The Aloof Immortal Venerable is Pregnant with My Fox Cub - Chapter 67

Chapter 67

Cang Ran entered the sleeping quarters, closed the door, and immediately hugged Tan Qingxuan, whom she had longed for.

Cang Ran’s eyes were bright, and her tone was full of longing: “Qingqing, I’m so glad to see you.”

Her fox tails wagged non-stop, and she buried her head in Tan Qingxuan’s neck, inhaling the subtle and reserved sandalwood fragrance on Tan Qingxuan.

Tan Qingxuan also hugged Cang Ran’s supple waist, pulling her a little tighter.

Cang Ran’s waist was much thinner than when she left. Her whole lower back could be encompassed by one hand. Tan Qingxuan’s heart ached even more with tenderness.

Cang Ran kissed Tan Qingxuan’s fair and beautiful neck. It was still as cool as before, and she had missed it for a long time. Having not been intimate for days, her kisses were inevitably a little more forceful.

The fervent kiss caused Tan Qingxuan’s body to tremble slightly, letting out a faint, barely audible moan.

Cang Ran’s heart was stirred. She kissed upwards, moving to Tan Qingxuan’s lips. As soon as their soft lips touched, both their bodies felt a tingling electric current pass through, and they simultaneously closed their eyes.

Cang Ran pecked Tan Qingxuan’s lips twice, then couldn’t help but gently insert her tongue. Her soft, smooth tongue stirred within, hooking and sucking on Tan Qingxuan’s soft tongue a few times.

Tan Qingxuan’s heartstrings vibrated. She instinctively cupped the back of Cang Ran’s head, deepening the kiss, making it even more lingering.

The atmosphere around them grew increasingly warm. Cang Ran stroked Tan Qingxuan’s beautiful back, lifted Tan Qingxuan up, their soft bodies pressed tightly together, and she whispered to her: “Qingqing.”

Tan Qingxuan’s eyes met Cang Ran’s scorching gaze. A flush spread over her earlobes. She narrowed her beautiful eyes, and her slender fingers moved down, gently stroking the back of Cang Ran’s neck with her thumb.

Having her delicate neck stroked repeatedly by fingertips made Cang Ran’s heart race, and her breathing became erratic for a few moments. She couldn’t help but kiss Tan Qingxuan’s lips and carried Tan Qingxuan to the bed.

Her kisses were urgent, tracing a path down the neck. Cool, slick strands of hair fell, sweeping across Tan Qingxuan’s exquisite collarbone.

The tickle from the hair ends stimulated a sense of itchiness in Tan Qingxuan. Since becoming pregnant, her body was more sensitive than before. After being kissed by Cang Ran for a while, she couldn’t help but start breathing rapidly.

Her hand grasped Cang Ran’s arm. Her face was flushed with embarrassment from the sucking kisses. She pushed Cang Ran away slightly: “There’s a cub in my belly. Exercise some restraint. We cannot consummate our love for the next half a month.”

Cang Ran’s cheeks instantly flushed crimson. The softness she felt just now through the fabric was much greater than before.

Cang Ran looked down at Tan Qingxuan’s lower abdomen. Her fox ears twitched, and she stood up guiltily: “I forgot. I will be careful next time. You’ve been busy for so long. Are you hungry? Shall I go make you some food?”

Tan Qingxuan usually practiced bigu (abstention from grain) and didn’t eat spiritual food. During this pregnancy, perhaps due to the little cub’s gluttony, she also needed to supplement her body and had to eat some spiritual food.

Now that Cang Ran mentioned it, Tan Qingxuan was indeed a little hungry. She stroked Cang Ran’s head, her eyebrows gentle: “Just go to the Spiritual Food Hall and get some food. I’ll eat a little bit.”

Cang Ran said anxiously: “Have you been eating at the Spiritual Food Hall this whole time? You’re pregnant with a baby! Tell me what you want to eat. I will personally cook for you from now on.”

Tan Qingxuan smiled, her eyes curving: “The cooking cultivator at the Spiritual Food Hall is not bad at making spiritual food. I think it’s edible. At this time of year, the small pond on Qingyun Peak should have fresh, sweet lotus roots (oujian). Go and pick some. I’ve been craving something a little sour recently. Can you make that?”

Cang Ran patted her chest and promised: “I can! I am the Great Fox King. I can cook any dish! I’ll go dig up lotus roots for you right now, and I guarantee you’ll get the freshest lotus roots!”

Tan Qingxuan rubbed her fox ears, speaking softly: “Then the cub and I will wait here for the Great Fox King to return.”

Even though the cub hadn’t been born yet, Cang Ran felt a sense of maternal responsibility. It was as if there truly was a large and small person waiting for her to feed them at home.

Cang Ran placed her hand on the bed, kissed Tan Qingxuan’s cheek: “I promise to make it delicious!”

Tan Qingxuan’s heart trembled slightly from the gentle kiss, melting in the affection-filled gaze of Cang Ran.

Cang Ran was about to leave, but then felt that the Fuyao Hall was built a little too high. Even in the current dry, early autumn season, she felt cold here.

Her hand just touched the silk brocade quilt on the bed, and she felt even colder.

Cang Ran took out the thick blanket made from her own fox fur from her storage artifact and spread it on the bed beneath Tan Qingxuan. Now, it felt much softer.

Cang Ran leaned down and said: “After I finish cooking, I’ll dismantle my pillow and make you a large fox-fur cloak.”

Tan Qingxuan held her hand: “I am a Mahayana-stage cultivator. This bit of cold won’t invade my body.”

Cang Ran said seriously: “I know, but there’s a kind of cold called ‘the fox thinks you are cold.'”

Tan Qingxuan chuckled: “You don’t need to do all that. Just make some food. If you think I’m cold, just hold me later. Nothing is warmer than the fox fur on your body.”

Cang Ran thought she had a point. Her fur was natural fox fur. Although it was a bit bald from injury now, it was still the warmest material for keeping out the cold. So, she went to cook for Tan Qingxuan.

She flew on her sword to a nearby mountain peak and easily found several large ponds. The lotus flowers were blooming brilliantly. Under the vast blue sky, there was a feeling of endless green lotus leaves touching the sky.

The ten or so surrounding immortal mountains belonged to the Fuyao Hall area, and one could pick whatever they wanted. Cang Ran found an old wooden boat by the shore and untied the rope that fastened the small boat to a tree.

She paddled the boat. The water rippled. She paddled towards the area with many lotus leaves, picking some lotus flowers and seed pods, and stored them in her storage artifact.

There were many wild water chestnuts floating on the surface of the water. Cang Ran didn’t bother to pick them, remembering that Tan Qingxuan wanted to eat oujian. She first jumped into the pond, pulling out the lotus sprouts along the unformed lotus root stems.

The mud felt soft and wet under her feet. The lotus sprouts were the immature lotus roots, and they snapped crisply when broken. Pulling out the sprouts wasn’t difficult, and Cang Ran continuously pulled out five or six of them.

She also dug out the lotus roots from the silt. After cleaning them in the pond, the lotus roots were plump and white. They were all spiritual-energy-infused plants and smelled very sweet and fresh.

Returning with a full load, she turned back into a fox and went to the back kitchen of the Spiritual Food Hall. She used her small round token and some spiritual stones to exchange for some spiritual beast rib meat, peas, and oil from the supervisor.

The cooking cultivator hadn’t seen her in a long time. He poked his head out with a large iron ladle in hand, perplexed: “Little Fox, you can just eat here. I’ll make whatever you want. Why do you need all these things?”

Cang Ran shook her head: “I can use all of these things. Don’t worry. Today, I want to cook for myself.”

Although the cooking cultivator’s cultivation was not high, the little fox often came to the Spiritual Food Hall to eat before, and she could tell that the little fox was a Great Demon who had opened her spiritual wisdom and achieved cultivation.

After all, the sect also kept immortal cranes, and those cranes only spoke very short phrases each time. The little fox not only accurately named the dishes every time but also sometimes chatted back and forth with her.

But she had never heard of a demon cooking! The cooking cultivator was full of confusion: “How about you use my big wok to stir-fry? It’s past mealtime now, and the big wok isn’t being used temporarily.”

Cang Ran glanced at the back kitchen, which looked quite clean and bright: “Okay. I’ll use it. I’ll clean up for you after I finish cooking.”

The cooking cultivator was astonished when he saw Cang Ran transform into her human form. The transformation stage of the demon race was equivalent to the Nascent Soul stage of human cultivators. A Nascent Soul stage expert cooking in the back kitchen—no one would believe it if word got out.

The cooking cultivator stayed in place, watching Cang Ran cook with great curiosity, and proactively started helping her as an assistant.

Cang Ran cooked very quickly. Soon, she stir-fried a dish of sour lotus sprouts and also made a bowl of lotus root and spare rib soup with lotus roots.

Pregnancy usually requires eating small, frequent meals. Cang Ran worried that the heat hadn’t completely dissipated and these might not appeal to Tan Qingxuan’s appetite, so she also made refreshing cold pea jelly noodles.

The cooking cultivator watched as Cang Ran ground the peas into pea flour, filtered out the starch, added some cold water, and poured it into a hot wok, stirring constantly. Not knowing what she was making, she asked curiously: “What are you making?”

Cang Ran took a moment to answer: “Pea jelly noodles. When this cools down, you can mix it with seasoning and eat it.”

She scooped up the boiled starch water from the wok. The milky white liquid had already become a silky, transparent state. It was ready to be poured into a basin. When it cooled naturally, the texture would be the best.

The cooking cultivator had never seen this method before. She secretly noted down the steps and picked up a large fan to help fan Cang Ran: “Your method is truly rare. We have never done this before.”

Cang Ran couldn’t help but smile. Even modern people rarely knew how to make jelly noodles, usually buying them pre-made.

The cooking cultivator had been helping all along. Cang Ran raised an eyebrow and said: “I made quite a lot of the jelly noodles. I’ll share a bowl with you to try later.”

The cooking cultivator immediately showed a simple, honest smile and said readily: “Okay! Next time you come to the back kitchen, I’ll still help you.”

Without waiting for Cang Ran to tidy up, the cooking cultivator proactively started wiping tables, cleaning bowls, and sweeping the floor. Cang Ran did make a large basin of jelly noodles. Once the jelly noodles had cooled and set, she prepared the sour and spicy seasoning and gave the cooking cultivator a bowl.

The cooking cultivator ate it so fast that she almost swallowed her tongue. After finishing it ravenously, she was about to make a decision that went against her ancestors’ wishes: “It’s too delicious! Can I become your disciple?”

Cang Ran’s eyes curved: “That wouldn’t be appropriate. I’m a demon cultivator.”

The cooking cultivator said: “I don’t care about that! I just comprehended the Great Dao from your pea jelly noodles! I feel like I’m about to achieve enlightenment! You can call me Fang Yuegui when you come here next time.”

Cang Ran couldn’t help but silently sigh with emotion: Is being a cooking cultivator so easy? She was about to achieve enlightenment from a bowl of pea jelly noodles! Would two bowls make her ascend to heaven?

She waved her hand: “We’ll talk about it next time. Actually, my skill level is about the same as yours. I don’t have much to teach you.”

Fang Yuegui could only hope Cang Ran would come again so she could learn a few more tricks.

Cang Ran took the previously prepared dishes out of the insulated steamer. The temperature was just right, not too hot. Fang Yuegui had already regarded Cang Ran as a Master. She diligently brought out the best food container from the Spiritual Food Hall—insulated on the top, refrigerated on the bottom—and helped Cang Ran categorize and pack the food inside.

Cang Ran carried the exquisite food box back to Fuyao Hall. She set the table and placed the food in front of Tan Qingxuan.

Tan Qingxuan saw that she had prepared so many dishes and raised her hand to wipe the beads of sweat from Cang Ran’s forehead: “Making just one dish would have been enough. I can’t eat this much.”

Cang Ran scraped out thin strips of pea jelly noodles and said to her: “I just wanted you to taste some fresh things. Tasting a few bites of each dish is fine. If there are leftovers, the little hedgehog and I will eat them together, so nothing will be wasted.”

Tan Qingxuan picked up a few pieces of spiritual lotus sprouts. They were sour and crispy. The taste was different from what she ate in the Spiritual Food Hall’s large canteen, and the flavor was excellent. Seeing that the jelly noodles Cang Ran scraped out were crystal clear, she found it very rare and proactively placed a small bowl in front of Cang Ran.

Cang Ran saw that Tan Qingxuan was interested. She immediately served Tan Qingxuan a small bowl, mixing the seasoned sauce into it.

Tan Qingxuan picked up a piece with her chopsticks and put it into her mouth. The pea jelly noodles were scraped very thinly and evenly by Cang Ran. They were icy and cool, and mixed with the seasoned sauce, the texture was even more icy, springy, and smooth.

Tan Qingxuan ate a small bowl and asked Cang Ran to serve her a few more pieces: “This much is enough now. Go and call the little hedgehog to eat too. There’s too much to finish.”

Cang Ran nodded: “Okay.”

She went to the side hall to call the little hedgehog. The two demons sat beside Tan Qingxuan, both having good appetites. The large basin of jelly noodles was quickly finished.

Cang Ran served Tan Qingxuan another half-bowl of lotus root soup. The remaining food was swept clean by her and the little hedgehog.

The little hedgehog’s stomach was bulging from eating. She rubbed her belly and said: “It was too delicious, Great King! I’ve never had such delicious jelly noodles!”

Cang Ran saw the little hedgehog’s figure getting rounder and thought it was time for her to lose weight. She handed her the cleaned food container: “Take this and give it to the cooking cultivator Fang Yuegui at the Spiritual Food Hall. Walk a couple of extra rounds before you come back.”

“Okay, Great King!” The little hedgehog wiped her mouth, picked up the food container, and quickly darted off to deliver it to the cooking cultivator Fang Yuegui.

After lunch, Cang Ran and Tan Qingxuan walked around Fuyao Hall a few times to help with digestion. Tan Qingxuan was prone to sleepiness during pregnancy, so Cang Ran lay down on the bed with her.

The pillow on the bed was the one she had given Tan Qingxuan before, which Tan Qingxuan used every day. Cang Ran placed her own pillow nearby and lay down beside her, fully clothed.

Tan Qingxuan held her hand, tucking it into her embrace, and soon closed her eyes peacefully.

Cang Ran couldn’t quite fall asleep. She looked down at Tan Qingxuan’s lower abdomen. The clothing was loose, so it wasn’t very obvious, only a slight curve could be seen.

Was this really how she had a baby? Everything happened so fast. She hadn’t prepared herself to be a mother yet, but she also felt an indescribable excitement.

Cang Ran looked at the sleeping Tan Qingxuan. Her appearance was incredibly beautiful. Her nose bridge was high and delicate, and her lips were lovely. She wondered if the baby would inherit Tan Qingxuan’s icy grace and jade bones.

Cang Ran quietly reached out, tentatively unfastening Tan Qingxuan’s sash.

Tan Qingxuan was fast asleep. Cang Ran’s cheeks were slightly hot. She unfastened the inner clothing ties and slid her fingers inside, wanting to feel the baby.

A pale, jade-like hand suddenly caught her wrist.

Tan Qingxuan’s low, husky voice rang in her ear: “You lustful fox.”

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