Deep inside the cave, the faint glow of fluorite cast mottled shadows on the stone walls. Ruan Fu curled up in the animal skin blanket, falling into a rare, peaceful sleep. Although the hot springs in the White Tiger Clan's forbidden grounds had healed her body of scars, they couldn't wash away the exhaustion from days of constant maneuvering.
In her dream, she sat high upon a beast-bone throne. The males of the Dragon Clan, White Tiger, Snake Clan, and Rabbit Clan groveled at her feet, vying to offer their most precious courting tokens. Just as her fingertips were about to touch Xuanling's Reverse Scale, a slippery, ice-cold sensation crept up her calf.
Ruan Fu's brow furrowed slightly, and her long eyelashes fluttered as she opened her eyes. Moonlight leaked through a crack in the cave's ceiling, illuminating a giant green-scaled snake coiled around her waist. Its deep blue eyes were like the ocean, the vertical slits reflecting her astonished face. It flicked its tongue, carrying the sweet, metallic scent unique to highly toxic venom. Tilting its head slightly, its sharp fangs pierced the skin of her neck in the next second.
"It hurts..." Ruan Fu cried out in pain and reached out to push him away, only to find that at some point, he had transformed into his human form. His large, broad hand was now firmly gripping her slender neck.
With a slight squeeze of his hand, Ruan Fu knitted her brows, a muffled groan escaping her lips. In a soft, sweet, and pleading voice, she stammered, "An... Bei, what on earth... are you doing!"
The sharp teeth withdrew from her skin, and a soft, warm tongue brushed over the fresh wound as a deep voice rang clearly in her ear. "My fiancée, aren't you going to explain the scent on your body?"
An Bei's nose lightly brushed across her cheek, his cold, slitted snake eyes staring intently at her.
Ruan Fu lowered her gaze, reached out to lightly tap his chin, and curled her lips. "You've already smelled it, so why are you still asking me?"
"Heh." A cold snort escaped An Bei's lips. He propped himself up with both hands, pulling away from Ruan Fu. "Is it that male from the Rabbit Clan again? Are you really that lonely, Ruan Fu?"
Ruan Fu remained noncommittal, her bright eyes blinking as she stared at him. In the end, it was An Bei who admitted defeat. He was the first to turn his head and avoid her gaze, the tips of his ears turning slightly red.
Ruan Fu chuckled and leaned in closer. "I thought you'd demand to know who he is."
"Does it matter?" An Bei turned his head to look at the little female in front of him, who looked innocent but was actually full of wicked ideas. "You can be with anyone..."
"Just not with your brother." Ruan Fu naturally finished his unspoken sentence, reaching out to wrap her arms around his neck and smoothly straddling him. Her pure face wore a charming smile. "Sometimes I'm quite curious... What would you do if your brother and I..."
A cold sneer appeared on An Bei's lips, and the large hand resting on her waist instantly tightened. He said coldly, "You can try."
Those blue eyes staring at her looked as if they had spotted a delicious prey. Ruan Fu had no doubt that if she continued to provoke him, he would mercilessly tear her apart and devour her. After all, snakes were inherently cold-blooded animals.
Ruan Fu's eyes curved into a smile. Her slender, pale arms, like lotus roots, clung to his neck. Casually releasing her rabbit ears and tail, she leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on the corner of his lips. "I'm so timid, how could I dare? What if you eat me... I—"
Before she could finish her sentence, their positions were instantly reversed, and Ruan Fu found herself pinned beneath An Bei. The place where his firm, muscular thighs should have been was now replaced by a thick snake tail. The tail wrapped around her ankle, slowly slithering upward and probing.
"Mmph..." The icy sensation made Ruan Fu shudder, and she instinctively slapped his face.
Realizing what she had just done, Ruan Fu licked her lips and looked up at An Bei. "I... I didn't mean to."
An Bei didn't speak. His bangs were scattered messily across his forehead from the slap, and he gently pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek where she had hit him, revealing an unfathomable smile. "Did that feel good?"
"Ah?" Ruan Fu froze.
In the next second, An Bei grabbed her wrist and pressed her palm against his cheek again. "If not, hit me again."
Ruan Fu gulped, wondering if this guy was a total masochist. Not daring to gamble on what An Bei meant, she quickly pulled her hand back and gave him a timid look. "N-no need."
An Bei let out a light chuckle. He raised an eyebrow slightly and leaned close to her ear. "You're the one who refused, so don't blame me for what happens next."
Eventually, Ruan Fu simply couldn't fight off her exhaustion. Her eyelids kept drooping, and she didn't even know when she finally fell asleep. She deeply missed the hot springs in Lei Jie's forbidden grounds. If only she could soak in them again.
In her groggy state, Ruan Fu heard people talking continuously. The noise gave her a splitting headache. Forcing her eyes open, she found that An Bei, who should have returned long ago, was sitting on the stone table nearby. Sitting opposite him was the Shaman Leader.
Ruan Fu immediately closed her eyes and rolled over, pretending she had never woken up. She had absolutely no desire to get involved in the messy confrontation between these two men. She tried to coax herself back to sleep, but she simply couldn't. From behind her, An Bei's cold voice drifted into her ears with exceptional clarity.
"If you can't sleep, stop pretending."
The air inside the cave seemed to freeze, the faint glow of the fluorite casting flickering shadows on the stone walls. Ruan Fu's stiff back slowly relaxed. Resigning herself to her fate, she turned around and met two pairs of unfathomable eyes—Chief Nian's red eyes radiated a gentle light, while An Bei's slitted pupils were as deep as a dark pool.
"You guys... are both here," she said, her voice soft, the end of her sentence trembling slightly.
The only response she received was the echo of water droplets falling deep within the cave.
Ruan Fu licked her lips, racking her brain for a way to break the bizarre atmosphere. Then, she saw Chief Nian stand up and walk toward her. He sat down calmly on the edge of the bed, holding a warm bowl of rice paste.
"Eat a little. You must be hungry."
The rich aroma of grain was mixed with a hint of herbal bitterness—it was calming grass, used to soothe females. Right on cue, Ruan Fu's stomach let out a soft rumble. She obediently took small sips from Chief Nian's hand, as if completely ignoring An Bei's presence.
The Snake Clan male's slitted pupils contracted slightly as he watched Ruan Fu eat more than half the bowl. Once Ruan Fu contentedly licked the residue from her lips, she said in a sticky-sweet voice, "No more."
Only then did An Bei curl his index finger and tap lightly on the table. He sneered, "Ruan Fu, you really have no qualms about enjoying being taken care of, do you?"
Faced with his sarcastic remark, Ruan Fu raised an eyebrow, turning her head to look straight at him. "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"
"Not at all. In fact, it's perfectly fine." An Bei practically gritted his teeth as he spoke. His gaze then drifted toward Chief Nian, who was sitting next to Ruan Fu. "Though I didn't know the Rabbit Clan's Shaman Clan were allowed to have physical contact with females..."