The jet-black horse, with only a white lightning streak on its face, tossed its head and nuzzled her affectionately.
"It's me, Mistress. Finally, a human can understand me! I'm so excited, *sob sob*..."
Lu Qingwan: ...
She felt like she was about to split apart!
A tall horse, nearly as tall as her when standing, could it please refrain from whimpering?
Moreover, its voice came in two streams, directly into Lu Qingwan's ears and mind. Her ears received the horse's proud neigh, while her mind heard a coarse voice whimpering. She was on the verge of a mental breakdown!
She slapped the horse on its head. "Speak properly."
Lu Qingwan was still reeling from the shock of being able to communicate with a horse. To verify she wasn't dreaming, she asked softly, "What's your name? What was it that hit the carriage earlier?"
After being patted on the head by Lu Qingwan, the horse no longer whimpered. Its voice, however, carried a joy that Lu Qingwan couldn't quite grasp.
"Replying to Mistress, my name is Lightning. You can call me Shanshan, or Dian Dian~ The other day, Master wanted to call you to eat together, but he was afraid of disturbing your internal energy cultivation, so he pushed that silly fellow onto the carriage!"
Since it couldn't whimper, it tried its best to sound melodious and graceful. Lu Qingwan felt like waves were forming in her mind.
She pouted speechlessly and used her divine sense to ask Da Bai, "Da Bai, am I able to understand Lightning's words because the space laboratory is acting up?"
"Isn't it a reward from you expanding the space laboratory's database with your internal energy?"
Da Bai, as always, sounded half-asleep. "Stupid woman, have you already forgotten?"
Lu Qingwan: ...
How could she forget? It was just that at the time, she thought the space laboratory's reward was only the experimental problem and the ability to understand Da Bai. Who knew she could understand Lightning's words too?
Thinking of something, she excitedly asked Da Bai, "So, can I understand all animals and communicate with them?"
"Yes!"
Da Bai rolled over on the console. "Why don't you go and try for yourself? Lord Meow wants to sleep!"
Lu Qingwan was overjoyed and turned to find some small animals to test her new skill. However, she was met with Li Yang's mournful gaze.
Recalling what Lightning had said, she found it amusing. She casually handed him a tube of ointment. "Apply this to your forehead. You'll be fine tomorrow."
Li Yang took the ointment and continued to stare at her mournfully.
Lu Qingwan chuckled. "Alright, I was just starting out and found it all very new. I won't practice cultivation so obsessively again from now on."
Li Yang's eyes brightened, but then he said sheepishly, "How did the Princess Consort know?"
He hadn't mentioned that it was the Prince who didn't dare disturb the Princess Consort's cultivation, which led to him hitting his forehead.
Lu Qingwan certainly couldn't tell everyone immediately that she could understand animals. She just said mysteriously, "I have foresight!"
After speaking, she walked towards Feng Xi Wu, regardless of Li Yang's reaction.
That man's ears were perked up high, yet when she approached, he pretended to know nothing.
Lu Qingwan found it amusing. Standing behind Feng Xi Wu and looking into the pond, she heard chirping sounds. "Quick, quick, there's lots of delicious food here!"
"But there are also fishhooks. Are those bad humans trying to catch us again..."
Hearing this, Lu Qingwan felt a pang of sadness. If she saw all animals like this in the future, could she still eat meat properly?
With that thought, she said to Feng Xi Wu, "Your Highness, since today's meal is already prepared, let's not go fishing anymore. Otherwise, the other dishes will get cold."
Feng Xi Wu had only used fishing as an excuse. Hearing Lu Qingwan's words, he feigned surprise. "You're not practicing cultivation today?"
Lu Qingwan took the fishing rod and handed it to a nearby shadow guard, pushing the wheelchair back. "Does Your Highness want me to go back and continue practicing?"
Feng Xi Wu, being stubborn, said, "It's good to have martial arts skills to protect yourself."
Lu Qingwan nodded obediently. "Your Highness is right. I'll listen to Your Highness. I'll practice after dinner."
Feng Xi Wu quickly added, "But haste makes waste. Cultivation is not something that can be achieved overnight. It's best to proceed step by step."
After saying this, his ear tips turned red with guilt.
Lu Qingwan mischievously pinched his ear. "Alright, I'll listen to everything Your Highness says. Whatever Your Highness tells me to do, I'll do. In the path of martial arts, Your Highness is my master. If I don't listen to Your Highness, who else should I listen to? Your Highness, don't you agree?"
Her words made Feng Xi Wu blush crimson, and Lu Qingwan laughed heartily.
Feng Xi Wu, embarrassed and angry, grabbed Lu Qingwan's hand, intending to use the same trick again. However, Lu Qingwan had learned her lesson.
"Your Highness, the same trick won't work on me!"
With that, she slipped out of Feng Xi Wu's embrace like a loach and happily ran towards the dining table prepared by the subordinates.
While traveling, Feng Xi Wu still had someone to cook for him and a proper dining table set up.
Five dishes and one soup. Compared to the usual meals in the manor, it wasn't lavish, but for someone traveling, this level of service was already extravagant.
"It's so good to be with Your Highness. We have hot dishes and hot meals even when we're out."
Lu Qingwan sat down next to Feng Xi Wu, taking over Li Su's task, and solicitously handed the soup to him. "Your Highness, please eat."
Feng Xi Wu glanced at her. "A slap followed by a sweet date. The Princess Consort truly has a good method!"
His naturally amorous fox-like eyes, even when looking at you with displeasure, could make you feel like he was sending you a secret glance.
Lu Qingwan, a mere admirer of beauty, after experiencing various events with Feng Xi Wu, had transformed into a pure, shameless flirt. Looking at him like this, in a moment, she surrendered, her resolve completely gone.
Her mouth opened, and a childish voice came out. "Then I'll give you this sweet date. Will Your Highness eat it or not?"
The moment the voice came out, Li Yang was so scared he slapped his hand onto the iron pot of stewed rice. The nearby attendants were dumbfounded.
As for Feng Xi Wu, if the situation were different, he would have transformed into a wolf immediately.
Lu Qingwan's expression was one of horror as she covered her mouth. She could hardly believe that such a childish voice had come from her own mouth.
Although the words were meant to tease, spoken in that childish tone, she felt as if she had truly become a tiny sweet date, ready to be devoured without a trace.
Her lips moved. Lu Qingwan desperately tried to force out a ferocious voice. "You heard nothing just now."
This time, her voice was normal.
Lu Qingwan breathed a sigh of relief. Fearing she might let out that terrifying childish voice again, she deliberately deepened her voice and urged Feng Xi Wu.
"Eat, eat. Why are you saying such scary things out of nowhere?"
She lowered her head and stuffed a mouthful of rice into her mouth, finally feeling like she had returned to normal.
She completely failed to notice the undercurrents in Feng Xi Wu's eyes – a look of predatory certainty, like a beast spotting its prey.