Chapter 17: Monkey

Some memories, no matter how long they pass, are difficult to forget even a little bit. They're like aged wine, becoming more fragrant with time.

Rose and Yang Chen's first meeting was bloody and dramatic.

As Rose, with her faintly feminine voice, slowly recounted this memory, Yang Chen felt a bit lost. Half a year ago, the two of them had met by chance, rescued and been rescued, and their occasional simple exchanges over the past six months had led to the delicate relationship they had now — distant, ambiguous, and exhilarating.

Gathering her smooth, black hair, Rose sat on the bed with her knees drawn up, smiling somewhat intoxicatedly. "Yang Chen, do you know what I was thinking when you didn't show up back then?"

"What?" Yang Chen asked.

"I was thinking about the fairy tales my mother used to tell me when I was a child. In those stories, when the weak princess was persecuted by villains or demons, there was always a prince on a white horse who would come to rescue her from distress. And then, the end of the story would surely be 'from then on, the prince and the princess lived happily ever after.' I used to think that was such a boring and ridiculous sentence... But you, you made it all come true." Rose's eyes sparkled with excitement as she gazed at Yang Chen tenderly.

Yang Chen rubbed his nose. "I didn't expect you to have such a sentimental and childlike side."

"Hehe..." Rose chuckled softly. "How should I put it... I know I'm not a princess, and you're not a prince on a white horse... well, not even a black horse prince. You didn't even have a horse; you just dropped from the sky without warning. But at that moment, none of that seemed to matter... I just wanted to have someone by my side in the future. He wouldn't need to be with me all the time or make me happy all the time... Just someone who would lend me a hand when I couldn't walk, give me a shoulder to lean on when I was sad, so I wouldn't feel so helpless, so lonely. That would be enough..."

"Rose..." Yang Chen reached out, gently caressing the woman's smooth, moist cheek. "I'll be honest with you, I'm not exactly a good man. In the past, I've had relationships with countless women. Like you said, what you need isn't a powerful helper. With your conditions, perhaps finding an honest and reliable man who will wholeheartedly devote himself to you would be better..."

"That's not possible anymore." A mischievous glint shone in Rose's eyes. "Yang Chen, do you know the relationship between a monkey troop and its alpha male?"

"Monkey troop? Alpha male?" Yang Chen looked puzzled. "What are you getting at?"

"In a monkey troop, the alpha male is the most powerful male, and all the female monkeys in the troop become his mates."

This is the instinct of monkeys; female monkeys pursue the strongest male because their offspring will inherit stronger genes. So when they see the most powerful alpha male, they have no room in their hearts for other males.

In human society, it's not much different. From ancient kings to powerful men nowadays, the reason they have multiple wives and concubines may be due to their greed. But who can say for sure that the women who follow them are always forced to do so? Since there's the best, why choose anything less?"

Yang Chen couldn't help but laugh and cry. "So, are we monkeys now?"

"I'm just making an analogy. I just want to tell you that since our first meeting, there won't be anyone else in my eyes for the rest of my life... Perhaps you're not the most powerful in the world, but you're the strongest in my heart..."

Rose's gaze grew increasingly resolute as she looked straight into Yang Chen's eyes. "I love you, Yang Chen."

...

After a silence that lasted more than half a minute, a smile gradually spread across Yang Chen's face, mixed with relief and a hint of playfulness. "You really are a silly woman."

Rose, who had been extremely nervous just now, now showed a look of joy and shook her head. "So what if I'm a silly woman? I don't regret it!"

"Do you know what I originally came here to do today?" Yang Chen's gaze ran up and down Rose's figure.

Although Rose had been mentally prepared, she blushed and her heart raced when Yang Chen unabashedly looked her over. She rarely showed a hint of shyness. "What... What do you want to do?"

Yang Chen leaned in slowly, approaching Rose's beautiful, sparkling earrings, and lightly bit them with his teeth...

"Today, I came to devour this female monkey..."

Before Rose could react, Yang Chen let out a long-suppressed, deep roar and abruptly grabbed Rose's slender waist, tossing her soft body onto the center of the large bed!

...

Author's note: I found a good website, and I'm serializing there: JIUXS.COM

After nearly an hour and a half of rolling around on the bed, the pair of men and women finally stopped, covered in a mess of sheets, cuddling together.

Rose seemed to still be in a daze, leaning against Yang Chen's chest.

The woman, now moistened by the rain, looked especially beautiful. Her hand gently traced around Yang Chen's strong chest as she complained, "I didn't realize doing this kind of thing was so tiring. Let's not do it again in the future."

"Suit yourself," Yang Chen hugged the enticing figure in his arms and smirked, "If you don't do it, I can always find other women."

"You heartless man, you're already thinking about other women right after we're done!" Rose laughed and scolded Yang Chen playfully, then her expression turned curious, "By the way, when you came to me today, you weren't really just thinking about... that, were you?"

Yang Chen reached out and pinched Rose's tender cheek, "It could be said yes, and it could also be said no."

"What do you mean?" Rose considered herself quite clever, but she had never been able to figure out what was going on in the mind of her beloved man.

Yang Chen climbed out of bed, rummaged through his pants, and took out a pack of cheap cigarettes. He lit one and enjoyed a few smoke rings before relaxing and smiling, "When I say yes, it's because you truly attract me. Well... I've been wanting to devour you, my little fat lamb who's delivered herself to my door. But, as you know, your background is rather troublesome. Eating you would mean breaking my peaceful days. So, I've just been watching and not moving my mouth."

Rose nodded somewhat dejectedly, "I know you don't want to get involved in the conflict in the Western District, and I'm the leader of the Redbud Society. Being with me means going against the entire Western Alliance Society."

"You naturally refused to accept me before, but now... could it be that you're planning..."

As Rose spoke, her eyes flickered...

Seeing Rose's hesitant expression, Yang Chen chuckled, "You don't need to think too much. That's right, for some annoying reasons, I'm quite disgusted with your father's Western Alliance Society now. Or rather, it's certain individuals within the Western Alliance Society who have been giving me headaches. I feel that instead of hiding, it's better to make the entire Western District your territory. Although it may take some effort and there may be various complications, but..."

At this point, Yang Chen greedily scanned Rose's lazy and beautiful figure, licked his lips, and continued, "But, if it means getting rid of those annoying pests and enjoying the privilege of having you, my dear silly woman, why wouldn't I do it?"