Chapter 28: The Soft Touch at the Fingertips

Yin Zhi instantly caved. He pressed his lips together, shot Wen Qian a resentful look, and then, under her warning gaze, hung his head. Even his ears drooped.

Seeing his devastated expression, Wen Qian’s anger subsided a bit. She let out a long breath and was about to say something when a low cough sounded from behind her.

The man’s voice was deep. "There’s no need for an apology. I’m also responsible for this. Qianqian, I’ll bring replacements for the damaged items tomorrow."

Yin Zhi’s head shot up. ’This damned snake really knows how to exploit every opportunity!’ he thought. ’Trying to use "delivering things" as an excuse to see Wen Qian?’

’He’s so calculating. You can practically hear his abacus clicking.’

’And another thing... he didn’t lose out at all during the fight just now. Who’s he putting on this half-dead, feeble act for?’

Just as he was about to speak, Wen Qian suddenly pressed down on his shoulder. She smiled and gave him a look that clearly said, "You’re dead if you dare say another word."

And so, the little tyrant who had been arrogant with his fists clenched just a moment ago hung his head again. He listlessly bent down and slowly started picking up the things on the floor.

"There’s no need, Gu Mian." Wen Qian was a little embarrassed; after all, Yin Zhi had started it. Then her gaze fell on his arm. "I’m sorry, he’s not usually like this."

"You don’t need to apologize for him, and you certainly don’t need to apologize to me." The man’s eyes darkened. He raised his hand to check the time, his expression suddenly turning grave. "I have something I need to take care of. Could I trouble Qianqian to look after the Yellow-tailed Robin?"

Wen Qian was stunned for a moment. Thinking of the injuries on its body, she asked in a clear voice, "Is there anything I need to do?"

"No, Beastmen have very strong self-healing abilities." He pushed up his glasses. After a pause, he added, "Besides, this neighborhood is very suitable for a Beastman’s recovery."

Yin Zhi’s hand paused as he was picking up the fragments. He knew Gu Mian had also sensed the presence of the Spirit Realm Stone.

After seeing Gu Mian downstairs, Wen Qian turned back and immediately saw a pair of silver-white tiger ears in the second-floor window. She was speechless. ’Can’t this guy at least retract his ears when he’s spying on people?’ she thought.

Turning back into the apartment building, Wen Qian took out her keys on the way upstairs. But when she looked up, she saw Yin Zhi standing obediently by her door, greeting her.

Faced with that handsome face, Wen Qian found it really hard to stay mad. Plus, the guy was just too smooth. As she passed the doorway, she had barely raised her hand when he proactively leaned his head forward, letting her knead the top of his head and his ears.

The soft sensation at her fingertips made her pause. ’Is this really the same little tyrant who was just fighting tooth and nail with Gu Mian at home?’ she wondered.

Even as she thought this, her hands didn’t stop moving. It wasn’t until Yin Zhi lifted her up and pinned her against the wall that she snapped back to reality. She saw the man looking down, a faint blush having crept onto his face at some point. His voice was cool and clear, but with an underlying hint of satisfaction. "This way... it won’t be so hard for Qianqian to rub them."

Given Yin Zhi’s height, it wasn’t easy for Wen Qian to rub his ears in the first place. Now, not only was it easy, but... it was also intimate?

"Stop, stop... Put me down!" The cold wall instantly sobered Wen Qian up. She reached out and pushed at his head, which was trying to bury itself in her neck. It felt nice, but... she wasn’t trying to reward him!

Reluctantly pursing his lips, Yin Zhi’s voice was muffled. "Just a little longer."

The more she pushed, the more stubborn he became, finally nudging her earlobe with the tip of his nose. Wen Qian wanted to cry but had no tears. ’Great, just great. This guy is back to his forceful tactics again.’

The soft pads of her fingers had no choice but to once again touch the man’s furry ears, but with noticeably less force. ’This guy restrains himself in front of others, but with me, he just acts cute and spoiled to get rewards. The moment I show the slightest reluctance, he doubles down and demands twice as much in his own way...’

Wen Qian was already bad at refusing people, and now he was bullying her to the point her eyes turned red. He was the one whose ears were being rubbed, so how had she become the one who was exhausted? Pushing at his head again, Wen Qian’s voice softened a little. "Let’s go inside first. Can we please go inside first?"

The tips of his silver-white hair fell across his brow, making his cool, clear eyes stand out. He reluctantly grazed the soft flesh of her neck with the tips of his fangs but ultimately held back. Licking the teeth marks with his barbed tongue, he turned and carried her into the room.

The moment the door closed, Wen Qian breathed a sigh of relief. Yin Zhi had scared her half to death. If someone had come up the stairs just now, his identity as a Beastman would have been exposed.

But she had celebrated too soon. The next second, the world spun, and Wen Qian found herself pinned firmly onto the sofa by the man. Her mind was buzzing. ’Does this guy not understand the difference between men and women? Does he have any concept of personal boundaries?!’

’Doesn’t he have a fiancée?’

’Can’t he go do this stuff with his fiancée?!’

A strange anger welled up. Wen Qian reached out and grabbed his ear, no longer kneading it gently.

"Get up. I have something to ask you." The blush on the girl’s face faded, and her voice sounded somewhat stern. It wasn’t that she was jealous; she just found the man’s actions absurd.

’If he didn’t have a marriage agreement, it might be one thing, but now...’

In this respect, Blue Star was very similar to the Beast World: there were far more men than women. Women not only had to bear the risks of childbirth, but they also had to work alongside men to support their families. Therefore, when choosing a partner, most women prioritized loyalty above all else.

’Being chaste and well-behaved is practically the best dowry a man on Blue Star can offer. Someone like Yin Zhi... is the type you just watch on short-video apps.’

He looked up to meet her gaze, and catching sight of her furrowed brow, the man pursed his lips. Though reluctant, he obediently sat up straight, not forgetting to help Wen Qian up as well.

He didn’t know why Wen Qian was unhappy, but usually, when she was, it was because he had done something to displease her.

"You Beastmen wear clothes in the Beast World, right?" The girl tilted her head and crossed her arms, her face devoid of expression. Seeing the man nod obediently, she asked again, "Then how can you be so casual about being naked after you transform?"

’Her face was so red, yet he was incredibly calm, as if she were the one who was naked. Don’t tell me he’s just used to it? Does he do this all the time in the Beast World, pestering different girls... and getting intimate?’

’Or... is he doing it on purpose?’

As if he had just realized something, Yin Zhi abruptly lifted his head. The corners of his eyes were red, and his tone was filled with urgency. "I did that because... I thought Qianqian would like it!"

Wen Qian’s mind filled with question marks...

’What does he mean, he thought I would like it? What kind of outrageous thing is that to say?’

Just as Wen Qian was about to retort, she saw the man snatch the phone from the table and expertly type in the password. Wen Qian froze for a second. ’When did this guy get a phone?’ she thought, only to realize after a moment that Yin Zhi was holding *her* phone...