By midday, the smell of cooking drifted from every apartment. Bai Chunian whistled, dressed in a black tank top and shorts, flip-flops on his feet, carrying groceries—vegetables in his left hand, meat in his right, two fingers pinching a green onion, a phone and keys clutched between the other fingers. He kicked the door open with his foot, then used it to close it behind him, strolling leisurely into the kitchen.
He washed and chopped vegetables, mixed them into minced meat with starch and seasoning, boiled water, put on disposable gloves, rolled meatballs, and added spinach leaves to the pot.
The meatballs floated in the boiling water as Bai Chunian, wearing a blue polka-dot apron, stirred them occasionally. The aroma wafted out the window.
The phone on the dish rack rang. The contact said: “Boss.”
Bai Chunian wiped water off his hands on the apron, still whistling, and answered.
Yan Yi: “How’s your home reflection going?”
“Great, great,” Bai Chunian said, scooping a ladle of soup to taste. “Wonderful. I even signed up for a class at the New West, found the meaning of life.”
Yan Yi: “…Last month, you assisted the Alliance Police in the Triangular House rescue. That counts as meritorious service. You can return.”
Bai Chunian: “? My class isn’t over yet. I’m sculpting winter melon now. Made a rabbit riding an eagle, half a meter tall, really pretty. I’ll send it to you and Uncle Jin this afternoon.”
Yan Yi rubbed his temple: “No need. Go to the New Special Agent Training Camp this afternoon. Someone’s waiting for you.”
“Oh.”
The call ended—his pleasant holiday was over.
A pair of long webbed fingers gently touched his waist.
Bai Chunian stiffened. Behind him, a cool body pressed close. A snow-like kiss landed on his neck.
A strand of golden hair fell across his cheek. He turned to see hypnotic, enchanting blue eyes.
Lan Bo’s height depended on how he used his fish bones to support himself; at this moment, he matched Bai Chunian’s height.
He loosened his tie, opened his uniform collar, and lightly released love-attracting pheromones, wrapping his bandaged hand around Bai Chunian’s waist, sliding under his tank top to trace the firm abs.
“randi kiblan defuyo nibogi obe,” the merman murmured in Bai Chunian’s ear, voice heavy with intoxicating desire and sensuality.
After a month of pheromone cultivation, the merman had reached the late maturation stage, fully understanding language and emotion. Yet, due to the unique language system he had used since childhood, his spoken words still had significant quirks.
The senior professor of the Alliance Medical Department had studied merfolk language, but languages varied widely among different seas and species, and human understanding remained incomplete. Only a few common terms could be confirmed:
For example, “randi” referred to cats with pink paw pads; other cats used “rando.”
“kadin” meant to wait or “later.”
“obe” referred to sexual intercourse.
Bai Chunian’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he lowered his head, pouring the meatball soup into a white ceramic bowl and covering it. He said hoarsely, “Don’t get turned on. The Alliance Medical Department classifies maturing experimental subjects as lacking full autonomy and responsibility. If I sleep with you now, I’m going to prison.”
Lan Bo furrowed his pale, delicate brows; his tail subtly shifted from blue to red.
He forcefully pressed the alpha against the counter. His tail coiled in a spiral from the alpha’s waist to his thigh, hands gripping the alpha’s neck, hanging his entire weight on him. His lips pressed against Bai Chunian’s neck in a gentle kiss, right on two faint blue fish-shaped marks still lingering from earlier. Clearly, Lan Bo felt their color was too light.
When the merfolk’s sharp teeth pierced the alpha’s neck, a fragrant white thorn rose pheromone injected under the skin. The mix of desire and sharp pain made Bai Chunian’s shoulder veins bulge; he leaned against the counter, hissing, “So painful—the pheromone’s too strong.”
A deep blue fish-shaped mark appeared under the bleeding bite. Bai Chunian lowered his head, supporting the merfolk with one hand, and gently lifted his chin with the other, brow curved, gazing at him: “It’s fine. You just bully me. I’ll wait until you’re mature, crying, begging me not to go too far.”
Lan Bo’s palms pressed against the alpha’s lower abdomen, moving downward; simultaneously, his own pelvic fins were pushed up.
“boliea mitub jideio meqiu,” he whispered seductively into the alpha’s ear.
In their language, “meqiu” refers to egg-laying, “jideio” to a brood pouch. Merfolk, being rare, evolved diverse reproductive methods for optimal population growth. One method, under harsh conditions, involved omega merfolk scattering eggs into different alpha merfolk for incubation and protection. Human alphas lack brood pouches, so Lan Bo’s meaning was clear: he intended to act as the receiver during intercourse with Bai Chunian.
“Damn, you really have ideas. Fine, fine—come on, husband, hold me.” Bai Chunian cupped Lan Bo’s slim waist, pressing his body against him, cheek nestled into the nape.
Soon, Bai Chunian’s warmth radiated through the moisture-retaining bandages onto Lan Bo’s skin, making him feel hot. He twisted to cool down.
Bai Chunian didn’t let go; instead, he hugged tighter. “Why run? Don’t go.”
Heat rose. Lan Bo struggled uncomfortably in the alpha’s embrace.
“Hot.”
“You can’t handle this? Inside is even hotter—want to try?”
“Yes.”
“Still talking back.” Bai Chunian’s hand pressed on Lan Bo’s tail end; the merfolk trembled at the heat, pushing the alpha’s shoulder: “Let go… too hot…”
Bai Chunian, intending to teach a rebelling omega a lesson, held firm. Unexpectedly, a watery sheen formed in Lan Bo’s sapphire eyes, catching the light.
“Ah,” Bai Chunian released his grip, leaning down to kiss Lan Bo’s eyes. “Cried already?”
“Alright, alright, no more crying.” He carried the merfolk back to the tank before the heat could harm him.
Lan Bo dove underwater, tail flicking, trailing a stream of blue-light jellyfish. After a while, he surfaced, hands on the tank’s edge, expressionless, eyes shedding pearls of black with blue iridescence.
Bai Chunian squatted by the tank, stroking Lan Bo’s hair soothingly. “Just kidding, don’t cry.”
“Wow, I could make a whole necklace like this. Can’t just bully my wife to get rich.”
“You’re good. Look at this, come here.”
Lan Bo blew a few disdainful bubbles, swimming to a corner away from Bai Chunian, curling into a ball.
Bai Chunian pressed his palm against the tank glass and tapped lightly. “Look at this.”
Lan Bo half-watched, eyes lighting up, swimming closer to study the palm pressed against the glass.
“randi,” Lan Bo joyfully touched the alpha’s palm through the glass, tail flicking above the surface, forming a heart for Bai Chunian.