In reality, she was proficient in all the noble arts. Had she not been confined to the palace, the so-called "Twin Beauties of the Capital City" would have served only to highlight her own brilliance.
But people only believe what they want to believe, never caring for the truth. The grass on her grave grew waist-high, yet not a single person spared her a thought.
The royal family’s affection was paper-thin. No matter how hard she strived for excellence, she was still just a rag to be carelessly discarded.
Ming Huang’s eyes flew open. Looking at the scene before her, she was momentarily disoriented, unsure of where she was.
But when she looked down, she saw that her hands were long, slender, and fair—nothing like the chubby appendages they used to be.
Her gaze trembling, she threw back the Beast Skins and saw her long, slender legs. When she stood up, she could clearly feel it—she had grown taller!
Just then, Gong Chuan pushed the door open carrying a bowl of food. With an involuntary POOF, Ming Huang turned into a crow.
A Beastman’s beast form could change in size, so Gong Chuan didn’t notice anything was off. He smiled and said, "Wifey, I made you some braised sea bass. It’s delicious! And there are green beans with cured meat and a tomato and egg soup, too."
Seeing the genuine joy in his smile, Ming Huang’s heart swelled with happiness. She couldn’t resist changing back to her human form and leaping onto him.
Gong Chuan caught her out of instinct, only to find that the young female in his embrace now had a lithe, graceful figure. She was so soft and fragrant, it made one want to swallow her whole.
He looked down to meet the young female’s playful gaze.
"Wifey? Ming Huang?" he asked in disbelief.
"That’s right. You don’t recognize me? Didn’t you once say you’d recognize me even if I were turned to ash? I’ve only grown a little. Is the change that dramatic?" Ming Huang teased, spouting utter nonsense with a straight face.
Gong Chuan’s face flushed crimson. Of course the change was dramatic! She had transformed from a little female cub into a young woman. He was completely unprepared, stunned into silence by the joyous surprise.
He just stood there, frozen stiff.
Seeing the handsome young man look so uncharacteristically dazed, Ming Huang couldn’t help but burst out laughing. But before she could get more than a few laughs in, she turned back into a crow. CAW~ CAW~ CAW~
’I can’t believe it,’ she thought, stunned. ’Why is this transformation so unstable?’
Gong Chuan finally snapped out of his daze. He held her, both excited and cautious, and said, "Our wifey is so beautiful, just like a fairy from the heavens."
Ming Huang didn’t dare to laugh again. The cawing was harsh and unpleasant, grating even on her own ears.
"Brother Chuan, you must be talking about Mother, right? Mother is the one who’s a heavenly fairy," Ming Huang said with a light laugh.
She was feeling a bit hungry. ’Is transforming such hard work?’ She devoured every last bite of the meal Gong Chuan brought, and still felt like she wanted more. Gong Chuan then began to slowly feed her small fish.
Ming Huang tried to transform back into the beautiful woman from before, but with another POOF, she was once again a round little female cub...
Gong Chuan smiled and ruffled her hair. "Wifey, don’t worry. If it happened once, it’ll happen again. Now that you can take your adult form, you’ll be able to do it again in the future. There’s no need to rush!"
Ming Huang thought about it and realized he was right, so she put the matter out of her mind.
And so, over the next few days, all the males in the house learned that Ming Huang could assume her adult form. Even though she couldn’t hold it for very long, it seemed to give them all something more to look forward to.
After all, Ming Huang had grown up with Si Shuo and had achieved minor success in her Cultivation as a Master of Water.
That night, Zhi Min and Zhi Rui were with her. The two Snow Leopard Beastman twins were identical, with silver-white hair, strong jawlines, and grayish-blue eyes. From any angle, they looked cool and handsome.
As usual, Ming Huang obediently took her child form and slept between them. In the middle of the night, she felt the air grow hot and dry. When she groggily opened her eyes, she was stunned to find herself sprawled in Zhi Rui’s arms, gnawing on his chest.
Zhi Rui’s fists were clenched, and he didn’t dare move, while Zhi Min propped his head on his hand and watched with a placid expression.
Ming Huang looked down and saw she was in her adult form again. A fire was raging inside her, searing away her sanity.
She blindly snuggled against the male. When Zhi Rui didn’t move, she turned to snuggle against Zhi Min, but Zhi Rui’s arm wrapped around her waist...
Zhi Min and Zhi Rui exchanged a look. They realized the young female had probably entered her Mating Period, her passion ignited by their scent.
The female in their arms was theirs. Naturally, they wouldn’t hold back in helping her get through this difficult time.
However, at the critical moment, Ming Huang’s body suddenly reverted to the size of a little bean. Overcome with exhaustion, she fell fast asleep, leaving the two males high and dry!
A vein throbbed on Zhi Min’s forehead. He took a deep breath and laughed helplessly. "I almost forgot our wifey can’t maintain her transformation for that long."
It took Zhi Rui a long time to calm himself as well. "If wifey messes with me like this a few more times, I’m afraid I’ll be done for..."
The next day, Ming Huang woke up feeling refreshed, only to find both Snow Leopard males sporting dark circles under their eyes. ’Did they get into a fight?’ she wondered.
Having had just a taste, all the males found their appetites were not just unsatisfied but were now whetted for more.
Many Beastman had seen Ming Huang at her coming-of-age ceremony, and word had gotten around. As a result, some females started deliberately waiting along the males’ usual path, hoping to offer themselves to them.
Some even had the audacity to come right to their door and try to poach her men!
By evening, most of the household’s males had returned.
They were eating dinner around a large, round table when a knock came at the main gate.
"Well, well, looks like everyone’s home?" As a matchmaker, the Golden Matron had no bottom line. As long as someone paid her, she’d find a way to throw any two people together.
Ming Huang, who was gnawing on a meat skewer, glanced up. Once she saw who it was, she ignored her.
The Golden Matron, for her part, acted as if Ming Huang wasn’t even there. Without waiting for an invitation, she started rambling, "You know, back in my day, I, the Golden Matron, was the prettiest girl for miles around..."
"Haha! Golden Matron, with those monolids and droopy eyes of yours, you couldn’t have been much of a looker even back then..." The Golden Matron had made a grand entrance and left the gate open, so a crowd of gawkers had gathered. One of them shouted back with a laugh.
"Whatever. I’ve been a matchmaker for decades. I can tell if someone is reliable with just one glance.
This time, I am here at the behest of a beautiful young female to propose a match. Her family is rich and powerful, she’s beautiful and gentle-tempered, and if you join her family, you’ll never have to worry about being mistreated.
It’s certainly better than you all guarding a little dwa—"
Before she could finish her sentence, Wei Chang threw a punch. The sheer force of the air it displaced was sharp enough to feel like it could slice skin.
The Golden Matron instantly fell silent, not daring to say another word.
"Get out," Xiao Tu added coldly, his oppressive aura bearing down on Matchmaker Jin.
Terrified, she stumbled back out the gate. The door immediately slammed shut with a BANG, hitting her square in the nose. Pain flared, and a trickle of blood ran down her face.
Matchmaker Jin jerked her head up, her mouth opening and closing in silent fury as she mumbled incoherently.
The crowd of onlookers fell silent, merely watching Matchmaker Jin’s humiliation unfold.
Heh. So what if Ming Huang couldn’t grow up? Her males clearly doted on her and wouldn’t tolerate anyone’s abuse.
For a few Crystal Stones, Matchmaker Jin had actually dared to come and propose a match for these males. She really must have a death wish...