Chapter 500: Extra: Ye Linyuan - Snowy Night, Melting Kiss (Finale)

A glint flashed in Ye Linyuan’s eyes. He asked in a low voice, "What is it?"

"You decide." Jiang Qingli took his fingers and toyed with them.

After she spoke, she noticed Ye Linyuan was still looking at her and explained, "You said before that I should decide on your birthday. So, I figured I can’t just plan it all myself. I want you to feel involved, too. What gift do you want? Or you can have me do something for you, that’s fine too."

Ye Linyuan asked, "I can have you do anything?"

His golden, vertical pupils narrowed slightly, a hint of danger in them.

Jiang Qingli immediately crossed her arms into an "X" and stressed, "Nothing illegal or criminal! Nothing too lewd! And nothing that hurts the other Beast Husbands!"

"So many rules," Ye Linyuan seemed to chuckle.

Jiang Qingli declared righteously, "I’m the female master, you listen to me!"

From the corner, Xiao Hei raised its head to glance their way and flicked its tongue, as if in agreement.

Ye Linyuan didn’t argue. In a good mood, his lips curled. "Fine."

After he spoke, he propped his chin on one hand and stared at her. It seemed like he was thinking, but it also seemed like he was simply gazing at her.

His gaze made Jiang Qingli feel as if she were naked, and she felt a little intimidated. "Have you decided yet..."

Ye Linyuan said lazily, "What’s the rush? I’m still thinking."

Jiang Qingli: "..."

’Is this perverted snake’s mind just filled with inappropriate thoughts...?’

Jiang Qingli was mentally wondering if she’d forgotten to close some important loophole when she suddenly heard him say, "Come here."

Jiang Qingli was a little confused. "Hm?"

"I’ve decided."

Ye Linyuan said,

"Hug me."

Jiang Qingli wrapped her arms around his waist, only to be pulled tight by the young man’s powerful arms, completely enveloped by his cool presence.

Ye Linyuan hugged the girl very tightly, his eyes shut, feeling her warmth, so different from his own.

Her ear was pressed against his chest, and she could feel the beating of his heart.

After a while, Ye Linyuan made no other move. Jiang Qingli asked, "And then?"

"There is no ’and then’." Ye Linyuan rested his chin on the top of her head and nuzzled it gently. "Just this."

About ten minutes later, Ye Linyuan released her. "I’ve received it."

Jiang Qingli blinked, the realization dawning on her.

’So... Ye Linyuan’s birthday gift was just for me to hug him for a little while?’

’This snake really has changed a lot.’

’He should be rewarded.’

Jiang Qingli cupped Ye Linyuan’s face and gave him a peck on the lips. "A freebie."

She didn’t have time to pull back.

The next second, a feeling of weightlessness overcame her.

Ye Linyuan lifted her up, and a lingering, overwhelming kiss descended upon her, tugging at her emotions, bewitching her into giving more rewards.

The serpentine tail slithered past the strip of galaxy lights.

Xiao Hei, huddled in the corner, scrambled to follow them, but just as it was about to enter the bedroom, it was pushed aside by the snake tail, and the door shut with a BANG.

Xiao Hei curled up on the rug outside the door, listening to the sounds from within.

With its level of intelligence, it couldn’t possibly understand what was happening inside.

But it knew it was something very happy.

Because the muffled sounds were filled with rich pleasure.

...

Jiang Qingli couldn’t remember when she had finally fallen asleep.

She only remembered that the snow outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was heavy, a dense, unending white.

...

「Daylight broke.」

Jiang Qingli woke up in Ye Linyuan’s arms.

Ye Linyuan was leaning against the headboard, replying to emails. In his peripheral vision, the girl looked up with sleepy eyes, and the very tip of his snake tail rose to cup her face.

He pushed the screen away, his voice low, magnetic, and raspy. "Awake?"

Jiang Qingli nodded weakly and asked, "What time is it?"

"Nine o’clock." Ye Linyuan reached out and pulled the bedside food trolley closer. "When do you want to eat?"

"Let me go wash up first..."

Jiang Qingli sat up, her mind completely groggy. She felt a little dizzy.

’What time did we finally stop? I can’t remember at all...’

As she sat up, the thin blanket covering her slipped off.

Jiang Qingli placed a hand on Ye Linyuan, intending to use him for support to get up.

But an accidental glance made her freeze—

On the young man’s cool, pale skin, amidst the scratches and bite marks, was a rose totem imprinted over his heart.

The mark that belonged to her, the one that had been washed away by Lü Xin, had now returned to Ye Linyuan.

Jiang Qingli reached out, her slender fingers gliding over his skin.

She scratched it gently with her nail a couple of times. It didn’t come off.

’It’s real.’

Confirming this fact, Jiang Qingli’s sleepiness vanished in an instant, and she was wide awake. "Ye Linyuan, it really came back..."

"Mm."

Ye Linyuan took her hand and kissed it.

"I didn’t even see it. When did it happen?" Jiang Qingli wanted more details.

"One in the morning," Ye Linyuan said. "Your back was to me, so of course..."

Before he could finish, Jiang Qingli clapped a hand over his mouth. "Okay, that’s enough! As long as I know, you don’t need to give me the details."

She hurried off to wash up. When she returned, she sat on the bed to eat breakfast, her gaze still circling her mark.

Although Ye Linyuan had never said it, Jiang Qingli could sense that he had actually hoped the mark would return.

Especially when the other Beast Husbands showed off in front of him.

It was just that after returning to the First District, they had tried many times without success.

You couldn’t rush this kind of thing, so gradually, they had stopped actively thinking about it.

She hadn’t expected such a pleasant surprise.

Jiang Qingli reached out and tapped the mark, her lips curling. "This counts as a freebie, too."

Ye Linyuan’s lips curled. "I like it very much."

-

After breakfast, they cuddled in bed for a while longer.

Nowadays, beast genes didn’t have a particularly strong influence on Beastmen.

The proportion of beast genes in Ye Linyuan’s body was originally higher than that of an average person. While he wouldn’t go into full hibernation in winter, he was inevitably affected to some degree.

He was nestled languidly amidst the warm covers, holding the girl in his arms, intermittently kissing her lips and chatting occasionally, completely relaxed.

Xiao Hei squeezed in through the crack under the door, hid inside Jiang Qingli’s slipper, and rested its head contentedly.

The atmosphere was warm and soft.

...

After getting out of bed, Jiang Qingli and Ye Linyuan went downstairs to watch the snow.

Overnight, a thick layer of snow had accumulated on the cobblestone path.

The manor was draped in a silver blanket. Occasionally, a bird would hop on a branch, causing clumps of snow to fall with a soft RUSTLE.

Jiang Qingli took off her gloves, packed a snowball, and instructed Ye Linyuan to roll it until it was bigger. She wanted to make a snowman.

Ye Linyuan completed this task brilliantly.

Two snowballs were stacked together. They stuck in a carrot for a nose and buttons for eyes, then wrapped Xiao Hei around it as a scarf, making it look incredibly cute.

Jiang Qingli took a couple of photos, then tucked Xiao Hei into her pocket to let it sleep.

Then Ye Linyuan took her hand and put it into his own pocket.

Her fingers were a little red from the cold; now, his hand felt warm in contrast.

"Ye Linyuan," Jiang Qingli said seriously, looking at him, "let’s watch the snow together in the future, too."

"Okay." Ye Linyuan bent down and kissed her lips.

Snow melted between their lips.

...

Jiang Qingli and Ye Linyuan walked back along the path, leaving a trail of footprints in the snow.

The vast expanse of snow drifted down silently, landing on their brows and in their hair.

As if their hair had turned white.