Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 65856 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 329(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65856 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 329(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Why was he hesitating?
Was he afraid Xiao Dan would get so mad that he’d cast Huli aside? No, not really. Xiao Dan was a patient and forgiving human. He always believed in the best for Huli, even if he didn’t deserve it.
No, he was afraid Xiao Dan’s clan mates would finally convince him that Huli was a worthless soul and didn’t deserve one more gram of Xiao Dan’s patience and understanding.
Deep down, he was afraid they were all right.
1 Gege – older brother, denotes familiarity and not necessarily a family relation. Can sometimes be added to a name such as Zhang-ge
2 Yupei – jade pendant (Narrator note: 玉佩, Yùpèi)
Chapter 3
Zhang Xiao Dan
“Do you think that woman would be stupid enough to sneak into our home?”
Xiao Dan nearly jumped out of his skin. He hadn’t even heard Ming Yu approach him from behind. It took him a moment to overcome his surprise and replay her question in his mind.
“No, I don’t think she would. Huli jing are known for being intelligent and crafty. I’m sure she would never have approached me if I hadn’t been alone.”
Ming Yu made a small noise of agreement as she stepped past him and peered out the front door. But no one was there. Xiao Dan had been pacing the house for what felt like hours. Kai had reassured him that Huli was safe and would return soon, yet he couldn’t relax. Not until he saw Huli for himself.
“Then we’re safe?”
“Yes.”
“So, this pacing is for your fox spirit?”
He wanted to argue with her unnecessary emphasis, but there was no point. Huli was his, as much as anyone could possess a fox spirit. They were carefree creatures who went where the wind took them. Sometimes he thought he might never see Huli again because the fox had lost interest in him.
“Yes, I’m worried about him doing something reckless.”
“Ah. Well, you’re wearing a groove in the floors. You can worry and help me stuff buns at the same time.”
Xiao Dan opened his mouth to argue, but he couldn’t figure out what to say. The words became stuck in his throat. Thankfully, Jiejie didn’t wait for him to agree. She simply grabbed his elbow and dragged him to the kitchen, where a bowl of meat and the dough for buns waited.
“Jiejie, it’s been centuries since I last helped you make steamed buns,” Xiao Dan admitted as he washed his hands.
“That’s fine. We’ll tell everyone that you made the lumpy, lopsided ones.”
Xiao Dan choked on a laugh. “I doubt anyone would believe you’d made anything that wasn’t perfect.”
A soft noise of agreement came from her throat. “I’ve had plenty of time to hone my craft.”
With a practiced ease, she stepped up to the island, picked up some flattened dough, ladled a dollop of meat in the center, and worked around the ball, closing it flawlessly with flying fingers. She made it look so easy.
“After getting a break from cooking for several centuries, you are now in the kitchen every day.” Xiao Dan tried to mimic her movements, but his pork-filled baozi really was pathetic. Jiejie tsked and took it from him. In the blink of an eye, she fixed his bun and added it to the bamboo steamer basket. She handed him another flattened circle of dough to try again.
“I worry we rely on you too much to handle all the cooking,” Xiao Dan continued. “You haven’t been a servant of the Zhang clan for almost two millennium. We can pitch in more. Handle more of the cooking.”
Ming Yu clicked her tongue at him as she accepted his second bun. “Smaller pleats, but this is better. And I appreciate your concern. No one treats me like a servant. I enjoy cooking, especially for the new mates. Rei, Leo, and Moon are completely new to our cuisine. Kai just raves about my dumplings as if the dragon hasn’t had a good meal in centuries.”
“And Xiao Ping Guo?”1 Xiao Dan asked with a growing smile.
“Feeding a little one?” Ming Yu sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. “I used to feed and hold all the children in the Zhang clan. After we became vampires, I thought I’d never have that again.”
“Erik is our perfect treasure.” Xiao Dan frowned at his baozi. This one felt like it was a step backward.
“And Huli always appreciates my cooking.” She snatched the bun out of his hand, tweaked it a bit, and added it to the bunch. “The point is, my greatest joy is caring for my family and seeing them happy. If I ever wish to take a night off, the others have all offered to cook. I will take them up on the offer. Right now, it is more than enough that Moon and the others always offer to clean up the kitchen after every meal I make for them.”