Chun Shijiu lay on his dorm bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. It wasn’t that the bed wasn’t comfortable—unlike the small beds in the human dorms, this one was built to accommodate students of all races, just like the dorm’s main door. Even in his original form, it was spacious enough for him to sprawl.
He’d been suffering from insomnia for a while, ever since Zhou Mu moved in… How could anyone sleep easily with someone like that lying next to them?!
Even if he curled up in the washroom during the day because Zhou Mu and You Qi were acting suspicious outside, and ended up with numb legs, Chun Shijiu’s sharp combat instincts simply wouldn’t allow him to relax.
At this moment, Zhou Mu was sleeping soundly, holding onto a blanket, his breathing steady. He looked so defenseless, like he could be killed by the weakest child. Chun Shijiu could only stare blankly at the ceiling, afraid to make any big movements.
—At this distance, it wasn’t much different from lying right next to Zhou Mu. He was well within the danger zone of a beast. One wrong move and he could end up as a midnight snack.
Damn You Qi. Damn that You Qi. Why couldn’t he be firm about switching dorms with me!?
While silently cursing, he suddenly heard the window shift. Chun Shijiu instantly turned toward the sound, alert. The window was being quietly pulled open from the outside, and a tall figure crouched there.
That figure noticed he was still awake but showed no shame—instead, he looked over with a bit of confusion, as if wondering why Chun Shijiu was even still there.
Chun Shijiu: “……”
Chun Shijiu promptly got up, grabbed his blanket, walked to the door, unlocked it, closed it behind him, and headed across the hall—all in one smooth motion. At the door, the dorm’s Grass Guardian cursed him out with the usual filthy insults, but he was used to it.
You Qi jumped down from the windowsill and quietly closed the window behind him.
Zhou Mu was lying on his side, hugging a blanket in his sleep. His cheek was slightly squished, making it puff out adorably. You Qi unconsciously walked to the bed and squatted down. At that moment, Zhou Mu suddenly opened his eyes and, in a lazy but accurate motion, locked eyes with him.
He patted the bed and said slowly, “Only allowed to lie at the foot of the bed.”
You Qi immediately climbed up, and as he rolled to the inner side, he wrapped Zhou Mu—blanket and all—into his arms!
He lowered his head to breathe in Zhou Mu’s scent, the skin under the moonlight seeming even more translucent…
Zhou Mu lay quietly in You Qi’s arms, stretching out his hand to run along his neck and collarbone, then suddenly grabbed the strap of the muzzle and yanked it backward, forcing You Qi to raise his head.
You Qi opened his mouth slightly, revealing a hint of sharp canine teeth and a flash of tongue that licked his lips—clearly frustrated that he hadn’t managed to touch anything just now.
He was a beast that could remain calm even after years of being bound, yet now he was visibly restless, confused as he looked at Zhou Mu.
“You can continue,” Zhou Mu’s gaze slid over You Qi’s lips, making his heart skip a beat. Then he added, “But no kissing.”
You Qi fell silent. “…Why?”
Zhou Mu sat up in his arms, still tugging the strap, but this time pulling You Qi closer. His nose brushed the cold metal of the muzzle as his apricot eyes shimmered with sleepy haze, looking even more innocent than usual.
His affectionate nuzzling clearly showed he was fine with being close. His tone, like a spoiled child asking for a favor, wasn’t much different from when he made You Qi run errands for him: “Because I told you to sleep at the foot of the bed, and you didn’t listen.”
Allowing You Qi to continue was a special kind of tolerance for a lover. Forbidding kisses was him sticking to his principles—he couldn’t allow endless indulgence.
So that’s how it was…
You Qi was frustrated, but he was the one who had willingly let Zhou Mu put the muzzle on him, the one who had repeatedly exposed his throat in submission. Even before that, he had broken his own rules over and over for Zhou Mu without realizing what it meant.
If he wanted what he desired, it seemed the only way was to fully submit, retreat step by step…
He turned his head. This time, Zhou Mu didn’t stop him. He finally touched Zhou Mu’s wrist, and Zhou Mu casually brushed his fingers over the beast’s fangs without fear.
But when You Qi trailed kisses from his collarbone upward, aiming for Zhou Mu’s soft lips, Zhou Mu easily dodged and said, “Next time.”
You Qi, two sizes larger than Zhou Mu, could completely cover him. His head slammed into the pillow, then tilted and buried into Zhou Mu’s neck with a muffled, “I was wrong.”
……
……
The next morning, You Qi got up and went to the cafeteria to buy breakfast—lots of it. The cafeteria chef, knowing what had happened, even gave him extra portions. When You Qi looked over, the chef said, “Of course, keep it up!”
In just a single day, all kinds of rumors had already spread. It was said that the school administrators, in order to keep Zhou Mu calm, were privately giving him a food stipend—so he wouldn’t go around eating classmates.
There wasn’t much anyone could do, but giving You Qi more food seemed like a small gesture of hope—may the heavens spare this poor kid from getting bitten too much.
In all his years at school, it was the first time You Qi had received this kind of care from the staff. As a ferocious beast, it was a brand-new experience.
Thanks to Zhou Mu, he had become one of them now…
“Thanks,” You Qi said, carrying the food back to the dorm.
He laid the food on the desk. Zhou Mu, still asleep, twitched his nose—probably catching the scent. You Qi crouched beside the bed and saw him slowly open his eyes: “Mmm…”
Smelled like food.
He rolled over, stretching out one arm, the wrist dangling just off the bed.
You Qi grabbed the hand, staring at Zhou Mu’s lips, and pressed a kiss into the palm.
His eyes were like a dog denied permission to jump on the bed, his actions like a beast blocked from its prey—and Zhou Mu’s hand, having carelessly extended past the bed’s “safe zone,” was immediately seized and savored inch by inch.
The touch on his palm tickled—Zhou Mu let out a soft laugh.
“Can I now?” You Qi asked.
Zhou Mu didn’t reply. He got up, took off his pajamas, changed into a long T-shirt and pants, then went to wash his face. You Qi trailed behind him every step, occasionally reaching out to touch his ear or fingers, and wasn’t stopped. Not until Zhou Mu sat down and opened a container of soup dumplings.
The aroma burst out as he lifted the lid—thin skins filled with rich broth, some already dripping over the edge. He picked one up and gave it a little shake—just watching it dangle like that made one’s heart skip.
You Qi suddenly grabbed Zhou Mu’s wrist.
Zhou Mu said, “Still no.”
The soup dumpling fell back down. Zhou Mu bit into the edge, letting the delicious broth flow into his mouth—flavorful and rich. An unskilled diner might get flustered or use a straw to suck it up.
But Zhou Mu was slow and meticulous, savoring every element. The dough skin, soaked in broth, was chewy and perfect.
As Zhou Mu sucked the soup, You Qi swallowed involuntarily.
He hugged Zhou Mu from behind, resting his head on his crown and nuzzling him. Though he didn’t speak, his emotions overflowed.
“Creak…”
The dormitory door slowly creaked open.
The two of them turned to look.
You Qi’s pitch-black eyes grew even sharper.
Damn it, can’t a guy even to watch other eat breakfast?!
— Chun Shijiu had been lectured by the Guardian Grass all night long, and even his inner thoughts had taken on its tone.
He looked like he was on the verge of tears and gestured at the time on his phone. “Getting my books… I’m seriously going to be late!”
The finals for the combat event were three days away. While there were still other competitions going on, it seemed like the students of Hualing had burned through all their passion during the qualifiers. Hardly anyone showed up to watch today, and even those who did were still talking about yesterday.
On the official site and school forums, this time of year was usually peak traffic because of the sports competition. But now? It was all about Zhou Mu.
In this tense atmosphere, Zhou Mu went to Luo Guanzhong’s office.
Luo Guanzhong clearly hadn’t expected him. Even though today was the regular meeting for his students, Zhou Mu’s participation in the sports competition meant he was excused… Sigh, though honestly, they all knew how this would go.
The other senior students didn’t dare say a word when they saw Zhou Mu, all quietly trembling, so Zhou Mu slipped silently behind Luo Guanzhong—who was currently browsing housing listings on ‘Beike Zhaofang’ (a real estate app).
“Teacher, moving house?” Zhou Mu asked casually.
Luo Guanzhong nearly had a heart attack, turning deathly pale as he faced Zhou Mu’s adorable smiling face.
“I-I’m just browsing…” Luo Guanzhong hastily put his phone away.
Bullshit. He was house-hunting!
As a shell-carrying mollusk, he technically had a home on his back, but still needed land rights to settle. He used to invite students over often—including Zhou Mu—and even naively showed Zhou Mu his original form. He regretted it so much now he couldn’t even sleep.
Especially when he remembered how Zhou Mu had constantly praised him in WeChat messages before school even started, expressing admiration, and how he used to stare at him during meetings. He had thought it was respect, maybe fan-like adoration… After all, he was a well-known writer.
Now that he knew the truth, all he had were nightmares—Zhou Mu sneaking in at night to take a little bite and running off!
Terrifying…
So lately he had been looking for a new place, at least so he wouldn’t have to worry after hours. As for during school? If anything happened, he just had to run faster than the others.
“Teacher, isn’t there a meeting today?” Zhou Mu pulled out a notebook, ready to take notes.
“Oh, right, right.” Luo Guanzhong got through the meeting like he was in a dream. The students were tense at first but eventually relaxed and even dared to chat with Zhou Mu.
It wasn’t that Luo Guanzhong’s nerves were worse than his students’. It was just that he had personally witnessed Zhou Mu beat up Xie Rulin and Teacher Hand in the Jinyuan, then slurp up all that demonic energy like noodles…
By the end, Luo Guanzhong himself didn’t even know what he was talking about anymore. The more he learned, the more afraid he became. But the more afraid he was, the more he felt he had to act normal.
Finally wrapping up, Luo Guanzhong squeezed out a friendly smile. “If Zhou Mu has any questions, feel free to ask Yan Xingke. Or me. And congratulations on basically locking in the championship for the combat event! Our whole sect is proud of you! As a reward, I’ll list some special projects for you later—you can choose whichever you want to participate in.”
“Thank you, Teacher!” As a brand-new disciple, Zhou Mu beamed with joy at the special treatment.
At that moment, the half-open door was knocked twice. You Qi appeared in the doorway and casually greeted, “Hello, Teacher.”
He walked in to grab Zhou Mu’s bag. “Time for lunch?”
You Qi could feel everyone’s attitude shift instantly—much friendlier now. It reminded him of the reception he got at the cafeteria that morning. Normally, if he showed up alone, people might not hate him, but they definitely weren’t happy. Now things were different. He was seen as the brave one who stood up.
Zhou Mu grinned even wider when he heard that. “Okay! Nothing else, right, Teacher? See you!”
He was originally walking behind You Qi, but as they reached the door, he took a few quick steps, launched himself—
“Careful!” Luo Guanzhong blurted out, startled.
Zhou Mu landed perfectly on You Qi’s back, legs wrapped around him. He looked back, confused.
Luo Guanzhong said flatly, “…Just be careful messing around. Don’t fall.”
“Oh, thanks, Teacher~” Zhou Mu’s voice drifted away down the hall.
Luo Guanzhong withdrew his gaze and said seriously, “We must unite as a sect and work together to help Zhou Mu graduate from under me as soon as possible…”
His students, suppressing laughter from the earlier scene, nodded in agreement.
One senior sister rubbed her chin. “Come to think of it, I heard Zhou Mu is still living in Chun Shijiu’s dorm… Or more like, Zhou Mu is still letting Chun Shijiu live with him.”
But You Qi had been tamed yesterday too—he was clearly the first classmate Zhou Mu had domesticated.
The others perked up at the new gossip. Everyone might be prey, but the urge to gossip was even stronger.
“Huh, how did You Qi end up there?”
“Is Chun Shijiu tastier?”
“Duh, it’s not about strength.”
“Yeah, Chun Shijiu tried to get Zhou Mu to move out ages ago. He must have some kind of special flavor…”
“Probably some spicy southwestern local dish, huh.”
