61: Chapter 61: He wanted her to be his, his alone!

Tang Ruan: ...

Hu Che clutched the quilt happily.

“I’m telling you, female, don’t get any ideas about me!

I only just reached adulthood.”

Tang Ruan felt a bit annoyed; the way he spoke made her sound like some old man who would take advantage of him at any moment.

“I haven't even been an adult for a year yet!”

“Is that so...”

He had originally wanted to explain to her that he was a Male Beastman in the prime of his youth.

As it turned out, Tang Ruan was actually about the same age as him.

But she was so good at taking care of people, had such a good temper, and knew so much.

She didn't look like a newly adult Female Beastman at all.

Tang Ruan also crawled into the quilt.

She placed a stone between them as a divider.

She also helped him tuck in the corner of his quilt.

“Go to sleep! Little kid!

I'm not interested in you!”

Hu Che didn't understand what 'little kid' meant.

But looking at Tang Ruan's angry expression, he thought she was very cute.

In the middle of the night, the firelight illuminated Tang Ruan’s charming, sleeping face.

She rolled over to face Hu Che, her arm reaching out.

Hu Che was woken up.

He helped her put her hand back and tucked her in.

“Lang Lie...”

She suddenly lowered her head, burying her chin in the fur blanket.

She began to sob softly.

“Tang Ruan...” Hu Che called out softly.

In the past, she would also occasionally start crying suddenly in her sleep.

Whenever that happened, he would intentionally make some noise to wake her up.

But this time...

She was so close to him.

He didn't want her to wake up.

Hu Che lowered his head and kissed her eyelid.

He wanted to help her wipe away the tears.

How wonderful it would be if he could always be by her side.

If he could, he would never let her cry in her dreams.

His kiss slid from the corner of her eye to the bridge of her nose, and then all the way down to her lips.

But he could only be like a thief.

Secretly hiding away all his base desires...

The moment he touched her soft lips.

Something inside Hu Che's body seemed to suddenly awaken.

His body felt hot, and he couldn't control the urge to deepen the kiss.

He wanted her to be his, his alone!

“This way please, just keep going and you'll be there...”

Suddenly, the voice of a beastman came from outside the cave.

Hu Che immediately rolled up and stood in front of Tang Ruan to shield her.

The firelight inside the cave illuminated the person at the entrance.

Yan Qing stood at the entrance with a cold face.

The rain was pouring heavily, yet not a single drop fell on him.

The pressure radiating from his body kept the moisture a few centimeters away from him.

His gaze swept over Hu Che and landed on Tang Ruan, who had been startled awake behind him.

Tang Ruan sat there, instinctively clutching the quilt.

She looked at him in shock.

“Yan... Snake King?

Why are you here in the middle of the night?”

Yan Qing stared at her.

His mind was filled with the scene he had just witnessed.

He had interrupted their 'good moment'!

Seeing that he could kiss her so openly.

At that moment, he suddenly realized he was so jealous he wanted to kill this Male Beastman.

“Your cave caught fire.”

“What?” Tang Ruan stood up.

She Ming rushed over from behind.

It seemed he had only just caught up with Yan Qing's pace.

“Tang Ruan! Are you okay?”

“I'm fine...”

Seeing Yan Qing's face, which was as cold as ice.

She Ming shrank his head back.

“Chi Ling set a fire; nothing is left of your cave.

It's lucky you two didn't go back today.

Once the Snake King found out, he searched the whole city for you—

Eh?

Snake King, wait for me!”

Before She Ming could finish, Yan Qing gave Hu Che another deep look.

He turned and stepped back into the rain.

So, the reason he had such a cold face just now...

Was because he was worried about the two of them?

Uh...

Thinking about that last look Yan Qing gave Hu Che.

Was he worried about her, or him?

Sometimes, when you hear enough rumors, you really start to believe them a little.

---

They stayed in the Outer City for another two days.

It wasn't until the weather cleared up that Tang Ruan and Hu Che packed their things and prepared to head back.

The beastmen of the Outer City came to see them off.

One female beast was hesitating, seemingly having something to say.

“Sister, is there something you want to tell me?” Tang Ruan spoke up first.

The female beast said shyly, “The fruit you brought that day was especially delicious; my Cub has been clamoring for more.

My Beast Husband just went to the forest and found the same kind, but they just don't taste the same as yours.

So, could I go to your field and pick a few?”

“Of course, no problem!” Tang Ruan thought it was some major issue.

“But, does everyone think they're delicious?”

“Delicious!”

“I've never eaten such delicious fruit!”

“Me too, and the Sweet Wheat is also the sweetest I've ever tasted.”

The beastmen chimed in one after another.

Tang Ruan was overjoyed; that proved her Experimental Field was a success!

If Wan Shou City could have more delicious plants and Sweet Wheat...

She wouldn't have to eat meat every day in the future.

Tang Ruan's eyes darted around.

“I can let everyone pick some, but there aren't many fruits; I estimate each person might only get one or two.”

Disappointment showed on the beastmen's faces.

But everyone knew Tang Ruan was telling the truth.

Besides, they couldn't just pick clean everything she had worked so hard to grow!

“However, I can teach everyone how to plant them.

Once you learn, you can grow delicious food for yourselves!”

“Really?”

A Cub said excitedly.

“Can I grow things as delicious as the Witch Doctor sister?”

“Of course!”

The beastmen of Wan Shou City had no professional planting experience.

But they would also intentionally leave some seeds beneath delicious plants.

Hoping that the same would grow the following year.

Tang Ruan spent the afternoon busy with everyone.

Following the planting blueprint that appeared in her mind, she planted every piece of land.

It was nearly evening when she and Hu Che started heading back.

From the Outer City to the Middle City, and then to the Inner City.

Along the way, Tang Ruan saw several Snake Tribe beastmen from the Inner City.

Among them was She Yan's son, She Lei.

When She Lei saw her, he looked as if he wanted to say something but stopped.

After meeting Hu Che's warning gaze, he had to swallow the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

Tang Ruan must really hate him now!

If he hadn't told that Weasel Beast about Tang Ruan, leading to her being followed...

She wouldn't have encountered danger.

Although he didn't know what happened that night, judging by the state of the Weasel Beast's corpse...

The Snake King must have been furious.

He was usually swift in killing; he rarely used such torturous methods.

Not to mention Tang Ruan's Beast Husband.

A fellow who was gentle on the surface but ruthless in mind.

However, after that night.

He also understood one thing.

Tang Ruan was not someone he could covet.

Because she was the person the Snake King had set his sights on.

Everyone thought the Snake King liked males.

In the year or so he had followed the Snake King in battle...

He had seen many males who tried to curry favor with him just by being near him.

Without exception, they were all kicked out.

She Ming had only recently come to his side.

Naturally, he didn't know these things.

He even foolishly complained to him.

Saying Tang Ruan was being difficult, that the Snake King had finally found his true love, yet she wouldn't proactively give up Hu Che.

How ridiculous...

She Lei shook his head.

If the one he cared about was Hu Che...

Why would he send them to secretly protect Tang Ruan, while never mentioning her Beast Husband at all?

If one day she became the Snake King's Mistress...

Then would he still have a chance...

She Lei didn't dare think further; his life was more important.

The Snake King was actually a person with a very strong desire for control.

He didn't want anything to slip out of his grasp.

They returned to the Inner City.

Even though she already knew the cave had been burned.

Seeing the stretch of pitch-black cave entrances...

Tang Ruan was still startled.

Not to mention her snakes.

They were probably charred and crispy by now.

“Mistress, don't go in yet; let me tidy up,” Hu Che said.

“Come in!”

Just as he finished speaking, they saw Yan Qing standing at the entrance of the Snake Kings Cave.

He was still expressionless, but his gaze never left Tang Ruan for a second.

“From today on, you will live with me.”