Chapter 378: Bloodthirsty

’From now on, I’ll be dining with Prince Canglan. I can’t pass up any chance to get closer to him!’

Cang Lan had just stepped into his bedchambers when, a moment later, he saw the little female from the Rabbit Clan follow him in, carrying a tray. She gently set up her own low table, placed a soft cushion down, and sat on it obediently.

She lifted her head, looked in his direction, and watched him with curious, dark, glistening eyes.

Cang Lan immediately thought that if the little rabbit’s tail weren’t so short, it would surely be wagging furiously right now.

He came out after changing his clothes and sat down at his table.

"If you’re hungry, just eat. You don’t have to wait for me."

"Oh..." Yu Zhizhi nodded.

She had actually eaten dinner earlier tonight and wasn’t very hungry.

But the Big Tiger had been gone for days. With time slipping by, Yu Zhizhi didn’t want to wait until the wedding day. If another accident happened, this mission would really be a failure!

Yu Zhizhi looked down at the food on her tray. It was rather light. Since moving in, she had discovered that the Crown Prince didn’t seem very interested in food. His daily diet was very simple: meat and wine.

She took a sip of rice soup and ventured, "Your Highness, I’ve been visiting Jeral these past few days. He’s doing well."

"I know." Cang Lan glanced at the little rabbit sitting across from him. "I can sense Jeral’s condition, including his mood."

In the past, whenever he was away, Jeral’s temperament would become very irritable.

The Ice Crystal Dragon still couldn’t be left alone at this stage.

But these past few days, Cang Lan had clearly noticed that Jeral was very happy. He was extremely fond of this female from the Rabbit Clan.

’It seems finding a little wife at a time like this is pretty good after all.’

At least she could keep Jeral company when he was busy.

Before, he had only seen her as an SS-Level female, the perfect candidate for Crown Princess Consort. Now, it seemed this political marriage wasn’t as boring as he’d imagined.

Yu Zhizhi took a bite of cucumber. It was sweet and juicy.

She stole a glance at the Big Tiger.

He seemed to have finished his meal and got up, heading toward the inner room.

Yu Zhizhi couldn’t resist walking over to his table and looking down at the little bit of red wine left in his glass.

’The color seems a little too vibrant...’

’Is it just my imagination?’

Yu Zhizhi picked up the wine glass, brought it closer to smell it, and a faint, metallic scent wafted toward her.

She froze.

"What are you doing?"

Cang Lan had come back out from the inner room to see this scene.

The little female was holding his wine glass as if inspecting something. No matter how he looked at it, it was suspicious.

He had never liked other people touching his things...

But this time, he didn’t feel that persistent sense of disgust. In fact, seeing the little rabbit holding his glass, an impulse rose within him—he wanted to watch her drink the remaining blood.

Cang Lan leaned against the clothes rack, the corners of his mouth curling slightly. "Curious? You can have a taste."

’A taste...?’

Yu Zhizhi felt like a thief caught in the act. She wanted to put the glass down, but then she heard the Crown Prince’s command: "Drink."

It was not a tone that invited discussion.

Yu Zhizhi held her breath, tilted her head back, and downed the "red wine" in the glass.

Ugh—

It had a faint metallic tang, and it was a bit salty...

Yu Zhizhi’s face paled slightly. She realized this wasn’t red wine at all—it was blood!

She abruptly set the glass down. She had only swallowed a little; the rest had spilled from the corners of her mouth, and she wiped it away with the back of her hand.

Yu Zhizhi was bewildered. ’Why is it blood?’

Footsteps approached from in front of her.

She looked up and saw the man’s figure drawing near.

Cang Lan came to a stop before his little bride. He looked at her eyes, which held a look of slight panic and innocence, and at the smear of blood staining her lips. He crouched down and slowly lifted her chin.

"Was it good?" he asked.

Yu Zhizhi shook her head.

"Will you touch my things again?" he asked.

Yu Zhizhi shook her head again.

Cang Lan stared at the bloodstain on the corner of her mouth. When he wasn’t hungry, blood was no different to him than red fruit juice.

But when he imagined her lips stained with her own blood...

Cang Lan’s gaze gradually darkened. His thumb brushed against the Rabbit Clan girl’s lips, gently wiping away the remaining bloodstain.

’What a pity.’

’This isn’t her blood.’

Cang Lan’s gaze fell to her trembling wrist, where she still wore that garish bracelet.

’That fox fellow really went to unnecessary lengths.’

He knew how to handle his bloodlust.

’As if a mere rabbit could make him lose control.’

Cang Lan released her. "Go back to your room."

Yu Zhizhi nodded, her face pale. Just now, while the Big Tiger was staring at her, she had nearly forgotten to breathe, let alone make a sound.

’I didn’t dare move at all...’

’I felt like if I moved even an inch, he would bite me to death.’

’Tigers... Tigers don’t eat rabbits, do they?’ Yu Zhizhi steadied herself on the table. She tried to stand up, but her movements were a little unsteady.

Cang Lan stood up and watched her trembling body, sneering inwardly. ’So timid, his new bride.’

He had no particular fondness for small herbivores like rabbits.

This scene was also predictable.

’If she’s this scared now, isn’t she going to be scared to death when it’s time to produce an heir?’

Yu Zhizhi finally steadied herself.

She composed her breathing and slowly performed a bow to take her leave.

Yu Zhizhi didn’t dare linger. She quickly left the room and ran all the way back to her own bedchambers.

She looked in the mirror, saw the faint redness at the corner of her mouth, and gently wiped it away with a damp cloth. Her expression was still bewildered. "...Prince Canglan likes blood?"

This whole time, she had thought he was drinking wine. She never imagined it was actually blood!

’Is this some peculiar habit of his?’

’Or perhaps...’

’Could he be related to the Blood Clan?’

She recalled how the man’s breathing had noticeably changed when she’d cut her arm. Then there was the bracelet the Purple Fox had given her, which had the effect of quickly Healing minor wounds. Lord Li Yuan must know something...

He had once asked her if she was prepared to risk her life...

At the time, Yu Zhizhi had thought it was because she was going to be a sacrifice.

But now it seemed that even if she wasn’t a sacrifice, as the publicly acknowledged future Crown Princess Consort, her life could still be in danger.

Yu Zhizhi sighed.

She finally understood why this mission had a longer time limit than the previous ones.

She would have to be extra careful, then. She absolutely could not get injured in front of the Big Tiger.

Suddenly, Yu Zhizhi received a system notification.

She had received a bonus points reward!

This kind of notification was not unfamiliar. The advancement of her pups would always reward her with points, sometimes a huge amount all at once!

’I wonder which pup it is this time?’

Yu Zhizhi happily checked and found that it was Mermaid Baby Sui Sui!

System Notification—

The pups currently available to be summoned via the Teleportation Array are: the Wolf Pup, the Snake Pup, and the Mermaid Baby.

Duration of stay is half an hour.

As the host’s Level increases, the pups’ duration of stay will also increase.

Yu Zhizhi wasn’t sleepy at all now. She was itching with curiosity and really wanted to Summon the pups—

Other than the Little White Snake and the Little Snow Eagle, she hadn’t held any of the other pups yet!