Chapter 634 - 631: Jin Yi, You’re So Nice

Chapter 634: Chapter 631: Jin Yi, You’re So Nice

Bai Wanwan recalled the several times he had helped her. From his discreet aid on the other continent to his success in arranging this meeting with the Clan Leader, his help had been both tangible and crucial.

She would remember this debt of gratitude.

She wasn’t one to be ungrateful. She gave him a radiant smile. "Alright, thank you. If you ever need anything, you can come to me too. I’ll do everything I can to help."

Fu Jinsen gazed at her beautiful, flower-like smile—the arch of her eyes, the faint dimples by her lips. It was almost identical to the smile she used to give him back when they were still close, just as captivating, just as capable of sending ripples through the calm waters of his heart.

But that very similarity was the cruelest form of torture.

It instantly reminded him of the day she left him—of her cold, resolute eyes, devoid of any lingering affection, and the words that had plunged him into the abyss: "Let’s never see each other again."

The ultimate tenderness and the ultimate cruelty—the two starkly different images of her warred violently in his mind. An invisible force once again seized his heart, pulling and tearing at it until the pain made his throat constrict, and he could barely maintain the rigid expression on his face.

’How he wished he could be standing here as Fu Jinsen, not hiding behind this unfamiliar face!’

’How he wished he could openly accept her gratitude, or even... once again possess that heartfelt smile she reserved only for him.’

The immense chasm between reality and his desires burned through him.

He forced the corners of his lips into a smile, but the expression that emerged was just a bitter curve.

His gaze greedily locked onto hers, as if trying to reach through those clear eyes to touch the soul hidden deep within. But all he could do was force himself to speak, his reluctance palpable. "You’re welcome. Well... you should get some rest."

He wanted to stay. He desperately wanted to stay.

Even just watching her, hearing her voice, staying a moment longer, exchanging one more word—just feeling her presence—would be enough to soothe the craving deep in his soul.

But the vigilant gazes from the other males, like beasts guarding their territory, were cold needles that snapped him back to his senses, reminding him not to overstep his bounds.

’Right now, he is Jinying, not Fu Jinsen.’

That realization doused the surging impulse in his chest.

’And even if he were Fu Jinsen, what right or reason did he have to linger here, now that she had a new life and new partners?’

More importantly, he knew Wanwan.

She might seem gentle, but deep down, she had boundaries that could not be crossed.

Pestering her and pushing too hard would only stress her out, annoy her, and drive her further away.

Maintaining a proper distance and showing restrained concern, on the other hand, might allow her to relax and lower her guard.

’Perhaps that’s the only way I can find more opportunities to approach her naturally, to show her I care.’

With this clear-headed realization and a heart full of bitterness, he turned and slowly walked away.

"Jinying."

He hadn’t gotten far when a male’s voice called out from behind him.

He stopped and instinctively looked back toward the spot where Wanwan had just been standing.

But the spot was empty. Wanwan and her other two males were gone.

Only Chou Rong remained, standing there alone like a silent mountain, his calm gaze fixed on him.

"What are you looking at?" Chou Rong asked, even though he already knew the answer.

His tone held an all-knowing certainty and a subtle warning.

Fu Jinsen’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly as a surge of irritation welled up inside him.

He didn’t respond to the obvious question.

"Jinying," Chou Rong took two steps forward, closing the distance between them. His voice was low, yet it carried the authority of a Clan Leader and the absolute sovereignty of being Bai Wanwan’s mate. "Need I remind you why we’re here in the Elephant Clan? To attend your mating ceremony with the Yun Duo Female."

Fu Jinsen pulled his gaze away and looked at him coldly. "I don’t need you to remind me. I’m well aware."

But his words did little to dispel the suspicion in Chou Rong’s eyes.

His gaze was as sharp as an eagle’s, as if it could pierce through "Jinying’s" facade and see the restless soul within.

He had known Jinying for a long time. While they weren’t close, he knew what the old Jinying was like: calm, self-controlled, and always maintaining a proper distance from females. The difference between that man and this "Jinying," whose gaze now unconsciously followed Wanwan, was vast.

Jinying himself might not have noticed, but Chou Rong saw it with perfect clarity.

His attention toward Wanwan, the complex and irrepressible emotions in his eyes, went far beyond what was normal for a Foreign Beastman, or even for an ordinary clansman.

Chou Rong looked at him, determined to neutralize this potential threat.

"If, in the future, the Elephant Clan or you personally need any help from the Tiger Clan, you can come to me. I will do everything in my power to help you and the Elephant Clan."

He paused, his gaze deepening as he looked at him. His tone grew heavier. "However... from now on... try to stay away from Wanwan."

This wasn’t a negotiation. It was a warning—a direct proclamation from her rightful mate.

Having said his piece, Chou Rong didn’t linger. He turned and walked back toward the house.

But Fu Jinsen didn’t leave. He remained rooted to the spot, letting Chou Rong’s declaration of ownership slice into him like a death by a thousand cuts.

＊＊＊＊＊

Back in their temporary stone house, the mental strain from the past few days finally lifted with the confirmation that the Elephant Clan’s Leader could be saved. An irresistible wave of exhaustion washed over Bai Wanwan.

She rubbed her throbbing temples, a subtle weariness clouding her features.

The ever-attentive Jin Yi had already noticed her fatigue. He quietly fetched some warm water, making sure the temperature was just right.

He wrung out a cloth and came to her side. Bai Wanwan had been so pampered by them that she’d become a little spoiled.

Her eyes half-lidded, she smiled up at him. Without lifting a finger herself, she simply tilted her face up, waiting for the male to take care of her.

A smile in his eyes, Jin Yi cupped her face in his hands, their knuckles even and smooth, and gently wiped it clean.

The warm water washed away some of her fatigue. She stretched contentedly, like a lazy cat, her bones letting out a series of soft pops.

"Jin Yi, you’re the best."

The gentleness in Jin Yi’s eyes deepened.

Bai Wanwan might have been free with her praise, but she always meant it.

They were truly good to her, and since a simple compliment could bring them so much joy, she found herself praising them more and more often.

Just then, Chou Rong pushed aside the animal-hide flap and stepped inside.

His eyes immediately fell on the female standing there, her face still damp, her gaze hazy with sleepiness.

The corners of his lips curved as he strode toward her.

"You’re back? I was just about to talk to you about something," she said, beckoning him over.

Chou Rong crossed to her side in a few long strides, and Bai Wanwan immediately leaned against him.

As if she had found her safest harbor, she naturally stepped forward, wrapped her arms around his lean waist, and pressed her cheek against his warm, solid chest, listening to the clear, steady beat of his powerful heart.