Chapter Three: The Successful Rescue of the Princess

“Ah!”

Yu Lan screamed in fright.

Panicked and disoriented, she stumbled backward and fell to her knees.

Her small face crumpled into a tight little ball, her delicately arched eyebrows furrowed slightly, and her long, curled eyelashes trembled like butterfly wings dampened by rain.

She was utterly terrified.

Both pitiful and adorable.

The Silver Wolf, witnessing this scene, felt his hunting instinct burn even more fiercely, his sharp fangs tingling with anticipation.

He wanted to bite!

In front of everyone, the Silver Wolf once again flicked out his tongue and licked Yu Lan’s face.

His enormous wolf head, like a dog seeking affection, lowered close to Yu Lan’s cheek and neck, sniffing around to mark his scent before burying his head into her neck.

Yu Lan was terrified to death.

Shivering uncontrollably.

Before her were the powerful, sturdy thighs of the silver-white giant wolf; she could hear the beast’s intense, heated breathing right by her ear.

Especially with the wolf’s head resting on her shoulder.

Yu Lan felt her delicate shoulders couldn’t possibly bear such weight and kept shrinking back. When the Silver Wolf, displeased, reached out a claw to paw at her, she immediately stayed perfectly still, too scared to move.

Despite being terrified to the extreme, Yu Lan shakily stretched out both hands.

Remembering the guard’s advice, she calmed herself and gently embraced the Silver Wolf’s neck, then injected the soothing serum into his nape.

Her slender hands reached out as if to hug him.

Meanwhile, the Silver Wolf’s deep green, emotionless beast eyes stared fixedly at her.

Yu Lan’s heart trembled with fear, her face pale, yet she coaxed both herself and the wolf close:

“Please don’t bite me, okay?”

“Once I inject the serum, you’ll be better.”

“Be good, alright?”

She sounded like she was coaxing a little child.

The Silver Wolf’s green beast eyes flickered with disdain, yet his tail wagged happily behind him.

He deliberately opened his mouth, revealing sharp fangs, then, as Yu Lan flinched, he stuck out his tongue again and licked her face affectionately.

This behavior was no different from a childish boy in kindergarten.

The guards outside the iron cage were utterly embarrassed by the scene.

Was this really their handsome, majestic, aloof and cold genius young general?

Under everyone’s gaze, Yu Lan mustered her courage and pressed the syringe’s tip into the Silver Wolf’s neck. The azure liquid slowly flowed into his body.

Less than half a minute later, the injection was complete.

Yu Lan withdrew her hand and looked at the Silver Wolf expectantly.

Waiting for him to transform back into his familiar human form.

But, to everyone’s surprise, the Silver Wolf seemed to think their previous antics were just playtime with Yu Lan, and now that she had had her fun, it was his turn.

The Silver Wolf shook his body, causing his silver fur to ripple in the air, then took two steps back.

Like a feline predator, he flexed his powerful front legs and leapt straight at Yu Lan.

His hot red tongue licked her face, his large head nudging and pressing against her. When Yu Lan reached out to stroke his head, the wolf visibly brightened with pleasure.

Because the soothing serum had been successfully injected, Yu Lan mistakenly believed the Silver Wolf had regained reason and no longer feared being bitten by a mad beast.

Embracing the furry creature happily, she smiled with eyes curved like crescent moons.

Only she knew how much she loved something soft and fluffy.

She reached out to rub the Silver Wolf’s head and pinch his ears.

“Wow! Your fur is so soft!”

“You’re so well-behaved! You let me pinch your ears whenever I want.”

“Hahaha, no more licking, no licking my face, no licking my hands…”

Yu Lan hugged the Silver Wolf while dodging his affectionate advances.

She didn’t forget to turn and look at Huo Zhanting outside the cage, her eyes burning with inquiry.

“When will Su Xingye return to human form?”

“Do we still have to wait a little longer?”

She figured once Su Xingye turned back, he wouldn’t let her smother him with affection anymore.

Huo Zhanting said nothing.

His face was unreadable, betraying no emotion or thoughts.

In truth, a tempest raged within his heart.

Normally, once the soothing serum entered a male beast’s body, it would immediately restore him to human shape.

Yet Su Xingye remained in beast form.

The only explanation was that the serum had failed.

Then why had the Silver Wolf’s frenzy suddenly ceased?

Huo Zhanting’s gaze shifted to Yu Lan, who was now playfully perched atop the wolf’s head inside the cage. A strange gleam flickered in his golden eyes.

The next moment, the Silver Wolf, who had been rolling and frolicking before Yu Lan, suddenly trembled all over. His body gradually shrank, revealing a handsome, sharp-featured young man.

It was none other than Su Xingye.

The man lay with closed eyes on the ground, his forehead smooth, eyebrows sword-like, eyes bright as stars, his nose high and straight, lips pale red and tightly pressed together.

Compared to Huo Zhanting’s imposing and fierce aura, Su Xingye’s was much calmer.

Yu Lan breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes quickly scanning Su Xingye’s face before she clambered to her feet and slipped out of the iron cage.

She ran to Huo Zhanting, tapping her fingers together and looking up at him.

“Now that he’s like this, does that mean he’s okay?”

“When will he wake up?”

Huo Zhanting’s gaze passed over Yu Lan. His sharp golden eyes caught the faint tremble of the man’s fingers lying behind them in the cage.

He snorted coldly in his heart.

An SSS-level male beast, yet he acted like a spoiled child in front of a female, wagging his tail and begging for affection. Now that he was awake, how could he face anyone?

Moreover, this arranged marriage was something they had always opposed.

“He’s fine. He’ll wake up soon.”

Huo Zhanting did not expose Su Xingye outright, sparing a bit of dignity for his subordinate.

“That’s good, that’s good.”

Yu Lan patted her chest.

As long as Su Xingye was alright, that was all that mattered.

If she behaved herself and didn’t bring trouble, with her current status as a princess, she could probably live well in this world and avoid the tragic fate of the original owner.

Just then, the villa’s steward rushed over in a panic.

“Bad news, bad news.”

“Princess Louisa has arrived with a large group and reporters from the Galactic Daily.”

“They’re blocking the entrance right now. Princess, you should go see.”

“What? Why is Louisa here?”

Yu Lan was baffled.

She even brought the media? What big news could she possibly have?

Sigh!

The original owner’s situation was tragic enough. She was the queen’s only daughter and heir apparent.

But at five years old, she was lost due to palace intrigue. Queen Belina, having lost her ability to bear children, adopted twin sister Lord Isa’s daughter Louisa, who was then made a princess.

The original owner, when found, had lost her healing powers, reduced to a useless female with only a princess title, completely cut off from the throne.

In the original story’s end, Louisa fulfilled expectations by becoming the new queen.

Yu Lan had barely reached the door when she saw the villa’s gates being forcefully pushed open from outside.

Louisa’s voice came through: “Lanlan, I cannot bear to see Su Xingye, the empire’s hero fighting valiantly, reduced to a beast because of your selfishness.”

“Although a female cannot soothe another’s male beast, you have no healing power and cannot bond with General Su.”

“I promise, I will provide him with regular soothing. In name, he will still be your beast.”

“I won’t steal your beast from you!”

A female unable to soothe her own male beast—letting another female help was nothing short of blatant humiliation.

Yu Lan clenched her fist.