Free Web NovelChapter 193: Chapter 193: A Declaration of Possessiveness
"Lanlan, what are you thinking about?"
Yan Huoshui opened his eyes. His gaze was sharp as a hawk’s, fixed straight on her, a hint of a smile in their depths as if he could see right through her.
Shi Lan uneasily tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Oh, it’s nothing."
He suddenly leaned in close. His broad, masculine body almost completely eclipsed hers. Shi Lan shrank against his chest, her almond-shaped eyes looking up at him with a mixture of confusion and shyness, not understanding why he had suddenly gotten so near.
Her body instinctively pressed against the back of the sofa behind her.
Yan Huoshui relaxed slightly, his trembling hands pulling her into his embrace. He didn’t use much force, but the large hand resting on the small of her back was as unshakeable as an iron clamp.
"Lanlan, I was worried you wouldn’t come back."
"I’m so happy you came back to the Capital Star."
One of his legs was still injured. To avoid putting weight on Shi Lan, he supported most of his body on his other leg, his shoe wrinkling the fine wool carpet on the floor.
Shi Lan didn’t dare push him away forcefully. His embrace felt as scorching as fire. The vibrations in his chest as he spoke rose and fell like a heartbeat, and the heat made her own body temperature climb.
Shi Lan’s face grew even hotter and redder.
She shrank back a little and patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Of course I was going to come back. Don’t overthink it."
Deep down, Shi Lan had a competitive streak. The peaceful life on Yaoxing was fine for a short while, but in the long run, she wanted to experience more challenges.
If possible, Shi Lan wanted to become a Military Doctor in the army after getting married. It would be more beneficial for improving her spiritual power.
She concealed the thoughts in her eyes. Yan Huoshui wasn’t in a rush to do anything more. He simply held her for a moment, barely managing to soothe the longing in his heart before reluctantly letting her go.
That evening, he took Shi Lan directly to the most popular restaurant among females on the Capital Star for dinner.
Shi Lan had been reluctant to go out, considering he was injured. But Yan Huoshui couldn’t resist hooking her wrist with his tail. Her heart was instantly captivated by that red tail, and she dazedly agreed.
In the Hovercar, Yan Huoshui even sat there and let out his nine tails for Shi Lan to play with.
Ever since the men could all normally transform into their human forms, Shi Lan found that the fluffy perks were becoming rarer and rarer. Faced with such a temptation, how could she have any self-control? She was immediately enveloped by nine warm, fluffy fox tails. Not minding their heat in the slightest, she lovingly wrapped them around her hands, unable to put them down.
The corners of Yan Huoshui’s eyes flushed red as he glanced at her a few times. Seeing her so focused on his tails, completely oblivious to the large man sitting right next to her, he felt a strange jealousy toward the tails she held in her hands.
’His tails could be held by her, could wrap around her neck like a kiss, and could press intimately against her cheek.’
’But he... couldn’t do any of that.’
Yan Huoshui nonchalantly stroked his own face with his fingertips. ’Since when is my face less charming than my beast form?’
Speaking of which, compared to the more auspicious Beast Clans like the White Tiger or the Bird of Paradise, the fox beast form wasn’t very popular. Perhaps it was because foxes carried too many negative connotations. In his early years, he had even been bullied by some males. If a female among those males so much as glanced at him a few more times, the fault would conveniently become his, even when he was only seven or eight years old.
And many females, for the sake of unity among their Beast Husbands and family harmony, wouldn’t want to marry a fox Beastman.
And yet, with his face and his 2S Spirit Power, he had been quite sought-after at the Capital Star School.
Yan Huoshui knew full well what they saw in him. But Shi Lan was different. He had noticed it from their very first meeting. Compared to his face, she clearly preferred his beast form.
’What a silly little girl...’
’Isn’t a male’s most important trait his ability? What’s the use of looking at his beast form?’
That’s what he thought, but he inexplicably felt pleased by her attitude. The smile in his eyes deepened, and his gaze gradually grew hazy and moist under her caress.
Shi Lan doted on the nine tails in the car for quite a while, stroking them until Yan Huoshui’s body grew even hotter. Only then, like a tease who takes no responsibility, did she let go of his tails and quickly released him once they reached their destination.
Yan Huoshui helplessly closed his eyes in the car to compose himself for a moment before taking her hand and leading her out.
However, in order to get closer to his beloved female, he continued to maintain a weak posture and leaned on her. Shi Lan did her best to support his body, which wasn’t using its full strength, as she led him into the restaurant.
"Hello, a table for two?"
As soon as they entered, a young waiter in a white shirt and black trousers, looking clean and sharp, walked over to greet them.
He looked at Shi Lan with a gentle expression.
Shi Lan nodded, her gaze lingering on his eyes for a moment longer. The waiter actually had rare heterochromia—one gray eye and one green eye. Both had a clear, glass-like quality to them, which was quite beautiful.
Noticing Shi Lan’s attention drifting to another man, Yan Huoshui’s brow furrowed. He shot the man a dissatisfied glance, and the hand that had been resting on Shi Lan’s shoulder secretly slid down to her waist, a possessive gesture to announce his presence.
Shi Lan looked down at him. "What’s wrong?"
Her tone was gentle, indulgent of the male beside her.
The young waiter glanced at the pair again, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly before he led the way. "Miss, please follow me."
"Would you like a private room or a table in the main area?"
Shi Lan didn’t speak. Yan Huoshui said lazily, "A private room."
"Of course."
The young waiter said no more and dutifully led the way. He was also very tall, and as he walked, his tight black trousers outlined his long, slender thighs.
From Shi Lan’s past experience, he was a high-quality handsome man. But after seeing so much of Yan Huoshui and the others, her standards had been raised a bit. She preferred men who didn’t look so slender.
When Yan Huoshui saw her gaze fall on the restaurant’s interior, surveying the environment instead of looking at the male in front of them, his mood instantly improved.
He had forgotten another reason this restaurant was so popular with females: the male staff were all hand-picked and very good-looking.
They also had many cosplay themes to satisfy the preferences of their female clientele.
The restaurant staff had some tact. Perhaps seeing that Shi Lan had arrived with a male companion, the waiter didn’t ask what kind of male service she wanted. He simply handed them the menu respectfully and let them order.
Shi Lan had never been here before, but she found the dishes on the menu looked somewhat familiar, as if she had just eaten them with Ye Ming today.
At the time, she hadn’t known, only that they tasted good. Looking at it now, she realized that a dish with two ordinary pastries, served on a plate the size of a bone-dish, cost over a thousand Star Coins. It was truly like spending money like water.
She estimated that the lunch she had with Ye Ming must have cost over one hundred thousand Star Coins.
Compared to Yaoxing, the prices on the Capital Star were indeed incredibly expensive.
