Chapter 3

The ingot remains silent

Should I remove the curse and let her go, then take her back after she has fattened up... This thought flashed through Qi Tian's mind. He frowned, and after a moment of contemplation, he ultimately turned around and exited the Misty Forest

She obediently curled the corners of her lips, her smile still rigid and hollow

Qi Tian spent the entire night cleaning both Yuanbao and himself. The next morning, he carried Yuanbao to the courtyard to sit, and tidied up the room. At noon, he carried her back inside, and just as he sat down to rest for a moment, he touched Yuanbao's face and felt quite dissatisfied with the current lack of fullness. He remembered that it was time for Yuanbao to eat, and just as he got up to start a fire, he suddenly recalled the reason for his busy state.

This is the first meal that Yuanbao has had in two days. The burnt food smeared her mouth, and the smell was pungent and unbearable, yet Yuanbao did not utter a single complaint. When Qitian fed her, she opened her mouth to eat, obediently chewed a couple of times, and then swallowed.

His ugly fingers pressed gently into her shallow dimples, as if he were addicted, "You are so soft all over." While poking, he wondered, "Don't you have any bones?"

He summarized it and suddenly realized that what he had created... was toxic

Her expression showed little fluctuation while eating, but her swallowing speed was much faster than yesterday

On that day, Qi Tian hunted a wild chicken in the Misty Forest

Qi Tian possesses exceptional intelligence and memory, yet even a day's worth of peeking could not significantly enhance his abilities. Therefore, tonight he only brought back some steamed buns for Yuanbao. However, these buns are already an exquisite delicacy for Yuanbao after being affected by the curse.

That night, he focused intently, not daring to blink as he gazed at her for the entire night

He lit a fire in the backyard, haphazardly set up a pot, and then tossed live wild chickens into the pot, covering it with a lid. He listened as the sounds inside transformed from chaotic to eerily silent. He took the food, now burnt to a charred state, and placed it in a basin, serving it to Yuanbao.

He suddenly recalled that, indeed, no one had ever smiled at him like this before

For Qi Tian, this is already more than sufficient

In the following days, Yuanbao ate steamed buns every day, while Qitian ran to the town daily. After five days, he lit a fire in the courtyard again, set up a pot in a crooked manner, and cooked a bowl of the simplest porridge, feeding it to Yuanbao spoonful by spoonful

Qi Tian's eyes brightened slightly: "I like your smile like this. From now on, you should often smile for me." He wrapped up the unfinished steamed bun that Yuan Bao had left, "For a very long time to come."

Realizing this, he felt somewhat defeated

However, her stomach honestly responded with "not good"

Yuanbao obediently curled her lips, and the stiff smile was enough to reveal her sweet dimples

The ingot naturally would not respond with "not good," as it equally cannot answer with "good"

Qi Tian poked her face hard and said: "You are not being good."

This may be the most sordid thing he has ever done in his life—squatting on the thickly accumulated ash of the beam to secretly learn culinary skills

As if in retaliation, before he finished speaking, Yuanbao let out another heartfelt bout of vomiting. The sticky substance covered him entirely, and in the end, her stomach made a few "gurgling" sounds. Qi Tian subtly narrowed his eyes.

This is the first time in ten years that he has stepped out of the Misty Forest, solely to enter the kitchen

For the first time, he experienced a sensation known as nausea

This night is peaceful

His constitution had long been altered by the parasitic insects, and he could move freely by only drinking morning dew each day. However, after being starved for two days, Yuanbao's complexion had noticeably worsened. The flesh on her face felt significantly less firm to the touch, which made Qi Tian quite dissatisfied

Qi Tian had long been tormented by the gu worms to the point of losing his sense of taste. Seeing her eat so obediently, he thought that perhaps the dishes he made were merely lacking in presentation. The thought of being able to support his fleshy face in this way in the future filled him with a sense of accomplishment

Afterwards, Qi Tian touched the round belly of the Yuanbao that had been well-fed, his eyes narrowing in satisfaction: "The texture here is also quite nice. Another day, I will let you eat hot meals, so you won't have any stomach issues. " He poked the flesh on her face, "I will take responsibility for feeding you. You are responsible for gaining weight diligently."

"Ugh!" A sound of vomiting startled Qi Tian, who was sleeping beside Yuan Bao. Displeased, he released the hand that was pinching Yuan Bao's ear, and upon opening his eyes, he saw the person in his arms convulsing from the vomiting. He immediately frowned, got out of bed, and helped her sit up. Before Yuan Bao could steady herself, she choked again and with a loud, "Wow," vomited all over Qi Tian's face.

This woman ... ! ... actually defecated on his bed !

Qi Tian was unconcerned and commanded, "Smile. You should be very happy."

Yuanbao's gaze was merely blankly fixed ahead

This voice is unpleasantly harsh yet carries an undeniable sense of anticipation and happiness

People outside despise him, fear him, yet yearn for his assistance. He has witnessed disdain and flattery, scorn and dread, but no one has ever smiled genuinely in his presence, not even a simple upward curve of the lips.

Yuanbao sat motionless on the bed, not at all affected by his joy

Yuanbao only offered a stiff smile, while Qi Tian gazed at her for a moment: "Smile a little more happily." Yuanbao obediently widened the curve of her lips, yet her eyes still held no emotion. However, Qi Tian mirrored the curve of her lips and also pressed his lips together.

The soft candlelight cast a shadow on the side of Yuanbao's face, the shadows falling on her gently arched brows and lashes, momentarily giving Qi Tian the illusion that she was nodding and smiling. He couldn't help but be lost in thought, his hand, marked with blue veins, gently caressing her cheek: "You have dimples." He speculated, then commanded, "Smile."

The next day, when Yuanbao woke up, her complexion was still rosy. Qitian was rubbing her belly, and in his calm tone, there was a hint of laughter: "I can take care of you now." With the fingertips of his other hand, he was stroking the edge of the bowl, "You see, I can take care of you now."

After Qi Tian placed a curse on the Yuanbao, he faced the most challenging problem—eating

The room was suddenly filled with a terrible stench

"We will be together in the future." He scooped a spoonful of black food and awkwardly stuffed it into Yuanbao's mouth, some "powder" spilling down the corners of her lips. Without minding the mess, he used his own sleeve to wipe it away for her, "In the future, I will take care of you."

Qi Tian's expression did not change in the slightest; he calmly wiped his face, removing the dark substance. He raised his head to look at Yuan Bao, staring for quite a while before coldly saying: "You did this on purpose"

Qi Tian crouched down, and as he gazed at her smile, his lips curled up in response. The room fell silent, and the two living beings together made not a sound of breath. He stood up, walked outside, and cooked a bowl of porridge for Yuan Bao as breakfast, feeding her just as he had done the day before