Dig a Hole Yourself, Be Good

Lena frowned and said, "I'll discuss this with your father."

"Okay!" Grace perked up instantly.

As long as her mother was willing to consider it, her father would surely agree—he always doted on them.

"Huh? Why isn’t your little Antler Serpent hibernating?" Lena suddenly glanced at her pocket.

Grace looked down, and saw its tiny head poking out, staring curiously at her mother.

"I have no idea what's going on with it," Grace said. "Aren’t snakes supposed to hibernate in winter? But this one is always so lively!"

Lena frowned and gently stroked Cutie Pie’s little head. "That’s not good. If it doesn’t hibernate, it could get sick—or worse, it might affect its ability to have babies."

"Really?" Grace looked worried.

Lena nodded. "Maybe it’s spent too much time with people and its habits got messed up. You could help it hibernate."

Grace frowned at Cutie Pie, then nodded seriously.

After returning, Grace took Cutie Pie into the Sanctum and asked, "Cutie Pie, it’s winter now. Why aren’t you hibernating?"

Evan Xiao glanced at her but ignored her.

"This isn’t good for you! You’ll get sick!" Grace insisted. "Didn’t you hear what my mom said? It might even affect you having little snakes someday…"

I don’t hibernate.

But I promise I’ll make sure you have little snakes.

No, wait—little dragons.

"You have to hibernate now!" Grace said seriously. "Do it here in my Sanctum! Dig yourself a hole. Be good!"

I—don’t want to!

"Come on!" Grace nudged. "It’s for your health, so hurry up and hibernate!"

With no other choice, the Antler Serpent dug itself a hole in the ground.

"That’s my good Cutie Pie! Go on, get in there and sleep. Don’t wake up until next spring!" Grace leaned in and planted a kiss on its head.

The Antler Serpent burrowed into the hole.

"Do you need me to seal up the entrance for you?" Grace asked.

The Antler Serpent shook its head.

You want to bury me?

"Alright… Just make sure you sleep well and don’t come out, okay?"

The Antler Serpent nodded helplessly and tucked its head into the hole.

Then, when she wasn’t looking, it sneaked away…

...

With Cutie Pie settled for hibernation, Grace went to find Jason Zhuo and asked him to take her and Bianca Whitefan into the military camp.

The night before Jason Zhuo’s birthday, Grace embedded a control talisman into Leo Miles.

Now, it was time to make him change his testimony.

Naturally, you couldn’t just stroll into the military camp.

But they could enter as witnesses.

The officer in charge of the case was the Spirit Cavalry’s commanding officer, General Victor Zheng, as Jason Zhuo called him.

"Jason Zhuo, you say you have evidence that proves you weren’t involved in the theft of supplies?" General Zheng asked.

"Yes," Jason Zhuo replied.

General Zheng’s gaze swept over Grace and Bianca Whitefan, lingering on their faces. "Are these your witnesses?"

Such beautiful witnesses—he almost wished he were Jason Zhuo right now…

Jason Zhuo nodded, a little uneasy.

Jason Zhuo did as Grace instructed, though he had no idea why.

"Alright then, ladies, please present your evidence!" General Zheng was curious how they’d prove Jason Zhuo’s innocence.

"Here’s the thing, General Zheng—we need to confront Leo Miles," Grace said. "Please bring him out!"

General Zheng nodded and had Leo Miles brought in.

Most men, when they saw Grace and Bianca Whitefan, reacted just like General Zheng.

But when Leo Miles saw them, it was as if he were looking at a pair of farm animals.