Xuyu said quickly, almost squealing, "This beastman isn’t just any snake beastman! He’s from the Teng Bloodline!"
"The Teng... what?" she asked, still trying to catch her breath.
"The Teng Bloodline, Host!" Xuyu explained in a rush. "One of the oldest, most powerful ancient serpent lines in the Beast World! They were thought to be extinct thousands of years ago! No one has seen a true Teng in ages!"
Su Qinglan’s jaw dropped. "Extinct? Are you saying he’s, he’s some kind of ancient beastman?"
"Not a beastman!" Xuyu corrected immediately. "An ancient guardian! Their kind used to protect the balance of beast tribes. They had power over nature! Host, do you realize how rare this is?"
Su Qinglan blinked, her mind blanking out for a second. "So... what did he just do to me?"
"He marked your cubs with his breath," Xuyu replied, his tone still full of awe. "It’s a protective mark. It means your cubs are now under the protection of the Teng line! No harm can come to them while that mark remains active. Wherever they go, the power of the ancient serpent will guard them!"
Su Qinglan stared at her belly again, speechless. "You mean... my cubs just got... free protection?"
"Exactly!" Xuyu said proudly. "They will be born stronger, faster, and with extraordinary potential! Host, this is incredible! Even the system can barely register the energy he just infused into you!"
Su Qinglan stared at the ancient serpent, her mind spinning faster than her heart could handle.
He was still standing there calmly as if he hadn’t just infused energy into her womb and rewritten her cubs’ destiny.
She took a slow breath and finally asked, "...What did you just do to me?"
Xuan Long looked at her for a moment, his face expressionless. Then, in that same deep, confident tone, he said, "I marked your cubs. Now they are mine."
Su Qinglan blinked. "I... what?"
He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she managed, "You what?!"
"I marked them," he repeated patiently, as though speaking to a child. "It means they are my cubs. I am the father."
Su Qinglan was speechless at his words. If she had not already been told that the mark was protection for her cubs, she would have already screamed at him for claiming her cubs as his own.
She realized that this ancient snake really had the EQ of a rock, always getting under her nerves, never explaining anything.
Su Qinglan let out a long sigh. A real, honest smile slowly spread across her face.
Well... maybe this wasn’t all bad.
After all, what mother wouldn’t want her cubs to have protection?
She had seen enough of this beast world to know that it wasn’t kind, especially to little ones. Most male cubs didn’t even live to see adulthood; they either got killed by other beasts or simply couldn’t survive the harsh winters.
But now... her cubs would live. They would be fine.
Her chest swelled with a quiet happiness.
When she looked again at Xuan Long, her expression unconsciously softened.
And now he suddenly looked pleasing to her eyes.
Less terrifying and more... handsome.
His scales shimmered faintly under the cave light, his black hair brushed against his shoulders, and those emerald eyes were watching her calmly like he was studying some strange, fascinating creature.
Su Qinglan blinked, then noticed the faint smear of red on his lips.
Blood.
"Oh..." she gasped softly, guilt washing over her.
Without thinking, she leaned closer and wiped the blood from his mouth with her thumb. "Does it hurt?" she asked gently. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bite you that hard."
Xuan Long tilted his head slightly, his eyes following her every move. "It doesn’t hurt," he said simply. Then, as if remembering something very important, he asked with total seriousness, "But why did you bite me? I was kissing my female."
Su Qinglan froze mid-motion.
"My female," Xuan Long repeated calmly, as if that explained everything.
Oh heavens above.
This snake really didn’t know anything about proper behavior, did he?
She stared at him in disbelief for a few seconds, then sighed deeply. "Alright, listen to me carefully," she said seriously, like a teacher scolding a naughty student. "You can’t just go around kissing people because you feel like it! That’s not how it works!"
He blinked, confused. "Why?"
"Because!" she said. "Because that’s rude! You need permission first!"
He looked even more puzzled. "Permission?"
"Yes! Consent!" she said firmly. "If a female doesn’t agree, you don’t kiss her. Or touch her. Or do... any of that!"
Xuan Long stared at her silently, processing her words like a student being told fire is hot for the first time.
Finally, he nodded slowly. "So... if I ask first, I can kiss you?"
Su Qinglan almost choked. "No! That’s not what I..." She groaned, covering her face. "You know what? Forget it. We’ll start with the basics. Step one: don’t assume every female you see belongs to you."
He looked honestly surprised. "But you do belong to me. I marked you."
She dropped her hands and gave him the flattest look imaginable. "You marked my cubs, not me! There’s a difference!"
Xuan Long blinked again, looking slightly offended by the idea. "That’s strange," he muttered under his breath. "In the old days, females were proud to be chosen by a Teng."
"Well, times have changed!" she snapped, crossing her arms. "Welcome to the modern beast world. Females have rights now!"
He stared at her in silence. Then, very slowly, he said, "So... I cannot kill your beast husband either... will you get angry?"
Su Qinglan’s jaw dropped again. "Of course... you can’t kill him!"
He looked genuinely confused now. "But he let you wander into my territory."
"I wandered by myself!" she said quickly. "You can’t blame him for that!"
There was a long pause.
Xuan Long frowned slightly, thinking it over. "I see," he said finally. "Then I will not kill him... yet."
Su Qinglan’s eyes widened. "What do you mean, yet?!"
But the snake just gave her a small, mysterious smile that somehow made her both nervous and... flustered.
Her cheeks heated instantly. She turned away before he noticed. "You really need help," she muttered under her breath. "A whole class on basic manners."
"I can learn," Xuan Long said seriously.
She turned back, blinking. "You... can?"
He nodded firmly. "If it means you will stay."
Su Qinglan’s heart skipped a beat.
Oh no. That was unfair.
How could he say something like that with such a straight face?