Chapter 12: Taking a Bath.

“Hey, wait, what are you doing? Cooking’s fine, but didn’t we agree not to…”

“Take it off…”

“No, stop! Don’t tear my clothes! Help, pervert!”

“Making you take a bath is such a hassle. Keep squirming, and I’ll wash you myself.”

…

About half an hour later, Li Tianxing finished and stood up, striding to the edge of a clear shallow bay.
With a splash, the iron pot plunged into the water, scooping up half a pot of cool freshwater.

Back by the reef, he flicked his finger, and a hair-thin golden flame landed precisely on the coal-like chunks.

Boom!
Blue flames roared up, radiating scorching heat.
The water in the pot soon bubbled furiously.

Xie Qiyang was placed on the sand near the pot.
Li Tianxing hadn’t set any restrictions, but she had no thought of escaping.

She wasn’t stupid—why court trouble?
If she was going to run, the system was her safest bet.

“System, system.”
She called out mentally, but after three tries, there was no response.

Sigh.
Xie Qiyang snapped back, letting out a soft sigh.
The system was flaky, working only sometimes.
She couldn’t pin too much hope on it.

Her blood- and mud-stained white dress had been replaced with Li Tianxing’s oversized black outfit.

The clothes were loose and baggy on her slender frame, the sleeves dangling past her hands, the collar sagging to reveal a pale sliver of collarbone.
Even so, a modest curve was still noticeable.

Her silver hair spilled messily, covering most of her pale face, leaving only her sharp chin visible.

She hugged her knees, curling into a small ball, staring blankly at the rough sand beneath her, sighing again.

If she’d known men could…

No, wait, wrong script—she was a girl now.

What was this guy planning?
She’d thought he was about to pull some indecent beachside stunt, but he’d only made her bathe, nothing out of line.

She shot a resentful glance at his busy figure, frustration bubbling up.
Lacking an outlet, she resorted to the ancient art of drawing circles in the sand to curse him.

She patted her chest, relieved it was just a clothing change.
But then doubt crept in—stripped nearly bare in front of him, and he showed no reaction?
Was he… incapable?

No way.
A cold, proud fairy with a stunning figure, captured after defeat?
That setup… it felt oddly familiar.

Xie Qiyang racked her brain, then it hit her—the cultivation spicy game she was playing before transmigrating had this exact vibe!
She hadn’t even started it properly before getting yanked here.

The more she thought, the angrier she got, but she didn’t dare lash out.
If she vented, he might too.
She glanced at Li Tianxing, diligently cooking.

The pot boiled, dried beast meat bobbing in the churning water.
A rich meaty aroma mixed with the bitter, medicinal scent of some spirit herb root wafted through the hot air.

Li Tianxing, expressionless, stirred the soup lazily with a thick iron rod he’d pulled from somewhere.

The soup was done—murky, with a sheen of oil and bits of meat, reeking faintly of fishiness.

Apparently, his herbs didn’t mask the smell.
If only the heavens had tossed in some ginger or garlic.
Why didn’t these beasts evolve to be odor-free and cumin-flavored?

Bored, Xie Qiyang’s mind wandered to these bizarre questions.

Li Tianxing grabbed a coarse gray clay bowl, filling it with thick, scalding meat soup.

He crouched before her.

Without a word, he thrust the steaming bowl toward her hands, undeniable.

“Drink it.”
His voice was flat, betraying no emotion.
“It’ll restore some vitality… might help with your injuries.”

Injuries?
Xie Qiyang was clueless.
All she knew was this body hurt like hell—and wasn’t he the one who caused it?

Now he cared about her wounds?
Hypocrite! Jerk! Cruel!
Was there something in the soup?
Something to control her mind? Or…

Gurgle.
Her stomach protested again, survival instinct overriding all suspicion.

She gave in.

No matter.
As long as she found a chance, as long as she held on, the world was vast—where couldn’t she go?

Xie Qiyang slowly raised her hands, cautiously taking the scalding bowl.

Her fingertips reddened from the heat.
She lowered her head, held her breath, and sipped small mouthfuls.

The scalding, fishy, bitter soup forced its way down her throat—not for taste, but for survival.

Watching her drink obediently, a faint, unreadable glint flickered in Li Tianxing’s eyes.
He turned, heading toward the cliff’s edge where it met the dense forest.

No tools in hand.
His nails, sharp as swords, conjured a wisp of solid golden light.

In a flash, he darted past several iron-like cedar trees, each as thick as a bowl.

Swish! Swish! Swish!
With soft sounds, the sturdy trunks snapped and crashed down.

His hand grasped the air, an invisible force surging.
The heavy trunks were lifted by an unseen giant hand, landing steadily on a chosen spot of sheltered sand by the cliff.

From his storage ring, he pulled a tough, thick, clean-smelling black rhino hide.

No hammer or nails.
His fingers, wielding mana like a pen, swiftly traced twisted, arcane runes on the hide’s edges and key wooden stakes.

The runes glowed faintly, and the heavy hide stretched and tightened like a living thing, snapping taut with a hiss, seamlessly binding to the wooden frame.

In moments, a sturdy tent—iron cedar for bones, black rhino hide for cover, secured by runes—stood on the sand.

Li Tianxing returned to Xie Qiyang, still curled up sipping soup, his voice flat:
“Done. Finish eating and go sleep.”

Xie Qiyang, clutching the half-empty bowl, looked up blankly.

He nodded his chin toward the dark, silent tent.

The thick rhino hide was cold and rough, its coarse texture and dark spots starkly visible.
It didn’t feel like a tent… more like the entrance to a beast’s den.

“Wait, why’s he being so nice? He beat the original owner to a pulp before…”

Xie Qiyang instinctively reached out, her left fingertips hesitantly brushing the cold, rough hide.

Hard. Cold. Solid.

…

Uh, this wasn’t where she’d get eaten, was it?

“Ningshuang.”
Li Tianxing’s voice came from behind, using that intimate name for the first time.

“Be good. Go in. Rest. Heal. Only then will you be… useful.”

Her heart churned with conflict, especially as someone—or something—seemed to appear behind her.

No… no way…

She scrambled into the tent.
With a thud, the heavy hide flap fell, muffling the ocean waves and blocking Li Tianxing’s suffocating gaze.

Inside, the tent was dim, faint light seeping through hide seams.

The air was thick with leather, dry grass, and a stifling, oppressive sense of confinement.

Xie Qiyang collapsed onto the straw mat, curling up again, burying her face in her knees.
In the dim silence, the pain became sharper.

Outside, she faintly heard the monotonous crash of waves and the soft clinks of Li Tianxing tending the fire and stirring the pot.

Safe… for now?
Would he sneak in for a night raid?
With his physique and her current state…

Could she win?

As if!
Even after that weird-tasting pill, her body ached terribly.
If he barged in…

Sigh.
She didn’t know if she’d get another transmigration shot.

Exhaustion took over, and Xie Qiyang sank into a deep sleep…