Help! The Villainess Trapped in the Beast World's Drama!

Chapter 618 - 558: Bittersweet

After Yun Han left, Xiao Jin noticed Shen Tang’s clothes were soaked. He immediately pulled out some spare clothes from his space and handed them to her for a change.

Shen Tang felt a bit embarrassed and whispered, "There are still guards outside!"

Xiao Jin strode out, dismissed the guards with a few words, then shut the door tightly and stood by the entrance, waiting for her to change.

He reached out to touch Shen Tang’s hand, finding it still ice-cold, and pulled her into his embrace. His blazing body heat instantly cloaked her, warmer than the fireplace inside the room.

Xiao Jin lowered his head to kiss her cheek, speaking with worry, "This time the cold snap is more severe than expected. Next time we go out, you must hold onto me tight, never let go... It’d be best if we tie a string to each of our wrists so we won’t get separated."

Shen Tang couldn’t help but chuckle softly, "But what if we have a disagreement? You want to go north, and I want to go south. Wouldn’t we end up fighting?"

"I’ll definitely follow your lead. If you say one, I’ll never say two. I listen to you the most!" Xiao Jin said with a mischievous smile, pinching her waist, not seeming obedient in the slightest.

Shen Tang gently slapped his hand away, her cheeks slightly flushed, "Be mindful of the impression you make when we’re outside!"

Her voice carried a hint of coquettishness, making Xiao Jin immediately restrain himself, not daring to be as brazen as he was at home.

He lay down with her on the bed, carefully tucking in the corners of the quilt, softly stroking her hair and advising, "You should rest well first. The cold snap will be fiercer after nightfall; we’ll act in the morning."

"Okay," Shen Tang replied softly, "You should also take a proper rest tonight so you can be fully energized for the investigation tomorrow."

Xiao Jin agreed heartily, unable to resist holding her for another kiss, feeling his heart swell with sweetness, wishing for more intimate moments together.

Neither Xue Yinzhou nor Lu Xiao were good at maneuvering in the icy wilderness, which gave Xiao Jin an opportunity. Though the task was urgent, in a certain sense, it also became a rare opportunity for the two to have time together.

Yun Han walked to the door, his Wolf Clan beastman’s sharp hearing easily capturing the affectionate chatter and soft kissing sounds inside.

His footsteps halted abruptly, as if nailed to the spot, unable to move an inch further.

A fine prickling pain arose in his heart, as if pierced by countless needles, spreading into a deep and enduring ache...

He knew he and Shen Tang were no longer possible.

She would no longer have feelings for him, perhaps even holding animosity, and he wouldn’t debase himself by clinging and disturbing her.

He could only stay as far away as possible, using avoidance to suppress a love that should never have bloomed.

For more than a year, he had forced himself to forget the past, using endless battles and training to fill the void inside.

He thought he had long since moved on, but it wasn’t until he saw her again that he realized his heart would still ache with longing for her.

Feeling somewhat flustered, Yun Han turned around, handing food to the subordinate outside the door, making an excuse that he had urgent matters to attend to, and hurriedly left.

...

The next morning, the furious cold snap that had raged all night finally subsided.

The cold snaps here mainly erupted at dusk. Lately, they’ve been occurring earlier and lasting longer, but no large-scale cold snap had occurred during the day. Search and rescue teams usually set out at dawn, returning before sunset.

In the square of Lindong City, the prepared troops had already assembled, surrounded by many citizens who came to watch.

Upon hearing that the Emperor had come in person, the people’s spirits soared, dispelling their prior despondency.

The north had always been a harsh place of exile; nobles with status never wished to endure hardship here. The Emperor’s personal visit was the first in decades, underscoring the gravity of the northern crisis!

The citizens kneeled to pay their respects, gazing excitedly at the beautiful and noble female.

Beside her stood two equally dazzling males.

One had black hair and golden eyes, a tall and lean figure with an unruly, fierce aura, standing loyal and firm behind the female, even when motionless, attracting many admiring glances from females.

However, everyone knew this beautiful Leopard Clan male was the Emperor’s Beast Husband. They only dared to admire him in their hearts, not daring to approach.

The other was a young man with silver hair and black eyes, well known among the city’s citizens.

He was tall, handsome, and exceptionally dignified, appearing more composed than ever before.

Having come to Lindong City for over a year, Yun Han had done much for the citizens, earning their deep respect, with many females openly or secretly showing affection for him.

In the crowd, a young female’s gaze never left Yun Han.

She had long snow-white hair, a pure and delicate face, and wore plain clothes made of rough linen, embroidered with unique tribal totems, covered by a thick, brown-and-white checkered fur coat, evidently a local beastman.

Beside her stood a young man several years older, their similar looks suggesting they were siblings.

They were from the Snow Wolf Tribe near Lindong City.

With the increasing number of beastman casualties from the cold snap, many tribes could no longer settle, so Yun Han arranged for nearby tribes to temporarily relocate into the city to prevent further casualties, making this the current primary task.

The older Snow Wolf youth stepped forward, presenting a list to Yun Han, "Captain, the migration members of the Frost Claw Tribe have all been settled, and several other tribes are en route... Currently, there is a shortage of housing and food in the city, requiring more residences to be built and more food to be procured from the south..."

Shen Tang looked at the Snow Wolf youth and asked, "How much food is left in the city?"

Gong Ge, though the Young Clan Leader of the tribe, faced such a beautiful and noble female for the first time. His cheeks flushed, unable to meet her eyes directly, he lowered his head and respectfully answered, "Reporting to Your Majesty, a grain inventory was taken yesterday, revealing less than a million jin of food, only enough to feed the city’s people for seven days; even with frugal use, it could last at most half a month."

"Moreover, as more tribes migrate in, although the beastmen continue to hunt outside, the game is increasingly scarce, and we dare not venture far to hunt..."

"The consumption rate of food might be faster than expected."

After understanding the plight of Lindong City, Shen Tang had already ordered the Imperial City to dispatch troops for support and transport large amounts of supplies to help the northern people through the crisis.

After handling the city’s affairs, Shen Tang and Xiao Jin went with Yun Han’s team for search and rescue outside the city.

After three days of searching, they found many missing beastmen, but unfortunately, most had perished, some devoured by beasts, others frozen stiff; in the end, only five people were successfully rescued.

During their march, they unfortunately encountered a massive cold snap outbreak, worse yet, they were at its center.

The terrifying storm roared like a shrieking ghost, with snow flying everywhere. Everything in sight was a desolate white, and even shouting was torn apart by the wind, nothing could be heard.

Crash—

The fierce wind nearly swept people off their feet; large rocks and entire thickets were uprooted, crashing down on the team.

In this environment, beastmen could easily get lost from the group, be hit, blown away, or even buried in the snow.

Having learned from previous lessons, Shen Tang immediately activated her Earth Element Ability, raising walls of earth in all directions to block the blizzard.

Yet even a Tenth Rank Earth Ability seemed inadequate against such a terrifying cold snap, as the seemingly sturdy earth walls began to shake, their tops eroded by the wind.

Fortunately, the beastmen were not facing this for the first time. After a brief panic, they quickly formed ranks, using their abilities to build a solid barrier, sheltering everyone within.

At the same time, Shen Tang used her spiritual power to detect a massive ice bear not far away, the size of a small mountain. This ice bear was unlike ordinary beasts, its entire body semi-transparent like icy fiberglass, exuding a suffocating pressure.

"Roar!"

It bellowed furiously and charged, its heavy paws slamming fiercely against the earth wall.

With a thunderous crash.

The sturdy earth wall instantly shattered!