When Xiao Jin carried her back to the bedroom after cleaning up, Shen Tang was already so exhausted that her mind was fuzzy, and she fell into a deep sleep.

But as soon as she fell asleep, it was as if she plunged into a dream.

In her hazy state, Shen Tang felt that this dream seemed familiar, her body weightless and endlessly falling, surrounded by an endless abyss. It was unclear how long it took before she finally landed at the bottom of the abyss.

Everything was pitch-black in front of her; she couldn’t even see her hand in front of her face.

The air was thick and murky, and with each breath, it felt as though her lungs were being weighed down heavily, making it almost impossible to breathe.

Suddenly, a gust of strong wind swept up from an unknown place within the deep valley, howling as it came, almost lifting her off her feet.

Shen Tang quickly sensed something strange, for this wind was not chillingly cold but rather scorching and humid, carrying a faint stench of decaying flesh mixed with a deep growl that seemed to come from a giant beast’s throat, making her shiver uncontrollably.

At this moment, a pair of enormous dark gold beastly eyes, like spectral lamps, slowly emerged from the darkness, gradually appearing before her.

Shen Tang let out an abrupt scream, "Ah—"

She opened her eyes wide, held her breath, and backed away a couple of steps, her legs weak and almost unable to stand.

In a previous dream, Shen Tang had been to this place once, but that dream was fleeting, and she hadn’t seen anything clearly. This time, she finally saw it distinctly.

A faint ray of light penetrated from somewhere, slightly dispelling the dense black fog, revealing a massive and powerful Black Panther right before her! 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

The Black Panther’s body and limbs were bound by heavy chains, like a Fierce Beast suppressed in this place, emanating an aura of danger that made her heart tremble.

This sight was all too familiar to Shen Tang, but those dark gold eyes were bloodshot with violence, gazing at her with extreme coldness and indifference, making her heart race with fear.

She tentatively called out, "Xiao... Xiao Jin, is that you?"

Indeed, this Black Panther’s appearance was identical to the Xiao Jin she remembered.

But the expression in those eyes was so unfamiliar, so terrifying, as if it would tear her apart and devour her the next moment!

The Black Panther didn’t seem to recognize her, suddenly baring its sharp teeth and extending its razor-sharp claws that could shatter mountains, roaring as it lunged towards her.

"Ah!"

Shen Tang woke up from the nightmare, her forehead cold with sweat, and even the pillow behind her was slightly damp.

She turned her head and found herself meeting Xiao Jin’s gentle and concerned gaze.

Having just been awakened, he was still a bit groggy, instinctively reaching out to touch her pale cheek, asking softly, "What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

The young man’s soft hair was slightly tousled on his forehead, and his elongated golden eyes sparkled with concern. His face was handsome and striking, the most familiar to her.

Shen Tang was in a daze for a moment, her tense body gradually relaxing. She tightly hugged Xiao Jin, burying her face into his chest, sniffling as she muttered sullenly, "I-I just had a nightmare, and you were in it."

Her voice was still harsh and hoarse, carrying a lingering whimper, hinting at how frightening that nightmare was.

"Dreaming of me scares you like this?" Xiao Jin chuckled lightly, asking, "What did you dream about? Tell me, could it be that I ate you in the dream?"

Shen Tang actually nodded, whispering, "In the dream, you didn’t seem to recognize me, as if you were mentally out of control, chained in a very dark place... Once I appeared, you became extremely fierce, like a beast out of control, trying to pounce on me and eat me... Then, I woke up in fright."

Listening to her, Xiao Jin was at a loss whether to cry or laugh, lightly flicking her forehead with his finger, "Dreams are always the opposite, silly."

He leaned closer to her face, soothingly kissing her.

He loved her beyond measure, how could he ever harm her?

But—

If we’re talking about "eating"...

He really did want to swallow her whole.

Thinking of this, Xiao Jin lowered his head to kiss her again, gently biting her.

Soft, tender, truly delicious.

Shen Tang let out a soft hum, her cheeks reddening further, reaching out to push his face away, "Stop it..."

But Xiao Jin became even clingier, wrapping his long arms and legs around her, enveloping her entirely in his embrace. His low, sexy voice teasing with a hint of mischief, "Looks like I haven’t done enough to let Tangtang feel my love, to dream such dreams."

He nibbled on her blushing ear, chuckling lightly, flipping over onto her again, "Now let me give you all my love, okay?"

The room quickly filled with sounds once more.

...

Xue Yinzhou, with his reclusive and aloof personality, was never fond of interacting with people, nor did he care for taking up any duties in the city, preferring lazy solitude.

But apart from protecting Shen Tang, he wouldn’t stay home all the time either. Deep down, he longed for primal combat and slaughter, often venturing outside the city to hunt.

Although there was no shortage of food at home now, as Shen Tang and her Beast Husbands grew stronger, they preferred beast meat with high concentrated energy to ordinary food.

Shen Tang also loved eating meat, her tastes becoming increasingly refined, especially favoring the most tender part—the loin—of High-level Beasts.

When free, Xue Yinzhou would hunt High-level Beasts outside the city. These beasts’ meat was firmer and more delicious, highly nutritious, replenishing energy swiftly, making it perfect for daily consumption by High-level Beastmen.

It was particularly suitable for females to nourish and rejuvenate their strength and body.

Over the past year, nearly all the High-level Beasts near the Imperial City were hunted down by Xue Yinzhou, and the smart ones had fled long ago. Each hunt took him dozens of kilometers away to find prey, often taking two to three days for a round trip.

However, every time Xue Yinzhou returned, he always brought back an abundant bounty that could feed the family of six for ten days to half a month.

That evening, Xue Yinzhou returned from his hunt outside.

After delivering the game to the kitchen, he headed straight to Shen Tang’s palace.

But she wasn’t there.

Turning around, he headed to Xiao Jin’s residence.

The attendants in the hall had already been dismissed.

Just as Xue Yinzhou reached the entrance, he overheard the commotion inside, his face turning cold as he pushed the door open.

"Hissss~"

The female’s aroused sweet scent mixed with the thick, pungent male scent filled the air, unsettling even Xue Yinzhou’s typically stoic expression.

"This is bad, Yin Zhou is here... You need to stop now!"

Hearing the door creak and the snake tail scraping the ground, Shen Tang snapped back to reality, blushing hard and covering her face in embarrassment.

Even though they were all her Beast Husbands, Shen Tang couldn’t be as open and carefree as the native females when faced with such a scenario... It was just too awkward!

There was no way Xiao Jin would stop at this moment; he held her tighter, breathing heavily and uncomfortably, issuing a low growl to the approaching Snake Beast to make him scram.

Xue Yinzhou stood silently at the door, his silvery-white snake tail gently swaying on the ground, his gaze cast nonchalantly towards the two of them.

The air grew sweeter, his eyes turning into dark purple vertical pupils, suppressing the urge to seize the female.

Interrupting them now would risk harming the female.

His tongue flicked more frequently, a faint blush appearing on his cold, alabaster face. Finally, he slid to the bedside, leaning down to lift Shen Tang’s chin, passionately kissing her lips.

His slender snake tongue slithered through her lips and teeth, greedily absorbing her sweetness.

At the same time, his silvery-white tail wrapped around her scattered clothing on the floor, lightly rubbing the ground, utterly unabashed.

Shen Tang could only feel her reason and desire violently clashing, covering her face, utterly unable to watch this outrageous scene...

It was just too shameful!

Xiao Jin paused in his actions, his sense of crisis suddenly heightening, gritting his teeth harder! Suddenly, he sensed something out of the ordinary, looked down, and abruptly stopped.

A touch of panic crossed his face; he thought he was being too rough, but upon taking a careful sniff, that sweet, cloying scent in the air was even more intense than when he was aroused, nearly making one’s blood boil.

Suddenly remembering something, he exclaimed in surprise, "Tangtang, you’ve entered your heat cycle!"

Female members of the Cat Clan typically go into heat twice a year.

Shen Tang’s previous cycles were always in spring, and she’d already had one this year. Thinking there wouldn’t be another, he dared to act so freely, yet he didn’t expect it to come again!