Help! The Villainess Trapped in the Beast World's Drama!

Chapter 354: Chapter 346: Red Panda

Lu Xiao watched the two leave, a glint of darkness flashing in his eyes.

He turned his head to Sang Mu and whispered, ”Shen Li came with supplies for support. Why haven’t I seen him? Is he not in Tieling City now?”

Sang Mu replied, ”A few days ago, Lord Shen Li left with his team, saying he had some matters to attend to. Based on the timing, they should have returned to Wind Roar City by now.”

Lo Xiao’s deep eyes reflected a moment of contemplation. Before coming to Tieling City, they passed by Wind Roar City, where the main force was still stationed, but they didn’t see Shen Li.

Originally, they thought he was still in Tieling City. It seems things are not what they presumed.

Lu Xiao collected his thoughts, face impassive, ”Hmm, it’s getting late. Arrange the shifts properly, and get some rest.”

”The Major General and Your Majesty have been on a long journey. They need to take care of their health too. Most of the buildings in the city haven’t been rebuilt yet. Let me find a place for you to rest first!”

Lu Xiao nodded and followed Sang Mu.

...

It was very late, the night wind mixed with drifting snow. The cleared roads soon accumulated a thin layer of snow again, forming small icy puddles under pedestrians’ footsteps.

Xiao Jin carried Shen Tang to their usual tent for rest.

The tent had been void of any human warmth all day, barely differing in temperature from the outside.

As soon as Shen Tang was placed onto the cold bed, she shivered uncontrollably, her breath turning into white mist in the air.

Seeing this rogue leopard eagerly pulling at her clothes, she angrily kicked him, rebuking, ”It’s freezing! Are you trying to freeze me to death?”

Xiao Jin seized her foot and quickly removed her shoes and socks.

”...”

His long, broad hands rubbed her slightly reddened frozen feet, feeling as if they were being warmed by a furnace, incredibly comforting. He held her foot firmly against his strong, hot chest, leaned down with a wicked grin on his handsome face, ”Be good~ You won’t feel cold soon! I’ll make sure you feel warm all over!”

He kneaded her foot, slowly moving downwards.

Shen Tang’s pretty face flushed red. This rogue leopard’s reputation was truly deserved!

The night deepened, and certain amorous sounds intermittently came from the surrounding tents. With most beastmen’s bodies in a restless state post-war, having worked all day, they eagerly sought the comfort of their partners at night.

The tent’s soundproofing was virtually nonexistent!

Listening to the rising sounds outside, Xiao Jin grew increasingly dry-mouthed and hot, almost like a furnace.

Initially, before he came to see Shen Tang, he had intentionally jumped into the icy river for a cold bath, with ice forming in his hair. Yet now, his skin felt hot to the touch, and his hair was slightly damp.

Crystalline water droplets slid down the cold, hard lines of his jaw, flowing over his strong, full chest, and trickling onto her body, sending a mild shiver through her.

Whether it was melting snow water or his sweat was uncertain.

With the increasing commotion outside, Shen Tang couldn’t help but feel unsettled, her pretty face growing more flushed, ”Won’t the outside hear it as well...”

”What’s there to fear? They have their own fun to indulge in, who has the time to watch others.” Xiao Jin, seeing her face like rouge, felt even more restless, and lowered his head to kiss her luscious lips.

His big hands became restless, igniting sparks bit by bit.

Shen Tang couldn’t help but let out a sweet hum from her lips, her bright eyes tinged with a hint of daze, her hands wrapping around his neck.

The faint, warm orange lamplight flickered, casting intertwined shadows outside the tent.

The serene night, with swirling snowflakes, carried an inexplicable sense of peace and warmth.

Not far away, as Lu Xiao and Sang Mu passed by, they paused, their expressions varying.

Sang Mu, still an unmarried young male, was so shy upon hearing the noise that his face turned red, not daring to look in that direction.

He quickly led Lu Xiao away in the opposite direction, ”There’s an empty tent next to the Major General’s tent. I thought it would be convenient for your family to stay close for easy care, but otherwise... I can find you another tent.”

Not sure how long the Major General might take, listening all night might drive him crazy!

Lu Xiao took a deep breath, suppressing a hint of restlessness within, and spoke calmly, ”No need, the tent next to it is fine.”

He was used to it.

He could handle it.

...

As dawn approached, the commotion in the tent finally ceased.

Shen Tang was so exhausted, she was sore all over and didn’t even want to move a finger.

Xiao Jin held her satisfied in his arms, forehead covered in sweat, body sticky and uncomfortable, though there wasn’t any bathing condition at the moment.

He held Shen Tang tightly, soon falling into a deep sleep as well.

Perhaps it had been a while since he had been this comfortable and relaxed. After falling asleep, Xiao Jin unconsciously transformed into his beast form, the sleek, powerful black panther curling up, nearly taking up the entire tent.

The temperature inside the tent gradually dissipated. Shen Tang had been a bit cold initially, but as she slept, she grew warmer until it felt stifling and hard to breathe.

Upon waking, Shen Tang found herself wrapped in a furry embrace. The black panther had tightly pressed her against its chest.

Its thick paw pads nearly covered her entire body!

If she continued to sleep like this, she’d either overheat or suffocate.

Shen Tang hurriedly wriggled her body, trying to escape from the ”blissful suffocation.” She poked her head out, taking a deep breath to feel a bit better.

The black panther seemed to sense the little creature in its arms moving, instinctively tightened its body and paws, letting out a low purr, yet remained asleep.

Shen Tang was half-amused, reluctant to wake him.

She found a comfortable position in his embrace, listening to the purring from the black panther’s chest that subtly vibrated her body, akin to the gentle jostle when riding in a carriage, strangely lulling her back to sleep. She nestled against this furry furnace and gradually drifted off.

She woke up only around noon.

Shen Tang was woken by some sounds outside the tent.

Rubbing her eyes, she had just crawled out of the leopard’s embrace and immediately shivered from the cold, quickly throwing on some clothes and walking to the tent entrance, lifting the curtain and muttering, ”Did I hear the cries of a cub?”

Xiao Jin also woke around the time Shen Tang did, shifting to his human form and rising, quickly dressing and stepping outside the tent.

A thin little cub was squatting at the doorway, crying out.

The cub, having arrived unbeknownst to them or how long it had been squatting at the door, had fur matted with snowflakes and ice water, shivering with constant sneezes.

”Oh dear, where did this poor child come from?” Shen Tang quickly brought the little cub into the tent.

She had Xiao Jin heat a basin of water, bathed the little cub, wiped it clean, and dried it, revealing it to be a baby panda!

Shen Tang’s eyes lit up, ”Oh, it’s so cute!”

”But how did it end up at our tent entrance?”

Xiao Jin raised an eyebrow, smiling, ”Fed it a few times, I guess it remembered the way.”

”Have you seen it before?”

Xiao Jin picked up the little cub from Shen Tang’s arms and, casually placing it in his own, said lazily, ”I found this little thing on the road a few days ago. It was even skinnier back then, like skin and bones. If I hadn’t rescued it, it probably wouldn’t have survived that night.”

He continued, ”Not sure whose child this is, couldn’t find its parents. I had Sang Mu send it to nearby tents to see if anyone would take it in. It’s unfortunate, most people are struggling themselves now, unwilling to take in a straggler, so the cub often wanders the camp, hoping for scraps from kind souls... I often see it as I pass by and have fed it a few times, seems like it’s taken a liking to me!”