Yu Sen’s body trembled uncontrollably as he slept, feeling as though something had bound him tightly, his limbs wrapped so securely that he couldn’t move no matter how hard he tried.

Gradually, a sense of suffocation crept in. He opened his mouth slightly, but it was as if he were submerged in a pool of warm water; what flowed in wasn’t oxygen but an even more overwhelming sense of pressure.

“Mm—!”

Yu Sen struggled to open his eyes, his wrist limply resting on Si Xuanyang’s leg. His wrist bone pressed against Si Xuanyang’s lower abdomen, trying to push away, but the effort seemed more like a half-hearted attempt than a genuine resistance.

But Si Xuanyang immediately noticed that he had woken up. He slightly eased the intensity of his lips and tongue’s invasion, changing to gentle pecks while placing a hand on Yu Sen’s back to help him catch his breath.

Yu Sen’s lips, kissed until they were glistening with a seductive red hue, tasted like honey, making Si Xuanyang reluctant to let go, as if he wanted to savor them forever, even chew them up and swallow.

“You… want to kill me…!”

Yu Sen’s chest rose and fell weakly but noticeably, grasping at every bit of air he could inhale. He murmured, trying to tilt his head back, but the long, strong hand on the back of his neck held him firmly in place, not allowing him any escape.

But he really didn’t want to be kissed anymore! His lips were already numb!

Yu Sen sighed mournfully in his heart, deciding that if he couldn’t fight back with strength, he would go completely limp!

He let go of any resistance, collapsing weakly into Si Xuanyang’s arms. His eyes, already misty from just waking up, were now filled with tears, and with the person holding him so tightly, the emotions of grievance came flooding in. His eyes reddened, and the mist quickly gathered into teardrops.

Hot tears fell one after another, streaming down Si Xuanyang’s cheek and lips, which were pressed close to his.

Realizing that the dampness on his skin was tears, Si Xuanyang’s body stiffened, and he quickly pulled away. When he saw Yu Sen’s tear-filled eyes, he panicked completely.

“W-what’s wrong? Why are you crying!?”

“I feel awful…” Yu Sen furrowed his brows in pain, slowly closing his eyes.

Si Xuanyang’s heart clenched tightly. He frantically hugged Yu Sen, the anxiety and worry in his eyes almost becoming tangible. “Where does it hurt?”

“Breathing… I can’t breathe when you kiss me! I’m dizzy…” Yu Sen buried his face in Si Xuanyang’s chest, clutching the bed sheet, too afraid to speak further.

He feared that if Si Xuanyang realized that his tearful act was partly staged, he might be pulled back for an even more intense round of kissing. His weak body trembled involuntarily.

“…”

Realizing that Yu Sen wasn’t seriously hurt, Si Xuanyang let out a heavy sigh of relief. After calming down, he glanced down at the head buried in his chest, resembling a quail, and couldn’t resist rubbing the messy, fluffy hair.

The fine strands wrapped around his fingers, clinging to them like living tendrils, making him want to dig his fingers in deeper, to mess it up even more.

Only then did Si Xuanyang slowly realize that he might have a kind of skin hunger when it came to Yu Sen, a craving that might sometimes scare the other.

But he couldn’t change it.

Si Xuanyang resignedly shook his head. After playing with the strands of hair for a moment, he slowly let go, sliding his fingers down to gently pinch the back of Yu Sen’s neck, turning his head to face him.

“Didn’t you say you were having trouble breathing? Why are you still burying your face so deep? Is there an oxygen machine on my chest?”

The tears in Yu Sen’s eyes had long since been wiped away on Si Xuanyang’s body, but his eyes still held a faint tinge of red at the corners. When he looked up at Si Xuanyang, his mischievous smile filled those eyes, twinkling like stars.

He seriously squeezed Si Xuanyang’s chest, his eyes crinkling with laughter as he teased, “There’s no real oxygen machine in your body, but I can try my best to become your oxygen supply for every day of the rest of your life.”

Si Xuanyang’s chest tightened, his eyes trembling as they reflected Yu Sen’s arrogant smile.

He silently stared at Yu Sen for a moment, letting the overwhelming emotions in his body consume every nerve. Then, he hugged Yu Sen tightly, planting a deep kiss on the pulsing vein at his neck, and whispered softly…

“No need to try, you already are.”

Yu Sen shivered from the kiss, his mind not fully processing it. Confused, he was held tightly, feeling lost. “What are you talking about?”

“Oxygen,” Si Xuanyang’s deep laughter sounded in his ear, his breath warm against Yu Sen’s pale earlobe, turning it bright red.

“Come on, Mr. Oxygen, it’s time for dinner.”

“…”

Yu Sen: Stop teasing, stop teasing, I’m completely defeated, and I have no strength left!

…

After returning to their room, Si Nan and Luo Yu looked at Yu Sen, who seemed weak and sickly, and at Si Xuanyang, who appeared calm and composed. Noticing the lingering blush on Yu Sen’s ears, they could roughly guess what inappropriate scenes had just transpired.

With a heavy sigh, Si Nan didn’t dare make any sarcastic remarks. After everyone had settled down, the temperature in the night-time sea dropped sharply.

After lighting the kerosene lamp with a match and going to sleep, they expected the handsome merman to visit again that night. But surprisingly, they passed the night peacefully without incident.

---

With Si Xuanyang’s warmth, Yu Sen had a deep and restful sleep. His fever subsided significantly, and he could have woken up naturally feeling refreshed, but as soon as the sun fully rose over the coastline, he was abruptly awakened by the frantic and harsh sounds of shouting and cursing outside the door.

The moment he woke up, the pounding of his heart almost drowned out the noise outside. Leaning against Si Xuanyang’s neck, cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he gasped for breath, groaning in discomfort.

The shock of his palpitations and low blood sugar seemed to hit him at the same time, and once they came, they wreaked havoc on his body together, making it difficult to calm his rapid heartbeat and dizziness.

Si Xuanyang pried open his hand, which was clutching his chest, and placed his own hand over Yu Sen’s heart, gently massaging it while covering Yu Sen’s outer ear with his other hand. He pressed soft kisses on Yu Sen’s tightly closed eyelids, quietly staying by his side.

Si Nan frowned as he slowly sat up and quietly gestured to Si Xuanyang, “I’ll go take a look.”

After he and Luo Yu put on their clothes and stepped outside, Si Xuanyang lowered his head and kissed the corner of Yu Sen’s eye. He didn’t dare hold the person in his arms too tightly, fearing that it would make Yu Sen’s heart feel even more uncomfortable.

But the distance between them made him extremely anxious, feeling as if he was allowing Yu Sen to suffer alone in pain, unable to share even a bit of his discomfort.

This feeling of helplessness was like a cruel dull knife, slowly cutting away at Si Xuanyang’s heart.

…

After a long while, the dizziness gradually subsided, and Yu Sen slowly opened his eyes, his breathing heavy and slow.

He stared at Si Xuanyang, his lips as pale as his cheeks, barely showing any color. He weakly questioned, “…Why aren’t you holding me?”

Si Xuanyang’s eyes were deep, like a seemingly calm ocean with turbulent undercurrents beneath. He softly replied, “I was afraid it would make you uncomfortable.”

Yu Sen, still feeling weak and numb, found it difficult to move. He lowered his gaze, his features cold and sharp, like a blade gleaming with a chilling light, exuding a sickly fragility and paleness that made Si Xuanyang’s heart tighten.

But it didn’t last long. Soon, his expression softened into something like a child’s pouting face, dissipating the coldness as he unhappily said, “Then hold me now. I’m… I’m cold!”

How could he not know what Si Xuanyang was thinking? Even amidst the dizziness and struggle, even though the other person hid it well, he could still sense the intense unease and heartbreak in the person beside him.

In fact, the burning pain in his heart was no less than the physical pain he was enduring, because Si Xuanyang loved him so much—this was something Yu Sen was absolutely certain of.

But he also felt heartache…

As expected, a crack appeared in the calm mask on the face of the person before him because of his words.

Si Xuanyang pressed his lips tightly together, his eyes dark as he stared at him for a long moment before gently wiping the sweat from Yu Sen’s forehead. He then reached out to hold him, carefully tightening his embrace.

…

After a moment of sticky affection, Si Nan and the others finally entered the room, their faces somewhat troubled.

Yu Sen propped up his head and asked, “What happened? Did someone die again?”

“You’re feeling better now?” Si Nan observed Yu Sen’s face for a moment, noticing he didn’t look as frightening as before, and then slowly explained.

“No one died, but someone was seriously injured. It was in the room at the end of the hallway, a woman named Si Mayue,” he lowered his voice, “A sea demon gouged out one of her eyes.”

“What the hell! Is that even possible?” Yu Sen was shocked and couldn’t blame her for screaming so loudly this morning. “Gouging out an eye? Wouldn’t that cause her to bleed to death?”

“It must have been intentional by the sea demon. They made her go through the process but didn’t take her life. She’s still lively enough to fight, just blind in one eye. Who knows what kind of illness it’ll turn into when she returns to the real world.”

“Fight? Fight with whom?”

“With her roommate, a young teacher named Yan Hao, who bought some tableware at the vintage market. It’s the second time he’s been transported into a world like this,” Si Nan explained.

Luo Yu, who was standing nearby, shook his head in disgust and added, “They met for the first time on the deck. Si Mayue invited him to stay together, saying it was safer to help each other, but now that she’s lost an eye, she’s blaming Yan Hao.”

“Blaming him for not saving her in time?”

“No, not that,” Si Nan smiled meaningfully. “Si Mayue is angry because the siren in the illusion took on the appearance of Yan Hao to deceive her.”