Chapter 259

Chapter 259

Zhou Shengsheng hesitated for a moment. Normally, such a situation that would trigger a plot development would happen to the female lead, right?

Could it be Jiang Zhiyu?

Suppressing her excitement, Zhou Shengsheng tiptoed over quietly.

Pushing aside the grass, she caught a glimpse of the scene under the moonlight that had just climbed up the branches.

It turned out to be a fierce and thick cobra hunting for food, its prey fluttering not far away.

The prey, covered in fluffy fur, stood there alertly, its two black bean-like eyes fixed unwaveringly on the large snake coiled in the distance.

Zhou Shengsheng tilted her head slightly—it was a tiny little chick.

Perhaps it belonged to Liu Ai’s family, since she had seen poultry when she arrived.

Glancing at the venomous cobra in front of her, Zhou Shengsheng clenched her fists. Her foot moved slightly, only to step on a cursed twig again.

Immediately, the two animals locked in a standoff turned their gazes toward her.

Meeting the cobra’s vertical pupils, Zhou Shengsheng wisely cupped her hands and said, “My apologies, please carry on. I’ll be on my way now. Goodbye.”

Without a second thought, she turned and bolted.

Sorry, little chick, but one of us has to survive.

She had thought she could outrun the snake, but to her surprise, before she could get far, she heard the rustling sound of a reptile slithering through the grass behind her.

Zhou Shengsheng quickly looked back and, sure enough, that wretched cobra was hot on her heels.

“Why are you chasing me? I’m not stealing your food!” she shouted angrily.

As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt something moving on her head. She reached up to touch it—soft, fine fur brushed her fingertips, and then a weight shifted to the side, dodging her grasp.

If she didn’t realize what was happening now, she’d be a fool. She gritted her teeth and said, “You’re quite the escape artist, aren’t you?”

As if in response, the little chick on her head lowered its tiny beak to preen its feathers, its black bean-like eyes gleaming with mischief.

Unfortunately, Zhou Shengsheng, in the midst of her desperate escape, couldn’t see it.

Even if she had, she probably wouldn’t have reacted much.

After all, it wasn’t yet the era when animals weren’t allowed to become spirits.

Perhaps fate had other plans for her. Seeing that she hadn’t returned for a long time, the couple came out with torches to look for her.

Spotting the torches from afar, Zhou Shengsheng immediately cried out for help, “Save me! Help!”

Hearing her cries, the two hurried over. Da Niu, who was accustomed to the forest, knew just from the sound that Zhou Shengsheng was likely being chased by a snake.

Luckily, he always carried realgar powder with him. He immediately scattered it behind her, and upon smelling the pungent odor, the cobra, though reluctant, slithered away quickly.

Zhou Shengsheng panted heavily as Liu Ai came over to support her.

For dinner, Liu Ai prepared a lavish spread, bringing out dishes usually reserved for New Year’s feasts. Ming Siran, coming from a noble background, found these seemingly precious foods rather crude. However, since he was currently living under someone else’s roof, he didn’t say anything.

Zhou Shengsheng, on the other hand, knew that they had brought out the best of what they had, so she ate heartily to show her appreciation.

Seeing the little chick occupying a small corner of the table, seemingly ‘disdainful’ of the food in its tiny plate, Liu Ai hesitantly asked, “Miss Shengsheng, it’s not eating anything.”

It was quite impressive that Liu Ai could detect a look of disdain in such tiny eyes.

Glancing at the chick that had inexplicably latched onto her, Zhou Shengsheng swallowed her food and said, “Don’t worry about it, Auntie. It’s probably not hungry.”

She had initially thought it was a chick from Liu Ai’s family, but Liu Ai clarified that it wasn’t theirs. So, it must be a wild chick.

“The water at Jishui Lake is quite pleasant, isn’t it?” Liu Ai asked as she prepared a bed on the floor for Zhou Shengsheng.

“Jishui Lake? Is that the name of the lake?” Zhou Shengsheng took a bite of an apple. Ming Siran, sitting on the bed, coughed, prompting Zhou Shengsheng to toss him one as well. After receiving a grateful smile from him, she quickly looked away.

She couldn’t stand it. Could he please stop smiling? She finally understood why Ming Siran rarely smiled before losing his memory—he probably knew how provocative his smile was.

“Yes, it was originally called Moonside Lake, but we all call it Jishui Lake.”

Hearing the name “Moonside Lake,” Ming Siran felt a sense of familiarity, but when he tried to recall more, a sharp pain shot through his head, forcing him to give up.

Zhou Shengsheng nodded.

After Liu Ai left, Zhou Shengsheng sat down on the bedding laid out on the floor. The little chick that had been perched on her shoulder suddenly hopped down, using its claws to push aside the red quilt embroidered with peonies before settling into a comfortable spot.

Seeing its finicky behavior, Zhou Shengsheng couldn’t help but think of someone else.

“The floor is so cold. Why don’t you come up and sleep with me, Madam?” Ming Siran offered as she was about to lie down.

Without changing her expression, Zhou Shengsheng replied, “No need, Your Majesty. You’re still recovering, and I have a restless sleeping habit. If I accidentally injure you further, it would be my fault.”

[If you insist one more time, I’ll agree. But don’t blame me if you wake up with worse injuries tomorrow.]

Ming Siran immediately shut his mouth. What kind of grudge did she have against him to retaliate like this?

Hearing their bizarre exchange, the little chick, which had already closed its eyes, suddenly ruffled its feathers. Its black bean-like eyes opened, filled with mockery.

Seeing it awake, Zhou Shengsheng reached out to pet it, but it dodged her hand.

The chick’s feathers were soft and fluffy, a tender yellow that looked delightful to touch, but it was stubborn. No matter how Zhou Shengsheng tried to coax it, it refused to let her pet it.

Thinking of this, Zhou Shengsheng suddenly had an idea. “How about I give you a name?”

The thought of naming it brought back the fear she once felt under Duan Fusheng’s influence.

She had been called “Tail,” so should the chick she picked up follow her stage name?

“I found you at Jishui Lake, and my old name was Tail. So, how about I call you…”

“Jiba?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, the entire room fell silent—the one who suggested the name, the one who didn’t, and the one being named all froze.

Realizing the name was somewhat inappropriate, Zhou Shengsheng pursed her lips and coughed lightly. “Never mind, let’s just sleep.” Though her tone was calm, the tips of her ears hidden beneath her hair turned bright red.

After the candle was blown out, the person on the bed, who had buried himself under the covers, let out a thunderous laugh.

Zhou Shengsheng buried her face in her quilt, her fists clenching silently by her side.

That damn Ming Siran! He’s even more insufferable after losing his memory than before!

The little chick nestled beside her watched her pretending to be an ostrich for a long time before finally looking away.

He was somewhat surprised. In just a few days, she had managed to surprise him multiple times.

First, she had somehow become the “Madam” of the Yong Kingdom’s emperor in such a short time, and now, her naming skills had “improved.”

Should he praise her?

Compared to the half-hearted name “Little Tail” she had given to the ox, “Jiba” seemed like a well-thought-out decision.

Glancing at the faint moonlight outside the window, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of irritation.

It seemed it would still take some time before he could regain his human form.