Chapter 283 – Princess of the Prairie Rules the World – It’s So Good to Have You (08)
One thing at a time—after settling the emotional issues, Bai Tang looked up and found twelve little lambs crowding around him, bleating softly, their dewy eyes filled with worry.
Bai Tang smiled at them. “I’m fine now. Sorry to have worried you.”
Meanwhile, Rong Ningjing was advising Tuoba Jingyao to thicken his skin. People from the Central Plains were different from those of the grasslands—they cared more about saving face. As the one being pursued, Bai Tang was surely waiting for the suitor to make the first move. What, did Tuoba expect him to say something like, “I’m upset, come comfort me,” or “I want a hug”?
“That cutie is clearly the shy and reserved type. You can’t expect him to be the one to take initiative,” Rong Ningjing said to Tuoba Jingyao.
“But… Tang Tang has actually said he wanted a hug…” Tuoba mumbled.
Rong Ningjing, mid-sip from her water, choked at that sentence.
Cough cough! “W–What did you just say…?” she asked in disbelief. “When did that happen…?”
Tuoba Jingyao didn’t answer her question—which was probably for the best. If Bai Tang found out, Tuoba might be single for life.
The pleasures of the boudoir weren’t exactly for casual gossip.
Tuoba Jingyao simply said, “That’s not important. Your job is to teach me how to coax Tang Tang.”
“Fine,” Rong Ningjing muttered. “Stir up my curiosity and then refuse to tell me anything. Stingy…”
It was already late autumn. At the current rate, it would be difficult for the sick lambs to recover before the migration.
Once they migrated, space would be limited. Unlike spring, summer, or early autumn, the herds wouldn’t be able to roam freely. The sheep and cattle would have to be penned in. If the sick lambs were kept together with the healthy ones, the illness would just spread again—something that deeply worried the entire tribe.
Bai Tang had thought about this problem too. Although he could use his ability to heal the sick lambs, Qiu’er and Xiao A both objected.
There were just too many sick lambs—how could Bai Tang handle them all?
In the end, after a discussion between one person and two systems, Bai Tang exchanged his accumulated points for a special medicine that could quickly cure the lambs.
Because the medicine was both highly effective and expensive, it cost 500 points, which made Qiu’er feel extremely distressed.
Xiao A tried to comfort him. “The host is doing a good deed—not only saving the lambs’ lives, but also helping to protect the tribe. When this world is settled, we’ll earn even more points.”
Qiu’er understood that logic, but losing half of their main storyline points in one go still hurt.
“…Alright then,” Qiu’er reluctantly agreed.
The illness in the lamb herd was already common knowledge. If they suddenly recovered all at once, it would definitely raise suspicion.
So Bai Tang asked Qiu’er and Xiao A to control the dosage—mixing the medicine into the sheep’s regular treatment. That way, the effects wouldn’t be immediate, but the lambs would gradually get better each day. Within a week, the disease would be completely eradicated.
Since Bai Tang and Tuoba Jingyao were currently in a cold war, Bai Tang had moved back into his own tent at night.
For several days in a row, Tuoba Jingyao followed closely behind Bai Tang. Anytime Bai Tang tried to do something—like pulling weeds or feeding the sheep—Tuoba would rush ahead to do it for him.
This was something Rong Ningjing had taught him: if you’ve made a mistake, you need to let the other person see that you’re trying to make it right. Of course, you couldn’t just say it outright—letting them witness it with their own eyes was far more effective than bragging about it.
To this, Bai Tang only responded with a cold snort, then turned and walked back to his tent with a slight upward curve at the corner of his lips.
Tuoba Jingyao could sense that Bai Tang’s attitude toward him was starting to soften. As expected, Rong Ningjing’s method worked.
That night, Tuoba Jingyao stood guard outside Bai Tang’s tent. He knew Tang Tang was afraid of the dark, so he had brought him several oil lamps. Still worried that Tang Tang might have another nightmare, he didn’t dare leave, instead pulling up a small stool and sitting right outside the tent.
Inside, Bai Tang lay with his eyes open, staring at the ceiling of the tent. He had insomnia—without his man holding him to sleep, he just didn’t feel right.
He tilted his head toward the entrance. There was a shadow on the tent’s surface—he knew it was Tuoba Jingyao.
But they were still in a cold war. If he opened his mouth now and asked him to come in and sleep with him… that didn’t seem very appropriate either.
Bai Tang grew frustrated.
Wasn’t this guy always sneaking into his room in the past? Why was he suddenly being so well-behaved in this lifetime?
Bai Tang pouted and pulled out some nuts from his small storage pouch to munch on. Nuts were still better—they suited his taste more than his clueless husband did.
In the middle of the night, Bai Tang still couldn’t fall asleep. He tried to call out to the two systems with his mind, only to find Qiu’er and Xiao A curled up together, fast asleep.
Originally, Bai Tang had wanted to consult them, but the sight completely stunned him.
Even the systems had paired off, and yet his own man still hadn’t gotten a clue. It was infuriating.
That’s what he thought, anyway. But despite his annoyance, Bai Tang still grabbed his cloak and tiptoed outside.
A head peeked out from behind the tent flap. Holding his breath, the young man looked toward Tuoba Jingyao, who had fallen asleep leaning against the tent.
The night wind was chilly. Sleeping outside without even a blanket—what if he caught a cold?
Despite everything, Bai Tang still cared. He quietly lifted the flap and gently laid his cloak over Tuoba Jingyao’s body.
But just as he was pulling his hand back, another hand reached out and grabbed his.
People who practiced martial arts tended to be light sleepers—especially Tuoba Jingyao, who had the constant thought of protecting Bai Tang. If anything happened inside the tent, he would rush in right away.
“Why are you still awake, Tang Tang?” Tuoba Jingyao asked as he moved, causing the cloak to slip off his body and fall to the ground.
Looking at the cloak lying there, Tuoba Jingyao immediately understood.
A smile crept across his face, genuine joy lighting up his features.
“Tang Tang’s worried about me,” he said confidently.
Caught red-handed, Bai Tang refused to admit it and stammered, “I—I just came out to go to the bathroom. I wasn’t worried about you at all. I—I’m going back to bed now.”
Tuoba Jingyao quickly followed. Rong Ningjing had taught him: if Bai Tang’s attitude began to soften and he showed concern, it was the perfect moment to seize the opportunity and win forgiveness in one go.
Rong Ningjing’s strategies were actually quite similar to leading troops or managing a tribe. Tuoba Jingyao, being clever, had quickly grasped the essence of it.
At the tent entrance, he gently said to Bai Tang, “Go back in, quickly. It’s cold out here. You’re not strong—don’t catch a cold. Cover yourself well when you sleep…”
This move was called: Playing the victim to gain sympathy.
Sure enough, when Bai Tang heard Tuoba Jingyao’s words of concern, he looked back at him. The other man was dressed lightly, and in this cold weather, a breeze like that would definitely make him sick.
Bai Tang’s heart softened, and he said, “Come in. If you get sick, Master Xin will scold me again.”
Over the past few days, Master Xin had noticed the cold war between the young couple and had been putting in a lot of good words for Tuoba Jingyao.
Tuoba Jingyao was, after all, a child raised under Master Xin’s watchful eye. Now he was also the leader of the tribe—the youngest and most capable leader in their history. He had set his heart on Bai Tang. If something happened to Bai Tang, or if Bai Tang insisted on leaving him, Tuoba Jingyao might do something drastic, abandoning the tribe to follow after him. What would they do then?
The Tuoba family had always been deeply emotional. The previous chieftain—Tuoba Jingyao’s father—had fallen ill from grief after the death of Tuoba’s mother and eventually followed her in death.
Thanks to the combined persuasion efforts of Master Xin, Rong Ningjing, Aqi, and the others—and because Bai Tang himself didn’t truly want to separate from Tuoba Jingyao and had long since forgiven him in his heart—they managed to ease the tension.
After all, this was the husband he had pampered and loved through more than ten worlds. Even if his emotional intelligence was lower in this world, Bai Tang couldn’t exactly return him. As for finding a different lover—he wasn’t interested. He just liked this one. What could he do about it? If his man couldn’t love him properly, then he’d just pamper him instead.
Tuoba Jingyao beamed as he followed Bai Tang back into the tent. The bedding had been turned back when Bai Tang got up earlier, and after standing outside chatting for a while, the blanket had grown cold.
Tuoba touched it—no warmth left.
“Tang Tang will get cold sleeping like this…” he murmured to himself. Then, without hesitation, he took off his outer garment, pulled Bai Tang into the bed, and slid under the covers with him.
The moment he wrapped his arms around the young man, Tuoba Jingyao felt like he had finally come back to life.
These past few days without Bai Tang in his arms had left everything feeling off—whatever he did, he couldn’t focus. His heart was constantly tied in knots, worried the boy might run off.
Bai Tang had felt the same. Without falling asleep in his man’s arms, he couldn’t rest properly. The dark circles under his eyes were obvious, making Tuoba Jingyao ache with guilt and worry.
“I promise I won’t do anything while Tang Tang’s asleep. I’m just here to warm the bed. You sleep,” Tuoba Jingyao whispered solemnly.
Bai Tang gave him a glare, but his voice was soft as cotton. “You said it~”
He lowered his head and let himself relax. When he realized Tuoba Jingyao was really being well-behaved—just hugging him without even a goodnight kiss—he couldn’t help muttering his thoughts out loud: “I wouldn’t mind you doing other things, though… A hug or a kiss wouldn’t hurt…”
Tuoba Jingyao had excellent hearing. The moment he heard the young man’s quiet mumble, his mind instantly lit up.
He pressed a kiss to the top of the boy’s head. “Goodnight, Tang Tang.”
Bai Tang had already stopped expecting anything from Tuoba Jingyao, so this unexpected surprise filled him with delight. Qiu’er was right—only through some tempering would his man finally start to figure things out.
His heart was sweet and warm as he softly whispered, “Goodnight~”
On the sixth day of their cold war, the two of them made up—falling asleep in each other’s arms.
Afterward, everyone noticed that the couple had become even more loving and affectionate.
The once brave and aloof chief had now turned into a clingy shadow. Wherever Bai Tang went, Tuoba Jingyao followed. Even if he wasn’t there from the start, the moment Bai Tang appeared somewhere, Tuoba Jingyao would show up within fifteen minutes—without fail.
And not just showing up—he always came bearing little gifts.
For example, this time, when Bai Tang went to the sheep pen to check on the lambs, Tuoba Jingyao arrived carrying a bouquet of flowers he had somehow found and tied together just for him.
Aqi, watching from the side, couldn’t help but exclaim, “Where’d he even find flowers this time of year…”
Rong Ningjing, on the other hand, wore a satisfied expression of “The boy is finally learning.” She grabbed the third wheel Aqi and dragged him off to recheck the lambs.
“Ugh, without Tang Tang, the lambs won’t cooperate with us…”
“Shut it. Are you saying I can’t make them cooperate?”
Aqi’s careless comment had clearly offended Rong Ningjing—was he questioning her professional skills?
Their bickering drew Bai Tang’s attention. He turned toward them and said, “I’ll help too…”
Rong Ningjing quickly waved her hands. “No, no need! You just talk with the chief. Aqi and I can handle it.”
Aqi opened his mouth to say something, but Rong Ningjing clamped a hand over it and dragged him away.
Tuoba Jingyao wrapped his arms around Bai Tang from behind. “The lambs recovered so quickly—it’s all thanks to you, Tang Tang.”
Bai Tang blushed. “It’s nothing, really. Everyone helped~”
“But Tang Tang is amazing,” Tuoba Jingyao said, holding him with satisfaction. “You even got the lambs to take their medicine willingly. It’s so good to have you.”
Author’s Note:
Bai Tang: In this life, let me be the one to spoil you. Now lie down and be good!
Tuoba Jingyao: As you command. (But ends up taking the lead anyway.)