Chapter 493 - 490: Not What She Expected

Chapter 493: Chapter 490: Not What She Expected

"I’m not tired, Hua Han." Bai Wanwan narrowed her eyes in blissful comfort, reaching up to pull Hua Han’s hand away.

However, the moment her hand touched the back of Hua Han’s, he gently flipped his own and captured hers, their fingers interlacing.

Hua Han remained silent, but the warmth from his palm and the perfect pressure of his massage made Bai Wanwan give up the idea and let him be.

In this warm and peaceful moment, Bai Wanwan smiled and looked up. Her gaze swept past the entrance of the treehouse, and she saw a figure standing silently in the light and shadows of the setting sun.

’Jinying?’

His figure was tall and solitary. His handsome face, which carried an air of detachment, was emotionless. But his bottomless eyes flickered almost imperceptibly when they met Bai Wanwan’s gaze.

"Jinying?" Bai Wanwan was a little surprised.

At almost the exact same time, the two males who had been sitting beside Bai Wanwan, enjoying the warm moment, turned their heads to look at the male approaching them.

Jinying’s gaze didn’t linger on the two males beside Bai Wanwan. It remained fixed on her as he said in a low, calm voice, "Yes. I wanted to discuss the details of the operation against the Chameleon Clan with you."

Bai Wanwan was surprised. "You already know?"

"Yes," Jinying said succinctly. "Uncle Yuan told me. He saved my life, so I’m staying to help this time."

His reason sounded perfectly logical.

Although Bai Wanwan had her doubts, she knew his immense strength would be a real asset to the operation.

She gestured to an empty spot beside her. "Sit down and we can talk."

Beside her, Hua Han and Yan Lie subconsciously exchanged a look, then very pointedly sat down nearby.

Jinying did as she said and sat down, his position neither too far from Bai Wanwan nor too close.

"My idea is this," Bai Wanwan began to explain her plan. "The Chameleon Clan has been hiding within the Flood Dragon Tribe for years, so they know our combat strength inside and out. That’s their advantage, but it’s also their blind spot. They would never expect that in addition to the Flood Dragon Tribe’s own beastmen, my Beast Husbands and a Red Rank Powerhouse like you would be part of the surprise attack. We can use this to catch them off guard and strike directly at their main nest..." Her thoughts were clear, and she spoke with fluent confidence.

However, while Jinying appeared to be listening intently, his deep eyes were actually fixated on the movement of Bai Wanwan’s lips.

His entire being was captivated by the face so close to him.

The golden glow of the sunset outlined her delicate profile. Her bright eyes sparkled with the light of intelligence, and her rosy lips parted and closed...

This face bore a striking resemblance to the blurry yet unforgettable face etched deep in his memory, but it was even more vivid and beautiful, possessing an allure that made his very soul tremble.

He greedily drank in her every subtle expression, as if trying to brand this lost-and-found treasure deep into his soul.

"Jinying? Are you listening?" Bai Wanwan noticed he was distracted, stopped talking, and looked at him in confusion.

Jinying snapped back to his senses, terrified she would notice something was wrong.

He quickly composed himself, lowering his eyelids to hide the turbulent emotions within. He nodded, his voice still maintaining its calm. "Yes, I’m listening. Your idea... is very good."

Bai Wanwan went over the tactical details and coordination points she could think of one more time, and when she felt she had covered everything necessary, she stopped.

However, Jinying remained seated, showing no sign of getting up to leave. Though his gaze was no longer as direct as before, it still landed on her from time to time with extreme naturalness, as if he were simply admiring the scenery of the treehouse in the sunset.

For a moment, the atmosphere became subtly tense.

Yan Lie crossed his arms, his brow furrowed even tighter, and his eyes glared daggers at Jinying.

Hua Han, who hadn’t let go of Bai Wanwan’s hand, now shifted slightly, using half his body to block Jinying’s line of sight.

Jinying thought the two males beside her were an incredible eyesore. If he could, he would have sent them flying.

But he knew he couldn’t do anything right now.

Because that would only make her angry, and he would never get another chance to get close to her.

Just then, Xin Feng’s voice came from the kitchen entrance, breaking the delicate atmosphere. "Wanwan, it’s time to come in and eat!"

Bai Wanwan breathed a sigh of relief and immediately stood up.

Out of politeness, she asked courteously, "Jinying, have you eaten? If not, why don’t you join us?"

She was certain that with Jinying’s aloof and cold personality, he wouldn’t stay for a simple home-cooked meal like this.

However, to everyone’s surprise, Jinying actually nodded, his voice calm and steady. "Alright."

Bai Wanwan: "..."

The smile on her face stiffened. ’Why doesn’t this male play by the rules?’

Yan Lie and Hua Han clearly sensed the intentions of a fellow male, and they immediately became defensive toward Jinying.

Bai Wanwan’s steps were slightly frantic as she walked inside. Jinying, watched by numerous pairs of eyes, still followed her into the house with composure.

A dinner with a delicate atmosphere began.

At the long stone table, Bai Wanwan sat at the head, with Shuang Hua on her left.

Her Beast Husbands naturally took up the spots on Bai Wanwan’s right and nearby, invisibly isolating Jinying on the other side of the table.

Zhu Xiu and Yin Ze had also finished their patrols and took their seats, making their presence strongly felt.

Zhu Xiu’s seat was diagonally across from Jinying. His reddish eyes, like molten lava, were locked on Jinying with undisguised scrutiny and a faint, threatening pressure.

Yin Ze sat a little farther away, seemingly at random, but his position cleverly blocked any path Jinying might take to get closer to Bai Wanwan.

The dishes were lavish, a perfect combination of Xin Feng’s skill and Jin Yi’s control over the fire, and the aroma was tantalizing.

Shuang Hua warmly welcomed Jinying. Bai Wanwan, also acting as a good hostess, picked up a piece of beast meat that was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside and placed it in the stone bowl in front of Jinying. "Try this. Xin Feng roasted it. It’s delicious."

This single act instantly sparked a sense of crisis among the males!

In unison, their gazes snapped to her.

There was no way Bai Wanwan could fail to notice such intense stares.

She gave a light cough and, under the resentful gazes of her Beast Husbands, began placing pieces of meat into each of their bowls.

Each piece was served with a brilliant smile.

Not to be outdone, the Beast Husbands retaliated, and in no time, a small mountain of food was piled in her bowl.

Bai Wanwan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at this sudden "feeding," but she understood her Beast Husbands’ petty little games.

She shot them a helpless look, then saw the bowl Zhu Xiu was holding up, and obediently opened her mouth to drink the soup he offered.

Jinying silently looked at the piece of meat in his bowl that Bai Wanwan had given him, then at the food instantly piled high in her own bowl, and at the natural, intimate interactions flowing between her and her Beast Husbands.

He said nothing and began to eat quietly.

He ate slowly and deliberately, his movements graceful. He spoke very little, only offering a brief word or two when Shuang Hua asked him something.

His presence seemed minimal, yet he was, strangely, impossible to ignore.