Chapter 21

After hearing Cheng Shuinan’s voice message, Zhang Jingzhu went into a brief daze. She thought she might have been hallucinating.

He said “I’m leaving.” Where could he go?

Perhaps everyone has a talent for pretending to be oblivious. As long as the words “I like you” weren’t spoken, then one could pretend not to know, nonchalantly enjoying the other person’s efforts and meticulous care. One could even rationally tell the other person not to attempt any behavior that transcends friendship.

Friendship can last a long time, but no one can guarantee the shelf life of love.

Zhang Jingzhu never trusted the confessions of suitors. She thought that after hearing Cheng Shuinan’s words, she would instinctively feel repulsion and disgust. But none of those emotions arose. She just thought:

He actually said it.

Didn’t he understand what she said before?

She had made it very clear: don’t mention liking her, and he could continue to live in her house.

If he confessed his liking, then he might never be able to live in Zhang Jingzhu’s house again.

A merman with almost zero social experience, no family, and no home, it was obvious what he would choose.

How could anyone be so foolish as to give up a spacious house and delicious food?

Zhang Jingzhu curled herself up into a ball, burying herself in the blanket, turning into a cocoon. She held onto her phone, replaying Cheng Shuinan’s voice message over and over again.

She thought, if he wants to leave, let him go.

She had no reason to keep him.

Since she couldn’t reciprocate Cheng Shuinan’s feelings, then she shouldn’t contact him anymore. He could go wherever he wanted. From then on, he would no longer be her concern.

Thinking this.

Zhang Jingzhu glared angrily at the void. Suddenly, she threw off the blanket, called him back. It rang for a long time before it went unanswered.

He wouldn’t even answer her call!

Zhang Jingzhu didn’t even change out of her pajamas. She put on her down jacket and went outside. The snow was falling even harder, and the ground was covered in thick snowdrifts. Fortunately, the hotel was near her apartment complex. It was just a block away. She didn’t dare to drive in this weather. She wrapped her coat tightly around her and hurried towards the complex.

When she returned home, Zhang Jingzhu called out Cheng Shuinan’s name, but there was no response.

The familiar fishy smell was gone.

Only then did Zhang Jingzhu feel a pang of panic.

She hurriedly ran outside.

Winter days are always exceptionally short. The sky, which had been bathed in light just a moment ago, quickly turned dark. The warm white light from the streetlights shone down, leaving a trail of footprints on the newly fallen snow.

The night wind was like a cold knife, cutting against her face, causing a sharp pain.

Zhang Jingzhu had been in a hurry when she left, so she had grabbed a random coat. It was a thin fleece jacket, and she was wearing pajamas underneath. The hotel room had been heated, and her spring pajamas were enough to withstand the temperature.

But her attire was obviously very cold on the winter night streets. Ice shards crept in through her collar, and the chill seeped into her bones.

Her breath formed white clouds.

Zhang Jingzhu wandered aimlessly along the paths of the complex.

She kept sending voice messages to Cheng Shuinan:

“Cheng Shuinan, where did you go? We can talk about it if you have any thoughts.”

“Cheng Shuinan, reply to this message when you hear it.”

Cheng Shuinan hid behind a holly bush by the side of the road, his eyes greedily watching Zhang Jingzhu.

He didn’t want to leave, but he couldn’t control himself.

If the Little Mermaid had shattered his last delusion about Zhang Jingzhu, then his body’s loss of control was the reason he had to leave.

He couldn’t deceive himself. Even if she didn’t love him, he had to stay by her side.

In his mature stage, every nerve and blood vessel in his body was constantly being attracted to Zhang Jingzhu.

He had been very patient, but he couldn’t control his body anymore.

The scent from her body, her gentle words, her smiling or indifferent face, all appeared before him, turning into hot oil, pouring into his innards.

He felt like he was being roasted over a fire. His reason was slowly crumbling, and a voice filled with longing echoed in his heart:

Deceive her into coming home, possess her.

Wouldn’t it be good?

Haven’t you always wanted to have her?

He thought, of course he wanted… he wanted it so badly he was going crazy.

But he couldn’t do that.

Cheng Shuinan struggled to maintain his precarious sanity. He left Zhang Jingzhu’s house, ran to the entrance of the complex, squatted by the side of the road, and tremblingly pressed the voice recording button, sending his thoughts into the message.

He thought, if he left, she would definitely come back.

He just wanted to sneak a peek at her again, and he would be content.

Zhang Jingzhu was like the moon hanging in the sky for him. She pulled him out of the mire. How dare he stain her with his mud? Just thinking about it was wrong…

Through the layers of covering snow and lush holly leaves, Cheng Shuinan’s gaze, filled with longing, reluctance, and hidden, frantic struggle, steadily fell upon Zhang Jingzhu.

Snowflakes fell on Zhang Jingzhu’s hair, melting into water, wetting her hair. She shivered from the cold. The air she breathed in was filled with a bone-chilling chill. At that moment, she smelled a sweet, cloying fragrance.

It was the scent emanating from Cheng Shuinan’s body.

“Cheng Shuinan, I know you’re nearby. Come out now, or I’ll be angry.” Zhang Jingzhu stood there, looking around, adding forcefully, “… Did you hear me?”

No one responded.

She wrinkled her nose and followed the sweet scent towards the holly bushes. But soon, the scent disappeared.

Zhang Jingzhu was both angry and anxious. He was clearly nearby, but he was hiding and wouldn’t come out. She felt an inexplicable frustration. She walked to the edge of the road, stepping on the icy ground. Suddenly, she slipped and fell.

Zhang Jingzhu felt like her butt had split in two. Fortunately, she had fallen backwards. Her tailbone ached with a dull pain. At the same time, a sense of inexplicable grievance filled her chest. She sat there, curled up her knees, hugged herself, and tears welled up without warning.

From the holly bushes behind her, there was a rustling sound.

Zhang Jingzhu’s cries grew louder.

Cheng Shuinan stumbled out. He knelt beside Zhang Jingzhu, his tone worried: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Zhang Jingzhu. Does it hurt?”

Zhang Jingzhu didn’t raise her head. She buried herself in her arms, but one hand secretly grabbed his clothes, clenching them tightly in her palm.

Cheng Shuinan took a few steps forward: “Where did you hit yourself? How do you feel? Let’s get up, okay?”

Zhang Jingzhu raised her eyes. Her two eyes were red.

She hadn’t actually wanted to cry that much, but her butt really hurt. Tears welled up in her eyes without warning. She had been able to control them, but when Cheng Shuinan asked her in a worried tone, it was like a dam breaking. Tears gushed down her cheeks.

She said in a huff, “Aren’t you leaving? Why did you come out? It’s none of your business if I fall. If I get hurt or die, it’s none of your concern. If you’re leaving, then leave quickly…”

Cheng Shuinan sat quietly beside her.

He pursed his lips and tentatively wiped the tears from under her eyes.

Zhang Jingzhu didn’t resist. She opened her eyes wide and glared at him accusingly.

“It’s my fault.” Cheng Shuinan said. “The ground is cold. Don’t sit here. Let’s go back.”

Zhang Jingzhu: “I can’t go back. My leg is broken.”

Cheng Shuinan’s eyelashes, as if unable to bear the weight of the snowflakes, blinked rapidly. The cold snowflakes melted between his eyelashes, leaving an inexplicable trace of water in his eyes. He looked helpless and slightly distressed.

Zhang Jingzhu noticed that his clothes were soaked. He wasn’t wearing a down jacket, just a thin sweatshirt. His fingertips, which had touched her cheek, were icy cold, like icicles hanging from the eaves. They were cold, very cold, but strangely, she didn’t dodge.

She held his sleeve tightly in her hand. She wasn’t worried that he would suddenly run away.

His hands hung at his sides, clenched into fists. The hand that had touched her cheek was secretly hidden in his chest, gently curling a few times.

Zhang Jingzhu’s eyes were red, tears gathering in her eyes. Her gaze suddenly fell upon his face.

Her vision was blurry, but that didn’t prevent her from seeing his actions. Cheng Shuinan’s raised hand suddenly fell, as if he wanted to touch her but dared not.

“Zhang Jingzhu, it’s very cold outside. Let’s go home, okay?”

Zhang Jingzhu shook her head: “No.”

Cheng Shuinan’s brows furrowed, completely at a loss for how to persuade her. The cold snowflakes melted into water, temporarily suppressing his restless emotions. He looked helplessly at Zhang Jingzhu, who was clearly throwing a tantrum. His past experiences were blank pages, offering no knowledge of how to coax a girl.

So, he could only keep approaching Zhang Jingzhu, raising his hands to shield her head from the falling snow.

He racked his brains, trying to find the reason for her anger: “Is it… because I left suddenly? I should have waited for you to come home and told you face-to-face. But I was afraid. When I saw you, I didn’t want to leave… Zhang Jingzhu, do you understand? I want to stay by your side, even if… even if you don’t like me, even if one day you fall in love with someone else, I think I’ll leave quietly, like in the story, without burdening you in any way…”

Cheng Shuinan blocked most of the snowflakes. Zhang Jingzhu was half-embraced by him. She tilted her head back and could touch his smooth, white chin. Because of his merman genes, his chin was clean-shaven, like a peeled egg.

His clothes were soaked with snow, damp and clammy. At that moment, Zhang Jingzhu suddenly realized that the Cheng Shuinan in front of her was no longer the weak merman who had been imprisoned in the warehouse. He had grown up. His broad embrace made her feel at ease.

Zhang Jingzhu’s tense nerves suddenly relaxed. She felt a little uncomfortable not being able to see Cheng Shuinan’s expression, but her forehead slowly moved forward, pressing against his chest. She could feel Cheng Shuinan’s body suddenly stiffen, and the words he spoke changed in tone.

It was as if she had won a battle. The corners of her lips rose high, and her voice was slightly seductive, even to herself: “Yeah, even if you can’t get love, you can still stay. Don’t leave again.”

Cheng Shuinan’s hands, which had been raised above her head, slowly fell to her waist. He lowered his head. It was her hair. Zhang Jingzhu’s scent filled his nostrils, and his black pupils suddenly became cloudy, like an overturned paintbox.

His fingertips touched her clothes, then quickly retracted.

He restrained the urge to embrace her.

“No… Zhang Jingzhu… I’ll hurt you…”

Zhang Jingzhu tilted her head up, touching his chin. She still didn’t know that danger was approaching. She looked at him closely: “You won’t hurt me. What could you possibly do to hurt me?”

She laughed carelessly twice.

The wind and snow intensified unknowingly, and the night sky was shrouded in a heavy darkness. Except for the occasional passing car, there were almost no pedestrians on the road.

Cheng Shuinan leaned closer, a bolder move than an embrace.

Zhang Jingzhu was pulled forward by him. She wasn’t prepared. She was suddenly pressed against the merman’s broad, cold chest. She let out a small gasp in surprise, then froze in place, awkwardly not knowing what to do.

If her senses weren’t deceiving her…

She realized that Cheng Shuinan’s pupils had changed at some point. They were no longer clear streams, occasionally revealing shy and nervous emotions. They had become cloudy, as if a fire had been lit. The flames tore through his hesitation and fear, and his intense love poured out from his eyes.

The hands on her waist loosened.

Zhang Jingzhu moved away from his embrace, which had filled her with trembling unease.

Cheng Shuinan turned his head away, lowering his eyes. His eyelashes concealed the emotions in his eyes. “In my current state, I can’t guarantee that I won’t do anything to you. Zhang Jingzhu, go back quickly. I have to leave.”

“How come? Why suddenly?”

“It’s the merman’s mature stage.”

 Ah, heat?

Only then did Zhang Jingzhu realize that something was wrong with Cheng Shuinan’s state.

It wasn’t so much that his clothes were wet from the snow as it was that his body was secreting more fluids. In just a few minutes, his forehead, cheeks, and neck, wherever was exposed, the closed pores were like nectar glands releasing honey. Water droplets covered his skin, making his eyes look unfocused.

The city air, no matter when or where, always had a murky smell of car exhaust. The cold weather made it difficult to breathe outdoors. But at that moment, Zhang Jingzhu felt like she was surrounded by flowers. The cloying fragrance coming from all directions made her dizzy.

Something was wrong with the smell.

She had no time to think about it.

At that moment, she was caught in a kind of vicious emotion that she couldn’t escape.

Cheng Shuinan’s current physical condition, as he himself had said, was uncontrollable. If she let him leave:

Given his current mature stage, if he encountered someone with other intentions, or if he returned to the ocean and met a fellow merman, would they mate?

You’re not worried about his safety, but you’re afraid he’ll belong to someone else.

Zhang Jingzhu thought this.

Cheng Shuinan touched her wrist through her clothes, trying to pull her up.

But Zhang Jingzhu didn’t let him have his way. She grabbed the front of his clothes. Cheng Shuinan was pulled forward and stumbled, barely managing to keep his balance. He didn’t fall on top of her. His bangs were wet with fluid, covering his brows and eyes, making him look beautiful and tempting.

“Zhang Jingzhu, let go of me…”

“No.”

Zhang Jingzhu leaned closer to smell his scent: “Is this the scent you release during your mature stage? It smells very nice. It must have other effects. Tell me, what are these fragrances for? Are they used to beguile people’s hearts…”

Cheng Shuinan quickly retorted: “No! I didn’t!”

Zhang Jingzhu: “Then what are they for?”

Cheng Shuinan avoided Zhang Jingzhu’s gaze, which was inches from his face. He held his breath, trying to stabilize his wavering sanity. “I… I don’t know. I don’t know.”

“You’re lying. There must be something wrong.” Zhang Jingzhu said.

Cheng Shuinan looked miserable. He wanted to get closer to her, but he dared not. He couldn’t leave either. Her hands were tightly clutching his clothes. He was pulled by her, looking disheveled.

His tear-filled eyelashes trembled, and his red lips were slightly parted.

Zhang Jingzhu’s fingers tightened their grip on him: “I fell. It hurts so much. I can’t get up. You have to carry me.”

Cheng Shuinan looked at her suspiciously.

Zhang Jingzhu sat on the ground.

Cheng Shuinan said in distress: “Zhang Jingzhu… I… I don’t dare to touch you…”

Zhang Jingzhu released her hands, wrapping them around her knees. “Then let me keep sitting on the ground. Go. What are you still standing here for? Go quickly.”

Cheng Shuinan’s gaze lingered on Zhang Jingzhu’s face, carefully and scrutinizingly staring at her. He couldn’t understand what she meant at all. He had already clearly told her that he was in his mature stage. He had even been bold enough to offend her, letting her sense his awkward desires.

Zhang Jingzhu’s scent filled the air.

He didn’t struggle for long. He stiffened his back, like the tight nerves in his brain, and scooped Zhang Jingzhu up in his arms. He couldn’t figure out what was going on in her mind. The moment he picked her up, her arms naturally wrapped around his neck, as if she were holding a steaming hot fireball.

He didn’t dare to think, he didn’t dare to look.

Zhang Jingzhu tilted her head up and saw the full moon.

It was like the moon that night when she rescued him from the warehouse, bright and clear.

Cheng Shuinan’s embrace was strong and firm. The viscous fluid had a strong fishy smell, followed by a more fragrant sweetness.

She secretly touched it with her fingertips. The arms holding her trembled violently.

“Zhang Jingzhu, don’t touch me.”

Zhang Jingzhu hummed in response and didn’t move again.

When they got home, Cheng Shuinan put Zhang Jingzhu down on the sofa and turned to leave.

“My leg is lame. I don’t know if my body is hurt. You’re going to leave after you put me down. Were all those loving words you said before fake?”

Cheng Shuinan didn’t say anything. He found the medicine cabinet, picked it up, and knelt half-way in front of her, his head lowered, refusing to look at her.

“Your pants…”

Zhang Jingzhu blushed and raised an eyebrow: “What? Do you want to take them off?”

Cheng Shuinan mumbled a

Zhang Jingzhu was thinking about whether she should take them off. She was also shy, but Cheng Shuinan was even more nervous than her, so she felt more at ease.

His face was red as a