"I'll have to verify that for myself." Bai Qingye's words were blunt, and his actions were even blunter. Squinting through his glasses, his large hand slipped directly under the wide hem of Shi Li's top and onto her slender waist.
The shock made Shi Li cry out, and she burrowed into Heige's arms, her face beet red.
Bai Qingye's beast form was an ink snake, so his body temperature was as cold as a reptile's. The icy touch made Shi Li shiver.
Seeing Shi Li dive into Heige's arms without a hint of caution, the other two men were clearly displeased.
"Oh~ So that's why you've had a change of heart. You've found a new favorite, have you?" Jensen's tone was laced with jealousy, and the atmosphere grew tense.
"Let's not talk about that. The food's getting cold. Let's just eat!" Shi Li felt awkward. She really didn't know how to act around men, let alone how to juggle relationships with so many of them at once.
The men were stunned when they saw the spread of dishes on the table, which looked and smelled incredible. They even wondered if it was some new kind of poison.
'After all, the original owner was obsessed with appearances. She probably got tired of them long ago.'
"There's so much food. Heige, why don't you take some with you to work tomorrow?"
"You shouldn't just drink those Nutrient Liquids every day. Good food can be a kind of spiritual healing, too." Shi Li excitedly picked up a piece of braised pork and held it to Heige's mouth.
'I don't dare try anything with Jensen. The guy threatens to kill me at the drop of a hat. He's number one on my danger list!'
'As for Bai Qingye, our so-called childhood sweetheart, young-married-couple thing... my gut tells me that people who are always squinting are never up to any good.'
'Besides, the original owner tormented him for so long. His hatred for me is probably just as strong as Jensen's.'
'This guy's just a better actor.'
'Yeah, probably the quiet-but-intense type?'
Shi Li had already ranked the men by their danger level in her head. For now, her only option was to get closer to Heige and seek his protection.
But as he looked at the braised pork Shi Li held to his lips, Heige felt his heart pound with unease.
'Is this really not poisoned?'
'But look at her expectant gaze... her big, fluttering eyes, those dewy pink lips... and she's feeding it to me herself.'
'What kind of VIP treatment is this?'
"I thought you didn't like vegetables? This is meat. Pure meat," Shi Li said, confused. She couldn't help but lean a little further forward.
Her palms were flat on the table as she leaned forward, causing the button on her chest to pull down the round collar of her soft, yellow top.
A glimpse of a white, strawberry-patterned bra was unexpectedly revealed right before Heige's eyes.
The sight made Heige abruptly jump back.
'SHIT!'
'What is this little female doing! Is she trying to feed me or seduce me?'
Heat began to spread through his body. "You guys eat first! I'm going to take a shower, don't wait for me!"
And just like that, Heige beat a hasty retreat.
Undeterred, Shi Li turned and offered the piece of pork to Bai Qingye with her chopsticks.
From his new angle, Bai Qingye instantly understood why Heige had just made such a panicked escape.
He couldn't help but sneer internally. 'Just a little wolf cub, after all. Why would you run from an opportunity like this instead of seizing it?'
"If I eat this, will my Female Master give me Spiritual Soothing tonight?" Bai Qingye didn't shy away. Instead, he started making demands.
'But from my perspective, isn't Spiritual Soothing just that thing I did for Jensen, like untangling a ball of yarn?'
'It's easy. It just makes me a little tired afterward, that's all.'
"What's the big deal? Of course," Shi Li answered readily. Now it was Bai Qingye's turn to be stunned.
Before he was imprisoned, Shi Li had been utterly disdainful of performing Spiritual Soothing for her Beast Husbands. In fact, most females disliked performing Spiritual Soothing for their own Beast Husbands.
Not only was it physically draining, but it could also be more than their bodies could handle.
"Really?" Bai Qingye asked again, just to be sure.
"Really! What's the problem?" Shi Li was even more baffled. 'As far as I can tell, it just makes me need a little extra sleep. It doesn't require any other big sacrifice from me, right?'
Bai Qingye decisively swallowed the braised pork. As the amazing flavor hit him, an undeniable look of aggression filled his eyes. It was as if his gaze stripped Shi Li bare, despite her being fully clothed, making her squirm with discomfort.
"Mm, it's delicious. Ten thousand times better than anything the chefs at Tianjiao Garden make." His improper thoughts were one thing, but the undeniable fact was that the food was incredible.
Jensen scoffed at Bai Qingye's response.
'One after another, they're all sucking up to her.'
'I refuse to believe Shi Li can cook!'
With that thought, Jensen picked up a piece of chicken. The meat was tender and juicy, yet the skin was addictively crispy.
Jensen stared blankly at Shi Li, but he just couldn't bring himself to utter a single word of praise.
"There now. Capable girls deserve a reward. Let me feed you," Bai Qingye said. As he spoke, Shi Li felt his previously cool body suddenly start to grow warm.
'Can snakes regulate their own body temperature?'
Before Shi Li could refuse, Bai Qingye had already picked up a piece of meat and held it to her lips.
It smelled so fragrant. Shi Li could feel her stomach starting to rumble.
She had been so busy earlier that she hadn't eaten a single bite, and now she was starving.
And so, the two reached a strange consensus. Neither brought up their past grievances as Bai Qingye fed Shi Li, bite by bite, until she was full.
At the end, Bai Qingye even ladled a bowl of soup and fed it to her as well.
In her entire life, Shi Li had never been treated like this. Delicious food was spread out before her, and a man's firm, toned muscles were right behind her.
'What kind of heavenly life is this!'
'Not to mention someone fed me the entire meal!'
When her eyes met Bai Qingye's again, Shi Li couldn't help but blush.
'He looks so gentle right now. I admit it, I was the one with the dirty mind, seeing filth in everything!'
'He's clearly a man who's amazing at taking care of people!'
"You're so kind! You even fed me. No one has ever fed me a meal before." Seeing the sincerity in Shi Li's eyes, Bai Qingye actually felt a pang of shame for his less-than-honorable intentions.
"That can't be right. Little females are raised to be pampered." But Bai Qingye didn't believe a word she said.
Shi Li faltered. She turned away, refusing to continue the conversation. After grabbing a napkin to wipe her mouth, she started to clear the plates to take them to the kitchen.
Jensen had also finished eating quickly. Seeing Shi Li voluntarily start to clean up was like seeing a ghost.
'It's one thing that she can cook, but how could the lazy and temperamental Shi Li voluntarily do chores?'
"Just leave it. You'll just drop all these heavy things and break them." As Jensen spoke, his hands were already moving swiftly.
He couldn't make a move on Shi Li while the other Beast Husbands were present, or they would be implicated as well.
'Now isn't the right time. I need to focus on surviving first.'
'Besides, the food really is delicious.'
'It's already shocking enough that the little female can cook. How can I let the chef do the dishes, too?'
"Then let's head to the room for our Spiritual Soothing. Do you want to shower first, or should I?"