"What is it? What's wrong? You're not saying anything, You Rong!" Lin Qinghe was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, having asked for a long time with no response from You Rong.
Just as Lin Qinghe was about to strip You Rong's clothes off to see if she had actually injured him, the silent You Rong moved. He hugged Lin Qinghe tightly again, burying his face in her neck, his voice choked with sobs and wronged: "You were deliberately tricking me earlier, weren't you! You even said you were like a half-elder to me, specially here to congratulate me, and that you and Meng Xiaoyi were a perfect match, a good pair..."
Did she know that hearing those words earlier felt like a knife piercing her heart, making it almost impossible to breathe?
Lin Qinghe felt a slight dampness on her neck and finally realized that You Rong was upset about what had happened earlier.
She sighed softly, raised her hand to stroke You Rong's head, and hugged his waist with the other. "I didn't mean to. Don't be upset. I just said it out of anger. Who told you to disappear the moment I woke up, and then I heard you were about to get married to someone else? How could I not be angry? Hmm?"
You Rong lifted his head from Lin Qinghe's neck, his arms still around her, his eyes slightly red. He whispered, "If you're angry next time, just hit me or scold me. Don't say things like that again. Here..." He took Lin Qinghe's hand and placed it on his chest. "It really hurts. It felt like dying earlier."
Lin Qinghe looked at the aggrieved You Rong and couldn't be angry anymore; she only felt heartbroken.
She smiled and squeezed You Rong's cheeks. "Okay, okay... I'll never say that again. I'll only say, 'I like you very much, I like you the most!'"
You Rong pouted, hugged her tighter, and continued to explain, "The companion-binding ceremony is fake. I only did it to lure the leaders of those northern beast tribes over. They've always been hostile towards me. No matter how I tried to win them over, they opposed me. So, I came up with this plan to set a trap for them. Once I capture them, negotiating will be much easier."
Lin Qinghe's thoughts stirred, and she asked, "You Rong, tell me the truth, did you come back to take over as the Wolf Tribe leader because of me?"
You Rong remembered the scene of Lin Qinghe collapsing in front of him, how she was almost abducted by the blood race while unconscious... Just thinking about it still filled him with dread.
He nodded. "That's right! Coming back to take over as the Wolf Tribe leader was just the first step. I want the entire beast race to obey me. I want to unite the beast tribes and form a Beast Alliance. I'll use the alliance to create a balance of power with the blood race, so no one in either the beast race or the blood race will dare to covet your power! I will never allow beings like the Snake Tribe and the Ouyang family to appear again!"
You Rong paused, gazed at Lin Qinghe, and said word by word with great determination, "Even if I'm no longer alive, I want you to live in peace! I want nothing in this world to threaten you!"
Lin Qinghe's heart tightened. The determination in You Rong's eyes deeply moved her.
She gently stroked You Rong's cheek. Lin Qinghe didn't realize her gaze was filled with heartache as she looked at You Rong. "You little wolf cub, are you silly... You don't have to do this for me. You must have suffered a lot during the time I was in hibernation, haven't you?"
Over these nearly two years, just gaining the Wolf Tribe's recognition was an ordeal. There were werewolves trying to assassinate him every day. He was injured repeatedly, new wounds piling on before old ones healed, and his life was threatened several times. Not to mention the extensive efforts he made later to win over other beast tribes; the suffering he endured was far greater.
But thinking that it was all for Lin Qinghe, all the suffering and hardships became sweet.
You Rong covered Lin Qinghe's hand and shook his head. "...Actually, it wasn't much suffering. The most important thing is... you're awake. As long as you're awake, everything is fine!"
Lin Qinghe felt something melting in her heart, warm and sweet.
Seeing Lin Qinghe looking at him without speaking for a long time, You Rong remembered that she hadn't eaten for quite a while and thought she was hungry. He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and stretched his long neck forward. "Are you hungry? Drink my blood."
Lin Qinghe's eyes flickered as she saw You Rong's fair skin on his neck. She indeed felt an uncontrollable urge. She lowered her head and leaned forward, about to bite down, but for some reason, she didn't.
You Rong asked with slight confusion, "What's wrong? Why aren't you drinking?"
A hint of cunning flashed in Lin Qinghe's eyes. "You've been in hibernation for so long. Have you always been feeding me?"
You Rong nodded, not understanding. "Yes, that's right."
"Then..." Lin Qinghe's lips curved up, and she whispered in You Rong's ear, "How did you feed me before, I want you to feed me now."
You Rong's ears instantly turned red. Remembering the soft touch from before, he felt dry and thirsty, and his Adam's apple involuntarily bobbed.
But seeing Lin Qinghe's smiling face, as if she were deliberately teasing him, You Rong gritted his teeth and didn't refuse. He bit his own wrist, and with blood in his mouth, he lowered his head and kissed Lin Qinghe fiercely.
This decisiveness caught Lin Qinghe off guard. The person who had been leisurely and carefree moments ago now had a hint of shyness and panic in her charming eyes.
After transferring the blood to Lin Qinghe, You Rong didn't leave her lips. Instead, he gently, tentatively began to kiss Lin Qinghe, his eyes lowered, always looking at her face.
Lin Qinghe closed her eyes tightly, her long, thick eyelashes trembling lightly, casting a beautiful shadow beneath her eyes.
What began as a tentative, gentle kiss gradually became... You Rong could no longer hold back. The kiss turned passionate, demanding, entangled, chasing, intending to steal every breath from her mouth.
The temperature in the room rose accordingly. Moved by passion, You Rong pushed her onto the sofa. Just then... a knock sounded from outside, followed by Meng Bei's urgent voice: "Leader! Haven't you finished talking with the Blood Ancestor yet? We've controlled the leaders of the Lion and Cat tribes. They're about to wake up. According to the original plan, you should go and see them!"
Lin Qinghe pushed You Rong. You Rong ignored her, pinning her hands down and continuing to kiss her.
"Leader, Leader... did you hear what I said? Are you inside?"
You Rong had to stop, his breathing uneven as he pushed himself up. He looked at the alluring Lin Qinghe beneath him, almost with difficulty turning his face away, and said hoarsely with extreme displeasure, "I know! I'll be there shortly!"
"Okay, okay... Leader, it's good that you know. Remember to come quickly, we're all waiting for you..."
"Get lost!" You Rong cursed with anger.
Meng Bei outside touched his nose and quickly shut his mouth, walking away with a wronged expression.
He couldn't understand what was wrong with the leader today. Although he usually seemed cold and unapproachable, he wouldn't get this angry and curse at someone.