Ripples truly stirred in her heart. Her emotions were a tangled mess, and she didn't know what to say.
Her intentions hadn't been pure from the start, making it difficult to bear Lan Cang's direct and innocent love. Her eyes began to sting. 'I'm sorry.'
Seeing Sang Luo lower her head in silence, Lan Cang assumed she was still heartbroken about her lack of Fertility. He gave her head a comforting pat, said nothing more, and went home.
During this time, Lan Cang's routine of leaving early and returning late grew even more frequent. Sang Luo's days didn't change much. She would occasionally run into Manla on the road, who would just ignore her with a look of disgust, not attempting any schemes behind her back.
Lan Cang had grown up in hardship and wasn't demanding about his living conditions, but the small earthen house of less than forty square meters was admittedly a bit cramped for two people. When Sang Luo returned one evening, she saw several Beastmen hauling blocks of stone, each weighing hundreds or even thousands of pounds, into their yard. Seeing the commotion, Li Man and a few others called their partners over to help. With more than ten able-bodied male Beastmen working together, a new house rose from the ground in just a few short days. The interior expanded to over one hundred fifty square meters, and besides their bedroom, it now had several new storage rooms.
On the evening the work was completed, Lan Cang and Li Man's partner, You Lu, personally cooked a feast to reward everyone.
Pamir, a real boozehound, made a special trip to his storeroom to fetch three jars of barley wine. Its rich, potent aroma was utterly refreshing.
Lan Cang also specially prepared a milder wine-braised chicken for the females.
Duoji and the others were practically driven to tears by the aroma, all exclaiming that they had never eaten anything so delicious in their entire lives.
'So it turns out not every male is a master chef, huh.'
On the contrary, most males focused only on hunting and making money. Life in the wild was harsh, and eating raw meat was common. Most didn't even know how to prepare ingredients. Some households had weaker, herbivorous Beastmen who had studied the culinary arts, but someone like Lan Cang was considered a once-in-a-century anomaly in the Wolf Clan.
Ayia sullenly chugged more than half a jar of wine. After a few cups, she was completely disoriented. She threw her arms around Sang Luo and started wailing, "I... I'm so damn jealous of you! Tell me, how could a mute like you get Lan Cang? I chased after him for so long and he never even gave me a proper look! If, HIC—if..."
BLERGH. She threw up.
Resting his chin on one hand, Lan Cang shot a look at a half-drunk Kemu, who quickly led his partner away to sober up.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the guests gradually departed. Lan Cang cleaned up the messy table while Sang Luo helped by moving the last jar of barley wine into the storeroom. Before she could step out, arms wrapped around her from behind. The underground storeroom was pitch-black. But smelling the crisp aroma of wine on the man, mingled with a familiar, cool fragrance, she didn't need to guess who it was.
She turned, only to be pulled into an even tighter embrace. Her hand landed on his chest.
"There's nothing between me and Ayia. I've barely even spoken a few words to her. I knew she had feelings for me, but I don't like her and rejected her a long time ago. There was one time during a Beast Tide when she got separated from the group, and I just happened to save her. Besides that, we've had no other contact." Lan Cang pressed his forehead against hers, his voice a low, husky drawl that was incredibly alluring.
Sang Luo raised an eyebrow. 'I hadn't even gotten around to questioning him, and he's already confessed on his own.'
She didn't really care that much, though. 'If I ever find a way to leave this place, I'll go without hesitation. As for Lan Cang... he belongs to this world. We're from two different worlds, destined to have no future together. If Lan Cang can meet a female who truly loves him, I would be relieved.'
Suddenly, Lan Cang cupped her face with both hands. His own face was flushed red as he stared into her eyes, but he couldn't decipher her emotions. A sense of panic he couldn't control began to rise in his heart.
"Luoluo… I… I really like you. I want… I want to…"
BLERGH.
He threw up.
Sang Luo quickly caught the man as he passed out. 'Nobody told me he was such a lightweight!'
'Why are you even drinking with your buddies if you get knocked out after one cup?!'
The man was tall and powerfully built, and impossibly heavy. Sang Luo struggled to get him into the house and onto the bed. Lan Cang's messy black hair fell across his face, hiding one of his eyes, part of his brow, and his scar. His features were cold, handsome, and almost ethereal. Sang Luo found herself staring, a little dazed. 'No wonder this man has so much luck with women, even after his realm dropped.'
'He's just so handsome.'
Sang Luo had chosen the north-facing room, which received good sunlight, but none of the furniture had been set up yet. Grabbing a blanket, she went to sleep on the sofa. She had helped out a lot during the day, so as soon as she lay down, drowsiness washed over her like a tide, and she quickly fell fast asleep.