21. Chen Nan’s Heat Cycle

Ning Xuan grabbed Chen Nan and whispered in his ear, "Carry me inside!"

Chen Nan felt a sharp sting as her nails dug into his flesh. Sensing the pain mixed with the warmth of her palm and witnessing her current state, his heart began to race. He did not dare to hesitate, scooping her up and rushing into the house.

"Contract Master, we are home. How are you feeling?" Chen Nan asked, watching her anxiously. The turbulence within her was intense. Typically, the awakening of a companion spirit was a gentle process, and reactions were rarely this severe. Ning Xuan’s current condition seemed more like the precursor to alienation—a descent into a mindless beast, which would explain such violent restlessness.

How could this be? Female Spirit Controllers were not supposed to undergo alienation. It was impossible!

"Go back to your room. Do not come out unless I call for you!" Ning Xuan was ravenous. A few days ago, Chen Nan had purchased a large quantity of processed, ready-to-eat earth-stags beast meat and stored it in the refrigerator.

"Contract Master, you..." Chen Nan looked at her, clearly uneasy.

"Go!" Ning Xuan shoved him with such force that he stumbled back. Seeing her black eyes burning like flames, he felt unable to resist. As if under a spell, he nodded and retreated into his room like a ghost.

Watching him leave, Ning Xuan opened her clenched right hand. A black seed beneath the skin of her palm extended dozens of black threads. These threads burrowed into her surging blood vessels, traveling through them and absorbing certain substances. As the threads slowly grew, the minutes ticked by, and the boiling blood gradually calmed.

A special energy, akin to spiritual essence, rose like mist, breaking free from her blood and dispersing into her limbs and bones. The meridians and acupoints within her body became increasingly clear.

Ning Xuan felt her violently pounding heart gradually steady. She drew the black threads out of her veins. The moment they pierced through her skin, they sprouted into a dozen black-and-red vines. Under her control, these vines acted like tentacles, clearing out all the food stored in the refrigerator and bringing it to the kitchen to be heated. Ning Xuan gazed at the vines with joy; her spirit plant had finally awakened from its dormancy. Although severely depleted, its core remained intact. With enough energy, it would return to its former strength.

However, the Ghost-Faced Red Vine was a Level 7 demon plant, and this current body was far too weak to sustain it. For now, she could only manifest these few vines. To unleash the full power of the Red Vine, she would have to wait for this body to grow stronger.

Excellent. She was no longer fighting alone. As long as she steadily increased her power, she would eventually find a way to return home.

Ning Xuan sat in the dining room, eating the heated meat patties in a measured, graceful manner. Each time she finished a piece, a vine would offer her another. Though her pace seemed unhurried, not one of the dozen vines remained idle.

After more than half an hour, the month’s worth of stored food was gone, and the hunger within her finally subsided.

The beast lurking inside her seemed satisfied at last. Ning Xuan felt every cell in her body stretch from the inside out. This sense of relief brought a profound pleasure to her spirit and consciousness. A wave rippled through her mental sea, and her spiritual power surged outward, instantly enveloping the entire house. At the same time, the substances vaporized from her blood escaped through her pores. She felt weightless and incredibly comfortable.

Looking at the empty refrigerator, she realized she needed to have Chen Nan stock up on more food. If this happened again and she were left starving, she had no idea what she might do.

Ning Xuan went upstairs to find Chen Nan. As soon as she reached the second floor, she heard a painful, suppressed wheezing, as if he were enduring great agony.

Besides her, only Chen Nan was in the house. Was he injured? But he had been fine just moments ago.

She looked toward the source of the sound: Chen Nan’s room. She approached and knocked. "Chen Nan, are you alright?"

"I... I am fine," Chen Nan replied in a low, hoarse voice.

"Open the door. I need to speak with you." Ning Xuan frowned. His voice was trembling; he did not sound fine at all.

Although Chen Nan had hidden his personal information at first—perhaps because he was low-level and didn't want to form a contract—he had been nothing but helpful since joining her. He had driven away Ning Chuchu and had been generous with his money and effort. Now that he was clearly in pain, how could she sit idly by?

"Tomorrow... can it wait until tomorrow?" Chen Nan was shivering; she could hear his teeth chattering.

"Has the poison in your body flared up? Didn't you say my spiritual power could help cleanse it? I'm coming in!" Ning Xuan was genuinely worried. Since arriving in this world, he was the only person she acknowledged as a friend.

The house belonged to her, and she could enter any room. She unlocked the door and pushed it open. Chen Nan was in disarray, blood staining the corner of his mouth. His eyes and brow were flushed with red, and his typically calm pupils were now a vibrant, jade-like green, filled with tears. He looked clear, flawless, and ethereal.

Seeing her enter, Chen Nan’s eyes were filled with panicked restraint. He grabbed a silver ring from somewhere and, shutting his eyes, clicked it around his neck.

As soon as the ring was fastened, a faint red glow spread across his exposed skin. His expression grew even more tormented; perhaps due to the effort of holding back, his entire body was shaking.

"You... is this your 'heat cycle'?" Although she hadn't been in this world long, since she now had a contract partner, she had familiarized herself with everything a partner might need from a Contract Master.

Chen Nan’s current state was clearly the heat cycle that male Spirit Controllers experienced after reaching adulthood.

The term "heat cycle" was a polite euphemism; in reality, it was a mating season. Humans had used genetic fusion technology to integrate beast genes, gaining power but also inheriting beastly instincts. The annual heat cycle varied depending on the companion spirit. Chen Nan’s spirit was the Emerald-Eyed Golden Eagle, a massive bird of prey. His cycle typically occurred every spring, lasting for one or two months.

"Please, leave!" Chen Nan’s fingers dug into the mattress. The scent of Ning Xuan’s pheromones, caught at such close range, pushed his remaining sanity to the brink. His blood was boiling, rampaging through his veins. His heart hammered uncontrollably, and every drop of blood in his body screamed with a craving for the person before him—a craving for her to come closer, to touch him, to hold him, or perhaps something more...