Shen Jianxi was startled by his words.
Two days!? She had only been here for one day since her last visit, but two days had already passed in this world?
"Hey! I'm talking to you! Why aren't you responding, female?"
Snapping back to attention, Shall, who had been two meters away, was now in front of her.
Shen Jianxi pursed her lips and looked at the nearly two-meter-tall beastman, blurting out, "Dry Instant Noodles, you're here again?"
"What noodles??" Shall was bewildered, only understanding the latter half of her sentence. "This area is all my territory, is it strange for me to be here?"
"Heh heh." She gave a dry laugh and took a step back, widening the distance between them.
Although her 165cm height wasn't considered short, she still seemed small in front of Shall.
Although he didn't understand what "Dry Instant Noodles" meant, Shall already knew it was the female's way of calling him. Hearing this, he snorted, "With your small frame? Hah!"
His laugh was full of mockery.
Her temple twitched, and she opened her mouth to retort, "Hah! You this... ugh!"
As they spoke, they arrived at a stone cave.
Before she could finish her sentence, she was thrown onto a mat made of animal hide inside the cave. Her already battered bottom hit it again, causing her to bend over and curl up in pain.
The culprit behind all this showed no remorse, thinking to himself: This female is much more delicate than any other he had seen. It's no wonder she's underdeveloped!
Shall, who was very confident in his strength, stepped forward, untied the vine, and threw it aside. Then, he took out a knife.
Seeing his actions, Shen Jianxi forgot about her pain and quickly retreated, her hand reaching for the gem, ready to escape if the situation turned dire.
"Why are you running?" The man grabbed her ankle and pulled her back with a force. "Don't be afraid, my technique is very good. It'll be over in a flash, and you won't be in pain for long."
Shen Jianxi: My heart, everything sounds dirty. – A message to myself.
Shall held her with one hand and sharpened the knife on a stone with the other, then checked it against the light. He nodded with satisfaction and then held the knife to Shen Jianxi's neck.
The knife moved slightly, and a red mark appeared on her neck.
'Good sharpening, he could open a shop,' Shen Jianxi thought instinctively, then shivered and cast away the strange idea.
"Wait, wait a moment!" She eyed the knife warily, swallowed a few times, and for the sake of her natural resort, decided to try and talk to the kidnapper.
"If you're hungry, I have food here. I guarantee you'll like it."
Shall smiled, as if toying with her. "I am the strongest male and never go hungry. But I haven't seen any underdeveloped females as tender as you. I imagine you'd taste quite good."
As he said this, he unconsciously licked his lips.
"I have something you've never eaten!" Shen Jianxi shouted, craning her neck. She flinched back when she touched the cold blade. "No one has ever eaten it. Let me go, and I can give you lots and lots of things you've never eaten!"
Fortunately, she could bring things from modern times. She doubted this beastman had ever tasted anything from there.
The emphasis on "never eaten" piqued Shall's interest. He placed the knife within easy reach and sat cross-legged in front of her. "Let me see. But first, if it's not tasty, I'll eat you!"
Shen Jianxi nodded, took a deep breath to calm her racing heart, and opened the bag she wore.
Inside the bag were the small snacks the food delivery service had sent her at noon – two small bags of marshmallows.
Shen Jianxi mused that these two bags should be enough for him to try. If anything went wrong, she could escape.
She tore open the outer packaging and placed it in the bag, then handed the marshmallows over. "Here! Try this."
Shall took them and examined the strange food in front of his eyes. The airy, soft texture fascinated him. "Can this thing really be eaten?" he asked, full of doubt.
Shen Jianxi nodded with utmost sincerity, her sincerity no less than that of someone praying to the God of Wealth every month.
The man looked back and forth between her and the marshmallows suspiciously. Then, he reluctantly stood up and washed the items in the water.
And then, he watched as the strange food disappeared in his hands.
Shen Jianxi, who had watched the entire process: ...
Shall fished around in the water with great suspicion, then searched around himself. When he realized the marshmallows were truly gone, he turned to her in disbelief. "It's gone!?"
A tall man might not have evoked much of a reaction when saying this. But a tall man with two ears, looking at her with innocent eyes, made Shen Jianxi feel like her health bar was about to empty. Sudan Novel Network.
She suppressed a smile and took out the other marshmallow. She walked over to him and handed it over. "This one can't be washed. Eat it directly. It will melt if it touches water."
"Don't lie to me!" Saying this, Shall frowned and put the item into his mouth.
The sweet, melt-in-your-mouth taste made his eyes light up, and he reached out again. "More."
Shen Jianxi spread her hands. "It's all gone. There were only these two."
Hearing this, the light in the man's eyes dimmed. She seized the opportunity to tempt him. "Let me go, and I'll bring you more."
Let her go? Shall was reluctant. Although his diet consisted mainly of bamboo shoots and fruits, she looked really delicious. But... if he didn't let her go, he wouldn't get to eat these strange things anymore.
His handsome brows furrowed tightly. Although Shen Jianxi wore a friendly smile, she was on guard, ready to run if he refused.
After a few minutes, Shall's brows finally relaxed. "Deal! But I need to mark you."
This time, it was her turn to frown.
Mark? Thinking of how stray cats marked their territory downstairs, she recoiled in disgust and threatened, "If you dare to pee on me, we'll die together!"
Shall: "..."
"I'm not like those foods, how could I be so barbaric!" Shall jumped up, provoked by her words, and his tone became unfriendly. "Come here."
Shen Jianxi stood her ground.
As if she were foolish? What if he went back on his word?
"Come here! I won't eat you!" As if sensing her thoughts, Shall took matters into his own hands and pulled her closer. He lowered his head and bit her neck.
A sharp pain shot through her. Shen Jianxi shoved him away abruptly and touched her neck, finding that it had indeed bled.
"What are you doing!"
Shall shrugged nonchalantly. "I told you I wouldn't eat you. I'm a man of my word. It's just a mark, so I can find you no matter where you are."
"Don't even think about running!"
Shen Jianxi's expression was grim, and she remained silent. Good heavens, he had given her a GPS! And one that she didn't know how to remove.
She turned around silently and walked towards the cave entrance. This time, Shall didn't stop her.
Once she was sure she was out of his sight, Shen Jianxi silently thought: Go back!
A wave of dizziness washed over her. She supported herself on something and stood up, only to find that she hadn't returned to her bedroom but had arrived in another new, unfamiliar place.