The familiar, bright, and cheerful voice rang through the tense, cold air of the cave like a ray of warm sunshine.
All eyes snapped to the entrance.
There she was. Su Qinglan.
She was sitting high atop a massive emerald snake, her eyes gleaming with happiness. She was absolutely beaming.
Hu Yan’s, Han Jue’s, and Rong Ye’s eyes shone with pure, intense relief. All the worry and anger vanished instantly.
They completely ignored the imposing snake who had brought her back. They only saw their female.
"Lan Lan is here!" Hu Yan exclaimed, a rush of joy in his voice.
Su Qinglan smiled gently. She slid easily down the serpent’s body and walked toward them.
Before anyone else could react, Rong Ye, the six-tailed fox, moved like a flash of silver. He threw himself at her. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, hugging her close, and began to wail.
He howled like a truly miserable fox.
"Lan Lan, you are so heartless!" He cried, his voice thick with grievance. "You abandoned me for a snake! You heartless female! Am I not handsome? Am I not beautiful and strong?"
To prove his point, he grabbed her hand and pressed it firmly against his solid, muscled chest. He was immensely proud of his physique.
"Look! Feel! I’m solid!"
She choked on a laugh. "Yes, yes, you’re very... solid."
But the fox suddenly froze.
He sniffed.
And sniffed again.
Then he grabbed her shoulders and sniffed harder.
His eyes widened to the size of two full moons.
"You... you..." he stammered.
Su Qinglan’s cheeks immediately flushed pink. She was thoroughly embarrassed by his public display.
The emerald snake at the entrance, who had already smoothly transferred back to his human form, Xuan Long, was glaring daggers at the stinky fox. The fox was making his female uncomfortable.
Xuan Long moved instantly. He quickly stepped in front of Su Qinglan. He gently but firmly pried Rong Ye’s hand from his female’s body and shifted himself between the two of them.
"Do you want another treatment?" Xuan Long threatened, his voice low and dangerous. "It seems you are still sick."
While the two rivals were locked in a staring match, Hu Yan took his chance. He took Su Qinglan’s hand gently and pulled her slightly away from the rising tension.
"Are you okay, Lan Lan?" he asked, his worried eyes scanning her face for any sign of distress.
Han Jue moved quickly to stand beside them. He asked her if she was alright and then added, "Rong Ye said you had disappeared because of Stove."
Both were only concerned for her well-being. But they both also noticed her appearance.
Her face was almost glowing. Unmistakable happiness was reflected in her eyes. As they looked closer, her skin looked smoother, and she seemed to carry a renewed vitality.


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