Chapter 79: We Failed Her Good Intentions

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: We Failed Her Good Intentions

Ling Qianjun had been startled earlier when Hua Buwan mentioned bringing longans—a word that literally translated to "dragon eyes."

"Dragon eyes?!"

"You actually sell the eyes of dragons here?!"

It wasn’t until Hua Buwan explained that they were just a common fruit, also known as longans, that Ling Qianjun finally calmed down. So "dragon eyes" were just longans. He had just been wondering exactly how big a dragon’s eye was, and how he was supposed to carry one back!

However, when he saw that the longans in the bag were so large and plump, he was still pleasantly surprised. He even commented to Hua Buwan, "Even the longans offered as tribute to the Emperor aren’t of this quality."

Hua Buwan waved her hand dismissively. "This is the result of years of cultivation."

Thus, Ling Qianjun still had a smile on his face when he returned to Dongxuan Country with the longans. However, his smile vanished when he saw his three family members stringing up four little crabs, chatting and laughing as they roasted them over the fire. His face darkened completely when he noticed Ling Qianfan holding two crabs in one hand and two roasted fish in the other, grinning merrily.

At this moment, only one sentence from Hua Buwan echoed in his mind.

"These little crabs are so cute. You guys can keep them as pets."

Ling Qianjun walked forward with a dark expression, suddenly feeling that the longans in his hand had lost their appeal.

Ling Qianfan was the first to notice Ling Qianjun’s return. Joyfully raising the roasted fish and crabs in his hands, he called out, "Qianjun, I roasted some delicious food for you. Hurry and sit down to eat."

Ling Qianjun was speechless.

Ling Qianfan shrank his neck back, wondering why Qianjun looked so moody. He had been perfectly happy when he went into the woods earlier, so why the cold face now? Sitting down obediently, he hurriedly shot a glance at his mother and sister.

Xu Panqing and Ling Yunge both shook their heads in bewilderment. "We don’t know."

Ling Qianjun stepped up in front of Ling Qianfan, his gaze fixed intently on the roasted little crabs. By now, the little crabs had completely lost all signs of life; they were roasted to a golden brown on both sides, looking exceptionally crispy and fragrant.

"Qianjun... do you want to eat?" Ling Qianfan gathered his courage and offered the roasted crabs to his brother. Seeing Ling Qianjun staring at the crabs, he assumed he wanted to eat them. Little did Ling Qianfan know, he was dancing back and forth on Ling Qianjun’s bottom line.

"Who told you to roast them?" Ling Qianjun asked coldly. All three of them could feel his anger.

Ling Qianfan’s hands trembled in fear from the oppressive aura radiating from Ling Qianjun. He stumbled over his words. "I... this, I, you... little crabs, to eat... if not roasted, should they be boiled?" He cried inwardly. He didn’t know Qianjun wanted them boiled instead of roasted! He was wrong!

Seeing his family’s expressions—even his mother and sister were nervously clutching their hems—Ling Qianjun forced himself to calm down. He quickly adjusted his emotions and slowly sat down.

Ling Qianfan slowly scooted away. Being too close to Ling Qianjun scared him.

Noticing his younger brother’s movements, Ling Qianjun shot him a glance. Finally, staring unfocused at the campfire in front of him, he said softly, "The Demon gave us these little crabs to keep as pets. They weren’t meant to be roasted and eaten."

After speaking, Ling Qianjun massaged his temples. They had let down Hua Buwan’s good intentions.

"Ah?" the three exclaimed in unison. They had no idea! Could these little crabs actually be kept as pets?

Recovering from the shock, Xu Panqing asked uneasily, "What should we do? We’ve already roasted them."

Ling Yunge was worried. "Will the Demon blame us? Will she still trade with us in the future?"

"I’m sorry, Qianjun," Ling Qianfan said, falling into deep self-blame. "I didn’t know the little crabs weren’t for us to eat. I was even wondering why they were so small—not even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth. I never thought..."

Ling Qianjun remained silent for a moment before standing up. "I’ll go apologize to her."

"Qianjun."

"Jun’er."

The three watched with uneasy hearts as Ling Qianjun left.