184: Chapter 184 A Bitter Taste, A Family Trip

Sa Yu scratched his head, grabbed her hand and kissed it, his eyes sparkling. "Qing Qing, I've finished bathing. What clothes should I wear?"

She wasn't a stranger, the Cubs at home were asleep, and he had even closed the door.

It wouldn't matter even if he didn't wear anything.

Sang Qing pinched his face, not wanting to argue with him since he was injured. "Does it still hurt?"

Sa Yu shook his head and smiled obscurely. "Qing Qing, hurry and go take a bath. I'll read you the self-reflection I wrote."

A bad premonition rose in Sang Qing's heart.

By the time she finished her bath and returned, Sa Yu was already tucked into bed, simply waving the papers in his hand.

That night, Sang Qing clearly understood what Sa Yu meant by reading a self-reflection.

This wasn't a self-reflection at all, but a pure love letter.

Every line was filled with Sa Yu's deep confession. Of course, with every sentence Sa Yu read, his strength increased. By the end, Sang Qing was so 'moved' that she cried.

What a sin~~

Even Sa Yu had learned to be bad.

The next day, Sang Qing curled up in bed for the whole morning before she finally recovered a bit.

She didn't want to get up, but she had to.

It was only because, in her daze earlier, she had accidentally answered a call from Feng Yuan and agreed to go on a 'date' with him.

The wind chimes at the door made a crisp sound. Auriel looked up from the counter and toward the door, wearing a professional smile.

However, after seeing the guest, her face instantly changed to one of surprise.

Auriel was also one of the Transmigrators. Now, she was already the owner of three restaurants in Beast King City, but her favorite thing was still staying in the dessert shop to enjoy delicious sweets.

In her previous life, she suffered from a strange illness and couldn't consume sugar since childhood, but with her unique talent, she created a new cuisine and particularly enjoyed researching desserts.

However, she could only make them and couldn't taste them herself.

In this life, having a healthy body, she wished she could eat desserts as meals every day.

Today, she was developing new products in the dessert shop as usual, but her mate had gone to the restroom, so she was helping to keep an eye on things.

"It's the City Lord..."

Eh, didn't the City Lord dislike going out during the Cold Season? Why did she have time to come out today?

But a guest is a guest, so she greeted her happily.

"Welcome! What would you like to eat today? I recommend the Strawberry Mousse and Cheesecake."

But who was the male behind the City Lord?

So handsome!

It's just... he doesn't seem to be the City Lord's mate, right?

Could the City Lord have found a new love?

Impossible.

Didn't the City Lord say she wouldn't Pair Bond anymore?

Sang Qing rubbed her paws and gave her a gentle smile, but there was a hint of something intriguing in her expression.

"Sure, and a cup of... Coffee. The most original kind."

She wanted Feng Yuan to experience a taste of bitterness today.

Auriel understood instantly and snapped her fingers. "Coming right up. Please, have a seat anywhere."

There was actually no Coffee in the dessert shop; it was part of Auriel's private collection. Hearing her City Lord say this, a mischievous thought couldn't help but arise in Auriel's mind.

She understood, she understood it all.

The weather was cold, and there were no other customers in the dessert shop. Sang Qing found a corner where she could watch the snow and slowly sat down.

Feng Yuan stared at her infatuatedly, his expression soft.

Sang Qing frowned, but he didn't restrain himself in the slightest.

Feng Yuan followed her to the seat. They should have sat across from each other, but he refused and insisted on sitting right next to Sang Qing.

"..." Sang Qing glanced sideways, looking him up and down. "Can you stay a bit further away from me?"

She could already smell the scent of roses on him.

"No." Feng Yuan wished he could stick to her body; how could he possibly keep his distance?

If he weren't afraid of making her angry, he would have wanted to pull her onto his lap.

Fortunately, he still had a shred of rationality left.

Sang Qing rolled her eyes helplessly, looked at the falling snowflakes outside the window, and scooted her bottom further inward.

Auriel first served two exquisite snacks. Just as Sang Qing was about to transfer the money to her, Feng Yuan stepped ahead and paid.

Auriel wouldn't have taken Sang Qing's money anyway, but as for other males, it would be a waste not to take it.

The atmosphere was silent. Sang Qing didn't know what to say, and Feng Yuan was also a bit nervous.

It wasn't until Auriel brought the Coffee that the deadlock was slightly broken.

"Try it." Sang Qing smiled and pushed the Coffee in front of Feng Yuan.

As soon as the Coffee entered his mouth, Feng Yuan felt a thick bitterness on the tip of his tongue, but he showed no expression and swallowed it without flinching. "It's good."

"I'm glad you like it." Sang Qing gave a forced smile.

Feng Yuan took a few more sips, seemingly really finding it quite good.

Sang Qing knew the bitterness of Coffee wasn't unbearable; she just wanted to see how he would react.

Feng Yuan guessed Sang Qing's thoughts and felt she was truly adorable.

This bit of bitterness was nothing; to him, it was just like plain water.

Sang Qing picked up a small spoon, scooped a bite of dessert into her mouth, her eyes not even landing on the male beside her.

She was so bored and had no idea what to say to him.

Looking at the female's pink, luscious lips, Feng Yuan's eyes darkened. He would always remember the softness and sweetness of when he kissed her.

He really... wanted to kiss her... Sang Qing felt unnerved by his predatory gaze, and even in the middle of winter, she felt a shiver.

She wanted to move further inward, but there was only a wall there; she couldn't hide.

At this moment, Feng Yuan spoke up. "Can you tell me where you went for the past three years?"

He had searched for her for a long time, from the forests to the grasslands, then to Beast King City, only to find that she was no longer there when he arrived.

They all said she had left Beast King City. The moment he heard the news, he thought she would never return.

It was at that very moment that he realized his feelings were clearly not hate.

It was an obsession and also his love for her. It was the source that supported his efforts to become strong over these three years and secretly plan everything.

Sang Qing's hand paused, and she put down the spoon. "I went to another continent."

She didn't really want to talk to him, but she felt that doing so would make her seem too arrogant.

"There's nothing much to say. Why don't you talk about yourself? You seem to have changed a lot over these three years."

He was vastly different from his former steady self. He had become obsessive and manic, his whole being as deep as if he had been soaked in ink.

A strange glint flashed in Feng Yuan's eyes, and he gave a light chuckle. "I was hating you."

Even shorter than Sang Qing's answer.

But also far too blunt.

Sang Qing's eyelid twitched. She turned to look at him, pursing her lips slightly. "Is that so?"

He certainly did seem to hate her.

Feng Yuan smiled, a hint of bitterness overflowing from the corner of his mouth, his eyes shimmering. "Hating you while missing you, and then falling in love with you without any way back."

His words were so real that Sang Qing was momentarily dazed.

He could actually say it so unreservedly.

"Do you want to know why I still remember you?" Seeing her stunned look, Feng Yuan tentatively raised his hand and grasped her fair, tender hand.

Startled, Sang Qing quickly tried to pull her hand away, but he forcibly held it down.

However, those words of his had struck a chord in her heart.

She indeed wanted to know why.

Feng Yuan lowered his head, feeling her warm palm. His expression softened instantly, and a few fragmented glints of light overflowed from his eyes as he leaned closer to her.

Sang Qing gritted her teeth and gave him a warning glare. "Why?"

Don't push your luck.

"Because..." Seeing her imperious look, Feng Yuan's handsome brows rose slightly as he leaned his body in front of her. "...I only ate half of the pill you fed me."

Fortunately, he spat out the other half.

Otherwise, he really wouldn't have been able to remember her.

Sang Qing leaned her head back, a look of realization appearing on her face.

So that was it.

No wonder the system said there was definitely nothing wrong with the pill.

The reason actually lay here.

Sang Qing suddenly froze, her thick, crow-feather-like eyelashes trembling.

So, he knew there was something wrong with the pill she fed him?

And yet he had still decisively eaten it back then... A shadow fell over her head. Sang Qing came back to her senses and realized he was getting closer and closer. His large frame enveloped her in a small space, and she could even hear the sound of his breathing.

Looking up again at the head pressing down, she felt a warmth on her lips.

Her pupils dilated in surprise. Sang Qing raised her hand to push him away, her expression changing.

How dare he... Feng Yuan grabbed her resisting hands and pressed them against his chest. His tongue drove straight in, beginning to take from her in a completely disorganized manner.

Sang Qing raised her leg to kick him, but it was pinned down by his thigh. Her whole body felt as if it were being entwined by him, unable to move.

Hiss... Her lip hurt. Even after Feng Yuan felt Sang Qing bite through his lip with force, he still didn't let her go.

From a faint metallic taste to a thick scent of blood, a drop of fresh blood fell from their intertwined mouths. Feng Yuan didn't care even though his mouth was full of blood from her bite.

It had been too long. He craved intimacy with her so much that even if her mouth were full of swords, he would have pounced without hesitation.

After a long time, Feng Yuan released the female in his arms. Seeing her already crimson lips stained with blood and the fire of anger in her eyes looking like it would burn him to ashes, he still very calmly licked her lips and reached out to wipe the red mark from the corner of her mouth.

"Sang Qing..."

His deep black eyes were dull, yet they concentrated an intense stubbornness and a determination to win.

"Have some pity on me."

"We were supposed to become mates."

He stared at Sang Qing, his voice raspy.

Sang Qing's hands were on his neck—of course, she wasn't hugging him, but squeezing tightly.

Looking at his face gradually turning purple, her eyes held only dissatisfaction and rage.

"What 'supposed to'? You were the one who gave up first. You don't think I'd still have pity for you, do you?"

Sang Qing really wished she could strangle him to death.

Daring to kiss her by force, he simply didn't want to live.

Originally, she had been a bit soft-hearted, but now, not a single bit remained.

Feng Yuan didn't fight back, just quietly watching her commit violence against him. When he felt the air in his lungs becoming scarcer and scarcer, he only shed tears and clenched his fists.

"Ugh..."

In the last two seconds, Sang Qing let go, her eyes cold. "Get out~"

"I won't..." Two words came from his throat, which was about to lose its voice. Feng Yuan grabbed the corner of her clothes and gave a wild laugh. "If you don't kill me, then take it as liking me."

Unless she killed him, he would keep pestering her.

Sang Qing raised a foot and kicked him away, not wanting to say another word to him.

The wind chimes rang, and Sang Qing's figure disappeared into the snowy scene.

The gossipy Auriel looked up and quietly glanced at the male who had fallen and couldn't get up in the corner, shaking her head slightly.

How tragic!

Sang Qing walked along the street, wiping her mouth hard, feeling extremely annoyed.

This piece of dog-skin plaster, Feng Yuan—how on earth could she shake him off?

But she inexplicably thought of those eyes of his, full of entreaty... so dark that they made her heart tighten.

Sang Qing slowed her pace and let out a sigh.

Why was she always so soft-hearted?

Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew by, causing Sang Qing to shrink her neck.

By the time she realized it, she found she had come out without even grabbing her coat.

But if she went back and ran into Feng Yuan... forget it, she'd just have Auriel help her put it away later.

The sound of hurried footsteps came from behind; Sang Qing assumed it was a passing beastman and didn't look back.

The next second...

A familiar scent enveloped her. She was just about to counter-attack when she realized it was only Feng Yuan draping her coat over her shoulders.

Feng Yuan pursed his lips, the strangulation marks on his neck looking shocking. After raising his hand to drape the coat properly for her, he stood blankly to the side without moving.

Sang Qing didn't want to see him and simply walked away.

Feng Yuan followed her step by step; wherever she went, he followed.

In the vast world, on a street with sparse pedestrians, two figures—one tall and one short—remained in a standoff.

Sang Qing quickened her pace and went straight home. Without permission, Feng Yuan couldn't enter the manor and could only stand at the entrance.

Fu Ning heard the footsteps and leaned out from the second floor. "Qing Qing!"

Sang Qing gave him a smile, took off her coat, and tossed it onto the sofa.

For a long time after that, Sang Qing refused to see Feng Yuan.

But he didn't give up, acting like a 'wife-watching stone' at the manor entrance whenever he could. Even if he received no response, he persisted.

Bits of green began to poke out from the cracks covered by ice and snow.

As the temperature gradually warmed, Sang Qing transitioned from her winter hibernation state to being busy.

The port they had discussed previously was completed. It cost Sang Qing a hundred thousand points, which pained her heart greatly.

Fu Ning somehow saw her distressed look. Once the ice on the river had melted a bit, he went to the Underwater Palace and brought back a ring full of shell crystals for her.

It was worth more than a hundred thousand points, directly replenishing all the points she had spent.

Another Cold Season passed. The beastmen of Beast King City discovered that the Cold Season wasn't actually that hard to endure anymore.

In Beast King City, as long as they worked hard and followed the rules, they could easily buy food and warm clothing even during the Cold Season.

Furthermore, once the Cold Season arrived, their houses had heating systems. As long as they didn't go outside, they almost never had to worry about freezing to death.

In the past, they would have started feeling anxious before the Cold Season even arrived.

Life is truly good now.

With about ten days left before the spring season arrived, Sang Qing thought about the completed port and planned to go inspect it to see if anything needed improvement.

She also planned to take the whole family there for a vacation; she had built her own seaside manor at the port as well.

However, they had to set off at night to avoid Feng Yuan.

The Cubs were scurrying all over the house, incredibly happy after learning they were going out to play.

The fathers resignedly packed clothes and toys for them. Though their expressions were calm, the corners of their mouths were turned up.

Besides them, the families of Song Zhen, Zhou Wanwan, Chris, Fia, and Su Ran were also going with them.

Little Seven and Little Eight could crawl freely now, but because their older brothers and sisters were too lively, the males carried them to avoid accidental injuries.

The sky gradually darkened, and the chill in the air weakened slightly.

After confirming the Cubs were all wrapped up tightly, Chi Yu nodded and led them outside.

The streets outside the manor had gone quiet, with only the softly glowing streetlights standing tall.

Sang Qing instinctively looked around. After confirming a certain beast's figure was nowhere to be seen, she closed the main gate.

"Let's head out."

After successfully leaving the city and meeting up with the other families, Sang Qing felt inexplicably guilty as she looked at the Beast King City left behind them.

She had gone to great pains during this time just to avoid Feng Yuan.

But she felt she wasn't in the wrong. You can chase, and I can hide.

It's not my fault if you can't catch me.

Let the standoff continue; either way, she would not agree to Pair Bonding with Feng Yuan.

Since they were out for leisure and weren't in a hurry, plus there was still a thin layer of ice on the grasslands, their pace wasn't fast.

The little ones had never seen the grasslands in the Cold Season and were thrilled on the first day. But as they moved toward the sea, the landscape became bleaker, with nothing but thin ice and wild grass, which wasn't fun at all.

The Cubs from the six families combined numbered more than the adults.

Fortunately, Su Ran only had one cub, whom she could easily look after.

Along the way, many wild beasts began to appear. With the spring season approaching, they wanted a full meal after starving for months.

However, upon running into Sang Qing's group, it was unclear who was the predator and who was the prey.

Zhou Wanwan's eldest cub was already able to hunt alongside Hu Ji. Though only eight or nine years old, his Beast Form was standard and robust—a little black tiger with sharp eyes and fur that looked bright and smooth.

Hu Ji looked at his cub with great pride. Whenever a wild beast appeared, he would first bite it until it was half-dead, then teach the cub specifically how to pounce, bite, and tear.

The Cubs from the other families also took the opportunity to learn.

By the time their group slowly meandered to the seaside, three days had passed.

The residential area of the port looked sturdier and more refined. Azure-colored houses were situated along the coastline in succession, rising and falling—there were villas, manors, and small high-rises.

The residential area was separated from the coastline by a green belt, and the scenery was very beautiful.

As for the factories, they were in another area.

The port city was divided into East and West districts. The East District contained the residential area and the Market. The Market served as the dividing line between the two districts; passing through the Market would lead to the residential area.

The residential area of the port consisted mostly of villas with delicate and unique designs, but some beasts had moved in before Sang Qing and the others.

Not bad.

It was the Mermaid Clan Queen.

The villas were arranged by number. Within two days of the villas being completed, Villa No. 1 had been picked first by the Mermaid Clan Queen.

Then, other Merfolk began to come ashore one after another to select houses to live in.

Fortunately, Sang Qing had reserved the villas between No. 2 and No. 15 in advance; otherwise, they would have had to live somewhere past the several-hundreds on this trip.

It was only then that Sang Qing realized how massive the population of the Merfolk Clan was.

After settling Zhou Wanwan and the others, Sang Qing pushed open the door to Villa No. 2.

The villa wasn't as spacious as the manor, but it had excellent lighting, high ceilings, and cozy decor. The Cubs all loved it.

Now that the Cubs were older, no one needed to stay with them to sleep at night.

Sang Qing hadn't designed children's rooms; she had designed a room for each cub according to an adult layout.

After all, they grew very fast.

Little Seven and Little Eight had rooms too, but they couldn't use them yet and could only stay in cradles.

After the Cubs drew lots to choose their rooms, they happily ducked inside to inspect them.

However, the villa was empty with nothing but furniture; they still had to make the beds and clean up on the spot.

The villa had three floors in total. The Cubs lived separately on the second floor, while the third floor was where Sang Qing and the others stayed.

Many hands make light work. With Xuan Xiao and the others working together, they quickly cleaned the villa.

Sa Yu and the others first made the beds for the Cubs and helped them change and bathe before taking care of themselves.

Sang Qing went to the room, placed Little Seven, who was in her arms, into the cradle, and then went to the balcony to check the surroundings.

Mhm, really nice.

Such a vast sea, though the wind blowing right now was still a bit cold.

It was nearly evening. Sang Qing changed her clothes and went to the living room with Fu Ning, who was carrying Little Seven and Little Eight.

Herman had already brought out food and started preparing it, the aroma wafting through the air becoming increasingly rich.

Xuan Xiao, having finished his tasks, joined the Kitchen. Just then, the doorbell rang outside.

Aniel ran to open the door. Seeing the visitor, he gave a polite smile. "Auntie Bo Li Ya! Please, come in."

Fu Ning poked his head out at the sound and spoke in surprise, "Mother?"

The Mermaid Clan Queen walked in with a smile, but her gaze landed on Sang Qing. "I heard your voices next door and thought I'd misheard, so I came over to take a look."

Tossing the sea beast in her hand to Fu Ning, Bo Li Ya walked quickly toward the cradle and looked at Little Seven, who was sucking on his fingers.

Sang Qing greeted her and then ran to the balcony to water the flowers.

Bo Li Ya picked up Little Seven and kissed his forehead, incredibly happy. "So cute."

This wasn't the first time she had seen Little Seven, but the thought that this was her cub's cub made her heart very excited.

"Where's Little Five?"

After cuddling Little Seven for a while, Bo Li Ya turned to look at Fu Ning.

She still preferred that little female Sang Qing had given birth to.

Fu Ning pointed upstairs. After tossing the sea beast to Herman, he started washing fruit. "Sleeping upstairs."

"Mother, stay for dinner. Little Five will be awake in a bit."

"Okay." Bo Li Ya wasn't about to be modest.

She had specifically come to see Little Five and Little Seven; being able to spend more time with them through a meal was also very good.

"Sang Qing, can I have Miao Miao come stay with me for a night?" After walking around the room holding the completely-not-shy Little Seven, Bo Li Ya looked politely at Sang Qing and asked gently.

"Sure. If Little Five is willing, she can stay with you for a few nights." Sang Qing wiped the water droplets off her hands and spoke with a smile.

Little Seven smelled the familiar scent of his own kind on Bo Li Ya, so he wasn't repelled.

It was just that he was still small and couldn't talk, only making 'ah-ah' sounds.

Playing with his Grandmother's hair, Little Seven gave her a silly smile, his large eyes incredibly bright.

Bo Li Ya was overjoyed, her heart nearly melting as she held him and refused to let go.

After a while, a clattering commotion came from upstairs. Sang Qing didn't need to look to know the Cubs were awake.

"Put on your shoes, put on your shoes. Sang Yan, you come back here!"

"Xiao Che, Little Ling, come back and put on your socks."

"Put your clothes on. Little Five, Little Five..."

Immediately after, the frantic voices of Herman and Sa Yu rang out from upstairs.

Clatter, clatter... The Cubs transformed into their Beast Forms and ran downstairs all at once—some flying, some jumping—a literal melting pot of chaos.

Sa Yu grabbed Sang Xuan by the scruff of his neck, stopping his downward slide in time. Only after putting his socks on did he allow him to go downstairs.

Sang Che flew down from upstairs, landing precisely in his Mother's arms, and then gave her a peck on the face.

Sang Qing patted his little head with an indulgent smile.