Transmigration:The Villain Wants A Happy End Without His BeastHusbands-Chapter 75: We Can Run Away Together!

"Spirit Mastery is the art of syncing deeply with your beast soul," Lan Meishan said calmly. "That is the first rule. And the most important one. Once you have mastered that, you can move on to full beast transformation"

The students were wading in the celestial lake as he spoke, water rippling around their legs, but Lan Meishan himself remained on the shore, robes untouched, watching with quiet focus.

Ningyan was exhausted.

A white-gold glow wrapped around his body, steady but heavy, and he found himself lifting his gaze toward the sky, only to realize the sun was already sinking. They had been cultivating since noon.

None of the others complained.

Especially not Rong Chao, who seemed to find limitless energy as Lan Meishan was nearby. Ningyan couldn’t help but feel a faint, useless pity for him. Lan Meishan’s attention had never once lingered on Rong Chao the way it lingered on him.

"Try it, Linyao!" Shenzhen encouraged brightly.

Linyao immediately stopped wading. She closed her eyes, brought her hands together, and focused.

A sharp, translucent yellow glow burst forth.

A roaring lioness materialized behind her, elegant, powerful, its presence filling the air before collapsing smoothly back into her body.

Shenzhen whooped without restraint.

Linyao’s eyes flew open, bright with disbelief and joy as the glow settled within her.

"How did I do, Senior?" she asked eagerly, turning toward Lan Meishan.

Lan Meishan met her gaze, then gave a small nod and a faint smile.

That alone was enough.

Linyao beamed.

"The sun’s going down," Rong Chao said suddenly, splashing toward the shore. He shook water from his hair, ears, and tail before hurriedly pulling on his robes. "I should head back now."

He bowed deeply to Lan Meishan.

"Thank you for today’s lesson, Senior Lan."

Lan Meishan inclined his head. "I’ll see you tomorrow."

Rong Chao froze.

His face turned red. "O–of course!"

And then he fled.

Ningyan let out a quiet chuckle as the glow around him finally dimmed.

Shenzhen and Linyao showed no sign of leaving the water. Shenzhen continued guiding her patiently, their voices low and focused.

Ningyan lifted his gaze.

Lan Meishan was already looking at him.

The look made Ningyan’s chest tighten. Lan Meishan always spoke more when they were alone. That knowledge lingered between them, unspoken.

"Ningyan," Shenzhen called casually, his eyes still on Linyao. "Yunyi-jie said you should come for dinner tonight."

"Dinner?" Ningyan echoed.

Yunyi had been feeding him well, sharing phoenix history through stories rather than books. Teaching him without ever calling it teaching. And Ningyan had stayed patient with her. It felt nice too.

"Yes," Shenzhen replied.

"I’ll meet you at the manor then," Ningyan said quietly.

"We want to play in the water a while longer," Shenzhen said cheerfully.

"I’m leaving." Ningyan immediately yanked himself out of the lake.

Water streamed from his clothes as he shrugged his robe back on without bothering to tie it properly. It hung loose over his shoulders, barely covering his chest, scars and old gashes still visible. His trousers clung uncomfortably to his legs, dripping onto the grass.

He gripped his flute tightly, irritated by the cold and the way everything felt too much against his skin.

"I’ll be taking my leave as well," Lan Meishan said.

"Can we stay without you here?" Shenzhen asked quickly, just as Meishan turned away.

"An hour at most," Meishan replied.

"Thank you, Senior!" Linyao waved enthusiastically.

Lan Meishan began walking, and Ningyan followed without thinking.

Once they were far enough from the lake, Meishan slowed until he was walking beside him.

"You don’t look comfortable," he said.

Ningyan snorted. "It’s that obvious? How did Rong Chao manage to run off like that?"

Lan Meishan smiled then paused, as if recalculating. "I know a shorter route."

"To Wuhen’s manor?" Ningyan asked.

Lan Meishan parted his lips, clearly intending to answer, then stopped. His brows drew together slightly, and he looked away.

Ningyan blinked.

Oh. He’s jealous.

Lan Meishan turned off the main path and led them into the wooded section of the academy grounds. Trees closed in around them, the light dimming as the sun dipped low, twilight settling between the branches.

Silence followed.

It stretched just long enough to feel wrong.

Ningyan suddenly felt like he was on a painfully awkward first date. He wanted to say something, anything, but feared it would come out wrong.

Then Lan Meishan stopped.

Ningyan stopped too, looking at him in question.

"Do you have to keep going to him?" Meishan asked.

Ningyan’s eyes widened. "The chain—"

"Transfer it to me." The words were flat. Direct. Not angry. Just... stated.

Ningyan could do it. Transferring the spirit mate chain wasn’t difficult.

But Lan Meishan was unpredictable. He had an insane spilt personality.

Ningyan took a slow breath.

He reached out, took Meishan’s hand, and gently guided him off the path, deeper between the trees. He set his flute down in the grass, then turned back, holding Meishan’s hand with both of his own.

He looked up into those emerald eyes.

"You’ve been kind to me since we met," Ningyan said quietly. "You saved me. You showed me hope. You gave me a future path I didn’t know I could walk."

Meishan didn’t interrupt. He watched. Listened.

"I admire you," Ningyan continued. "And I’m grateful to you."

His grip tightened slightly.

"But I can’t give you the chain."

"But I will treat you better." Lan Meishan’s eyes softened, the unnatural glow fading until only the emerald serpent pupils remained. "I won’t let anyone hurt you."

Ningyan held his gaze. "I don’t want a chain between us. If you want to be close to me, it shouldn’t be because of one." His fingers tightened around Meishan’s hand. "Leave Wuhen to me. Even if he’s still part of my life... he can’t be you."

Meishan looked down at their joined hands carefully, as if he was committing the moment to memory.

"I understand," he whispered. "And I will help you grow strong enough to break it."

Ningyan smiled. He couldn’t refuse that.

At that moment, he decided he was going to keep Lan Meishan. He should have done it a long time ago.

"Is it safe, though?" Ningyan asked after a pause. "With your father... and the demon qi?"

"My uncles are here on errands for him," Meishan replied calmly. "I’ve been removed from his plans, including the other... me. I wouldn’t have come to you if you were in danger. I wouldn’t have told you I wanted you close."

Ningyan’s eyes widened. "So you aren’t doing his work anymore?"

"He finds Lan Shiyu more suitable now," Meishan said. "After I refused to cultivate demon qi." Conflict flickered across his face. "I plan to leave. To carve my own path, away from my father, my clan, all of it."

Ningyan hadn’t expected that.

"Then we can run away together," he blurted out.

The smile that spread across Lan Meishan’s face was immediate and unguarded.

"It won’t be easy," he said. "I’m still a divine beast prince. His heir. And he’s already begun experiments, experiments I can’t—"

Ningyan lifted his hand and covered Meishan’s mouth. "Shh."

Meishan froze, eyes widening. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"As long as you aren’t doing his work anymore... that’s enough for me."

Meishan nodded slowly.

Ningyan lowered his hand.

"It doesn’t make things easier," Meishan murmured. He reached up, brushing damp strands of hair away from Ningyan’s forehead. "I just need to be close to you."

Goosebumps rose along Ningyan’s skin.

"And I’m accepting your closeness," he replied.

"As your lover?" The excitement in Meishan’s voice was unmistakable, the slit of his pupils dilating.

Ningyan blinked.

It had been barely seven hours since he’d even agreed to any of this.

Then he smiled softly and shrugged. "Ye—"

He didn’t get to finish.

Lan Meishan closed the distance in an instant, capturing his mouth in a sudden, hungry kiss, nothing like the composed scholar everyone believed him to be.

And for the first time, Ningyan thought, Fuck it.

Because right now, it didn’t feel like a bad idea at all.