When Dino once again refused to heal me, I went to the black market and bought a cheap, comfort-type Beastkin. The next second, a few lines of comments flashed across my vision. [The manipulative male lead #2 is here! The female lead absolutely must not bring him home!] [The male lead is just tsundere, tough on the outside, soft on the inside. If the female lead just lowers her pride and begs him again, he’ll comfort her.] [Actually, Dino already likes the female lead now, but if she brings this manipulative snake home, the misunderstandings between her and Dino will only grow, leading to heartbreak and suffering.] I instinctively pulled back my hand from making the payment. But a cold, scaled tail had already wrapped around my ankle. Inside the cage, the Beastkin’s eyes brimmed with tears. “Please, don’t leave me.” 1 The black market owner cracked a whip across Silas. He barked harshly: “Pull back your disgusting tail!” The cold sensation on my ankle vanished instantly. Silas recoiled into a corner of the cage, no longer daring to meet my gaze. His clothes were torn, revealing bloodied scratches on his pale skin. The comments continued to scroll. [Male lead #2 is manipulative, but so beautiful.] [No wonder the female lead feels sympathy, he really is pitiful.] [It’s all an act! Silas looks harmless, but he’s a White Serpent Beastkin, cold and treacherous to the core. The black market owner’s horrific death later? Probably his doing!] I looked at the owner; a jagged scar marred his face. Silas flinched, raising his eyes, but the owner was already poised to whip him again. He muttered curses: “How many times have I taught you?!” Most Beastkin in the black market were either abandoned or captured after being injured. Their ownership belonged to their master. As the whip was about to fall on Silas again, he dared not dodge, only cowering in fearful anticipation. But the pain never came. He opened his eyes, looking up in confusion. I had caught the whip. “Him, I’ll take him.” Silas’s eyes brightened. The owner grinned obsequiously: “Alrighty.” Perhaps sensing my earlier hesitation, the owner continued to push his wares. “Care to look at other stock? Their comfort abilities are far superior to Silas’s.” And far more expensive. I earned my money hard, going on dangerous missions daily. If not for Dino’s refusal to heal me, and the rising prices of healing serums, I wouldn’t be here in the black market, looking for a comfort-type Beastkin. The owner’s eyes darted around. He chuckled apologetically: “Ms. Dexter, don’t say I didn’t warn you. You get what you pay for. This Beastkin was injured, his psychic energy damaged. His comfort abilities are indeed lacking, and it also depends on your compatibility. Once sold, no returns.” I shook my head: “It’s fine.” I’ve always been able to endure pain. Normally, Dino wouldn’t let me near him, only offering me some clothes carrying his scent. “This works too. Don’t try to find an excuse to touch me.” An excuse? Even if he couldn’t see my exhaustion, he could see the horrifying scars on my body. I was too weary to argue with him. I simply held the clothes and lay on the bed. Highly compatible Beastkin partners could use their psychic energy to rapidly heal wounds, but Dino disliked me. The scent on his clothes could provide pain relief, but the effect would certainly be greatly diminished. Sometimes, even broken bones meant a trip to the clinic for healing injections. I looked at Silas. His eyes were hopeful, his smile shy. Besides, even if his comfort abilities were lacking, it was still better than a pile of cold clothes. I made the payment. The owner kicked the cage. Mocking Silas. “You lucky bastard.” Then he placed the whip in my hand. “Ms. Dexter, he’s been trained very obediently, and, to compensate for his shortcomings…” The owner winked, a lewd grin spreading across his face. “I taught him other things. You can enjoy yourself…” The comments went wild. [Manipulative snake, don’t you dare touch our female lead!] [Don’t worry, all that strength and cunning will find no place here. The female lead belongs to Dino.] [But later, when Silas kidnaps the female lead, and Dino finds her, the female lead’s face is flushed, but that part is glossed over!] [No, no, no! Filthy snake, retreat! Retreat! Retreat!] 2 When I opened the door, Dino was sitting on the orange sofa, watching a military channel. Hearing my return, he didn’t turn his head, but still scoffed coldly: “Hmph, so you do remember how to come home?” The comments section erupted in groans. [Dino, stop pretending! You’re dying of worry inside, yet you’re still putting on this act.] [Sigh, there's a communication gap between the leads. Elara only knows Dino doesn't like her, but she doesn't know he secretly treated her while she slept, afraid she’d find out, so he never fully healed her.] [Dino is all action, no words.] Usually, If he refused to heal me, I would simply comply. But sometimes, I’d pass out from the pain, only to wake up with my wounds largely healed. I assumed Dino, unable to bear it, had used his psychic energy, but only enough to partially treat, a gesture of limited concern. These things, I truly didn’t know. So this time, after he refused me again, I simply went out in silence to buy a Beastkin. Comfort. If you won’t provide it, plenty others will. His very posture exuded annoyance. But I didn’t want to argue with him. So I just said softly to Silas: “My house is too small. You might have to share a room with someone else.” Silas hadn’t even had a chance to speak. Dino cut in: “Who is this guy?” I turned my head to Dino, his gaze cold. I patiently explained: “His name is Silas. He’s my comfort-type Beastkin. He’ll need to share a room with you from now on.” Dino, born into the Black Panther clan, had always been pampered, everything in his life going smoothly since childhood. Upon hearing this request, he exploded. “Elara, don’t you dare be ungrateful!” Silas, seeing Dino’s aggression, tugged at my sleeve and said gently: “I can sleep in the living room.” Dino scoffed. I took Silas’s wrist; his body temperature was lower than normal. “It’s okay, you’ll stay with him for now. The living room is too noisy, you won’t sleep well.” “Besides…” “Dino will be leaving soon.” Dino’s tongue pushed against his cheek when he heard that. His tone was lazy and mocking. “Since you care so much about him, why don’t the two of you just sleep together?” The comments couldn't take it anymore. [Male lead, if you don’t want that mouth, donate it.] [Can’t you just say you’re jealous? You’re going to end up wifeless, you know that?] [Heh, if they actually slept together, you wouldn’t be happy. Who was it clutching her nightgown to his face when she wasn't home, purring with satisfaction, tail and ears popping out?] [Dino poisons himself every time he licks his lips.] I was a little angry. Silas gently cupped my face, pressing his forehead against mine. The next second, The nerves throbbing from pain and frustration felt as if they were gently caressed. Silas, seeing his comfort had worked, his eyes lit up like stars, even happily revealing his vertical pupils. He said in a voice only we two could hear: “It’s alright. There’s no need to argue with Brother because of me.” But I wasn’t listening. I immediately retorted to Dino: “Don’t forget, you’re just a guest here too.” I had used all my savings to buy this small apartment in the ridiculously expensive capital. Not to live under anyone’s thumb. Dino trembled with rage: “You’re yelling at me because of him?” Yes, I am yelling at you. But… “It’s not because of him.” The favored always act with impunity. I just, my scales were tilting a little. Comments: [Tsk, quickly, take notes!] [How to Get a Woman to Fight Your Battles by Playing the Victim.] [Major male rivalry in progress, I love it.] [Silas is really well-trained; his tactics are too advanced. If it weren't for the female lead's affection, Dino might not have turned things around in the end.] [Keep it up, you'll be crying when your wife runs away!] 3 Silas still sadly made a makeshift bed for himself on the floor. As I was making his bed, He smoothed the wrinkles with his serpent tail. I paused, surprised. When Dino first arrived, he complained the apartment was too small, the bed too hard—he found fault with everything. Because I loved him, I indulged his every whim, and he accepted my kindness as his due. Now, Silas held a glass of water, offering it to me: “Have some water, you must be tired today. I can manage by myself.” I said okay. Silas, however, looked at my waist. “Do you need me to massage it for you?” “Hmm?” “You’ve been holding your back a lot. Does it hurt a lot?” Ever since I became independent from my family… Few people had asked me if I was hurting or tired. Today, during a mission, I was slammed against a rock wall by a large lynx. “Can this heal wounds?” Silas nodded. His serpent tail wrapped around my waist, seeming to gauge my muscles. His movements were light. And very soothing. Silas’s eyes were closed, his lips pale. He didn’t even realize his slender tail tip was gliding over my ribs, resting just below my chest. I rarely had such intimacy with a male Beastkin. The only other time was when Dino lost control during his heat cycle. I instinctively wanted to move that white tail tip. But as soon as I touched it, Silas uncontrollably shivered, his ears turning red. The comments section went wild. [To increase Silas’s sensitivity, the black market owner specifically gave him drugs. The effects haven’t worn off yet.] [Female lead, I beg you! Don’t encourage him anymore!] [To be fair, Silas is very considerate.] [And snakes are naturally lustful. If Silas weren’t injured, he’d probably be trying to pounce on her right now!] Silas’s lips turned crimson, his eyes glistening with moisture. I felt a little embarrassed. “Thanks, I need to go out.” Silas turned his head. And softly hummed in acknowledgment. 4 At the clinic, Dr. Yu skillfully gave me an injection. “Oh, how come it’s not as bad today? Did your Dino finally come to his senses?” I pursed my lips, shaking my head: “No, I bought a comfort-type Beastkin from the black market.” Dr. Yu looked very pleased. “It’s about time! He, Dino, is so precious, thinking it’s beneath him to be with you. If he’s so high and mighty, why doesn’t he just move out?” I said softly: “He couldn’t help it.” She scoffed: “Dino always liked Lara. Why doesn’t he go to Lara for comfort?” Lara was Dino’s childhood friend. Their compatibility was also very high, at eighty-two percent. But when the great battle came, Dino, in an attempt to save Lara, fell into a cave with me. However, he was also going through his heat cycle. My compatibility with him was extremely high, and if a psychic link occurred during the heat cycle, it would lead to a deep-seated dependency. So, after he woke up, he resented my even higher compatibility, and even more, he resented that our connection upset Lara. But due to his injuries, his heat cycle was prolonged. After developing a deep dependency on me, instinct compelled him to stay near me. He hated this primal urge. Dr. Yu always called Dino a scummy jerk. I shook my head: “It’s okay. The Vance family will soon develop the separation agent, and then he’ll leave.” But the comments on screen revealed the truth again. [Laughing my head off! The separation agent was developed ages ago; the male lead, that stubborn tsundere, just refuses to use it.] [The male lead is in love and doesn't even know it.] [Male lead: Don't panic, I'm on my own timeline.] I was confused. Were these comments real or fake? Why did they keep saying Dino loved me? All I felt from him was sarcasm and coldness. When I asked for comfort, he always refused. They said he would secretly hug my nightgown to sleep. And that he worried about me every day when I went on missions. But… Unseen affection. What kind of love was that? 5 When I got home, I moved quietly, turning on the light to find Silas curled up on the living room floor, hugging a small bundle of blankets. Beastkin are generally large-bodied, but Silas, curled up like this, looked utterly pitiful. The light woke him. “Elara, you’re back?” As if he had been waiting for me. But he was clearly kicked out. It was my fault. I knew Dino had a bad temper, yet I made them share a room. “Did he kick you out?” I asked Silas, frowning. Silas’s face paled for a moment, but quickly returned to normal. He evaded the question: “I’ve cut up some fruit for you. I’ll go get it from the fridge now.” I stewed in silent anger as I watched Silas’s back. His smile, however, was warm. He placed a beautifully arranged fruit platter in front of me. As he reached forward, his long sleeve slid up to his forearm. I abruptly grasped his wrist. Silas’s skin was very pale, still bearing some unhealed whip marks, but what was more striking was a thin, long blood mark, with a tiny shard of glass embedded in it. “Did Dino do this?” Silas shook his head frantically: “It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt…” Which was as good as admitting it. Comments: [OMG, the super subtle wound reveal!] [The drama just landed!] [Manipulative snake's cunning plan, Dino walks into a trap.] [Silas disturbed Dino when he rolled over, so Dino threw a glass at him, and the glass shards cut Silas's arm.] [But the wound, is it really that deep?] [This definitely looks like Silas deepened it himself with the glass shard.] Perhaps it was the confluence of recent grievances and current anger. I directly pounded on Dino’s bedroom door. “Open the door!!” After a moment, the door opened. Dino stood there, wearing the cotton pajamas I had bought him, but they were unbuttoned, revealing a large expanse of his pale, muscular chest and abs. He leaned casually against the doorframe. His tone was utterly nonchalant: “Something wrong?” The comments section was full of knowing winks. [Tsk tsk tsk, I'm almost too embarrassed to say it, but who just deliberately unbuttoned his shirt?] [Showing off so much for whom? Couldn’t be for the female lead, could it?] [What pose is that? If he just pulled the female lead into his arms now, what would that manipulative snake even be doing?] Dino scoffed. “Late at night, waking me up. It couldn’t be about him, could it?” Silas interjected, trying to mediate. “It’s fine, Dino, go back to sleep. Elara just wanted to see you.” He then tried to pull me away. But I resisted, grabbing Silas’s wrist and accusing Dino. “You hurt him! Didn’t you see?!” Dino frowned impatiently, looking down at me mockingly. “Such a small scratch, what’s there to complain about? I broke a rib once and didn’t make a sound!” My voice was icy: “Apologize.” “What?” I enunciated each word: “A-po-lo-gize!” He unhappily pushed his tongue against his cheek, his tone a restrained fury. “You want me to apologize to this lowlife from the black market?” He laughed: “Don’t tell me you’d fall for someone like that.” I was deeply disappointed in Dino. “Someone like that? In my eyes, Silas is kind, gentle, and compassionate. It’s only natural to like him.” I took a step forward, my voice hardening, “And someone like you, cold, selfish, carelessly trampling on other people’s genuine feelings, that’s what truly disgusts me.” I took Silas’s hand and turned to leave. But behind me, Dino’s mocking voice rang out. His tone held a smile, yet it was like a rose embedded with thorns. “Is that so? I thought you actually liked someone cold, selfish, and carelessly trampling on other people’s genuine feelings like me.” He abruptly yanked my arm, pulling me towards him. His grip was strong, squeezing my bones painfully. “Didn’t you throw yourself at me? Did I beg you to comfort me during my heat cycle? You were practically gushing about how much you liked me when you had that fever a while ago. Do you think I don’t know about you secretly kissing me in the cave?” He let out a low chuckle. “Elara, what good is high compatibility? Even if you begged me to—I wouldn’t…” His voice was abruptly cut off by the crisp sound of a slap. My tears suddenly fell onto his palm. His throat bobbed, and he was about to speak. But Silas gently pulled me into his arms. His soft voice broke the awkward silence. “Elara, I’m a little hungry.” “Hmm?” Right. He probably hadn’t eaten all day. I also wanted to escape this suffocating atmosphere. “I’ll take you out to eat.” The comments section, after a brief silence, exploded. [Yes! My ship is finally sailing a little! (cries)] [Male lead, get ready for a wife-chasing inferno.] [The sharp-tongued tsundere male lead persona is still intact. But when your wife leaves, don’t you dare cry!] [I’m actually shipping Silas and Elara a bit. I’m such a sucker for gentle guys!] [Above comment, don’t break up the official pairing, okay? Besides, if it weren’t for Silas, the leads wouldn’t even be arguing.] [Silas probably didn't expect it to work so well.] [Silas: I don't know, he just stabbed himself.]
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