Favorite of the Beast-world: I Got Rich Through Farming-Chapter 355 - 236: "Special Concern" + Shall We Go Outside?
"Is there anything else?"
When someone says that, it usually means they’re getting impatient.
Although Ze Sheng’s voice was as gentle as ever, revealing little emotion, An Jin guessed he was probably busy right now. So, she took the initiative to say goodbye and hung up the phone... ah, no, the Conch Shell.
「Unicorn King City, inside the castle.」
A coolly handsome, silver-haired man sat upright at his desk. The light from the floor-to-ceiling windows cast a soft, cool glow. A few dewy branches poked into the room, scattering petals and leaves onto the scrolls on his desk.
The man’s waterfall of silver hair cascaded down his back, tied near the ends. His simple, moon-white robe was embroidered with delicate, elegant purple patterns. He was noble and aloof, his gentle and reserved demeanor unable to completely hide the detached aura of someone long accustomed to a position of power.
"..." Ze Sheng rested his forehead against his hand, staring wistfully at the Conch Shell as its patterns dimmed once more. He sighed softly, a trace of gloom in his long, downcast eyes.
Whenever he worked during the day, he kept the Conch Shell on his desk. At night, before sleeping, he would place it by his side. He was always, always waiting for it to suddenly ring.
But after so many days, he had only received that one call just now.
It had ended so quickly. Even though she had only asked about simple things that had nothing to do with him, it had still left him wanting so much more.
What An Jin didn’t know was that Ze Sheng had placed a spiritual power brand on the Conch Shell. Whenever she called, it would emit the sound of waves crashing against rocks.
If she knew, she would have gasped. Wasn’t this just the Beast World version of a "special notification"?
...
After being away for a month and a half, Ling Hong returned. He first reorganized the Hunting Team and Construction Team under his command. On his way home, he happened to run into Mi Yin, who was just coming back from the academy.
"I never thought you’d actually make it back in one piece. Truly unexpected," the snake said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
Ling Hong walked past him and spoke coolly, "If I hadn’t come back, Jin would only have a moody Snake Beast like you by her side. Wouldn’t she be lonely?"
Mi Yin smiled faintly, but his voice was tinged with a chill. "That’s not necessarily true."
Just then, Xi also happened to rush back from the Sea Clan’s territory.
He was holding a large armful of beautiful ornaments—pearl necklaces, seashell bracelets, colorful pebbles, and more. It was obvious at a glance that they were all meant to win An Jin’s favor.
"..." Ling Hong’s gaze landed on the mate mark over the Merfolk’s heart. His green eyes darkened, and the hands at his sides clenched slightly. His cold expression was unreadable.
He pressed his lips together and glanced silently at Xi, finally understanding what the snake had meant earlier.
’In truth, he’d had a feeling An Jin would accept the Merfolk. He had already come to terms with it in his heart.’
’But now that it had actually happened, he couldn’t stop a pang of sadness from welling up inside him.’
’Now, he finally understood how the snake must have felt back then.’
’But if he set aside his selfishness, letting Jin’er have more, even better mates was the best choice for her now. It would give her better protection. After all, her secret was out, and she was bound to face more open and covert struggles from powerful Beastmen.’
’Though the Merfolk himself seemed rather useless, he had the entire Mermaid race backing him.’
’The power behind Xi was something that neither he nor Mi Yin could ever give her.’
Ling Hong shot the two of them a cool glance, then turned and left without a word.
...
This year’s rainy season had been delayed, but thick clouds were already massing in the sky, gathering strength for a downpour.
An Jin, the resident "weather forecaster," used her spiritual power to probe the atmosphere. In three to five days at most, the continent would be hit by the first heavy downpour of the rainy season.
’The "mastermind" probably wouldn’t make a move during the next few months.’
An Jin breathed a sigh of relief. She planned to use this buffer of a few months to think carefully about how to deal with the so-called [Plague Slave].
’But that was a problem for later. She would take it slow, planning one step at a time. There was no need to rush.’
The pressing issue at hand was—
She could barely "support" three males anymore...
’Who was it that thought having three men was the epitome of bliss? That it meant enjoying the domestic happiness of having a man in each arm every day??’
’A lie. It was all a lie. The reality was that she had to exhaust herself daily, managing the emotions of three different men and trying her best to be fair and share her affection equally. Otherwise, she was almost certain to provoke one of them.’
Mi Yin was the most obvious example. If she displeased him, he would make everyone’s life difficult with his passive-aggressive digs.
’But if she had to satisfy all of them, she’d be drained dry. She could only divide her time equally among the three of them.’
The only saving grace was that their mating seasons were perfectly staggered.
Ling Hong’s was during the relatively warm and comfortable windy season.
Mi Yin’s was during the rainy season, a favorite of Snake Beasts.
Xi preferred the winter, because Mermaids liked to be more active in the cold seawater then, which made them feel warm and comfortable.
This allowed An Jin to allocate her time fairly.
She had tried to set a rule: one day per person.
As a result, Mi Yin was the first to complain. In the beginning, all her time had belonged to him. Then Ling Hong came along, and he’d had to reluctantly part with a third of her time.
He never imagined another damned pest would show up to steal her affection.
If An Jin hadn’t stopped him, Xi wouldn’t have survived three days in Mi Yin’s hands. He would have been killed in minutes, just another piece of cannon fodder for Mi Yin to vent his anger on.
Of the three, Ling Hong was actually the most reserved and self-restrained. He rarely initiated anything or made demands of her. Only when he truly couldn’t hold back anymore would he, blushing slightly, drop obvious hints about what he wanted.
Having been away for a month and a half, going without "meat" for so long, the moment he returned to their warm home and saw his beloved mate, the longing he had suppressed for so long came surging forth.
"Jin’er..." In the dim room, the man embraced her, pressing her down onto the bed as he pleaded in a low, hoarse voice.
An Jin’s face flushed. She placed her fingertips against his descending lips and whispered, "Wait, not right now..." Her mate-sense told her that a certain snake was outside, staring intently at their every move.
While Ling Hong was away, Mi Yin had monopolized practically all of her time, leaving even Xi struggling to get a share. Mi Yin’s possessiveness, which had been somewhat curbed, was now swelling out of control again.
An Jin felt she ought to give Mi Yin the cold shoulder for a few days and properly make it up to Ling Hong, who had been so patient for so long.
But with Mi Yin watching, they couldn’t fully enjoy themselves. Worse, her wolf pup’s eyes looked so pitiful, so full of desperate wanting.
An Jin considered for a few seconds, then pulled his long neck down toward her and pressed a passionate kiss to his lips.
"Later tonight, let’s go somewhere else, okay?"
...
The weather was already cold as the rainy season approached. A vast, faint mist suffused the sparse woods. The trees, having shed most of their withered leaves, stood bare, coated in a thin layer of white frost.
As the CRUNCH of footsteps on dry leaves and twigs sounded, the white frost on the rough tree bark was smudged with fingerprints. The calls of birds and insects mingled with faint, soft moans. A sensual, amorous air drifted through the ethereal forest, scattered wisp by wisp on the breeze.
