Waiting for Me to Feed You

Damian Black and Baxa had already returned to the Demon Emperor's Palace.

As soon as Nine Li saw Baxa, he cheered, "Baxa-brother!" and ran straight at him.

Baxa tried to dodge, but was a step too slow and got grabbed. Nine Li clung to him, apologizing over and over—saying he hadn’t realized how bad his drinking was last time, and sorry for all the trouble he’d caused...

Lily Bai shook her head, then turned to see Damian Black standing with Azure Flame, deep in conversation.

"Why did you bring them here?" Damian Black asked.

"Lily Bai asked me to bring her," Azure Flame replied.

Damian Black glanced at Lily Bai. She happened to be looking his way, but when she noticed him watching, she quickly looked away and pretended to be interested in something else.

Damian’s eyes darkened, unreadable.

"Your Lily Bai is totally on your side. For you, she won’t even break the array," Azure Flame said. "She likes you. Take this chance—just claim her."

Damian Black didn’t answer.

Azure Flame patted Damian’s shoulder and walked off.

"Lily Bai," Damian called out to her.

Lily Bai walked over. "What’s up?"

"Come with me," Damian said, leading her inside.

Lily Bai followed him in, entering his private quarters.

She looked a little nervous. "What are you up to?"

Damian called out, "Skye."

Skye emerged from the inner room, arms full of clothes, apparently in the middle of tidying up.

"What’s up?" Skye asked.

"Bring some food," Damian ordered.

Skye shot Lily Bai a look, tossed a pile of clothes into her arms, and said, "Fold these."

Then he walked off.

Lily Bai was a little stunned.

Are they really that close?

Damian Black sat down on the couch and lit a small, exquisite brazier.

He put a kettle on top—probably to boil water.

Lily Bai stood there holding the pile of clothes for a while. Damian didn't say anything polite like 'just leave them.'

So she piled the clothes on the couch and started folding them.

They were all Damian's clothes.

Mostly dark colors.

All of them were oversized and flowing, clearly tailored for his broad frame.

A few looked really familiar.

He wore these when she summoned his Shenxiao projection.

That summoning art really is something—even the tiniest details are spot on...

That summoning art really was magical—even the tiniest details came through perfectly...

Damian watched her fold his clothes, and for a moment, she looked just like a gentle, capable little wife.

Damian watched her folding his clothes, and for a moment, she looked just like the perfect, caring wife.

A scene he once didn’t even dare to dream about was now happening right in front of him.

A moment he once wouldn’t even let himself dream about was now playing out right before his eyes.

After Lily Bai finished folding the clothes, she heard the kettle whistling—the water was about to overflow.

But nobody moved to deal with it.

She glanced at Damian and found him watching her fold clothes.

She glanced over at Damian and found him watching her, eyes lingering on the way she folded his clothes.

Damian turned his attention to the kettle, lifted it, and brewed tea. His movements were smooth and practiced—exactly like his Shenxiao incarnation.

Damian turned his gaze to the kettle, lifted it, and began brewing tea. Every movement was smooth and practiced—just like the Shenxiao projection she’d summoned before.

She could barely tell what was real anymore.

Once the tea was ready, Damian brought her a cup and held it out in front of her.

Lily Bai stared at him, dazed.

Once the tea was ready, Damian walked over and offered her a cup, his eyes warm and teasing.

Lily Bai quickly shook her head and took the cup from him.

"What’s wrong—waiting for me to feed you?" Damian teased, voice low and playful.

"Wow! This is amazing! It's the best tea I've ever had! What kind is it?" Lily Bai asked.

"It's wild spirit tea growing on the tallest mountain in the Primeval Demon Wilds," Damian replied. "Packed with spiritual energy."

"Oh..."

She took a sip—it was heavenly.

"See what?"

"Wow, this is incredible! It’s honestly the best tea I’ve ever tasted. What is it?" Lily Bai asked, eyes lighting up.

Lily Bai: "...Whatever!"

"It’s wild spirit tea from the tallest peak in the Primeval Demon Wilds," Damian replied. "It’s bursting with spiritual energy."

Sure enough, there was a tea tree on the summit—tall and lush like a giant, already half-spiritual and almost ready to take humanoid form.

Smooth, clean blue stones lay beneath it—a perfect spot for someone to sit and enjoy the view.