Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Changing the Bedsheets

Jiang Qingli froze for a moment at his words.

She belatedly realized this seemed to be the first time Ye Linyuan had ever said something like that.

Even with that deep knife wound on his waist before, Ye Linyuan’s attitude had been nonchalant, like it was nothing.

For him to actually admit he was in pain this time, it must be really serious.

A sense of responsibility welled up in Jiang Qingli. "Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you."

She cupped his face and took the initiative, her upper body pressing down on his arm as she moved.

The young man beneath her stiffened, like a silent statue.

Several minutes passed. Suddenly, Ye Linyuan grabbed Jiang Qingli’s wrist, overpowering her and pinning her down. His fingers dug into her waist, trapping her tightly in his embrace.

At some point, his legs had transformed into a snake tail, which coiled around her with a force so strong it felt like he was trying to merge her into his very body.

Unable to bear it, Jiang Qingli arched her neck back, only for him to cup the back of her head, forcing her to tilt it up and receive his kiss.

Her cheeks flushed red, whether from a lack of oxygen or something else.

She whimpered softly, like a fragile prey whose throat had been caught by a venomous snake.

An extremely intense feeling of hunger rose in his throat.

It was as if he had to devour her, to fill every inch of the void in his heart with her flesh and blood.

"Stop kissing me..."

Jiang Qingli was kissed until her fingers grew weak. She pressed her hands feebly against his chest, gasping for air during a rare pause.

Her pliant legs instinctively closed together, only to be pressed by the young man’s long-fingered hand and forced apart.

Jiang Qingli was startled, her body tensing up.

His hand was pressed between her legs, unmoving.

Yet it sparked dangerous thoughts.

Jiang Qingli snapped out of the haze of the kiss, her breathing uneven. She tried to remind him, "You... you promised you wouldn’t... do that..."

Ye Linyuan didn’t say a word. Panicked, she reached for his wrist, trying to push him away, but the hand holding her leg was unmovable, impossible to pry off.

His snake tail wrapped around her calves. The naturally cool temperature of a reptile encircled her ankles, slowly tightening and bringing with it a strange sensation.

Jiang Qingli felt her legs grow even weaker as blush-inducing images flashed through her mind.

The grip of her fingers on Ye Linyuan’s wrist loosened slightly.

Ye Linyuan’s lips curled into a very obvious, low chuckle.

His breath brushed against her ear, as if he were laughing at her for saying one thing and meaning another.

’What’s so funny!’

"Mm."

Ye Linyuan answered nonchalantly and slipped under the covers.

Jiang Qingli tried to stop him, but his muffled voice came from under the blanket, "Doctor Meng said that when you’re in a pleasant mood, it speeds up your spiritual power’s recovery."

Jiang Qingli: "..."

’Wait, is that something you can just say out loud?’

’And doesn’t Ye Linyuan hate doctors...?’

’Did he go ask just for my sake?’

’He’s actually learned to care about someone.’

Jiang Qingli’s tense body relaxed.

The thin blanket formed a stuffy, enclosed space, filled with the girl’s uniquely sweet scent.

Ye Linyuan lowered his gaze.

His forked tongue flickered. He suddenly thought of something.

When he had hacked into the marriage system, he had looked at the data on the other Beast Husbands.

Three of the Beast Husbands had very high Match Values.

Qin Muye was the highest, at 96%. Gu Nian was next with 93%, and Yuan Shimo had 91%.

If he wasn’t mistaken, Baili Jing was most likely another Beast Husband who had been forcibly added, as his Match Value was only 85%.

Ye Linyuan didn’t know what his own Match Value with Jiang Qingli was.

But since he was able to mark her, their Match Value had to be above 80%.

That was already far higher than most couples.

But something else was what truly bothered Ye Linyuan even now.

He had discovered that within the marriage and childbirth system, Jiang Qingli’s best genetic match wasn’t any of the five Beast Husbands, but another male.

The other party must also be of high status and power, as his information was highly classified. The few short minutes Ye Linyuan had were not nearly enough to investigate.

He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but looking back on it now, it made him feel as if he were facing a formidable enemy.

Someone had a higher Match Value than they did.

Genetically speaking, that person was a better match for Jiang Qingli than any of them.

Maybe with just a crook of his finger, Jiang Qingli would stick to his side, leaving all five of them completely forgotten.

’Just who is it...?’

"Ye Linyuan!" The girl gasped, shivering as she bent her leg. "You bit me!"

Ye Linyuan stopped thinking about other things. He grabbed Jiang Qingli’s ankle with one hand and continued.

The rain outside seemed to grow heavier.

Waves of dizziness washed over Jiang Qingli.

This half-dreaming, half-waking, almost psychedelic feeling was frightening, yet she couldn’t help but lose herself in it.

...

After an unknown amount of time, the sudden downpour subsided.

The girl’s eyes were unfocused.

In a daze, she felt herself being lifted and placed into a bathtub.

The circular bathtub, large enough for three or four people, was sprinkled with flower petals, but the water was a bit cool.

Jiang Qingli frowned and feebly scratched Ye Linyuan’s arm. "It’s cold."

This was the temperature Ye Linyuan was used to.

He hummed in acknowledgment, adjusted the temperature, and slipped into the tub as well.

Jiang Qingli asked weakly, "Are your wounds healed?"

"Mm." Ye Linyuan’s snake tail coiled around her, pulling her against his chest.

"Go away..." Now that she knew his wounds were healed, Jiang Qingli didn’t hold back anymore. She kicked at his snake tail with vengeful force. "You bit me several times, you bad snake! Abusing your power for personal revenge!"

Ye Linyuan let her kick him a few times, then raised a hand to wipe the water from the corner of his lips. His voice was lazy. "So all that whimpering earlier was you saying no, was it?"

Jiang Qingli: "..."

’This man!!!’

"Then why are you still clinging to me?" she retorted angrily, turning her back to him and leaning against the wall of the tub. Gritting her teeth, she shot back, "I’d say you were enjoying it too!"

Ye Linyuan didn’t say anything else.

A few minutes later, Jiang Qingli heard a SPLASH behind her as Ye Linyuan stood up.

Jiang Qingli watched him walk out, dripping wet, and asked, "Where are you going?"

His cold voice was a bit heavy:

"To change the sheets."

-

After a comfortable, hot bath, Jiang Qingli was carried back to bed by Ye Linyuan.

The freshly changed sheets gave off a cool fragrance. Jiang Qingli slipped into the bed, and Ye Linyuan immediately embraced her from behind.

He seemed to really like hugging her from behind.

Jiang Qingli pillowed her head on his arm and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Her breathing grew even and steady. Ye Linyuan stared into the distance.

The rain had stopped completely. Moonlight streamed through a gap in the sheer curtains, falling over him and Jiang Qingli.

For the first time, he discovered that he could feel a sense of gentle peace just from holding her, without doing anything else.

-

「Ye Linyuan left early the next morning.」

It was as if he had only come back to heal his wounds.

Before leaving, Ye Linyuan told Jiang Qingli that he had bought the disfigurement potion she had asked for last time.

She hadn’t forgotten that Chi Yun had tried to disfigure her. "Then I’ll do the same thing he did. I’ll put it in his tea. If he drinks it, it’s his own bad luck. If he avoids it, I guess he’s lucky."

"No need," Ye Linyuan said. "It’s all been taken care of."

As he said this, the young man finished putting on his coat and was about to head out.

Suddenly, he heard her laugh behind him.

Ye Linyuan frowned. "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing," Jiang Qingli said. "I just feel like you’re some kind of... hunter dad who goes out hunting? You always come back with a lot of prey."

The anti-surveillance chip, the Repair Gemstone, and now this potion.

Ye Linyuan: "..."

He avoided the topic. "I’m leaving."

"I’ll look forward to your next gift," Jiang Qingli said with a beaming smile, waving. "Happy hunting~"

Ye Linyuan: "..."

’She’s a grown woman, and she’s still playing these kinds of games.’

’Childish.’

After turning and taking a few steps, Ye Linyuan unconsciously raised a hand and pinched his earlobe.

It was burning hot.