Chapter 32: The River God’s Bride — The Divine Dragon’s Mating Season Part 2

Ao Xue let out a heavy breath and forced herself to stop thinking about the girl in her arms. Her eyes were red from the strain.

She had only meant to use Shi Yu to cool down. She hadn’t expected to trap herself in the process.

Are all humans this soft and sweet? Unconsciously, she rubbed against the girl again.

Shi Yu shrank from the heat of her body, pressing closer still. Her skin was scorched by the blazing scales into mottled red marks, as if she’d been ravaged. The sight was decadent and wanton.

Ao Xue took only a brief glance, then closed her eyes and turned her face away. On the surface she seemed composed, but inside her thoughts were in turmoil. Emotions beyond her control.

When she first left home, the elders of her clan had said mating season was incredibly hard to endure. Back then, having experienced it herself, she thought they were exaggerating. Now she knew they had spoken the truth.

Mating season was indeed agonizing, especially now that there was a soft human by her side. It made everything impossibly harder.

The pearls in the nest dimmed all at once. Darkness and silence swallowed everything. Shi Yu shifted uncomfortably and received a smack on the bottom from the dragon’s tail. She froze, then turned bright red.

Ao Xue spoke in a low rumble. “Behave. Don’t test me.”

Shi Yu didn’t dare talk back. She nestled even more obediently into the crook of her arm, soft as could be.

Ao Xue’s breathing grew heavier still. Her throat rolled. The breath she exhaled turned the cave air humid and hot.

In the steamy, shadowed cavern, human and dragon lay entwined, exchanging warmth and breath.

They fell asleep at some point. Shi Yu kept dreaming of fire. A blazing inferno roared right before her eyes, scorching her relentlessly. She wanted to leave but found she couldn’t move.

“Gah!”

She jolted awake to find the heat came from the dragon she was holding.

The dragon’s body temperature had risen to the point of scalding. The black scales were curling from the heat, exposing the soft pink flesh beneath.

Shi Yu looked at that pink skin and, not knowing what possessed her, reached out and touched it.

“Hiss!”

The dragon drew a sharp breath and seized her wrist.

Her claw was scalding too. And with no control over her strength, she squeezed until Shi Yu’s face twisted in pain, as if the bones of her wrist would shatter.

“Lord River God, please, be rational!”

Shi Yu’s voice was laced with tears and pain. Ao Xue’s reason returned somewhat at the sound. She abruptly released her hand.

“Did I hurt you? I’m sorry.”

Looking at the vivid red marks on Shi Yu’s wrist, Ao Xue felt a pang of heartache. She stuck out her tongue and gently licked the wound.

The rough tongue dragged across the swollen, sore skin, and Shi Yu shuddered involuntarily. She tried to pull her hand back in discomfort, but the grip on her arm wouldn’t budge.

“Don’t move. I’m healing you.”

The dragon licked a few more times, and the marks vanished one by one. Shi Yu stared at her in surprise, dark almond eyes veiled with mist, pure and innocent as a newborn fawn.

Ao Xue truly couldn’t hold on any longer. In one swift motion she pulled away. Her long tail swept, and she flew out of the nest, leaving Shi Yu bewildered in the enormous clam shell.

Shi Yu: “Did I do something wrong?”

Ao Xue charged forward with no destination. Her massive tail churned the river, threatening to form whirlpools. The once-calm surface of the river surged with undercurrents, wave after wave.

The villagers keeping watch near the River God Temple shot to their feet from the stone steps. They stared nervously at the rising water, muttered something, and bolted toward the village.

“That useless girl is good for nothing!”

After they left, the churning water calmed. The dragon at the riverbed stilled as well, coiling herself against a rock. The water around her boiled from her body heat, bubbles rising with a steady glug, glug.

Shi Yu thought about it and decided not to seek her out again. She had a vague feeling that if she appeared before the Lord River God again, something unexpected would happen.

The pearls in the nest didn’t light up again. In the murky darkness, she could hear her own breathing clearly. Shi Yu curled up nervously, her hand touching the mark left by the scales. She could almost hear the dragon’s sigh again.

Please get better soon, Lord River God, she prayed earnestly.

The villagers had abandoned her. Now the only one she could rely on was the river god.

“Little Yu, I will find you…”

That voice again. Those eyes full of sorrow. The face hidden behind mist.

Shi Yu reached out to part the white fog before her eyes. The moment her hand extended, it was caught. The searing heat made her flinch, and she woke from the dream.

The dragon leaned over her, sharp claws gripping her wrist. Her face seemed displeased.

Shi Yu thought it was remarkable that she could read the Lord River God’s emotions now.

But why was she unhappy?

Ao Xue hadn’t clearly seen that person’s face either. But she didn’t want anyone other than herself appearing in Shi Yu’s dreams.

“Lord River God, are you… are you feeling better?”

Ao Xue nodded haughtily and pulled her into her arms, chin against Shi Yu’s forehead, not saying a single word.

She wouldn’t talk to her. Let her know she was angry.

Shi Yu didn’t sense any drop in the dragon’s body temperature. But since she said she felt better, there probably wasn’t anything seriously wrong.

The dragon stayed silent, so she stayed silent too, playing the role of a well-behaved doll.

Ao Xue waited and waited but Shi Yu didn’t ask. She was so angry her heartbeat quickened. “Can’t you tell I’m angry?”

“Huh?” Shi Yu looked up at her, meeting those deep blue eyes, and suddenly felt guilty. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Mm.” Ao Xue’s raspy voice carried its usual pride.

Shi Yu reflected for a moment and asked softly, “Are you angry because I didn’t go out to look for you?”

Ao Xue glanced at her and turned her eyes away. “No. Try again.”

She thought again and decided to just ask the Lord River God directly. With her brain, she’d never figure it out even until the end of time.

“I can’t figure it out. Please tell me.”

How could Ao Xue admit she was angry over someone who didn’t even exist? She was a divine dragon, the noble Princess of the West Sea. She would absolutely never be jealous over a mere mortal.

“Forget it. You don’t care whether I’m angry or not anyway.”

“I do care!”

Shi Yu’s mouth was faster than her brain. She felt it was improper the moment she said it, but the Lord River God’s expression seemed to soften. There might even have been a hint of a smile.

Could she like hearing things like this?

Shi Yu hurriedly added, “I was very worried about you, but I was afraid I couldn’t help at all and would only earn your disgust.”

“I won’t be disgusted,” Ao Xue answered instantly. Fearing she might give too much away, she quickly added, “I mean, since I promised to let you stay, I won’t look down on you.”

Shi Yu’s eyes brightened. She couldn’t help asking what was on her mind: “Then can I seek your protection?”

Ao Xue stared at her and countered, “Have I not been protecting you already?”

Shi Yu caught her meaning. Her round almond eyes grew even brighter, lighting up her whole face.

For a sixteen-year-old girl, she was beautiful no matter what.

Ao Xue was thoroughly satisfied with her response. Her tail coiled and wrapped her completely. As Shi Yu toppled against her, their lips grazed, and Ao Xue stole a kiss.

For three full days, Shi Yu remained in the dragon’s arms. The pearls in the nest lit and dimmed in cycles. Finally, the dragon’s temperature came down.

Shi Yu noticed the change first. She had been so unbearably hot and restless she’d barely closed her eyes. The dragon had been worn out and finally fell asleep.

Shi Yu tilted her head to look at the dragon’s face. The furrowed brow had smoothed out. She must have been feeling better.

She rested her head beneath the dragon’s neck and was drowsy after just a few blinks.

She’d been up so long she was at her absolute limit.

The instant her eyes closed, the sleeping dragon woke. Listening to the girl’s steady, even breathing, a flicker of tenderness passed through her green gaze. Her massive claw wrapped around her entirely.

A bride?

Seemed not so bad after all.

This time Shi Yu dreamt of nothing and slept soundly. But when she woke, darkness greeted her, and she blanked for a moment.

She felt beneath her. Cold clam shell. The dragon wasn’t beside her.

A rustling sound came from somewhere, like someone chewing. Shi Yu’s imagination spiraled out of control. Combined with the darkness, the fear in her heart was amplified.

“Lord River God? Lord River God?!”

No answer came. Only that persistent rustling. The current suddenly grew rapid, as if a massive wave was coming. Shi Yu curled into a ball and squeezed her eyes shut in terror.

Bang! The spray scattered. Shi Yu fell into warm arms.

“So you can’t bear to be apart from me?”

The voice was teasing, but it carried laughter. She sounded like she was in a good mood.

Shi Yu opened her eyes and saw half a face with sharp features and striking looks. She could only see one side clearly, but she was certain it was absolutely gorgeous.

“Lord River God?”

“Mm. It’s me.”

Ao Xue stood against the light, half her face swallowed by darkness, her emotions hidden along with it.

Shi Yu stared, wanting to take in every detail of her appearance, but the figure before her wouldn’t allow it.

Ao Xue shifted back to her true form and scooped Shi Yu up in her claws. She lowered her head and sniffed at her scent, asking softly, “Were you scared?”

“Mm,” Shi Yu answered honestly.

“Such a scaredy cat.” Ao Xue nudged her with her nose and said, “I won’t leave you alone again.”

As the words fell, every pearl around them lit up. The darkness was driven away. Only then did Shi Yu notice what the dragon was holding in her claws.

Ao Xue set down the object. It was a small cloth bundle containing a set of moon-white clothes, made of a fabric Shi Yu had never seen before.

Ao Xue glanced at a certain spot and said casually, “I went to buy you clothes. You can’t go on like this forever, can you?”

Only then did Shi Yu remember she’d been naked this whole time. Her face turned crimson instantly. She was so embarrassed she didn’t know where to put her hands and feet.

Ao Xue turned her back. “Get dressed.”

Shi Yu fumbled into the clothes, twisted her hair up with a coral branch, and let the rest fall over her back, drifting with the current.

“Lord River God, I’m dressed.”

Ao Xue turned around and paused. Then she lowered her gaze to suppress the admiration in her eyes and said haughtily, “I-it’s… acceptable.”

As she spoke, her tail swayed unconsciously and blew out a string of colorful bubbles.