Ruan Fu walked out of Lu’er’s cave, her face as pale as a ghost.
She dug her fingernails so deeply into her palms that they nearly drew blood.
She had always known her father was cold-blooded, but she never expected him to use his own daughters as pawns to such an extent.
Whether it was her or Ruan Ning, in his eyes, they were nothing more than tools to be exchanged for benefits.
Suppressing the nausea welling up in her chest, she took a deep breath.
Her gaze was suddenly drawn to the bustling crowd at the village entrance.
The clamor of the females rose and fell in waves, mixed with excited chatter.
“Lord Xuan Ling is truly heroic!
With those broad shoulders and firm muscles, anyone can tell he’s a powerful warrior!”
“It’s a pity he’s already reserved for Ruan Ning.
We’d never have such good fortune.”
“The Holy Female is just on another level.
Even someone as infertile as Ruan Fu managed to catch the eye of An Bei from the Snake Clan.”
She wondered, “Is Xuan Ling here?
Did he come to see Ruan Ning?”
Ruan Fu tried to squeeze into the crowd but was shoved so hard she nearly fell over.
Frowning, she turned and made her way to a nearby slope, scrambling up it on her hands and knees.
Standing at the top, she immediately spotted Xuan Ling among the masses.
He wore a long silver robe adorned with the unique scales of the Dragon Clan, which reflected a kaleidoscope of colors under the sunlight.
His long silver hair was tied up high, revealing a sharp, stoic jawline.
His expression was indifferent, as if everything around him had nothing to do with him.
However, the moment Ruan Fu looked at him, he suddenly turned his head, and their gazes met in midair.
She could clearly see the lingering coldness in his eyes, as piercing as frost.
She hastily looked away, but she lost her footing and almost tumbled down the slope.
Right at that moment, a strong, firm hand caught her by the waist.
“Careful.”
It was Chief Nian.
His palm was broad and warm, bringing with it a reassuring sense of strength.
Ruan Fu instinctively grabbed his arm to steady herself, then quickly pulled away from his embrace.
She turned her head toward the village entrance, only to find that the crowd had dispersed and Xuan Ling’s figure had vanished.
“Why are you here?” Ruan Fu asked softly, a hint of surprise in her tone.
“I heard the Clan Leader called for you.
I was worried, so I went looking for you,” Chief Nian said in a gentle voice, reaching out to tidy her messy loose hair.
“Then I happened to see you up here and hurried over.
Did the Clan Leader need you for something?”
“He wants me to take Ruan Ning’s place in making a trade with the Fox Clan.”
“The Fox Clan?” Chief Nian murmured the name, his brows knitting together as he looked at her with a tense expression.
“Then you must be careful, especially around Jiuyuan and Mo Ran.”
“I know Jiuyuan is my sister’s number one suitor, so it’s normal for you to warn me about him.
But Mo Ran is just a Priest.
What could he possibly do to me?”
Chief Nian let out a soft chuckle.
“I know you’ve interacted with Mo Ran during the beast hunts, but he is far from as amiable as he appears.
His power of prophecy is vastly superior to mine, so…”
His words stirred Ruan Fu’s memories.
The image of those elusive pink eyes and the man’s several malicious actions surfaced in her mind.
She nodded vigorously.
“Don’t worry, I will definitely stay far away from him.” Besides, she had never considered him as a potential Beast Husband anyway.
Ruan Fu and Chief Nian walked side by side back to her cave.
Just as they reached the entrance, she heard a familiar voice.
“You’re finally back.”
An Bei was sitting by the stone table.
The tea in his cup was already drained, making it obvious he had been waiting for a long time.
Seeing Chief Nian standing beside Ruan Fu, he slightly raised an eyebrow.
Lowering his gaze, he spoke in an indifferent tone, “Does the Shaman Clan have nothing else to do but cling to someone else’s fiancée?”
Here we go again, she thought.
Ruan Fu couldn’t help but roll her eyes hard internally.
She then stepped forward, shielding Chief Nian behind her back.
Her tightly knit brows clearly displayed her impatience.
“Do you need something from me?”
An Bei sneered, his fingers trembling slightly from anger.
How could she speak so sweetly to other males, yet act so hostile and sharp-tongued whenever she dealt with him?
He reached out and grabbed Ruan Fu’s arm, yanking her into his embrace with a forceful tug.
His hands locked around her tightly, giving her absolutely no chance to struggle.
“Can’t I come see you for no reason?” he demanded coldly.
“Don’t forget that you are my fiancée.”
Sometimes, Ruan Fu truly couldn’t understand An Bei’s bizarre possessiveness.
She shot a glance at Chief Nian, signaling for him to leave first.
Only after his figure disappeared from view did Ruan Fu look up, meeting those cold, icy blue eyes head-on.
“You can speak now.”
An Bei scoffed, showing not a hint of intention to let her go.
His snake tail had already coiled securely around her calf, and his freezing fingertips pinched her chin.
“Ruan Fu, have I been too lenient with you?”
It was this phrase again.
Frowning slightly in impatience, Ruan Fu reminded him, “Have you forgotten?
You’re the one who said anyone but your brother was fine.”
An Bei froze for a second, but he quickly yanked Ruan Fu’s clothes down.
Exposing the lingering bite marks he had left on her shoulder, he bit down hard once more.
“I’ve changed my mind.
Now, it’s no one but me.”
Ruan Fu felt a wave of stifling anger trapped in her chest.
She had never met such a shameless male in her life.
She shoved against his chest, snapping, “Get lost!
I’d never…”
“Mmph—”
Her earlobe was suddenly bitten by sharp fangs.
The jolt of pain made Ruan Fu’s muscles tense up entirely, turning the rest of her unfinished words into mere whimpers.
But An Bei was clearly dissatisfied with this.
Gripping her chin forcefully, he easily forced her mouth open, naturally slipping inside to plunder all her air.
His snake tail didn’t stop climbing, either.
Before long, the corners of Ruan Fu’s eyes flushed crimson, and tears welled up in her sockets.
Saliva flowed uncontrollably from the corner of her mouth, the glistening, wet drops sliding down her chest and leaving damp stains.
Only then did An Bei’s expression improve.
A wicked smile touched his eyes as his low, hoarse voice whispered in her ear.
“Can you do what I just said?”
Ruan Fu despised these sadistic tendencies of his and had no desire to respond.
However, he seemed dead set on making her answer, pressing the question once again.
With tears blurring her vision and her mind going completely blank, she answered instinctively, “Yes…”
When the session was over, Ruan Fu’s clothes were a total mess.
She slumped weakly against An Bei’s chest, panting heavily.
An Bei, on the other hand, looked perfectly composed, save for the wet stains on his pants.
He curled his index finger and lightly tapped the table.
It was only then that Ruan Fu noticed there was actually a new set of clothes sitting there.
He had come prepared.
Realizing this, Ruan Fu forced herself to muster some strength, pushing off his body.
She grabbed the clothes and walked over to the bed to change.
She snapped in annoyance, “So, you came to find me just for this?”
“No.”
A soft chuckle came from An Bei behind her.
He stood up, walked over to Ruan Fu’s back, and took the clothes from her hands to help her put them on.
He lowered his head to carefully tie the sash around her waist before looking up in satisfaction.
“I want to ask you to return to the Snake Clan with me.”