In the latest census, the Yao Clan numbered fewer than ten million. That might sound like a lot, but compared with the human race, they were as rare as one in a thousand.

The Yao Clan cared deeply about bloodlines, which made them very “picky” when it came to having offspring. As a result, their birth rate kept hitting new highs year after year.

With their numbers so low, and their way of life so different from humanity’s, the Yao Clan usually lived together in close-knit communities. Only some of them integrated into human society, and marriages between Yao and humans were rarer still.

That was why Qin Heng was puzzled. He was standing too far away to get a good look, so he couldn’t tell whether the stunning girl was Yao or not.

If she really was a silver-haired, red-eyed fox girl... Just thinking about it was thrilling, wasn’t it, guys? ≧^≦

But excitement aside, all he could do was imagine it. Not only because they were just passing strangers, but also because...

Her pale, ink-wash pink dress faded from one shade to another, and even at a glance, it was clearly expensive. It might even be a spirit item. Add in the girl’s noble, refined air, and it wasn’t hard to guess she was the daughter of some great family. If she was Yao as well... that would make the distance between them feel even greater.

Well, none of that had anything to do with him. Still, speaking of Yao bloodlines...

That Rascal Snake at home—with its Biyin Snake bloodline—and Uncle Murong seemed to have pretty high status among the Yao Clan, too. He’d heard his mother talk about it when he was little. Thinking of that, Qin Heng suddenly didn’t feel quite so “inferior.” He puffed out his chest and lifted his head proudly.

The three of us are pretty awesome! ^ω^

The girl beside him seemed to notice the stir around her. She turned her head slightly and looked in Qin Heng’s direction.

When Qin Heng got a full view of the girl from the front, he couldn’t help but marvel at her beauty. With her natural grace, she truly seemed beautiful enough to captivate an entire kingdom.

The only disappointing thing was the small mask on the right side of her face, covering a little of the area below her eye.

It couldn’t hide the girl’s beauty, but its presence did feel a little out of place...

As Qin Heng looked her over, the girl noticed him too. Her deep-red eyes dipped slightly, and a gentle smile appeared on her face. She gave him a small wave.

Big Couch-Potato Qin was a little dumbfounded by her gesture. He glanced around, and once he was sure he was the only one there, he awkwardly waved back, wearing his trademark sunny-boy smile.

She’s this gentle even to a stranger passing by? What an angel...

Before Qin Heng could keep daydreaming, a tall woman in a suit appeared behind the girl. Holding some documents, she said something to her in a low voice. The girl nodded, then gave Qin Heng a slight bow before leaving.

After the girl left, Qin Heng didn’t plan to hang around. He’d only been admiring her and marveling at her beauty. He wasn’t some womanizer who had to go over and make connections or ask for her contact information.

Still, he couldn’t help feeling a little regret at having crossed paths with someone so lovely only once.

It was like forgetting to do your daily commissions. It wasn’t a huge loss, but thinking about it still left you feeling unsettled. @ω@

Qin Heng had only just gotten home when he heard his mother call out to him.

“Didn’t Muxuan go wake you up earlier? Why haven’t you come downstairs yet?”

Qin Heng glanced upstairs. He really hadn’t heard a thing.

“Sis was helping me clean my room. She might not be done yet. I’ll go check.”

“All right. Hurry up.”

Qin Heng nodded, then headed upstairs.

As soon as he reached his room and opened the door, he found it dim, with only the bedside lamp glowing faintly.

A quick glance was all it took to spot Ning Muxuan lying on his bed.

Qin Heng almost laughed.

“She came to wake me up, and now she’s the one sleeping like a log.”

Qin Heng didn’t wake her right away. Instead, he stepped quietly to the bed, then leaned down close to Ning Muxuan’s face and began studying it carefully.

...Well, Mom was right. Sis might be cold as ice, but in both looks and figure, she was an absolute stunner.

He’d been looking at her for years, but he still hadn’t grown tired of her beauty. Even in their everyday life together, some little gesture or glimpse of her profile could still take him by surprise.

Just like now...

The bedside lamp’s gentle glow fell across her pretty face, lighting up her sleeping expression. Up close, her delicate, alluring features looked even more beautiful, enough to tug at the heart.

Her stunning face was right before him. He could hear her steady breathing, and feel a faint, intermittent warmth and dampness against his own face.

Looking at Ning Muxuan’s pale pink lips, Qin Heng slowly began to lose himself. For some reason, he thought again of the beautiful, gentle girl he’d just seen. A trace of regret surfaced in his heart, but it vanished in an instant.

Beautiful things always seemed to share some unspoken connection. It was Ning Muxuan’s beauty here before him that had brought the equally stunning girl to mind.

But compared with those fleeting moments of awe, he wanted more to cherish the “beautiful” thing right in front of him.

Qin Heng reached out with his right index finger and gently touched the beauty’s pink lips. A cool, smooth softness met his fingertip. It felt wonderful, and strangely reassuring...

For a moment, Qin Heng forgot what he’d come here to do. He propped his head up with one hand and grinned foolishly, while the index finger of his right hand kept wandering over Ning Muxuan’s lips, teasing them.

Watching her delicate brows and pink lips twitch ever so slightly, Big Couch-Potato Qin felt a little thrill rising in his chest.

Well... I guess everyone has a soft, adorable side. Right now, she’s like a sleeping little rabbit, so cute and wa—

“Aaah! Let go... let go! You-you—what the hell, you bite people?!”

Before Qin Heng could keep daydreaming, a searing pain shot through his finger. He immediately let out a loud, doglike yelp.

Qin Heng hurriedly shook his right hand. When he looked closely, he saw a tiny but very deep red bite mark on his index finger, with even a strand of saliva still clinging to it...

Rather than biting him, Ning Muxuan had taken his entire finger into her mouth, then clamped down hard—leaving poor Miss Index Finger with an unforgettable impression (in the physical sense).

Ning Muxuan, who’d been fast asleep not long ago, was now sitting upright. Her long dark hair spilled over her shoulders, and a hint of alluring charm had appeared in her hazy eyes. But she still wore that little icy expression...

“Someone’s hands aren’t clean, and he still has the nerve to complain.”

Ning Muxuan gave Qin Heng a cool look, then pointed at her lips.

“You... you...!”

Caught in the act, Big Couch-Potato Qin could only take the loss. His face had turned a little red.

Damn it! She’d been pretending to sleep the whole time, hadn’t she?!

Beside him, Ning Muxuan touched her lips with a delicate finger, looking disgusted.

“Salty... You big jerk.”

The corners of her mouth lifted slightly. As if savoring the taste, she pressed her lips together and gave the little piggy before her a playful look.

“Salty?”

“Oh, I probably didn’t dry my hands after using the bathroom. Must’ve left a little nitrogen-rich urea and some inorganic salts on them.”

“...”

Now it was Qin Heng’s turn to fire back. It felt pretty satisfying, but when he saw Ning Muxuan’s gaze growing colder and colder, it took only a few seconds for him to start regretting it...

“Come here.”

A cold voice came from beside him.

Under pressure, Qin Heng took a few more steps back.

“No way!”

What was he supposed to go over there for? To walk straight into a trap?!

At his words, Ning Muxuan didn’t get angry. On the contrary, her tightly furrowed brows relaxed at once, and for some reason, her eyes softened.

?

Before Qin Heng could figure out what was going on, Ning Muxuan reached out to take his hand. There was a little more warmth in her voice, too.

“Does it hurt?”

Faced with Ning Muxuan’s sudden change of heart, Qin Heng instinctively dodged her outstretched hand.

He backed away several more steps and watched Ning Muxuan warily. What was this demoness up to now...?

(A real demoness.)

Seeing Qin Heng recoil, Ning Muxuan froze. Her delicate hand grasped at empty air, then hung there. A trace of loneliness and hurt appeared in her emerald-green eyes...

“Sis didn’t... mean to.”

!!!

Qin Heng was genuinely afraid of Ning Muxuan, but he couldn’t stand seeing her look hurt. Realizing he might have overreacted just now...

Big Couch-Potato Qin instantly caved. He hurried forward, wrapped his arms around Ning Muxuan’s waist, and gently patted her back to comfort her.

“Hey! It’s okay, Sis. Don’t be sad. I was just kidding—”

“Aaaaaaaaaah!!!!”

A warm, damp sensation suddenly brushed his neck, followed by a searing pain...

“There’s a dog!!! No, wait—”

A snake’s biting someone!!! Antivenom, save me! @ω@