A layer of white-barbed rose scent hovered over Lan Bo’s skin. Bai Chunian leaned in, nose brushing his delicate neck.
Lan Bo raised a hand to block him. Bai Chunian licked his palm; the barbs on his tongue felt rough against it. When Bai Chunian licked between his webbed fingers, Lan Bo moaned softly from his throat.
Bai Chunian lay quietly beside him, his toned arm draped across Lan Bo’s chest, licking his hair and cheeks.
Lan Bo felt a bit of pain, frowning. “Why… do you keep licking me?”
“I don’t know. I like it. I’ve always wanted to do this.” Bai Chunian didn’t stop, licking the skin near his ear.
“Not obedient.” Lan Bo grabbed Bai Chunian’s jaw and sat up.
“This is the greatest respect and love I can show you.” Bai Chunian knelt before Lan Bo, unable to restrain himself from licking the corner of his lips, then slipping his tongue into his tightly closed mouth.
The barbed tongue gently scraped Lan Bo’s little tongue, kissing him thoroughly, then lunged onto him, pinning him down. Lan Bo felt pain and etched his nails into Bai Chunian’s back, sharp claws drawing bleeding lines.
“Down.” Lan Bo’s voice was low and serious. His long tail rose high, slapping Bai Chunian’s back with force. He considered this the small alpha’s rebellion, a lesson that had to be taught.
Lan Bo’s fins mostly grew along his waist and knees; the tail tip was long and whip-like, carrying a faint electric current. When it struck, Bai Chunian shivered from stimulation but grew more excited, licking his lower abdomen and the fins beneath.
The alpha remained kneeling, careful yet insatiable in his pursuit.
“Brother,” he murmured, nose pressed into Lan Bo’s neck. “I want to groom you.”
Lan Bo froze, his Adam’s apple moving slightly.
“Did I tell you, my caretaker? That old man surnamed Bai, shortly after I was born, put me into a lion’s cage, where lionesses helped groom me.” Bai Chunian pressed closer, even though the water-cooled mattress felt too cold. “But only for a day.”
“I don’t remember, just… it felt like being loved.” Bai Chunian rested, black hair brushing over snow-white ears. “Don’t you think so?”
Nighttime chats made one sleepy. The next morning, Bai Chunian woke to find Lan Bo covered in frost, frozen solid.
“Ah!” He quickly picked up the merman and placed him in the fish tank to thaw.
Two minutes later, Lan Bo swam again, climbed out, and punched Bai Chunian. “I’m a tropical fish, not… a polar fish, idiot.”
Bai Chunian knelt at the keyboard, took out his phone, and gave the store a negative review.
Alliance Medical Association Building, Examination Room.
Lan Bo lay on the examination table, a specialized thermometer tucked under his armpit.
Han Xingqian, dressed in a white lab coat with one hand in his pocket, removed his stethoscope and took a pen from his chest pocket. Returning to his desk, he wrote two neat lines in the medical record, the characters delicate yet unreadable at a glance.
“Is he coming down with a cold?” Bai Chunian asked, sitting opposite the table. “I thought lower temperatures were better, so I set the water cooling to level three.”
“He’s not sick. He tolerates cold extremely well. Even if frozen for years, he can survive thawing,” Han Xingqian said. “Still, it’s best to maintain the temperature of his natural sea habitat.”
Bai Chunian shifted. “By the way, when are you planning to let him go home?” Han Xingqian clasped his hands under his chin, the chain of his glasses dangling to his wrist. “Not that he’d miss his hometown per se, but from a natural perspective, merfolk exist because deteriorating ocean environments demanded a mysterious species to restore ecological balance. Recent news reports say the Caribbean has had massive algal blooms, fish die-offs, and deep-sea creatures surfacing to attack ships. You should pay attention to that too.”
“That’s the Ocean Protection Association’s job. What can he do? He’s so tiny.” Bai Chunian sat by the table, scooped Lan Bo onto his lap, and took a slice of vacuum-sealed ham from his pocket. Lan Bo opened his jaws wide, revealing rows of sharp molars, swallowed the ham in one bite, then chewed on the plastic wrap and sucked his fingers.
“He’s a fully grown fish-shaped humanoid. Judging by his tail, he’s lived over two centuries. For some reason, the cultivation base captured him and turned him into a training-phase experimental subject, regressing his comprehension and expression to an initial stage. As for the exact reason, we’ll have to wait until he matures to know.”
“…”
“Let’s get down to business.” Han Xingqian handed Bai Chunian a stack of files. “The syringe you retrieved from Enxi Hospital—I tested it. It contained residual amounts of the circulating virus antibody vaccine.”
“But that was taken from an elderly man in the early infection stage.”
“Exactly. Meaning Professor Lin Deng’s so-called circulating virus antibody vaccine didn’t actually work. His immunity wasn’t due to the injection—it was another method entirely.”
Bai Chunian didn’t look surprised. The Reptile went to great lengths to rescue Lin Deng; this doctor must be extraordinary. One experimental subject in training phase? I could handle it alone. But the Reptile hacked into my TV, summoned Lan Bo there—it’s clear he intended to eliminate Samuel safely and flawlessly.
“Any leads on Lin Deng now?”
“Impossible. With the Reptile around, any tracking device can be destroyed. But I can contact him, and he’ll likely take further action.”
Han Xingqian nodded. “Alright, we wait and see.”
“By the way, what did you do to him? He has so many hickeys.” Han opened Lan Bo’s neck and abdominal bandages. “Although he’s technically an adult, as a training-phase experimental subject, he’s judged incapable of full self-awareness or responsibility. If you engage sexually with him, you could be arrested.”
“I know, I know,” Bai Chunian said impatiently. “I did nothing—just groomed him… no, damn it, mind your own business.”
Han raised an eyebrow, smiling. “Groomed him?”
“Bye-bye.” Bai Chunian scooped up Lan Bo and left, skipping the consultation fee.
“I’m currently researching AC and HD compounds. I’ll inform you when there’s progress,” Han called after him, standing by the door. “Meow.”
Bai Chunian flipped him the middle finger.