Ning Bingque’s whole bird self began to bristle—the wings behind him even puffed out clumps of fine down.
“When did I agree to that?” Ning Bingque demanded angrily.
Xie Ji just glanced at him and dragged him outside. Seeing he couldn’t move him, Xie Ji started making eyes at him.
In the end, unable to withstand Xie Ji’s torment, Ning Bingque reluctantly went out with Xie Ji—while Shen Yuanzhou, for some reason, curved up a smile.
He glanced blandly at A Xuan, an inexplicable smile on his face.
A Xuan: “…” This man is truly terrifying.
Seeing A Xuan keep standing there frozen, Shen Yuanzhou’s smile only grew stranger. In the end A Xuan couldn’t bear that inexplicable smile of his anymore, and left cursing under its breath.
Yan Yu’an: “???” Hm? Why had everyone left?
He looked at Shen Yuanzhou uncomprehendingly, his face full of confusion and doubt.
To this, Shen Yuanzhou only gave him a faint smile and didn’t explain much.
He took the initiative to sit down beside Yan Yu’an, his smile growing brighter and brighter—completely different from the first time he’d seen him.
For a moment, Yan Yu’an actually froze.
Only when Shen Yuanzhou called his name several times did Yan Yu’an come back to his senses. “Wh-what did you just say? Sorry, I didn’t catch it.” Yan Yu’an’s ears were a little hot. He pinched the animal hide and said a little embarrassedly.
At this, the smile on Shen Yuanzhou’s face grew even harder to control. He took the initiative to take Yan Yu’an’s hand and carefully knead it for him.
Because he’d been unconscious for a few days, at first when Shen Yuanzhou kneaded his hand, he didn’t feel much—but after a while, he felt that hand with its thin layer of calluses rubbing all over his hand, a little ticklish.
“This…” He wanted to say something, but was cut off by Shen Yuanzhou suddenly increasing the pressure. In an instant, tears welled up in his eyes.
Shen Yuanzhou had meant to keep Yan Yu’an from speaking, but he hadn’t expected that a little too much force would make him unable to bear it—his eyes even began to fill with tears.
“Sorry, sorry.”
He hurriedly apologized, even leaning close to those fair, tender hands and blowing on them—which made Yan Yu’an a little embarrassed.
Blushing, he wanted to pull his hand back, but Shen Yuanzhou gripped it even tighter. Shen Yuanzhou’s hot breath fell entirely on the back of Yan Yu’an’s hand, dyeing the originally fair hand a faint layer of pink.
“Very fragrant.” He didn’t know how much time had passed before Shen Yuanzhou set Yan Yu’an’s hand down properly. He behaved very gentlemanly. “I’ve noticed that ever since you could turn back into your true form, that grassy scent on you has grown even stronger.”
Yan Yu’an’s ears burned at this. He hung his head, not daring to look at Shen Yuanzhou—but fortunately, Xie Ji and Ning Bingque walked in.
Their arrival broke the silence and ambiguity in the room.
“An’an, Ning Bingque is going back to the lion tribe with me for a trip soon.” Xie Ji said quietly, raising his hand to smooth the bedhead cowlick on Yan Yu’an’s head.
Yan Yu’an looked at Ning Bingque in some surprise. Seeing him nod reservedly, he felt slightly relieved—after all, with two mutants, generally no one would dare provoke them.
“I can teleport Ning Bingque to the seaside, and then he’ll carry me across the sea. That way I can get back quickly.” Xie Ji seemed very satisfied with this arrangement.
Shen Yuanzhou glanced thoughtfully at Ning Bingque. By rights, Ning Bingque hated Xie Ji so much—why would he agree to take Xie Ji back? And besides…
Yan Yu’an nodded, his smile sweet. “Then go quickly and come back quickly.”
Xie Ji nodded. He secretly glanced at Shen Yuanzhou, and after seeing him look back, the tail behind him immediately swished. “While I’m gone, you’d better take good care of An’an. If he loses a single hair, I’ll fight you to the death.”
Yan Yu’an: “…” There was really no need.
Ning Bingque still didn’t speak. He only suddenly grinned, then leaned close to Yan Yu’an—and before anyone could react, he kissed those soft, moist red lips.
Xie Ji: “!!!”
Shen Yuanzhou: “???”
Shen Yuanzhou’s body reacted faster than his brain. By the time he came back to his senses, he’d already reached out and forcefully separated the two.
Xie Ji was even more furious. Grumbling, he pulled Ning Bingque to the side, while still gazing eagerly at Yan Yu’an, muttering something ceaselessly under his breath.
Yan Yu’an’s whole mind had gone blank. What was that soft, nimble thing just now? It couldn’t be Ning Bingque’s tongue, could it?! Thinking this, he unconsciously opened his eyes wide.
Little did he know that in everyone’s eyes, this look of his only made their hearts melt.
The youth sat dumbly on the bed, looking at Ning Bingque in astonishment, while the others surrounded him in a tight circle, afraid he might suffer some harm.
Ning Bingque shrugged, not caring what the others thought. He smiled at Yan Yu’an.
His face was already handsome to begin with—this smile left Yan Yu’an somewhat at a loss. Xie Ji narrowed his eyes. Though he’d just reached some agreement with Ning Bingque, wouldn’t this make An’an favor him even more?
He didn’t want that!
Thinking this, Xie Ji hurriedly turned his head, and his tail obediently wrapped around Yan Yu’an’s waist. Sensing that Yan Yu’an wasn’t struggling, he hurriedly tightened his tail.
“Then let’s go first.” He shot Ning Bingque a rather hostile look, afraid he might suddenly go kiss Yan Yu’an again.
But Ning Bingque didn’t pay his look any mind. He waved at Yan Yu’an, then glanced at the smug Shen Yuanzhou and let out a silent mockery.
Shen Yuanzhou watched the two’s departing figures and had never felt so comfortable in body and mind.
Yan Yu’an had wanted to get up and see them off, but they refused, having him practice his ability well instead.
Yan Yu’an clicked his tongue—why did it feel like they were parents leaving home, telling their child to study hard?
No sooner had he thought this than the two were already out of sight.
Yan Yu’an: “…” Right. At their speed, they’d probably be back in less than half a month.
Seeing those two nuisances finally gone, Shen Yuanzhou was satisfied too. He leaned affectionately against Yan Yu’an, kneading his shoulders and legs again and again.
“I—I can do it myself.” Yan Yu’an was a little embarrassed. He pushed Shen Yuanzhou’s hand away, wanting to do it himself.
But Shen Yuanzhou shook his head. After making sure Ning Bingque had gone far enough that he couldn’t hear them talking, he swallowed and looked at Yan Yu’an nervously.
“Snake Queen, I—I want to ask you a question.”
At this moment Shen Yuanzhou looked completely different from usual, and the mole between his brows was even giving off a pale pink glow.
“Hm?” Yan Yu’an looked at him uncomprehendingly and signaled with his eyes for him to ask.
“It’s… it’s…”
Shen Yuanzhou hemmed and hawed for a long while—not a trace of his former self remained.
In the end, still under Yan Yu’an’s utterly confused gaze, he loudly asked the question he wanted to ask.
“Who do you like? Me, or… Ning Bingque, or maybe Xie Ji?” His voice grew quieter toward the end.
Those two had only just left, and Shen Yuanzhou couldn’t wait to know the answer.
He looked at Yan Yu’an full of expectation, those pale golden eyes filled with deep affection for him.
At this moment Yan Yu’an was completely unable to speak. He stammered blankly, trying to say something, but in the end failed.
Time passed second by second, and Shen Yuanzhou’s gaze went from full of hope at first to silence in the end.
“I understand now.”
He pressed his lips together, the mole between his brows gradually dimming, his whole person written all over with the word “dejected.”
Yan Yu’an wanted to treat them all as good friends, but he’d also discovered that he seemed to feel something not quite ordinary for all of them—even that kind of feeling was exactly the same.
Now that Shen Yuanzhou had suddenly brought it out into the open, Yan Yu’an only felt he couldn’t accept it for a moment. He pressed his lips together, not knowing what to say.
Only when he saw the disappointment flash through Shen Yuanzhou’s eyes did he grab the hand of Shen Yuanzhou, who was about to leave the room. “You—don’t go.” He said quietly, his tone carrying a barely perceptible plea.
Shen Yuanzhou’s steps paused. He still didn’t turn his head to look at the youth on the bed, but he still patiently wanted to hear out what the youth would say to him.
Even if it wasn’t him—even if it was someone else—he still wanted a result.
After a moment of silence, Yan Yu’an tried to say: “If I said, I…” He pressed his lips together, seeming to know that what he wanted to say next wasn’t so good.
“If what?” Shen Yuanzhou turned around. He carefully studied the youth’s brows and eyes, as if wanting to carve him deep into his bones and blood.
His gaze was too burning. Yan Yu’an thought for a long while but couldn’t think of a good way to phrase it.
“Let me ask it another way—maybe, will there be me in your future?”
As if seeing that Yan Yu’an was too conflicted, Shen Yuanzhou simply changed the question. He looked at him gently, patiently waiting for an answer.
This time, Yan Yu’an nodded without hesitation.
Shen Yuanzhou understood. He smiled faintly and slowly leaned close to Yan Yu’an’s face. At some point he’d shifted into his giant python form, flicking his snake tongue by his cheek and watching him.
The usually cold, slimy giant snake seemed to have warmth now. His snake tail slowly coiled around Yan Yu’an. “I understand now.”
He said quietly, and the next second mercilessly bit down on Yan Yu’an’s bare collarbone.
Shen Yuanzhou deliberately lightened his force, and combined with how sharp those fangs were, Yan Yu’an didn’t feel pain—instead there was a tingling, numbing sensation.
After a while, Shen Yuanzhou withdrew his fangs, and his forked tongue rolled all the blood beads that had flowed out into his belly. After a long moment he even smacked his lips, showing he was savoring the taste.
Yan Yu’an couldn’t help shuddering. Lowering his head to avoid it, he could see Shen Yuanzhou’s eyes full of desire.
But he didn’t—he didn’t dare look down, because he could clearly feel that place of Shen Yuanzhou’s pressing against him.
“N-no, no!”
Yan Yu’an shook his head, wanting to refuse. Tears blurred his whole face, making him look even more pitiful.
Shen Yuanzhou was obedient. He compliantly took a step back, letting that place move a little farther from Yan Yu’an.
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