Chapter 386: A Hidden Illness?

The young Rabbit Clan female’s body was soft, and she carried the faint scent of jasmine.

Every time he saw her, a strange feeling would stir in Cang Lan’s heart. He could never forget the taste of her blood.

Hearing the two words she had spoken, Cang Lan said slowly, "My body only follows its own will. Perhaps... I can satisfy you in other ways."

What had she said before?

Her heat?

There were many ways to solve it.

Cang Lan had never imagined his little wife would be so bold as to bargain with a tiger for its hide.

’...Other ways?’

Yu Zhizhi froze for a moment, then quickly shook her head.

’No, no!’

Afraid the Big Tiger would go back on his word, she slowly moved closer and wrapped her arms around his waist.

’I finally got this chance, I can’t just let it go!’

He had the fresh, clean scent of someone who had just bathed, with a slight chill to his skin. He was dressed in very thin clothes, so when she hugged him and pressed her ear to his chest, she could hear his powerful heartbeat.

Cang Lan didn’t move a muscle.

He stared at the little female in his arms, curious to see how many more "surprises" she had in store for him.

Yu Zhizhi hugged him for a while but noticed he wasn’t doing anything.

She lifted her head and looked at the man before her. From her angle, it seemed as if she could see the faint trace of a smile playing on Cang Lan’s lips.

Yu Zhizhi’s cheeks flushed slightly. Holding her breath, she slowly began to lift her long, white nightgown up past her calves...

Cang Lan’s gaze followed. In that instant, it occurred to him that he had never bitten her there before.

Yu Zhizhi stole a glance at him and saw that the look in the Big Tiger’s eyes was far too similar to when he had bitten her before. She shivered and quickly pulled her nightgown back down, covering her legs.

SOB...

’How can his tastes be so terrifying?’

Yu Zhizhi didn’t dare go too far, afraid that after having just woken up, she would be bitten into a state of hazy consciousness all over again.

Seeing the little rabbit’s actions, Cang Lan felt an inexplicable urge to laugh.

"Is that all?"

’I thought she’d be a bit more brazen.’

Yu Zhizhi slowly released him. She was scared and worried, caught in a dilemma. In the end, like a deflated ball, she dove back under the covers and hid herself away.

Cang Lan saw a small tuft of her rabbit tail sticking out from under the blanket and a low chuckle rumbled in his throat. He sat on the bed and pulled the covers back. "I’ll be leaving at dawn."

’Aren’t you going to seize the chance?’

With her back to him, Yu Zhizhi stammered, "N-Next time."

’I didn’t rest well this time.’

’Once I’m well-rested, I can take the gamble again. Even if the Big Tiger bites me, I have to complete the mission.’

’...Sigh, I still chickened out in the end.’

Yu Zhizhi felt a little sad.

Seeing the little rabbit curled up dejectedly under the covers, Cang Lan’s fingers began to toy with her long hair, slowly twisting one strand after another.

Although he couldn’t understand the problem of her heat...

...he had promised her, after all.

’It’s not right to always leave his little rabbit all alone.’

Cang Lan lifted her out from under the covers and settled her in his lap.

Yu Zhizhi was stunned.

Her heart suddenly accelerated, and she quickly looked up at him with an expectant expression. Her sparkling eyes looked as if they were filled with sweet syrup. Cang Lan placed one hand on the small of her back, leaned in, and his lips brushed against her ear. "Move a little, hm?"

’Move a little?’

Yu Zhizhi slowly pursed her lips. She placed her hands on his arms and began to move slowly.

Suddenly, she realized something.

This intimate position, pressed so tightly together, it was just like...

Yu Zhizhi buried her face in his shoulder, but she didn’t stop moving. Slowly, she could feel something...

Cang Lan’s fingers ran through her hair, and his throat bobbed. As expected, along with the surge of lust came a sharpening of his appetite. But for now, he could only suppress it by force, not allowing the situation to get out of control.

The little female’s soft, slender waist moved up and down in his palm.

Cang Lan took a sharp breath, desperately fighting the urge to pounce on her and devour her. He turned his head to the side, a strand of golden hair falling across his cheek as a flush appeared on his pale face.

His desire reached a breaking point. He suddenly held the little female in his arms still. "...No."

The man’s voice was hoarse.

Cang Lan pushed her onto the bed. "No."

A little sanity slowly returned to his dark eyes. "No."

Cang Lan had said "no" three times.

He was afraid that if this night continued, the little rabbit would stop breathing.

In a state of lust, if he lost his reason, he would very likely bite her to death.

Yu Zhizhi was completely bewildered.

She had thought she was about to succeed. After all, the Big Tiger seemed to have been responding, yet he had pushed her away at the critical moment.

Cang Lan got up and left.

Yu Zhizhi sat on the bed, a trace of confusion in her eyes. ’Why did he stop so suddenly? The Big Tiger doesn’t have some kind of... hidden condition, does he...’

’...Huh?’

Her face turned pale at the thought of this possibility.

’If the Big Tiger really can’t... then what about my mission?!’

’But, just now...’

Yu Zhizhi had clearly felt it.

’It couldn’t have been my imagination, right?’

"Sigh." She let out a slow sigh, lay back down under the covers, and counted the days on her fingers. The wedding date was getting closer and closer.

’But with the Crown Prince’s situation, even if they really get married, will things be okay?’

Sometime in the latter half of the night, Yu Zhizhi gradually fell asleep again.

「The next day.」

As expected, Cang Lan was gone.

With the help of the maids, Yu Zhizhi changed her clothes. After she finished her meal, Cang Jie arrived at her chambers to begin her lessons.

He taught with great detail. Court etiquette was extremely complex and differed in many ways from that of Varolan. Yu Zhizhi studied diligently, but her thoughts kept drifting to Cang Lan.

She couldn’t help but ask, "When will His Highness be back?"

Standing before a writing board, Cang Jie’s lips curved up slightly. "Perhaps in a few more days."

A very important day was coming up in a few days.

Miss Rabbit was not yet a member of the Royal Family, so there was no need for her to know about this matter.

Cang Jie said, "When today’s lessons are over, please go and visit Jeral, Ms. Zhi Zhi. It misses you very much."

That Ice Crystal Dragon’s temper was growing more and more volatile.

It was even showing signs of attacking him.

Cang Jie didn’t dare get any closer.

After thinking it over, he decided he had to have Ms. Zhi Zhi go and soothe the Ice Crystal Dragon’s mood.

Cang Jie now had a faint suspicion that his elder brother’s willingness to find a Crown Princess Consort might have been for Jeral’s sake.

After all, his elder brother didn’t seem to have any special feelings for this little bride-to-be.

She, on the other hand, was quite concerned about him.

Ms. Zhi Zhi looked forward to seeing his elder brother more than anyone. Recalling the flowers she had sent that day, Cang Jie smiled. ’No wonder my brother announced the wedding.’

Looking across the entire Empire, besides her, there was no one else more suitable to be the Crown Princess Consort.

Yu Zhizhi nodded lightly.

She hadn’t seen the Ice Crystal Dragon in so long; she missed it a little too.

She had thought it would be several days before she saw the Big Tiger again, just like before.

But unexpectedly, just after returning from the Dragon Cave, she received a note from him.

A map was attached.

The note’s contents were simple. It told her to come find him. Immediately.