Chapter 43: Your Dad Will Always Be Your Dad

Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Your Dad Will Always Be Your Dad

"Who says no one can control the Little City Lord?" Feng Si lowered her hand and slowly walked over to the sofa. She sat down, her eyes glancing over the food on the table.

Mao Yang froze for a moment, then turned to look at Feng Si. "Who else is there?"

Feng Si said, "His father."

She smiled at everyone. "He’s just the Little City Lord. He still has to listen to his father, the City Lord Beastman, doesn’t he?"

Everyone: "!!"

Everyone was shocked. A look of sudden realization dawned on Mao Yang’s face. "That’s right! But the City Lord dotes on my cousin. How are you going to convince him to help you?"

Feng Si leaned forward, her expression sincere and her jet-black eyes perfectly calm. "Don’t worry. As long as you can take me to see the City Lord, I’m confident I can handle it."

’Wouldn’t that mean going against my cousin?’ A flicker of hesitation crossed Mao Yang’s eyes.

Feng Si, noticing this, lowered her gaze.

’That’s right. People generally wouldn’t agree to something like this, especially when it’s a request from a stranger they’ve just met and it doesn’t concern them.’

Feng Si’s eyes glinted. She looked up at Mao Yang again, her clear voice holding a hint of temptation. "To show my sincerity, I won’t ask you to help me for free. You can have the one hundred and ten thousand coins from before, and I’ll cover your personal supply of pickled cabbage in the future."

As she spoke, Feng Si took the bag of coins and placed it back on the table. "All you need to do is take me to see the City Lord. You won’t have to do anything else."

Mao Yang glanced at the jar of pickled cabbage. She was very tempted. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

It was difficult for others to get an audience with Niu Ding City Lord, but it was incredibly easy for her. All she had to do was act cute with the Lady of the City.

She bit her lip. "But I don’t want the pickled cabbage. I want you to save me one portion of whatever you’re selling at your stall every day. I’ll pay for it and send someone to pick it up. If you agree to that, I’ll take you to the City Lord Mansion."

"Alright," Feng Si agreed with a nod.

Mao Yang then got up and walked aside. She spoke into her communicator on the enclosed balcony for a moment. When she returned, she lifted her chin slightly. "Let’s go. My aunt and her family are eating right now, so they have time. I’ll take you in."

Feng Si then asked to borrow two jars of pickled cabbage, a portion of pan-fried meat, and a portion of stew from the others at the table. The other sub-females, sympathetic to Feng Si’s dangerous predicament, agreed.

Carrying the wooden box, she followed Mao Yang out the main gate. A three-meter-tall, snow-white rabbit carrying a palanquin on its back was crouched by the entrance. It was a male beast servant from Mao Yang’s family.

When the white rabbit servant saw the two of them, it immediately lowered its body and lay prostrate on the ground, making it easier for the females to board. As Mao Yang climbed into the palanquin, she commanded, "To the City Lord Mansion."

Inside were a table and three chairs. Feng Si followed silently behind Mao Yang. After boarding the palanquin, she sat down on one of the cushioned chairs, the wooden box in her hand.

The four corners of the palanquin were entwined with fresh flowers, its walls were carved with openwork designs, and from each corner hung pale white gauze curtains. It was well-ventilated and carried the faint scent of blossoms.

Unfortunately, Feng Si was in no mood to appreciate it.

The street scenery receded past them. Feng Si took out a black headscarf in the gentle breeze, placed it on her head behind her wolf ears, adjusted it for a moment, and finally tied it in a knot beneath her chin.

Mao Yang watched her. Seeing that Feng Si still had the presence of mind to fix her appearance, she couldn’t help but worry and offered a reminder, "Feng Si, the City Lord isn’t that easy to talk to. You need to be prepared for the consequences of completely offending my cousin if you fail."

After making sure her wolf ears looked alright against her black hair, Feng Si’s crimson lips parted. "Yes. No matter what happens, I’ll be fine."

’But you’re not a true female, you don’t have immunity!’ Faced with such a composed Feng Si, Mao Yang had the urge to grab her by the shoulders and shake her awake.

’Then again,’ she thought, ’it’s not like I’m that close to this sub-female. Why should I care so much?’

Led by Mao Yang, Feng Si entered the main doors of the City Lord Mansion without needing to be inspected or announced. They soon arrived at the dining hall on the fourth floor.

The City Lord and the Lady of the City looked surprisingly young. A sub-female Maid stood in the corner, ever-watchful of her masters’ needs. The couple, however, didn’t seem to have much of an appetite and were eating very slowly.

The Lady of the City, Mao Xianing, looked up and saw the figures at the entrance. She smiled and beckoned to Mao Yang. "Come here, let me get a look at you. It feels like I haven’t seen you in ages, and you’ve gotten even prettier."

Mao Yang trotted over to the dining table and affectionately sat down beside Mao Xianing. "I missed you too, Auntie. Mother says she misses you, too."

Mao Xianing smiled and gently tapped Mao Yang on the nose. Her eyes then shifted to Feng Si, who was standing behind. She sized up the wolf ears on her head. "Who is she? Did you bring her in?"

Feng Si was observing the dining table. On it were fresh greens, along with the usual roasted and stewed meats.

Hearing the question, she stepped up to the table. With a perfectly calibrated smile, she lifted the lid of her wooden box to reveal the food inside. "I am the sub-female Feng Si, from Thirteen Seats in the South District. I have brought a few special dishes for you to try."

She made no mention of the Little City Lord’s oppression, instead placing the food on the table first. Amidst the monotonous display of primitive stews, the platter of pan-seared meat was a feast for the senses—perfect in color, aroma, and presentation.

This instantly made the aloof Lady of the City swallow the disdainful words she was about to say.

The City Lord, Niu Ding, sat at the table, his square face stern and imposing. When the new aroma suddenly wafted through the air, his large nostrils flared, and his wide eyes fixed on the source.

Suddenly, the bloody meat in his own bowl seemed impossible to swallow.

He commanded, "Bring that over here! Let me have a taste."

The sub-female Maid in the corner immediately stepped forward and carefully placed the food Feng Si had brought before the City Lord.

The Lady of the City elegantly picked up her chopsticks and reached for the plate of golden-brown meat, but before she could—

Niu Ding shot out a hand, snatched the white platter, and, tilting his head back, poured the entire contents into his mouth.

He had two stomachs, one of which could hold a great deal of food. It was his habit to swallow all the meat first, storing it in one stomach so he could regurgitate it later to savor slowly, ruminant-style.

The Lady of the City’s outstretched hand froze in mid-air, and the corner of her mouth twitched.

Her son was like this, and so was her partner.

’Heaven knows how much frustration the Lady of the City had to endure every time she ate with these two boorish bulls.’

She slammed her chopsticks down in frustration. "You members of the Niu Family are just too much!"

Niu Ding’s large eyes filled with bewilderment. "What’s wrong?"

He looked at his wife, uncomprehending. After a few seconds, he belatedly realized and opened the other, untouched jar of pickled cabbage, placing it before her.

’It wasn’t his fault. Such a tiny plate wasn’t even enough to get stuck in his teeth.’

’If anyone was to blame, it was this wolf-eared sub-female. Presenting food to the City Lord without even bringing a whole horned hog... she had no sense at all.’

After the Lady of the City tasted the pickled cabbage, a look of astonishment flashed in her eyes. Her chopsticks immediately began moving much faster, and her anger at her partner completely vanished in the face of such delicious food.

Niu Ding watched, his own mouth watering. He wanted some, but saw that both jars of pickled cabbage were now next to his wife.

He shot a complaining look at Feng Si. "Why did you only bring this little? It’s not nearly enough."

Feng Si smoothed the hem of her cyan dress, walked to an empty chair at the long dining table, and sat down. Her gaze met Niu Ding’s as she said, "Thank you both for your approval of my cooking. In that case..."