"Who would ever agree to that!" She wasn't a masochist. To get bitten on the neck out of nowhere—hell would freeze over before she'd agree! The same went for yesterday; had she known this was the reward Yin Zhi wanted, she would have flat-out refused.
As if remembering something, Wen Qian asked, "Why do you Beastmen specifically target necks to bite? Does the blood there taste better?"
"Personal preference, I guess." Yin Zhi averted his eyes a little guiltily. He paused before adding, "Only special Fuyi Beastmen suck blood."
"Fuyi?" Wen Qian didn't understand, but it sounded somewhat familiar.
"Bats," Yin Zhi explained.
"Right." Wen Qian suddenly understood. A moment later, she raised a hand to touch the back of her neck, unexpectedly feeling like she had just survived a disaster.
Thankfully, the one she encountered today wasn't a Fuyi. Otherwise, it would have been an entirely different story.
"Get a spare key made for me." Having been emotionally soothed, Yin Zhi resumed his well-behaved persona. He leaned forward and pressed his face against her legs.
Wen Qian slapped her forehead; she knew she was forgetting something.
"There's a spare key under the doormat," Wen Qian said. "Remember to take it with you if you go out tomorrow."
Though it wouldn't matter even if he didn't bring it. Yin Zhi could transform into a cat and slip in through the window. Before he took on his human form, he had always sneaked out to play like that, and Wen Qian had known all along.
Yin Zhi nodded. Thinking back to Wen Qian leaving the door unlocked for him, he still felt a lingering fear. Blue Star was not friendly to Beastmen, and similarly, many Beastmen had come to despise humans because of it.
City A hadn't been peaceful lately, especially around Wen Qian's neighborhood.
Aside from the very first batch of Beastmen who arrived, many more had accidentally wandered into Blue Star over the years due to the Beast World not being repaired in time. They rashly transformed before figuring out the rules of this world, which led to many Beastmen being captured by humans the moment they took human form.
Those with better looks would be sold to underground venues for the amusement of the wealthy, while those with average looks would be dragged into research institutes and forced to undergo various experiments. As for those who tried to resist, they were shot dead on the spot.
Because the excessive hunting of Beastmen in the early years had attracted too much public attention, these activities were subsequently carried out in secret. Yin Zhi had been injured previously because he was discovered by Hunters who wanted to sell him to an underground casino.
However, the Beastmen were smart. In just ten years, they established Beastman-exclusive rescue stations in every city and province on Blue Star. Most of the members, like Gu Mian, had their own human identities on Blue Star, purely so they could immediately receive Beastmen who accidentally wandered in.
Yin Zhi wasn't a member of these stations, but he possessed his own human identity and had never stopped offering help to other Beastmen. He just never expected that on Blue Star, a place with no tolerance for Beastmen, he would end up being betrayed by one of his own.
The traitor was scum from the Tiger Clan. In the Beast World, Yin Zhi had kicked him out of the Tiger Clan, but he hadn't expected the man to hold a grudge all this time. His surrender to the humans this time was precisely to eliminate Yin Zhi once and for all.
Unfortunately for the traitor, not only did Yin Zhi refuse to let him get his way, but he also doubled back after escaping and killed him. This was exactly why Yin Zhi was covered in blood the first time Wen Qian saw him.
His face had already been added to the Hunters' blacklist. This underground organization, created specifically to target Beastmen, possessed the most advanced tracking equipment. Even though Yin Zhi had successfully escaped, he could no longer show his face openly as a human.
"Qianqian..." Yin Zhi looked up at her, his voice incredibly gentle. "Don't open the door for strangers when I'm not around."
Many Beastmen were used to acting alone. They refused to seek help from the rescue stations, nor did they have the patience like Gu Mian to spend time and energy forging identities to blend into this world. They preferred to hide in the dark and wait for the right moment to solve problems using much bloodier and more violent methods.
They loathed humans and were unwilling to resign themselves to a life in the shadows.
Of course, there were also some inherently problematic Beastmen lurking on Blue Star. They had brains, ambition, and were ruthless enough—they had been troublesome entities back in the Beast World as well.
City A seemed peaceful, but turbulent undercurrents had long been surging beneath the surface. Whether humans or Beastmen, they were engaged in an ongoing struggle in places invisible to ordinary people.
Furthermore, for the Beastmen, twenty years was plenty of time to manufacture decent weapons. If they were solely for self-defense, it would be fine, but Yin Zhi worried...
The man lowered his eyes. In this entire mess, he only cared about Wen Qian's safety.
This neighborhood had long been targeted by Beastmen. Not just because of its remote location, but more so because of the Critical Stone. The Critical Stone was originally a symbol of protection, but if any Beastmen discovered that besides protection, it could also provide them with energy to accelerate wound healing... the consequences would be unimaginable.
Therefore, before finding the Critical Stone Fragments, Yin Zhi had to ensure Wen Qian's safety first.
"I know, I know. I'm not a child anymore..." Wen Qian rubbed both hands wildly over Yin Zhi's head, messing up his silver hair. Then, still wanting more, she muttered, "Why did you hide your ears again..."
Yin Zhi was speechless.
In truth, before going into the bathroom earlier, Wen Qian had intentionally parted the curtains for a peek, making sure Yin Zhi had safely entered the apartment building before she unlocked the door. Having lived alone for so long, she naturally had some sense of self-preservation.
"Alright, I'm going to bed!" After rubbing his fluffy, soft hair for a good while, Wen Qian was in an excellent mood.
"Wait..." As if remembering something, Yin Zhi wrapped one arm around her legs. His voice sounded muffled. "Why am I your younger brother?"
"Huh?" Wen Qian was momentarily stunned by the question. It took her a long while to recall that he was referring to what she had said when they first got out of the car.
"Of course you're my younger brother. What else would you be?" Wen Qian was speechless. She couldn't exactly tell Gu Mian outright that the man standing before him was her pet silver gradient in human form!
It would be fine if Gu Mian was willing to keep the secret, but what if he wasn't? Her home might end up getting raided overnight.
"I could be something else..." With a slight tug, he pulled Wen Qian into his arms and rested his chin on her shoulder, seeking her affection.
"What else?" Wen Qian was thoroughly defeated by Yin Zhi's habit of constantly initiating physical contact. Was he truly oblivious to his own charm, or was he intentionally teasing her?
"You tell me," he murmured, burying his face in the crook of her neck and nuzzling her earlobe with the tip of his nose.
"I say..." she began, trying to pry Yin Zhi's arm away. "I say you are my younger brother."
Being a younger brother was such a great cover. It was perfectly legitimate and wouldn't arouse any suspicion. Besides, it wasn't like she actually wanted him to be her real brother. What was he so anxious about?
Yin Zhi obviously relaxed his grip, allowing Wen Qian to push him away with ease.
His eyes were full of resentment. After a long while, he finally spoke. "But you've already seen my 'bells,' and you've seen my body after I transformed, too."
"???"
What kind of nonsense was that?! She admitted to seeing his "bells," but his body... was that something she had even wanted to see?
Even if she had wanted to, he was the one who had willingly shown it to her!