SLLBTT Chapter 12
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
⋇⊶⊰Chapter 12⊱⊷⋇
"Ingredients?" The Snow Wolf King, upon hearing Liu Jiao's sentence, couldn't help but be a bit surprised.
Liu Jiao almost wanted to slap himself twice. Wasn't this getting worse the more he talked? It seemed he unintentionally considered the Great King as an ingredient.
"No... I..." Liu Jiao became anxious, unconsciously biting down on his tail.
The Snow Wolf King ruffled Liu Jiao's furry tail with his hand and said, "Are you hungry? Always thinking about food?"
"Yeah," Liu Jiao thought for a moment, realizing he was indeed hungry, "Yes, it's time to eat."
The Snow Wolf King said, "Let's go back for a meal."
Liu Jiao nodded.
The Snow Wolf King stood up and said, "Shall I escort you back?"
Liu Jiao was momentarily surprised. "Though I might not be good at reading, I can still find my way."
The Snow Wolf King laughed, extended his hand toward Liu Jiao, who sat there in a daze, and said, "Silly."
Liu Jiao, in a somewhat silly manner, extended his hand, placing it in the Snow Wolf King's. The two descended hand in hand from the roof, strolling on the palace path. The lingering sunlight bathed the stone pathway, casting long shadows of Liu Jiao and the Snow Wolf King that looked inseparable.
It was in this slow walk that Liu Jiao began to grasp the feeling of holding Snow Wolf King's hand.
The Snow Wolf King's palm was broad, while Liu Jiao's was soft. Their fingers intertwined, even if the heart was as resilient as steel, it would still melt into tenderness. Thus, Liu Jiao, who was usually indifferent, found himself immersed in sentimental thoughts.
Despite their speed, they could have reached Chunguang Pavilion in the blink of an eye. Yet, they took quite a long time. Normally, the snow leopard would have grown impatient, but at this moment, as they arrived at the palace gate, Liu Jiao felt the route was too short.
It wasn't that the route was too short.
It was evidently that the emotions were too long.
Liu Jiao blinked, gazing at the Snow Wolf King with a hint of lingering emotion.
The Snow Wolf King laughed, "Don't stand there foolishly, go in. I smell the aroma of food. I believe the meal is ready. Hurry and eat, don't starve yourself."
Liu Jiao hesitated but couldn't help asking, "Do you want to come in and have something to eat as well?"
"I'll return to the Snow Hall on the Wolf Mountain for my meal."
Liu Jiao, just by looking at the Snow Wolf King's graceful and extraordinary demeanor, couldn't fathom how he ate. Seeing him so ethereal, would he consume food like Bai Juan, perhaps savoring the air and dew? Regardless, it was unimaginable that this elegant figure was a carnivore!
Therefore, Liu Jiao was quite curious about how the Snow Wolf King ate. Unfortunately, with strict palace rules, he couldn't dine at the same table with the Snow Wolf King.
Indeed, the Great King was like a lofty snow-capped mountain, always beyond reach.
Thinking about this, the usually worry-free Liu Jiao felt a bit disheartened.
Seeing Liu Jiao's discontent, the Snow Wolf King explained, "How many pounds of meat does a Beautiful Lady's diet require? If I eat with you, wouldn't you be underfed?"
Liu Jiao understood, "Right. I heard from the chamberlain that there are quotas for the food supply of consorts at different levels." It was said that in the previous dynasty, some demon consorts couldn't eat enough and sneaked into neighboring palaces to steal vegetables. There were also palace consorts who engaged in cutthroat competition for favor just to have a bit more meat after promotion...
At this moment, the palace gate opened, and Da Huangya walked out waddling.
The moment Da Huangya spotted the Snow Wolf King, it flapped around, offering a grand salute, "Greetings, Great King!"
The Snow Wolf King said, "Rise."
Liu Jiao asked, "By the way, Yaya, how much food does a Beautiful Lady receive daily?"
"Two chickens," Da Huangya replied, "As for vegetables... let's not talk about it. After all, beauties don't eat vegetables."
Liu Jiao exclaimed, "But I remember I eat more than two chickens every day!"
The Snow Wolf King cleared his throat, "Let's not say that so loudly."
"Huh?" Liu Jiao was puzzled.
Da Huangya nodded, "Wise decision, Great King."
The Snow Wolf King turned to Da Huangya, asking, "Are you Xiao Jiao's servant? What's your name?"
Da Huangya quickly responded, "This humble servant is called Yaya."
"Alright, Yaya," the Snow Wolf King said, "After the meal, take good care of your master, I'll be paying a visit to Xiao Jiao today."
Da Huangya was overjoyed. "Many thanks for your grace, Great King."
Liu Jiao was still in a daze. The Snow Wolf King tapped Liu Jiao's forehead with his finger before walking away. It was only when Liu Jiao snapped back to reality that he realized he was no longer being led by the Great King.
However, Da Huangya pulled Liu Jiao, reminding him to bow together.
Liu Jiao, recalling the etiquette, hastily bowed, "Sending off the Great King."
Once the Snow Wolf King was far away, Da Huangya helped Liu Jiao stand and asked, "What is Master daydreaming about? Ignoring proper manners?"
Liu Jiao rubbed his nose and asked, "By the way, why do I have so many chickens to eat?"
Da Huangya replied in a hushed tone, "Those before were food bestowed by the Great King."
"Is it okay to be bestowed food every day?"
"Of course not, being bestowed too much would attract criticism," Da Huangya whispered, "So later, they arranged for two consorts who don't eat meat but are of decent rank to come in, just to shift the meat for you."
"Ah?" Liu Jiao was quite surprised, "Really?"
Thinking about it, Liu Jiao felt a bit ashamed, "So, I've been eating the meat intended for them? Is that okay?" He recalled encountering Leng Jiao eating grass in the middle of the night and felt uneasy.
"No problem, they don't eat meat anyway," Da Huangya said, "In short, the meat supply for you, Talented Ladies Jiao and Bai has been redirected to a kitchen. What does it matter who eats it?"
While Liu Jiao and Da Huangya entered the room, Ah Ye came forward and said, "Master is back?" He then immediately started preparing the meal.
Looking at the table full of meat, Liu Jiao thought of the sick Leng Jiao and asked, "By the way, is Jiao'er okay after falling ill in the Snow Hall on the Wolf Mountain today?"
"It's nothing serious. He seems fine to me," Da Huangya said, advising, "Don't worry about others! Eat more. You still have to attend to the Great King tonight! I heard it's a physically demanding activity."
"Who told you that?" Ah Ye objected, snatching the chicken leg from Liu Jiao's mouth, "This is a skilled job! Besides, I heard that overeating is not good. What if you fart or need to use the bathroom during the Great King's visit?"
"What are the odds of that?" Da Huangya disagreed, "I think only by eating well can one perform well!" With that, Da Huangya stuffed the chicken leg back into Liu Jiao's mouth.