“Brother…
mmph—”
A soft sound escaped the young woman’s cherry-red lips, only to be quickly stifled.
The fragrance of roses on her shallow breaths intertwined with the rich scent of cedar.
A calloused index finger pressed firmly against her fair, slender neck, and the frigid touch of the family crest ring on his hand made Wen Ran shiver.
[Warning: Your Frenzy Value has reached 80%.]
The system’s cold notification echoed in her ears, and Wen Ran finally realized that Ize’s spiritual power was out of control.
The next moment, she felt a warm sensation on her leg.
Looking down, she saw a small, creamy yellow lion cub licking her calf.
The strange sensation seemed to drain the strength from her body.
Her legs gave out, and the man swept her up into his arms.
Before she could make a sound, her entire body sank into a large, soft bed.
Ize braced his hands on either side of Wen Ran.
His eyes were crimson, and his gaze was like that of a trapped beast, struggling desperately.
At some point, his black and gold Lieutenant General Uniform had been removed.
His white shirt was stretched taut, and the tie at his collar was gone.
Through the open collar, the lines of his powerful chest were visible.
The scent of his cedar pheromones grew stronger and stronger, making Wen Ran’s head spin.
She bit the tip of her tongue to clear her head.
Ize knelt on the bed, his back straight.
His dark blue, phoenix-like eyes burned as they stared at the girl beneath him.
When he saw no disgust on her face, an indescribable pleasure filled his heart.
Wen Ran pushed herself up, her voice timid.
“Brother, I’ll go get help for you.”
As she said this, she tried to jump off the bed, but Ize grabbed her wrist, flipping her back onto the mattress.
“Not anyone else, Ruanruan.”
Ize’s thin lips parted slightly, his voice low and hoarse.
“Huh?” Wen Ran was a little stunned.
Through her hazy vision, Ize’s face drew closer and closer.
Their lips pressed together.
His fervent kiss was intensely aggressive, a stark contrast to his usual dignified, gentlemanly nature.
Wen Ran was left breathless from his pursuit.
Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, staining their upturned ends a delicate red.
The muscles in Ize’s forearms were drawn taut.
His Adam’s apple bobbed.
His voice was both bewitching and tentative.
“Ruanruan, help me.”
The girl’s eyes were filled with innocent confusion.
Seeing the girl’s adorably dazed expression, Ize couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
He tucked a stray strand of hair from her cheek behind her ear, then took her hand and guided it slowly downward.
CLICK.
The golden belt buckle came undone.
Wen Ran’s eyes flew wide open.
Watching a blush slowly spread across Ize’s aristocratic face, her heart skipped a beat.
‘So…
so lewd…’
Low, hoarse, muffled, ragged, feverish.
The intense stimulation made Ize arch his neck back involuntarily, and the rich scent of cedar filled the room.
In a bedroom on the second floor, You Bufan’s sharp nose caught the scent of distinctly male pheromones, even in his sleep.
His cold, golden eyes snapped open, a dark glint flashing in their depths.
Heh!
When Wen Ran woke up, it was already the next morning.
The unfamiliar yet familiar bedroom instantly chased away her sleepiness.
‘This is Ize’s room.’
The sound of running water from the bathroom subsided, and Ize walked out with a white bath towel wrapped around his waist.
“You’re awake.”
Seeing the man’s face, Wen Ran was instantly reminded of last night’s chaotic scene.
A flush of heat rushed to her cheeks.
She nodded haphazardly, her eyes darting about, unsure of where to look.
“Brother, I’m going back to my room now.”
She hadn’t taken two steps before Ize scooped her into his arms and placed her back on the edge of the bed.
“You’re not wearing shoes again.”
Ize knelt by the bed and slipped the white bunny slippers onto her feet.
Wen Ran stared at the top of Ize’s pale gold head, her fingers unconsciously fiddling.
Ize noticed her movement and took her hand, cradling it in his palm.
Looking at the faint red marks on the young woman’s fair wrist, his throat tightened.
“Does it still hurt?” he asked, his voice hoarse.
Flustered, Wen Ran snatched her hand back, hiding it behind her as she lowered her head.
“Ruanruan, I’m sorry.”
Wen Ran shook her head, her clear peach-blossom eyes holding an unconscious allure.
“It’s okay, Brother.
As long as…
as long as I could help you, it’s fine.”
‘She knew that if she had refused last night, Ize definitely would have stopped.
But thinking about how her identity as a fake young miss would soon be exposed, she had indulged Ize’s actions.
She hoped that when the time came, he would protect her for the sake of what happened last night.’
Looking at Wen Ran’s innocent face, Ize cursed himself for being a beast.
“The Sea Shark Family Master offered an oil field in a deal.
Father has agreed and will have you sign a waiver to withdraw the complaint against Lu Yanting.”
Wen Ran’s long lashes trembled.
‘So it’s no use after all, is it?
Can the established plot truly not be changed?’
As Wen Ran was lost in thought, Ize’s large palm cupped her small, exquisite face, his voice full of guilt.
“Ruanruan, it’s because I was useless.”
Ize knew in his heart that blood-drawing was a long-standing custom among the various families.
The people of the Imperial City couldn’t be unaware of it; the lack of an explicit ban was a tacit approval.
Therefore, it wasn’t something that he, a mere Junior General and Young Master, could easily influence.
To abolish this system, he would have to reach a much higher position of power.
“However, Father did agree that you no longer have to give blood every month.
Why were you so foolish?
Why didn’t you tell me?”
Hearing that she no longer had to give blood, a wave of intense grievance washed over Wen Ran.
Her nose tingled and tears welled up in her eyes.
She threw herself into Ize’s arms, hugging him tightly.
“Brother, I was so scared.”
“It hurt so, so much.”
“Ever since I was seven, the 15th of every month has been my nightmare,” she sobbed.
Hearing the girl pour out her grievances, Ize’s own eyes began to burn.
‘Seven years old?
It started that early?
I’ve been so derelict in my duty.
I didn’t notice for all these years!’
Wen Ran cried for a while before Ize took a Recovery Potion from a drawer.
He sprayed it on the needle mark in the crook of her arm, and the tiny puncture vanished immediately.
Finally, he sprayed the Recovery Potion on Wen Ran’s reddened wrist as well.
The soreness in her wrist disappeared, and Wen Ran’s face quietly turned red.
The monthly blood drawings had been a heavy weight on Wen Ran’s heart.
Now that it was lifted, she felt much more at ease.
She entered her Spiritual Sea and discovered that the tree in the sea of flowers had grown larger.
The five pink, baby-fist-sized fruits had also grown to the size of apples, their color deepening to dark red.
Ever since discovering that a Spirit Tree had sprouted in her Spiritual Sea, Wen Ran had come in to check on it every day.
‘The Spirit Tree hadn’t changed at all for days.
Why such a big change today?’
Wen Ran carefully recalled what was different about yesterday compared to the days before.
The chaotic scenes from last night flashed through her mind.
She also thought about what had happened the previous times the Spirit Tree had grown.
Without exception, the Spirit Tree only grew after she had ‘intimate’ contact—whether passive or active—with a male.
‘This Spirit Tree doesn’t seem to be a very proper tree, to actually use her intimacy with males as nutrients.’
Wen Ran was so angry she wanted to rip the fruits from the tree, but when she sensed the spiritual power flowing within them, she silently withdrew her hand.
‘Still, the Spirit Fruits are ripe.
I should find a chance to verify my theory.’