Marrying the Soft-hearted Villain

Yuan Jue's fingertips trembled, and the words Ruan Qiuqiu had just spoken kept flashing through his mind—

"I… never thought about… um, separating from Tianluo Gray Wolf, either."

What does she mean?

Does it mean she still likes Tianluo Gray Wolf?

No, that's not right.

Before Qiuqiu mentioned Tianluo Gray Wolf, she also said a soft, light word.

You.

An indescribable feeling spread through his chest, stirring his blood like a surging sea or boiling lava, instantly capturing Yuan Jue's entire being.

A blush spread across his handsome face, and even the ferocious scars and the not-fully-healed wounds on his severed limb felt as if they were immersed in warm spring water, losing all traces of soreness and pain.

A thought he wouldn't even dare to dream of, yet as insidious as a bone-deep poison, spread from his mind to his limbs in an instant, making even breathing a sweet yet terrifying burden for Yuan Jue.

Does she mean I am Tianluo Gray Wolf?

So, from so early on, so very early on…

She had already started calling me Tianluo Gray Wolf?

Come to think of it, the clothes that he thought Little Madam made for Mr. Tianluo Gray Wolf always fit him perfectly.

Several times, when Qiuqiu called for Tianluo Gray Wolf, it was with an expectant tone, deliberately for him to hear.

How could he be so dense? Why did he only realize it now?

Yuan Jue clenched his fists. After the initial shock and joy, a sense of unspeakable shame gradually welled up within him, a feeling he couldn't control.

Fortunately, Qiuqiu doesn't know that he secretly regarded Tianluo Gray Wolf as a rival in love…

And because of his jealousy, he did so many foolish things that would surely make her laugh and cry if she knew.

His heart pounded. Mr. Big Gray Wolf recalled how he had secretly plucked his tail fur, attempting to compete with Tianluo Gray Wolf for the clothes, and felt a surge of shame. A light pink blush crept up his handsome face and all the way to his neck.

However, Ruan Qiuqiu, unaware that a certain wolf was jealous of Tianluo Gray Wolf and had committed a series of glorious deeds because of it, simply thought Yuan Jue was shy.

Actually, she was also very shy, but seeing Mr. Big Gray Wolf's face flush so deeply, the tingling sensation in her heart intensified, and her ears quietly turned red.

Yuan Jue didn't speak, and Ruan Qiuqiu felt too embarrassed to continue the topic. She looked away and straightened up. "Hus-Husband, you should rest. I'll put away this green cotton."

Ruan Qiuqiu thought for a moment and added, "Green cotton… green cotton is this plant. I just gave it a name for convenience."

"…Mm." Yuan Jue adjusted his breathing and nodded after several seconds.

Ruan Qiuqiu packed the green cotton bolls into the backpack she had prepared.

The mature bolls of green cotton were much larger and fluffier than modern cotton bolls. Their feel and texture were similar to cotton, but they were softer, silkier, and thicker, suggesting they would be warmer and more comfortable than clothes made from regular cotton.

There were several animal hide bags she had placed in the backpack beforehand. In the short five minutes she waited for Shadiao and Xiaobao to arrive, the thick green cotton bolls had already filled all the bags, but there was still a lot of green cotton on the ground that hadn't been collected.

Ruan Qiuqiu estimated that with this much green cotton, she could make at least three quilts and dozens of cotton-padded jackets.

Many of the green cotton plants were not yet mature or were just about to mature. If she harvested all of them, she could make even more warm items.

If it weren't for the slight danger these plants posed, Ruan Qiuqiu would have wanted to cultivate them on a large scale.

As she was pondering, She Qin arrived with Xiong Duoduo, Tian Xiu, and other demons, carrying animal hide bags.

Grandmother Ruyi and Grandpa Mo were also brought over by Xiao Bo He to help.

"Madam Yuan, what are you going to do with so many of these green balls?" Tian Xiu asked curiously.

These demons usually used animal fur for warmth and cool scales and hides of snakes or lizards for light clothing in the summer. Few demons spent time and effort on clothing, so Xiong Duoduo didn't know what this green cotton was for.

"It's Green Moon Cotton." Grandmother Ruyi recognized the plant, her eyes lighting up slightly. "I didn't expect to find it here… and such a large patch. Hmm, it's low-grade, which is alright, not particularly valuable."

She had seen such plants in some exchanges in the Abyss. They were specifically used to make soft clothing. The higher the grade, the more valuable and rarer they were.

Ruan Qiuqiu keenly caught her pause. Grandmother Ruyi's strength was close to Mr. Big Gray Wolf's, but Mr. Big Gray Wolf didn't know about Green Moon Cotton, while Grandmother Ruyi was surprised to see it here. This suggested that this plant might be abundant in the Abyss but rare in the Demon Continent.

However, Ruan Qiuqiu didn't point it out directly, planning to ask Grandmother Ruyi in detail after the other demons left.

As it was getting darker and there were signs of a blizzard, everyone didn't waste any time. They quickly transported all of these novel plants to the open space in front of Ruan Qiuqiu and Mr. Big Gray Wolf's cave.

Yuan Jue mobilized the little remaining demonic power in his body to install the "door" and the animal hide curtain for their new bedroom.

Ruan Qiuqiu took out the beef jerky she had prepared earlier and thanked everyone. Soon, Xiong Duoduo, Tian Xiu, and the other demons left.

Only Grandmother Ruyi, Qiuqiu, and Mr. Big Gray Wolf remained in the cave.

Without Ruan Qiuqiu asking, Grandmother Ruyi knowingly explained, "This Green Moon Cotton usually only grows in places with dense demonic energy. The denser the demonic energy, the better it grows. I don't know if this Green Moon Cotton has mutated or if the Winter Bear Tribe has some secrets we don't know about…"

After she finished speaking, Ruan Qiuqiu's expression became serious, but soon, her brows relaxed.

The fact that the Winter Bear Tribe's back mountain had a barrier, and within the barrier, there was a large amount of spiritual energy, was nearly impossible in a tribe without secrets. The Winter Bear Tribe had been a secretive tribe from the beginning.

While Ruan Qiuqiu and Grandmother Ruyi were thinking, Yuan Jue said calmly, "There are some magic stone fragments in the soil."

He habitually examined the ground and discovered some magic stone fragments.

A look of surprise flashed across Ruan Qiuqiu's eyes, and she asked her wolf, "Then there shouldn't be any demonic energy in the Green Moon Cotton bolls, right?"

She had actually checked with her spiritual power and hadn't found any demonic energy, but to be safe, she decided to ask.

Yuan Jue shook his head, indicating that there was no demonic energy in the bolls.

Ruan Qiuqiu breathed a sigh of relief. She planned to use the green cotton to make quilts and clothes and even sell them, so naturally, she didn't want the bolls to contain demonic energy.

"However, Qiuqiu, are you picking so much Green Moon Cotton to sell at the market in seven days?" Grandmother Ruyi asked curiously, her gaze falling on the pile of green cotton.

Ruan Qiuqiu didn't intend to hide it. "I plan to make some cotton-padded clothes and jackets and exchange them for spirit stones with the demons."

If she guessed correctly, clothes made from Tier 1, almost Tier 2, Green Moon Cotton might have some special effects. Besides providing warmth, they might also be able to isolate demonic energy or withstand attacks.

But the clothes hadn't been made yet, so Ruan Qiuqiu wasn't entirely sure.

"You can make cotton-padded clothes?" Grandmother Ruyi was a little surprised.

Ruan Qiuqiu nodded.

She used to weave and sew clothes with simple tools. Now, with the help of spiritual power, making clothes was even easier.

"Mm." Grandmother Ruyi pondered for a moment and said, "If it's clothing, you might be able to exchange it for some spirit stones. Tier 1 and Tier 2 Green Moon Cotton probably offers good defense."

Ruan Qiuqiu's eyes lit up. She hadn't expected her guess to be correct.

"The market opens in seven days. It will take about half a day to get there from here," Grandmother Ruyi said. "I plan to extract some Willow Wood Spirit Essence these next few days, which can also be exchanged for spirit stones."

"Willow Wood Spirit Essence?" Ruan Qiuqiu was a little puzzled but could guess that it was something valuable.

Grandmother Ruyi told Ruan Qiuqiu some more details and then prepared to leave.

Their time was precious. In order to exchange for good things at the market, which only opened three times a month during winter, they couldn't afford to waste time.

Before leaving, Grandmother Ruyi seemed to remember something. She turned around and stared at Ruan Qiuqiu's wrist for several seconds with a strange expression before saying half-jokingly, half-seriously, "Qiuqiu, don't push yourself too hard. Demons can be quite formidable in certain aspects. If you can't handle it, do you still have the leaf I gave you last time?"

Ruan Qiuqiu "…………"

Ruan Qiuqiu "？？?"

Her ears turned completely red, and she looked at Qing Ruyi with an indescribable expression.

Yuan Jue also trembled and used his imposing aura and demonic consciousness as a warning.

Qing Ruyi laughed heartily and quickly disappeared from the cave entrance.

Ruan Qiuqiu breathed a sigh of relief. Before she could say anything, she heard Mr. Big Gray Wolf's slightly flustered explanation, "Wolves… are not like that."

His voice held an unclear emotion and shyness, seemingly shedding his layer of guardedness and feigned aloofness, revealing a soft heart identical to Mr. Little Gray Wolf's.

Ruan Qiuqiu "…??" Not like what?

She had a feeling Yuan Jue might say something suggestive, so she quickly changed the subject. "Mm, mm, I know."

Yuan Jue, feeling that he had explained himself clearly, gently curved his lips.

Even though he was dense, he wasn't completely clueless. The aspect Qing Ruyi was referring to was something many wolf demons were proud of. However, he had never had any experience and didn't know how to do it, so it shouldn't be scary, right?

It was just that after spending so much time with Little Madam, he always felt like he was burning up, always wanting to be closer to her, even more intimate.

Originally, he didn't know what this feeling was.

But today, Qing Ruyi reminded him.

A noticeable blush spread across Yuan Jue's handsome face. He probably… wants to mate with Little Madam?

But they haven't formed a bond yet, and the situation is still precarious. He doesn't know how mating is done.

His slender fingers curled, and his long eyelashes trembled.

A Lord who is about to break through to the eighth rank and become a Demon King?

Give him a little more time, and he will quickly recover his strength and arrange everything.

ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ

Love what you read?