Chapter 48:I’m Sorry

Chapter 48: Chapter 48:I’m Sorry

Xi Yunxui stared at King C.

King C stared back.

For several seconds, neither of them moved.

The little white creature sat proudly atop the crate, one carrot between his tiny hooves, completely unconcerned about the trouble he had caused.

Xi Yunxui, however, was rapidly losing her patience.

She looked at the opened baskets surrounding him.

Then at the scattered vegetables.

Then at King C.

"You..."

Her voice was dangerously calm.

King C took another bite.

Crunch.

Xi Yunxui’s eyebrow twitched.

"Put the carrot down."

King C froze.

He slowly lowered the carrot.

[I was only tasting it.]

"You’ve been ’tasting’ things since we got here."

[Because everything smells delicious.]

Xi Yunxui took a deep breath.

She had worked hard all morning.

She had prepared an important meal for Madam Huo’s guests.

She had already spent half the morning worrying about missing ingredients, her mission, and King C’s endless appetite.

And now this creature had sneaked into a private storage room and started eating food that belonged to the household.

Something inside her finally snapped.

She marched toward him.

"Come here."

King C’s ears immediately went backward.

[Why?]

"Come here."

[I don’t think I like your tone.]

"You should have thought about that before stealing."

"I didn’t steal anything."

"You took food without permission."

"That isn’t stealing."

Xi Yunxui stopped.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Then what exactly do you call it?"

King C looked thoughtful.

[Borrowing.]

"You didn’t ask."

[I was going to return it.]

"You already ate it!"

King C looked down at the carrot.

He seemed to realize he had made a poor argument.

[...]

Xi Yunxui sighed.

"Enough."

She stepped closer.

And without consciously thinking about what she was doing, she stretched out one hand.

Her fingers opened.

Something inside her body shifted.

A faint current of spiritual energy moved through her.

Then—

King C slowly rose from the crate.

His little hooves lifted off the ground.

Xi Yunxui hadn’t touched him.

He simply floated.

King C’s golden eyes widened.

[What?!]

Xi Yunxui didn’t seem to notice what was happening.

She was too angry.

She moved her hand slightly.

King C floated closer to her.

[Put me down!]

Xi Yunxui continued as if nothing unusual had happened.

"You need to understand something."

She raised him a little higher.

"If you take anything without my permission again..."

King C’s legs began kicking in the air.

[Hey! What’s happening?!]

Xi Yunxui’s expression was serious.

"I’ll roast you."

King C stopped struggling for one stunned second.

Then—

[ROAST ME?!]

Xi Yunxui nodded.

"Yes."

She extended her other hand.

For some reason, the strange force disappeared.

King C dropped gently into her waiting arms.

Xi Yunxui caught him against her chest.

Then she turned.

Nearby, one of the storage workers had apparently been using a small portable burner to heat water for tea. The flame was still burning beneath a metal kettle, and the area around it had been kept clear.

Xi Yunxui walked toward it.

King C’s eyes widened.

[Wait.]

Xi Yunxui continued.

[Wait, wait, wait! You were joking, right?]

She stopped near the small burner.

King C’s ears flattened.

[Hey.]

Xi Yunxui held him slightly closer to the flame.

"Do you think I’m joking?"

[YES.]

Xi Yunxui looked down at him.

"You need to learn some manners."

King C began struggling.

[Put me down!]

She ignored him.

[Put me down! I understand! I understand!]

Xi Yunxui remained completely focused on proving her point.

"I’ve already told you. You can’t just take anything you want."

King C’s voice became increasingly frantic.

[I said I understand!]

The edge of his fur had begun to feel the warmth from the nearby flame.

He panicked.

[I’m an exalted god of the mountain!]

Xi Yunxui didn’t respond.

[Do you hear me?!]

He kicked his little hooves helplessly.

[I can curse you! I can call down divine punishment! I can—]

Nothing.

Xi Yunxui still didn’t listen.

King C’s voice finally lost its outrage.

It became frightened.

[Please...]

His little golden eyes trembled.

[Please put me down.]

Xi Yunxui remained silent.

[I promise I won’t take anything again.]

She still didn’t react.

[I won’t steal vegetables.]

Still nothing.

[I won’t open your bag.]

Nothing.

King C’s voice cracked.

[I won’t eat anything without asking first. Please put me down!]

Then—

[Host!]

The System’s voice finally cut through Xi Yunxui’s thoughts.

[The creature is about to be roasted to death.]

Xi Yunxui froze.

"What?"

She looked down.

King C’s fur was much closer to the flame than she had realized.

The faint heat was already reaching him.

Xi Yunxui’s eyes widened.

"What am I doing?!"

She immediately moved him away.

She carried him several steps from the burner before crouching down and placing him gently on the floor.

King C stumbled.

He immediately scrambled away from the flame.

Xi Yunxui stared at him.

Then at her own hands.

Then at the burner.

Her breathing became uneven.

"What..."

She slowly crouched.

A strange, fragmented memory flashed through her mind.

Her hand raised.

King C floating.

The sensation of spiritual energy moving.

Her anger.

The flame.

Then nothing.

The memory disappeared as quickly as it came.

Xi Yunxui pressed her fingers against her temples.

"What happened just now?"

She remembered lifting King C.

But she also remembered not touching him.

She remembered him floating.

She remembered controlling the movement with her hand.

And yet the memory felt strange.

Broken.

As though she had briefly watched someone else using her body.

Her brow furrowed.

"Was that..."

She looked at her hands.

"Cultivation?"

She had only reached Beginner Level, Stage One after the recent transaction with the System.

She shouldn’t be able to do something like that.

At least, she didn’t think she should.

She shook her head.

I’ll think about it later.

Right now, there was another problem.

King C.

The little creature was sitting several feet away.

One paw was rubbing his backside.

His white fur was slightly disheveled.

And he was glaring at her.

The accusation in those golden eyes was unmistakable.

Xi Yunxui’s lips twitched.

"I’m sorry."

King C said nothing.

"I really am."

Still nothing.

Xi Yunxui sighed.

"But you still shouldn’t take things without permission."

King C’s ears twitched.

"You scared me."

She looked at him seriously.

"You need to stay close to me."

King C continued rubbing his backside.

Xi Yunxui softened her tone.

"If you’re hungry, just tell me."

"I’ll feed you when it’s time."

"You don’t have to run off and steal vegetables."

King C stared at her.

For several moments, he said nothing.

Then he slowly lowered his paw.

[Alright.]

Xi Yunxui blinked.

King C looked away.

[I promise I won’t take anything without your permission again.]

Xi Yunxui let out a relieved breath.

"Good."

She gently stroked his head.

"Then let’s go."

King C glanced toward the vegetables.

Then at Xi Yunxui.

Then back at the vegetables.

Xi Yunxui immediately pointed at him.

"Don’t."

King C sighed.

[I wasn’t doing anything.]

"You were thinking about it."

[Maybe.]

Xi Yunxui shook her head.

She picked him up.

"Stay with me."

King C settled into her arms.

For once, he didn’t complain.

Then Xi Yunxui suddenly remembered something.

Her eyes widened.

"Madam!"

She looked toward the doorway.

She had been gone too long.

The gathering was still happening.

Madam Huo might need her.

"I completely forgot."

She quickly stood.

"Come on."

She hurried out of the storehouse with King C in her arms.

---

By the time Xi Yunxui returned to the garden, she could already see that something was wrong.

A servant spotted her almost immediately and hurried toward her.

"Miss Xi!"

Xi Yunxui stopped.

"Yes?"

"Madam has been looking for you."

Her heart sank.

"She has?"

"Yes. She asked where you went."

Xi Yunxui immediately straightened and dropped King C.

"I’ll go."

She hurried toward the seating area.

Su Meilan noticed her almost at once.

"Yunxui!"

Xi Yunxui approached quickly.

"I’m sorry, Madam."

She bowed slightly.

"I went to check on something."

Su Meilan’s expression showed relief, but it was mixed with concern.

"Where did you go? I’ve been looking for you."

"I apologize."

Xi Yunxui looked around.

"Is everything alright?"

Su Meilan hesitated.

Then she pointed toward one of her friends.

"It’s her."

Xi Yunxui looked over.

Madam Shen was sitting in her chair.

One hand was pressed lightly against her neck.

Her complexion had changed.

She looked uncomfortable and slightly flushed, and one of the servants was standing beside her with a glass of water.

Xi Yunxui’s expression immediately became serious.

"What happened?"

Su Meilan sighed.

"She seems to be having an allergic reaction."

Xi Yunxui’s eyes widened.

"An allergy?"

"Yes."

Su Meilan suddenly pressed one hand against her forehead.

"I completely forgot to ask about any new allergies."

She looked frustrated with herself.

"I only told you the allergies I already knew about."

Xi Yunxui immediately turned toward Madam Shen.

"Madam, what are you feeling?"

"My throat feels slightly strange."

She took a breath.

"My skin is itching a little too."

Xi Yunxui’s expression became focused.

"What did you eat?"

Madam Shen looked toward the table.

"Everything was delicious. I had some of the fish, a little of the chicken, the vegetables and the soup."

Xi Yunxui quickly began listing every ingredient she had used.

Fish.

Chicken.

Vegetables.

Mushrooms.

Dried scallops.

Ginger.

Garlic.

Green onions.

Seasonings.

Fruit.

She looked at Madam Shen.

"Are you allergic to any of those?"

Madam Shen immediately shook her head.

"No."

Xi Yunxui frowned.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes."

"I’ve eaten all of those ingredients before."

Su Meilan looked puzzled.

"Then what caused the reaction?"

The other two women looked at Madam Shen anxiously.

Xi Yunxui glanced toward the dishes.

Nothing immediately stood out.

She had prepared everything carefully.

She knew every ingredient that had gone into the food.

She narrowed her eyes.

Then what happened?

There had to be an explanation.

And if she couldn’t find it quickly, the gathering wouldn’t simply fail—

Someone might actually be in danger.