Chapter 48: Forty-Eight

The fire in the cave crackled softly as it burned. Li Yuanxi was curled up under the blanket, her beautiful phoenix-like eyes darting around, sparkling like a little mouse trying to steal some oil.

They were long used to the smell of burning wood and grass. Now, the cave was filled with the scent of agarwood. Wei Shu’s own pheromones were unconsciously being drawn out.

Light, refined evening jasmine and rose scents mingled with it. Wei Shu’s pheromones were complex and layered, with a high-quality feel, while Li Yuanxi’s were pure, simple, yet carried a natural, inherent nobility.

The two scents blended perfectly. Before their owners made a move, the pheromones themselves tentatively reached out, intertwining and testing each other.

Li Yuanxi didn’t feel much, but Wei Shu did. The agarwood scent frolicked around her, filling her nostrils. Her body grew softer and softer.

Wei Shu felt dizzy. She bit her tongue to stay alert. Li Yuanxi was still buried in the blanket, wrestling with her own thoughts. She bit the blanket, her eyes darting back and forth. Actually, she really wanted to bite back.

Why did Shu Shu get to pick on her alone? Wait, no, she was the only one who could pick on her. That’s not right either. They should be fair—one bite each.

Li Yuanxi had made up her mind, her eyes sparkling. Shu Shu had already bitten her three or four times. She wouldn’t quibble over one or two times. She would just bite her back three times. That would be fair!!!

The moment Li Yuanxi threw off the blanket, a weight pressed down on her from above. She gasped, finding herself face-to-face with Wei Shu. She blinked nervously. Did she know what I was about to say?!

Li Yuanxi’s palms were sweaty with guilt. Wei Shu’s hair fell onto her face. In her guilt, Li Yuanxi failed to notice that Wei Shu looked like she had been drinking—her eyes were hazy, unfocused.

“Rein in your pheromones.” Wei Shu’s voice was soft and gentle, laced with a drunken huskiness. Her head rested against Li Yuanxi’s chin. They breathed the same breath, each inhaling what the other exhaled.

“Oh.” Li Yuanxi faltered, taking a deep breath and trying to pull back her pheromones, but they only grew thicker in the air.

“Idiot, that’s not how you do it.” Wei Shu weakly bit Li Yuanxi’s chin, exasperated with her. Under her curled lashes was a mix of frustration and intoxicating haziness.

The sight made Li Yuanxi swallow nervously, her eyes glued to Wei Shu as if they were stuck.

Seeing Li Yuanxi’s foolish smile, Wei Shu smiled softly too. Her fingers crept to the back of Li Yuanxi’s neck, finding the pheromone gland. The icy touch instantly snapped Li Yuanxi back to reality.

Li Yuanxi quickly hugged Wei Shu and sat up, cradling her close. Wei Shu knelt beside her, leaning her entire body into the embrace. “What’s wrong?” she asked softly.

Li Yuanxi touched her own gland; it still wasn’t fully swollen. If this continued, the pheromones might take over, and she hated that. She preferred their closeness to be born of mutual, conscious desire, not some invisible chemical compulsion.

“Help me.” Li Yuanxi lowered her head, offering the back of her neck to Wei Shu’s mouth. Wei Shu squinted, looking at the long, slender neck, the gland hidden beneath her clothes.

“Bite properly this time. Don’t make it a bloody mess again.” Li Yuanxi held Wei Shu’s hands tightly, her body rigid. She gritted her teeth, waiting for the final bite.

“Oh… you fool…” A barely audible sigh made Li Yuanxi’s eyes widen. She wanted to look up and retort, but Wei Shu pushed her head down, kneeling up straight to cradle it against her chest.

She leaned down and kissed the bewildered Li Yuanxi.

Taken by surprise, Li Yuanxi blinked. It felt good, so she quickly closed her eyes and lost herself in the play of tongues with Wei Shu.

Wei Shu held Li Yuanxi’s hands, controlling her, gradually taking over the rhythm. Li Yuanxi bit the soft tongue, wishing she could just swallow it like a piece of jelly.

Under Wei Shu’s clumsy guidance, Li Yuanxi’s pheromones surged, the gland on her neck throbbing. Uncomfortable, she reached back, but Wei Shu stopped her.

“Don’t move. It’s not time yet.” Wei Shu’s voice was hoarse as she continued the kiss, her eyes beginning to change from enjoyment to something else.

Li Yuanxi’s hands slowly crawled up Wei Shu’s back, the rough pads of her fingers tracing the fabric’s weave. Wei Shu tilted her head back with a sigh, and Li Yuanxi nuzzled her chin.

The small cave was filled with their affection. Two indistinct shadows intertwined as the firelight flickered, the heat of longing igniting the air.

Li Yuanxi bowed her head. Her gland was fully open now. The scent of agarwood was powerful, sacred and elegant, yet also dangerously intoxicating. Wei Shu’s lips descended on her nape.

A ripe cherry bursting in the mouth is full of sweetness, and Wei Shu’s mouth was no different. She licked Li Yuanxi’s gland, soothing her nerves.

As her guard dropped, Wei Shu sank her teeth in. The explosive agarwood scent was subdued by the intense fusion of musk and rose.

The temporary mark was complete. Wei Shu lifted her head, exhausted, and sat down heavily on the bed. Her knees ached from kneeling so long.

Li Yuanxi’s eyes were moist, the corners rimmed with a vibrant flush. The discomfort inside her was gone, and she felt refreshed.

She was glowing, clinging to Wei Shu. Having just been marked, she responded to Wei Shu’s pheromones, even able to sense her emotions. She just grinned at her, endlessly.

Exhausted from the entire ordeal, Wei Shu tapped Li Yuanxi to tell her to move. She needed to get up, wash her hands, and wipe off her sweat.

Li Yuanxi was very satisfied. It was the first time she had felt this incredibly content. She wrapped her arms around Wei Shu’s waist, nuzzling her. “You smell so good.”

Wei Shu washed her hands, then took Li Yuanxi’s hands and washed them as well.

She tickled Li Yuanxi’s palm, making her whine and cling to her back like a little puppy.

“Go move the door, let some fresh air in. Hurry up.” Wei Shu let go of Li Yuanxi’s hand and sent her off to do something. She needed to stop clinging.

Reluctantly but obediently, Li Yuanxi loosened her grip and walked towards the cave entrance, turning back every few steps. She took out the two sticks propping the door open and moved it aside. A rush of cold air immediately swept in.

Forcefully sobered up, Li Yuanxi looked at the pitch-black mountain forest, her face suddenly flushed crimson. She had just been temporarily marked by Wei Shu.

What that meant… well, everyone knew.

This… this…

Lying back down, Li Yuanxi felt extremely awkward. Wei Shu, however, didn’t notice. She collapsed from exhaustion and fell asleep immediately.

Li Yuanxi looked at Wei Shu, who was curled up against her chest, and belatedly thought, Doesn’t Xiao Shu have to take responsibility for this?

She touched her gland, which had returned to normal. She didn’t understand how she had suddenly gotten better tonight. It didn’t seem very scientific.

After ten minutes of melancholy, Li Yuanxi thought her way to sleep. When she woke up the next morning, Wei Shu was already cooking.

The sweet smell of cooked cassava filled the air. Li Yuanxi yawned, got up, put on her clothes, and wobbled over to lean on Wei Shu, not moving.

“Go wash up. We’ll eat soon.” Wei Shu, not minding her greasy face, kissed her forehead. Receiving this kiss, Li Yuanxi obediently went to brush her teeth and wash her face.

The deerskin, frozen solid outside the cave overnight, was secured to a wooden rack. It was now hard as a board, but the ticks and fleas were gone. She could process it later.

The venison brought back yesterday was stored in an iron barrel outside. Li Yuanxi moved the stone on top of it, planning to take some to make air-dried meat.

A lot of meat would go bad if they couldn’t eat it all. Digging a ground fridge wasn’t practical, especially since they would hunt more deer later. They couldn’t store it all this way.

It wasn’t cold enough yet; the meat left outside would still spoil in a few days.

The next day, Li Yuanxi stayed home to help Wei Shu process the deerskin. This one skin was enough to sew a deerskin jacket.

They would soak the deerskin in water mixed with plant ash for at least two days. After that, they would scrape off all the fat, wash it, and then it would be ready to make into a coat.

Li Yuanxi was in a very good mood, incredibly happy. She hummed as she sat by the fire, rubbing the right amount of salt into the deer meat, tying each piece with vines. Piece by piece, the bright red venison was prepared.

She had prepared two bottles of salt for the air-dried meat, for preservation and curing. The remaining salt was enough for them for a long time.

Excluding the inedible parts, she had at least a hundred jin of meat from a single deer. Two jin a day would last her and Wei Shu over a month.

Wei Shu, soaking the deerskin, could sense Li Yuanxi’s bubbling happiness. She was infected by it too, a smile touching her lips, her brows arching happily. It was a joy that came from deep within.

This was the effect of the pheromone mark—it brought them closer, both emotionally and spiritually.