Chapter 503: Extra: Baili Jing - Cyclic First Love (3)

Locked? We’re locked?

The unfamiliar term made Jiang Qingli freeze for a second before the mortifying reality of the situation dawned on her.

Baili Jing had always been gentle when it came to this. This was the first time this… this kind of thing had happened…

Jiang Qingli had heard Lin Xiyue mention that Fox Beastmen would lock up in the heat of passion, but she hadn’t paid it much mind at the time. Who knew it would end up happening to her.

‘I should have paid more attention.’

‘This is just… too weird…’

‘Why isn’t it over yet…’

In less than a minute, her mind had already run in circles dozens of times, but she didn’t dare make a sound. She was afraid that if she rushed Baili Jing, he would get nervous too, making it even harder for them to separate.

She pressed her lips together, slender fingers clutching the bedsheets. Her cheeks were flushed crimson, and even her fingertips had turned a delicate pink.

They were so close, and Baili Jing was watching her every second, so he noticed something was off almost instantly.

The young man turned to his side, kissed her lips, and asked gently, “Baby, are you uncomfortable?”

The moment he moved, the woman in his arms trembled, forcing him to stop again, cautiously.

“It’s… not that uncomfortable.” Jiang Qingli found it hard to describe the sensation—a tingling numbness that was impossible to ignore. She bit back the sound caught in her throat. “How much longer will this take?”

It was Baili Jing’s first time experiencing this as well, so he wasn’t certain. He thought for a moment. “According to the relevant data, anywhere from twenty to forty minutes.”

Jiang Qingli: “…”

‘That’s way too long…’

A look of sheer exasperation crossed her face.

“It’ll be over soon, Baby.” His fox tail brushed against her fingers. Baili Jing’s tone was gentle. “Want to chat for a bit?”

Jiang Qingli pouted. “…How are we supposed to have a calm chat like this… What would we even talk about? Fox anatomy?”

She had no idea what part of that struck him as funny, but he suddenly let out a low chuckle.

‘How can he be laughing at a time like this?’ Jiang Qingli grabbed his fox tail and gave it a couple of tugs. He didn’t pull away, even asking if she wanted to pet his ears, too.

Just as Jiang Qingli reached for his fox ears, the terminal in her pocket suddenly buzzed.

Baili Jing frowned, a flicker of displeasure in his eyes.

A Beastman in his special period has exceptionally strong territorial instincts. He was no exception, and right now, he felt a fierce, hostile resistance toward anything that dared to interrupt them.

Jiang Qingli, of course, knew this. She showed him the screen, where the two words “Assistant He” were flashing.

Assistant He had been assigned to Jiang Qingli by the Emperor. She was a meticulous female with outstanding abilities who never asked unnecessary questions.

Baili Jing looked away, hooking a strand of her hair and twirling it around his finger as he waited in silence.

‘He’s not moving. A quick call with Assistant He like this shouldn’t give anything away…’

“Good boy.”

Jiang Qingli patted the top of Baili Jing’s head and pressed the answer button.

But the voice on the other end wasn’t Assistant He’s professional tone. It was the deep voice of a young Dragon. “Ah Li, why aren’t you in the office?”

Jiang Qingli’s eyes flew open.

‘Why is it Xie Youchen?!’

Thinking about her current situation with Baili Jing, Jiang Qingli’s scalp tingled with dread. She felt like she was about to explode.

“B-Brother…” Jiang Qingli stammered, her recently composed face flushing crimson again.

“Where are you? You’re off work, but you didn’t go home. Father thought you were working overtime, so he had me bring you some tonics.”

Xie Youchen’s tone was casual. He didn’t ask why she’d suddenly gone quiet for a few seconds, which, paradoxically, made Jiang Qingli even more certain he had noticed something.

Just as Jiang Qingli was about to answer, a hand hooked her chin from behind, and her lips were firmly sealed by another’s.

A movement like that could easily jostle… things.

Her fingers trembled, and the terminal she was holding slipped from her grasp. Her knuckles dug into the bedsheet, wrinkling it further.

Baili Jing’s rare display of force left Jiang Qingli stunned. By the time she processed what was happening, he had already released her.

Baili Jing picked up the terminal, his voice deliberately hoarse as he replied, “Sorry… Youchen. Xiao Li is with me. Just leave the items on the table, I’ll come get them later.”

He curved his lips, his tone gentle and apologetic. “I’m so sorry, it’s my special period today… You wouldn’t be mad, would you?”

Xie Youchen let out a cold scoff and hung up immediately.

An astonished expression appeared on Baili Jing’s face. He let his brow droop sadly as he looked at Jiang Qingli. “Baby, what’s gotten into Youchen lately? Is he in a bad mood?”

When he spoke to Jiang Qingli, his voice was smooth again, no longer hoarse. His enunciation was exceptionally clear and melodic.

“Sigh… I should probably be the one to answer the phone next time,” Jiang Qingli said, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.

The two of them used to be relatively civil when they met, but ever since she had officially registered with Xie Youchen, they’d gone from friends to rivals, giving each other the cold shoulder.

Even when they absolutely had to speak, they wouldn’t spare each other a single glance.

But since they didn’t meet often, there was little actual friction.

Today had been a complete accident.

‘I’ll have to be more careful next time.’

As Jiang Qingli was making this silent resolution, Baili Jing gently stroked the top of her head. “Baby, I’m a male too. How could I let you face the wrath of another male?”

“It’s alright. I know Youchen has always looked down on me.”

The young man lowered his eyes and let out a soft sigh.

“After all, our Match Value is the lowest among all your Beast Husbands, and it’s hard for you to mark me…”

They had barely touched upon this subject after getting together.

A pang went through Jiang Qingli’s heart.

“It’s not low,” Jiang Qingli said, cupping his face and looking at him earnestly. “Besides, I like you. Even if there were no Match Value, I would still like you!”

She continued, adding, “You’ve been with me since I was eighteen. Of course I’ll treat you well!”

Baili Jing’s lips curved. He kissed the base of her ear, the corners of his eyes lifting in a seductive arc.

“Thank you for your favor, my female master…”

…

Twenty minutes later, the lock was released.

But the passionate abandon in the room continued.

It was only then that Jiang Qingli realized just how much this fox spirit usually held himself back.

…

「At the stroke of midnight.」

Feeling clean and refreshed, Jiang Qingli lay languidly on the sofa, watching Baili Jing personally strip the bedsheets and put on a fresh set.

He was wearing a white shirt, and the faint, steamy scent of a recent shower clung to him.

Jiang Qingli’s mind suddenly drifted back to when they first started dating.

Back then, she never would have dared to imagine being this intimate with Baili Jing.

The most she thought about was how she could get to kiss her boyfriend sooner.

In the early days of their relationship, Baili Jing was always worried that Jiang Qingli had confessed to him only because she couldn’t distinguish between affection and familiarity. He was afraid that if they got together only to break up later, they wouldn’t even be able to remain friends.

So, after some discussion, they began a trial period to “confirm their feelings.”

They were supposed to be confirming their feelings, but Baili Jing didn’t seem to be in any hurry.

The first day, they went to an amusement park and did nothing more than hold hands, just like they always had.

The second day, they went to a botanical garden to look at all the flowers and plants. The most intimate they got was when Baili Jing bent down to tuck a flower behind her ear.

For the next few days, they visited various popular dating spots, doing little more than ordinary sightseeing.

A week later, Jiang Qingli was at her wits’ end. She invited Baili Jing to her house.

She’d prepared a horror movie, planning to jump into Baili Jing’s arms when a scary part came on. That’s what all the online guides said to do.

But the opening credits had barely started when Jiang Qingli couldn’t hold back any longer. She grabbed his collar, leaned in, and bit his lip.

You couldn’t really blame Jiang Qingli.

Baili Jing was wearing a clean white shirt, but he had undone the top two buttons, revealing a sliver of his delicate collarbone.

She was a simple girl; how could she possibly resist such a wicked temptation!

And Baili Jing didn’t stop her. Instead, he reached out to support the small of her back to keep her from falling.

It was their first kiss.

Jiang Qingli had been the one to make the first move.

Although she had taken the initiative, she had no idea how to actually kiss. She just clumsily bit his lips, mimicking what she’d seen in TV dramas.

Baili Jing just stood there, stunned, completely forgetting to stop her, letting her kiss him haphazardly.

When she was done, Jiang Qingli wiped her mouth, her eyes sparkling. “Jing, your lips are so soft!”

Baili Jing didn’t say a word. He pressed his lips together, his gaze evasive, his face completely flushed.

He hunched over slightly, as if to escape her gaze.

Jiang Qingli was confused. “What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”

“Xiao Li…” His voice was very quiet, almost a plea. “Don’t look at me…”

It was then that Jiang Qingli realized something wasn’t right with him.

She touched his forehead. It was burning hot. Thinking he had a fever, she scrambled to call a doctor, but he grabbed her wrist.

“Xiao Li, I’m sorry.” His eyelashes fluttered. After a long moment, he finally said, “I… I’m in my special period.”

No gossip magazine could have ever guessed that the trigger for the famous Baili Actor’s very first special period… was a simple kiss from his girlfriend.