Chapter 39: Love and Desire: This Is a Laboratory, Not a Bedroom

“Sister…”

Ye Xi only had the habit of pretending to be weak; she had no love for actually showing weakness.

She had not originally wanted to cry, but upon hearing Shen Mingjin’s worried voice, a sourness still uncontrollably welled up in her eyes.

Her reddening eye corners looked fragile and pitiable. Thin teardrops gathered at the bottom of her eyes, falling one by one, mingling with the blood beads that had just stained her lashes. The scent carried a faint trace of blood.

That bloody smell made her stomach churn, the urge to vomit growing stronger.

Ye Xi dragged her pain-wracked legs forward and threw herself into Shen Mingjin’s embrace. “Sister, I’m scared.”

Shen Mingjin smelled wonderful. Ever since the heat had gripped her body, her skin and flesh had exuded a seductive fragrance.

The rich aroma could easily captivate the mind, but at that moment, Ye Xi felt more of the warmth radiating from Shen Mingjin than desire.

She appeared highly dependent, constantly mentioning her grandmother, but Ye Xi had always worn a fake skin. She rarely revealed her true emotions, forever independently processing all her troubles. This was the first time Ye Xi had shared her negative feelings.

Such sharing had never occurred again after she decided to don that mask.

Even with Ye Tan, she would still play the role of the enthusiastic and lively one.

Shen Mingjin was the first to see through her fake sunniness early on, the first to tear off her mask, see her sadness, and comfort her. She was also the one Ye Xi trusted not to be hurt by her emotions or to use her facade against her. So, Ye Xi followed her heart and spoke the truth.

This unabashed dependence appeared as a disgusting lie in the eyes of Bian Rong, who had just been ambushed by Ye Xi.

Bian Rong’s pain-twisted face grew even more ferocious. “Ye Xi, you’ve reached the peak of shamelessness! You’re scared? Who would believe that!”

“I believe her.”

Shen Mingjin answered without hesitation, refuting Bian Rong and touching Ye Xi deeply.

Ye Xi hugged Shen Mingjin even tighter, her arms wrapping around her slender, soft waist. The dependence and longing were intense, but this was an embrace unrelated to love or desire.

She liked how Shen Mingjin defended her.

She was willing to get lost in it and equally willing to offer the same protection.

“Snake Sister, you don’t look right. Are you entering your Heat Period?” You Nian had not planned to speak up, but seeing Shen Mingjin’s breathing grow heavier from the hug, she frowned in distress. “Physician Ye, they’ve all lost. You don’t need to keep acting, right?”

You Nian also thought Ye Xi was lying, but Shen Mingjin endured her scorching breath and gently patted Ye Xi’s back. “Ye Xi, it’s my fault for not protecting you well. Next time… next time if you’re too scared, you don’t have to fight. I can… I can protect you.”

Shen Mingjin shouldered all the blame for not being strong enough. She paused resealing her power to comfort Ye Xi first.

You Nian was definitely on Ye Xi’s side, but Shen Mingjin truly seemed off. “Snake Sister, don’t believe Physician Ye. Physician Ye is really strong; her strength is huge. She…”

You Nian’s words cut off as Shen Mingjin, panting, softly interrupted her. “You Nian, Ye Xi isn’t lying to me.”

Ye Xi was truly afraid.

In truth, without knowing Bian Rong’s methods, the safest move would have been to seize the chance and kill her outright.

When her legs were inconvenient to move, Ye Xi had chosen to spend more time methodically crippling Bian Rong’s four limbs precisely because of that fear.

She had hunted wild beasts in the mountains, but she had never fought a living person.

Ye Xi possessed brute strength, but because her power was so great, she could easily hurt people. Having always lived in the human world, she had never even gotten into a verbal spat.

Her ruthless strikes were driven by reason, telling her not to give Bian Rong a chance to counterattack.

But reason allowed her to make the best judgments; it could not suppress the fear in her heart.

The source of that fear was not the enemy’s strength but the education Ye Xi had received, which made her want to flee from blood. The sight of mangled flesh triggered a vomiting impulse—a physiological reaction akin to the rising desire from Shen Mingjin’s body.

Fear chilled both heart and body, urging Ye Xi, upon finding someone willing to accept it, to plunge unhesitatingly into the warm harbor.

In that instant, Ye Xi’s mind was even more chaotic than Shen Mingjin’s.

Ye Xi sought the harbor following her heart, but the close contact accelerated Shen Mingjin’s loss of control.

“Ye… Ye Xi.” Shen Mingjin’s breaths grew hotter, the air she exhaled like flames wrapped in scorching heat. Her speech faltered. “Ye Xi, I’ll stay with you.”

Shen Mingjin was a kind-hearted snake.

Facing Ye Xi, that kindness amplified endlessly.

Ye Xi found it hard to stay clear-headed and keep distance from her; she only sank deeper into the warm harbor.

She had not yet escaped the restlessness, and now Shen Mingjin’s body temperature exceeded normal levels. Their closely embraced bodies were like two fireballs gradually merging.

The flames burned brighter, the breaths hotter.

Ye Xi was forcibly pulled from her anxious emotions; her attention gradually drew to the fragrance.

Her trembling nose tip sought the scent, brushing against the most vulnerable spot near the heat source. “Sister.”

Her nose tip lightly rubbed the softest skin on Shen Mingjin’s neck. Her parted lips followed her nostrils closer to the slender neck, her hot breath causing the hypersensitive snake to shiver faintly.

Shen Mingjin panicked and lifted Ye Xi’s head, shaking her own in disapproval. “Ye Xi, no.”

“Sister, I know.”

Ye Xi shook her head, wanting to tell Shen Mingjin she was clear-headed.

She released Shen Mingjin and pulled back a little distance.

Shen Mingjin’s gaze followed Ye Xi; the blood beads made her look even more fragile than usual.

At that moment, Ye Xi resembled a broken and reassembled doll. The fine cracks, treated with special methods, appeared shallow but existed truly. Up close, one could see all the scars, feel her past pain, and recognize her delicate fragility.

Beautiful, vulnerable.

The bright red mole on her neck was stained with blood, exuding an ultimate shattered beauty.

A beauty that needed protection.

Shen Mingjin’s desire had burned her mind a bit foggy. Her blood-red vertical pupils were drawn to that red mole, tasting a faint seduction.

Her tongue tip lightly probed from her mouth, sensing the stifling heat in the air.

Suddenly, she felt that red mole could quench her thirst, free her from the heat.

“Mmm…”

Shen Mingjin had refused the approach, but she was also the first to kiss.

Ye Xi was yanked back by Shen Mingjin grabbing her wrist. She had enough strength to break free, but she did not want to.

She craved immensely to freely savor the jade plate brimming with rich fragrance.

She longed desperately for Shen Mingjin to truly be with her.

Even if Shen Mingjin repeated a thousand times that the Spirit-Devouring Snake Clan’s bloodline was problematic, Ye Xi still believed being loved by her would be utter happiness.

Love intertwined with desire, endlessly magnifying the already alluring traits.

Shen Mingjin’s lips were scorching hot at first kiss, gradually revealing a unique coolness as it deepened. It was like tasting fresh petals covered in morning dew—fragrant to smell, sweet and fragrant to taste, a flavor both breath and tongue would greedily linger on.

The only flaw was that she was stained with too much of Bian Rong’s blood; the rich fragrance mixed with a faint bloody tang.

That blood scent allowed Shen Mingjin to regain her reason once more.

Shen Mingjin released Ye Xi, her right palm pressing on Ye Xi’s shoulder to push her away. “No, we can’t.”

Her voice trembled as she spoke of distance, yet her fingertips lightly hooked Ye Xi’s shoulder.

She pushed Ye Xi away while controlling the maximum distance between them.

That “no” sounded more like flirtation.

But Ye Xi obeyed.

She had no name or status; she could not take advantage of the snake’s vulnerability, nor was this a good time.

Ye Xi pulled Shen Mingjin’s hand from her shoulder, gripped her wrist, and kneaded her bones as described in the Medical Book, stabilizing the Demon Power flow within Shen Mingjin’s body.

Shen Mingjin had not expected Ye Xi to do this. “Thank you.”

She seized the moment to resume forming the seal, but Ye Xi’s body could only gather so little Demon Power. It quickly proved insufficient to maintain balance for Shen Mingjin.

The Demon Power fell out of balance again. Shen Mingjin’s skin flushed with large patches of red, each like the slanting sun on the horizon.

Fierce and scorching.

The illuminated areas grew hotter too.

“Ye Xi…” A blazing kiss covered her once more.

The desire-soaked voice brimmed with temptation; the usual address made Ye Xi’s heart heat up.

Ye Xi’s throat bobbed; she ached to swallow the source of that thick nectar.

Shen Mingjin’s lips glistened faintly from the hot kiss, traces of moisture from her lips and tongue that bewitched her.

Her unconsciously flicking tongue tip tasted the soft fragrance—that was Shen Mingjin’s flavor.

If she wanted, she could deepen the marks anytime.

Kissing her warred with respecting her will. Ye Xi bit her lip hard; the pain jolted her a bit awake.

Her palm tightly clasped Shen Mingjin’s waist, pulling her out of the embrace.

She actively created distance, breaking free from the drowning impulse.

“Sister.”

Ye Xi wanted to awaken Shen Mingjin, but hearing her call “sister” only made Shen Mingjin lose herself further.

Shen Mingjin suddenly grabbed Ye Xi’s collar, yanking her close.

She cupped Ye Xi’s face, wiping away the now-faded bloodstains. “Ye Xi, call me a few more times, okay?”

“Sister.”

Ye Xi complied with Shen Mingjin’s wish. Only after did she realize Shen Mingjin was not clear-headed.

She had just meant to pull away when her collar was tugged again.

Her lips bumped into Shen Mingjin’s feverish cheek, and she heard her whisper, “I like hearing you call me sister. I’ve always been the little sister to others; this is my first time being the big sister.”

“Ye Xi, I want to protect you well, but I don’t seem to be doing a good job.”

Crystalline teardrops fell from her eyes, scalding Ye Xi’s skin where they splashed.

Ye Xi reached out involuntarily, touching the spot where the tear had burst, touching that tear shed for her.

It felt like true words seizing the moment.

The Heat Period only heightened desire; it did not fully strip away consciousness.

Shen Mingjin’s protectiveness toward her ran deeper than she had thought.

Ye Xi froze.

She did not even react as their lips met again.

Shen Mingjin’s scorching lips pressed to her neck, her tongue wrapping the red mole and stirring a heatwave. Only then did Ye Xi realize how awkward their situation was.

She gripped Shen Mingjin’s waist, holding her in place while continuing to knead her bones.

Ye Xi dared not look at You Nian, staring straight ahead as she reached out sideways. “You Nian, lend me some Demon Power.”

According to the Medical Book, a skilled Demon Bone Physician served as the best medium themselves.

Ye Xi knew she was not yet skilled, but she had no other options.

She wanted to quickly convert some Demon Power for Shen Mingjin.

You Nian had closed her eyes since Shen Mingjin kissed Ye Xi. She stood on one foot on Bian Rong’s chest, ensuring she could not escape. Only when Ye Xi asked for Demon Power did she hurriedly open her eyes.

The little rabbit blinked her round eyes, glancing at the two several times to confirm there was nothing a little rabbit shouldn’t see before speaking. “Physician Ye, I’m a rabbit. My Demon Power clashes with Snake Sister’s.”

You Nian had pressed too hard on Bian Rong with her eyes closed; the little rabbit foot made it hard for Bian Rong to even breathe, let alone speak.

The rabbit eased off her foot upon opening her eyes, giving Bian Rong her chance.

She cursed at Ye Xi and Shen Mingjin. “Shameless hussies!”

“You’re so noisy.” You Nian placed her foot back and stomped harder. “Just wait for your judgment.”

Feng Xian had long been tormenting Qiao Yan from a distance. The Qiao Yan who had not taken them seriously was now utterly wretched. All her wolf fur had been yanked off by Feng Xian along with chunks of flesh. The Verdant Wolf Clan mark that penetrated skin to imprint on meat was now a blurred mess.

Qiao Yan’s teeth had been knocked out one by one; her massive wolf demon body could no longer transform into human form.

All four claws had been snapped off, covered in sharp scratches.

Strips of flesh from her back and belly had been torn away, exposing bone and organs. She still breathed only because she was a Great Demon with Demon Power sustaining her vital signs.

Feng Xian kicked Qiao Yan over. Seeing the equally miserable Bian Rong, she could not help shouting, “Ye Xi, you’re despicable.”

Ye Xi had not wanted to bother with Qiao Yan, but since she insisted on invoking her name, Ye Xi retorted, “We’re despicable? When you devoured my family’s ancestors’ flesh and blood, didn’t you use even more despicable methods?”

“Stop spouting nonsense. I didn’t eat Ye Lan.”

“It wasn’t Ye Lan.” Ye Xi recalled the several shadowy figures she had seen in Qiao Yan’s abdomen. “You must have eaten four physicians with Ye Clan bloodline.”

She spoke with such certainty that Qiao Yan’s resolute voice turned hesitant and terrified. “You! How did you know!”

Bian Rong nervously blocked Qiao Yan. “Qiao Yan, shut up!”

Bian Rong was smarter than Qiao Yan, but she was struggling just to breathe now, and her block came too late.

Ye Xi had already gotten the answer she wanted.

The shadowy figure of a woman’s head that had appeared from Feng Xian’s abdomen belonged to Ye Lan. Qiao Yan’s abdomen also had shadows, proving she had eaten Ye clansmen too. If one shadow equaled one Ye clansman, then the four shadows in Qiao Yan’s abdomen meant the flesh and blood of four Ye clansmen. However, Feng Xian’s shadow had been very clear, almost showing Ye Lan’s appearance from life.

The shadows in Qiao Yan’s abdomen, on the other hand, were faint and dissipated before fully emerging. It was very likely because Qiao Yan had shared the feast with other demons.

And Qiao Yan had only gotten a tiny portion of the meat each time.

Ye Xi felt her guess was correct, but she couldn’t figure out why she could see these things.

If all Ye clansmen could see them, then the eyes of the Ye Clan would be the best evidence, and Qiao Yan and the others could never have survived until now.

Qiao Yan knew she had said the wrong thing. She looked at Bian Rong guiltily. “Master.”

Bian Rong coldly ordered Qiao Yan, “Commit suicide.”

Ye Xi thought Qiao Yan would curse Bian Rong for being heartless, but instead, Qiao Yan unhesitatingly circulated her last bit of Demon Power to sever her vital signs. She seemed loyal enough to Bian Rong.

Feng Xian didn’t stop Qiao Yan. Instead, she simply crushed Qiao Yan’s heart first.

With Qiao Yan dead by her hand, Feng Xian’s sinister gaze swept over the limbless Bian Rong. “You’re truly ruthless.”

“Am I supposed to let her live and be tortured by you instead?”

“Tortured?” Feng Xian half-knelt on the ground and lifted the struggling Bian Rong. “You were harsher to Ye Lan, weren’t you?”

All of Bian Rong’s earlier fury dissipated. She curled her lips in a malicious chuckle. “Feng Xian, the one who tortured Ye Lan wasn’t us. It was you. You killed her with your own hands, and you made sure no trace of her body remained.”

Feng Xian: “You deserve to die! You deserve to die!”

She was doing it on purpose, deliberately goading Feng Xian into killing her.

Ye Xi wanted to intervene, but she still had to stabilize the out-of-control Shen Mingjin and couldn’t free her hands.

Feng Xian’s mental state was terrible. Bian Rong’s words were like a rain of swords piercing her heart, each one the sharpest blade gouging her shattered organ.

Feng Xian tore Bian Rong’s body in half. In the instant that her entrails and blood splattered, You Nian pushed Ye Xi and Shen Mingjin back to avoid it.

The little rabbit patted her chest in lingering shock. Eager to distract herself, You Nian turned her gaze to Shen Mingjin. “Physician Ye, why haven’t you saved Snake Sister yet?”

“I have no Demon Power left. I…”

“Physician Ye.” You Nian interrupted Ye Xi. She now fully understood Shen Mingjin’s condition. “I may be young, but I know a lot. Animals in their Heat Period just need to mate. No Demon Power harmonization required.”

Ye Xi had just been stunned by the exaggerated spray of blood, and now she was stunned by You Nian’s words. “You Nian, this is the laboratory, not the bedroom.”

You Nian’s eyes darted around, then she eagerly pointed at the lab bed. “Physician Ye, there’s a bed right there.”

“…”

Ye Xi couldn’t keep up with You Nian’s thought process and simply gave up responding.

She tightened her hold on Shen Mingjin in her arms, not letting her thrash around.

Lifting her gaze, she looked toward the spot where they had fallen. “You Nian, how do we get out?”

“I don’t know.”

You Nian really was an honest little rabbit.

Ye Xi couldn’t rely on You Nian to figure it out. She stared at the ceiling of the laboratory, searching for a gap to escape through, when her view was suddenly blocked by a shadow.

Feng Xian.

Feng Xian, transformed into her Flower Leopard form, her massive body blocking all of Ye Xi’s sight.

Before Ye Xi could speak, You Nian cried out first. “Hey, what are you going to do to Physician Ye now?”