Chapter 2: Speak Plainly

In that instant, Jiang Chengyan’s worldview, carefully constructed over the past twenty years, began to collapse.

Yet the “creature” in his arms was clearly oblivious to his inner turmoil, burrowing insistently against his chest while emitting a series of shrill, insistent squeaks.

Jiang Chengyan froze for about three seconds before snapping back to his senses. He glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then quickly shrugged off his outer robe and wrapped it around the person in his arms, striding swiftly toward a mountain cave he knew well.

...

The little white rabbit stared dazedly at the man holding her, squeaking all the while. She had stayed on this mountain for a long time, but only recently had she sensed unfamiliar changes in her tiny body and wanted to seek help from humans—after all, it was a human world. That was how she encountered this handsome man.

“Do you think I’m good-looking?” As the rabbit spirit gazed at Jiang Chengyan, he suddenly lowered his head and asked, his face expressionless.

Startled by his intimidating demeanor, she shrank back obediently and nodded.

“Squeak, squeak, squeak.” Instinctively, those were still the only sounds she could make.

Jiang Chengyan set her gently down inside the cave, then pinched her chubby cheeks: “Speak human language.”

The rabbit spirit fell silent. After mumbling unintelligibly for a while, she finally managed, in a soft, oddly-accented but clear voice, “Good-looking.”

Jiang Chengyan looked at her in silence. Having only just transformed, she was unclothed, but now wrapped in his robe, she resembled a plump, adorable dumpling.

“Where is your home? Do you have any family?” Kneeling on one knee, Jiang Chengyan’s sharp gaze never left her.

With her long black hair cascading down and a pair of pure, clear eyes, the girl obediently shook her head. “No family. My home is a rabbit warren beneath the big tree.”

Jiang Chengyan frowned faintly, clearly dissatisfied with the answer.

“Is there anyone else in your warren? Any acquaintances in these mountains?” he pressed.

Again, she shook her head. “No one else, and I haven’t seen any other spirits.”

Hearing this, Jiang Chengyan let out a long breath. His gaze lingered on the rabbit, often drawn to her long eyelashes.

“Wait here. I’ll be right back.” Jiang Chengyan gave her one last deep look, then turned and strode out of the cave.

The rabbit assumed Jiang Chengyan had something important to attend to and wrapped his robe tightly around herself. Though she had become human, some of her old habits remained. For instance, about two minutes later, when Jiang Chengyan returned to the cave, he found the fair-skinned girl sniffing eagerly at his robe, her nose twitching.

“Does it smell nice?” he asked, raising an eyebrow, amusement glimmering in his eyes. The usually frosty face now showed the faintest hint of warmth, like a glacial expanse catching the first rays of sunlight, dazzling and arresting.

The rabbit sniffed again, then nodded. “It smells good.”

As she glanced around, a pair of slender hands suddenly rested on her shoulders. She turned to see the man gripping her firmly, his expression solemn as he fixed her with his gaze.