After school, he was then offered himself to a succubus.

"Yinmeng, are we just going to let him go like that? Didn't you say you wanted to go on a date today?"

After Zhang Chen left, Zhao Fangyi went back into the room to tidy up the messy room.

There was no unpleasant smell left in the room after the intimate encounter.

Lin Yinmeng hugged her long legs, curled up in the corner between the bed and the wall, looking small even though she was tall.

The little bird cherished her feathers very much, but she was too lazy to comb her hair, which Zhang Chen had made matted and damp with sweat.

It was very hot, and her body reeked of men's sweat, almost masking her own natural fragrance.

She sighed and then took off the stockings she had just put on.

She only wears it when Zhang Chen is around.

"Maybe next time."

After a long pause, the mature woman finally answered the questions from others, and then idly folded her socks into a neat square.

"Wearing these socks in the summer is so uncomfortable."

"Why don't you just not wear it? Actually, you look good no matter what, right, Yinmeng?"

"He loves watching it."

"I don't think he really likes looking at it... he just likes the way it looks when he touches legs..." Zhao Fangyi said bluntly.

"Haha~" Lin Yinmeng covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes narrowing into crescent moons. "Indeed, he's always been like that."

"How lecherous!"

"Nine, so they weren't hiding in this house just now...?"

"Hmm." Lin Yinmeng's voice sounded slightly forlorn.

"Aren't you angry at all? You've been with him all this time..."

"No." Lin Yinmeng shook her head, her jade-like arms slightly bent as she gently stroked her shoulders. "He never belonged to me."

"He didn't actually wrong me, nor did he wrong anyone else. In the end, it was all our wishful thinking. To him, a monster is just a monster, nothing more."

"You don't think we're mutually in love, do you?" Lin Yinmeng smiled as she looked at the girl.

"Isn't that right?" Zhao Fangyi frowned. "Could he possibly force you..."

"No, that's not it." Lin Yinmeng's tone gradually lowered. "It's just that he has amnesia. He probably thinks he has wronged me or something... that's why he's close to me."

"But in reality, it was just unrequited love on my part, and so was Li Yinuo's. Our waiting was less a thousand years of longing and more a thousand years of unrequited love."

"You know what... I absolutely hate sticky things, I absolutely hate having my body pinched and squeezed, I absolutely hate saying those lewd and flirtatious things, I absolutely hate..."

"I'm a bird, a monster he'll never acknowledge. Even with a human body, I still can't adapt..."

Lin Yinmeng gently rubbed her abdomen, her eyes revealing indescribable bitterness.

"It really hurts... It's something even a monster couldn't bear."

It felt like a red-hot iron was brutally pounding inside the body; even when still, one's consciousness was almost completely lost.

Why did Li Yinuo only dare to grind her teeth? Was it because she was thinking of Zhang Chen?

It's simply that the puppy is too afraid of pain.

"Then why do you still... I remember you used to be very quiet," Zhao Fangyi muttered, glancing at the wet, torn underwear on the ground.

Once upon a time, Lin Yinmeng was a gentle and quiet older sister, and the songs she sang were all tender love songs.

"There's nothing I can do about it."

Lin Yinmeng smiled softly.

"When you truly love someone, truly lose someone, and then finally get them back... you'll understand."

"Even if the price of becoming one with him is death, I will get close to him no matter what."

The mature woman suddenly straightened her back, narrowed her eyes slightly, and cleared her throat:

"...This kind of sex that transcends race and bloodline is an act that cannot be spoken when love reaches its extreme."

"Words and language can never describe how much I love him; I can only express my love through the most primal impulses... Is it familial love? Romantic love? Or obsession? It doesn't matter anymore... I'm not a slave to desire; intimacy with him only brings pain. Sex is an adjunct to love, but when this sex becomes painful, it's also love from the bottom of my heart..."

"I don't want him to know I'm in pain, so I can only pretend to be happy, relying on this despicable desire to attract his meager affection..."

Even if this kind of love is tantamount to playing with fire and getting burned, I'd rather be a moth drawn to the flame...

After hearing this, Zhao Fangyi fell silent.

"Impressive, right? I can't say that myself. It's from Li Yinuo's new book, but I memorized it after reading it once," Lin Yinmeng said cheerfully.

"You're all amazing," Zhao Fangyi said with a sudden realization. "...Does it really hurt that much?"

"Of course not~" Lin Yinmeng revealed a mischievous smile again, "Just kidding, what if you, Xiaoyi, sneak into his bed when I'm not around?"

"Me?! That's impossible..."

"Who can say for sure about these things?" Lin Yinmeng rested her chin on her hand, feigning sadness, and said, "Xiaoyi, if I'm not here anymore someday, you have to take good care of him for me."

"Oh dear! Yinmeng! What discouraging things are you saying now? You know perfectly well that my mother just..."

"Sorry, sorry~ just kidding~" Lin Yinmeng laughed until tears streamed down her face. Just as she was about to rub them, a gust of wind blew through the doors and windows.

It also wiped away her tears.

The little bird paused for a moment, then half-squatted on the bed and looked up at the sky.

Fish-scale-like clouds gradually spread out, blocking the strong summer sun, and continued to intertwine in layers, forming thick, dark clouds.

"You're here too." Lin Yinmeng waved.

"Yinmeng, who are you talking to?"

"An old friend, um... a long time ago, when I flew to Lushan, she treated me to a rain shower, and I treated her to a snow shower."

"Although I've never seen what she looks like, we can barely be considered fellow enthusiasts, right?"

"people of the same taste?"

"Yes, liking the same person at the same time, that's called being in a relationship, right?"

"Isn't that a love rival..." Zhao Fangyi said, shrugging.

"No, since no one can win his love."

Lin Yinmeng eagerly stretched her hand out the window, feeling the familiar breeze of the past, which seemed to carry a voice of doubt:

"You said 'see you another day,' but when is 'another day'?"

The sound of rain also began.

...

The weather suddenly changed, and a torrential downpour began.

"Squeak! Arrogant humans! Only when they walk through the alleys of the past and think of the people of yesteryear will they understand the weight and belated nature of regret!"

As Rat Boss followed Zhang Chen through the alley to the street, he couldn't help but sigh.

Zhang Chen wiped the rain off his face and kicked it, causing the fat rat to writhe on the ground in pain.

"Why do you keep going to the school all the time?"

"Squeak! There's no end to learning! This mouse is here to learn!" the leader of the mice said, rubbing his butt.

"You think I don't know you're bringing home so many goods every few days? Tell me, and I'll be lenient with you if you confess."

"Squeak squeak..." The fat rat slumped down. "It's a kind human, squeak, willing to offer me tribute, squeak. I refuse, but the human is offering just too much..."

Zhang Chen laughed in exasperation; this fat rat was trying to get iced tea from Jiang Rou again.

"Alright, I told you to find Shen Nianxi, and you're leading me to beg for food, aren't you?"

"Squeak! You're making things difficult for me! My special ability to find food isn't for finding people! You should ask Sister Mianmian for help!"

"Sigh, what a waste of space." Zhang Chen sighed.

"Squeak! You only care about yourself! Look how miserable the people on the street are, getting soaked in the rain! Why don't you help them?" the fat rat retorted.

The rain was indeed heavy and sudden, and Zhang Chen was soaked to the bone.

Looking around, the torrential rain coincided with the evening rush hour, and the crowds on the street immediately scattered, complaining and their faces were darker than the clouds in the sky.

Amidst the sound of rain, car horns mingled with human voices, creating an extremely chaotic scene.

"I'm speechless. I just rented this suit... and I haven't even met the client yet..."

"Oh no, the takeout is all soaked, I'll have to pay compensation again... Ugh."

"Can't you drive?! Didn't you see how deep the puddle was? It splashed all over me!"

"This damn weather is so hot and humid! Damn, I woke up this afternoon drenched in sweat, the sheets were all limp, and my phone was burning hot and out of battery. I took a sip of room-temperature iced tea, and now I'm getting soaked in the rain!"

"Not bad, bro. I put iced tea next to my pillow, and when I woke up it was still hot. After taking a sip, I realized I had peed in it while sleepwalking."

"..."

Amidst the myriad aspects of life, Zhang Chen also spotted a familiar figure—Jiang Rou, with whom he had had a rather unpleasant encounter that morning.

"Ah, my book!"

The girl was soaked to the bone, and the book she had been holding was constantly getting wet. In a panic, she stuffed the book into her arms and tried to run across the road to get back to school.

But by this time, the streets were already in complete chaos. The streets near the university entrance, usually teeming with street vendors, were also bustling with elementary school students going to and from school during the evening rush hour, parents arriving before dawn to pick up their children, and office workers from all walks of life...

The intersection was completely blocked.

Just as Jiang Rou was about to jog out, she was nearly hit by a reckless electric scooter. Her fair arm was instantly scratched and stained red, with blood mixing with the rainwater.

The book she was holding so dearly fell to the ground and got completely soaked.

No one knows what grievances the girl suffered today, but tears started flowing as soon as she picked up the book.

"Squeak!"

The eldest rat was very loyal; upon seeing the benefactor he had finally found, he cried and immediately grabbed Zhang Chen's trouser leg, pleading:

"Boss! Help her out! Aren't you always obsessed with having mistresses? If you win her over, I'll never have to worry about iced tea again!"

Zhang Chen kicked the rat away. He genuinely intended to help, but he was the first to hear the monster's voice...

Suddenly, two stray dogs, one white and one black, darted out of the bushes and ran to the middle of the road, frolicking around.

The middle of the road was a heavily flooded area, and no one was venturing there.

The two stray dogs, covered in mud, were playing around in the puddles in a comical and carefree manner, creating a stark contrast with the resentful crowd around them.

The intersection had been blocked for a while, and everyone seemed to realize that there was nothing they could do about complaining. Their attention was drawn to the two dogs playing.

"Woof! Woof woof..."

First, one person laughed out loud, then a second, then a third...

Some people laughed at them, calling them silly dogs; some thought they were cute; and some, both amused and exasperated, simply filmed them with their phones.

"Woof woof! Big brother! Every time it rains heavily, we run out and dress up as clowns to scare them. Does that really make them cry their eyes out?!" the white stray dog ​​barked in the rain.

"Woof! Of course, these humans are the most vulnerable; they cry as soon as it rains! If we scare them any more, they'll burst into tears!"

The black stray dog ​​sniffed and said, "I can already smell the pain on them!"

"Woof woof! Big brother! Do you think that an animal that receives human tears in this life can really be reborn as a human in the next life?!" the white dog asked again.

"Woof! Of course, once we've scared enough people to tears, it'll be our turn to be human in our next life!"

"Woof woof! Big brother, when I'm reborn as a human, I'm going to raise lots of dogs! I don't want other dogs to be homeless like us!"

"Woof! That's ambitious!"

"Woof...Big brother, but why are they all laughing?"

"This is called turning tears into joy! I can already smell the bitterness on these humans fading! They're about to hit rock bottom and bounce back!"

"Woof, big brother, but they've stopped crying."

Suddenly, the two dogs stopped fighting and stood in the middle of the road, looking around at the people with confusion.

Zhang Chen listened to all of this, and then looked around and saw that the traffic police and urban management officers had arrived, driving away the vendors who were blocking the road and directing the congested vehicles.

The bustling traffic returned to normal quickly.

People who were feeling very bitter finally caught a breath during the puppy's performance, which prevented their mood from becoming too heavy throughout the day.

Even Jiang Rou, who was holding a book, couldn't help but laugh out loud.

These two puppies had no idea that their antics would prevent a husband from coming home to complain about his negative and tired feelings, prevent his wife from taking out her bad mood on the children, and prevent the children from hiding in their rooms, sobbing while listening to the adults arguing in the living room...

Instead, they would take out their phones and share videos of their dog tumbling and rolling around in the rain with their family.

Zhang Chen keenly observed that both dogs were actually suffering from a plague and were nearing the end of their lives, their bodies covered in a thick black aura.

Moreover, they were all old dogs on the verge of death, and their bodies were shrouded in a thick black aura.

The two dogs, bewildered and dejected, slunk back into the alley, just as they passed by Zhang Chen.

"Woof...Big brother, it seems we've failed again?"

"Woof, it seems like you should remove that."

"Woof woof, big brother, I think I've grown a brain. Am I about to be reincarnated?"

"Woof, me too! Calculus is as easy as breathing!"

"Woof! Second brother, now's the time for us to find a large truck and have it run us over. Maybe then we'll have a chance to be reincarnated as humans!"

"Woof woof! But big brother, I just heard a girl say that some tree has withered, and animals can no longer be reincarnated as humans!"

"Woof, I know, you're talking about that girl who smells of blood! She was obviously tricked by a scumbag! She lost her virginity and isn't even resting properly!"

"Woof woof, big brother, what should we do?"

Upon hearing this, the black dog was speechless in the rain and sat down by the alley.

"Woof, second brother, actually I lied to you. I only take you dancing on rainy days because my owner abandoned me here on rainy days."

"I want to dance here for him, maybe he'll see me and take me home."

"Woof woof, big brother, I know, but we're both sick, no one will want us." The white dog lay down next to the black dog.

The two dogs' breathing became weak and they were about to close their eyes.

Seeing this, Zhang Chen gave the eldest rat a pinch of yang energy to hold in its mouth. The fat rat went to repay the favor first, while he walked alone to the two dogs.

"Woof?"

The black dog looked up at him suspiciously, sniffing the air. "Woof! You, you're that scumbag! Why does your crotch smell like that girl's blood, woof!"

"You scumbag! You disgusting dog!"

"..." Zhang Chen ignored this problem.

"You've done a good deed," he said. "I promised Li Yinuo I would help some good dogs. Do you want to live?"

"Woof! Of course I want to live! I haven't met my master yet, woof!"

"Who is your master?"

"All I remember is his smell, woof!"

"Your master doesn't want you anymore."

"Really?" the black dog asked incredulously. "Why is that?"

"Because treating you was too expensive," Zhang Chen said. "He couldn't afford it, so he just left you here."

"Woof..." The black dog seemed to understand, but not quite. "That scumbag immortal, does that mean I'll never see him again in this lifetime?"

"Um."

"Then don't save me." The black dog patted the unconscious white dog beside him with a憨厚 (honest and simple) tone. "Save my little brother. He's sick too, but he's never had an owner and hasn't experienced the kindness of humans. It would be such a pity for him to die like this."

"Fine, you're not going to live anymore?" Zhang Chen asked.

"A dog without an owner has no reason to live."

"You can find another one." Zhang Chen glanced at Jiang Rou, who was interacting with Boss Rat across the street. "That girl is pretty good."

"No." The black dog shook its head, looking dejected. "A dog only recognizes one master in its lifetime."

"You scumbag immortal, please stop being a scumbag! That virgin girl smells strongly of dogs. I thought she was one of them. She must have already decided you're her master!"

"Dog smell?" Zhang Chen was taken aback. "But she's human."

"I don't understand." The black dog shook its head again. "This smell, I guess, is called the smell of loyalty."

Where did she go?

"They said they were going to see the peach blossoms, oh... I've seen peach blossoms with my owner too..."

Upon hearing these words, the black dog was completely unable to lift its head and fainted.

Zhang Chen closed its eyes and at the same time sent a wisp of yang energy to the white dog next to it.

Just right, not enough to turn the dog into a monster, but enough to get rid of the disease.

He was drawn to the two dogs not only because of Li Yinuo's request, but also because of something about them...

[List of Yokai Included]

[Already included: The dog demon carrying the pollen of the Bitter Love Flower]

[Reward: Bitter Love Tree Pollen]

[Note: After the Bitter Love Tree withers, its pollen scatters and falls on people or demons who are going through suffering. Collecting it may have unexpected effects.]

Zhang Chen got up and took one last look at the black dog before leaving.

The black mist dissipated.

Dogs without owners can actually take death in stride.

What about Li Yinuo?

As he thought this, the rain lessened a bit.

The rain was still falling, but it had become much gentler; the fine drizzle was like a layer of transparent soil burying the puppy's body.

Above the dark clouds, a faint murmur, unlike thunder, could be heard.