His words shocked her. Su Qinglanâs eyes widened...never in her life had she seen him like this, so bold and unrestrained.
She had always thought of him as a gentle beastman, but it seemed the beastâs fire inside him was still very much alive.
He caressed her, whispering sweet, sinful words into her ear that made her tremble all over. She gasped when she felt his touch teasing her skin.
In an instant, she realized she was already pinned beneath him, his powerful body looming over hers. His beastly eyes glowed in the darkness, burning with emotions she couldnât name.
Su Qinglanâs throat bobbed as she swallowed nervously, her eyes widening as her gaze roamed down his torso.
To her surprise, almost all his wounds had healed...now only faint pink scars remained. Her eyes trailed over his hard chest, sliding further down toward the sharp lines of his abdomen.
Su Qinglanâs breath came short and uneven. Her whole face turned red as she realized what Hu Yanâs hungry eyes meant. His words were still ringing in her ears, burning hotter than fire.
Her heart thudded so loud it felt like the cave walls could hear it. When she finally saw his gaze lowering toward her again, filled with a wild kind of longing, her mind screamed run...but her body stayed frozen.
And then, all at once, she snapped back to her senses.
Before Hu Yan could touch her again, she rolled away from him in a panic, landing on her knees a few feet away. Her face was so red she could feel the heat spreading all the way to her ears.
"HuâHu Yan!" she stammered, turning her face away so he wouldnât see how flustered she was. "Youâre injured! You should rest!"
Hu Yan blinked, confused for a second, still half lost in the haze of desire. "Rest?" he repeated blankly, like the word didnât exist in his world right now.
"Yes! Rest!" she said quickly, refusing to meet his eyes. "Youâre still hurt, and your body isnât completely healed yet. You need to recover first."
Hu Yan looked down at himself, then back at her, completely pitiful. "But Iâm fine," he said softly, pointing at his chest. "See? My wounds have healed already."
She dared a glance...only to immediately turn her head again, because yes, the wounds had healed... but so had his shame. He was still naked, and the sight wasnât helping her poor heart at all.
Her face turned even redder. "I donât care! You still have to rest," she said stubbornly.
She couldnât tell him the real reason, that she was far too embarrassed to continue it here. Not when Xuan Long could walk in at any moment. Just the thought made her want to bury herself in the ground.
Hu Yan, of course, didnât understand any of that. His tail drooped as he looked at her with those sad golden eyes, all warmth suddenly gone. His shoulders slumped, and he spoke in the most pitiful tone sheâd ever heard.
"Lan Lan... do you despise me?"
Her head shot up instantly. "What...!?"
Those words hit her harder than any blow. Her face went from red to crimson. "What...no! Who said I despise you!? Donât talk nonsense!"
Hu Yanâs ears twitched. He looked so heartbroken that it almost made her laugh and cry at the same time. He sniffled, his lower lip trembling. "Then why are you running away from me..."
Su Qinglan froze for half a second, then glared at him fiercely. "Because youâre still injured!" she snapped, trying to cover her flustered face with one hand. "Now shut up and sleep!"
Before he could say another word, she marched over, grabbed his head, and firmly pushed him down onto the stone bed.
Hu Yan yelped softly, his eyes wide as he stared up at her, clearly not expecting this kind of attack.
She pulled the beast hide over his body, covering every inch of his bare skin, so he couldnât further seduce her poor heart. "Donât you dare move!" she warned, her voice trembling just a little.
Hu Yan blinked at her, looking both shocked and oddly satisfied. "Lan Lan... youâre so strong..."
"Sleep!" she barked, pressing his head down with her palm so he couldnât lift it again.
Su Qinglan thought the matter was finally over. She had covered him up, forced him to lie down, and even pressed his head down like she was taming a naughty cub. But apparently, Hu Yan was not done yet.
Even with his body half-covered by the beast hide, his golden eyes were still glowing faintly in the dim cave light...hungry, wild, and locked entirely on her.
The way his gaze roamed up and down her body made her face burn all over again.
"Hu Yan," she warned, her voice trembling slightly. "Donât look at me like that..."
But of course, he didnât listen.
He tilted his head slightly, those feline eyes narrowing with mischief. "Why not? Youâre my Lan Lan," he murmured softly. His tone was low, seductive, and dangerous.
Su Qinglanâs heart skipped a beat. "Y-you...!"
Before she could finish, he suddenly moved. One second she was sitting upright, and the next she was yelping as Hu Yan pulled her straight into his arms.
"Hu Yan!" she gasped, her hands pressed weakly against his chest. "I said youâre injured! Letâs...letâs sleep first, okay, I am also tired"
Maybe it was her tone, or maybe he finally decided to behave...but the word tired seemed to strike a chord.
Hu Yan sniffed her softly, brushing his nose along her neck in that catlike way of his, and then whispered, "Then weâll sleep."
Before she could even breathe a sigh of relief, he tightened his arms around her and rolled back down, taking her with him.
Su Qinglan let out a startled sound as she found herself trapped against his chest, her face pressed right above his heartbeat. His arms locked her in place like iron chains, holding her so tightly she could hardly move.
"Hu Yan!" she hissed, her cheeks blazing. "Youâre going to crush me!"
But he only hummed lazily, his tail curling around her leg possessively. "Sleep, Lan Lan," he mumbled against her hair.
She didnât dare move. Not even a little. What if she accidentally touched him somewhere she shouldnât? What if that set him off again?
Her body froze stiff, her heart pounding so loudly she was sure he could hear it.
And then...she felt it. The warmth. His bare skin.
She stiffened even more, realizing with horror that the beast hide had somehow slipped away, and the only thing between them was her thin dress. He was completely naked.
Her face turned crimson. She could feel his heat everywhere like sleeping against a living furnace.
She squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying not to think about it. Just sleep, she told herself. Donât move. Donât think. Donât breathe too loud.
To distract herself, she started counting sheep in her head.
One... two... three... donât think about his abs... four... five... definitely donât think about how hot his skin is...
By the time she reached hundred, her mind was finally calming down.
Then, just as she began to drift off, she felt his soft breath brush against her ear...steady, slow, warm.
Maybe he has already fallen asleep.