The wicked female is extremely fierce, but she's pampered by her seven beast husbands.

Chapter 339 Extra Chapter: More Companionship
Chang Tianchen has a stubborn personality; once he's made up his mind, nothing can change it.

Ling Chengen was helpless against his stubbornness, but she didn't want to be ambiguous with him at this time and cause trouble in her own backyard, so she decisively rejected him.

But Chang Tianchen is not a man who gives up easily. After expressing his feelings, he was not discouraged when Ling Chengen rejected him to his face. His life and work continued as usual, except that he would take advantage of his work and position to seek more opportunities to be alone.

Considering all factors, Ling Chengen absolutely could not afford to break ties with him.

Because Chang Tianchen commands hundreds of thousands of troops in the City of Ten Thousand Beasts, and even has a portion of his direct troops, if he is angered or develops thoughts of rebellion, it would be a fatal blow to the City of Ten Thousand Beasts.

The beastmen in the family weren't fools. When Chang Tianchen chose to bring Snake Mountain to submit, they saw through his true intentions. After Ling Chengen handed over military affairs to him, it would only increase his bargaining power. Therefore, the family members had long anticipated that Chang Tianchen would become Ling Chengen's partner.

Even if it wasn't out of affection, but simply to stabilize morale and win over Chang Tianchen, the leader of the three armies, doing so would be perfectly justifiable.

However, Ling Chengen unusually kept his distance from Chang Tianchen, something none of the family members had expected.

After seeing Chang Tianchen off, Ling Chengen stood in the corridor of the study, staring blankly at the courtyard. After thinking for a long time, he sighed softly, took a step and walked out of the courtyard, intending to see Shi Ruoan.

Shi Ruoan took over the work of nurturing the cubs, and this period of time was very hard.

After returning, she visited Shi Ruoan several times, but she had to admit that her and Shi Ruoan's lifestyles were actually quite incompatible.

Shi Ruoan was, after all, a member of the sea tribe, so when renovating the courtyard, she mainly focused on the water.

This environment was quite humid for her, and staying there for a long time made her feel heavy and cold.

Especially in autumn and winter, the damp and cold feeling is like a leech, making people very uncomfortable.

When they reached the entrance of Haibo Garden, Ling Chengen peeked through the half-open door to make sure Shi Ruoan was in the courtyard before pushing the door open and going inside.

As soon as you enter, you can hear the sound of water rippling.

Ling Chengen stepped onto the stone boardwalk and watched Shi Ruoan swim towards him after hearing footsteps. He stopped and watched Shi Ruoan emerge from the water, saying, "Didn't you go out for a stroll today?"

Shi Ruoan lay on the side of the boardwalk, her long and wide tail fin swaying slowly in the water. She casually brushed her wet hair behind her and looked up, saying, "I'm too lazy to go out. It's more comfortable to stay at home."

He was the only merman from the sea race in the City of Ten Thousand Beasts. Because of his distinctive features and the striking appearance of a merman, he attracted a lot of attention whenever he went out. Moreover, he was currently in a special period, and his physical appearance had changed drastically, making him clearly different from a normal male beastman...

Although most people meant him no harm and were simply curious, he still didn't like those stares.

In addition, he is not a very sociable person, so he prefers to stay at home rather than go out.

Ling Chengen sat cross-legged on the slab of stone, reached out and took his cold fingertips in his hand, and asked, "Want to come up and have dinner and rest with me tonight?"

Shi Ruoan's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she looked up and said, "Of course it's possible."

"But are you in a bad mood?"

Shi Ruoan was very perceptive. Looking at her calm and aloof expression, she let her play with her fingers: "I always feel like you're unhappy."

Ling Chengen looked down at the water, but because the ripples spread out in circles, her reflection in the water was blurry.

After a long silence, she finally spoke, "Chang Tianchen just confessed his feelings to me, and I'm actually a little annoyed."

"I thought you two had a good relationship, after all, you rely on him so much."

Shi Ruoan wasn't particularly clear about the past conflicts between the two. He had only heard some ambiguous accounts from his family members, but no one seemed willing to mention Chang Tianchen, so he had no way of knowing what grudges the two had against each other.

Ling Chengen raised his hand and rubbed the inner corner of his eye, sighing softly, "My relationship with him is indeed alright, but we have some old grudges from the past. However, I have said before that all grudges and debts with him are forgotten, and I will no longer hold those unpleasant memories against him."

"But even though you're saying that, you still feel a little uncomfortable?"

Ling Chengen shook his head and said calmly, "No."

"I don't dislike him, but I don't think I like him either."

“I think he is a very suitable person to lead troops into battle, a partner who can be trusted, and a friend, but I never thought of treating him as a lover or a romantic partner.”

Shi Ruoan rested her chin on her hand and suddenly asked, "What about me, and the other people in the family?"

"Did you see them as lovers or partners from the very beginning?"

“It’s different.” Ling Chengen shook his head, staring intently into his dark blue eyes. “I can’t quite put my finger on it. It’s like I’m stubbornly drawing a line to clearly define my relationship with him. I don’t really understand why I have such a strong resistance only towards him.”

"There are some things that even I can't understand."

Shi Ruoan suddenly rose from the water, her fish tail transforming into legs. She stepped onto the stone steps in the water and walked ashore. After removing all the water vapor from her body, she barefoot pulled Ling Chengen up from the cold ground and grabbed her wrist, leading her towards the house.

After changing into suitable clothes, Ling Chengen lit the fireplace in his room, leaned back on the low sofa in front of the fireplace, filled the copper kettle with water, and casually placed it on the stand in front of the fireplace, carrying the handle wrapped with hemp rope.

The fireplace in his room was rarely used, only lit when she came, so it looked very new, with little ash inside and was kept very clean.

Ling Chengen turned her head and saw him standing at the other end of the room, changing clothes with his back to her. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should get closer to him.

However, she is not a warm-hearted person. Her enthusiasm for her partner is only temporary and fleeting. Many times, she is unsure whether she should do something, or how much she should do, in order to maintain proper boundaries as a partner and avoid making her partner feel uncomfortable.

Shi Ruoan's personality is also rather introverted and aloof. He is only proactive and enthusiastic when he is in bed with his wife. Otherwise, he doesn't talk much and is not proactive. Especially after spring, his personality became even more Buddhist and he became a particularly homebody.

Before Ling Chengen could make up his mind, Shi Ruoan had already changed her clothes and sat on another sofa by the fire.

The sofa was a two-seater, quite spacious, and made of his favorite blue fabric, which felt cool and smooth to the touch, with an excellent feel. It was comfortable to sit or lie down on.

Ling Chengen hesitated for a few seconds, then got up, walked over and sat down next to him, turning to look at his face and asking, "Have you been feeling unwell lately?"

Shi Ruoan has recently changed many of his habits. He used to maintain a proper sitting posture, but now he prefers to sit however he feels comfortable, mainly to reduce the burden on his body.

So his entire body weight was basically on the sofa, and he was sitting slightly to the side. Because he was facing away from the light coming from the window, his facial expression was not very clear. But this angle actually allowed him to better observe all the changes in Ling Chengen's facial expression.

His fingertips pressed against the soft cushion, and he looked down at Ling Chengen's outstretched hand, shaking his head as he said, "Everything is fine, nothing unusual. It's just that it's a little inconvenient to move around and sleep normally."

He was a merman and could rest in the water. However, the pond in the courtyard was not deep, and the water quality was not as good as the sea, so it was not suitable to stay in it for a long time. When he rested at night, he would usually choose to go ashore and return to his bed in his room.

However, since you are resting in a room without the buoyancy of water, your body weight will be very noticeable, making it difficult to turn over or get up, so you need to be more careful.

But that's about it; everything else is fine.

Ling Chengen thought for a moment, then touched his forehead and took out a soft cushion from his space, handing it to him: "Put this on the bed. I remember you usually like to sleep on your side, so it will be more comfortable to use it to support your body."

Shi Ruoan took it and touched it curiously. Although she hadn't used it yet, she felt it was quite practical, so she didn't hesitate and accepted it directly.

Shi Ruoan casually placed the cushion behind her waist, leaned back on the sofa, took her hand, and calmly and rationally analyzed with her: "I don't understand what entanglement you have with him, nor do I understand your feelings for him or what thoughts you have. But I know one thing for sure, and that is that you can't get rid of him."

"Your interests are too intertwined with his. He controls the army that underpins the strength of Beast City. Although he hasn't commanded the three armies for many years, it could take more than ten years to smoothly transfer military power if you were to find someone to replace him. That's assuming he's willing to cooperate with you. If he harbors even the slightest resentment or tries to cause you any trouble, it will be enough to keep you busy for a long time..."

"Do you become partners with each of us because of deep affection?"

"Not really."

Shi Ruoan raised her right hand and gently rubbed the top of her head. A faint gentleness appeared on her usually expressionless face, and the corners of her mouth slightly turned up. She coaxed her in a tender and affectionate tone: "Just follow your heart. If you really resist him, then spending more than ten years finding someone who can replace him is not impossible."

"If you're not so resistant to him, just treat him like a normal suitor. If you like him, you can become partners; if you don't..."

Ling Chengen leaned back on the sofa in the same posture as him, sat opposite him, blinked, and said, "I rarely hear you talk to me this much."

I thought he didn't care about anything, but I didn't expect him to have such a sharp perspective.

"I will reconsider his matter."

"But I've had one partner after another, aren't you angry?"

Shi Ruoan suddenly retorted, "Why should I be angry? Shouldn't the first few be the ones who should be angry? If another one comes, someone will help me share the burden."

He was a latecomer.

Moreover, they came from behind and surpassed the leaders, making those ahead of them quite envious.

Ling Chengen instantly understood his meaning, stared at him in surprise, and suddenly smiled: "You're quite cunning too."

Shi Ruoan chuckled, reached out and hugged her, slowly pulling her into her arms, but not daring to pull too hard, only resting her head against hers, and chuckled softly: "I call this having a survival instinct."

I learned this word from the person in front of me.

Shi Ruoan tilted her head and brought her nose close to the side of her neck, taking a deep breath of her unique fragrance. She closed her eyes contentedly, feeling a slight burning sensation in her fingertips and a warmth in her tailbone. The warmth slowly climbed up her spine and reached her head.

The fingers that were supporting her waist gently pinched her a few times. Shi Ruo'an tried to adjust her breathing and calm the sudden surge of heat.

He hadn't been close to her for a long time, so now that they were just a little closer, the atmosphere had become so ambiguous that he couldn't quite control the romantic thoughts in his heart.

He secretly despised himself.

My self-control is getting worse and worse.

But he's a little embarrassed to pester her now, especially since he's not in the same shape as before, and he doesn't have the same confidence to keep her around...

Even though he knew she wouldn't hate or distance herself from him for that reason, he still couldn't help but feel panic and worry.

Shi Ruoan gently pressed her burning face against her ear, breathed softly against her ear, and felt her waist stiffen slightly. She turned her head and whispered, "I lied just now."

His topic was too abrupt. Ling Chengen glanced at his reddened ears with a bit of confusion, then his gaze fell on his slightly rounded jaw. Even though he had gained some weight, the lines of his jawbone were still clear and smooth, and still very sharp.

Ling Chengen was slightly dazed, then asked in confusion, "What lie?"

"You just asked if you've felt unwell during this period."

Shi Ruoan tightened her grip on her waist with her right hand, looked up and stared at her quietly with her deep, dark blue eyes, and said softly, "I still do. During this time... the desire to be with you will be stronger, but since you've gone out, there's nothing I can do."

“We don’t spend enough time together, and you’re too busy. We don’t really have the chance to spend time together like a normal couple.”

"It's rare that several family members have recently gone on long trips, and you've just returned from your trip..."

"So... umm, can you spend more time with me these next few months?"

Seeing the suppressed emotions in his usually calm and clear eyes, Ling Chengen hesitated and said, "I'll try to spend more time with you, but you're not feeling well right now, so it's best to strictly adhere to the rules..."

Sensing that she was about to refuse, Shi Ruoan decisively pinched her chin and sealed her mouth with a kiss.

He admitted that he sometimes resorted to unscrupulous means, even to the point of being despicable.

But he really didn't want to hear her rejection.

Such an opportunity is truly rare.

He wasn't the one she loved most.

Her gaze and attention were always drawn to a few more important people.

He only has a tiny chance when everyone is away.

Therefore, he still wanted to use his advantages to take advantage of her gentleness and kindness.

"Don't worry, it's just about keeping you company."

Shi Ruoan stroked her dry yet slightly frizzy hair. This kind of peaceful and warm time together was becoming somewhat addictive for him.

Having achieved his goal, a hint of relief unconsciously crept into his eyes.