Xie Ji was crying so hard he could barely catch his breath. That face—already flushed pink from overusing his ability—was even redder now.
Yan Yu’an looked at him at a loss and unconsciously reached out, wanting to pat his back to comfort him.
But Xie Ji seemed to have misunderstood what he was about to do. The moment Yan Yu’an reached out, the next second he was pulled into a fierce hug by Xie Ji.
“Wuu… you—you can’t abandon me…” He cried until his head was spinning, tears soaking Yan Yu’an’s shoulder and pooling into a tiny puddle on his fair collarbone.
His raised hands finally came down gently on Xie Ji’s back. He hugged him back and began quietly comforting the sorrowful lion.
He saw that furry lion tail now drooping limply on the ground, swaying slightly, sweeping the small pebbles around aside.
Xie Ji was still leaning against him, sobbing softly, trembling slightly—he looked utterly pitiful.
“I won’t abandon you.”
Yan Yu’an kept patting his back, trying to make him feel a little better this way.
He didn’t know how long Xie Ji cried before Yan Yu’an sensed he’d stopped. He thought Xie Ji had recovered and wanted to tell him about the matter he and Shen Yuanzhou had agreed on.
But he found that Xie Ji’s beautiful, sapphire-blue eyes were fixed dead on a certain spot. Yan Yu’an froze for two seconds, and just as he was about to say something, his collarbone was viciously bitten.
Lions were different from snakes—lions’ teeth were sharp, and with just that one bite, Yan Yu’an almost felt he’d die in his mouth right then and there.
But Xie Ji only bit him once out of retaliation, and the moment he heard him say it hurt, he let go at once.
The lion’s tongue had tiny barbs. Now Xie Ji was carefully licking the spot he’d just bitten with his tongue, and Yan Yu’an felt a tingling, numbing sort of tickle.
“Stinky, annoying snake.” Xie Ji muttered secretly to himself while licking him.
But fortunately, he’d finally stopped crying.
At this moment, Ning Bingque was flapping his wings. He’d vaguely heard Xie Ji’s crying from the foot of the mountain.
Could it be that Yan Yu’an questioned him about where I went? Ning Bingque couldn’t help feeling a little schadenfreude.
But then he thought—that fellow Xie Ji would definitely say I went off somewhere and wouldn’t tell Yan Yu’an the truth.
Then there was only one possibility…
To make that stupid lion so sad and upset—could it be…
Ning Bingque suddenly sped up. He felt stifled inside.
Though that proposal had been his own, the choice had always lain with Yan Yu’an. If Yan Yu’an really chose Shen Yuanzhou, then he and Xie Ji couldn’t snatch him back from Shen Yuanzhou either.
Thinking this, his wings beat faster and faster, and before long he reached the mountaintop. At a glance from high in the air, he saw the two embracing.
Ning Bingque’s brow couldn’t help twitching.
There was another possibility—what if Yan Yu’an chose everyone except him?
For a moment he couldn’t help hesitating. Accepting it was definitely impossible—he might even go crazy with anger.
He stood high in the air, watching the two embracing.
He could hear Xie Ji’s sniffling very clearly, and he found Xie Ji utterly eyesore.
If only the one Yan Yu’an was holding were him…
He didn’t know how long he stood there before he heard Yan Yu’an ask Xie Ji: “Where’s Ning Bingque? Didn’t he come back with you?”
Hearing his own name from Yan Yu’an’s mouth, Ning Bingque couldn’t help freezing for a moment. Then he pricked up his ears, ready to hear what they were saying.
Just as he’d thought, Xie Ji said to Yan Yu’an: “That guy? He insisted on playing around on the road—unlike me, who wanted to hurry back to see you…”
Ning Bingque: “…” Was it me who wanted to stay at the foot of the mountain and fly back myself? You clearly left me down there, then patted your butt and left, making me fly back on my own!
He clenched the fists at his sides, wishing he could slap Xie Ji hard across the face. At the same time, he wanted to hear what Yan Yu’an would say.
“Oh…”
Yan Yu’an drew out the sound. He took a step back from Xie Ji’s embrace. “Are you sure you didn’t dump him somewhere?”
It really was him. The corners of Ning Bingque’s mouth curved into a smile.
Yan Yu’an smiled quietly, watching Xie Ji look like he wanted to explain but couldn’t, and couldn’t help slowly curving his lips.
Ning Bingque gave a scoffing laugh. He flapped his wings, just about to fly down—and then he heard Yan Yu’an continue to Xie Ji: “Go bring him back. I have something to tell you two.”
Ning Bingque’s wings paused. He watched Xie Ji nod reluctantly, then vanish in a second, and his heart pounded.
After seeing Xie Ji leave, the next second he flew to Yan Yu’an’s side.
“Yan Yu’an.” He called.
Ning Bingque’s lips were thin. People said thin lips meant a heartless person—but it couldn’t be denied that those pale pink thin lips really did look better on Ning Bingque’s face.
Seeing Ning Bingque suddenly fly down from the sky, Yan Yu’an was stunned.
“You—Xie Ji said you…” He opened his mouth blankly, wanting to say something.
But then a hot masculine breath suppressed the words he wanted to say. Ning Bingque’s lips were burning hot and soft.
He smelled Shen Yuanzhou’s scent on Yan Yu’an, and saw the bite marks Shen Yuanzhou had left on him.
No wonder Xie Ji had cried, Ning Bingque thought.
Yan Yu’an was utterly frozen. He hadn’t expected the first thing Ning Bingque did upon returning was to kiss him.
Though he could accept them, that didn’t mean he could accept kissing someone else this quickly—he felt a little ashamed.
“Close your eyes, okay?” Ning Bingque sensed his resistance and took a slight step back.
If Yan Yu’an turned and walked away right now, he’d more or less understand—but if Yan Yu’an closed his eyes… then he absolutely wouldn’t let go.
Yan Yu’an froze, his little face a little at a loss. After hesitating for two seconds, he gently closed his eyes.
Ning Bingque saw his long eyelashes trembling slightly and couldn’t help reaching out to touch them.
“Yan Yu’an, I really can’t do anything about you.”
As he spoke, he seemed to give a small sigh, but Yan Yu’an didn’t hear it clearly.
The darkness made it impossible for him to see anything around him. He could only feel the man’s breath drawing closer and closer.
The pretty youth was like a piece of delicious cake, once again picked up and savored carefully.
Ning Bingque didn’t leave marks on Yan Yu’an’s body the way Shen Yuanzhou and Xie Ji had, marking their territory.
Before long, he stepped back and reached out to stroke Yan Yu’an’s moist, swollen lips.
A tiny teardrop still hung on Yan Yu’an’s eyelashes, and Ning Bingque couldn’t help reaching out once more to wipe it away.
“There we go.” His voice was gentle, carrying a faint, elusive smile. “I believe you have your choice now, don’t you?”
Ning Bingque was very good-looking. He had black hair that just reached his neck, a few strands hanging before Yan Yu’an, just brushing against his cheek and making it a little ticklish.
Yan Yu’an marveled at how quickly the man had guessed his thoughts. He scratched his face a little uncomfortably.
“Mm.” A little embarrassed, he couldn’t help secretly observing Ning Bingque’s expression.
As if noticing he was observing him, Ning Bingque lowered his head slightly and revealed a faint smile.
He took the initiative to take Yan Yu’an’s hand and patted the back of it soothingly. “Let’s go. Didn’t you have something to tell us? It’s too sunny out here—let’s go inside first.”
Though it was already September, the sun was still fiercely hot. After standing in it for a while, fine beads of sweat appeared on Yan Yu’an’s forehead.
“But…” He couldn’t help looking behind Ning Bingque and said hesitantly.
Ning Bingque smiled faintly. “Don’t worry. If Xie Ji can’t find me, he’ll come back.”
As he spoke, he led Yan Yu’an inside by the hand. He rather wanted to see Shen Yuanzhou—and ask him clearly just what he’d done to Yan Yu’an while he was away.
After hesitating for a moment, Yan Yu’an still followed Ning Bingque back, looking over his shoulder every few steps.
The moment he entered the house, he saw Shen Yuanzhou still fanning the fire behind it, a thin layer of sweat on his bulging muscles, making his honey-colored skin look even more sexy and alluring.
Ning Bingque: “…” So that’s how you seduced An’an.
Just then, Xie Ji returned. The moment he entered the courtyard he smelled Ning Bingque’s scent. He couldn’t help cursing a few times, then strode in.
“Oh, what a coincidence. Everyone’s here.”
Shen Yuanzhou wiped the sweat off his forehead and stood up.
And so the four of them fell into this strange, awkward atmosphere.
Ning Bingque, Shen Yuanzhou, and Xie Ji were all silently observing each other, cold hostility flowing from their eyes.
Xie Ji was the first to speak. “I never imagined—the mighty Snake King would actually take advantage of someone’s absence.”
“You flatter me.” Shen Yuanzhou answered neither warmly nor coldly.
Ning Bingque was still standing beside Yan Yu’an. He lightly squeezed his hand and didn’t say a word.
But this gesture was clearly more lethal than anything else. In an instant, four eyes focused on Yan Yu’an.
Ning Bingque, unhurried, looked at Shen Yuanzhou and said: “Thanks for taking care of him these days.”
Shen Yuanzhou: “…” Who are you putting on that official-wife act for?
Yan Yu’an rubbed his forehead. He hadn’t expected this scene to be so awkward.
The three of them sniped at each other like this, none giving way to the others, leaving Yan Yu’an standing in the middle wishing he could dig a hole and crawl into it.
Noticing that Yan Yu’an’s body had gone a little stiff, Ning Bingque smiled slightly and softened his voice. “We might be a while. Why don’t you go sit over there first, okay?”
Xie Ji: “…” Disgusting!
Shen Yuanzhou: “…” He beat me to it!
But both of them, without meaning to, moved aside to make a path, glaring viciously at Shen Yuanzhou as they watched him escort Yan Yu’an to the bed.
Yan Yu’an, dizzy, was watched by them as he sat down on the bed, then he stared in astonishment at the three men sniping at each other with veiled sarcasm.
Am I too tired—seeing things and hearing things?
He couldn’t help rubbing his forehead, thinking miserably.
He didn’t know how long it was before Xie Ji sat down beside him. “I don’t care, An’an. Tell me—am I right or not?”
Yan Yu’an: “Huh?”
Leave a Reply