Marrying the Soft-hearted Villain

Due to a certain wolf's little scheme, time seemed to rewind to the moment when Ruan Qiuqiu first met him.

Unlike back then, they now possessed enough food and medicinal herbs to last for over a month.

Mr. Big Gray Wolf's injuries also appeared less severe.

After completing their routine cleaning, applying medicine, and confirming Mr. Big Gray Wolf's condition…

Ruan Qiuqiu tidied up the cave, boiled ginger water, and took stock of their current possessions. The cave entrance now had a proper, adjustable "door" to shield them from the wind and rain, and the beast skin curtain in the "master bedroom" had become thicker.

Thanks to the medicinal herbs and beast skins provided by "Brother Sand Sculpture" (Sha Diao Xiong), Mr. Big Gray Wolf now had three sets of clothing.

As for food, the "storage room" still held a large quantity of Tier 1 wild ox meat. She had finished her own dried meat, and had some tuber powder left. The rabbit Mo Yu had given her was untouched, as was the fish. There were also the three spirit-infused eggs that Mr. Big Gray Wolf had hunted.

Ruan Qiuqiu scanned the eggs with her spiritual power and discovered, to her disappointment, that none of them contained any sign of life.

Her idea of using a wolf's tail to incubate the eggs was once again dashed.

She had used one spirit stone, leaving her with two. One was around Tier 3, and the other, though smaller, seemed to possess Tier 4 spiritual power. Ruan Qiuqiu placed them beside Mr. Big Gray Wolf.

Although they weren't short of food, herbs, or firewood for the time being, Ruan Qiuqiu didn't plan to just laze around in the cave.

Lu Ziran's appearance and her sudden illness had left her uneasy. Yuan Jue's injuries were much improved but still far from fully healed.

The beast tide would arrive in two months, and she needed to increase her strength as quickly as possible before then.

The rain and snow had fallen relentlessly for a full day, finally showing signs of stopping. Ruan Qiuqiu cultivated while boiling salt in the stone stove.

The morning passed quickly. After thirty cultivation cycles, Ruan Qiuqiu had accumulated over thirty strands of mutated water-type spiritual power, advancing her to the late stage of Tier 1.

She transferred the salt from the stove into a small, palm-sized wooden bucket she had prepared and stretched.

After being ill for two days, her body felt more agile than before.

In the afternoon, Ruan Qiuqiu salted a portion of the wild ox meat and hung it in the "storage room" to air-dry using the rope she had saved. Although the temperature was low, the preservation of food was still limited. Without strong sunlight to make jerky, this was the only option.

She boiled all her salt stones into coarse salt and used her mutated water ability to remove impurities, yielding only three small buckets. She kept one for eating and used the rest to salt the meat, which unfortunately was only enough for a portion of the beef.

She planned to feed the remaining fresh beef to the wolf.

The "storage room" also contained some dried grass and the small straw raincoat that Xiao Yu had given her.

Ruan Qiuqiu decided to improve upon the raincoat, using some leftover beast skin scraps and dried grass to weave a more tightly-woven, waterproof one.

She also made a hat, relying on the survival skills and experience she had gained in the apocalypse.

Ruan Qiuqiu wanted to weave a basket, but lacking materials, she abandoned the idea, planning to try again later.

After a busy afternoon, the rain and snow gradually subsided. Remembering her promise to Xiao Yu to give Mo Mao some "treasures" from her husband's cave, Ruan Qiuqiu hesitated for a moment but decided to make the trip.

She packed some fresh beef into the wooden bucket Mo Grandpa and Xiao Yu had used for the fish soup. After a moment's thought, she added a small amount of salt in a tiny wooden cup, intending to give it to them along with a cup of stored healing water droplets.

The fish soup had been delicious, but Ruan Qiuqiu had detected the bitterness of salt stones in it, suggesting they lacked readily edible salt.

After packing her bag and putting on her raincoat, Ruan Qiuqiu walked over to the stone bed and glanced at the sleeping wolf.

His long, thick eyelashes weren't curled. Bathed in the warm light of the cave, they cast small fan-like shadows on his still-bruised eyelids.

His cheeks remained pale, but not the sickly white of a fortnight ago; there was a touch more color now.

And the rampant demonic energy she had been so worried about was now obediently contained, no longer spreading across his handsome face as it had before.

Ruan Qiuqiu breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn't resist gently stroking the tip of his furry ear, saying with a smile, "Mr. Big Gray Wolf, I'm going out for a while. You be good and guard the house."

The ear tip in her hand twitched slightly, as if in response.

Ruan Qiuqiu's lips curved into a smile. After confirming that he was absorbing the spirit stones, she picked up her things and left.

She remembered the path from the cave to Xiao Yu's home. If all went well, the round trip would only take a little over an hour.

She chose to visit Xiao Yu's family in the evening not only because the rain and snow had lessened, but also because Mo Grandpa's spirits were better then. She also wanted to ask about the Winter Bear Tribe.

She was still concerned about what the two bears had said.

Ruan Qiuqiu pushed open the "door." The biting, damp, cold wind instantly pierced her neck, causing her to shiver.

She quickly stepped out and closed the cave entrance securely. She usually aired out the cave each morning, and had already done so several times today due to her frequent use of water.

After closing the "door," Ruan Qiuqiu wasted no time, braving the rain and snow as she hurried towards Mo Grandpa's cave.

However, after walking for over twenty minutes, nearing Mo Grandpa's cave and rounding a bend close to the forest, she suddenly felt a watchful gaze on her back.

It was a cold, emotionless stare, like looking at a dead person, accompanied by a terrifying pressure that made her hair stand on end and sent chills down her spine.

Was it a beast? A monster? Or a demon from the Flame Wolf Tribe?

Ruan Qiuqiu forced herself to remain calm. Her trembling hands gripped the spear tightly, cold sweat beading on her forehead. She pretended to walk casually, but secretly drew out her spiritual power, radiating it outwards.

Her late Tier 1 strength allowed her to sense the area within three meters. If the unknown creature attacked, she would detect it instantly.

Qing Ruyi, strolling slowly at the edge of the forest, quickly detected Ruan Qiuqiu's weak spiritual power. A smile played on her lips; she found this human named Ruan Qiuqiu rather amusing.

Even being monitored from over ten meters away with her demonic sense, Ruan Qiuqiu had noticed her.

Qing Ruyi had no intention of harming the weak; in fact, she rather liked such cautious and perceptive humans. But…

Her eyes narrowed. Qing Ruyi gestured lightly in the air, and the protective spiritual power Ruan Qiuqiu had just erected shattered instantly.

Ruan Qiuqiu's heart lurched. She instinctively turned, her sharp gaze landing on the giant tree in the forest where Qing Ruyi was hiding. Without hesitation, she started to run.

"Oh?" Qing Ruyi was surprised that Ruan Qiuqiu had guessed her hiding place. Amusement deepened in her light brown eyes. The willow branches that formed her legs reverted to human form, and she rapidly grew taller, transforming from a girl who looked about ten years old into a mature woman in her twenties.

With a smile, she narrowed her eyes and strode forward, her speed two or three times that of Ruan Qiuqiu.

Although her master had told her to wait for the opportune moment, she thought it would be easier to keep an eye on Ruan Qiuqiu if she was crippled first.

"…Damn it." A sharp wind whistled past her ear. Ruan Qiuqiu instinctively blocked with her spear. Qing Ruyi's attack missed, the willow branch, imbued with demonic energy, grazing her already injured cheek, leaving a bloody mark.

Qing Ruyi's eyes curved. Though surprised that Ruan Qiuqiu had blocked her attack, she didn't think the human could withstand the demonic energy hidden within the willow branch. After retracting the branch, she didn't intend to attack again.

But she'd miscalculated. While other humans might not be able to endure the demonic energy, Ruan Qiuqiu's spiritual power was special. Qing Ruyi's demonic energy was weaker than Mr. Big Gray Wolf's, and was quickly neutralized by Ruan Qiuqiu.

Realizing that her attacker was a powerful demon, Ruan Qiuqiu, though still terrified, forced herself to calm down.

Mr. Big Gray Wolf was seriously injured, and ahead lay Mo Grandpa's home. She didn't want to harm or endanger either.

Although her abilities weren't strong, being at the late stage of Tier 1 meant she wasn't completely defenseless. If this demon's target was her, then she would do everything in her power to lure it to the Flame Wolf Tribe's territory before being killed. Perhaps that would offer a sliver of hope.

These thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant. Ruan Qiuqiu feigned being hit, gripping her spear. As Qing Ruyi approached, she suddenly rolled over and thrust the spear with all her might, striking the demon behind her.

Ruan Qiuqiu's eyes brightened. She tried to pull out the spear and run, but then she clearly saw the face of the demon who had attacked her.

It was a woman, with the appearance of a human.

And the spear she thought had struck the demon was merely entangled by Qing Ruyi's willow branches.

Ruan Qiuqiu bit her lip, forced to abandon the spear. She quickly rolled to the side and drew the bone knife from her bag. "Are you… a demon?"

Qing Ruyi's eyes were filled with admiration, but she still didn't speak. Her arm transformed into a willow branch, casually tossing Ruan Qiuqiu's cherished spear, the one Mr. Big Gray Wolf had risked his life to hunt, into the snow. She was about to strike again.

As the willow branch was about to lash out, Ruan Qiuqiu gritted her teeth, gripping the bone knife, ready to fight to the death.

"Is that Sister Qiuqiu?" A clear child's voice suddenly rang out from behind, accompanied by the crunching of footsteps in the snow. "Grandpa, Sister Qiuqiu is here!"

It was Xiao Yu.

Ruan Qiuqiu's heart nearly stopped. Taking advantage of the demon's momentary surprise, she dodged to the side and shouted, "Don't come over! It's dangerous! Run!!!"

Qing Ruyi raised an eyebrow, about to swing her willow branch, when a familiar yet unfamiliar gentle voice suddenly brushed past her ear.

"What's wrong? Where's the danger? Is it those demons from the Flame Wolf Tribe? Grandpa will chase them away."

After twenty-three years, carried on the biting wind, the words pierced Qing Ruyi's heart.

Although the voice was etched with the weariness and hardship of time, it instantly paralyzed her.

ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ

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