Wen Qian froze, wondering why the man, who had been perfectly fine a moment ago, had suddenly changed his expression. Just as she was about to ask, a strong force yanked her to the side.
Wen Qian nearly cried out in alarm. Still shaken, she looked up, but immediately snapped her mouth shut when she saw who it was.
She wondered why Yin Zhi had suddenly come out. Gu Mian was incredibly smart; if he noticed something was off, it would be a disaster.
Wen Qian's mind went blank with a loud BUZZ. She instinctively wanted to shoo him back home, but before she could say a word, the man firmly gripped her chin.
He forced her head to the side, his gaze landing on her neck. His voice sounded like it was squeezed through gritted teeth. "Who left this?"
This was a Beastman marking method. Yin Zhi had previously left a mark on Wen Qian's neck to declare his sovereignty. With his scent on her, neither animals nor Beastmen should dare approach her easily.
But now, not only had another Beastman coveted his female, but they had also left their own scent right over his mark. Yin Zhi's face darkened to the extreme. Smelling the ambiguous, dangerous scent lingering on Wen Qian, he nearly lost his mind.
He inwardly cursed this damn Snake Beast!
"Qianqian, who is this?" Gu Mian's voice rang out at just the right moment. He adjusted his glasses, a polite smile on his face.
"He's... he's my younger brother..." Wen Qian broke free from Yin Zhi's grip and shielded him behind her back. Gu Mian had thoroughly researched Beastmen. Since she didn't know if he was a friend or foe, she absolutely couldn't let him discover Yin Zhi's true identity!
"Younger brother?" Yin Zhi sneered. He then lowered his head to her ear and practically gritted out, "The kind of younger brother who rolls around in the same bed as you?"
He had been wondering why Wen Qian still hadn't come home by ten o'clock. It turned out she was out on a date with some wild man. Was having one at home not enough for her? Did she have to bring another one back?
Wen Qian had no idea that Yin Zhi's previous obedience had mostly been an act, so she was immediately startled by his current behavior. Her body stiffened. Once she recovered, she looked at Yin Zhi's face in disbelief, wondering if this was really still her soft, cuddly little kitten.
Yin Zhi seemed to realize his slip-up as well. Before her gaze fell on him, he masked his expression. He had worked hard to maintain this persona for a month; he couldn't let it collapse over a single sentence. With this in mind, he immediately averted his eyes and lowered his head, nuzzling Wen Qian's earlobe with the tip of his nose. In a voice only the two of them could hear, he murmured that he felt wronged.
Wen Qian was instantly disarmed. Even if she faintly sensed something was wrong, she had no mind to dwell on it now.
"Qianqian, you should go back inside first." Facing the intimacy between the two, Gu Mian slightly lowered his gaze. He smiled, but his tone was unquestionable.
"Then, Professor, be careful on your way back." Wen Qian immediately reached out to pull Yin Zhi, but even after tugging twice, he didn't budge.
She wondered what was going on. Was he playing statues with her?
"Qianqian, you go inside first," Yin Zhi said calmly, looking at the girl who kept winking at him. Though he spoke to Wen Qian, his gaze was fixed on Gu Mian.
What was going on? One by one, they were both telling her to go inside. Could it be they knew each other? Wen Qian frowned but quickly dismissed the guess. It had barely been a day since Yin Zhi took human form; he hadn't had the chance to meet Gu Mian at all. Could it be for something else?
Yin Zhi was a Beastman, and after taking human form, he would definitely try to find his own kind. Most Beastmen had sharper vision than humans, especially at night. Compared to venturing out during the day, this time was much safer for them.
"Come back early, then," Wen Qian instructed softly, before waving goodbye to Gu Mian.
Yin Zhi didn't turn around until Wen Qian had walked into her apartment building. He looked at the man leaning against the car, his eyes as cold as if coated in a layer of frost. "From the Gu Family?"
Gu Mian smiled faintly. "Young Master of the Tiger Clan. Long time no see."
Surprised that the other man had immediately stated his identity, Yin Zhi sized him up with an unfriendly gaze. He had no impression of Gu Mian, but based on his scent, he could tell this man belonged to the upper-class Snake Clan.
Among the Snake Clan, the Gu Family bloodline was the most noble. They possessed larger heads and more potent venom than their peers, making them both dangerous and mysterious.
Rumor had it that the Gu Family's true form was the python, and their ranks were distinguished by color: Qing Yan, Mo Bai, Yan Hong, and Ju Mo, with the highest grade being pitch black. In the Beast World, the Gu Family remained hidden deep in the mountains year-round, rarely interacting with the outside world. It was perfectly normal that Yin Zhi had no impression of Gu Mian.
"What matters do we have to discuss that require keeping Qianqian away?" Seeing Yin Zhi remain silent, Gu Mian spoke first.
Hearing this, Yin Zhi paused in surprise. Once he realized what was happening, he inwardly noted that this snake was truly cunning. It was clearly Gu Mian who had sent Qianqian away first, yet now he was asking Yin Zhi about it.
However, Yin Zhi didn't care about these details. With Qianqian gone, he had nothing to worry about. Since Gu Mian loved to put on an act so much, he would say exactly what the man didn't want to hear. "Qianqian was too tired last night. She needs to rest early."
Taking in Yin Zhi's expression, the corners of Gu Mian's lips curled into a chilling smile. His slender fingers fiddled with his watch strap as he spoke in an unreadable tone. "Is it so tiring for her to be with you? When she's with me, she's always full of energy."
These two sentences sounded incredibly ordinary, and the tone was as bland as could be. But if one thought carefully, it was obvious that their words were laced with veiled barbs, both using the opportunity to disgust the other.
Sure enough, Yin Zhi's face instantly changed upon hearing Gu Mian's words. His amber eyes radiated coldness. "You dare bring that up."
Still wearing a smile, Gu Mian straightened his posture, seemingly waiting for Yin Zhi to continue.
"Playing dumb?" Yin Zhi sneered. He stared intensely at Gu Mian, his voice turning deadly cold. "I've already marked her neck. She's covered in my scent. Wen Qian is my wife."
"Your wife?" Gu Mian let out a cold laugh.
He repeatedly chewed over those two words, the previous smile wiped completely from his face. He was displeased, even though he was indeed the one who had broken the rules in this matter.
In the Beast World, if two parties loved each other, the male could leave a mark on the back of the other's neck. This mark would leave his scent on the female, declaring ownership. Other beasts who sensed this scent were forbidden from coveting the female, and the male who left the mark also had to maintain absolute loyalty.
Gu Mian had known Wen Qian was marked the moment he laid eyes on her. It wasn't just because he saw the mark, but more so because he smelled the scent on her—a scent only animals and Beastmen could detect.
It was potent, dangerous, and daunting...
At that moment, Gu Mian had gone mad with jealousy. The little female he had searched for over many years had been marked by another Beastman just like that.
He was unwilling to accept it, nor did he acknowledge it. So he had lost control. In the darkness, he had imprisoned her... but he didn't regret it.
"My apologies. I lived in the mountains before and didn't know these rules," he said, tugging at the corner of his lips. His tone sounded flippant.
"Who the hell are you trying to fool?" Yin Zhi gritted his teeth.
If he didn't know, why would he cover Yin Zhi's mark with his own?