Chapter 71 Her Clone

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the fortress...

A muffled thud echoed from behind the rear wall of Xue Yao’s courtyard.

Xue Yao immediately looked up from where she had been lying lazily across the bed. She had been staring at the ceiling, wondering how long three days with only rabbit meat would actually feel, when the familiar sound reached her ears. Her eyes lit up almost instantly, and the corners of her lips slowly curved upward.

"...He’s back."

She slipped off the bed and hurried outside. Sure enough, the moment she stepped into the courtyard, she saw Little Ancestor sitting beneath the wall while rubbing his sore backside with one hand. In his other hand, he proudly held two fat chickens by their legs.

His white wolf ears twitched happily, and the smug grin on his face made it obvious that, despite his rather embarrassing landing, he considered this mission a complete success. "I brought dinner!"

Xue Yao’s eyes immediately landed on the chickens. "...Where did you get those?"

Little Ancestor immediately puffed out his chest. "My own farm."

She stared at him for several long seconds before slowly nodding to herself. "...Right."

’Of course, what do I expect from a spoiled brat?’ She thought inwardly.

At this point, she wasn’t even surprised anymore. If this little wolf wanted something, he probably only had to point at it, and dozens of servants would rush to prepare it for him.

Little Ancestor proudly lifted the chickens even higher.

"So..." His tail wagged excitedly behind him. "Can you cook them?"

Before Xue Yao could answer, her stomach answered first.

Grrrr... The loud growl echoed through the quiet courtyard.

She slowly lowered her head and looked down at her own stomach with complete disappointment. "...Traitor."

Little Ancestor couldn’t help laughing.

Xue Yao rolled her eyes at him before hugging the chickens against her chest. Just imagining roasted chicken made her mouth water, but as the excitement settled down, another problem quietly surfaced.

She looked around the courtyard. Then toward the gate... then back at the bedroom.

"...Wait." Her brows slowly drew together.

"What if someone comes to check on me while we’re cooking?" she asked, looking at Little Ancestor. "Lie Lang specifically ordered everyone to watch me. If a servant walks in and finds me missing, won’t we both get caught?"

Instead of worrying, Little Ancestor only smiled wider. "I already thought of that."

He reached into his sleeve and carefully pulled out a small wooden figurine no bigger than the palm of his hand. It looked completely plain, with no decorations or carvings that made it seem special.

Xue Yao blinked in with confusion. "...A toy?"

Little Ancestor immediately looked offended. "It’s an Imperial Treasure!"

Seeing that she clearly didn’t believe him, he snorted and gently tossed the little doll into the air.

The wooden figurine floated there without falling. A faint silver light slowly spread across its surface, becoming brighter and brighter until Xue Yao had to narrow her eyes. The light gradually stretched upward, changing shape little by little until it looked less like a doll and more like... a person.

Xue Yao watched without blinking. "Whooooaa."

A few breaths later, the light faded. Standing quietly in front of them... Was another Xue Yao.

She wore the same clothes and had the same face. Even the bruises around her neck looked exactly the same.

For a brief moment, Xue Yao simply stood there staring at her own face.

"Okaay, this is kind of creepy...seeing my own self."

Curiosity quickly won over surprise. She slowly walked around the clone once... then a second time... studying it from every angle. Finally, she reached out and poked its cheek.

There was no reaction but the clone’s skin was as soft as hers, but there was no warmth. She waved a hand in front of its eyes. Still, there was no reaction.

She even leaned in close enough to compare their faces. "...It’s exactly the same."

Little Ancestor folded his arms proudly and lifted his chin. "I told you."

"It’s useful." Xue Yao nodded absentmindedly, still fascinated by the treasure. Then, without another word, she grabbed the clone’s wrist.

"Come on." The clone obediently allowed itself to be led away.

Together, they walked back into the bedroom, where Xue Yao carefully tucked the motionless copy beneath the blanket. She adjusted the pillow, pulled the quilt up until only the clone’s head remained visible, then stepped back to admire her work.

She tilted her head to one side. "...Not bad."

After circling the bed once, she nodded with growing satisfaction. "If I were a maid coming to check on me...I’d believe it."

Little Ancestor looked so pleased with himself that his tail began wagging again. "I told you my treasures are the best."

Xue Yao gave the sleeping clone one last approving look before finally turning back toward the little wolf. She picked up the two chickens, one in each hand, and smiled for what felt like the first time all day.

"Alright. Let’s go make dinner."

Little Ancestor’s wolf ears perked up immediately. "I knew making you my personal cook was the right decision."

The two of them quietly slipped out of the room and headed toward the hidden corner behind the trees.

The night breeze carried the cool scent of dew, and the thick canopy above blocked most of the moonlight. Only scattered rays filtered through the leaves, painting silver patches across the ground. Hidden behind layers of trees and flowering shrubs, the little clearing felt like a secret world tucked away inside the Alpha’s residence.

Xue Yao looked around carefully before nodding in satisfaction. "No one should notice us here."

Little Ancestor nodded vigorously, though his eyes had never left the two chickens in Xue Yao’s hands. "...Can we start now?"

"You’ve only thought about eating ever since you came." Xue Yao teased.

"I skipped dinner." Little Ancestor replied with puffed cheeks.

"You have a kitchen bigger than my entire courtyard."

"I didn’t want their food." He answered so matter-of-factly that Xue Yao couldn’t even tease him.

"...Fair enough." She gently placed the two chickens onto the grass.

The poor birds had only just landed before they immediately tried to run in opposite directions.

"Oh no, you don’t." Xue Yao moved surprisingly quickly.

One hand caught the first chicken by its wings while her foot blocked the second one before calmly scooping it up.