202: Chapter 202 He said I'm ugly

As long as she nodded in agreement, he would conquer everything.

Lang Lie's way of expressing love had always been direct and passionate.

When the sun began to set, the sunlight inside the cave turned into a warm orange hue.

Tang Ruan finally couldn't help but take a bite out of his shoulder.

“Enough...”

“Not enough.” He buried his head by her neck.

“We still have a long time.”

He could hear the exhaustion in Tang Ruan's voice.

Lang Lie straightened up, his ice-blue eyes reflecting the orange light, shining like iridescent gems.

“I'm afraid...”

He looked down at her, a trace of grievance actually in his tone.

Tang Ruan grabbed his hand hanging by his side and asked, “Afraid of what?”

“Afraid that this is a dream, and when I wake up, you'll be gone.”

Through Lang Lie's description, Tang Ruan learned the truth.

During those five-plus years Lang Lie was in a deep sleep, it wasn't like he just slept and woke up five years later.

He would occasionally regain consciousness, but that consciousness was like being locked in a very, very dark room.

He was never able to break through the shackles of that 'room' to control his body.

Instead, he could only sit in that room and enter deeper dreamscapes.

He dreamed of the time they spent together; dreaming so much that he even learned to control his dreams.

But every time he woke up from a subconscious dream, he still faced that pitch-black, airtight room.

Tang Ruan gripped his hand tightly.

She imagined that feeling.

What was the difference between that and being in prison?

“Sometimes, I also feel like you're just a figment of my imagination.” Tang Ruan caressed his long, powerful fingers.

During the first few days after Lang Lie appeared, she always felt like she had lost her mind from missing him too much.

Especially because of Fen Tian, she couldn't get too close to him.

He stayed near her, neither too far nor too close, like a phantom she had imagined.

Fortunately, they now truly held each other in the palms of their hands.

“I won't disappear anymore,” Tang Ruan said with a smile.

“Neither will I.” He pressed down on her again.

Even though she was already very tired, Tang Ruan still indulged him, letting him vent out the feelings from those dark days.

The longing that had accumulated.

By the time the two of them returned, stars were already hanging in the sky.

The sky in Wolf City was exceptionally clear.

Even at night, the sky wasn't pitch black, but a beautiful ink-blue.

Countless stars hung in the heavens.

For the first time, Tang Ruan truly experienced the meaning of 'Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are...'

She lay on Lang Lie's soft fur, looking up at the stars, her eyelids getting heavier and heavier.

“Sleep when we get back, be good.”

Lang Lie's deep voice in his Beast Form drifted over.

Tang Ruan gave a soft 'mm' and rolled over on his back.

Face down, she buried herself in his soft fur.

A moment later, the sound of steady breathing could be heard.

Lang Lie, who was already walking very slowly, instantly didn't dare to move anymore.

He gauged Tang Ruan's height from the ground.

He suddenly transformed into his human form and caught her with precision.

Seeing that she hadn't been woken up by his movements,

He let out a soft sigh of relief.

---

The next day, Tang Ruan woke up in Lang Lie's embrace.

He must have been awake for a long time, but he hadn't had the heart to wake her.

“Get up, eat something, and I'll take you out to play in a bit.”

After a simple wash, Tang Ruan and Lang Lie had lunch together in the room.

After she became a Level 5 Beastman, her physical fitness had improved significantly.

So even though yesterday's 'exercise' was quite intense, her spirits were still very high.

She asked Lang Lie curiously, “Where are we going to play?”

Just as Tang Ruan finished speaking,

She saw Tudou standing at the door with a resentful expression.

Tang Ruan remembered that she had 'rejected' Tudou's messages yesterday.

She was just about to awkwardly speak up,

When she saw Tudou take two steps towards Lang Lie.

“City Lord, please find someone to send us back to the Marmot Tribe today!”

When she came, it was because Lang Lie was passing by the Marmot Tribe to visit Tudou's mother.

As a result, she had insisted on following along.

In the end, a single Male Beastman from the Wolf Tribe had brought their family here.

Of course, Lang Lie had later overheard outside the door that her purpose for coming here was to tell Tang Ruan about that Cub that had suddenly appeared.

Now that the matter was settled and it wasn't Tang Ruan's Cub,

Everyone should have been happy, so why did she look so angry?

Lang Lie's attention yesterday had been entirely on Tang Ruan, so he naturally didn't know about her argument with Lang Chi.

Tang Ruan took the initiative to speak, “Tudou, do you want to talk to me?”

Tudou looked at her pitifully.

The moment she saw her, her eyes turned red.

She sobbed and said, “Okay.”

In Tudou's room.

Tudou hugged Tang Ruan and cried as if her heart was breaking, “He said I'm ugly—”

Tang Ruan: ...

“You're angry because of that?”

Tudou jumped up from her embrace, “Shouldn't I be angry?

I'm the most beautiful flower of the Marmot Tribe!”

Tang Ruan: “That Lang Chi really is something. If he doesn't want to date, he should just say so. What's with the personal attacks?

I'll help you attack him back!”

Tudou nodded, “Exactly, he's so unattractive himself, what right does he have to talk about me!”

Tang Ruan: ...

Tang Ruan thought for a moment and asked tentatively, “Tudou, have you always thought Lang Chi was ugly?”

Tudou pouted and nodded.

“Then you... used to like him?”

“Liking someone doesn't depend on looks!”

Tang Ruan's eyes darted around.

“Can you repeat exactly what he said yesterday?”

Tudou said angrily, “'I don't like good-looking ones, I just like ugly ones, is that a problem?'”

“Pfft!”

Tang Ruan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

She really didn't know whether to call Lang Chi honest or stupid.

Seeing Tudou glare at her, Tang Ruan patted Tudou's back.

She asked, “Tell me the truth, do you actually want to take Lang Chi as a Beast Husband? Do you like him?”

Tudou lowered her head.

“I used to like him, and I thought about taking him as a husband.

But after learning yesterday that he thinks I'm ugly, I don't want to anymore.

I know our Marmot Tribe has different beauty standards than some other beastmen.

But the Beast Husband I find must truly think I am beautiful.

Instead of thinking that he's putting up with my ugliness just to be with me.

As if he's being so great or something...”

Hearing Tudou say this, Tang Ruan gave her a thumbs up.

That's how it should be. You like me, and yet you feel like you're the one being wronged?

“Then make it clear to him!”

“Mm.”

Tudou thought for a bit and continued, “Besides, I feel like Lang Chi doesn't truly like me.

He doesn't understand what 'liking' means, just like back when he supposedly liked you.”

“Me?” Tang Ruan pointed at her own nose.

She remembered that during that time, Lang Chi indeed thought about becoming her Beast Husband.

But later she found out, wasn't that just because he was egged on by others?

Oh right!

As soon as others egged him on, he thought he really liked her.

That's quite... something...

“So what you mean is?”

“Lang Chi just lacks a sense of security!

He only wants to mate with someone familiar.”