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