Daily Survival After Inheriting a Harem (GL) - Chapter 17

Qiu Qi had always been the type to enjoy blessings when there were blessings, and flee when there was hardship.

She thought that even if Pei Yuqing was going to kill her tomorrow, today she would still get drunk and never wake up in this land of beauty.

“Um… can I ask for another kiss?”

Under Qiu Qi’s expectant gaze, Pei Yuqing leaned closer to that pretty face. Then her eyes narrowed, killing intent hidden behind her lashes.

“Mm? What did you say, my lord?”

“No, no, no. I said once I recover a little, I’ll immediately help you remove the rings.”

Qiu Qi ingratiatingly rubbed her tail around Pei Yuqing’s arm and started talking about a topic Pei Yuqing liked.

“Don’t be afraid. No matter what happens, I’ll always stay by your side.”

Pei Yuqing stroked the smooth fur on her back. Her eyes flickered slightly, and she answered in a low voice.

“All right.”

…

The second time she woke up, Qiu Qi clearly felt that her body had changed. Not only did her whole body feel chilly, but when she clenched her hand, she no longer felt that fluffy, comfortable sensation.

She turned over and sat up. The thin blanket covering her slid down her bare body. Qiu Qi blinked and stared at her clean, slender fingers.

Had she changed back?

Her mind moved. She twisted her head, only to catch sight of the tail swaying behind her butt. Her ears drooped in disappointment.

Fine. Now she had truly become some half-human, half-beast ghostly thing.

Thinking that she had just recovered her human body and still had no clothes on, Qiu Qi stared at the clothes rack beside the bed. Her first reaction was to hurry and find clothes to cover herself.

She stepped forward and wanted to get out of bed. But because she moved too hastily, she forgot that Pei Yuqing was still lying on the bed. She tripped over Pei Yuqing’s leg and instantly fell headfirst, smashing her face hard onto the floor, taking a solid dog-eating-mud fall.

Pei Yuqing was a very light sleeper. Such a loud movement had woken her long ago. She was only giving Qiu Qi some face, intending to let her put on clothes with dignity before opening her eyes. But she had not expected the other woman to be this stupid. She had only gotten out of bed and still managed to trip herself.

“My lord, are you all right?”

Pei Yuqing reached out a helping hand toward Qiu Qi.

“Wuu…”

Qiu Qi scrunched up her face, arched her back, and buried her head.

“Madam, don’t look at me. Close your eyes.”

From any direction, her current posture could only be described with one word: embarrassing.

Her head was planted on the ground, but her legs were still hanging on the edge of the bed. And Pei Yuqing was behind her. Even using her butt to think, Qiu Qi knew how spectacular the “scenery” in the other woman’s eyes must be right now.

No matter how shameless she was, she was still an unmarried maiden. If this happened to her, she would still feel embarrassed, okay!

“All right.”

Pei Yuqing turned her back.

“My lord, I have turned around.”

“Mm. If I don’t say it’s okay, you’re not allowed to turn back.”

Qiu Qi patted her aching elbow and climbed up from the ground. She put on clothes at the fastest speed of her life, then tugged at her collar and spoke awkwardly.

“Okay. You can turn around now.”

Pei Yuqing turned back. Her gaze landed on Qiu Qi. Qiu Qi was lowering her head and tidying the wide sleeves that had wrinkled into a mess. The ears on top of her head were also trembling along with her movements. It seemed she really had been stumped.

“I will do it, my lord.”

“That’s great.”

Qiu Qi raised her head and ran over to Pei Yuqing happily. She had been waiting for that line.

“What would I do without Madam?”

Being watched by her with such sparkling eyes gave Pei Yuqing the illusion that, among the thousands upon thousands of passersby in this world, the other person could only see her.

If this was acting, then Pei Yuqing truly had to praise her. Qiu Qi acted so well that it made people want to believe her.

Pei Yuqing was silent. Lowering her eyes, she carefully smoothed Qiu Qi’s sleeves, then pulled out and properly arranged the collar that had been rolled into her neck.

Cold fingers touched her neck, and Qiu Qi instinctively shrank back.

“Apologies. I will be more careful next time.”

Pei Yuqing withdrew her hand.

“Don’t.”

Qiu Qi grabbed Pei Yuqing’s hand, brought it to her mouth, and gently breathed warm air onto it.

“Madam’s constitution isn’t good. I just need to warm you more.”

Pei Yuqing’s gaze paused for a few seconds on the furry tail behind Qiu Qi, which was constantly swaying along with her mood. Then she calmly moved her eyes away and did not refute her.

After that, using the motion of tidying Qiu Qi’s loose hair, she imperceptibly rubbed that pair of furry upright ears. The corner of her lips could not help lifting slightly.

She actually thought it would not be bad if this person remained like this forever.

“My lord, last night I saw you were sleeping deeply, so I did not wake you for dinner. Are you hungry now?”

“I am…”

Qiu Qi touched her flat stomach.

“Really hungry.”

“Then I will have the kitchen send something over.”

Pei Yuqing made as if to get up and call someone.

“Hey, wait.”

Qiu Qi hurriedly grabbed her sleeve.

“Mm?”

Pei Yuqing gave her a questioning look.

“I should make it myself.”

Qiu Qi said softly.

Pei Yuqing thought for a moment and guessed the reason.

During lunch that day, she had already seen that Qiu Qi’s tastes had changed greatly. She did not eat freshly slaughtered meat, but instead favored the human ways of steaming, stir-frying, boiling, and deep-frying.

“My lord, what ingredients do you need? I will first go to the kitchen and order them prepared for you.”

“Let’s go together.”

Qiu Qi held her hand.

…

At this time, everyone had already eaten breakfast, and the people in the kitchen were preparing ingredients for lunch.

When Qiu Qi entered, the old master from last time was sitting in front of a bamboo basket, peeling a snake skin in his hands.

Qiu Qi glanced at it, immediately withdrew her gaze, and covered her frightened little heart, patting it.

“Old Chen, you and the others go to the back and work first. Wash the vegetables there. My lord needs to use the kitchen for a while.”

Pei Yuqing half-blocked Qiu Qi’s line of sight.

The old master’s eyes lit up.

“My lord, are you making another new dish?”

He could not be blamed for being excited. These past few days, Qiu Qi had been messing around in the kitchen with new things every day. Watching from the side, he had truly learned quite a lot. Because of these few bites of food, the tigress at home had become much gentler to him, and even the children who had not been close to him before now clung to his trouser legs every day, acting spoiled and asking for food.

Qiu Qi nodded.

“Today, I’ll cook some pork liver congee to nourish Madam.”

Congee had a light flavor that suited Pei Yuqing’s tastes, and pork liver replenished blood. It was just right for helping Pei Yuqing recover some strength after being injured.

Pei Yuqing had not expected that Qiu Qi had taken the initiative to cook for her. Her brows lifted, and her gaze on Qiu Qi’s back deepened.

Qiu Qi rolled up her sleeves and asked the old master,

“Do we have a freshly slaughtered pig? Get me a few pork livers.”

The old master nodded and hurriedly went to a basin to take out a bloody lump.

“Yes, yes. It’s just that we usually treat these internal organs as trash. Can they taste good when made into a dish?”

Qiu Qi pointed at him.

“This is what you don’t understand. Let me tell you, a pig is full of treasures. There isn’t a single piece of meat on it that doesn’t taste good. Don’t look down on it just because it’s chubby.”

“Yes, yes, yes. My lord is right.”

The old master had not forgotten that pork lard fried rice from last time, which had made him so greedy he drooled even in his dreams at midnight.

“Speaking of which…”

Qiu Qi turned her head.

“Where’s my lard? You didn’t throw it away, did you? That stuff can be kept for a long time.”

“No, no.”

The old master answered and quickly brought over a chair. From the highest part of the shelf, he carefully took down a small oil jar with both hands.

“It’s all here. I’ve been keeping watch over it properly. Not a single drop has been touched.”

That jar of lard had been enshrined up high, and there was even a note stuck to the outside with several especially domineering words written on it.

—Idle people, do not touch.

Qiu Qi thought that she probably did not count as an idle person, so she reached out and tore off the paper, setting the jar aside for later use.

First, she soaked the rice in water. Then, using the time while the rice soaked, she handled the pork liver. She washed it clean and sliced it into small, easy-to-eat pieces, then placed it into a bowl with the prepared seasonings to marinate.

After she had mentioned seasonings last time, Yan Wan had specially gone to the human market and purchased many seasonings, greatly raising the upper limit of Qiu Qi’s cooking ability.

After waiting for a while, Qiu Qi picked up the soaked rice and put it into the pot with cold water, turning the fire high to start boiling. She also instructed the old master to stand beside it and stir with a spoon so the rice would not sink too much to the bottom.

As for herself, she picked up the marinated pork liver. Into a hot pan, she added oil, then fried scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant. After that, she added the pork liver, stir-frying it until it just changed color and was barely cooked through before quickly taking it out.

By this time, the water in the pot had already boiled. Qiu Qi had the old master pull out some firewood to lower the heat, then added the pork liver from earlier and began slowly simmering while stirring.

When the rice was nearly cooked, Qiu Qi scooped out the lard from earlier and added a small spoonful.

Congee simmered with oil added would have a smoother and richer texture. This was another little life hack taught to her by the old lady next door.

Only when the rice grains had bloomed and the fragrance could no longer be hidden even by the pot lid did Qiu Qi finally ladle out the congee.

“Madam, try it.”

As usual, the first bowl was handed to Pei Yuqing.

“Thank you, my lord.”

Pei Yuqing took the bowl and drank under Qiu Qi’s expectant gaze.

Perhaps because the animals in the courtyard ate and drank well and absorbed so-called spiritual energy from heaven and earth every day, even the internal organs had no fishy taste when eaten without marinating. Now that seasonings had been added, the high quality of the ingredients themselves was even more prominent.

Pei Yuqing swallowed the congee. Warmth slid down her throat. It had to be said that having such a warm mouthful in the morning truly made her whole body feel much more comfortable.

This was her first time eating pork liver. She had not expected its texture to be so tender and smooth. One bite made her impatient to take the next.

“Is it good?”

“Mm. It is good.”

Even though the feedback Pei Yuqing gave each time was very limited, Qiu Qi could still judge from the subtle expressions between her brows and eyes that Pei Yuqing really did quite like this bowl of congee.

“As long as you like it!”

Only then did Qiu Qi reveal a smile. She also ladled a bowl for herself, and the rest was given to the old master to distribute to the others.

“Aowu.”

Without fearing the heat, Qiu Qi inhaled a big mouthful and instantly narrowed her eyes happily.

“As expected, I’m just an ordinary little cooking genius.”

…

Before lunch, Qiu Qi dragged Yan Wan away to arrange the preparations needed for removing the rings. Pei Yuqing finally had a gap of free time and flashed into the secret base behind the artificial mountain.

“Sister Pei, you’re finally here. Why were you so late?”

“What else could it be?”

Zu Mianmian looked at Pei Yuqing with a face full of heartache.

“It must be that demon indulging in lust in broad daylight, tormenting Sister Pei from morning onward and not letting her come down.”

Pei Yuqing sent over one look, instantly killing Zu Mianmian into silence.

“I accompanied her to the kitchen to make some food. If you have something to say, speak quickly.”

“The kitchen again?”

Xu Zishe, who rarely attended meetings, shook the fan in her hand.

“Recently, she’s always running there. What, did she come up with some new thing again?”

Pei Yuqing did not deny it.

Yin Ci pulled the topic back onto the right track.

“Have you softened toward her?”

Pei Yuqing glanced sideways.

“How so?”

“That day, she took the demon race’s attack for you. These days, the two of you have been stuck together at all times. I can tell that the way you look at her has lost much of its determination for revenge.”

Pei Yuqing’s fingers hidden beneath her wide sleeves tapped lightly. Following Yin Ci’s words, she reviewed her own state of mind and discovered that the interactions of these past few days had indeed changed her impression of Qiu Qi greatly. The other party risking herself to save her that day had indeed shaken her heart. It was just that compared to being moved, the doubts in her heart were even deeper.

Even because of the Beast Core Pearl, could one person truly change so much? Yet Qiu Qi’s eyes, always looking at her without concealment, made it impossible for her to find a single flaw.

Was all of this true or false?

“It is not softness. With the current situation, we can only quietly observe the changes.”

Pei Yuqing lifted her teacup and took a sip, her gaze faint.

“She still has benefits we can obtain, and we also possess weapons sufficient to threaten her. If we keep her, then we keep her.”

“Then we can’t touch her anymore?”

Xiao Chu’er stood up.

“I don’t want to spend every day on edge.”

Pei Yuqing gave a light sneer.

“Once the Mystic Ice Rings are removed, the one who spends every day on edge will probably be her.”

“Chirp…”

Lan Tang flapped her wings.

“But the great demon is so bad, so bad. She’s always bullying Master. Lan Tang hates her!”

“That’s right. Even if her temperament has changed greatly now, I still cannot let go of the grudge in my heart.”

Lin Yujin added.

“I only said temporarily.”

Pei Yuqing’s gaze fell into the distance. Ignoring those anxious gazes, she remained calm on her own.

“And the most important matter now is not this. The demon race has placed a heavy bounty to take her head. If the Beast Core Pearl falls into their hands, the consequences will be much worse than they are now.”

Hearing her mention this, everyone present’s expressions sank.

This assassination incident had sounded a warning bell for them. The temptation of this Beast Core Pearl to the world was too great, and Qiu Qi herself was currently in a weak state where she could not fully control it. The outside world would certainly all want to seize it during this window.

But they did not even dare imagine the outcome of the Beast Core Pearl falling into an outsider’s hands.

“The demon race won’t do, which means our own people can strike freely, right?”

Zu Mianmian rubbed her hands, her face full of excitement and anticipation.

“Sister Pei, don’t worry. I’ll go prepare right now. I definitely won’t let you be taken advantage of by that demon for nothing.”

When Pei Yuqing heard the words “taken advantage of,” her brows quickly furrowed. But before she had time to explain anything, Zu Mianmian had already hopped away.

Pei Yuqing raised her eyes to look at Yin Ci and asked,

“Yin Ci, are my words very hard to understand?”

Yin Ci lowered her head.

“Mianmian has always had trouble understanding human speech.”

“Forget it. I would like to see what tricks she can come up with.”

Author’s Note:
The harem assassination—no, conquest—grand plan has officially been put on the schedule.