Leng Heng's low laughter resonated through the cramped room, the vibration ringing painfully in Li An's ears. The man's eyes, bloodshot from a surge of manic excitement, remained locked onto the defiant White Tiger cub in his arms. He didn't tear the prey apart immediately. Instead, with a sense of ceremony that bordered on the sacred, he carried Li An behind the ornate folding screens.
The air behind the screens was thick and humid with the scent of medicinal herbs. Leng Heng lowered Li An onto a bed made of ice-cold jade.
The chill of the jade made Li An flinch. In his state of extreme frailty, his body instinctively sought a source of warmth. His snowy tiger tail puffed up in a startled reflex, only to wrap itself tightly and uncontrollably around Leng Heng's forearm—where the faint stains of blood still lingered.
That furry, warm sensation caused Leng Heng's fingers to pause mid-motion.
"What, are you cold?"
Leng Heng braced one knee firmly against the edge of the jade bed, looming over Li An like a suffocating shadow. He offered no comfort; instead, his long fingers began to flick and toy maliciously with the white tiger ears atop the youth's head, which were twitching in wary agitation.
Li An knelt half-upright on the jade mat, his messy black hair cascading over his pale, thin back, making the tiger ears appear even more conspicuous. He remained silent, his golden slit-pupils staring death at Leng Heng, eyes churning with waves of silent humiliation. He knew that in Leng Heng's eyes, he was currently nothing more than a piece of "medicinal material" waiting to be processed.
Leng Heng reached into a nearby jade bowl, pinching a dark-red pill between his fingers. He pressed it against Li An's lips—lips still stained red from where he had bitten the man earlier.
"This pill can mend your shattered meridians, but the side effect... it will allow the 'beast nature' within you to completely override your 'humanity.' In other words, after swallowing it, you will act like a true animal, plagued by... uncontrollable cravings."
A flash of narrow, cruel light danced in Leng Heng's eyes, as if he were anticipating the exact moment the youth's noble soul would be crushed by primal instinct. "Do you want to die, or do you want to... beg me to help you suppress it?"
Li An stared at the pill, then shifted his gaze to Leng Heng's face, which was written with an absolute lust for control.
[Host, don't eat it!] The System shrieked. [The pill is laced with a catalyst to trigger your feral nature! He's baiting you; he wants to see you lose control and beg for mercy, turning you into his plaything!]
Li An let out a mental sneer. Lose control? If he wants to play, I'll play a bigger game.
To Leng Heng's astonishment, Li An didn't shrink away. Instead, he leaned forward proactively. His damp, soft tongue brushed against the man's fingertips with a ghost of a tease, swirling the pill into his mouth.
His throat moved. He swallowed.
"Ngh..."
Within seconds, the medicinal power surged through his body like a violent tide. Li An's breath became shallow and scorching. His clear eyes were instantly glazed over with a misty, blurred sheen, making him look exactly like a sacrificial lamb lost in the throes of torment.
His white tiger ears flattened against his hair due to extreme sensitivity, and the tip of his tail lashed against the jade mat uncontrollably, creating a series of restless, thumping sounds.
"Is the medicine kicking in?" Leng Heng watched the change with satisfaction. He gripped Li An's fragile, trembling shoulders, preparing to enjoy the sight of his prey breaking down. "Beg me, and I will help you suppress this—"
However, before he could finish, the "weak" Li An suddenly exploded.
Borrowing the raw strength granted by the surging feral energy, Li An moved with the predatory speed of a true King of the Jungle. He lunged, pinning the caught-off-guard Leng Heng down onto the jade bed.
A muffled thud echoed.
Li An sat astride Leng Heng's waist, his hands pinning the man's shoulders with a death grip. His exquisite, almost demonic face leaned down slowly, his burning, herb-scented breath puffing provocatively against the tip of Leng Heng's nose.
"Doctor Leng..."
Li An spoke. Though his voice was incredibly hoarse, laced with the low growl of a beast, it hummed with a terrifyingly sharp clarity.
"Did you think that just because I've turned into an animal, I would wag my tail and beg for your pity like a dog?"
Leng Heng's pupils contracted instantly. He had never seen anyone maintain such a lucid soul under this dosage of the elixir, nor did he expect this "prey" to dare turn the tables.
Li An tilted his head slightly. His blood-stained claw traced a light, taunting line over the unhealed bite mark on Leng Heng's neck. His tone carried a hint of morbid amusement.
"You wanted to see me lose control? Fine... then let's see, in this state of 'beast nature,' whether it is I, the animal, who bows first—or you, the human... who goes completely mad."
With that, Li An leaned down. His teeth accurately nipped at Leng Heng's Adam's apple. He didn't bite down hard like before; instead, he traced a slow, cruel circle with his tongue, licking the lethal protrusion with agonizing ambiguity.
A jolt of numbing electricity shot up Leng Heng's spine. It was a sensation he had never felt before—the paradoxical thrill of being targeted by both death and desire at once.
His breathing shattered.
"Little White Tiger..." Leng Heng's voice turned dangerously dark. He reached up, cupping the back of Li An's head, his fingers sinking into the warm, soft fur with enough force to crush bone. "Do you have any idea... what kind of fire you're playing with?"
In his arms, Li An let out a low, triumphant whimper. His snowy tiger tail, like a cord of pure possession, wrapped loop after loop around the man's lean waist, tightening until it was almost suffocating.
Leng Heng realized then that he hadn't brought home a kitten to be slaughtered. He had brought home a madman in the skin of a beast—one capable of dragging him straight into hell.