They had been living together for over two years. If she were to count the days, Ling Hong was the first Beastman she met after arriving in the Beast World, meaning she’d known him longer than she’d been with Gu Yin.
But in those two-plus years, she had never seen any sign of romantic love from Ling Hong, nor had he ever said he liked her.
Beastmen were naturally direct and passionate. If they liked someone, they would say so. Not saying it meant they didn’t.
So, An Jin had never given it a second thought, always assuming their bond was a kind of familial affection, like a baby bird’s imprinting.
It was like your own brother suddenly telling you, "I love you."
The feeling was so bizarre that An Jin’s mind turned to mush. All she could do was stare at him, wide-eyed and stunned.
Besides, she already had Gu Yin at home. If she really accepted Ling Hong, that snake would probably go crazy, right?
The man’s eyes were half-lidded. The campfire cast a soft glow on his handsome, chiseled face. His silvery-white hair brushed against An Jin’s cheek like soft down, exuding a gentle warmth.
He said softly, "At first, I didn’t know if I liked you or not, so I kept waiting and watching. It was only recently that I became certain of my own feelings."
The Wolf Clan was an exceedingly loyal and devoted race. Even without the binding of a mate mark, they would spend their entire lives passionately pursuing only one partner.
If they failed in their pursuit, they would fall into extreme despair and choose to live the rest of their lives alone.
This led them to treasure their one and only chance to form a bond with a mate.
In the eyes of other Beastmen, the Wolf Clan seemed overly calm and dispassionate, even single-minded. They wouldn’t use extreme passion to win over a female they fancied.
They would spend a long time reflecting and waiting, confirming their own feelings and their standing in the female’s heart, before cautiously taking the next step in their pursuit.
Every time An Jin was with Gu Yin, Ling Hong would be overcome with intense jealousy and envy, tormenting him to the point of distraction.
He couldn’t even stop himself from fantasizing that he was the male intimately entangled with her.
It was only then that Ling Hong finally became certain—he wanted to stay by her side.
And he wanted to be with her forever, as her mate.
That was why he had gone to such great lengths to ask her out, so the two of them could be alone and share their warmth. Perhaps this would be a better way to nurture their feelings.
Ling Hong had used his single-minded brain to plan this for a long time, finally coming up with this method of flirtation.
"So... is that okay?" the man asked pitifully, his voice tinged with a heart-rending plea.
An Jin was at a loss for words. She should have refused, but seeing the corners of Ling Hong’s eyes turning red, she hesitated.
The man’s resolute and cold eyes were now filled with apprehension, anticipation, and a deeply hidden sorrow. He was staring at her intently, desperate for her response...
An Jin suddenly found that she couldn’t bring herself to be so cruel as to reject Ling Hong outright.
’I’m such a scum woman.’
Just a short while ago, she had been questioning Gou Ni’s words, finding them both amusing and bizarre. Now, she was facing a decision a hundred times more agonizing than the one Gou Ni had faced.
"I... I don’t know. I need to think about it... okay?" She didn’t want to see the man before her cry, to see him heartbroken because of her.
’If I really reject him, he might lose his mind.’
’But if I don’t...’
An Jin thought of Gu Yin, hibernating at home. It seemed she couldn’t weigh the two males against each other at all. To be fair, she was more partial to Gu Yin. And her reliance on Ling Hong—was it familial love? Or was it romantic love?
Even she herself wasn’t sure.
She needed some time to figure out her own feelings, and to see how Gu Yin would react, before she could decide whether to refuse or accept.
Although he hadn’t received a definitive answer from the female, Ling Hong was ecstatic. He eagerly pulled her into his arms and nuzzled her happily.
’At least this means I have a place in An Jin’s heart!’
"Go back to sleep for a while. It’s just past midnight; it’ll be a long time until dawn."
Ling Hong stroked her head. An Jin was surprised to find that she didn’t feel any sense of aversion. A chill ran down her spine. ’Could it be that I really... for Ling Hong...’
’I really am a scum woman.’
An Jin sighed again, reaffirming her self-loathing for the second time.
The saying goes, "When God closes a door, he opens a window." An Jin was a living example of low emotional intelligence. She could handle city planning and construction with ease, but the moment she encountered matters of the heart, she became indecisive.
Her mind was a complete mess now. An Jin rarely felt so agitated and hesitant. Soothed by Ling Hong’s gentle comfort, she sighed softly. "I’m going to sleep then. If you get tired later, you should sleep too. Let’s head back to the tribe early tomorrow..."