Chapter Six: Aroused Once More

Ling Yinyin felt a chill run down her spine.

No way—snakes have a sense of smell even sharper than dogs?

Besides, they were still two meters apart.

She quickly raised her hand to sniff herself but detected no scent at all...

“What did you just do?” Mo Yin frowned in disgust, his gaze sharp and suspicious. “Did you come into contact with a mermaid?”

Ling Yinyin was stunned. Of course, she couldn’t admit it; she forced herself to lie, “No... Maybe it’s just the smell of the lake water—you must have mistaken it.”

Damn! How did he always guess right? It was terrifying.

Mo Yin abruptly pulled her into his arms, and the fishy smell on his breath grew stronger.

His breathing suddenly grew heavy, his chest rising and falling, and his snake tail occasionally swept the fallen leaves on the ground with a rustling sound. Ling Yinyin seriously suspected he was entering heat again.

His eyes reddened at the corners, his gaze restless as he scrutinized her from head to toe. “You’re not a spy, are you?”

Ling Yinyin twitched the corner of her mouth. “You’re overthinking. If I were a spy, I would have run away secretly long ago, not come back to find you.”

That made sense.

Mo Yin could only say, “Ling Yinyin, you’d better not let me catch you doing anything bad.”

“Mm-hmm, got it,” she replied perfunctorily.

She was already tired of hearing “you’d better” from him.

This guy threatened people so casually that Ling Yinyin was almost used to it.

She flicked her damp hair aside, took out a bottle of “Oasis of the Mind” from her pocket, and sprayed it behind her ears and on her wrists. The gentle, refreshing fragrance soon enveloped her.

Mo Yin sniffed the scent, his mood gradually settling, his breathing easing. He asked, “What’s this?”

“It’s a perfume I made myself. If you can’t sleep or have a headache, smelling it helps a lot.”

Ling Yinyin kept observing his reaction. Mo Yin was indeed very sensitive to the perfume’s scent.

The last time she sprayed perfume was several days ago, and by then, when Mo Yin was in heat, the scent had faded and probably had little effect. Now, after she sprayed it again, the most obvious change was that his furrowed brow relaxed.

This snake man always wore a sour expression; the only way to tell his mood was by his eyebrows.

It seemed “Oasis of the Mind” really worked on him.

Unfortunately, she only brought a sample with her when she left, meaning the perfume would run out sooner or later. So she needed to create new perfume in this beast world to help Mo Yin stabilize his mood during heat and reduce her own danger.

She still remembered what the old man had said.

The Desire Fruit had changed her constitution, allowing her blood and body to help Mo Yin through his heat.

But the price was too high. If her perfume was equally effective, could she then free herself?

Ling Yinyin pondered this possibility.

Thinking of Mo Yin’s wild frenzy, she resolved to develop a more targeted, stronger formula.

Seeing her lost in thought for a long while, Mo Yin reminded her, “What are you dawdling for? Let’s go.”

---

Walking back one after the other, the night breeze brushed her hair, carrying a refreshing coolness that dried much of the moisture from her strands. Ling Yinyin squinted her eyes, feeling quite comfortable.

The forest echoed with insect chirps, knee-high flowers and grasses swayed with the wind, and patches of dim, colorful light illuminated their path.

This world wasn’t so bad, Ling Yinyin thought.

If only it weren’t for the pack of male beastmen.

As they walked, something suddenly caught her attention.

“Mo Yin, wait…”

She stopped, glanced sideways at a nearby tree, then stepped forward to examine it carefully.

Brown veins, ovate lanceolate leaves...

She plucked a black fruit from a leaf, sniffed it, and was instantly delighted.

It was wild sandalwood!

Ling Yinyin was ecstatic. Wild sandalwood was a protected plant in modern society, expensive, and a precious raw material for perfume-making. Only international high-end brands had access to it, and it was hard to obtain even then!

She quickly turned and said to Mo Yin, “Mo Yin, can you do me a favor?”

Mo Yin looked puzzled. “What?”

“I want this tree!”

Ling Yinyin said, “Let’s take it back with us?”

Mo Yin looked up. The tree was half as tall as his human form. To carry it, he’d have to shift into his beast form.

Perhaps sensing his reluctance, Ling Yinyin stopped caring and hurriedly grabbed his hand. “I know you’re the best snake there is. You’ll want to help me, right?”

Mo Yin: “...”

Ling Yinyin’s eyes sparkled with hope. Just one sandalwood tree would be enough for her next perfume batch!

“Mo Yin~”

Mo Yin almost broke out in goosebumps from her tone.

Hmph, Ling Yinyin’s trick was overused. He definitely wouldn’t fall for it again.

He was the mighty Snake King—why should he obey her commands?

“No.”

“Please... I really need it, and so do you!”

Ling Yinyin reasoned and pleaded, “When my perfume runs out, I’ll rely on it. Sandalwood is the most important ingredient! You like perfume too, don’t you?”

“...”

Mo Yin was silent.

Ling Yinyin shook his hand hard.

Still no response.

She squeezed out a tear.

---

Mo Yin was utterly exasperated. He shook off Ling Yinyin’s hand and snapped, “Stay away from me.”

Ling Yinyin quickly stepped back several meters.

The next moment, Mo Yin transformed into a giant serpent, lowered his head, bit the tree trunk, and easily uprooted it.

Ling Yinyin hurried over, full of envy. “Hey, being a beastman’s not bad...”

Strong and mighty, if he were a porter, he’d be in high demand.

Mo Yin swung the tree in his mouth, shook his head, signaling her to climb onto his back.

Ling Yinyin obediently climbed onto the giant snake’s back, hugging his body. After adjusting her position, she happily said, “I’m ready, let’s go.”

They returned to the forbidden zone. Mo Yin found a corner to set down the sandalwood tree and shifted back into human form.

Ling Yinyin squatted by the tree, stroking its rough bark, reluctant to let go.

“Wonderful, oh my…”

She never dreamed she’d one day own a whole wild sandalwood tree. If this were modern society, she’d be rich.

Seeing her lost in reverie, Mo Yin ignored her and sat cross-legged on a stone bed, preparing to sleep.

Ling Yinyin planned to sleep beside the tree tonight.

She thought of many ways to process the sandalwood, her mind excited until past midnight. Finally, leaning against the trunk, she drifted into a drowsy sleep.

“Mm…”

She didn’t know how long she had slept before being awakened by a rustling sound. She felt someone lift her up forcefully and then gently put her down.

Exhausted from the day, she vaguely saw Mo Yin’s figure and then closed her eyes again.

Until a sharp pain in her shoulder roused her.

“Ah... damn it...”

She opened her eyes to find Mo Yin lying beside her. Their tangled long hair intertwined like a net, and her shoulder’s clothing had been torn off. The infuriating Mo Yin was pressing his head against her, drawing fresh blood.

No guesswork needed—she knew he was in heat.

Ugh... such a hassle in the middle of the night.

Ling Yinyin rubbed her eyes and promptly closed them again.

She was just too tired to get up.

She mumbled, “That’s enough already…”

“Mm.”

Mo Yin’s arm tightly encircled her waist, holding her close, desperately seeking warmth.

This time, as soon as the signs of heat appeared, he immediately brought Ling Yinyin back. The scent on her quickly subdued his wild urges, making this the first time his heat had been unusually calm.

After a long while, he retracted his fangs in restraint, the heat within him gradually fading. Mo Yin nuzzled the back of Ling Yinyin’s ear with his nose repeatedly, where the perfume’s fragrance was thick and intoxicating, making him fall deeper into an addictive trance.