86 One Piece At A Time

Bai Qingyue examined the patch of land before him upon his arrival. There was a fruit orchard with trees rooted to the ground in a disorderly fashion, providing a more natural vibe than a man made one.

Deeper inside was a herb garden emitting a familiar fragrance that he had already grown to associate with Li Meirong's natural body scent.

Carrying the troublesome fox in her arms, Li Meirong sucked in a breath of fresh air when she finally reached her own shelter.

Bai Qingyue's mouth stretched thin as his button nose wiggled in an evident display of aversion to the poorly made cabin.

Did his wife reside in this trashbin?

The silent question he had asked was soon answered by Li Meirong's hurried footsteps and apparent glee as she reached the badly built door and unlatched its wooden handle.

He couldn't help but notice her previous nervousness and sullen mood slowly disappeared since they reached the place.

The door creaked loudly, causing Bai Qingyue to cringe in displeasure. He covered his large fox ears in an attempt to quiet the assaulting noise.

This just won't do!

Tonight, after his wife will sleep, there are going be many tasks left for him to handle.

In Bai Qingyue's opinion, the inside of this poor excuse for a home was just as bad as the outside. His curiosity got the better of him when he ended up inquiring about the ramshackle cabin, "Who made this...place?"

"I did, all by myself!" Li Meirong answered, her tone full of pride.

"..." Nevermind. Bai Qingyue couldn't very well complain about his wife's own handiwork, could he?

Despite the house being empty of any other inhabitants, Li Meirong yelled in rejoice, "I'm home!"

She then placed him on top of her shabby, patched blanket and bent down so she could gaze at him at eye level, foolishly grinning from ear to ear while doing so.

Bai Qingyue immediately schooled his expression, portraying only childlike innocence to his unsuspecting wife.

He felt her soft and gentle hand rubbing his head affectionately as she said, "From now on, this is your home too! If you need anything, you have to let me know. What's mine is yours!"

Her melodious voice was like music to his ears and her words warmed his heart. Suddenly, he didn't really mind staying in the dilapidated cabin.

Oddly enough, everything seemed pleasant when she beamed at him.

"What's mine is yours too." He answered back, feeling his heart beating faster just from staring at her smile.

"That's so sweet of you! Sit here a moment while I prepare the bath for us, okay?" Li Meirong teetered as she heard her cute Snowball's reply. He was simply too adorable! Making her want to pamper him all the more.

She went outside to the back of the house, reaching a bamboo stall with a long, narrow wooden tub placed inside of it. She picked the bucket by the corner and left to fetch water from the nearby pond, filling up the tub to an acceptable level after only a few short trips back and forth.

Although she felt utterly fatigued from today's events, the thought of putting her newly acquired powers into practical use drove her into action. She placed her palm on the surface of the cold water and closed her eyes, concentrating on the flow of her qi coursing through her meridians. She envisioned the burning, blue flames spreading their heat and warming up the water.

Slowly and tiredly, she opened her eyes to pleasantly discover steam rising from the tub with bubbles rippling as the waters were brought to a simmer.

Upon gradually rising up, her arm reached to grasp the bamboo wall as her legs staggered. It seemed like she had drained herself of all her remaining powers to the point of causing her own body to weaken.

Turns out, the power supply was not infinite, just as a well would ultimately be emptied after a person would repetitively grab water from it time and time again.

Li Meirong took a moment to stabilize herself and retrieved the purchased herbs from the bag hidden inside her sleeve, dropping them into the simmering waters, allowing their beneficial remedies to permeate awhile.

Meanwhile, she went back into the cabin to pick up Snowball and grabbed a soft bristle brush, strips of cloths and a cotton towel from inside the cabinets, bringing it all along with her to the bamboo stall.

After making certain the water wasn't too hot, Li Meirong carefully put Snowball inside the tub with his face aimed at the opposite side and placed the items in a neat space by the side. She proceeded to untie the sash around her waist, removing her upper layer of clothes, one piece at a time.

Bai Qingyue turned around, wondering what his wife had busied herself with this time only to stare in astonishment, hypnotized by the sight of her slightly open robe, revealing milk white skin and prominent collarbones.

His eyes roved downwards only to discover smooth, creamy flesh and a bouncy pair of buns he had had the pleasure of setting his sights on only once before.

Feeling his throat drying up, Bai Qingyue gulped audibly, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of the water.