Tang Yue stood in front of the cave and under the watchful eyes of the cute little boy and the alluring vixen, she started drawing a series of runes or rather complex design patterns on the forest's muddy ground.
She was at it for a few good minutes and Charlotte couldn't help but curiously ask.
"What are you doing? Um… If you don't mind me asking."
Tang Yue smiled and vaguely replied. "I found a different type of beast contract in the market. So I want to try it out."
"Oh." Charlotte nodded and quietly watched.
After a couple of seconds, she hesitantly added. "I have with me the runes for a higher-grade beast contract. Do you want to use mine?"
She didn't want to overstep the boundaries but at the same time, she also wanted to help out Tang Yue. So she ended up offering help.
Tang Yue chuckled and shook her head. Which contract could be better than her eccentric master's personal collection?
"It's fine. I just want to try this out. Little Blue is just a low-grade beast, so it doesn't matter much." She tactfully refused her.
Charlotte shrugged and continued staring at Tang Yue absentmindedly.
But suddenly, she turned towards her side and found the little boy staring at her with his pair of almond-shaped confused eyes.
"You seem to like big sis quite a bit?" He asked with a weird tone.
"Hmm… Yes… What's not to like…" Charlotte replied. She turned her head again and continued gazing at Tang Yue.
"She is unapologetically bold and fearless and so damned beautiful…" The elf-vixen added, muttering under her breath.
She didn't mean for the little boy to hear that, but unfortunately for her, the 'little boy' who was neither little nor a boy clearly heard it.
A faint angry glint flashed in his innocent eyes but disappeared soon. He too turned his head and continued watching Tang Yue's actions silently.
The little boy's eyes occasionally shifted to Tang Yue's plain and empty fingers and he hummed in displeasure.
The girl hadn't worn the ring he had gifted her! She didn't like it? He wondered.
The little boy who was none other than Xander silently continued watching Tang Yue.
Though there were several things in this trip that annoyed him greatly, such as the unwanted third wheel sitting next to him and daringly ogling at his woman, he still enjoyed this precious time that he got to spend with this mysterious woman.
Xander, of course, had never intended to send Tang Yue alone to an enemy's territory.
He simply thought that it was too dangerous for her to remain in Eldoria at least for the time being and had orchestrated this elaborate ploy to settle many problems at the same time.
In all honesty, he couldn't care less if she learned the dwarven secret smithing technique or not.
Xander himself was going to take care of that part of the plan, and when the time comes he would let Tang Yue take the credit, hence giving her enough credibility to be his queen.
Xander was many things, but he was not an indecisive man.
He had felt his heart inexplicably shatter when the glow-worm swallowed Tang Yue alive back in the labyrinth right in front of him.
He had completely lost control of himself. He was overwhelmed by a mountain of incomprehensible sadness.
A vile madness took over him and he had wanted to destroy everything in sight.
And then, later when her presence mysteriously surfaced again, Xander felt as if he was the luckiest man alive.
He did not deserve a second chance with her but he had somehow gotten it nevertheless.
He felt as if his entire body was filled with energy and life again, and the madness that had crept up his heart and soul had disappeared.
It was then that Xander had accepted his fate. He was hers and she was his.
The little boy revealed a big warm smile as he continued gazing at the woman working hard.
He had no idea how she felt about him and that made him slightly nervous.
Not to mention all the secrets and mysteries she was shrouded in…
Xander chuckled. All of this didn't matter to him at all. He had time. He knew that he could make her fall in love with him too.
Oblivious to the two pairs of loving eyes on her, Tang Yue finished the set of runes and picked up Little Blue.
She then poked her finger with her fang and fed Little Blue some of her blood.
Immediately, mana in the air around them thrummed alive and enveloped both of them in a warm blinding glow.
Both Xander and Charlotte were startled by this phenomenon.
Even high-grade beast contracts did not have this much impact.
They intently watched Tang Yue and tried to observe if the little wolf cub underwent any changes.
But surprisingly, nothing really happened.
The bright glow lasted only for a second and then both Tang Yue and Little Blue had returned to their normal selves.
"Looks like it worked." Tang Yue smiled at Charlotte and shrugged her shoulders.
Charlotte awkwardly smiled and gave her a thumbs up.
She did not know what to say. She wanted to ask more about the beast contract but things like this were usually a cultivator's top secret.
It would be extremely rude and wrong of her to pry too much into this.
Moreover, if Tang Yue wanted to share, she herself would have done so.
Charlotte also didn't mind it too much.
Even though she was very curious about it, she decided not to ask since she valued her relationship with tang Yue more than whatever beast contract that was.
Xander was also equally curious, but he would never risk his meticulous planning and disguise just for a measly beast contract.
So he silently sat still and continued munching on the roasted meat.
This woman… just how many secrets did she have? He grinned.