She had been so focused on helping everyone else, she had forgotten, he’d been exposed to the heat spike too. And he was alone. Suffering alone
That idiot.
"He locked himself in his chamber when the heat started. He won’t let anyone in. We can hear him, but—" Chao Yue’s voice dropped. "It sounds bad."
[DING! (╥﹏╥)]
[WARNING: QING LIN STATUS CRITICAL!]
[He’s suffering alone because he doesn’t want to hurt anyone!]
[Stupid noble idiot snake!]
Xin Yi looked at the remaining untreated warriors. Then at the bowl of cooling paste in her hands.
He needs .
"Su Lan!" She thrust the bowl at the female standing next to Chao Yue. "You know what to do! Spread this on anyone who’s still overheating! I have to—"
She didn’t finish. She was already running.
~
The chamber was at the top of the ancient tree, up a make shift staircase—wait staircase??—that made Xin Yi’s legs scream. By the ti she reached the door, she could barely breathe.
She could hear him inside. Ragged breathing. Scales scraping against wood. A low, continuous hiss of pain.
"Qing Lin!" She pounded on the door. "Let in!"
"No." His voice was strained, barely recognizable. "Go away."
"Open this door, big noodle!"
"Xin Yi, please—" A crash, like he had knocked sothing over. "I can’t control—I’ll hurt you—"
"You won’t!"
"My skin is burning! I can’t think straight! All I want is to—" He cut himself off with a hiss.
"To what?"
"TO CLAIM YOU!" The words were a roar. "To mark you! To make sure no one can take you! The heat makes it worse! I can’t—pink skin, PLEASE!"
Xin Yi stared at the locked door. Her hands were shaking.
[DING! (⊙_⊙)]
[He’s protecting you even while suffering!]
[That’s... actually really sweet.]
[Also stupid! Very stupid! He needs help!]
She looked at the door. Then at the bowl of cooling paste she had grabbed before running.
Then she took three steps back and KICKED the door as hard as she could.
"OW!" She hopped on one foot. "STUPID SOLID WOOD!"
[Host. You’re not a beastman. Use your BRAIN.]
She looked around frantically, spotted a wooden beam, grabbed it, and wedged it against the door lock.
CRACK!
The door burst open.
And Xin Yi’s breath stopped.
Qing Lin was on his hands and knees in the middle of the floor. His skin looked grey and tight, peeling in places to show raw red underneath. His beautiful green hair was plastered to his face with sweat. His whole body was trembling.
He looked up at her, and his eyes were wild.
"Why..." His voice cracked. "Why did you co here?"
"Because you’re an idiot." She marched over, dropping to her knees beside him with the bowl of paste. "And I’m not letting you suffer alone like so tragic hero!"
"I’ll hurt you—"
"You WON’T!" She scooped up a handful of cooling mud. "Now shut up and let help you before I dump this entire bowl on your head!"
His mouth opened, then closed. He looked completely lost.
"This is going to be cold," she warned.
Then she slapped the paste onto his shoulders.
Qing Lin made a sound between a hiss and a moan, his whole body going rigid. "Cold... that’s—that’s—"
"Good, right?" She kept working, spreading the paste across his back. "The mint cools you down. The clay helps with the shedding."
"How do you know—"
"I just know! Now stop talking and let work!"
She found a patch of stuck skin near his shoulder blade and carefully started to peel it away.
He hissed in pain.
"I know, I’m sorry." Her hands were gentle despite her sharp words. "But if we don’t get this off, it’ll get worse."
They fell into a rhythm. She would apply paste, wait, then carefully peel away the loosened skin. It was gross. It was intimate. It was very, very weird.
"Why?" Qing Lin asked again, quieter now. His breathing was evening out.
"Because you needed help."
"You could have stayed safe."
"Yes, well." She focused on a particularly stubborn patch. "I’m not very good at staying safe. Also, you helped before. With the beetle. Even though I was naked and screaming."
Despite everything, he let out a weak laugh. "That beetle was very aggressive."
"It was NOT!" But she was smiling.
Twenty minutes later, the worst was over. Qing Lin’s skin looked almost normal again, still a bit raw in places, but the horrible grey was gone.
He was lying on his side now, his eyes closed, breathing steady.
"Xin Yi," he murmured.
"Hmm?"
"Thank you."
"You’re welco." She wiped her muddy hands on her already-destroyed tunic. "Now rest. I should go check—"
His hand shot out, catching hers. When he opened his eyes, they were clear. Focused. And looking at her like she hung the moon.
"Stay."
"Qing Lin—"
"Just for a mont. Please." His grip tightened. He shifted closer, until they were kneeling face to face, hands clasped between them.
[DING! (⊙_⊙)]
[Wait... is he...]
[Host! His body temperature is rising again!]
[Oh no. OH NO.]
[He’s not overheating anymore... he’s entering a DIFFERENT kind of heat!]
"Uh, Qing Lin?" Xin Yi’s voice ca out squeaky. "Are you feeling okay? You’re looking a bit—"
His other hand ca up to cup her face, his thumb brushing her cheek. His breathing had changed, and his pupils were dilated.
And then his face was in her neck, his hot breath trailing along her skin
"Hmm," he humd, the vibration going straight through her.
"Q-Qing Lin! What are you—AH!
His tongue, long, forked, absolutely NOT NORMAL, flicked out and licked the shell of her ear.
Xin Yi shuddered violently and tried to jerk away. "NOPE! Okay, I’m leaving! Ti to go check on everyone else! Bye!"
She tried to pull her hands free, but his grip tightened. He pulled her back, closer this ti, until she was in his lap.
"Hmm," he said again, his nose still buried in her neck. He inhaled deeply. "You sll like mint. And mud. And that purple flower soap. And..." Another inhale. "......."
"That’s—that’s great! Very observational! Now I really should—"
"You’re very skilled, Xin Yi." His voice had dropped several octaves. "I have wanted a female of your... abilities... for a very long ti."
Xin Yi’s blushed. "A-abilities?! I just made mud paste! It’s not that impressive!"
"Hmm. But you saved an entire tribe. Alone. With just your hands and your knowledge." His cool fingers traced down her spine. "A female who can heal. Who can create. Who is brave and fierce and soft all at once....." He pulled back just enough to look at her, and the hunger in his eyes made her stomach flip. "That is very rare. Very......desirable."
"I... uh... I..." Xin Yi’s brain was malfunctioning. Why was he looking at her like she was a five-course al? "I’m just......doing what anyone would do?"
"No." His forehead pressed against hers. "Not anyone. You."
[DING! (¬‿¬)]
[Oh he’s GOT IT BAD, Host!]
[Serpent King Status: COMPLETELY SMITTEN]
[Xin Yi’s Coherent Thoughts: ZERO]
"I... I should..." She tried to pull away again, but her body wasn’t cooperating. "Let think about it. About... about all of this. I need ti to—"
"Hmm." His hand moved from her spine to her waist, holding her steady. Then, so quietly she almost missed it, he muttered: "Imagine......having my cubs..."
Xin Yi froze.
"CUBS?!" Her voice cracked. "BABIES?! WE JUST—I JUST HELPED YOU MOLT! THAT’S NOT—WE’RE NOT—"
Qing Lin’s eyes widened, like he had just realized he’d said that out loud. "Oh. I’m sorry. That was... the heat talking. I shouldn’t have—"
"You THINK?!"
She scrambled backward, finally breaking free from his grip. But before she could get to her feet, Qing Lin moved.
He had her waist in his hands again, pulling her against him. His face found her neck once more, and this ti she felt his teeth, sharp, pointed, graze the skin just below her ear.
Not quite a bite. Not quite a kiss. Sothing in between that made her whole body go rigid.
"It will be my turn to ’help’ you soon, pink skin," he murmured against her neck, his breath hot. "Very soon."
Then he released her.
Xin Yi stumbled backward, her hand flying to her neck where she could still feel the ghost of his teeth.
"W-what does that an?!" she squeaked.
But Qing Lin just smiled.
"You’ll see."
[DING! (⊙_⊙)]
[OH NO.]
[Host, I think you just unlocked the "Snake King’s Obsession" route!]
[Good luck with that! ☆]
Xin Yi turned and fled.
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