Holding It In Is Bad for Your Health

After chatting with Beanie for a bit, Grace called out, "Cutie Pie! Come out!"

There was no movement at all in the lake; she had no idea where he was hiding.

"Beanie, he's still in the lake, right? You didn't see him leave, did you?"

Beanie nodded its little leaf.

"This little guy, it’s mating season—he should just go find a mate! Hiding won't solve anything!"

Beanie nodded again, looking every bit the obedient little sapling.

Grace called again, "Cutie Pie! Holding it in is bad for your health! Come out! Be good!"

"If you don’t come out soon, I’m going to jump in and drag you out myself!"

Just as she finished speaking, a green vine suddenly shot into the water!

Grace jumped in surprise and turned to look. It was Beanie’s magic vine, suddenly grown longer and plunging straight into the lake.

Soon enough, Beanie’s magic vine dragged the struggling Cutie Pie out and placed him right in front of Grace.

Cutie Pie immediately turned and bit the magic vine. Beanie quickly retracted it, hiding behind its leaves.

Grace snapped out of it and exclaimed after a moment, "Beanie, I never thought... your magic vine could do that!"

Beanie wiggled its little body, looking rather smug.

Cutie Pie shot it a frosty glare.

If he didn’t worry about hurting it, there’s no way Beanie could’ve dragged him out.

Beanie immediately stopped wiggling, straightened up, and let its leaves flutter in the breeze...

"Cutie Pie, don’t blame Beanie!" Grace said enthusiastically. "Just wait a sec!"

She poured some insect repellent, forming a square area, then dumped several Antler Serpents from a cloth bag into the middle. She said to Cutie Pie, "Here are seven Antler Serpents—some male, some female. Since I’m not sure of your gender, just pick whichever you like!"

Evan Xiao: "..."

"Hurry up and pick! This is just like a royal selection—fit for an emperor! Hehe!"

Grace!

I want to bite you!

Evan Xiao turned to leave.

But Grace grabbed him. "Don’t go! Look, these Antler Serpents are all so handsome! Pick one—maybe in a while, you’ll have little serpent babies!"

Just thinking about it made her excited.

Cutie Pie looked at her and finally nodded.

So Grace placed Cutie Pie on the ground and let him choose his mate.

The Antler Serpents were all exceptionally well-behaved, staring at him with wide eyes, not moving an inch.

Suddenly, Cutie Pie turned into a streak of black light and shot forward.

And then... all the poor Antler Serpents were dead! Not a single one left!

Next, Cutie Pie actually floated in midair, pointed his tail outside, and gestured for Grace to get out.

He shot Beanie a frosty look.

Beanie trembled, its leaves neatly arranged, looking very well-behaved.

Finally, he returned to the water.

Grace looked at the pile of Antler Serpent corpses and shook her head helplessly. "Fine, with your talent, maybe none of them are good enough. But even if you don’t like any, did you really have to kill them all?"

Cutie Pie was so dramatic about it, Grace could only let him be.

She stuffed the remaining Antler Serpents into her bag and took them out to give to Tenner.

That afternoon, the entire Serenity Pavilion was filled with the aroma of Mystic Serpent Broth...

...

Early the next morning, Grace ran to the Imperial Advisor’s Manor to find Evan Xiao.

Sure enough, he was fine. Just as she reached the gate, he walked out with his usual cold expression.

Leon Zane followed behind him.

Both were dressed in court robes, looking like they were headed to the palace together.