The wicked female is extremely fierce, but she's pampered by her seven beast husbands.

Chapter 166 Poisoning the Little Mouth
As Ling Chengen stared at the numerous models displayed in his room, Chong Zhen happened to come in from outside with some things. Seeing her engrossed in looking at them, he placed the drawings in his hand on the table and asked with a smile, "What do you think of what I made? Does it achieve even a tenth of the effect you wanted?"

Ling Chengen pointed to the inner city model that was fenced off and asked, "Can this roof be disassembled and viewed?"

Chongzhen nodded, walked to her side, and skillfully manipulated the roof of a small building with his fingers, revealing the layout of the interior without causing any damage.

"I've been studying the heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove) you mentioned to me for a few days now, and I've found that the main difficulties lie in the design of the kang's heating system and the selection of materials..."

“If you simply use stone slabs to cover the bed, the temperature of the stone slabs above the stove will be too high after the fire is lit. Sleeping on it will be like being roasted, and you will get burned. At the same time, the outer layer is simply made of bricks and stones, which does not have a good heat retention effect. When the fire under the stove goes out, the bed will cool down in a short time.”

Chongzhen then used her fingertips to pry open the kang bed board in the corner: "So we need to mix some things with straw mud mortar and smooth it out inside the kang wall..."

Ling Chengen vaguely remembered this. Sitting on a small stool, he rested his chin on his hand and asked, "Use sawdust?"

Chongzhen nodded: "I've tried several materials, and sawdust is indeed the most suitable. It's a simple and readily available material with good insulation."

"As for the design of the kang board, it would be best if it were separate." Chongzhen pointed to the head of the kang. "This place is close to the stove and has the highest temperature, so the kang board should be thicker. The foot of the kang has the lowest temperature, so it can be slightly thinner. I need to spend more time figuring out the specific construction method."

Chongzhen sat on the stool to Ling Chengen's right, engrossed in her work, her eyes brighter than ever as she turned to look at her: "If you have any more books on this subject, don't forget me."

Ling Chengen nodded perfunctorily, then turned to look at him for a moment: "Aren't you curious about where I got the book in my hand?"

Chongzhen carefully put the parts of his little house model back in place, staring down at the fitting parts, and said casually, "Of course I'm curious, but isn't this obvious? You won't tell me even if I ask. You have your secrets, and if you don't want to tell me, then don't. It doesn't affect me anyway."

These books clearly do not belong to the Northern Beast Plains. Chongzhen suspects that even the Southern Beast Plains may not have such things...

But so what?
The skill of using a heated kang bed alone was enough to make him stand firmly in Ling Chengen's camp and work wholeheartedly for her; that was enough.

The heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) can solve the problem of heating during the cold season in the northern wilderness for hundreds of years. Instead of everyone crowding into one place and huddling together for warmth, as long as a heated kang is built in one's own home and enough firewood is stored before the cold season arrives, no one will freeze to death.

After tidying up her little house model, Chongzhen rested her chin on her hand and quietly looked into Ling Chengen's amber eyes without saying a word for a long time.

Ling Chengen was puzzled by his gaze and turned to examine the half-built bridge model.

Before her fingertips could even touch it, Chongzhen stopped her fingers and shook his head, saying, "You can't touch this for now."

"why?"

Ling Chengen looked at him, puzzled.

Chongzhen is not a stingy person. Ling Chengen knows that some men cherish the things they like and hate it when others touch them, but she has known Chongzhen for a long time and knows very well that he does not belong to this category.

The warmth of his fingers made Chongzhen momentarily lose his focus, but he quickly released his grip and refocused his attention on the bridge model: "It's not finished yet. This model is very fragile right now; it will collapse if you touch it."

Zhong Zhen has learned too little about bridge construction.

He knew perfectly well that the model bridge he had meticulously designed to span the Yehelan River was destined to fail.

Because the structure is unstable and the materials are also unsuitable.

Moreover, the actual width of the Yehelan River far exceeded his imagination. To this day, he has not accurately measured the width of the river channel, nor has he obtained data on the soil conditions on both sides of the river.

The books Ling Chengen gave us did contain knowledge about bridge design, but they couldn't be applied to the current situation.

First of all, they cannot build bridge piers on the Yehelan River.

The danger of the Yehelan River is self-evident. Even if bridge piers are built, a single tail strike from a large water beast in the river can shatter the piers into pieces. Even if they are not destroyed on the spot, the piers will be unusable.

Therefore, conventional bridging methods are definitely not feasible.

After explaining to Ling Chengen the fundamental reason why it was impossible to build a bridge across the two rivers, Chongzhen said seriously, "Do you have any good ideas on how to connect the two banks of the river? The width of the middle and lower reaches of the Yehelan River is between 1500 and 3700 meters. It would be extremely difficult to connect the two banks by any means."

"Even if we build a suspension bridge, the soil on both sides is too loose and not suitable for driving deep bridge piles."

Ling Chengen shook his head: "I haven't decided yet either."

“But we can’t build bridge piers in the riverbed, so we have to put up pillars on both banks and connect them with chains.”

"Although the bridge built this way is dangerous, it is still possible to cross it if you are careful."

Moreover, even if this suspension bridge were to be built, there would be height requirements.

If the bridge is only a few dozen meters above the river, a large aquatic beast might leap out of the water and actually reach the bridge if it sets its sights on someone on the bridge.

"Let's think about this problem again in the meantime. We can also ask others; maybe they will have better ideas."

Three cobblers are the best of Zhuge Liang.

Ling Chengen has a very optimistic attitude toward this matter.

If all else fails and the bridge can't be built in a short time, she'll look for other solutions...

For example, we could try to incorporate a tribe with a large number of flying orcs, which would alleviate short-term traffic congestion.

Chongzhen leaned back in her chair, looked up, and sighed deeply, "Well, that's the only way..."

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. You still have to teach me the last bit of knowledge in that manual today. It's getting late... hurry up."

Chongzhen stood up and pulled the obviously lazy Ling Chengen from her chair, leading her to her clean desk. She moved a few potted plants next to her, illuminating the area around the desk.

Ling Chengen glanced at the dim sky outside, sat sideways in the chair next to the desk, and rested his chin on his hand, saying, "Recently, Bai Qingyu has started complaining to me that I stay here very late every day..."

Sometimes, it can be quite annoying when the people around you are too eager to learn.

Although she awakened a mental ability, her brain capacity is larger than that of ordinary people, and she has more basic knowledge, she is not an expert in everything.

She was more than capable of teaching him basic civil engineering knowledge, but now that he was quickly mastering more complex civil engineering and construction knowledge, she was starting to feel a bit lost... She even had a vague idea of ​​giving Xiao Huang Tong to him.

Of course... it won't be sold off easily.

Although Xiao Huangtong is a high-dimensional intelligent product, it lacks professional knowledge in civil engineering and is even less capable than her.

Chongzhen, holding the charcoal pencil, couldn't help but chuckle when he heard her resentful voice. "What? You're allowed to have him bothering you, but I can't?"

"When he was bothering you and spreading those unpleasant smells, we didn't say anything. Now that I'm taking up your bedtime every day, he's starting to complain? Isn't he just too jealous?"

Ling Chengen's little radar immediately went off. Seeing the half-smile on his face, he sat up straight and defended Bai Qingyu, saying, "He only said a few words and didn't stop me."

“I think I understand now.” Chongzhen tapped the wrapped end of the charcoal pencil lightly on the table twice, chuckling, “In your heart, Bai Qingyu will always be number one. This ‘newcomer surpasses old, newer is better’ mentality, you’ve played it perfectly…”

Ling Chengen said with a headache, "Stop being so sarcastic!"

"I didn't, don't talk nonsense, don't make false accusations against me."

Chong Zhen leaned back lazily in his chair, one hand resting on the back of her chair and the other on the table. He leaned forward slightly, half-encircling her body in front of the table. His knee, which was under the table, was now pressing against the outside of her thigh. He asked with a smirk, "If it's not as good as Bai Qingyu, I'll accept it."

"Who told him to be your unattainable ideal?" "But shouldn't we have a serious talk about the fact that he's not as good as Yuheng?"

"You promised to hold a marriage ceremony with him, but you never thought of giving me one as a gift. Don't you feel that this is unfair?"

Chongzhen raised her fingertip and gently tapped her heart, her beautiful, bright eyes gazing straight into her eyes.

"Yuheng is very strong, that's for sure."

"But I'm not entirely useless, am I not worthy of a ritual from you?"

Chongzhen's tone was slightly resentful, and a hint of grievance appeared on his face. He unconsciously moved closer to her and asked softly, "Or do you think that I'm not handsome enough, have a bad personality, do things that don't suit your taste, and am too weak... that I'm not good enough for you from head to toe, and that I can't be your true partner?"

Looking at the thick eyebrows and eyes so close to his face, Ling Chengen was immediately speechless: "..."

What a dramatic fox!
“You said before that it’s best if we each get what we need, and that we’re just living together as partners, without talking about love.” Ling Chengen always remembered what he said and deeply agreed with his idea.

Chongzhen was not intimidated by her dredging up of the past. He simply put down his charcoal pencil, his thick eyelashes drooping slightly. He silently reached behind her, picked her up, and placed her in his arms.

Ling Chengen instinctively wanted to jump away, but Chong Zhen had already anticipated her reaction. He held her firmly in his arms, wrapped his arms around her waist, and moved closer again, saying, "Am I covered in thorns? You won't even come close to me?"

Ling Chengen pressed against his chest, leaning back slightly, and said, "Calm down, be normal! We're business partners, not partners."

Chongzhen scoffed, "Who says a partnership can't be a romantic one?"

Ling Chengen said numbly, "...You've said everything, good and bad, what do you want me to say?"

Chongzhen pulled her closer, placed his right hand on her waist and his left hand on the back of her neck, and lowered his head to press his lips to hers, giving her no time to react.

Chongzhen didn't give her a deep kiss; he simply pressed his lips lightly against the corner of her lips.

Like a dragonfly skimming the water, fleeting and ephemeral.

When he pulled away from her lips, his voice was soft and slightly amused.

"Nothing."

"Just kiss me, that's enough."

Ling Chengen looked at his crimson lips and his eyes, which unconsciously shone with a captivating allure, and her breath caught in her throat.

Chongzhen is a classic example of a beauty at first glance.

One glance is enough to make it unforgettable.

He also has a typical northern appearance, with heroic features, deep bone structure, and his eyebrows and eyes are particularly charming.

With a single glance, she exudes captivating charm.

In addition, with a small head and face and a tall and slender figure, the perfect physique honed in the harsh environment of the beast world would make him stand out like a crane among chickens in the entertainment industry in a peaceful era.

This kind of aggressive beauty can inspire both admiration and awe, as well as intimidation.

Therefore, Ling Chengen never regarded him as a partner, but only as a water lily, always adhering to the attitude that he could only be admired from afar and not touched.

But Chongzhen's behavior confused her.

I don't understand why he suddenly changed his attitude and abandoned his previous style of keeping his distance.

Ling Chengen's gaze remained calm, though his eyes held a hint of inquiry as he looked at him. He did not lose his composure because of the light kiss.

Chongzhen let her look him over, his warm arms encircling her body, his chin slightly raised, like a fox that was neither arrogant nor smug.

Oh, it's not like.

He's a fox.

Ling Chengen stared intently and asked, "Why?"

Chongzhen's breathing became lighter, his eyelids fluttered slightly, and he met her gaze, saying, "Can't I be moved?"

"Perhaps it's because of your bad reputation. I was influenced by those rumors and had some preconceived notions about you earlier. I was very prejudiced against you."

"But what I heard and what I saw were completely different."

"You have absolutely no connection with the evil woman that is rumored to exist."

Ling Chengen narrowed his eyes slightly and said meaningfully, "So you still had a prejudice against me?"

She only found out today.

Chongzhen has essentially confessed without being asked.

Chongzhen: "..."

"Let's not bring up this old grievance for now." He tried to cover it up and corrected his attitude, saying, "No one is perfect. It was my fault for being prejudiced against you, and I admit my mistake."

"But you can't not even give me a chance."

“My people, my family, are now your people too.”

"From now on, I will always stand with you and become your strength."

"You and I are destined never to be separated again."

"So why can't I be your partner?"

Ling Chengen wasn't going to fall for his tricks. He sneered, "If that's how you calculate it, my partners would have to stretch from here all the way to the other side of Qingshi Creek..."

Chongzhen was slightly gritting her teeth. Before Ling Chengen could continue to argue, she lowered her head and silenced her with a kiss.

"Ling Chengen, is your mouth poisoned?"

Ling Chengen chuckled and said, "You flatter me. This is nothing."

Besides, it was clearly this cunning fox who first tried to trap her in his logic; she was merely offering a reasonable rebuttal.

"Give me a ceremony, okay?"

Chongzhen stopped beating around the bush; all his fuss today had only one purpose.

(End of this chapter)