Chapter 23

Young people always have an endless supply of pent-up energy and vitality.

Cheng Shuinan was eighteen years old, a prime age. Perhaps due to the merman genes in his body, he constantly emitted a scent that attracted the opposite sex after entering his mature stage. After his first taste of it, he couldn’t get enough.

The merman’s mature stage was no different from animals in nature. It wasn’t like humans who could reproduce at any time. They would mature in the spring, and after a whole season of sowing, their mature stage would pass. Then, they would nurture their offspring.

The scales on the abdomen of a merman who had passed through his mature stage would become hard.

But that’s where Cheng Shuinan differed from other mermen. After all, he wasn’t entirely merman. He was a combination of merman and human. When facing Zhang Jingzhu’s alluring scent, he could use his reason to suppress the surging desires in his heart.

However, when a flood comes, the gates must be opened to release the water. A heavy downpour makes lakes and rivers surge violently. If the gates aren’t opened, the accumulated floodwater won’t be easy to deal with.

Zhang Jingzhu hadn’t even tasted the sweetness of love yet, and she was already experiencing the relentless entanglement of a young merman.

When she woke up again, Zhang Jingzhu’s consciousness hadn’t returned to her body yet, but her cheeks were already flushed red.

Cheng Shuinan probably couldn’t control the timing of his body’s transformation. He would revert to his merman form without warning during a kiss. This time, Zhang Jingzhu was the one who got hurt. She was bitten by his sharp teeth, leaving bloody marks.

Zhang Jingzhu hissed, covered her head with her hands, and shook it. The sweet scent lingered on her nose. She couldn’t get rid of it, so she pushed it to the back of her mind. She casually threw on some clothes and went to the bathroom. The reflection in the mirror was unbearable.

Her neck, shoulders, wrists, and legs all had marks that looked like teeth marks.

Unlike the descriptions in books, where people would have a rosy complexion after the experience, she looked like she had been thrown into a gladiatorial arena, fought a beast, been swallowed into its ferocious mouth, and then escaped, covered in slime.

Cheng Shuinan, wearing an apron, appeared in the mirror.

He was still wearing his thin autumn sweatshirt and sweatpants. He leaned against the doorframe, looking at Zhang Jingzhu in the mirror. Then, he walked behind her and pulled up her pajama top that had slid down to her shoulders. He also tried to cover up the bite marks on her neck by brushing her hair away.

He coughed twice, his face flushed red. “I’ll be more careful next time.”

Cheng Shuinan’s palms were slightly cool. He covered her shoulders with them. Perhaps he felt he had gone too far. His eyes held a hint of self-reproach and a subtle attempt to please her. He slowly pulled Zhang Jingzhu towards his chest, pressing his cheek against hers.

“Zhang Jingzhu, if it hurts too much, you can bite me too.”

Zhang Jingzhu didn’t want to argue with him about it. Mainly because after being confused by the scent, she could accept any amount of intimacy. But now she was clear-headed. Him hugging her and speaking to her in a gentle tone would make her body involuntarily soften.

Shyness spread, creating an irresistible urge to run away.

She didn’t want to be in a position of weakness in their relationship, so she pretended to be calm and said, “My teeth aren’t as sharp as yours. Besides, I don’t bite people randomly…”

Cheng Shuinan nodded silently, lowered his head, opened his mouth, and gently ground his human teeth against the flesh of her shoulder.

Zhang Jingzhu didn’t feel any pain, so she didn’t push him away. She accidentally raised her eyes and looked at the reflection in the mirror. Her heart skipped a beat.

Cheng Shuinan’s current appearance was very much like a beast gnawing on its prey, full of danger, terror, and bloodthirsty cruelty that spread around him. It was as if, as long as she resisted or struggled, those neat, smooth teeth would instantly transform into blades, severing her neck.

“Cheng Shuinan…” She called out his name in a slightly panicked tone.

Cheng Shuinan raised his head, a smile playing on his lips. The scattered light reflected in his eyes made him look like a child who had gotten the candy he had been longing for.

Zhang Jingzhu breathed a sigh of relief.

“Let go of me. I need to take a shower.”

Cheng Shuinan nodded but didn’t move.

Zhang Jingzhu tried to push his hands away. He didn’t resist. His two arms wrapped around her waist, hugging her from behind. She pushed one away, then the other. The one she pushed away would immediately wrap around her again, with a persistent determination.

Zhang Jingzhu helplessly released her hands and looked sideways.

“Cheng Shuinan, are you done hugging me?”

Zhang Jingzhu was genuinely a little annoyed. She hadn’t expected anyone to be able to change their relationship so quickly. His nerve was thicker than a city wall. Just the day before, a few harsh words would make him feel wronged and cry. He wouldn’t even dare to touch her. But after engaging in more intimate contact, he suddenly became clingy.

She couldn’t get him off of her.

No, actually, he had been clingy before.

He must have rehearsed it in his mind many times. Now, he could finally do it.

“Not yet…” Cheng Shuinan could see the teeth marks on her white neck. He was a little lustful. He still felt like he was walking on clouds, unreal, afraid that he would wake up from a beautiful dream.

He desperately needed a sense of reality.

He raised his arm, bringing it to Zhang Jingzhu’s mouth, pleading: “Zhang Jingzhu, bite me… bite me hard…”

Zhang Jingzhu pushed away his arm, which was blocking her mouth. She thought for a moment, grabbed his flesh with both hands, and twisted it hard. Cheng Shuinan’s sudden hiss echoed in her ears. She took advantage of the opportunity to escape his embrace and ran to the bathroom, closing the door.

“Stop it, Cheng Shuinan. I’m all sticky and uncomfortable. I need to take a shower!”

Cheng Shuinan’s arm hurt. She had used a lot of force, but the corners of his mouth stretched to his ears. He smiled sweetly and confidently.

It wasn’t a dream. It was real.

He stood at the bathroom door: “I’m not clean either. Zhang Jingzhu, I should take a shower too…”

Zhang Jingzhu: “No! Go to the kitchen and make breakfast!”

Cheng Shuinan begged softly twice, but he didn’t get the answer he wanted. He could only hang his head dejectedly and return to the kitchen to continue making breakfast.

Winter had arrived, and the temperature had dropped significantly.

Zhang Jingzhu had only bought Cheng Shuinan some clothes for spring and autumn. She hadn’t bought him any winter clothes. The day she found him downstairs, he was wearing thin clothes and was about to freeze into an ice sculpture.

The weekend passed in a “blur.”

She felt like she hadn’t done anything, but her body was exhausted to the extreme. So, after work, Zhang Jingzhu hurried back home, gave a brief explanation, and prepared to go to the mall to buy winter clothes.

Cheng Shuinan leaned against the doorframe, refusing to let go: “Zhang Jingzhu, how long will you be gone? Dinner is ready. It’ll get cold if you don’t eat.”

Zhang Jingzhu: “The mall is nearby. I’ll be back soon.”

“You said the same thing that day.” Cheng Shuinan mumbled twice.

Cheng Shuinan stood in the doorway. She couldn’t leave unless he moved.

Zhang Jingzhu: “I really will be back soon. I won’t go anywhere else. You stay home and wait for me, or… do you have any requests?”

Cheng Shuinan’s eyes suddenly lit up: “I want…”

Zhang Jingzhu was prepared to kiss him. After all, he had always made this request whenever he got the chance. His lips were soft, like chewy candy with a sweet scent. They felt good to kiss.

She was gradually becoming addicted to this intimate touch they shared.

Instead of a kiss, Cheng Shuinan had another expectation in his heart.

Now that he had human legs, why should he hide at home, like a lover who couldn’t be seen? He wanted to kiss his beloved openly, in broad daylight, in front of everyone.

He wanted everyone to know:

He and Zhang Jingzhu were lovers.

His chest was suddenly filled with anticipation.

His throbbing heartbeat echoed in his ears.

Cheng Shuinan bent down and took Zhang Jingzhu’s hands. He looked into her eyes: “Zhang Jingzhu, I want to make a different request.”

“I want to go shopping with you.”

“But…” Zhang Jingzhu was hesitant. It wasn’t that she didn’t want him to go out. It was that she was afraid he would be discovered by someone with ill intentions.

“Zhang Jingzhu, I want to.” Cheng Shuinan pouted.

Zhang Jingzhu hesitated for a moment, then nodded: “Okay, but we need to wear masks.”

Because she was worried about being discovered, she wouldn’t allow Cheng Shuinan to go out. What was the difference between that and imprisoning him?

He shouldn’t be confined to a small space. He should be able to live freely and unrestrainedly in the human world.

Zhang Jingzhu’s down jacket wouldn’t fit Cheng Shuinan. Although he looked thin, his bones were strong, and his shoulders were broad. He could only wear his autumn sweatshirt and pants. But they took the elevator directly to the parking lot, and the car was heated, so it wasn’t cold.

After fully arming themselves, Zhang Jingzhu drove Cheng Shuinan to a mall in a different district.

Cheng Shuinan, wearing a mask, was a little unhappy. His brows were furrowed, and he looked wronged.

Zhang Jingzhu could guess why with her feet.

Sure enough, when they arrived at the mall, before they even got out of the car, Cheng Shuinan sat in the passenger seat and wouldn’t move.

“Zhang Jingzhu, that’s how they do it in TV dramas. You need to unbuckle my seatbelt, then surprise me and kiss me…”