Chapter 277 – Princess of the Prairie Rules the World – A Bonfire Encounter (02)
Under the star-studded night sky, a lively bonfire party was in full swing.
The members of the tribe were celebrating the arrival of a new member and Rong Ningjing’s recovery, bringing out the fine wine they had been saving for a long time.
A bonfire, fine wine, whole roasted lamb, goat’s milk — singing and dancing filled the air.
Bai Tang sat on a wooden stump, watching the tribespeople joyfully dance around the fire. Laughter never left their faces.
Unconsciously, Bai Tang was infected by the cheerful atmosphere and began tapping along to the rhythm of the music.
After exchanging pleasantries with the many tribespeople concerned about her, Rong Ningjing walked over to the resting area — and immediately spotted a handsome boy.
The boy had fair skin and delicate features. Unlike the locals who were weathered from years of wind and rain on the grasslands, he stood out even more with his looks.
Everyone appreciates beauty, and Rong Ningjing was no exception. She guessed that this must be the newcomer to the tribe.
She walked over and greeted Bai Tang warmly. “Hi, why aren’t you dancing with everyone?”
Qiu’er immediately put down the system upgrade manual when it heard the voice. “Tang Tang, it’s the female lead. The female lead has appeared!”
According to the original plot, the heroine of this world had a good heart and wasn’t fake. Aside from the fact that the male and female leads were a canon couple, Bai Tang had a fairly favorable impression of her.
Bai Tang replied, “I don’t know how to dance~”
Rong Ningjing thought the boy’s soft and sweet voice was like the cotton candy she used to eat as a child—fluffy and tender. When he smiled, the little dimples on his cheeks made him look just like a soft, adorable bishounen straight out of a manga.
Delighted, Rong Ningjing couldn’t resist her girlish heart. She reached out and pinched the boy’s slightly chubby, baby-like cheeks.
So smooth, so soft! What kind of treasure boy is this?! she screamed inwardly.
Bai Tang kept his blank expression, completely unable to understand why the heroine, who was talking so nicely a moment ago, had suddenly reached out to pinch his face.
Rong Ningjing was roaring with excitement in her heart — So cute, so silly! — while the corners of her mouth curled into an even bigger smile.
Xiao A explained, “Host, you’ve successfully caught the heroine’s attention. Don’t doubt it — after scanning, we’ve confirmed that this is indeed the heroine’s personality in this world.”
Qiu’er was extremely upset. How could the heroine just pinch Tang Tang’s face like that?! He had never done that himself, and now she did it on their first meeting!
After confirming that the heroine didn’t harbor any ill intent toward Bai Tang, Xiao A quickly reached out to restrain Qiu’er, who was clearly about to roll up his sleeves for a fight. “Qiu’er, calm down — the male lead is still around.”
What Xiao A meant was: If you get into a fight with the heroine now, you won’t have the energy to deal with the male lead when he shows up later.
But Qiu’er misunderstood completely. His eyes lit up.
Oh, right! The male lead is still here. If he saw the heroine pinching Bai Tang’s face, wouldn’t he get insanely jealous? Then the heroine would never get close to Tang Tang again.
Qiu’er didn’t actually dislike the heroine; he was just a little jealous. He had been bound to Bai Tang for so long and hadn’t even gotten that close to him, yet this heroine had already pinched Bai Tang’s face the very first time they met! It was driving him, the system, crazy.
Qiu’er threw a pebble toward Tuoba Jingyao. As the tribe’s top warrior, his reputation was no joke — just before the stone hit the table, Tuoba Jingyao caught it effortlessly.
He opened his palm and rubbed the smooth pebble. If someone had meant to harm him, the stone would’ve been sharp. This one was rounded — at most it could cause a bruise, not real injury.
Tuoba Jingyao looked in the direction the stone had come from. Over there, the bonfire blazed and singing continued.
He had excellent eyesight. Most people were dancing around the fire, but seated near it were two people.
After Bai Tang and Rong Ningjing introduced themselves, they found they got along quite well.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over them.
They both turned their heads — and saw a tall, dignified man standing behind them.
Rong Ningjing searched the original host’s memory and instantly recognized him.
The tribe leader! Wasn’t he the one who never liked to join in on events? Why had he come over?
A wave of pressure hit her. Rong Ningjing was just a minor character, but standing in front of the imposing Tuoba Jingyao, she couldn’t even get her words out properly.
“Ch-Chi..Chief…”
“Mm.” Although Tuoba Jingyao responded to Rong Ningjing, his eyes remained fixed on the young boy.
For some reason, the moment he saw the boy, he felt an overwhelming urge to pull him into his arms.
To avoid scaring him off, Tuoba Jingyao forced himself to hold back.
“What’s your name?” the man asked. His deep, magnetic voice was pleasant to hear, but combined with his expressionless, stern face, it came across more like he was interrogating a suspect.
“He’s Bai Tang, a new member who joined the tribe today,” Rong Ningjing quickly answered, worried that Bai Tang’s direct gaze at the chief might be seen as disrespectful and cause him to be thrown out.
“I wasn’t asking you.”
Rong Ningjing felt crushed under the weight of Tuoba Jingyao’s imposing presence, her breath growing shallow and her face paling.
A moment later, Tuoba Jingyao noticed that Bai Tang’s face was equally pale, and he seemed to realize that he might have frightened the boy.
He softened his voice as much as possible. “Bai Tang, is it? That’s a lovely name. May I call you Tang Tang?”
Bai Tang wasn’t pale because of Tuoba Jingyao — it was due to his prolonged time soaked in river water, which had weakened his body.
“You may~” the boy replied, his soft, sweet voice flowing into Tuoba Jingyao’s ears like honey.
“The lamb here isn’t done roasting yet. The ones on my side are cooked — why don’t you come eat something with me?” Tuoba Jingyao invited, his gaze sharp and unwavering on the boy.
“Sure~” Bai Tang placed his hand into Tuoba Jingyao’s open palm and let himself be pulled to his feet.
He’s so small… Tuoba Jingyao thought. Not only were his hands tiny, but his whole frame was petite.
Standing up, Bai Tang barely reached Tuoba Jingyao’s chest. His fair, delicate hand stood in stark contrast to Tuoba Jingyao’s healthy, sun-bronzed skin.
Tuoba Jingyao subtly ran his fingers over the boy’s soft skin. He recalled that Bai Tang had been rescued from the river — soaking in cold water this time of year must have left his body frail. He definitely needed some nourishment.
Before leaving, Bai Tang turned to Rong Ningjing, who was still stunned by Tuoba Jingyao’s surprising tenderness, and said, “Ningjing, would you like to come have some roast lamb with us?”
Through their earlier conversation, Bai Tang had grown even more fond of the heroine. He had tentatively concluded that she truly was a good person — someone who could be a friend. And in his opinion, good things should be shared among friends. So he invited Rong Ningjing to enjoy roast lamb with them.
Of course, his husband was not for sharing. That was non-negotiable.
“N-no, I’ll stay here and watch over the lamb on this side,” Rong Ningjing stammered, hastily making up an excuse. There was no way she dared accept — Tuoba Jingyao’s icy stare alone was enough to make her knees weak.
“All right then,” Bai Tang said with a smile before walking off with Tuoba Jingyao.
The bonfire was a fair distance from the chief’s tent. Tuoba Jingyao, used to swift and decisive action, initially took long strides, but after a few steps, he noticed the boy couldn’t keep up with his pace. He deliberately slowed down to walk alongside him.
“It’s hard to see the path in the dark — let’s take it slow,” Tuoba Jingyao said gently, supporting the boy as they walked.
The two were very close. A strong arm wrapped securely around him, and the scent of masculine pheromones unique to his man drifted into Bai Tang’s nose, making him feel a little light-headed.
Wanting a breath of fresh air, Bai Tang tried to pull away slightly. “I can walk on my own~”
Tuoba Jingyao didn’t want to ignore the boy’s wishes. After all, he had just found the person he had dreamed of for so long — the last thing he wanted was to scare him off.
But in the dim light, the little squirrel couldn’t see clearly. He had assumed the grassland was all flat, but as soon as Tuoba Jingyao let go, Bai Tang’s foot caught on a medium-sized rock, and he stumbled forward.
Startled, Tuoba Jingyao quickly pulled the boy into his arms.
“Are you okay? Did you hurt your foot?” he asked, heart aching as he looked at Bai Tang’s face, which had grown even paler than before.
“No~” Bai Tang said, still shaken. Thankfully, his man was there to catch him.
“It’s too dark to see clearly. Let me carry you,” Tuoba Jingyao said — and without waiting for a reply, scooped him up in his arms.
Caught off guard, Bai Tang let out a surprised cry and instinctively wrapped his arms around Tuoba Jingyao’s shoulders and neck.
Tuoba Jingyao liked this kind of reaction from Bai Tang. For once, the man’s usually expressionless face actually broke into a smile. Bai Tang, flustered, became even more embarrassed — especially since people kept passing by on their way back, casting surprised looks at the sight.
The little squirrel, easily shy, had no choice but to bury his face into Tuoba Jingyao’s solid chest.
Feeling the boy’s closeness, Tuoba Jingyao’s heart lit up like fireworks during a New Year’s celebration.
He strode purposefully toward his tent, the smile never leaving his face — so much so that the tribespeople were shocked and amazed.
So the chief who’s never shown interest in women… turns out he likes boys?
Amidst curious and inquisitive gazes, the two finally reached their destination.
Tuoba Jingyao gently set the boy down. He was about to let him sit, but when his eyes landed on the bare, rough wooden stool nearby, his brows furrowed in displeasure.
He took out the softest, most comfortable blanket he had traded for with traveling merchants last year, laid it over the hard wooden stump, and gave it a few pats. Once he was sure it had some cushioning, he gently helped the boy sit down.
Bai Tang was now seated in the chief’s spot, leaving Tuoba Jingyao with no seat.
So, he simply sat on the ground, right beside Bai Tang. Compared to the boy, the tribal chief Tuoba Jingyao now looked a full head shorter — yet he didn’t mind at all. As long as he could be close to the boy, he was happy.
“The roast lamb is ready.” Tuoba Jingyao carved off the most tender cut — the sirloin from the upper part of the hind leg — and offered it to Bai Tang.
Although Bai Tang wasn’t particularly fond of meat, it was their first meeting, and his man had gone out of his way to offer him the best. Bai Tang felt he had to show some appreciation.
He accepted it, softly saying, “Thank you,” and then began nibbling at it in small bites.
The lamb carried a bit of gaminess, but it was also rich with its original flavor. Paired with the specially prepared sauce, even Bai Tang — who usually didn’t enjoy meat — gave face by finishing the entire portion.
Tuoba Jingyao was about to cut more meat for him, but Bai Tang stopped him. “It’s okay, I’m full.”
A trace of worry flashed in Tuoba Jingyao’s eyes. If he gets full after eating so little, his constitution must be terribly weak. The harsh winter wasn’t far off — how would the boy make it through?
Author’s Note:
Rong Ningjing: Life is too hard. Do you know what I’ve been through? Chief, give me back my cutie!