I'll Forgive You This Time

Feng Rumeng slept until she woke naturally, lazily opening her eyes on the afternoon of the third day. She stretched.

Thinking of their intimacy at night, her face gradually flushed: his perfect muscle lines, his tireless, ferocious thrusts, and the seductive words he had whispered in her ear...

She patted her hot cheeks with both hands.

"Little Meng'er, you're awake. You must be hungry." Ling came over carrying a bowl of meat soup, his face full of satisfaction.

At the sight of Ling, Feng Rumeng blushed even harder and hurriedly burrowed into the animal hide, covering even her head.

Ling's lips curved into a smile as he set the bowl on the table. During mating, she had tossed and turned like a trapped beast, teetering on the edge of losing control.

At times she pushed him away; at others she wrapped her arms around him and refused to let go. He had become a pitiful snake with a piece of meat dangling in front of his nose.

He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the animal hide down, revealing Feng Rumeng's dewy, round, elongated almond-shaped eyes.

Ling's heart melted completely, and a burning kiss fell upon her.

"I'm hungry~" Feng Rumeng pressed a hand against his chest.

Ling gently stroked her hair. "All right." He slipped a piece of clothing onto her and drew her into his arms.

"I'll feed you." He picked up the bowl beside them, took a mouthful of meat soup, and passed it to her.

After swallowing, Feng Rumeng took the bowl herself. "I'll do it."

Ling gently stroked the snake-shaped mate mark on her arm, sweetness welling up in his heart. I have a mate now, Mother. In a few days, I'll bring her back to see you.

"It's so pretty. Ling, what kind of snake are you? Purple snakes must be rare, right?" Feng Rumeng looked at the miniature venomous snake mark. "Are you venomous?"

Ling's hand stopped, and Feng Rumeng hurriedly explained, "I didn't mean it the way you think."

"I'm venomous, and highly venomous at that. Little Meng'er, are you scared?" Ling said close to her ear.

"I'm scared, so scared." Feng Rumeng raised an eyebrow slightly. "Did you put venom in this soup?"

Ling kissed her earlobe. "I did, a huge amount of it. Enough to kill prey."

Feng Rumeng laughed and put down the bowl, her voice sweet and sultry. "You're awful~"

She bit his neck.

Ling let out a low groan and held her tightly, closing his eyes as he enjoyed it with pleasure. "Little Meng'er, do you know what you're doing?"

"I do." Feng Rumeng sucked a few mouthfuls of the blood that seeped out and licked her lips. "This way, I'll die faster."

Ling's gaze grew hazy as he pressed her back beneath the animal-hide blanket. "Little Meng'er, once my venom is in you, there's no room to escape."

Feng Rumeng suddenly realized, Oh no, what am I doing? But she refused to back down. "Who said anything about escaping? I'm not afraid."

Ling lowered his head and sealed her lips with his. The taste of blood filled their mouths, each wanting to devour the other whole.

Outside the cave, the sun rose and set, then set and rose again. Jianyue came several times with Batu, but the door never opened.

Feng Rumeng was immersed in the numbing effects of the snake venom, unaware of the passage of time, while Ling remained clearheaded, guiding her deeper into it.

The sky was bright and clear, birds sang, and flowers scented the air. More and more beastmen were out and about in the tribe.

When the females learned that Feng Rumeng and Ling had become mates, they started eating melon.

"Is there something wrong with that male's head? What normal male would take a fancy to that ugly female?"

"I heard he's a snake beastman from the Green Snake Tribe. Ling, and he's only third tier."

"That explains it. He's a cold-blooded beastman, and he's only third tier even though he's an adult. A useless male and an ugly female—they're quite a match."

Hahaha...

Ling walked steadily into the tribe with a Kaka Beast over his shoulder and an animal hide underneath it. His flowing purple hair lifted in the wind.

Everyone fell silent at once, watching Ling walk past them without looking to either side.

"How come I've never seen this male before?" Yuanyuan raised her brows.

Hu Hua stared without blinking. "He's as handsome as Hu Yun."

"Hmph? What good is being handsome?" Hu Yin curled her lip. "He's that ugly female's male."

Inside the cave, Jianyue smiled, her features clear and lovely. "How was it? I heard snake beastmen can keep going nonstop for three full days..."

Feng Rumeng felt as though steam were rising from her face. Her ears weren't deaf, but she wished they were. What little human sense of shame she had couldn't withstand being tortured like this over and over.

Outside the cave, Ling roasted meat at an unhurried pace, the corners of his mouth curling up without his noticing. Females really were... gossipy.

He lowered his gaze, his hand unconsciously stroking his chest. His little mate was very special. What tribe did she belong to? Her mate mark was actually a gentle crescent moon.

The animal hide she wore was strange, and she was a little silly too...

When the meat was done, Ling cut it into small pieces and arranged them on a clay plate. "Little Meng'er, you two come out and eat!"

Feng Rumeng breathed a sigh of relief. She was finally free.

They sat at the stone table outside the cave, eating the roasted meat gracefully.

Ling took a cup of mountain spring water from his space and held it to her lips. Feng Rumeng accepted it and drank in small sips.

Jianyue took it all in, her lips curving into a smile. Someone finally cherished Rumeng. She ate a couple more bites of meat, then made an excuse and left.

Ling couldn't bear to take his eyes off his mate for even a moment. "Little Meng'er," he said, taking her chin between his fingers, "why do you still paint your face black?"

Feng Rumeng smiled sweetly. "I only want you to see it." With that, she kissed Ling's slightly cool lips.

She ran off as soon as she finished, but Ling hooked a large hand around the Seven Wolves belt at her waist and pulled her into his arms. A flurry of kisses followed.

After the pink bubbles in the cave had popped for a few more days, Feng Rumeng suggested they go hunting together. She wanted Ling to advance sooner so they could leave the tribe for Beast City together.

Outside the tribe, Ling transformed into his beast form, a purple snake over ten meters long and as thick as a water barrel, his head raised high.

Feng Rumeng carefully touched his cool scales.

Ling's voice was reassuring. "Little Meng'er, if you're scared, I'll change back into human form."

"No, there's no need. Ling, your beast form is beautiful and cool. It's just that because of the environment I grew up in, I need time to get used to it." Feng Rumeng pressed her face against his serpentine body.

Ling gently curled the tip of his tail around Feng Rumeng's waist and placed her on his head. Flicking his tongue, he said, "Mm, Little Meng'er, let's set off."

Feng Rumeng grabbed the two little bumps on his head. "Let's go."

"Aaaah!!"

In the forest, Feng Rumeng cried out as though she were riding a roller coaster.

By the time they reached the patch of purple shrubs, her long hair looked like an exploded dandelion.

Ling transformed into human form and smoothed her long hair. "Did that scare you?"

"I'll forgive you this time. Be more careful next time." Feng Rumeng raised an eyebrow slightly.

A smile on his lips, Ling swept out a long arm to stop her and lowered his head to kiss her lips. "Little Meng'er, don't run around. Call me if there's danger, and don't try to act tough."

Feng Rumeng rubbed her little head against her chin. "I know, my sweetheart."

Ling's purple eyes swept warily over their surroundings. Finding no danger, he transformed into his beast form and vanished from sight like a gust of wind.

Leaning against a shrub, Feng Rumeng looked toward the massive tree trunk in the distance where she had stood twice before. She was so absorbed that she didn't notice someone approach her.

"Little female, are you alone?" A handsome male with waist-length brown hair scooped her up around the waist in an instant.

By the time Feng Rumeng reacted, he had already leaped onto the tree trunk with her in his arms.