Chapter 93
Despite being dominated by his animalistic instincts, Huo Ranchuan still retained enough rationality, similar to Teng Snake’s mindset. When he saw Teng Snake get kicked by Teacher Bai, he quickly pulled his pants back on.
Teacher Bai didn’t like it, so he couldn’t risk making Teacher Bai angry.
Teng Snake, however, was shocked. How could its host betray its own spirit beast like that?
Teng Snake coiled itself up pitifully, cautiously observing Teacher Bai. Bai Nuosi, sitting on the pile of hay, felt mentally exhausted. The snake cub he had always cared for had suddenly grown up overnight. Not only had its size increased dozens of times, but it also knew how to tease him now!
Turning to Huo Ranchuan, Bai Nuosi watched as he silently put his pants back on and sat beside him, staring at him without even attempting to hide his gaze.
After a long silence, Bai Nuosi finally asked, “Director, do you know that you’re sick right now?”
Huo Ranchuan nodded solemnly. “I know.”
Bai Nuosi’s eyes brightened with hope. “Director, you know? So, have you come to your senses?”
Huo Ranchuan tilted his head. “Of course, I’ve been clear-headed the entire time.”
Bai Nuosi: “…”
No, the head-tilted Huo Ranchuan didn’t look clear-headed at all.
Bai Nuosi paused for a few seconds, trying to convince Teng Snake. “Baby, how about we go back to the Rose Nursery together? Xing Xing and Hanye are waiting for us at home.”
Teng Snake shook its head resolutely, and Huo Ranchuan spoke for it. “We’re not going back. This is our nest. We’ll be staying here for the next three months.”
Bai Nuosi was stunned. “Three months? Why so long? Last time, when the golden eagle nested, it only took a day!”
He didn’t fully understand the golden eagle’s situation. It had only taken a day because its little sweetheart was taken away by Huo Ranchuan. Otherwise, the golden eagle would have stayed in its nest for months, laying eggs, hatching chicks, and only leaving when winter approached to find warmer places.
Hearing Bai Nuosi mention the golden eagle, Teng Snake became agitated again. Huo Ranchuan, too, looked displeased. “Teacher Bai, why do you keep bringing up that bird?”
Bai Nuosi: “…”
Well, it was because Bai Nuosi didn’t understand these things, and Chen Min had used the golden eagle as a comparison when explaining Teng Snake’s out-of-control state.
Naturally, Bai Nuosi thought of the golden eagle.
Huo Ranchuan, now shirtless, scooted closer, his golden vertical pupils locked onto Bai Nuosi. He asked softly, “Teacher Bai, don’t tell me you’re still thinking about laying eggs for the golden eagle?”
Bai Nuosi, both shocked and speechless, retorted, “Of course not! Director, stop saying such nonsense!”
Huo Ranchuan maintained a serious expression. “That’s good. You’re my mate now, and you can only lay snake eggs for me. You can’t think about that bird anymore.”
Bai Nuosi: “???”
Wait, what did Director Huo just say? Lay what eggs?
Bai Nuosi went from shy to nervous to shocked, and now he was numb. At this point, no matter what came out of Huo Ranchuan’s mouth, he didn’t think he could be shocked anymore.
Teng Snake, too, slithered closer, cautiously resting its tail against Bai Nuosi. It had learned its lesson this time. It didn’t dare to wrap its tail around him recklessly, only leaning gently against him, thinking to itself: Teacher Bai must help it lay six eggs, at least one more than the golden eagle!
The cave was dark, and Bai Nuosi, having not slept last night, felt drowsy. He waited for a long time, but Chen Min and the others hadn’t arrived. He didn’t know if they could find this place. Other than his head seeming a bit off, Huo Ranchuan’s wounds had been bandaged.
Bai Nuosi decided to eat something and then get some sleep. They would sort things out after he woke up. Laying eggs was out of the question, and staying here for three months was even more impossible. He needed to find a way to convince Huo Ranchuan.
Taking out food from his portable storage terminal, he retrieved snacks and baby food he had prepared for the cubs. Feeling hungry, he decided to eat them himself.
Teng Snake, already accustomed to Bai Nuosi’s feeding habits, instinctively approached as soon as it saw him taking something out, looking at him expectantly.
Bai Nuosi paused, eyeing the enormous black snake hesitantly. “You’re so big now; you shouldn’t be drinking baby milk anymore, right?”
Teng Snake: “…”
Bai Nuosi put the baby bottle back and pulled out three cartons of milk instead. Setting them down, he said mercilessly, “You’ll drink milk with me. Adult snakes need to be mature and shouldn’t fight cubs for milk.”
Teng Snake: “…”
Teng Snake was shocked, its eyes welling up with tears, but Bai Nuosi remained firm. Just thinking about the snake cub showing off its twin, size-changing snakelets earlier hardened his heart like stone.
On some star date in some year, Teng Snake lost its bottle milk forever!
Huo Ranchuan, on the other hand, accepted it well. He took the milk Bai Nuosi offered, sitting down to drink. He even thoughtfully poked a straw into another carton and handed it to Bai Nuosi.
Feeding one’s mate was the responsibility of a male beast, but in his mating period, Huo Ranchuan didn’t want to leave his mate’s side, so he had no intention of hunting. All he could think about was having cubs with Teacher Bai.
Bai Nuosi prepared some fruit, added yogurt, and brought out all his toasted bread—about thirty pieces. He was full after eating two, but Huo Ranchuan and Teng Snake had bigger appetites.
As he drank the milk from Huo Ranchuan’s hand, Bai Nuosi glanced curiously at him. Wasn’t he supposed to be out of control, dominated by his instincts?
Huo Ranchuan still seemed like himself—except his intelligence seemed lowered.
Neither Huo Ranchuan nor Teng Snake touched the bread. Since they didn’t want to leave to hunt, they wouldn’t touch the food provided by their mate. The food needed to be reserved for their mate; they could go hungry for a few meals, but if their mate starved, it could be dangerous.
After Bai Nuosi finished eating, he noticed they hadn’t touched the food but didn’t question it. He put the bread back, lay down on the hay, and closed his eyes.
Huo Ranchuan lay beside him, and Teng Snake nestled its massive head on the other side. Bai Nuosi ignored the snake cub.
Huo Ranchuan tentatively asked, “Aren’t you going to do something before sleeping?”
Maybe something about having cubs?
Huo Ranchuan and Teng Snake were both suffering. They experienced the mating season every year, and Huo Ranchuan had always endured it alone.
It wouldn’t have been a big deal if not for finding their chosen mate. Having that mate’s pheromones around made things difficult for them.
Teng Snake, unable to control itself, kept shifting restlessly, its tail dragging across the ground. Huo Ranchuan felt similarly uncomfortable, but neither of them dared to upset Teacher Bai. Watching him sleep, they grew anxious, unsure of what to do.
Initially, Bai Nuosi didn’t understand what Huo Ranchuan meant. He paused for a moment, then turned to look at him. “Before sleeping… Does the Director want to hear a bedtime story?”
Huo Ranchuan: “…”
Teng Snake: “…”
Huo Ranchuan hesitated and asked Teng Snake, “Do you want to hear one?”
Teng Snake: “…”
No, thanks; it just wanted to cuddle with Teacher Bai!
Huo Ranchuan moved closer, looking at Bai Nuosi. “Teacher Bai, actually, there’s something I want to explain to you.”
Bai Nuosi sat up, curious. “Explain what?”
Huo Ranchuan said, “As you’ve seen, Big Black isn’t my child.”
Bai Nuosi: “…”
Well, that much was obvious.
There was no need to explain it at this point!
Scratching his head, Huo Ranchuan continued, “Big Black is my spirit beast. I hadn’t told you before.”
Bai Nuosi remained expressionless, waiting to hear what else he had to say.
Suddenly, Huo Ranchuan’s tone shifted. He looked earnestly at Bai Nuosi. “After that movie night, I looked into it. I even consulted Doctor Sajinna. Beastmen can, in fact, mark omegas.”
Bai Nuosi was stunned, his face flushing red. “Director, you even asked Doctor Sajinna?”
Huo Ranchuan nodded seriously, unfazed. “Teacher Bai, can I pursue you?”
Bai Nuosi: “…”
He was at a loss. Huo Ranchuan’s sudden confession had caught him off guard!
Feeling awkward, Bai Nuosi hesitated. “Although, um, I don’t dislike you, it’s all too sudden. We don’t know each other that well yet, so…”
Huo Ranchuan’s eyes lit up. “Teacher Bai doesn’t dislike me? So, that means you like me?”
Bai Nuosi: “…”
Huo Ranchuan grew troubled. “But there’s one thing I’m struggling with. Teacher Bai, I don’t know if you’d accept Big Black. It’s my spirit beast, and we share a bond. When we get close, it’ll know. During its mating period, it’ll seek your help too because we share the same mate.”
Generally, spirit beasts find other spirit beasts, but since Teacher Bai didn’t have one, Teng Snake had to rely on him.
Huo Ranchuan was a possessive person. He was deeply against sharing his mate, even with his own spirit beast. But Teacher Bai’s situation was unique.
He couldn’t just ignore Teng Snake during mating season. Otherwise, it would cause chaos in his spiritual sea.
Before Bai Nuosi could react to the sudden confession and process everything, he heard Huo Ranchuan continue.
Huo Ranchuan was straightforward, even if he feared rejection. He felt he had to be honest with Teacher Bai about everything.
Bai Nuosi was stunned. He looked between Huo Ranchuan and the massive Teng Snake beside him.
Huo Ranchuan, sensing Bai Nuosi’s hesitation, grew anxious. “Teacher Bai, what are you thinking?”
Bai Nuosi: “…”
He remained silent for a long while, so long that Teng Snake anxiously nudged his waist with its tail.
Bai Nuosi pushed the tail away, trying to understand. “Director Huo, what do you mean by accepting Big Black?”
Was it what he thought it meant?
Huo Ranchuan, slightly embarrassed, blushed as he explained, “If you accept me as your mate, you’ll also be Big Black’s mate. But don’t worry, since it’s a spirit beast, it mostly stays in my spiritual sea. When we… are intimate, it will be comforted too, so you won’t need to personally help it…”
Even with his thick skin, Huo Ranchuan found it embarrassing to discuss this.
Though everything he said was correct, Teng Snake wasn’t pleased.
It angrily flicked its tail at Huo Ranchuan. Who wants to be pacified in your spiritual sea? I want to personally lay snake eggs with Teacher Bai!
Bai Nuosi: “…”
Now, he finally understood.
Because he didn’t have a spirit beast, being Huo Ranchuan’s mate would mean having two partners—one of whom was non-human.
If it were in a novel, he’d find this setup thrilling, even exciting, but when it applied to him personally, it felt terrifying!
Rather than this, he might as well find a real beastman from another planet—someone who could switch between human and beast forms, ideally fluffy. That would be much better than dealing with a snake—especially one that remained a snake and couldn’t turn human. Imagining having to…
Bai Nuosi glanced again at the enormous Teng Snake and felt faint.
He stepped back, putting distance between himself and both Huo Ranchuan and the snake, and awkwardly said, “Director Huo, maybe you should find someone from your own planet. I might return to the Birdstar System someday, and I have no plans of finding a partner now. I just want to work and earn money.”
Huo Ranchuan’s face fell, his expression pained as he watched Bai Nuosi move further away. “Teacher Bai, do you want to go back to the Birdstar System to find an alpha? Is it because their pheromones make you feel safe?”
While Bai Nuosi hadn’t thought that way, he nodded to reject Huo Ranchuan. “Yes.”
Huo Ranchuan: “…”
Teng Snake: “!!!”
Teng Snake stared at Bai Nuosi, eyes brimming with tears!
Bai Nuosi shrank into a corner, fearing one of them might get angry and destroy the cave.
But neither of them did. Both Huo Ranchuan and Teng Snake remained silent. Though they looked hurt and sad, and Teng Snake’s eyes filled with tears, they simply retreated into their corners, no longer bothering Bai Nuosi.
In his corner, Huo Ranchuan mumbled to Teng Snake, “What’s so good about alphas? Is their pheromone scent really that pleasant?”
Bai Nuosi: “…”
He wondered who had been sniffing his neck so persistently earlier.
Teng Snake, agitated, squirmed around. After being rejected by Teacher Bai, it grew even more restless. Its spiritual sea, which had calmed, began to rage again. The golden eagle, stationed over a hundred meters away, suddenly opened its eyes and backed up another few dozen meters.
Why hadn’t the little sweetheart managed to pacify that damn snake yet?
Could it be that the snake couldn’t perform? Could it not get up? Was that why they still hadn’t mated?
Thinking this, if it had a human form, the golden eagle would’ve laughed out loud three times.
Serves it right. This is what the snake deserves!
Bai Nuosi noticed Huo Ranchuan wasn’t speaking to him, so he curled up in the corner and went to sleep. Since there was nothing else to do and he couldn’t return home, he might as well rest.
However, when he was half-asleep, he felt something heavy on top of him. Alarmed, he opened his eyes to find Teng Snake, its eyes glowing red, coiling around him, its head resting on his neck, sniffing near his glands.
Although it hadn’t done anything else, Bai Nuosi still felt nervous. “Big Black, you’re too heavy. I can’t breathe.”
The snake cub, accustomed to cuddling in Teacher Bai’s arms, loosened its hold at his words and even coiled its tail a bit looser. Bai Nuosi breathed a sigh of relief, barely managing to sit up.
But he still felt wronged; after all, Teacher Bai no longer called it “baby” but “Big Black.”
What an awful name!
When Bai Nuosi managed to sit up, he saw Teng Snake’s eyes were bright red, and he was startled. He looked around but couldn’t find Huo Ranchuan anywhere!
He quickly asked, “Big Black, where is Director Huo?”
Teng Snake tilted its head, released its tail, and looked toward the cave’s entrance.
Bai Nuosi stood and walked out of the cave.
It was around four or five in the morning, and the sky was faintly lit. The mountain wind was chilly. As soon as Bai Nuosi stepped out, his hair was blown into disarray.
He shivered as the cold wind hit him, glancing around outside the cave.
The entrance was covered in vines, surrounded by low shrubs. A small clearing was strewn with rocks, as if a boulder had been shattered.
There, sitting amidst the scattered stones, was Huo Ranchuan. Leaning against a rock, he had his eyes closed. Even in the cold wind, he was shirtless, his face covered in sweat.
Bai Nuosi hurried over. “Director, what’s wrong?”
Huo Ranchuan’s eyes snapped open, and when Bai Nuosi met his gaze, he saw that his eyes were also red—vertical pupils, no longer the familiar gold.
The red in his eyes held a sinister, wild glint that reminded Bai Nuosi of the golden eagle’s crimson eyes.
Huo Ranchuan stared at Bai Nuosi unblinkingly after opening his eyes.
Bai Nuosi, unaware of the danger, remained composed.
He crouched down, studying Huo Ranchuan’s face. “Director, are you feeling unwell?”
Huo Ranchuan slowly nodded, pointing to his head and then his chest.
His head and heart hurt, and he couldn’t tell which one was worse.
Remembering that he had rejected Huo Ranchuan’s confession last night, Bai Nuosi was about to say something to ease the tension. But then Huo Ranchuan, his movements sluggish, pointed down—towards Little Huo Ranchuan.
That hurt the most!
It felt like it was about to explode, and he needed his mate’s comfort to relieve it.
Bai Nuosi: “…”
He was silent for a moment, muttering, “Is this really due to a spiritual force imbalance or just a mating season? The symptoms feel a lot like an alpha’s susceptibility period…”
Mentioning susceptibility periods made Bai Nuosi think of alpha treatments. Given their current environment, with no inhibitors, and seeing how serious Huo Ranchuan’s condition was, Bai Nuosi felt conflicted.
Huo Ranchuan, moving sluggishly, had felt terrible all night. Teacher Bai’s pheromones had teased his sensitive nose the entire time he lay there, and he worried he might lose control and do something that would offend Teacher Bai.
So, he had taken Teng Snake outside, hoping the cool breeze would help clear his mind. But instead of alleviating his thoughts of Teacher Bai, the cold wind only intensified them.
A beast in its mating season cannot leave its mate. The separation anxiety was severe. If forced apart for too long, the risk of a full loss of control increased.
Teng Snake had grown restless. Huo Ranchuan, watching it pace at the cave’s entrance, eventually sent it back in.
He remained alone outside for the night, but his symptoms only worsened.
Bai Nuosi looked at Huo Ranchuan, and after several minutes of silence, he made up his mind. He moved closer, leaning into Huo Ranchuan’s embrace. The sluggish Huo Ranchuan, inhaling the scent he longed for, immediately wrapped his arms around Bai Nuosi.
His hands tightened, hugging Bai Nuosi firmly. Even if Teacher Bai regretted it now, it was too late.
There was no escape.
Bai Nuosi’s hands gently patted Huo Ranchuan’s back, soothing him.
“Director, your symptoms are so severe. Why didn’t you tell me? Why did you come out here alone? You’ll catch a cold.”
Huo Ranchuan said nothing, burying his face in Bai Nuosi’s neck, inhaling deeply near his scent glands like Teng Snake had.
Bai Nuosi softly asked, “Do you like this scent?”
His pheromone scent wasn’t strong, rather faint. It was said that such light scents rarely attracted alphas, which Bai Nuosi had always been grateful for.
Huo Ranchuan nodded, his voice hoarse as he muttered, “I like it.”
Bai Nuosi then asked quietly, “Do you want to bite?”
Huo Ranchuan’s body stiffened. He moved closer to Bai Nuosi’s ear, his voice rough. “Can I?”
Could he really bite?
Was he hearing things?
