Chapter 23: So Innocent
Hua Linye lifted his foxy eyes, his gaze fixed intently on Su Muyao.
The moment she saw him, she had instinctively sat up and scrambled to the far side of the bed, pressing herself against the wall. A large gap now separated them.
Seeing her reaction, Hua Linye felt an unexpected pang of hurt. A look of grievance crept into his foxy eyes. “Does Wife Master truly see me as some kind of monster?”
He hadn’t even gotten close yet!
In the past, she would have thrown herself at them without any prompting. But now…
Of course, he knew she wasn’t the same person anymore. So things were different. And now, he found himself wishing she would come closer.
Hua Linye’s eyes curved, a languid, bewitching aura emanating from him as he spoke in a low, husky voice, “I am Wife Master’s beastman husband. I was worried, so I wanted to keep watch over you tonight.”
He didn’t know why, but when he had lain down earlier, he couldn’t fall asleep. His mind was filled with images of her, especially the vision of her appearing in his sea of consciousness. The memory of that closeness sent a wave of heat through his body.
Su Muyao stared at Hua Linye with a strange expression. According to the original owner’s memories, nothing like this had ever happened before. She suspected something was wrong with him.
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll do something to you in the night? Or what if, even with your self-control, I were to slip you an aphrodisiac?”
That’s what her predecessor had done to Xiao Jihan. The drug was quite potent, though Xiao Jihan’s willpower had been impressive. If left untreated, a drug like that could cause permanent harm. But Xiao Jihan seemed fine, with no lingering effects.
Su Muyao thought her words would scare Hua Linye off, but to her surprise, an eager, tantalizing light sparked in his foxy eyes. They shimmered like water, captivating and soul-stealing.
He slowly approached her, looking down at her, his voice a husky, seductive whisper. “Actually, Wife Master doesn’t need to use drugs. I can be yours already.”
Su Muyaoās eyes flew wide open in shock at his response. She hastily grabbed the nearby animal hide and wrapped it tightly around herself, ignoring the heat. This fox beastman was completely unpredictable.
Was his brain broken?
“Ahem… I’m not feeling well right now. I can’t… do that sort of thing.”
She was completely unprepared for this, alright? She was terrified he would just pounce on her. According to her predecessor’s memories, under normal circumstances, beastman husbands and their Wife Masters were eager to tumble into bed every single day. Male beastmen seemed to have far stronger desires in that department than normal men.
Seeing her reaction and the blush on her cheeks, Hua Linye felt a twinge of disappointment, but also a sense of amusement. His Wife Master was actually so innocent.
It only made him want her moreā¦
But fearing he would frighten his little Wife Master, Hua Linyeās throat bobbed as he suppressed his craving. He leaned closer, his voice a bewitching whisper by her ear, “Don’t be afraid, Wife Master. Without your permission, Linye won’t do a thing. I was just worried a mutated beast might appear, so I decided to stand guard in your room. This way, you can sleep peacefully.”
Su Muyao looked up at him, and seeing the earnestness in his expression, she believed him. His earlier behavior must have been a deliberate attempt to tease her. Or perhaps it was to help suppress his fire poison.
With that understanding, she looked at him sympathetically. “Then I’ll have to trouble you.”
She wasn’t worried. With her face and her past deeds, it would be a miracle if any of them were actually interested in her. Her predecessor had tried so many insane things, so many tricks, and had never succeeded. Their marriage was still in name only, so she didn’t have to worry about anything happening in the middle of the night.
With someone standing guard, she could finally sleep soundly.
Su Muyao lay back down, and feeling truly relaxed, she fell asleep within moments.
Hearing the soft, even sound of her breathing, Hua Linye sighed helplessly, whispering to himself, “So trusting. To fall asleep just like that.”
Moonlight streamed in through the window, draping her in a captivating halo of light. She was sleeping on her side, revealing the perfect half of her face. Her skin was like snow, her features stunningly beautiful and exquisitely captivating. She was so beautiful it was impossible to look away.
As if guided by some unseen force, Hua Linyeās fox tail crept forward, gently curling around her, wanting to entwine with her, to hold her tightlyā¦
A thick, possessive look filled his foxy eyes.
Just then, a hint of coolness permeated the air in the room.
Hua Linye simultaneously erected a barrier around Su Muyao to block any sound that might wake her and launched a reflexive attack.
He found himself face-to-face with Wen Nanxi.
Hua Linye didn’t retract his attack, merely raising an eyebrow. “Wen Nanxi, what are you doing here?”
Wen Nanxi’s gaze fell on the sleeping Su Muyao, and he lowered his voice. “I should be asking you that. What are you doing here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping!”
Normally, Wen Nanxi gave off an aura like moonlight on waterāgentle, refined, and elegant. But now, a biting cold emanated from him, and his presence was sharp and aggressive. He looked ready for a fight.
Hua Linye narrowed his foxy eyes and smirked. He nonchalantly brushed back a lock of his soft, long hair. “As her beastman husband, I am naturally here to accompany my Wife Master. According to the rules, today, she belongs to me, does she not?”
The gentle light in Wen Nanxiās eyes dimmed, replaced by a dangerous glint. “What are you planning to do?”
Hua Linyeās lips curved into a smile, his whole posture exuding a lazy confidence. “Nothing much. Just wanted to give myself to Wife Master.” A pity she had looked so unwilling and resistant.
Wen Nanxi studied him closely. He hadn’t been like this in the morning. “What happened in the forest today? What did you force her to do?”
For some reason, the thought that something might have happened without his knowledgeāthat Hua Linye might have done something to herāmade Wen Nanxi’s fingers tremble and his heart ache as if pierced by a thorn.
Hua Linyeās expression hardened. “Wen Nanxi, she is my Wife Master. Whatever I do with her is none of your business.”
A frigid, chilling aura surged around Wen Nanxi. “Don’t wake her. Come outside!”
Hua Linye glanced at the sleeping Su Muyao, then reluctantly followed him out.
With a flick of his finger, countless sharp bamboo spikes materialized before Wen Nanxi, aimed at Hua Linye, ready to strike at any moment.
“Hua Linye, if you do not love her, then do not provoke her. And don’t you dare think of harming a single hair on her head.”
Nine-tailed red foxes were born with the art of enchantment and were masters of bewitching the heart. Wen Nanxi was worried he would use his charms on Su Muyao.
During dinner, the lost and sorrowful look in his Wife Master’s eyes had been so obvious. And the unfinished words she had spoken when giving them the insect-repellent sachets told him everything he needed to know: she didn’t trust them. She even thought they might hurt her.
He couldn’t say anything to reassure her, but he could guarantee that he would never, ever harm her.
And he would never allow anyone else to harm her, either.
Recommended Reads
