Chapter 46: Tang San Fuck off

"Visiting relatives? But Ye Qiu, aren't you an orphan?"

Tang San looked at Ye Qiu strangely, completely puzzled. Ever since childhood, he had known that Ye Qiu, who lived in Holy Soul Village, survived on the charity of others.

Xiao Wu, who had been eyeing the food in Ye Qiu's hands while swallowing her saliva, also raised her head in confusion. She had spent quite some time in Holy Soul Village and knew Ye Qiu's background well—he was indeed an orphan.

"I told you, I'm visiting relatives. How can I be close to my family if I don't visit them?" Ye Qiu smirked, his gaze locking onto Xiao Wu. He grinned and declared, "Listen up, your big bro here is already engaged!"

"Engaged?!"

Tang San was shocked. He glanced at Ye Qiu, then at Xiao Wu, unsure whether to be happy or to congratulate him. Instead, he blurted out, "Then what about Xiao Wu?!"

"E-Engaged…" Xiao Wu, who had been curiously listening, suddenly froze. She stared blankly at Ye Qiu.

She had lived as a human for over ten years—she knew exactly what those words meant.

It meant that Ye Qiu had someone else outside?!

It meant that he had fallen for another little bunny and didn't want her anymore?!

Hearing Tang San's question, Ye Qiu looked at Xiao Wu. Her scarlet eyes, filled with confusion, fear, and grievance, made his heart waver.

He felt a sense of triumph, but also a slight pang of guilt.

In front of Tang San, Ye Qiu smiled and sat on the bed, leaning closer to Xiao Wu. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he gently pinched them and asked softly,

"Xiao Wu, how do you want me to treat you?"

"I…"

Xiao Wu looked up at Ye Qiu. The joy of their reunion had long since vanished, leaving only a mess of emotions swirling inside her.

She pursed her lips stubbornly, her large scarlet eyes blinking rapidly, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over. Slowly, she turned her head away, avoiding Ye Qiu's gaze, lowering her head dejectedly while anxiously fiddling with the hem of her clothes.

She was heartbroken and sad, yet she still managed to respond.

"I… I don't know."

Her voice was weak, filled with confusion and the threat of tears. She had always been obedient, willing to do anything for Ye Qiu—so why was he suddenly abandoning her?

"Xiao Wu…"

Tang San, who had initially felt a bit smug, instantly felt a pang in his heart upon hearing Xiao Wu's sorrowful tone. He turned to Ye Qiu in anger.

"Ye Qiu, how can you do this?! It's only been two months! Are you joking? Do you know how much Xiao Wu has been thinking about you—"

"I'm not joking," Ye Qiu interrupted, shrugging. He had no intention of hiding anything. Whether it was out of confidence or honesty, he was simply stating the truth.

Besides, he knew better than anyone how Xiao Wu felt about him—he didn't need Tang San to tell him.

Not wanting to argue with Tang San any further, especially since Xiao Wu looked on the verge of tears, Ye Qiu decided it was more important to comfort her first.

"Alright, Tang San, I'll handle this myself. You don't need to worry about it," Ye Qiu said, patting Tang San's shoulder before turning away to focus on opening the food he had brought.

Tang San frowned. He watched as Xiao Wu secretly glanced at Ye Qiu with teary eyes, and whatever satisfaction he had earlier vanished completely. Feeling upset, he couldn't help but try to comfort her.

"Xiao Wu, don't be sad—"

Before he could finish, Xiao Wu lifted her tear-streaked face and cut him off.

"Tang San, Ye Qiu is right. This is between us. You should go do your own thing."

"You…"

Tang San's expression stiffened. Looking at the two of them, he could only sigh helplessly. Before leaving, he warned Ye Qiu, "Fine, I should go report to the teacher anyway. But Ye Qiu, you better talk things through properly—don't go hitting her!"

"I've never hit her," Ye Qiu replied, his tone slightly strange. Since when did Tang San start meddling so much?

"Good."

Satisfied, Tang San nodded before turning to leave, heading toward Yu Xiaogang's room to discuss cultivation.

After splitting the food into two portions, Ye Qiu finally turned back around.

Xiao Wu, sensing his movement, kept her head down, looking sorrowful as her tear-filled eyes shimmered.

Watching Tang San disappear from view, Ye Qiu instantly felt more at ease.

How could he possibly explain what he had been up to in the past two months?

Besides, he couldn't shake the feeling that Tang San was looking at him differently lately. And just now, his words had been a little too… dense.

Shaking off those thoughts, Ye Qiu sat back down beside Xiao Wu and handed her a portion of the food.

Xiao Wu remained motionless, her stomach occasionally making soft grumbling noises.

Ye Qiu rolled his eyes helplessly and placed the food in front of her. "Little bunny, do you want to eat?"

"I-I'll eat…" Xiao Wu's small frame trembled slightly. She quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve, lifted her head slightly, and took the food. Her red-rimmed eyes made it clear she had been crying.

Ye Qiu's gaze flickered, and he fell into momentary silence. It was only now that he realized—Xiao Wu wasn't throwing a tantrum or causing a scene.

She was just sitting there, crying quietly.

"Here, take the chopsticks and eat first."

Ye Qiu softened his voice and handed her a pair of chopsticks. He also shifted his seat slightly away from her so he could use his own chopsticks more comfortably.

The moment Xiao Wu noticed his movement, her face turned pale. Her delicate body trembled as she looked at Ye Qiu, who was eating heartily, her expression filled with confusion and sorrow.

She took small bites, forcing herself to swallow despite the lump in her throat. Even though she was eating carefully, every bite felt like it was stuck, the food tasting bland and difficult to swallow.

"Ye Qiu… why?"

Ye Qiu, his mouth full of food, suddenly heard her soft, trembling voice. It sounded unusually hoarse.

"Hey, don't cry!"

He immediately put down his food and turned to wipe away her tears.

Xiao Wu swallowed the food in her mouth and lifted her head slightly, allowing Ye Qiu to cradle her face in his hands. As she gazed into his eyes, her tears once again threatened to spill over.

"Ye Qiu… why don't you want me anymore?"

"When did I ever say I didn't want you?" Ye Qiu looked at her in disbelief.

He had always been frugal—how could he possibly throw away his little bunny?