Chapter 55 It Wasn’t a Dream

Whether he meant to or not, today’s decision had changed far more than Bai Xue Yao’s future. By tomorrow morning, the entire White Moon Wolf Clan would be talking about it. Rumors would spread from the royal palace to every corner of the beast clan, and before long, every family would have their own version of what happened.

Even so... If he had to make the same decision again, he wouldn’t hesitate.

Han Luo seemed to read the answer from his expression before chuckling softly. "You’ve already decided, haven’t you?"

"Yes. She is now under my protection." Lie Lang replied firmly.

The answer came so naturally that there wasn’t even a moment of hesitation.

Han Luo smiled and shook his head. "I’ve known you for years, yet sometimes I still don’t understand you." He stood up and straightened his robes. "Fine. I’ll keep an eye on the elders in case they want to try anything."

Lie Lang gave a small nod. "And make sure no one enters the eastern courtyard without my permission. tighten the security if you have to."

Han Luo raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "No one?"

"Yes, no one." Lie Lang leaned back against the chair. The little time he had spent with Xue Yao, he had come to understand that she can cause trouble with anyone and anything.

Han Luo laughed. "If they hear that order, they’re going to be furious."

"That isn’t my concern."

"No..." Han Luo smiled helplessly. "It never is, because I will end up facing the backlash." He said with a tired sigh before walking toward the door, but before leaving, he stopped and looked back.

"You know, when I first tasted her cooking, I thought the greatest thing about her was her talent in the kitchen."

Lie Lang looked at him without speaking.

Han Luo folded his arms behind his back with an amused smile.

"Now I’m not so sure. She’s only been in the White Moon Wolf Clan for a few days, yet she’s already made the Alpha, the five elders, and half the fortress lose their peace of mind." He chuckled to himself. "For someone with almost no cultivation, that’s quite an achievement."

Lie Lang remained silent. He couldn’t deny it. Everything surrounding Bai Xue Yao seemed unusual.

From the moment she appeared in the beast realm, nothing about her had made sense. Her cooking, her beast contract, and the strange power hidden inside her soul.

Han Luo looked at him for another moment before opening the door.

"Get some rest if you can. I have a feeling today was only the beginning."

With that, he quietly left the study.

The room fell silent again. Lie Lang sat alone behind the desk, his gaze drifting toward the pile of reports waiting for him. Military affairs, border patrols, and clan matters had always been enough to keep his attention, but today not a single document could keep him occupied.

His thoughts returned to the frightened look in Bai Xue Yao’s eyes.

Lie Lang leaned back slightly, his fingers resting against the edge of the desk as the same question surfaced once more.

Just what was she hiding?

.......

A cool breeze drifted through the half-open window and brushed gently across Xue Yao’s face. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she instinctively buried her face deeper into the soft pillow with a quiet hum.

"...Mm..." The pillow was warm, and for the first time in what felt like forever, her whole body felt relaxed.

Her sleepy mind didn’t think much of it at first. It simply enjoyed the comfort, and the rubbing of her cheek against the pillow like someone who had no intention of waking up anytime soon.

Then a tiny thought quietly surfaced. ’Wait...’. Her brows slowly knitted together. ’Since when did the prison have pillows this soft?’ The thought suddenly chased away the last traces of sleep from her eyes.

Her eyes slowly fluttered open, still carrying the haze of just waking up. The golden sunlight filtered through the wooden windows, swaying gently with the branches outside and painting patches of light across the unfamiliar ceiling.

Xue Yao blinked in confusion, her gaze wandering lazily around the room as if trying to remember where she was. The polished wooden beams, the embroidered curtains dancing gently in the breeze, the faint scent of sandalwood lingering in the air.

Her breathing became slower as she inhaled deeply. The confusion in her eyes slowly disappeared, replaced by realization as her memories came crashing back one after another, Ruo Shuo barging into the room, the five elders surrounding her like hungry wolves, one of them reaching toward her skirt.

Her refusing again and again until they decided to search her memories instead. The terrifying pressure pressing down on her soul. Tian Lan threw herself against that golden rune without hesitation, Honghong collapsing, and the pain that felt as though her head was being torn apart...

"Ah..."

Xue Yao suddenly sat upright, only for a sharp pain to explode through her head. She immediately grabbed her forehead with both hands and bent over, breathing heavily as the throbbing sensation spread through her skull. It took several deep breaths before the pain finally eased enough for her to slowly straighten her back again.

"...So it really wasn’t a dream."

She let out a long breath and lowered her hands onto the blanket, staring blankly at the soft fabric covering her legs. Yesterday... they had almost discovered everything about her. If Tian Lan hadn’t stopped them... if those five old men had succeeded...

A chill quietly crept down her spine. She unconsciously wrapped her arms around herself, only now realizing how close she had come to losing everything.

"...Those old wolves..." Her fingers slowly tightened around the blanket. "They almost dug through my entire life..."

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Yesterday she had been too frightened to think clearly, but now that she was lying safely inside the room, the fear gradually turned into frustration.

’I shouldn’t have made any deal with grumpy Alpha. He couldn’t even protect me properly... I should have used my biodegradable weapon on them... Well, it’s not too late.’