The White Deer's Cry - Chapter 5

Late that night, utterly exhausted, I fell into a deep sleep.

At first, Jing Ziyan’s gentle coaxing filled my dreams. Gradually, another voice took over.

“Everything you have will be mine… Jing Ziyan included.”

Desperate to find the speaker, I ran through the darkness. Suddenly, the ground vanished beneath my feet.

A brief sensation of falling, then—thump. I landed hard.

“Ow…”

The nightmare faded. I forced my heavy eyelids open and found myself wrapped in the bedding, squirming on the floor like a ridiculous green caterpillar.

Still bleary-eyed, Jing Ziyan took in the scene, propped his head on one hand, and laughed at me.

“Can’t keep still even in your sleep.”

I struggled with all my might and still couldn’t get up. So I tried to look ferocious.

“What are you laughing at?”

“All right. I’ll stop.”

He ruffled his untidy hair, bent over, and scooped me easily back into his arms.

He kissed my fuzzy antlers.

“Much better.”

The broken edges had disappeared. Tender new growth had sprouted over the wounds.

His warm breath tickled them.

A bright little jingling sounded.

Jing Ziyan tied two tiny bells to my young antlers. One gentle flick sent notes spilling out like music from a zither.

What marvelous things.

I shook my head. He steadied it.

“Stop tossing your head like a mad little calf.”

“Break those antlers again, and you’ll answer to me.”

I touched the bells. They were probably linked to him somehow. If my antlers broke, he would know.

Leaning against him, I felt warm all through.

I’d once thought I loved the Celestial Emperor.

He stood in a crowd and seemed to shine brighter than anyone.

Now, I thought I understood what love actually felt like.

The merest brush of a finger made my heart race. I couldn’t help wanting to be closer.

Watching me idly play with his hair, Jing Ziyan asked, “Where else do you want to go?”

I thought for a moment.

“A teahouse!”

The mortal world’s teahouses had storytellers. All its marvels and strange tales passed from their mouths to other people’s ears.

He sat me before a mirror and fussed over me for a while.

Soon, a girl in red appeared in the glass.

My little antlers were still so tender that they vanished into my soft, thick black hair. Only the two silver bells hung to either side, their red silk cords jaunty and bright.

He stared for a moment. Then he suddenly reached out and pinched my cheek.

Before long, red finger marks bloomed on my pale skin.

“What are you doing?”

“Bullying you.”

The culprit lifted a challenging brow at me in the mirror.

In pale blue casual robes, with bright black eyes and his dark hair tied high, he looked every inch the pampered son of a wealthy mortal family.

“What are you looking at? Keep staring and I’ll eat you.”

His teasing tone made my face burn.

Then he took me out.

It was noon. The sun hung high, and most passersby had opened umbrellas.

My cultivation was still weak. Even beneath his umbrella, the heat left me woozy.

Dragons had such stamina. It really wasn’t fair.

“A-Jing… Are we there yet?”

“What, tired?”

He stopped. Seeing how pale I was, he remembered what he’d done the night before. With a resigned air, he crouched and beckoned.

“Get on.”

“Wouldn’t that be… improper? You’re the Demon Lord—”

Impatiently, he hooked an arm behind my knees. I stumbled forward onto his broad back.

“What’s so precious about my noble person? You’ve seen it. You’ve tasted it. If you’re that worried about propriety, why didn’t you say so last night?”

He was much too loud. The women beside us heard every word and couldn’t help laughing.

I gave him a light thump.

“Shh… They’re laughing at me.”

He laughed in delight, bounced me higher on his back, and carried me toward the teahouse.

Just as we reached the door, a veiled young woman hurried out and struck my forearm.

It went numb at once.

Wincing, I rubbed the reddened spot. Jing Ziyan had stopped, too. He watched the woman leave without speaking for a long moment.

“What’s wrong?”

He blinked and calmly looked away.

“Nothing. She’s about your size. Quite strong, though.”

She certainly was. She’d hit a nerve. I wondered whether she’d hurt herself, too.

The teahouse was packed. By the time we arrived, there was exactly one private room left.

Without a second thought, he took out a silver ingot and tossed it to the proprietor.

I stared.

“Didn’t you say you had no money?”

“And you believed me.”

In excellent spirits, he went upstairs with his hands behind his back. I followed, muttering complaints.

“You had designs on me all along… Insisting on sharing a room…”

The next instant, he caught me unceremoniously by the back of my collar and dragged me into the private room.

“Yes. I had designs on you. I knew you were stingy enough to book just one.”

That shut me up completely.

Watching my face turn red with frustration, he laughed.

“Look at you. Come here. The story’s started.”

We could see the storyteller downstairs past the screen.

Today’s subject was the world’s rare and precious treasures.

Once we quieted down, his rough voice reached my ears clearly.

“…Deer antlers are a powerful restorative. Consuming them prolongs life. Venison, moreover, is one of the world’s great delicacies.”

I touched my antlers and grimaced.

Of all the sore subjects he could have picked.

Jing Ziyan held his teacup in one hand, looking interested.

“He hasn’t covered everything. Deer tongues. Deer tails. And—”

I froze. Then I lunged over and clapped a hand over his mouth, scarlet-faced.

“Don’t you dare!”

He seemed like a different person. He’d always bullied me before. Now he looked at me like a wolf eyeing its next meal.

Laughter shone openly in his eyes. He pointed outside, telling me to keep listening.