Don't Touch My Thorn (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 2
‘Please don’t wake up. I wish you a deep sleep.’
Up close, the white tiger was several times more terrifying than it looked from afar.
Its massive head was covered in glossy, fluffy fur.
The black stripes running from its body to its head and cheeks felt like fierce eyes staring at me. Beside its enormous nose, as big as my torso, the white whiskers—my target—spread out majestically.
‘Alright. If I handle this quickly and disappear, I won’t get caught. Just three. Please, just three. I’m sorry.’
I took a deep breath and approached it.
When I caught sight of the claws buried in its fur, I couldn’t help but tremble with fear. It felt like those claws could pounce on me any moment, making my head spin.
Still, I couldn’t stop.
Shaking off the anxiety, I moved closer to the whiskers. My goal was within reach!
‘But how do I cut the whiskers?’
Now that I thought about it, I had neither scissors nor a knife. Nor did I have hands to use them.
In the end, I decided to use my only weapon—my teeth. And to do that… I had to bury my face in that fluffy cheek fur.
Holding my breath as much as possible, I brought my face close to the whisker’s root.
Then, perhaps tickled, the tiger’s face moved slowly.
Oh no. My heart pounded like a freshly caught fish, ready to leap out of my mouth.
With my face pressed against the tiger’s, I waited until its movements stopped. As soon as it calmed, I moved my mouth again.
Crunch, crunch.
The tiger’s whiskers were so thick they barely budged.
My jaw ached as I chewed with all my might. And finally, the first whisker fell with a soft thud.
Yes! My lifespan just got longer!
Emboldened by my success, I grew bolder. I pushed my face deeper toward another whisker.
At that moment, the tiger’s cheek fur pricked an unfortunate spot—my tiny, precious nostril, shaped like a raisin.
So small, yet it went right in there.
Ugh, it tickles. Hngh.
“…Choo! Choo! … Choo!”
I froze, then slowly opened my eyes. A fierce gaze flashed before me. The bright yellow eyes widened, then narrowed into vertical slits. The chilling pupils locked onto my hedgehog face and stopped.
“Grrrr.”
The tiger’s menacing growl shook the heavens. With the sound, red gums and terrifying teeth gleamed at me.
Oh no!
Overwhelmed by extreme fear, everything went black.
* * *
When I came to after fainting, I was in front of a pot. It was a relief I hadn’t been swallowed whole by the tiger, but this wasn’t exactly a hopeful situation either.
I was moments away from becoming a boiled hedgehog.
“Lord Idrish, is this one a scout too? This is the third one this month. We might need to relocate soon.”
A scout? What kind of lunatic would send a hedgehog as a scout? Even if I scouted, I can’t talk.
“No, we won’t relocate.”
“Not relocating? Well, moving over something this trivial does seem odd. This hedgehog even breached the barrier. It really does seem like a wild animal.”
The small man rambled on to himself.
Idrish? Is that the man’s name?
It felt familiar. I was sure I knew the name. Unable to recall, I focused on the next part of the conversation.
“Then let’s confirm this creature’s identity.”
“Very well. The classic method always works best. Alright, it’s ready. The water’s boiling.”
“Now bring it over.”
The man walked toward me. No!
I curled up, tucking my head into a corner. But before I could resist, he grabbed me tightly and dragged me to the man called Idrish.
Idrish’s golden pupils dilated, then narrowed into vertical slits. A sense of déjà vu hit me.
This chilling sensation. The killing intent. The fear.
‘It’s…!’
It was exactly like the white tiger’s eyes.
Come to think of it, it wasn’t just the eyes. The naturally tousled white hair, pale skin, and perfectly symmetrical, striking features reminded me of that white tiger. It gave me chills.
What, narcissism?
Did he love himself so much that he kept a pet that looked just like him? That’s weird.
“Boil it, then roast it golden and serve it on my table tonight.”
“Eek!”
Even hearing such horrifying words, all a powerless creature like me could do was raise my spines.
“You’re really going to eat it? I thought it was just for torture. Honestly, prepping a hedgehog takes so long, and it’s not exactly efficient…”
Idrish shot a sharp glare at the small man.
“Oh, yes, yes. That’s not the issue, is it? I’ll do as you command. This darn mouth of mine. Troublesome mouth!”
The man flashed his buckteeth and grinned awkwardly, then slapped his mouth with his chubby hand.
‘No, he’s right! I don’t taste good!’
I struggled desperately, but the boiling water in the pot drew closer. The hot steam reached my belly fur. I tucked my short legs to get even a little farther away. It wasn’t enough. The water came closer. The tip of my hind foot touched it. Fear came before the heat.
Save the hedgehog! Save me!
That’s when it happened.
“Wait.”
Wait! Stop! Hold it!
Idrish picked me up again. His sculpted face came within an inch of mine. I panted heavily, curling my body into a ball. My limbs and head tucked into my belly, and I peeked at him with just my eyes.
“I’ll take this one and inspect it further.”
“Oh, yes, yes. Do that. Let me know if you need anything. A knife, perhaps, or a branding iron.”
This guy never runs out of things to say. A knife and a branding iron for what?
“Bring them all.”
The hedgehog let out a squeak.
“Bring them all.”
Hey!
Idrish grabbed me tightly and walked outside.
There was an old, rusty cage. He was about to put me inside but paused, examining me closely again.
“Hm.”
Now I could clearly see Idrish’s face.
Silver hair that didn’t seem human, skin as pale as that hair, yellow eyes like those of a feline, and a towering frame—many unusual traits, but overall, he had a decent face. No, actually, more than decent—it was stunning.
Of course, since I’m not human, whether a human is handsome or not doesn’t matter to me.
“Reveal your identity, hedgehog.”
Identity? I’m just an ordinary whisker thief. What identity could a hedgehog possibly hide?
Grumbling inwardly, I curled up tighter.
But Idrish, as if he wouldn’t tolerate it, slipped his finger through the gap between my spines.
That’s my face! Ugh!
He didn’t seem to realize what part he was touching, but my face was being ruthlessly rubbed.
I couldn’t take it and uncurled my body. Then Idrish grabbed one of my hind legs and stretched it out.
“What a strange creature. Spines on the back, yet soft fur on the belly.”
Idrish poked my belly.
Poke. Poke, poke.
For some reason, his finger kept lingering, touching my belly fat.
This won’t do. It’s time to unleash my secret weapon.
I bit his finger hard.
My two front teeth left deep marks, and droplets of blood welled up.
See that? It’s not a big wound, but it’s deep. You’ll probably lose sleep tonight from the pain. Serves you right.
But contrary to my expectation that he’d drop me in pain, Idrish was busy observing me.
…This guy’s got some serious patience.
Then, suddenly, Idrish’s hand stopped.
Where’s he looking?
I followed his gaze into the distance.
“What’s that? Looks like a giant hedgehog. Little spiky one, looks like your mom’s come to get you.”
Mom? I don’t have a mom.
I stretched my neck and peered toward the forest, my nose twitching up and down. But there was nothing but dense grass and trees—no other hedgehogs.
There’s nothing there.
As I thought this and looked back at Idrish, cold sweat dripped from my belly.
Idrish was grinning wickedly.
“Look at that. You understand everything I’m saying, don’t you?”
No, not at all.
I blinked innocently.
“You’ve been reacting to everything I say. An ordinary hedgehog wouldn’t understand human speech. Which means…”
No way he’s figured out I’m a human trapped in a hedgehog’s body, right?
Nah, no way. That’s too much imagination.
“You’re definitely a beastman.”
A beastman?
I tilted my head.
That’s when it happened.
Idrish’s face twisted strangely.
His pupils dilated, and black stripes appeared across his face.
His eyes grew fiercer, his nose became large and round like a beast’s, and two white, pointed ears sprouted from his head.
W-What is this?
My head spun.
Thank goodness he mentioned “beastman” before transforming, or I’d have fainted from shock.
Now it all made sense. Why this mansion was called the white tiger’s mansion, and why he kept pressing me to reveal my identity.
“Grrrr.”
It was the same sound I heard before fainting. I clung to consciousness to avoid passing out again, but my limbs curled up in fear, trembling like mosquito legs in a storm.
Then, in the next moment, the black stripes on the white tiger faded. The ears vanished. His handsome face returned. He frowned deeply.
“What’s this? Don’t tell me…”
He stared intently at my backside. Oh, where are you looking?
“Did you just pee on my hand?”
Oh no.
Idrish’s face twisted in fury. His expression filled with contempt. He tossed me into the cage.
“Keep this insolent thing locked up without a drop of water until it exhausts itself and transforms into its beastman form.”
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Oh, the situation is so funny, he’s treating him like a horse, “Go, my horse!” 😂😂