Han Jue stood frozen solid, his entire body rigid. The two wolf ears atop his head twitched furiously, signaling his extreme distress. He looked like a magnificently sculpted statue suddenly brought to life, only to be overwhelmed by a simple kiss.
Su Qinglan was practically bursting with amusement. She had been right! He was hilariously shy.
"Aww, Han Jue is so sweet when he blushes!" she cooed, reaching up to gently pat the soft fur of his newly sprouted ears.
The touch sent a visible shudder down Han Jue’s spine. His blush deepened further, spreading down his neck. He wanted to say something, anything, but only a small, choked sound escaped his throat.
Hu Yan, the tiger, watched the scene with a genuine, warm smile. He was happy for his friend. Lan Lan was back, safe, and clearly in a good mood.
He had received his peck, and now he was watching his normally stern and stoic friend turn into a giant, embarrassed beastman.
"See, Han Jue, Lan Lan is just showing her appreciation for your hard work," Hu Yan said good-naturedly, clapping Han Jue gently on the shoulder...a clap that nearly made the already flustered wolf jump out of his skin.
Rong Ye, however, was already seeing red. His magnificent six tails bristled with pure unfiltered jealousy. Why did he get two kisses?
"Hey! That’s unfair!" Rong Ye shrieked with an angry face. He shoved his way past the bewildered Han Jue and practically pressed his face into Su Qinglan’s.
"Lan Lan, I was the one who was tied up like an egg! I was the one who suffered grievously! I need compensation! I need a kiss too!" he demanded, sticking out his lips in an exaggerated pout.
Su Qinglan giggled again. She knew how to handle the demanding fox. She leaned in quickly and pressed a soft, teasing peck on the tip of his nose, right on the sensitive black spot.
"There, there, my poor dumpling," she teased, pulling back before he could grab her for a real kiss. "You are definitely the most demanding beast husband of them all."
Rong Ye rubbed his nose with a look of stunned disappointment. "Hey! Not on the nose! I want a real one!" He whined, instantly forgetting his earlier misery.
Xuan Long watched the entire exchange from the cave entrance. His deep emerald eyes narrowed slightly as Rong Ye pushed his way forward, and a flash of coldness appeared when the fox tried to grab her.
He saw the fox’s scent mixing with hers and his own from the previous night, and a dark possessiveness stirred within him.
However, Su Qinglan looked genuinely happy. She was laughing freely, and her eyes sparkled. He was in an unusually good mood because she had spent the day with him. He could tolerate this minor nuisance. The little fox could have his silly nose kissed.
He simply stood still patiently; even he was surprised that he was capable of this, but it seems if you love your female, you could tolerate anything, let alone a shameless fox.
Han Jue, still shell-shocked but finally regaining control of himself, felt a rush of heat toward the irritating fox.
He was utterly mortified that his shame had been seen by everyone, including Xuan Long. He took a deep, steadying breath. He had to save face.
He straightened up to his full, towering height, making sure his face was now carefully blank. The two wolf ears, however, stubbornly refused to disappear.
He looked down at Rong Ye, who was still complaining about his nose kiss.



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