Transmigration:The Villain Wants A Happy End Without His BeastHusbands-Chapter 32: Adorable, But Strange

Ningyan’s body felt utterly spent.

Every muscle screamed as though he had run for days without rest. His limbs were heavy, pulled tight with lingering strain, and when he finally dragged in a breath, his lungs burned as if he had barely survived drowning.

It took a long moment before the pain receded enough for him to notice a calm, steady flow of energy wrapped gently around his core.

Slowly, Ningyan forced his eyes open.

Glowing emerald serpent eyes stared back at him from behind crooked spectacles.

His breath caught.

Lan Meishan looked exhausted.

His glasses sat askew on his nose, and while his robes and hair remained immaculate, the strain showed in his face.

He sat in a meditation position directly in front of Ningyan, who realized, belatedly, that he was seated the same way.

Two of Meishan’s fingers still glowed faintly, releasing a steady stream of core-strength energy into Ningyan’s abdomen.

"You’re awake," Meishan said.

Relief flickered unmistakably in his eyes as though he had truly believed Ningyan might never wake again.

Ningyan tried to speak.

Nothing came out.

His throat was raw, swollen from hours of screaming.

"You don’t need to talk," Meishan said calmly. "I’ll tell you everything you need to know."

His gaze lingered on Ningyan’s eyes, where the white-gold blaze still burned faintly. It had dimmed, but not vanished.

A good sign.

Ningyan nodded weakly, resting his hands on his knees. He tightened his grip on the fabric beneath his fingers, testing his strength.

It trembled.

"...It’s been four days?" Meishan said.

Ningyan’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Four days?

They had been doing this for four days?

Meishan looked mildly amused by his reaction. "I’ve lost a considerable amount of strength," he admitted. "But I’ll recover. And so will you, now that you’ve survived this far."

He paused.

"I was honestly expecting cardiac arrest. Or complete bodily combustion from the pain."

His tone was disturbingly casual.

"But it seems we were... lucky."

Luck?!

Ningyan’s face flushed in outrage.

Meishan tilted his head suddenly. "Are you of pure bloodline?"

The question came out of nowhere.

Ningyan hesitated. Then nodded.

Meishan nodded back, thoughtful. "I see..."

His complexion had gone noticeably pale. The color drained from his lips, and something about it made Ningyan uneasy.

Then Meishan’s eyes fluttered shut.

"...The water..." he murmured.

His fingers went slack.

The glow vanished.

And his body tipped sideways, collapsing onto the ground.

Ningyan froze.

Meishan had collapsed.

"No.. no, no..." Ningyan rasped, scrambling toward him despite the screaming protest of his own body.

He grabbed Meishan under the arms and hauled him upright, his breath coming in shallow, uneven gasps.

"What did you mean by the water?" he whispered hoarsely.

The sound of flowing water grew louder.

Ningyan’s gaze snapped toward the waterfall nearby. It had formed a clear, glassy body of water that shimmered faintly, heat rolling off its surface.

"Oh..." he croaked.

That had to be it.

Grimacing, Ningyan dragged Meishan toward the pool, muscles burning with every inch. When he finally reached the edge, he hesitated, staring down at Meishan’s still form.

"...Do I undress him?"

He looked closer.

Meishan.. usually composed, sharp, untouchable.. looked almost unfairly beautiful like this. Soft. Vulnerable. His lashes cast shadows against pale skin, his lips slightly parted.

Ningyan swallowed.

This felt criminal.

"Focus," he rasped.

He hastily pulled off Meishan’s outer robe, removed his spectacles, and slid the golden hair clasp free. Midnight-black hair spilled loose over his shoulders.

Then Ningyan stepped into the water, gripping Meishan by the arms.

Heat wrapped around him instantly, soothing, almost heavy. He waded forward, breath hitching at how warm it was, how deep it seemed.

Then the ground vanished beneath his feet.

The water dropped away sharply.

Panic clawed up his throat. "I..I can’t—"

He couldn’t swim.

Terror seized him. Instinctively, he let go of Meishan, flailing wildly to keep himself afloat.

Meishan sank.

"No—!" Ningyan choked.

The water swallowed his scream.

His arms thrashed uselessly, splashing everywhere, but his body was too weak, too sore. He was sinking helplessly dragged down by the heated yet eerily dark water.

His chest burned.

His vision blurred.

Was this how he was going to die?

After all that?

Bubbles tore from his lips as he clawed blindly, his muscles screaming, his lungs screaming louder. And the darkness of the water closed in.

Just when Ningyan thought this was the end, something massive moved in the water.

A huge black serpent surged out of the depths, its body curling around him in one swift motion.

Ningyan’s heart slammed violently against his ribs.

This snake was enormous. At least six feet long, thick and powerful, its presence overwhelming.

Ningyan was sure he was going to die of a heart attack now.

Then glowing emerald serpent eyes met his.

Recognition hit him like a thunderclap.

Lan Meishan.

The world lurched.

Ningyan was yanked out of the water and thrown onto solid ground. He landed hard, coughing violently, water pouring from his lungs as he wheezed and gagged, chest burning.

"That was a close one."

The calm voice came from behind him.

Ningyan twisted around weakly and froze.

Meishan leaned by the edge of the pool, his lower body still submerged in the water.

His upper body was bare, slender and fit, skin slick with water. Long black hair clung to his shoulders as he ran his fingers through it, pushing it back absentmindedly.

He looked utterly composed.

And devastatingly unfair.

Ningyan stared, his brain completely offline, only vaguely aware that he had nearly drowned moments ago.

Seeing the vacant look on Ningyan’s face, Meishan tilted his head slightly. "Are you about to pass out?" he asked mildly. "Did my beast form scare you?"

That snapped Ningyan back.

He blinked rapidly and tried to speak, but nothing came out. He frowned instead, rubbing at his sore neck.

Meishan’s lips curved faintly.

"You are a strange one," he murmured. "Adorable, but strange."

The low, whispered tone sent a shiver straight through Ningyan’s spine.

He wanted to argue. To point out that Meishan was the strange one here.

Instead, he just kept staring at the impossibly calm, impossibly beautiful serpent prince who had just saved his life.