mtl008 Chapter 135 An Encounter with a Spirit Deer
Chapter 135 An Encounter with a Spirit Deer
In the middle of the night, Su Yuning tossed and turned, unable to sleep. So Ye Beichen accompanied her for a walk. As they walked, they unexpectedly encountered a shimmering fawn leaping freely in the forest. This reminded Su Yuning of the nine-colored deer described in books, so she quickened her pace and chased after the fawn. Worried that she might get lost in the forest alone, Ye Beichen followed her.
Panting, Su Yuning caught up with the fawn, only to find that it showed no sign of running away. Instead, it stood firmly in place, its large, bright eyes fixed on her. Just as Su Yuning was filled with surprise, the next second, something unexpected happened—the fawn opened its mouth and asked in a clear, melodious voice, "Miss, did you come here specifically to find me?"
Upon hearing this, Su Yuning was stunned, secretly wondering: How could this little deer speak human language? But she quickly came to her senses and nodded hastily, replying, "Yes, that's exactly right!"
At this moment, the little deer revealed a sweet smile and said softly, "I see. Let me tell you, I have lived in this forest for over five hundred years. I am not an ordinary little deer, but a spirit deer of this forest. It is a great joy to meet you, my lady." As it spoke, its voice was as melodious as a nightingale's song.
“I’m just as happy to meet you. By the way, my name is Su Yuning.” Su Yuning couldn’t contain her curiosity and excitedly replied, then immediately asked, “I saw a strange light emanating from you just now, so I’m particularly curious to know why you can shine like that?”
The little deer tilted its head slightly and explained earnestly, "This is naturally because I am a spirit deer, which is different from those ordinary deer."
Seeing how friendly and patiently the deer answered her questions, Su Yuning grew bolder and asked again, "Then may I ask, do you know the legendary Nine-Colored Deer?"
The little deer blinked and smiled as it replied, "Of course I know it. The nine-colored deer is my ancestor. Young lady, if you promise not to harm me, I'd like to give you a gift in return."
Upon hearing this, Su Yuning quickly patted her chest and assured her, "Don't worry, I will never hurt you. It's just... I'm really curious now, I wonder what kind of gift you're going to give me?" After saying that, she looked at the deer expectantly, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
The fawn smiled sweetly and cheerfully replied, "Come with me!" Then, like a light little sprite, it hopped and skipped forward. Its small figure moved nimbly through the forest and grass, as if performing a graceful dance.
Seeing this, Su Yuning and Ye Beichen quickly followed. Along the way, they laughed and chatted, their mood exceptionally cheerful. After an unknown amount of time, the three of them unknowingly arrived at a cave radiating a mysterious light.
Entering the cave, the sight before them caused Su Yuning and Ye Beichen to gasp in amazement. The cave was filled with a dazzling array of rare and precious treasures, some shimmering with dazzling light, others emitting enchanting fragrances. Among them, a crystal-clear, moon-like luminous pearl caught Su Yuning's eye. Overjoyed, she stepped forward and politely asked the little deer, "Spirit Deer, would you be so kind as to give me that luminous pearl?"
The little deer nodded obediently and said without hesitation, "Of course, no problem! Take it if you like!"
At this moment, Ye Beichen, who was standing to the side, pointed to himself anxiously and asked, "What about me? Don't I have a gift?"
The little deer smiled slightly and replied earnestly, "Of course you can choose a gift too. But... you must keep this a secret for me, and you absolutely cannot tell anyone else about my existence!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Beichen nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking at rice, and solemnly promised, "Don't worry, I will definitely keep my mouth shut!" Only after receiving a positive reply did Xiaolu nod in satisfaction.
Immediately afterward, Ye Beichen began to carefully examine the treasures around him. Finally, his gaze was drawn to a beautifully crafted conch shell. He reached out and gently picked up the conch shell, turning to look at the little deer, his eyes filled with anticipation.
The little deer seemed to understand his thoughts and explained with a smile, "This conch is quite special. When you put it to your ear, you can hear the sound of the surging waves from the depths of the ocean." Hearing this, Ye Beichen was overjoyed and carefully put the conch into his pocket.
"How can we prevent others from discovering the luminous pearl?" Su Yuning blinked her bright eyes and asked the little deer with a face full of curiosity.
The little deer shook its cute little head, thought seriously for a moment, and then said, "We just need to cover the luminous pearl with leaves, but we can't just find any leaves; they have to be leaves from the forest."
"Oh, I see! Thank you so much!" Overjoyed at the answer, Su Yuning's face blossomed into a radiant smile, and she sincerely expressed her gratitude to Xiao Lu.
Time flies, and a new day dawns in the blink of an eye. As the first rays of sunlight filter through the leaves and fall upon the ground, Ye Beichen and Su Yuning remain nestled together, shoulder to shoulder, immersed in a sweet dream, sleeping soundly. Meanwhile, the guards and Xuan Yuan Rong'er have already awakened from their slumber.
Xuan Yuan Rong'er inadvertently noticed that Ye Beichen and Su Yuning were each clutching a treasure that emitted a mysterious light. A strong sense of curiosity welled up in her heart. She leaned forward to examine it carefully, and then asked in confusion, "Where did they get these treasures from?"
The guard shook his head, indicating that he knew nothing about it, and then turned around and began to busy himself preparing to start a fire and cook.
Watching the guards skillfully light the campfire, Xuan Yuan Rong'er went over to help, all the while muttering, "What delicious food are we having for breakfast this morning?"
As the guard skewered mushrooms onto bamboo sticks and placed them over the fire to roast, he replied with a smile, "Don't worry, you won't go hungry. There are delicious roasted mushrooms and fragrant flatbreads too." "I finally got out of town, and this kind of food is too meager! I want to eat roast meat," Xuan Yuan Rong'er replied, looking aggrieved.
The guard's lips curled into a gentle, warm smile, and he said softly, "Then let's set it for noon. After the young mistress wakes up and has her meal, we'll go hunting in the forest together. That way, you'll be able to enjoy some fresh food."
"Mmm! That's a great idea!" Xuan Yuan Rong'er replied with a joyful smile, her bright eyes sparkling with excitement and anticipation.
Not long after, Ye Beichen and Su Yuning also slowly woke up. Actually, it would be more accurate to say they woke up naturally, but rather were awakened by the enticing aroma filling the air. The delicious smell of barbecue wafted over like an invisible hand, gently tickling their noses, making it impossible for them to fall back asleep.
"Hahaha, it really proves the old saying—it's better to wake up at the right time than early! Young lord, young mistress, quickly get up and wash your hands to prepare for the meal!" The guard urged loudly with a smile, his words revealing his concern for the two.
So, Ye Beichen and Su Yuning quickly got up and went outside the cave, finding a clear mountain spring. They squatted down and put their hands into the cool spring water, carefully washing them. The gently flowing spring water seemed to carry the blessing of nature, softly caressing their hands, making them feel incredibly refreshed.
After the two finished washing up, they turned around and went back into the cave, where they sat down with the guards and their wife to enjoy a sumptuous breakfast.
"Wow, this must be cumin mushrooms, right? The taste is absolutely amazing..." Su Yuning asked the guard curiously while enjoying her meal.
“That’s right, young mistress has a good eye! This dish does indeed have a small amount of cumin powder added as a seasoning, which is why it has such a unique flavor.” The guard smiled and nodded, patiently answering Su Yuning’s questions.
However, at this moment, Xuan Yuan Rong'er couldn't help but sigh deeply and muttered plaintively, "Alas, it's a pity that these are all vegetarian barbecues. It would be so much better if they were replaced with fragrant lamb skewers or tender and juicy venison skewers. To be honest, I don't like vegetarian barbecues at all." After saying that, she pouted and looked at the grilled mushrooms in front of her with a dissatisfied expression.
"Oh dear, you little glutton! Ever since you were little, you've had a special fondness for delicious food! We're here on vacation, not to go to a food street full of delicacies, so just make do with what you have for a little while! Hahahaha!" Ye Beichen looked at Xuan Yuan Rong'er in front of him, a teasing smile on his face, and couldn't help but tease her.
Hearing this, Xuan Yuan Rong'er glared at Ye Beichen angrily, her eyes seeming to spit fire. However, she didn't say anything more, just snorted coldly and turned her head away, picking up a skewer of fragrant barbecue and eating it in big bites.
At this moment, Ye Beichen turned his gaze to Su Yuning, who was standing to the side. He said with a doting expression, "My wife, you've always loved mushrooms the most. Here, there are lots of freshly roasted mushrooms. You can have them all!" As he spoke, he thoughtfully handed a pile of golden-brown, crispy, and fragrant mushrooms to Su Yuning.
Su Yuning happily accepted the pile of roasted mushrooms, her beautiful eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter. She sweetly said, "Thank you, my husband, you love me the most! Hehehe... Mwah!" She then blew a kiss to Ye Beichen.
Seeing this, Xuan Yuan Rong'er, who was sitting not far away and engrossed in her meal, immediately felt goosebumps all over her body. She looked up and complained with a dissatisfaction, "Oh my, this is too cheesy! I really can't stand it anymore! Bye-bye!" Before she finished speaking, she put down the food in her hand, picked up the water bottle on the ground, and hurriedly got up and walked outside, seemingly to get some cool and sweet spring water to quench her thirst.
Seeing Xuan Yuan Rong'er leave, the guard who had been standing silently by her side hurriedly followed, calling out as he chased after her, "Wife, wait for me, I'll go with you too, bye-bye!" And so, the two walked out of the house one after the other, leaving Ye Beichen and Su Yuning to continue enjoying their warm and romantic world together.
After breakfast, sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows, and the group began to split up according to plan. The guards, full of energy, headed into the depths of the forest with Su Yuning, ready to embark on an exciting hunt; while on the other side, Xuan Yuan Rong'er skipped and hopped along with Ye Beichen to the outside of the cave, where colorful mushrooms of all shapes and sizes grew.
At this moment, Xuan Yuan Rong'er's bright eyes suddenly noticed a delicate conch shell hanging from Ye Beichen's waist. The conch shell shimmered with a faint luster, making it particularly eye-catching. Filled with curiosity, she couldn't help but ask, "Ye Beichen, that conch shell of yours looks quite nice. Where did you get it?"
However, Ye Beichen merely glanced at her expressionlessly and coldly uttered four words: "No comment." His tone was as if covered with frost, making him unapproachable.
Seeing this, Xuan Yuan Rong'er puffed out her cheeks in anger and complained, "Hey! We've been best friends since we were little, can't you tell me what's going on? Why are you being so secretive! If you have any difficulties or secrets, just tell me directly!"