The Price of Desire and a Bowl of Lamb Stew

Outside the stone cave, a series of roars echoed from a secluded mountain cave. “Ahhh…”

“Luo Bingning, are you truly so despicable? Afflicted by the Love Poison, you’d rather find any common woman outside than touch me!”

“I’ve loved you for ten years! A full decade!”

Ye Wanrou was tightly bound to the ground by the Violet Nether Lock, utterly unable to move.

She struggled desperately, her eyes fixed on the person before her, forever desired yet unattainable. In her mind, the image of her seductive moans in that cold, dark cave continuously replayed.

Three days!

A full three days!

“Luo Bingning, do you know how I endured these three days?” Her face was utterly haggard, her eyes deeply sunken with heavy dark circles. Her chapped, peeling lips were devoid of color, as if all life had been drained from her.

In that moment, all her emotions burst forth like a dam breaking. Her tears had long since dried, her eyes weeping blood. Her voice trembled, filled with endless pain and despair, as she shrieked, “How could you do this?”

“Enough!”

The icy voice cut short Ye Wanrou’s lament.

“I told you long ago, it’s impossible for me to conceive with you!”

“Furthermore, this is both the first and the last time I will warn you: do not let me hear any derogatory word about her from your lips again! Otherwise, even if your grandmother once showed me kindness, I will cripple you!”

Luo Bingning’s eyes narrowed, her breathing still steady but slightly quickened. Each exhalation seemed to carry an endless chill.

Suddenly!

As if sensing something, a flicker of tenderness crossed her eyes. With a slight shift of her lotus-like steps, she moved towards the cave entrance.

Then, she abruptly turned, casting a condescending glance at Ye Wanrou behind her. The morning light, filtering through a crack in the stone, illuminated the contour of her profile.

Her ice-cold eyes now held a touch of ruthlessness. “I have placed a restriction within your sea of consciousness. If you dare to reveal even a single detail of this matter, you will instantly turn into a mist of blood!”

“Of course, you can try to find someone to help you undo it!” A slight curve played on her lips, her gaze sweeping over Ye Wanrou with a profound meaning. Her voice was exceptionally cold.

“As for the next few days, you will obediently remain here. After some time, I will naturally release you!”

While it seemed unlikely she could hear Xiaocha’s thoughts at the moment, it was better to be safe than sorry.

She had already experienced the agony of losing Xiaocha once! There could be absolutely no accidents with this matter! Directly searching her soul would inevitably damage her mind. It seemed she would have to return to the Jade Maiden Sect later to ask Master for a secret art concerning soul-searching.

With that, her figure vanished from the spot, leaving Ye Wanrou alone in the stone cave, screaming with heart-wrenching agony. “Ahhh…”

“Luo Bingning, I hate you…”

Luo Bingning’s figure appeared at the mouth of the stone cave. A gentle breeze swept past, lifting a few strands of hair at her temples. Her bare feet lightly touched the ground as she retrieved a bowl of perfectly warm lamb stew from her storage ring and slowly walked inside.

On the stone bed, Zhang Xiaocha scrunched up her small face, shifting her body with difficulty. Her brows were tightly furrowed into a “chuan” character, and just as she was about to lean against the stone wall behind her, a joyful voice reached her ears.

“Xiao… Cha… Junior Sister, you’re awake!”

She turned her head to see her Senior Sister’s lips curved in a gentle smile.

[Strange…]
[Is Senior Sister smiling at Chacha?]

Uncertain, Zhang Xiaocha instinctively glanced around, muttering in her heart.

[It really is just Chacha here!]

Listening to the soft, bewildered thoughts, Luo Bingning chuckled internally. ‘Truly a little fool…’

‘With her body aching so much, she hasn’t thought about that? Even if I erased the intimate traces afterward… we were still both in the same bed then, weren’t we…’

As if recalling something, a faint blush rose to her face.

Luo Bingning took delicate steps to the bedside, slowly sitting down. From her storage ring, she produced a quilt and placed it behind Zhang Xiaocha, allowing her to lean against it. Her movements were exceptionally gentle.

Gazing at the hair as messy as a bird’s nest, Luo Bingning’s eyes held a smile. “Are you hungry? Hurry and eat!”

Xiaocha had not yet established her foundation and couldn’t sustain herself without food. She had also been unconscious for three full days. Although Luo Bingning had given her a Bigu Pill, it ultimately couldn’t compare to food rich in spiritual energy.

Luo Bingning gracefully extended her jade-like wrist, presenting the bowl of perfectly warm lamb stew to Zhang Xiaocha.

Her eyes squinted together, as if catching a scent. Her small nose twitched slightly, sniffing delicately at the bowl’s rim. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, sparkling brightly. “Mmm~”

“It’s Chacha’s favorite lamb stew!”

Just as she tried to lift her hand, she felt a sharp pain course through her body. Her small face instantly scrunched up. “Ugh… it hurts so much…”

As if remembering something, she let out a soft hmph, glanced at Luo Bingning beside her, then quickly turned her face to the left.

[Hmph~ Chacha’s body hurts so much, it must be because that hateful Senior Sister, in a fit of rage, knocked Chacha out and did something!]
[But that wasn’t Chacha’s fault… It was clearly that hateful Senior Sister who insisted on punishing Chacha with such a self-destructive method, harming herself a thousand to kill an enemy eight hundred.]
[Now she regrets it and wants to compensate Chacha with delicious food, hmph~]
[Chacha won’t forgive you~]

The soft, sweet thoughts lingered in Luo Bingning’s sea of consciousness. A doting smile played on her lips as she extended the lamb stew in the direction Zhang Xiaocha had turned her face, her tone teasing. “Are you really not going to eat?”

The enticing aroma filled Zhang Xiaocha’s nostrils. Her small nose, against her will, twitched. A glistening drop hung at the corner of her mouth, and her eyes wavered slightly. Yet, in the end, reason triumphed over gluttony, and she abruptly turned her face to the right again.

Her lips subtly brushed against Luo Bingning’s waterfall-like long hair beside her. Unlike the rich scent of the lamb stew, this was a faint, refreshing fragrance that warmed the heart.

[Strange…]
[How is the scent of Senior Sister’s hair so much like the ‘so’ delicious food in Chacha’s dream…]

The sweet, bewildered thoughts caused a faint blush to rise on Luo Bingning’s face. As if remembering something, her long eyelashes trembled, and she lightly bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth, secretly glancing at Zhang Xiaocha beside her. Only after confirming she hadn’t given herself away did she let out a slight sigh of relief.

Slowly extending her jade-like wrist, she brought the perfectly warm lamb stew back to Zhang Xiaocha’s lips, gently tapping her tightly pursed red lips with the bowl’s rim. Her voice was soft and coaxing. “Are you truly not going to eat it?”

“This lamb, you know, comes from the Gourmet Domain in the eastern part of the Daughter Kingdom~ Master brought it back during her last travels. It’s completely different from what we have here, and its deliciousness is absolutely unparalleled.”

“You must have noticed how good it was last time, Junior Sister, didn’t you? Wasn’t it delicious?”

“However, since you don’t want to eat it, Junior Sister, then I suppose I’ll have to eat it myself…”

With that, she slowly brought the lamb stew to her own lips, feigning a look of intoxication. She gently closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Wow! This lamb stew smells absolutely incredible~”

Then, a surprised thought echoed in her sea of consciousness.

[Wh… what?]
[This lamb is from the Gourmet Domain in the eastern part of the Daughter Kingdom? No wonder Chacha thought it was ‘so’ delicious last time?!]

Seeing her Senior Sister genuinely preparing to eat it, Zhang Xiaocha’s small face instantly flushed crimson, and she cried out in a rush, “Wuwuwu…”

“No… don’t…”

“Senior Sister, I want to eat… wuwuwu…”

“I want to eat…”

Luo Bingning teased softly, “But Junior Sister… didn’t you say you weren’t going to eat it? Why should I give it to you…” She deliberately paused, letting her voice trail off.

Seeing her face scrunched up, on the verge of tears from urgency, Luo Bingning’s lips curved into a gentle smile. She softly stroked the messy “bird’s nest” of hair and said tenderly, “Alright, alright, Senior Sister was just teasing you. Hurry and eat!”

With that, she slowly brought the lamb stew in her hands to Zhang Xiaocha’s lips.

But seeing her remain still for a long moment, Luo Bingning was puzzled. Then she saw Xiaocha, face flushed, looking at her pitifully. “My body hurts so much, Senior Sister… can you feed me?”

[Ugh…]
[What to do? Senior Sister hates Chacha’s touch the most. Making Chacha a bowl of lamb stew is already her limit…]
[Now… now Chacha wants her to feed her… that’s simply impossible…]
[Ah… what to do… but if the lamb stew gets cold, it won’t be good anymore…]

Her thoughts were filled with dejection, as if she felt hopeless. She lowered her small head, her expression listless.