"Mmm..." Jiang Xinli's cheeks were flushed crimson. She gave a shy nod, the blush spreading all the way to the tips of her ears.
"Hua Xi's and Yue Hua Yin's Uprising Values are still high. I want to go down—" The man's rough, fiery kiss and the intense desire lingering in his eyes stirred a thread of fear in her heart.
She had no choice but to find an excuse, hoping for a temporary escape.
But the man's fingers gripping her slender waist suddenly tightened, his voice deepening. "Tonight, you're not going anywhere except by my side."
The words had barely left his lips when he flexed his arms, effortlessly lifting her onto the bathroom counter.
It was only then that Jiang Xinli realized with a start that there was a furry white tiger's tail beneath her!
The tail was large and fluffy, like a warm, soft cushion, completely blocking the cold, hard feel of the stone countertop.
"This..."
Jiang Xinli was both surprised and delighted, her eyes filled with wonder. Just as she was about to see how Sheng Tianze had sprouted a tail, he wrapped a long arm around her slender waist, leaned in again, and let his fiery kisses rain down like a torrential storm...
The kiss was searing, passionate, dominant, and endless.
Jiang Xinli felt her breath growing ragged, her soft gasps unending. Her slender body felt as if it would melt into a pool of warm spring water.
After a long while, Sheng Tianze finally pulled back.
"Do you like it?" His voice was soft as his large hands cupped her small face. He placed gentle kisses on her forehead, the bridge of her nose, her lips, her collarbones...
"Mmm-hmm," Jiang Xinli nodded shyly, a trace of inexpressible joy hidden in her eyes.
She sensed acutely that with just a little more of a push, the Dodder Flower inside her could be upgraded!
"I want..." Jiang Xinli reached out with her slender, pale arms and gently wrapped them around his neck.
Sheng Tianze's lips quirked into a slight smile as he whispered in her ear, "Finding this difficult?"
"Mmm-hmm." The girl lowered her head in embarrassment.
The crimson on her face deepened, so intense it looked as though it might bleed.
"Female Master, your neck hasn't healed yet. No strenuous activity for three days." He paused, his tone regretful, but a cunning glint flashed in his eyes. His voice was filled with temptation. "However, I can help you."
With that, he turned on the faucet and began meticulously washing one of his hands.
Once finished, he scooped her up securely with one arm, carried her back to the bedroom, and gently laid her on the bed, pulling the covers over her.
A series of soft kisses fell upon her once more.
Then, long, pale fingers slowly lifted the covers...
*
Jiang Xinli didn't know how long she had slept.
When she slowly stirred awake, the thin layer of Transparent Morning Glory Flower petals that had been protectively wrapped around her body instantly retracted.
A sliver of sunlight pierced through the window, dappling the blanket with specks of light. For a moment, she had the illusion that everything that had happened was just an ephemeral dream.
She stretched out of habit and slowly opened her eyes.
In that instant, her pupils constricted. She shot bolt upright in bed.
On the sofa beside the bed, a massive, snow-white tiger lay sprawled out!
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
'In the interstellar beast world, Male Beastmen without a female's close companionship would often revert to their beast forms to rest. It was more conducive to recovering their stamina and superpowers.'
The White Tiger, sensing the movement, slowly opened its eyes to reveal a pair of dazzling yet gentle golden irises.
The next second, the noble and elegant Sheng Tianze stood before Jiang Xinli.
"Female Master is awake?" A smile touched his lips as he approached with unhurried steps, leaned down, and placed a soft kiss on her lips.
"Mmm-hmm." Jiang Xinli instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and asked softly, "What time is it?"
"Almost noon," Sheng Tianze said with a smile. "Female Master has been asleep for three whole days."
Jiang Xinli's face was a mask of astonishment. "Three days?!" she shrieked.
"Mmm-hmm." Sheng Tianze reached out to steady her, helping her sit up.
It was only then that Jiang Xinli noticed that the black silk dress she had been wearing had been changed for a new one.
This one was of an exquisite, elegant design, its neckline trimmed with a string of plump, lustrous pearls.
Seeing her shocked gaze land on the dress, Sheng Tianze's lips curled slightly. "That one was soiled," he explained, "so I changed it for Female Master."
He then pointedly added, "And I *only* changed it."
Jiang Xinli's face instantly turned beet-red.
She quickly focused her mind, sensing that her Dodder Flower Ability was still at the 1st Rank.
'Looks like kissing alone isn't enough to upgrade the Dodder Flower,' she thought. 'It might also have to do with me not having had time to absorb the Crystal Core Sheng Tianze gave me.'
"Are you hungry?"
"Mmm-hmm."
"Let me help Female Master wash up first." He gently put her shoes on for her, then took her hand and led her into the bathroom.
He picked up a washcloth, soaked it in warm water, wrung it out, and began to carefully wipe her face.
Jiang Xinli felt like a well-behaved child. She tilted her face up, her hands resting lightly on his lean, powerful waist, her eyes shimmering with adoration.
This unconcealed admiration filled the Beastman before her with delight; he basked in it.
Sheng Tianze never asked Jiang Xinli how she had managed to lower Ye Kuo's and Xuan Ying's Uprising Values.
And so, Jiang Xinli also chose to remain silent on the matter.
After they finished washing up, they walked downstairs hand in hand, a silent understanding between them.
The room was empty, with no one in sight.
A bad feeling suddenly welled up in Jiang Xinli's heart.
'Could it be?' she wondered. 'These Beast Husbands of mine... having failed to force a divorce, did they just run off?'
"Where is everyone?" After a moment's hesitation, she finally asked.
"They—" Sheng Tianze glanced at a work detail schedule on the living room wall, issued by the interstellar prison. "They've likely gone to the mines."
"Has Female Master forgotten? We have mandatory labor assignments every month."
"Mining?!" Jiang Xinli's eyes flew wide. In that instant, fragmented memories trickled into her mind like a stream.
She had been exiled to this Deserted Star for 100 years.
During her exile, aside from a simple house with a dungeon provided by the interstellar prison, all other necessities had to be acquired through the labor of her and her Beast Husbands.
In addition, the interstellar prison had clear regulations:
Every exiled prisoner had to participate in a certain amount of manual labor each month. Furthermore, they had to turn in a quota of valuable resources, which would be converted into points to be exchanged for daily necessities.
The required resources varied depending on the current phase.
And for this phase, the required resource was ore from the Sulfur Star Mine.
This was the source of the pungent odor she had smelled when she first arrived in this world.
The refined product from the Sulfur Star Mine possessed both metallic and energetic properties, making it one of the key construction materials for some of the top interstellar Mechas and high-grade Warships.
As she processed this new information, Jiang Xinli suddenly recalled the two bad endings the original owner of her body had met in the book, and her heart clenched in sudden fear...