I just became the Pirate King, and you're telling me I also time-traveled at the same time.

Chapter 1031 You'll be thirsty tonight

"That's worth mentioning," she muttered to herself.

Chu Yang didn't hear clearly: "What?"

"It's nothing."

She sat down anyway.

The fireside was warm and cozy, the aroma of baked flatbread mingling with the smell of pine smoke, inexplicably making one feel at ease. Tang Seng opened a packet of medicinal powder beside her and handed it to her: "This is a muscle-regenerating powder that the monks at the temple gave me before. Although it's not a miraculous medicine, applying some will always make you feel better."

Su Wanwan quickly waved her hand: "No need, I—"

"Take it," Tang Sanzang said gently. "It's nothing valuable."

She had no choice but to accept it, and said softly, "Thank you, Master."

Tang Sanzang smiled but didn't say anything more.

Su Wanwan looked down at the small packet of medicine powder in her hand. The edges of the paper packet were folded neatly, and it carried a faint, refreshing herbal scent. A strange, indescribable feeling of unease welled up inside her.

She's been injured before.

When she was fleeing for her life, the tip of her tail was scraped by rocks. When she was hiding, an arrow from a demon hunter grazed her shoulder. In the dead of night, she hid in a tree hole and licked her wounds. During those times, no one asked her if it hurt, and no one gave her any medicine.

She pursed her lips, put away the medicine packet, and after a while, quietly got up and went to the stream.

Sun Wukong was half-squatting on a rock washing a pot, cursing as he washed, "Who burned the bottom of this pot so black? I've been washing it for ages and I still can't get the black residue off."

"You were the one who ate the most mutton hot pot last night, didn't you make the broth black?" Su Wanwan walked over and squatted down next to him. "Let me see."

Sun Wukong looked at her suspiciously: "You really know how to wash?"

"meeting."

"Don't get your hands all soaked again."

"What kind of pampered young lady do you take me for?"

She took the pot, rolled up her sleeves slightly, dipped her fingertips in water, and gently wiped the bottom of the pot. A faint trace of demonic power seeped in along the watermark, and the black grime immediately loosened. Of course, she didn't dare to make it too obvious, but pretended to use a clever touch along the lines of the pot's surface, and in a few quick strokes, she had the bottom of the pot shiny.

Sun Wukong was taken aback: "You're actually quite skilled."

"I told you I would."

"From now on, you'll be in charge of washing all the pots and pans."

"You wish!"

As the two were talking, a gray rabbit suddenly darted out from the opposite bank of the stream, its ears perked up, and it dashed into the pine forest in the blink of an eye. Sun Wukong's eyes lit up, and he shoved the pot into Su Wanwan's hands: "You hold this for me, let's catch a rabbit to add to the meal!"

"Feed—"

His figure flashed and he was gone.

Su Wanwan held the pot, stunned for a long time, before finally bursting into laughter.

When she carried the pan back, Chu Yang was flipping the last pancake he had baked. Seeing her return, he glanced at the pan first, then at her.

"Where's Monkey King?"

"He went to chase rabbits."

"How did you end up with that pot?"

"I washed it while I was at it."

Chu Yang frowned: "Didn't I tell you to rest?"

"Washing a pot counts as work?" Su Wanwan put the pot aside and said deliberately, "I'm a servant now, so I have to do something, otherwise I'd feel ashamed to accept it."

"You're quite a dedicated servant."

"Of course."

Chu Yang stared at her for a couple of seconds, then suddenly handed her the freshly baked pancake: "Okay, here's one as a reward for you."

"Are you trying to fool me?"

"Don't give it back to me."

"Who said no?"

Su Wanwan immediately took it and took a bite. The edges of the pastry were crispy, while the middle was soft, with a subtle salty aroma. She ate with her head down, not noticing the slight upturn of Chu Yang's lips.

We continued our journey in the afternoon, and the mountain road became increasingly narrow.

The trees on both sides grew taller, their branches intertwining and cutting the sunlight into tiny, fragmented pieces. Occasionally, a breeze would blow through, and a rustling sound would echo through the woods, like countless people whispering.

The road was difficult to travel, and Tang Sanzang's physical strength was not as good as theirs, so he walked a little slower.

Su Wanwan wanted to step forward and help him up, but she was afraid that getting too close would make Tang Sanzang uncomfortable. She hesitated for a moment, and the white dragon horse slowed down and nuzzled Tang Sanzang's arm. Tang Sanzang smiled, stroked its mane, and rested for a while while holding the reins.

Chu Yang walked ahead and suddenly raised his hand to push aside a clump of thorny bushes by the roadside.

"This way," he said, turning back. "The rocks ahead are slippery, so take a detour."

He was clearly speaking to Tang Sanzang, but after everyone went around, Su Wanwan realized that he had broken off all the thorny branches, leaving a path just wide enough for one person, so that her skirt wouldn't get caught at all.

She walked over silently and gently touched the broken branch with her finger.

As darkness fell, they settled down at an abandoned mountain temple.

The temple was small, its walls mottled, and half of the face of the deity's statue had peeled off, but the offering table was still relatively intact. Outside the door stood an old locust tree, its roots emerging from the cracks in the rocks, twisted and tangled in a chaotic mess. As dusk fell, the surroundings seemed even more desolate, with the occasional cry of a night bird drifting from afar.

Upon entering, Sun Wukong immediately expressed his disdain: "Is this a place to live?"

"It's better than that drafty, dilapidated shed from yesterday." Chu Yang tossed the bundle onto the offering table. "At least it has walls on all four sides."

"There are walls and bugs."

"If an insect bites you, will a piece of flesh fall off?"

"No, but it's annoying to look at."

The two continued their usual bickering.

Just as Su Wanwan was about to start a fire, Chu Yang took out the flint and tossed it to her: "You can start a fire, but you're not allowed to steal the firewood."

"Who stole your firewood?"

"Let's make this clear first, so you don't feel like you're not a good enough servant later."

Su Wanwan was speechless, having been choked by his words. She took the flint and squatted down in the corner of the temple to start a fire. Her movements were actually quite swift; she gathered some dry grass, flicked it lightly with her fingertips, and the flames hissed up. Afraid of attracting attention too quickly, she deliberately lingered a few moments.

Once the fire is lit, the temple becomes much brighter.

Tang Sanzang retrieved the scriptures and sat under the offering table, reciting them silently by the firelight. Sun Wukong, seemingly out of nowhere, pulled out a small bundle of mushrooms, slapped them on the ground, and said proudly, "Look, we've got some fresh mushrooms tonight!"

"Are you sure it's not poisonous?" Chu Yang asked.

"Fiery Eyes—oh, let's not talk about that now." Sun Wukong waved his hand, "Anyway, they're edible."

Chu Yang still didn't entirely trust them, picking out two of the most ordinary ones and throwing away the rest that were too brightly colored. Sun Wukong stamped his foot in disbelief, exclaiming, "Those are the ones that smell the best!"

"You'll be so fragrant you'll die."

Su Wanwan sat by the fire washing mushrooms, listening to the two arguing as she did so. Suddenly, she felt that this mountain god temple wasn't so desolate after all. The firelight reflected off the broken walls, flickering gently, and the wind seeped in through the cracks in the door, causing the flames to sway softly. The white donkey lay by the door chewing grass, and the white dragon horse stood under a tree snorting. In the stillness of the world, there was an indescribable sense of peace.

After dinner, Tang Sanzang, as usual, chanted scriptures for a while before resting. Sun Wukong, finding the temple stuffy, climbed a tree to keep watch. When Chu Yang laid out a straw mat on the ground, he casually tossed the cleanest one to Su Wanwan.

"You sleep inside; it's windy outside."

Su Wanwan was taken aback: "But you—"

"I don't need it," Chu Yang said. "I'll sit for a while."

"Aren't you going to sleep again?"

"Don't worry about me."

After he finished speaking, he indeed sat down with his arms crossed, leaning against the pillar, his eyes half-closed. It was unclear whether he was truly resting or thinking about something else.

Su Wanwan hugged the straw mat and sat there for a while before softly saying, "Chu Yang."

"Um?"

"Actually, you don't always need to take care of me."

Chu Yang didn't even open his eyes: "Who took care of you?"

"Shoes, cloth towels, straw mats, and daytime..."

"Stop." Chu Yang finally opened his eyes, glanced at her, and said, "If you keep being so presumptuous, I'll really make you take the blame tomorrow."

Su Wanwan choked.

After a moment, she muttered under her breath, "Can't you just say one sentence properly?"

"No," Chu Yang replied confidently.

From the trees outside the temple came Sun Wukong's unreserved sneer: "He'd be choked to death if he said something human."

"Brother Monkey, if you're not sleepy, come down and wash the pot."

"Going to sleep!"

The leaves rustled, and Sun Wukong immediately pretended to be deaf and dumb.

Su Wanwan lowered her head, and a slow smile finally appeared on her lips. She lay down, hugging the straw mat, the firelight flickering gently before her eyes, the air filled with the scent of dry grass and faint pine smoke. She turned to the side, looking through the fire at the figure sitting against a pillar not far away.

Chu Yang lowered his eyes, a faint shadow falling on his brow bone in the firelight, making his emotions unreadable.

As she gazed at the sky, her eyelids slowly drooped, and she eventually fell into a deep sleep.

Over the next few days, the journey gradually took them further and further away from human habitation.

Sometimes they would pass through vast bamboo forests, where mist lingered all day, and droplets of water rolled down the bamboo leaves, landing on their shoulders with a chill. Other times they would cross barren, rocky mountains, where the mountain wind would sweep up from the valley floor, making their robes flutter loudly. They would spend the evening in a village house, and when they left in the morning, the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking filled the courtyard. At night, they would spend the night in the wilderness, and looking up, they would see a low-hanging Milky Way.

Su Wanwan originally thought that "staying" was just a temporary measure, and that she would eventually find an opportunity to leave, or at least wait until things calmed down before making other plans.

But as the days went by, the thought in her mind that "I will run away someday" gradually faded away, as if blown away by the wind.

No one mentioned the word "servant" anymore.

At least, apart from Chu Yang occasionally using his sharp tongue to tease her, no one really treated her like someone to serve.

On the contrary, she herself gradually developed some habits.

If she saw that the water bag was empty in the morning, she would go to the stream to fill it up. If Tang Sanzang's robe was torn by a tree branch, she would mend it for him without anyone asking, sitting by the fire at night. When they came across a small town, she would take the initiative to pick out a couple of the tenderest fresh vegetables; occasionally she would buy some needles and thread, some salt, and even remember to bring an extra small bundle of hay for the white donkey.

She often pauses for a moment before doing these things.

It's as if she's not used to taking the initiative to worry about things like this.

But gradually, she stopped thinking about it.

One evening, the group stayed overnight in an abandoned hunter's hut in the mountains. The sunset was ablaze with red, and behind the hut was a wild chestnut forest. When the wind blew, the chestnut shells rustled softly against each other.

Su Wanwan returned from outside, carrying a small bundle of freshly picked wild vegetables in her arms. As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, she heard voices coming from inside the house.

"Where is she?" It was Chu Yang.

"I'm going to pick vegetables behind the hill," Tang Sanzang said.

"one person?"

"Just now, this humble monk also wanted to ask the white dragon horse to accompany me, but she said it was not far away and would be back soon."

Chu Yang paused, his voice devoid of emotion: "Things aren't safe in these mountains."

Su Wanwan paused, and before she could speak, Chu Yang had already lifted the curtain and come out. Their eyes met, and he first noticed the vegetables in her arms, then the bit of grass stuck to the hem of her skirt, and his brows relaxed slightly.

"Why did you come out?" Su Wanwan asked.

"Let's see if you've been carried by a wolf," Chu Yang said.

"Can't you wish me well for once?"

"I've been hoping you'd get better." Chu Yang walked over, took the bundle of vegetables from her arms, and weighed it in his hand. "Why did you pick so many?"

"I'll make soup tonight."

"Can you finish cooking it?"

"If we can't finish cooking, we can make noodles tomorrow morning." She said, then suddenly paused, "You were... worried about me just now?"

Chu Yang remained expressionless: "No. I'm worried about who will cook."

Su Wanwan stared at him for a while, then suddenly let out a soft "Oh".

"What are you laughing at?" Chu Yang squinted.

"It's nothing." She smiled innocently, her eyes crinkling. "I just suddenly realized that you're really stubborn."

Chu Yang shoved the groceries into her arms, turned and left: "You'll have to cook for yourself tonight."

"I'll do it myself then," Su Wanwan replied quickly from behind, her voice full of laughter.

That night, I cooked a wild vegetable and sliced ​​meat soup.

As the soup boiled, steam rose from the pot, carrying the fresh aroma of leafy greens. Sun Wukong took a large gulp, then hissed, "Hot! Hot! Hot!"

Su Wanwan placed the spoon on the edge of the pot: "Who told you to be in such a hurry?"

"It'll only be urgent if it tastes good." Sun Wukong wiped his mouth, his eyes shining. "You fox, you cook better than your brother."

Chu Yang sneered, "Say that again?"

"I'll say it ten times, but she did it more meticulously than you." Sun Wukong wasn't afraid at all. "Yours is just cooked through, hers is just delicious."

Tang Sanzang, holding the bowl, said gently, "It is indeed very fresh."

Su Wanwan sat by the fire, feeling a little embarrassed by the praise. She lowered her head and used a spoon to stir the vegetable leaves in the pot, her ears burning slightly.

Chu Yang didn't refute her, only glancing at her: "Fine, then you can cook from now on."

Su Wanwan looked up: "Then what are you doing?"

"I'll take care of eating."

Sun Wukong nearly spat out his soup, pointing at him and laughing loudly, "Have you no shame?"

"No," Chu Yang answered very quickly.

Su Wanwan couldn't help but laugh along.

Later on, even the white dragon horse and the white donkey became quite familiar with her.

The white horse was quiet by nature. Occasionally, when she groomed it, it would lower its eyes and let her fingertips brush along its mane. The white donkey, on the other hand, remained as cheeky as ever—no, as greedy as ever, always wanting to nibble on anything she had in her hand. At first, she found the donkey annoying, but she eventually got used to it. If she saw tender grass by the roadside, she would casually pluck a handful and throw it to it.

One afternoon, while resting, Tang Sanzang washed his hands by the stream, while Sun Wukong and Chu Yang went to explore the forest, leaving her alone to watch over the luggage.

The white donkey came closer and tried to nibble on her sleeve, but she pushed it away.

"What are you gnawing on? My sleeves aren't grass."

The white donkey persisted, nudging its nose against the small cloth bag at her waist.

"This is salt. If you dare to eat a bite, you'll die of thirst tonight."

The white donkey shook its ears, as if it understood, and turned to nudge the other side.

Just as Su Wanwan was about to scold it, Tang Seng returned after washing his hands. Seeing the situation, he smiled gently and said, "It seems to like you very much."

"Who cares if it likes it?" Su Wanwan said, but still took half a dry biscuit out of the bag, broke it into pieces and fed it to the dog. "Eat this, don't always think about random things."

The white donkey was immediately delighted and chewed until its mouth was full of crumbs.

Tang Sanzang looked at her with gentle eyes: "Female benefactor, you seem somewhat different lately."

Su Wanwan paused, her heart tightening for no apparent reason.

"Master, do you mean...it's not good?" (End of Chapter)