It's because this isn't a real injury that Li Lianhua is free to scold and be amused and impressed. He's all too familiar with Di Feisheng's pride and it's not so meager that it needs an extra boost from him, especially after launching a victorious assault. It can't be that Di-mengzhu has grown so accustomed to a hall full of fawning followers that he finds the welcome he receives in this shabby house beneath him now, can it? If they invite the emperor, His Majesty will be honored by a single glance from this battle-scarred wildcat, to be sure.
But it does look like he might have underestimated the importance of this win, or perhaps Di Feisheng's limit to the indignities he'll take in one afternoon. The panther's maw tenses a hair's breadth from his hand, fangs whetted and a glare sharpening those feline eyes trained on him and it's enough to halt his careless reach for the windchime.
For a moment, the temptation to wrap his hand around the prize and see what the panther will do about it glints in Li Lianhua's eyes to match.
It's just that every prominent line of the panther's features, every readying shift of his muscles beneath the jet-black fur is both so strange and so familiar. And the sheer commanding air of willfulness and defiance so recognizable that Li Lianhua has to laugh, a grin breaking free before he can cover it with the offending hand. How does this man even now find new ways to be so amazingly himself? No one's cat, as it should be.
Li Lianhua straightens with a clearing of his throat, his hands politely folding behind his back, though they don't stay there for very long because he needs one to gesture to the length of Di Feisheng with a complimentary wave like he's a particularly well-built ox at the market. "You should wear this hide more often, Lao Di, it suits you indeed. I wasn't expecting a panther to be so expressive." He finally quells the lopsided grin on his face with a pursing of his lips. "But aren't you even a little bit curious about her sorcery? What if it was a test of something? Of you? Ah, I promise I'll give it back so you can hang it from your dao."
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and impressed. He's all too familiar with Di Feisheng's pride and it's not so meager that it needs an extra boost from him, especially after launching a victorious assault. It can't be that Di-mengzhu has grown so accustomed to a hall full of fawning followers that he finds the welcome he receives in this shabby house beneath him now, can it? If they invite the emperor, His Majesty will be honored by a single glance from this battle-scarred wildcat, to be sure.But it does look like he might have underestimated the importance of this win, or perhaps Di Feisheng's limit to the indignities he'll take in one afternoon. The panther's maw tenses a hair's breadth from his hand, fangs whetted and a glare sharpening those feline eyes trained on him and it's enough to halt his careless reach for the windchime.
For a moment, the temptation to wrap his hand around the prize and see what the panther will do about it glints in Li Lianhua's eyes to match.
It's just that every prominent line of the panther's features, every readying shift of his muscles beneath the jet-black fur is both so strange and so familiar. And the sheer commanding air of willfulness and defiance so recognizable that Li Lianhua has to laugh, a grin breaking free before he can cover it with the offending hand. How does this man even now find new ways to be so amazingly himself?
No one's cat, as it should be.Li Lianhua straightens with a clearing of his throat, his hands politely folding behind his back, though they don't stay there for very long because he needs one to gesture to the length of Di Feisheng with a complimentary wave like he's a particularly well-built ox at the market. "You should wear this hide more often, Lao Di, it suits you indeed. I wasn't expecting a panther to be so expressive." He finally quells the lopsided grin on his face with a pursing of his lips. "But aren't you even a little bit curious about her sorcery? What if it was a test of something? Of you? Ah, I promise I'll give it back so you can hang it from your dao."