I've Been Waiting for You for So Long

Feng Rumeng jumped in fright. Thinking the stone was some kind of animal, she hurriedly threw it back into the water.

"What's wrong, Little Meng'er?" Ling instantly shifted into his half-beast form and lifted him high in his arms.

Feng Rumeng pointed at the colored stones in the water. "What kind of beast is that?"

Ling picked one up with the tip of his snake tail and handed it to her. "It's just an ordinary stone."

"An ordinary stone?" Feng Rumeng picked it up and examined it carefully. There really was no sign of life. Had she imagined it just now?

"Ling, are you sure?"

"I'm sure. They're just ordinary stones. They're colorful, but there's no energy inside them. You can find stones like these in almost every river."

Ling studied Feng Rumeng's expression. Did his Little Meng'er really not even know that?

"Ling, I want them. The more the better. I have a great use for them." Feng Rumeng's eyes curved into crescents. She was going to make a huge profit.

Seeing the delight on Feng Rumeng's face, Ling felt as though his heart had been filled with honey. His mate had taken the initiative to ask for his help. That was something to be proud of. "All right."

Her mate was far too easy to satisfy. His nimble snake tail flicked casually through the water a few times, and countless colored stones rose into the air. With a sweep of his large, well-defined hand, he stored them all in his space.

"Ling, you're amazing!" Feng Rumeng exclaimed.

The corners of Ling's lips lifted. He kissed her brow and eyes. "Let's go to the hot spring."

Feng Rumeng nodded and leaned against his shoulder. Looking back at the river, she narrowed her eyes, and a colored stone instantly leaped out of the water before falling back in.

The trees slipped past them, and after several turns, a huge waterfall appeared before them.

Holding Feng Rumeng, Ling slid across the rocks at the side and passed through the waterfall, whose top was too high to see.

It wasn't dark inside. Glowing moss covered both sides of the cavern, giving it a dreamlike appearance. Farther in, a huge pool lay ahead, steam rising from its surface.

Beaming, Feng Rumeng slipped out of Ling's arms and put her hand in the water. The temperature was just right. "How did you find this place, Ling?"

"I stumbled upon it while playing as a child. After that, I hibernated here every cold season," Ling said, shifting into human form.

"This hot spring has flowing water. Don't worry, it's very clean." Ling pulled off his animal hide and stepped in, then reached a hand out to Feng Rumeng. "Come."

Feng Rumeng stored her clothes in her space and stepped in.

Ling carried her to the farthest side of the hot spring. When they reached the cavern wall, he set her down. "The water temperature is best here."

Feng Rumeng sat down against the stone wall and let out a contented sigh. "This feels so good. I feel so light. It's like all my tiredness is slowly melting away."

She closed her eyes. In the past, a single soak would have cost several hundred at the very least, and she would have felt constrained at every turn. Now it was just her and Ling. She could soak however she liked, for as long as she wanted.

Water splashed, and Feng Rumeng opened her bright eyes. The snakeman had his back to her and was scrubbing himself thoroughly.

She smiled. Sleeping with this snake was the last thing she had to worry about. A snakeman who loved cleanliness this much would be hard to find even with a lantern.

In this savage beast world, if she caught some disease, the witch doctors here only knew how to sprinkle medicinal herbs. Whatever came to mind, her body suddenly shuddered.

"Ling, are you the cleanest beastman?"

"So?" Ling asked in return.

"So I feel especially reassured every time."

Ling turned, walked over, and wrapped his arms around her. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Feng Rumeng gazed at Ling's cool, aloof face. His eyelashes were long, and she couldn't see a single pore on his jade-like skin.

The more she looked at him, the more she liked him!

Ling lowered his eyes to her dazed face, warmth spilling into his expression.

Feng Rumeng's eyes curved slightly. "Do you like it when I praise you?"

"I do." Ling's voice was low and husky. He lowered his head and kissed her lips. "Little Meng'er, how about here today?"

Feng Rumeng knew how capable Ling was. She pinched his cheek. "You're still injured!"

Ling's mouth was pulled out of shape by her pinch. "It won't get in the way." He bit her lip hard.

Feng Rumeng let out a soft moan. When Ling heard her delicate voice, his purple eyes turned to slits. His slightly cool hand slid onto her back, and the air in the hot spring gradually grew thick.

The following afternoon, when Feng Rumeng was scooped out of the water, her legs were as limp as if they had dissolved.

Ling held an Orange Crystal in his mouth and pressed it to her lips. "Little Meng'er, go to sleep."

Feng Rumeng swallowed the Orange Crystal and closed her eyes. She didn't even have the strength to speak.

When it felt good, she wanted more, but afterward, her whole body felt as though it were falling apart.

Feng Rumeng slept soundly in Ling's arms, unaware even of when they returned to the tribe.

Ling gently laid his mate on the bed and tucked the animal hide around her. He couldn't suppress the smile on his lips. His mate really had him utterly captivated: soft, fragrant, sweet, and adorably silly.

In her dream, Feng Rumeng stood in the middle of an unfamiliar purple valley. The valley was filled with the fragrance of flowers, swaying gently. She hadn't expected such a beautiful place to exist in a dream.

Her slender hand brushed the lush, delicate blossoms. Her lovely eyes curved as she ran freely through the sea of flowers.

"You've finally come." A clear, bright voice rang out. The next instant, she fell into a warm embrace. The wind blew the person's long, violet hair across her eyes, and warm lips wandered over her neck.

Feng Rumeng grasped the hands wrapped around her waist and closed her eyes. "Ling, am I still dreaming?"

He said nothing. Holding the delicate beauty in his arms, he only kissed her more ardently.

After an unknown amount of time, Feng Rumeng grew a little breathless and lifted her smooth, oval face. "Ling, where exactly are we?"

He stroked her cheek as though she were his most precious treasure. "I've been waiting for you for so long."

Feng Rumeng's long lashes fluttered in a daze. "Are you Ling?" She couldn't make out his face.

"Little Meng'er, Little Meng'er, wake up." A muffled voice reached her, as though from behind glass.

Feng Rumeng's pupils trembled. She pushed the person in front of her away, turned, and ran.

"Ah!"

After falling, she abruptly sat up in the cave.

The next second, Ling pulled her into his arms. Feng Rumeng caught his familiar scent and hugged him tightly.

"What's wrong, Little Meng'er? You were sleeping very restlessly," Ling said softly, his heart aching for her.

Feng Rumeng shook her head, somewhat bewildered. She didn't know how to explain. Surely she couldn't say she'd had an erotic dream and wasn't sure whether the person in it was Ling?

Ling held her for a long time, until her heartbeat steadied, then laid her back down on the animal-hide bedding.

He took an Orange Crystal from his space and slipped it into her mouth. "Go to sleep, Little Meng'er. I'll always be here."

He tucked the animal hide around her and patted her back. "Don't be afraid. I'm here."

Ling's voice seemed to possess magic. Before long, Feng Rumeng fell asleep.

Ling looked at her sleeping face. What had Little Meng'er dreamed about...?

One moment she'd been smiling foolishly, and the next she'd been calling his name.

When she woke up, she'd been so frightened that he couldn't help but feel tender toward her.

A mysterious smile appeared on Ling's face.

The morning sunlight was especially fresh. Washed fruit and roast meat wrapped in leaves sat on the stone table.

Feng Rumeng sat on a stool covered with soft animal hide, her heart filled with sweetness.

"Ling's female," a clear voice called from outside the cave, interrupting her. "The chief told me to inform you that the females of the tribe are going to gather medicinal herbs together today."

Gathering—the activity that appeared in every beast-world novel. Feng Rumeng answered eagerly, "Got it."

She quickly filled her stomach, changed into a black outfit, put on a matching baseball cap, and happily left the cave with a basket on her back.