https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-64-Awakening-with-a-Look-of-Sorrow/13688213/
Chapter 65: The Little Beast Moves In
"..."
One person, one beast—four eyes meeting in silence.
Looking into the black little creature’s eyes, full of pain and longing, Lu Qing fell into a long, heavy silence.
He hadn’t expected the little thing to hide up there.
And from the way it sat, it had clearly been waiting all night.
"Little one," Lu Qing finally spoke, after a long pause, "did you wait here all night?"
The black beast didn’t move. Its eyes only grew more sorrowful.
"... Sorry. I had something to attend to last night. I wasn’t home."
"..."
Still no movement. But the faint shimmer of moisture welled up in its eyes.
Seeing the creature on the verge of tears, Lu Qing felt an unexpected pang of guilt.
He couldn’t be wrong—this little thing was still just a cub, really.
And not just any cub—it was his creditor, after all.
After all, he’d taken a Century-Old Ginseng from it for free.
"Maybe... you should come inside with me?" Lu Qing offered cautiously. "I’ve got some fish left in the kitchen."
Seeing the faint glimmer of hope in the beast’s eyes, he opened the door and stepped inside.
When he brought Xiao Yan into the room and returned, he found the black beast sitting calmly on a stool, watching him.
Lu Qing smiled, then went back to the kitchen. He emptied the remaining fish into a wooden basin, carried it out, and set it down before the creature.
The moment it saw the overflowing bowl, the beast’s eyes lit up instantly.
It pounced forward, devouring the fish in great, ravenous bites.
All traces of its earlier sadness vanished.
Watching it eat with such joy, Lu Qing couldn’t help but smile.
Honestly, this little creature was surprisingly admirable.
It had been hungry all night—but instead of breaking in, it had waited patiently on the eaves.
That kind of restraint… it wasn’t just respect. It was genuine trust.
Otherwise, with its nose, it would’ve smelled the fish in the kitchen the moment it arrived.
Breaking in? That would’ve been effortless.
Seeing it so absorbed in its meal, Lu Qing didn’t disturb it. Instead, he went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Even though he’d already cooked for his master and the others at Half Mountain Small Courtyard, he hadn’t eaten yet.
He set a clay pot of congee over the fire, added some minced meat, and let it simmer slowly. Then he went to take a bath.
The past few days had been spent boiling herbs—sweating through, drenched in smoke and fumes. His body had felt sticky and suffocating for days.
After washing, Lu Qing emerged feeling refreshed—only to be surprised to see the black beast still there, after finishing its fish.
It hadn’t left.
Instead, it sat on the stool, leisurely licking its paws and washing its face.
And the wooden basin? Still half-full.
Unbelievable.
Lu Qing couldn’t help but mutter in astonishment.
This was the first time he’d ever seen the black beast leave food behind.
Normally, it would devour every single fish—sometimes even to the point of being stuffed—but never, ever would it waste a bite.
Yet today, he’d given it twice the usual amount… and still, it had stopped.
Even so, it left him baffled.
"Little one," he said, "you planning to stay? I’m about to wake Xiao Yan for breakfast."
He knew the beast didn’t like other people much.
It always waited until Xiao Yan was asleep before coming at night to eat.
But to his surprise, the creature didn’t react at all.
It simply walked to the corner, hopped onto a cabinet, curled up, and fell fast asleep.
Lu Qing: …
"I’m really going to wake her, you know?"
Still nothing.
What was going on today?
Lu Qing frowned.
"... Fine, you can stay. But if Xiao Yan sees you and gets too excited, you better not hurt her."
He gave the warning, then went into the room and called Xiao Yan awake.
After urging the sleepy child to wash her face and brush her teeth, he brought out the simmered congee.
Xiao Yan drank it slowly, still half-asleep, her gaze unfocused, drifting aimlessly across the room.
But slowly, her eyes sharpened. Her pupils widened.
"Brother," she pointed suddenly, voice trembling with excitement, "what’s that?"
Lu Qing glanced over. The black beast still hadn’t moved.
"That," he said, "is the black beast you’ve been trying to see every night… but never could."
"Is that… the black beast?!"
The moment she heard it, she dropped the spoon and leapt off the stool.
She darted under the cabinet, craning her neck upward—only to find she couldn’t see the creature at all.
Frustrated, she paced in circles.
Then she remembered—she could use a stool.
She dashed back, dragged over a chair, and tried to climb up.
Lu Qing saw it and stepped in.
"Stop. Don’t bother it. It might scratch you."
The beast wasn’t happy with that.
It stood up, stretched lazily, then gave a soft, gentle chirp toward Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan’s face lit up.
"Brother, look! The beast says it won’t hurt me!"
Lu Qing: …
He didn’t hear it that way at all.
But he did feel the warmth in the creature’s tone—its clear friendliness toward Xiao Yan.
After a moment, he relaxed.
If the beast was willing to make contact, and clearly showed no hostility, then he’d let it be.
He’d come to understand—this creature’s intelligence was nearly human.
And if it had reached out, it wasn’t afraid.
"Alright," he said, "you two can be friends."
Then he turned to the beast.
"Little one, remember—don’t bully my sister."
The beast gave him a look of pure disdain, then leapt down from the cabinet, walked to Xiao Yan, and gently bumped its head against her hand.
Then it turned to Lu Qing with a smug, challenging glance.
Xiao Yan squealed with delight.
"Brother! The beast wants to be my friend!"
Lu Qing saw the beast’s expression—clearly, it was boasting to him.
Well, fine.
Let it show off.
As long as they got along, he was relieved.
He smiled at Xiao Yan.
"Then you’d better treat it well. It’s strong. Don’t make it angry."
"I promise, brother!" she chirped.
The beast, hearing Lu Qing praise it, gave a satisfied little blink.
Not bad for a two-legged creature. At least it knew quality when it saw it.
"Little beast… can I touch you?"
From then on, it was just the two of them—chattering, laughing, playing.
Lu Qing watched them, satisfied.
They were getting along well.
When he noticed Xiao Yan’s bowl was nearly empty, he took it to the kitchen to wash.
Just as he finished cleaning the dishes, Xiao Yan came bouncing back in.
"Brother! Brother! Let’s give the little beast a name!"
(End of Chapter)
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