Chapter 32: The River God’s Bride — The Divine Dragon’s Mating Season Part 1

Shi Yu felt the giant dragon’s body shrink, and her face shift into a human form. But she had her back to the dragon and couldn’t see what she looked like now.

An arm-thick black dragon tail coiled around her leg. The rough scales kept rubbing against her skin, turning it impossibly sensitive and scalding hot.

Scorching breath poured over the back of her neck. Her entire spine tingled, a sensation she couldn’t begin to describe.

“Lord River God, what exactly… is wrong with you?”

The girl’s thin, fragile voice reached her. The dragon’s thoughts cleared a little. The tail slowly loosened, and she turned her back and swam deeper into the nest.

“Lord River God…”

“Shut up! Make another sound and I’ll throw you out!”

Shi Yu immediately went quiet. She watched the shrunken dragon struggle to crawl forward and found it a little cute.

Cute? Shi Yu hastily reined in her blasphemous thoughts and sat obediently in the clam shell.

It should be fine, right? She’s the Lord River God after all.

In Shi Yu’s mind, gods were mysterious beings that lived as long as the heavens. They could do anything.

But was it really okay? She reached up and touched the back of her neck. The dragon’s lingering warmth was still there, ticklish under her fingers.

Shi Yu boredly counted the little fish swimming past. Suddenly a tremendous crash came from deep within the nest, startling her bolt upright.

From within came faint groans, sounding as if in extreme agony. Shi Yu hesitated about whether to go look, when a swarm of seven-colored bubbles erupted from the nest and quickly engulfed her.

Before she could make sense of what was happening, the bubbles swept her up and flew into the nest.

She’d heard before that dragons liked shiny things but hadn’t believed it. Now, looking at the pearls inlaid all around and the dazzling gold, silver, and jewels covering the floor, she felt the rumors weren’t entirely unfounded.

The nest looked dark and somber from the outside, but inside it was bright as day. Shi Yu was set down on the cold-gleaming azure jade steps. The bubbles around her dissolved into nothing.

The azure jade steps looked cold, but were warm to the touch. A current of heat shot up from the soles of her feet and spread to her limbs. Shi Yu felt thoroughly comfortable, almost floating.

A low, resonant roar. A multicolored tail reached out from within and coiled around her waist, pulling her to the dragon’s side. She came face to face with those deep blue eyes.

Shi Yu stared, dazed, and asked softly, “A-are you alright?”

The dragon lowered her head. Her voice was hoarse. “What if I said I’m not?”

“If there’s anything I can do, I’ll do it.”

Shi Yu’s eyes were sincere. Her small face looked pale and translucent in the luminous glow, even more striking than the pearls beside her.

Ao Xue stared at her for a long time. Then, suddenly, she leaned weakly against Shi Yu’s shoulder. Her breathing was rapid, scorching, and utterly irregular.

“You’ll do anything? I don’t believe you.”

She had said this more than once. The pathetic thing was, upon hearing it, she still wanted to believe.

Ao Xue, you’ve lived this long. How can you be so simple-minded?

The dragon mocked herself inwardly. She turned her head and sank her teeth into the girl’s neck, grinding her sharp fangs against the thin skin.

“Aah, hiss…”

Shi Yu sucked in a breath. It wasn’t so much the pain as the fright. Having a massive, volatile creature open its jaws and bite her made her feel her life was over in an instant.

Sensing her stiffness, Ao Xue let out a scornful laugh. “Didn’t you say you’d do anything for me? Scared already?”

I can do things for you, but I can’t hand you my life.

Shi Yu’s voice trembled. “N-no. I’m not.”

Ao Xue’s gaze shifted. The pressure of her teeth increased. Fangs sank into tender flesh, and a faint taste of blood bloomed.

Shi Yu shook like a leaf and closed her eyes in resignation. Against absolute power, anything she did was futile. She might as well accept death quietly. Maybe she’d even meet Auntie He on the bridge of the underworld.

Ao Xue pulled away and licked the beading blood from her neck. Something seemed to ignite in those deep blue eyes.

“Why didn’t you struggle?”

Shi Yu’s lashes trembled as she slowly opened her eyes. “I wouldn’t dare. My life belongs to you anyway. You can take it whenever you want.”

Ao Xue’s words stung with anger. The tail around her waist constricted. Watching Shi Yu’s small face slowly flush red and tears pool in her eyes, Ao Xue felt her heart clench, aching and stifled at once.

She released her dragon tail and gripped Shi Yu’s chin. “How does that feel? Do you like it?”

Through a blur of tears, Shi Yu shook her head and whispered, “I don’t.”

“Then why don’t you resist? Who gave you permission to seek death?”

Weren’t you the one who wanted to eat me? Shi Yu thought this but didn’t dare say it. She cried pitifully. Ao Xue’s heart twisted at the sight. She pulled her into her arms.

“Your life belongs to you alone. Even I have no right to take it.”

Shi Yu didn’t understand why she’d suddenly turned gentle, but she obediently nodded. The tears perched on her lashes fell. The dragon wiped them away with a rough claw, the motion careful and tender, as if handling fragile porcelain.

Shi Yu lay against her and heard the dragon’s pounding, chaotic heartbeat. The moment she noticed, that dragon tail coiled around her again, tighter and tighter.

“Lord River God, you…”

The dragon clamped a claw over her mouth and stuffed her against her chest, pressing her head on top of hers. Her deep blue eyes burned dark, the corners flushed crimson.

Shi Yu’s entire body was wrapped in the dragon’s coils. Everything before her was pitch black. She could only feel the soaring body temperature and the scales that seemed on the verge of burning her.

What illness does the Lord River God have? Why is she so hot? At this rate, I’ll be barbecued.

The dragon rubbed against the girl in her arms without thinking, easing the thirst clawing at her heart and the emptiness rising from deep within her body.

Every year at this time, she got through by sleeping. But this year Shi Yu had disturbed her, and she hadn’t gone dormant in time. The situation had grown complicated.

She had been an adult for several years now. This was her body sending her a message, telling her to sow seeds and bear offspring.

But she’s still so small. How could she bear such a weight?

Shi Yu was unbearably hot and restless. She couldn’t find a comfortable position no matter what. She tried to adjust, but the slightest movement made the dragon grunt in dissatisfaction, her arms tightening even more.

She didn’t dare say anything and stayed huddled in the dragon’s embrace, simmering in the heat.

A soft moan drifted down from above. Shi Yu’s fever-muddled brain jolted alert. She wanted to ask what was wrong but feared being rebuffed like before. In the end, she decided to play the mute.

“You came at a bad time.”

Rrrrip. The sound of tearing fabric accompanied the dragon’s raspy voice. Shi Yu’s mind reeled, unable to make sense of what was happening.

The dragon’s claws were razor sharp. The vivid red wedding dress was shredded to ribbons in her grasp, falling to the azure jade floor where the color burned even brighter.

“A wedding dress? A bride?” The voice was languid, dripping with haughty pride.

Cool, fresh water enveloped her bare form. Her luminous white skin reflected the light. The girl was like a budding flower, so tender she could be pinched for dew.

Ao Xue’s throat was parched. Her vision blurred. Her mind was hazy with the fever of heat. She gathered the girl with her foreclaws and buried her face in her neck, lips brushing against her chest.

“Lord River God, Lord River God…”

Just the warmth of her breath was more than Shi Yu could bear. Combined with the rough friction against her skin, her body developed a strange sensation, as if craving something.

“Mm. I’m here.”

Ao Xue held her and wouldn’t let go. Her mouth answered, but all her attention was elsewhere.

In bud. Even here is like a little flower bud. Will it bloom if I touch it?

She lowered her head and kissed it. Shi Yu’s entire body trembled. A soft, broken whimper escaped her lips. Her hands pressed against her chest, refusing the advance.

“Do you not want this?”

Shi Yu shook her head, tears brimming. “N-no, I’m scared.”

Ao Xue stared at the human before her and let out a sigh. “Fine. I won’t touch you. Don’t be afraid.”

She reached out a claw and pressed Shi Yu into her arms, chin resting against her forehead. The temperature was still searing.

Shi Yu could feel the suffering in her breath. She asked quietly, “Can you tell me what’s actually wrong with you?”

Ao Xue lowered her gaze. The deep blue in her eyes grew darker. “You really want to know?”

“Mm.” Shi Yu answered with all the boldness she could muster.

Ao Xue stroked her head with a claw, her voice carrying a note of self-mockery. “Mating season. Even though I’ve cultivated a human body, I still carry the instincts of a beast.”

Mating season? So right now she’s… Shi Yu’s face flushed. She lowered her head even further.

Ao Xue saw the crimson tips of her ears and the corner of her mouth curved upward. The tip of her tail twitched, brushing the skin of Shi Yu’s inner thigh to ease the scorching heat within.

Shi Yu’s heart leaped. Her skin prickled with sensitivity, an itch burrowing deep inside. She held her breath and let the dragon rub against her, her small body sinking into that embrace like a pearl made of candy.

Ao Xue sank her teeth into the soft flesh above her heart and pulled away just in time before Shi Yu could react. When Shi Yu looked up, Ao Xue averted her gaze, pointedly ignoring the confusion in those eyes.

Shi Yu blinked and looked down at the tooth marks on her chest, falling into thought.

Does the Lord River God think I’m stupid?

Ao Xue watched her dazed expression. Her smile widened. She rubbed her head and leaned closer, her lips landing exactly on Shi Yu’s shoulder.

Shi Yu didn’t dare move. She was stiff as a lifeless puppet.

“Relax. I won’t eat you.”

Really? I don’t believe you. Shi Yu secretly exhaled and let her stiffened neck relax. She slowly leaned against the dragon’s enormous body, sharing her warmth.

Ao Xue was restless. She rubbed against nearly every part of Shi Yu, thinking the desire would ease. But the more they touched, the more she craved, reaching a point where control was impossible.

When her most vulnerable spot was touched, Shi Yu couldn’t help but let out a soft moan. Her legs curled. She looked up at the dragon and was frightened by the desire blazing in those blue eyes. Her mind went blank.

“Lord River God…”

Ao Xue stroked her back gently and said hoarsely, “Don’t be afraid. I won’t do anything.”

The voice was thick with desire, unmistakable even to someone as slow as Shi Yu. And because she recognized it, she grew even more tense, lying motionless in the dragon’s arms.