Chapter 4: Soothing
Hua Mian looked down from above at Yu Jin, who was gripping the floor with all his strength, but her mind was drifting.
Soothing?
Hua Mian recalled that in the original story, there really was such a thing.
In the book’s setting, every month, beastmen females went through a “heat period” that usually lasted three to seven days, varying by individual.
Only females could relieve this period. There were two methods: one was using a female’s soothing substance, and the other was through skin-to-skin contact.
She guessed this setup existed to make the stubborn little-sun female protagonist plausibly be completely claimed by her group of pursuers.
So, the original novel was an adult-rated story.
Before Hua Mian entered this book, when she couldn’t control her instincts, she discovered she was a succubus. Succubi had to find a favored prey to take back to their lair and “consume,” which was why she had read this book—to learn a few techniques.
“Madam, I beg you.”
“You mean he’s been earning money to support the household all these three years?”
“Yes… yes.” Yu Jin paused, perhaps not expecting Hua Mian to focus on this detail.
“No wonder.”
No wonder the meals she had were visually appealing and flavorful, seemingly twenty dishes at first glance, but each portion was small.
It was probably because Chen Xueji could not earn much alone.
So, the original owner didn’t allow them to eat the same meals as her, leaving them to eat scraps.
But no matter what, Chen Xueji couldn’t die.
Because Hua Mian was temporarily penniless.
Completely broke, with not a single cent to her name.
…
Hua Mian’s light, airy tone made the pain and hatred in Yu Jin’s lowered eyes churn.
He hated why beastmen had to be so humbly subjugated by females, and he hated that Hua Mian’s attention focused on money when she learned Chen Xueji was nearly dead.
Though only half a minute had passed, the air he inhaled felt increasingly thick, burning his stomach and almost making him vomit.
“Lead the way.”
Yu Jin suddenly raised his head to look at Hua Mian. She was still wearing the white long-sleeved nightgown from last night, her small face and the tuft of hair atop her head softened the irritation in her brow.
“What?”
Hua Mian frowned and looked down, repeating lazily, “I said, lead the way.”
What was going on? One person after another either had a screw loose or couldn’t hear people speaking.
Could such people really be big shots? The threshold for being a “big shot” must be incredibly low.
Hua Mian pursed her lips.
“Madam, it’s urgent. Forgive me.”
Once Yu Jin got over there, he immediately lifted Hua Mian into his arms and dashed downstairs.
Startled, she let out a cry.
Then everything went dark for a moment. When she blinked, she realized she was in a small room.
Dim lighting, no windows—the damp, oppressive, and stifling atmosphere made her feel short of breath. She tugged uncomfortably at her collar.
“Madam, from here on, I leave it to you.”
Yu Jin placed Hua Mian on the bed. The cold, rough sheets made her skin break out in goosebumps.
“I…” she tried to say, wanting a different room, but Yu Jin dashed out before she finished speaking, even thoughtfully closing the door behind him.
She could only stay silent and turn to look at Chen Xueji, whose cheeks were pink, lips flushed, and long dark green hair draped across his shoulders.
In that moment, Hua Mian’s mind flashed with the original story’s various adult scenes, and she swallowed nervously.
Honestly, Chen Xueji looked… somewhat appetizing.
But she preferred mutual consent over taking advantage of someone.
So, she chose to use soothing substance to calm Chen Xueji.
She understood the theory but didn’t know what soothing substance was or where to find it.
When reading the original, she had focused on the female lead and the beastmen’s explicit scenes, but never paid attention to where the substance was on a female—because the protagonist apparently didn’t have it, and the book only mentioned it in passing.
“Where on earth is it?” Hua Mian wondered, deep in thought.
At that moment, Chen Xueji once again caught the sweet, fragrant scent of roses.
The pain and despair that haunted him seemed tinged with the rose’s sweetness, relieving his suffering.
Instinctively, he reached for the rich scent.
Before Hua Mian could react, something cold grabbed her ankle.
Terrified, she turned to see Chen Xueji’s hand circling her ankle.
“Let go!”
Hua Mian kicked and struggled a few times before finally freeing herself.
Now, she no longer thought Chen Xueji appetizing—she had to find the substance via her Light Brain Star Network.
Just as she was about to get out of bed, someone grabbed her wrist and yanked hard.
“It hurts!”
“Let go! You’re hurting me!”
She tried to pry Chen Xueji’s hand away with the other, but met a pair of blood-red eyes.
Her heart tightened. Chen Xueji wasn’t right!
“Yu Jin! Chen Xueji…” Crazy!
Before she could finish, Chen Xueji, hearing his name, pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
Her eyes widened; her mind spun like a tangled ball of yarn.
Though a succubus, before learning her nature, she was just a girl with theoretical knowledge but no real experience. At most, she had held hands with a handsome senior.
Yu Jin had left the doorway after hearing Hua Mian cry out, intending to check on Yan An.
Meanwhile, Hua Mian was pinned and kissed by Chen Xueji.
Panic, confusion, and daze flashed through her beautiful eyes.
Gradually, she began responding awkwardly, and the scene spun out of control.
The sweet rose scent grew heavier, filling the small enclosed room, as if everything was soaked in it…
Chen Xueji’s dark green hair absorbed the scent inch by inch, his damp hair on his forehead appearing almost wet.
His cold green eyes now glowed with wild desire…
Hua Mian felt like a little fish on a chopping board, tossed and turned at will, unable to resist, yet strangely starting to enjoy it…
Spring filled the room inside, while outside, the hallway was swallowed by darkness.
Night deepened.
Hua Mian whimpered weakly, like a dying little beast, slowly losing consciousness.
…
“Brother Yu Jin, can she really save Brother Xueji?” Chi Rui whispered.
Yu Jin was silent for a moment. “She needs a lot of money.”
At that moment, Chu Fufeng and the others weren’t sure whether to be glad that Xueji was strong and capable of earning money, or glad that Hua Mian was a gold-digging female.
Everyone fell silent. Yan An, just waking up, even had tears in his eyes.
“It’s my fault… I’ve dragged everyone down. I’m sorry,” Yan An said, head bowed, a pair of small black ears poking out atop his head.
“The one who should apologize is her! If not for her, how could you…”
“Enough.” Yu Jin shook his head and gestured for Chu Fufeng to look at Yan An’s ears.
Chu Fufeng fell silent, closing his eyes and suppressing his resentment.
“Yan An, we never thought you were a burden. We just didn’t protect you properly,” Chu Fufeng said, his throat moving with bitterness.
Yan An’s tears fell faster. Chi Rui patted his head soothingly, carefully avoiding his beast ears.
“Tomorrow, we’ll know Xueji’s condition. You two go back and rest; I’ll stay with Yan An,” Yu Jin said gently, patting Chu Fufeng and Chi Rui on the shoulders.
“I’m not going back,” Chu Fufeng said, staying put.
“Neither am I,” Chi Rui added.
Seeing their resolute expressions, Yu Jin’s eyes softened.
“Then go rest in the room next door. If anything happens, I’ll call you,” he said with gentle but firm authority.
Yan An whispered, “Brother Yu Jin, I’m fine. You should rest too! If anything happens, I’ll call you.”
“The patient must obey. Sleep now.” Yu Jin pulled the covers over Yan An and turned off the bedside lamp.
In the darkness, Yan An asked in a nasal voice:
“Brother Yu Jin, Brother Xueji will be okay, right?”
After a few breaths, Yu Jin replied firmly: “Yes.”
