Chapter 504: Extra: Baili Jing - Cyclic First Love (4)

He had shamelessly gotten into this state just from a touch by his girlfriend.

Baili Jing’s fingers trembled. He was terrified she would look down on him for this.

However, his Xiao Qing Mei tilted her head and asked in confusion, “A special period?”

Initially, Jiang Qingli had assumed Baili Jing just wasn’t feeling well. She paused when she heard the term, and it took her a few seconds to realize what he meant. “You’re in h—”

Before she could finish, long, slender fingers covered the lower half of her face.

“Xiao Li…”

Baili Jing’s ears and tail popped out, drooping pitifully. His voice was barely a whisper.

Although Baili Jing was a few years older than Jiang Qingli, he had always remained chaste. Since his debut, he had never starred in an idol drama and had zero scandals. He’d almost never even touched himself.

They had only been dating for a week, and he always took Jiang Qingli on dates in public, mostly to maintain some distance. Being around other people helped distract him.

‘It’s so strange. Whenever I get near her, it’s as if my primal canine instincts awaken. I can’t stop myself from wanting to pounce on her, breathe in her sweet scent, and wag my tail to please her…’

‘And yet, their Match Value…’

Baili Jing pushed the rest of the thought away. Suddenly, Jiang Qingli pinched the tip of his nose.

“So, what helps?” Jiang Qingli pulled his hand away. There wasn’t a trace of disgust in her eyes—only the excitement of having a legitimate excuse to get into some trouble. “My friends have shown me lots of videos. I know what to do!”

Baili Jing’s throat worked, and he struggled to look away.

“We don’t have to do that… It’s actually very simple.” He pursed his lips, then met her gaze. “Just holding each other for a bit will be fine.”

Jiang Qingli asked, “Just holding each other?”

“Mhm.” The base of Baili Jing’s ears had turned bright red, but he continued to explain in a deadpan voice, “Foxes usually go into heat in the spring, and it’s already June. A sudden case like this can be called a ‘pseudo-heat.’ It happens to a lot of adult Beastmen, so there’s no need to worry.”

Jiang Qingli, being female, wouldn’t experience this herself, so she just nodded at his explanation. “Alright then.”

She sat in Baili Jing’s lap, and the two of them continued watching the horror movie.

The movie’s plot was painfully boring—you knew the ending right from the start. The special effects, on the other hand, were pretty realistic.

Jiang Qingli lost interest after a few minutes. Her fingers stealthily hooked around Baili Jing’s, her fingertip gently tracing over his.

She loved teasing him like this.

As usual, Baili Jing let her play for a moment before enveloping her hand in his and lowering his head to kiss her cheek.

Jiang Qingli turned her face toward him, so the second time Baili Jing leaned in, their lips met.

He was so careful. He started by brushing his lips against the corner of hers. Seeing no rejection, he then pressed a kiss to the delicate curve of her upper lip.

So exquisitely gentle.

So much so that looking back on that day, all Jiang Qingli could remember, aside from the boring horror movie, was Baili Jing’s restrained tenderness.

And, she remembered, squinting in a pause between kisses.

Outside the window behind him was a clear blue sky dotted with white clouds. Birds hopped and chirped on branches thick with lush, green leaves. It was a picture of thriving vitality.

…

“What are you thinking about?”

He gave her cheek a gentle squeeze.

Jiang Qingli came back to her senses just as Baili Jing gave her another peck on the lips.

He seemed much better, having returned to his usual warm, refined demeanor. He asked softly, “Are you uncomfortable anywhere else?”

“No.”

Jiang Qingli shook her head and held out her arms. He bent down, scooped her up, and started walking toward the bed.

Her lips curved. “I was just thinking about your first special period.”

The memory was clearly still fresh for Baili Jing as well. After a two-second pause, his lips curved into a smile. “That really was a long time ago.”

“Yeah.” Jiang Qingli swung her feet. “A certain fox was so pure back then, just toughing it out on his own. He certainly wasn’t as naughty as he is now.”

“Well, that’s probably because…” Baili Jing thought for a moment, then smiled at her. “The fox knows he won’t be thrown away anymore.”

When she first confessed her feelings, Baili Jing was more terrified than he was joyful.

He wasn’t sure if it was just a passing whim for Jiang Qingli.

It wasn’t that he was afraid of being abandoned.

He was just worried that Jiang Qingli would one day regret wasting her time on him.

In the end, their relationship would be worse than if they had just stayed friends.

Baili Jing was a cautious person, which was why he had to confirm her feelings again and again.

But he was also a resolute person. As long as he was sure it was her, he would never back down.

Even if her soul were to leave, he could wait for her year after year, watching over her without any name or claim.

But thankfully, in the end, she came back.

…

Once a memory is stirred, it’s hard to put it away again.

Nestled in his arms, Jiang Qingli chatted about all sorts of things from the past.

The topics ranged from the snacks they loved as children, to their next-door neighbor’s pet, to what their old classmates were up to now, and finally, to the time she visited him on set while he was filming his first movie…

As they kept talking, Jiang Qingli started to get sleepy.

She was pillowed on Baili Jing’s arm when she suddenly remembered something. “Oh, right, the first time I visited you on set, my brother actually drove me there. He was acting like some kind of overprotective love-life bodyguard back then, it was a little pathetic…”

“Mhm, he really was,” Baili Jing said. ‘If by ‘bodyguard’ she means someone who wanted to kill every male near her.’

Jiang Qingli was actually thinking of the phone call from earlier. She wanted to ease the tension between the two men, or at least get them to stop trading veiled insults whenever they met.

But the more she thought about it, the more she felt that the two of them had never gotten along, even as kids.

She just hadn’t noticed it back then.

What’s more, their relationship seemed to have soured right after that day of Baili Jing’s special period…

It was a belated realization. Jiang Qingli asked, “Oh, right. After your special period was over, I think my brother took you home. What did you two talk about?”

Baili Jing kissed her forehead and said softly, “He told me to treat you well.”

“You didn’t fight?”

“No,” Baili Jing said with a smile. “And we won’t fight in public in the future, either. Don’t worry, Xiao Li. We know our limits.”

Only then did Jiang Qingli feel relieved. She made a mental note to warn Xie Youchen as well when she got back, and then fell asleep peacefully.

Baili Jing smoothed her hair, a faint smile playing on his lips.

He would never tell Jiang Qingli that after going home that day, he had been beaten up by Xie Youchen before he even had a chance to see a doctor.

Xie Youchen showed no mercy when he fought.

Baili Jing hadn’t held back either.

After they were both injured, Xie Youchen stated coldly, “You’re not worthy of her.”

“Likewise,” Baili Jing replied with a smile. “In her heart, you’re nothing more than the brother she grew up with.”

“Even so, this ‘brother she grew up with’ has a higher Match Value than you.” His gaze swept over Baili Jing as a contemptuous laugh rumbled in his throat. “Eighty-five percent. You’re a disposable plaything.”

“The day she gets tired of playing with you, I will personally congratulate you both.”

“And then, I will choose a more suitable Beast Husband for her.”

Baili Jing replied calmly, “Better than some, who don’t even qualify for a taste.”

They parted on hostile terms.

That was truly what Baili Jing believed, and it was how he had always acted.

–

「The next day」

Baili Jing didn’t open his eyes again until it was almost eight o’clock.

He’d woken up later than usual, probably due to the special period.

“You’re awake.”

Jiang Qingli was sitting on the edge of the bed, beaming. “I already asked your manager. You have nothing scheduled today, so let’s go revisit a special place.”

“Let’s go to the place where we had our first date.”