Chapter 56: Ungrateful Heartless Immortal Venerable

Hu Wu was stunned for a moment, his eyes widening. He had no idea why the mission target had suddenly kissed him.

But he quickly immersed himself in his role, shocked by the vigorous and profound spiritual power that surged into him. His eyes lit up at once.

“Good, good…” What powerful cultivation!

Zhou Si opened his eyes.

The fox faltered, mumbling “good” for a long while. In the end, he could only gaze at him with sparkling, adoring eyes. “It feels so good. I love kissing you.”

Zhou Si’s face flushed red in an instant. “Shut up…”

Though his words were laced with disgust, Zhou Si kissed him again.

The fox, who usually seemed so seductive, turned out to be remarkably innocent. Even a simple kiss had him humming and murmuring nonstop—”Oh my god,” “So great,” “I love it.”

Zhou Si’s face burned crimson, his ears too, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

He had only meant for a quick peck, mainly to coax the fox into agreeing to move in with him later.

But now he had no choice but to silence that chattering mouth with his own.

Unknowingly, the kiss deepened and stretched on. He shifted fully toward the fox, pulling him into an embrace, his tongue slipping past those sweet lips.

Who knew if the fox had indulged in too much sugar—his mouth tasted entirely of sweetness.

Zhou Si finally pulled back, panting heavily.

His entire face was flushed as he stared intently at the fox, wondering if the little creature might clamor for something more. If he did, Zhou Si just might consider it…

But Hu Wu merely let out a contented sigh. “I’m full…”

This influx of cultivation would keep him busy digesting for a good while.

His cheeks rosy, eyes half-lidded, he rubbed his belly, rolled over, and curled into a tight ball to sleep.

Zhou Si: ?

No. What did he mean by “full”?

Zhou Si pursed his lips and stared at the little fox for a moment, holding back from speaking first. In the end, he lay down to sleep as well.

The next day, Hu Wu slept until the sun was high in the sky, occupied with digesting the rich cultivation he had gained the night before.

Zhou Si and Ji Huai assumed he was still weak from his injuries and let him rest undisturbed.

When Hu Wu finally stirred awake, he felt utterly refreshed, his body brimming with spiritual power. He stretched lazily and leaped eagerly from the bed.

In the courtyard, Zhou Si was intently processing the beast hides they had hunted a few days earlier. Properly treated, they would fetch a better price.

His tall frame was imposing, sleeves rolled up to reveal the smooth, solid muscles of his forearms.

He looked up and spotted the little fox, face alight with irrepressible excitement, bounding toward him with joyful bounces.

The cultivation he had gained in a single night equaled a full year of his own painstaking efforts. How could he not be thrilled?

Hu Wu dashed up to Zhou Si and, without a second thought, flung his arms around the man’s neck. He rose on tiptoe and pressed close.

Zhou Si froze, his face turning red instantly. He started to refuse. “What are you doing? It’s broad daylight—we’re outside…”

But as the fox’s warm lips met his, carrying a reckless urgency,

Zhou Si’s resisting hands gradually slackened. At last, he closed his eyes, wrapped his arms around Hu Wu’s waist, and responded to the sudden kiss with hesitant awkwardness.

Just as Zhou Si began to lose himself in it, however, Hu Wu pulled away without warning.

More cultivation—perfect! He would refine it shortly.

The little fox’s eyes gleamed as he spun toward the kitchen, calling out, “Mr. Ji, is there food? I’m hungry!”

“?”

Zhou Si stood alone in place, the warm, soft sensation lingering on his lips, his arms suddenly empty.

Zhou Si: “…”

In the afternoon, after a hearty meal, Hu Wu burrowed back into bed to focus on refining his cultivation.

That evening, Zhou Si carried a tray of dinner into the room.

The noise roused Hu Wu, who blinked awake in a daze. Spotting Zhou Si, he shifted to human form at once, flung open his arms to cling to him, and tilted his head for a habitual kiss.

Zhou Si, still holding the bowls and plates, staggered but managed to steady himself.

He was utterly helpless against this fox and his whims. Carefully setting the food aside, he freed his hands to catch the pouncing creature.

The fox must have taken some medicine at lunch—his mouth held a faint herbal bitterness, yet it mingled with a honeyed sweetness.

Zhou Si cracked his eyes open, gazing at the pair of furry ears quivering gently with each breath, so close he could almost taste them. His heart itched; he ached to reach out and stroke them.

But before he could act, Hu Wu ended the kiss briskly. His attention snapped to the aroma of the food as he turned to lunge for it.

He hadn’t even touched the tray before Zhou Si hoisted him up again.

Hu Wu looked up.

Why was Zhou Si angry?

“Are you toying with me?” Zhou Si gritted out.

“No.” Hu Wu blinked in confusion.

“Then why…” Zhou Si clenched his jaw. The words “kiss and run” stuck in his throat—they made him sound desperate to continue.

Hu Wu figured too many kisses meant too much cultivation to digest—a waste, surely?

But Zhou Si looked upset. Did he want another kiss? Well, one more wouldn’t hurt.

That distracted expression only confirmed Zhou Si’s suspicions of carelessness. Anger flared, and he pinched the fox’s cheeks, claiming his lips again in a kiss that carried a punitive edge.

This one delved deeper, lasted longer.

Only when Hu Wu’s stomach growled loudly did he wriggle free, laughing as he complained, “Zhou Si… I’m hungry.”

Zhou Si’s ears burned red. He grumbled, “Hungry for what?”

Unfazed, Hu Wu hugged him tighter, tilting his face up with a sly, ingratiating grin. “I am hungry… That meat smells so good.”

At that carefree expression, Zhou Si nearly blurted out the foolish question, “Which do you like more—the meat or me?” He caught himself just in time, feeling ridiculous.

“05 hasn’t finished eating yet.”

Ji Huai entered with an extra bowl of soup, catching sight of the pair locked in an embrace.

He halted in his tracks, his expression one of stunned surprise.

Zhou Si showed no sign of releasing him—like a silent declaration—he replied flatly, “We’re just about to.”

“You can set it down.”

“…” Ji Huai pressed his lips together, said nothing more, and quietly placed the bowl on the table before turning to leave.

Even outside, though, his thoughts lingered, his brows knitting tighter and tighter.

A short while later, Ji Huai seized an opportunity to pull Hu Wu aside alone.

Hu Wu startled at his grave expression, half-expecting Mr. Ji to be angry too.

Instead, Ji Huai asked sternly, “05, do you know… what kissing means?”

He recalled how the fox hadn’t even grasped the rule that marriage was for two people alone, and worry deepened.

“In our customs, kissing is reserved for after you’ve become husband and wife—after swearing to be together forever.”

“You’re behaving like this—it’s simply not proper.”

“Besides, Zhou Si… he doesn’t seem to like demons at all. He’s just using you as medicine to treat his illness, not truly caring for you.

You—you’re letting him take advantage of you.”

Hu Wu blinked in stunned surprise. He grumbled inwardly: No, he’s just treating me like a cultivation gold mine too…

If anyone was taking advantage, it was definitely him!

“No, I’m not coming out behind,” the fox replied. He blinked again, looking rather pleased with himself.

Ji Huai froze at his nonchalance, his ingrained beliefs from childhood shaken to the core.

Which meant… Zhou Si wasn’t bad-looking, was he? Demons probably didn’t care if their partners were faithful. But still…

Ji Huai’s brows furrowed slightly. He still felt deeply uneasy but had no idea how to put it into words.

“In any case, the two of you can’t kiss anymore.”

~~~

That evening, Zhou Si pulled the fox into his room and shut the door. He wrapped his arms around him from behind, his lips brushing close to the fox’s ear as he asked, “What did Ji Huai say to you alone this afternoon?”

“?”

Hu Wu answered honestly, “He said we shouldn’t kiss.”

Zhou Si frowned. “What’s it to him…” Without realizing it, he tightened his embrace. “Can you talk to him less from now on?”

“But Mr. Ji said kissing is something only husbands and wives do…”

Hu Wu saw this as the perfect excuse to start a cold war. He turned his head, leaning in close to Zhou Si. His eyes sparkled brightly in the dim night, brimming with innocent curiosity.

“Zhou Si, are you going to marry me?”

Zhou Si froze for a moment before blurting out, “You’re a fox.”

How could a person marry a fox?

The words had barely left his mouth when he saw Hu Wu’s eyes widen and his cheeks puff out—he was clearly furious.

He might not care about marriage, but being treated differently? That he wouldn’t stand for.

“So what?” The fox’s ears shot straight up in anger. “You kissed me.”

Zhou Si realized he’d said the wrong thing, a flicker of regret passing through him. But he refused to back down. “…You’re the one who insisted on kissing me.”

“That’s because you drank my blood!” Hu Wu grew even angrier and turned away, vowing inwardly that he wouldn’t treat Zhou Si like a friend anymore. From now on, it would just be cold exchanges of blood and kisses, nothing more.

Zhou Si stared at his sulky back and felt like he should say something to make up for it. He opened his mouth, but the words wouldn’t come.

To his surprise, after a short while, the still-fuming fox scooted back over and thrust his wrist under Zhou Si’s nose, demanding that he drink.

Zhou Si was stunned. He hadn’t expected the fox to still offer his blood after those hurtful words.

A warm surge of emotion, mingled with guilt, welled up in his chest. So Hu Wu really did care about him that much.

Once the blood was drunk, the fox even leaned in shyly and took the initiative to kiss him.

Zhou Si pulled Hu Wu into his arms, his heart pounding wildly as his face flushed red.

He felt himself reacting, unsure of what to do next, yet overwhelmed by a fierce urge to do even more.

But the fox pushed him away once he’d had his fill. “Time to sleep.”

Zhou Si, unsatisfied, tugged him back.

The fox huffed. “What? Didn’t you say you won’t marry a fox?”

Zhou Si fell silent, his face burning. He didn’t want to seem too eager—it wasn’t proper and would make him look undignified.

But the fox was right there beside him.

He hadn’t shifted back into his fox form. Instead, those peach-blossom eyes gazed at him, his kiss-swollen lips curved in a teasing smile. It was pure torment.

Zhou Si rolled over, holding his breath and forcing himself to sleep.

Hu Wu felt immensely smug. See? There’s always a way to get what I want.

But after a little while, Zhou Si scooted closer again and hugged him from behind.

The fox’s ears twitched at the feel of Zhou Si’s hot breath on his skin.

Zhou Si held back for a long moment before mumbling in a muffled voice, “So… can we still kiss?”

Hu Wu’s face heated up. He hesitated. Well… that’s not impossible?

In the end, Zhou Si turned the fox’s face toward him and kissed him.

They were too close, both aroused, and it was inevitable that they’d rub against each other.

The fox’s face turned scarlet as he started to feel strangely flustered.

But Zhou Si held him tight, refusing to let go.

Dazed from the kisses, Hu Wu reached down to fondle him. Zhou Si stared at him, face flushed and utterly speechless, but he didn’t stop—just kept kissing.

“…” I thought he’d refuse. Now what?

It took a while before they finally pulled apart, both gasping for breath.

Zhou Si said, “Come away with me from now on.”

Lately, he’d been working hard, saving up money so they could build a house together—ideally up on the mountain.

Hu Wu blinked in surprise. “No, that won’t do.”

Zhou Si’s sect was still pulling every string they could to find him. The immortal’s orders had gone out through the Imperial Family and down the chain of command, reaching as far as the county magistrates.

If this village weren’t so remote, Zhou Si would have been found long ago. They couldn’t risk going back up the mountain.

Hu Wu ticked off on his fingers. “What’s so great about the mountain? No tasty meals, no bed with soft bedding, no backyard, no little chicks to watch…”

Zhou Si’s expression darkened. “Aren’t all those things Ji Huai’s?”

“Why not just say you want to stay with Ji Huai?”

The fox nodded righteously. “Yeah, I want to stay with Ji Huai—”

He cut himself off mid-sentence. Zhou Si was furious, his face twisting into an ugly scowl.

“Have you kissed Ji Huai?”

“Huh?” Hu Wu blinked, caught off guard.

“I asked if you’ve kissed him!”

“Why would I kiss him?”

With his face pinched in Zhou Si’s grip, Hu Wu looked even more baffled. “He doesn’t drink my blood.”

He didn’t have any cultivation, either.

Zhou Si let out a breath of relief, though his tone remained firm. “You’re not allowed to kiss him from now on, got it?”

“No one but me.”

Hu Wu grew annoyed at the endless restrictions. “You’re so bossy… and you won’t even marry a fox!”

With that unbeatable excuse in his pocket, the fox felt quite pleased with himself. Finally, he could roll over and sleep.

“…”

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Ji Huai tied on his apron as usual and prepared to light the stove for breakfast.

Zhou Si stormed in with a grim expression and snatched the vegetable knife from his hand without a word.

“?” Ji Huai looked puzzled. “I can handle it.”

Zhou Si kept chopping, his voice icy. “You rest.”

Though puzzled, Ji Huai stepped out of the kitchen as instructed. As he turned away, he faintly caught Zhou Si’s low mutter from the stove.

“Such a needy fox…”

So gluttonous and playful.

It wasn’t like he couldn’t cook himself.