Chapter 50
As the sky lightened, Audrow opened his eyes. The person in his arms, seeking coolness, was sprawled across his chest, but perhaps finding it too cold, had wrapped himself in a blanket.
Audrow understood. No wonder he had dreamed of being a pink starfish living in a rock house.
He shifted, and the sleeping young man, wrapped in his blanket, slid onto the bed.
Ning Zhixia groaned, nuzzled the soft, fragrant fabric of Audrow’s pajamas, and fell back asleep.
Audrow lay quietly beside him for a while, then, as the air conditioner started blowing cool air again, he got up.
“Seriously, what kind of crappy thunderstorm causes a power outage in the middle of the night…” Qu Banqing, who had felt like he was in a steamer all night, was finally awakened by his alarm and grumbled as he went to make breakfast.
Just then, a cool air drifted from another open door, and Audrow appeared, gently closing the door behind him.
Qu Banqing froze, the last vestiges of sleepiness vanishing from his face: “Wha—”
A cold gaze swept over him, and Qu Banqing inhaled sharply, swallowing his words.
After Audrow left, Qu Banqing cautiously glanced at the stairs, making sure he wasn’t coming back, then hurried into the opposite bedroom.
The young man in bed lay sprawled out on his back, hogging the entire bed, sleeping soundly like a piglet, saving him the trouble of checking his breathing.
“Meow Meow, you’re really something…” Qu Banqing pushed him over like he was flipping a pancake, carefully examined him, and breathed a sigh of relief, then his expression turned slightly worried.
Being targeted by a possessive creature wasn’t a good thing. Qu Banqing had heard too many stories about mermen losing control, their insatiable curiosity turning into a predatory obsession.
He was glad that Audrow had restrained his instincts. If there was a reason for his unusual behavior, it could only be that Ning Zhixia was special to him.
“Ding.”
The aroma of French toast filled the air. Ning Zhixia cut through the crispy crust with a knife, paired it with a glass of cold milk, leaned back comfortably in his chair, and sighed, another wonderful day.
Qu Banqing, his chin resting on his hand, asked, “Delicious?”
“Delicious!”
“Full?”
“Yes!”
“Then let’s get to work.” Qu Banqing brought out the materials for today and placed them on the workstation.
Ning Zhixia felt a wave of dizziness, as if he wasn’t holding a delicious piece of toast, but a pile of worker bee fodder.
This was a symptom of the collaboration with the museum. Ning Zhixia, to ensure the quality of the press-on nails, was personally handling all the production. Fortunately, he had his non-human friends to help, otherwise he would be dreaming of making nail tips.
Since cultural and creative products rarely exceeded 1000 yuan, the three collaborative nail art designs had generated a lot of discussion since the release of the promotional video, even the museum leaders were worried they wouldn’t sell.
Unexpectedly, after the official launch, the usually quiet museum shop experienced an unprecedented surge in traffic, countless people adding the items to their carts, and the 300 sets of each design sold out in less than a minute, the speed shocking everyone.
Weren’t they just pretty, useless things? So they were actually buying them?
Many customers who missed out were now even more determined to get them, flocking to the Monster Manicure Shop’s account and begging for appointments. Travel bloggers even included the nail salon in their Yucheng travel guides.
Wearing the collaborative press-on nails to the Yucheng Museum became a trend, and the Porcelain Fairy’s greatest joy every day was to see if any visitors were wearing her design.
The sudden popularity far exceeded the museum’s expectations. The project manager personally delivered snacks and gifts, happily discussing future collaborations.
Ning Zhixia was numb, smiling dryly and saying they would discuss it later…
Countless official accounts sent him collaboration proposals, but the quality of the brands varied.
Some even had a history of misogyny or animal abuse, making Qu Banqing furious, and he had Ning Zhixia reject them all.
Ning Zhixia, thinking that he wasn’t short of money, with a hefty income from the Sigrid Continent every ten days, decided to suspend in-store appointments until all the press-on nails were shipped, so every day, he woke up and started making nail tips.
Many of the decorations were pre-made, except for the flower petals for the vase design, which Qu Banqing had made molds for. After attaching them, applying powder, and sealing them with a top coat, they were done.
Ning Zhixia, after a satisfying meal, finished his daily quota, stretched, and looked past the screen at the closed door of the storage room.
“Knock, knock.”
He was about to knock when the door opened automatically.
Ning Zhixia paused, poking his head through the opening: “Audrow?”
The scene inside was unexpected. The floor was clean and shiny, the furniture neatly arranged as if never used.
“Over here.”
The sound of splashing water came from the corner near the bay window. Ning Zhixia, unable to contain his curiosity, walked towards the sound, rounding the corner of the bed.
“Ah! Oh my god!” His suspicions confirmed, Ning Zhixia’s eyes widened like the kittens outside, his pupils dilated with shock.
In the corner, emitting a soft blue glow, was a pool surrounded by beautiful shells.
Silver-gray hair clung to a bare, muscular chest, the long strands floating on the water’s surface. Audrow leaned lazily against the shell-covered edge of the pool, his sharp claws tapping a shell, the crisp sound echoing through the clear water, and a long fishtail could be faintly seen beneath the surface.
Noticing the young man’s figure, his light-colored, vertical pupils shifted, and Audrow looked up, meeting his gaze, pleased to see his reflection in those shining eyes.
Audrow exuded the aura of an apex predator, a water droplet tracing a path down his narrow waist, disappearing into the fine scales at the edge of his abdomen.
Unlike the vulnerable creatures in fairy tales, or the seductive beings in legends, his strong upper body hinted at the powerful bones beneath, capable of withstanding the currents and pressure of the deep sea, even though they weren’t his primary weapons.
If all worlds and beings were created by the Lord God, then mermen must be His most exquisite masterpiece.
Ning Zhixia showered him with compliments: “Xiao Ao, you’re so beautiful…”
“Thank you.”
Audrow seemed to be in a good mood. The fin at the end of his tail arched gracefully, casually slapping the water, sending droplets rolling down the translucent fin.
Ning Zhixia looked at the puddle of water on the floor, the familiar salty scent filling the air. He nervously tugged on his shirt, the small action noticed by the merman.
“This is a pocket dimension I created, it doesn’t affect the house’s foundation.” Audrow explained. “When the weather is unpleasant, staying here makes me more comfortable.”
“Oh…” Ning Zhixia nodded, relieved that his house hadn’t been hollowed out. “You’re so thoughtful.”
Audrow blinked: “You’re welcome, it’s only natural.”
“So… you lied to me, didn’t you?” Ning Zhixia squatted down, reached across the shells, and splashed the water, his voice muffled. “I wasn’t sleepwalking that night, I fell into the ocean as soon as I opened the door.”
“Yes, I lured you into my plane.” Audrow readily admitted.
Ning Zhixia hadn’t expected him to confess so easily and asked curiously, “You wanted to drown me?”
“Yes.”
The casual reply made Ning Zhixia’s eyes widen.
Audrow narrowed his eyes, studying the young man’s surprised expression, then said slowly, as if reminiscing, “You were lying on the wooden plank, so small, swaying gently with the waves… just like a cat seeing a teacup on the table, instinctively reaching out its paw.”
His voice was softer than the wind, and Ning Zhixia shivered, gulping and asking softly, “But you didn’t.”
“Yes, I restrained myself.” Audrow swayed his tail, moving closer, his gaze fixed on the young man.
“Good thing you did.” Ning Zhixia said sincerely, relieved, “I still have hundreds of press-on nails to deliver.”
The unexpected response made Audrow chuckle. He was now certain that what he had sensed that night, the conversation between the young man and the witch, wasn’t an illusion.
Sunlight rippled on the water’s surface.
A large hand, its wrist still bearing translucent fins, reached out, and Audrow looked up at the young man by the pool and asked, “Want to come down?”
“Now?”
Ning Zhixia hesitated for a moment at the sudden invitation, took off his slippers, and dipped his toes in the water.
The pool was a soft blue-green, but bottomless. Ning Zhixia shivered and muttered, “The water looks so deep…”
His toes stirred the water, sending ripples towards the bare, smooth chest.
Suddenly, cold fingers wrapped around his ankle, and Audrow, his eyes downcast, lifted his foot and placed it back on the carpet.
“Never mind.” he muttered.
Ning Zhixia paused, then, seemingly ignoring the sudden awkwardness, put on his slippers and left.
The familiar footsteps faded away, and Audrow swayed his tail, his chin resting on the edge of the pool.
“Humans are also little liars.”
His ear fins twitched, sending ripples across the water. Audrow looked down, a strange pang in his chest.
Suddenly—
The door burst open!
“I’m here!”
A bright light streamed into the room from the living room. Ning Zhixia, freshly showered and wearing a life vest, a mask around his neck, and an oxygen tank, stood at the doorway, fully equipped.
He wasn’t sure why Qu Banqing had bought these things, but they came in handy!
Ning Zhixia happily approached the pool, but saw Audrow floating in the center, his eyes half-closed, his gaze indifferent.
“What’s wrong, are you angry?”
Ning Zhixia called out twice but received no response, thinking that he was truly a petty fish, and lightly kicked Audrow’s shoulder. “I’m not a good swimmer, it took me a while to get my gear, why are you angry?”
Audrow turned his head, looked at the foot on his shoulder, wrapped his fingers around the slightly reddened ankle again, and suddenly pulled—
“Splash!”
Water splashed everywhere. Before Ning Zhixia could kick him again, he was pulled into the pool, losing his balance.
“Stop! Stop! Audrow, I can’t swim!”
Ning Zhixia flailed his limbs, clinging to the bad fish, thinking that he would sing him a hundred bad fish songs later.
He was about to say that he hadn’t warmed up when his waist was tightly embraced.
Audrow gently brushed the hair away from his face, cupped the back of his head, and kissed him deeply.
“Open your mouth a little wider.”
Ning Zhixia’s mind went blank, and he obediently complied. A soft, cool touch invaded his mouth, a long, serpentine tongue, unlike a human’s, tracing his palate, a faint metallic taste lingering.
The fishtail beneath him swayed gently, a cool, slippery sensation brushing against his tense feet, enveloping him like a net.
Ning Zhixia’s eyelashes trembled, his whole body shaking. A cold arm slid across his back, a comforting touch that tightened its hold, until their chests, one warm, one cold, were pressed together.
After an unknown amount of time, Ning Zhixia opened his eyes, his throat bobbing as he swallowed something, his ears burning.
Audrow wiped a drop of water from the corner of his eye and said calmly, “You’ve drunk my blood, you can move freely in the water for a while.”
A useful ability, but…
The sound of water seemed to echo in his ears, and Ning Zhixia splashed the water, stammering, “Did it have to be a kiss?”
Audrow didn’t even blink, adding calmly, “Saliva works too.”
“Really…”
Non-human abilities were always strange and unique. Ning Zhixia stared at him suspiciously, trying to discern the truth in his words.
But Audrow’s expression was calm, showing no emotion, and he even loosened his grip on Ning Zhixia’s waist, saying, “You can try.”
Ning Zhixia held onto the edge of the pool, sank into the water, then quickly resurfaced, exclaiming in surprise, “It actually works!”
Yay, he had evolved into an amphibian!
“Yes, it lasts for a day.”
Audrow swayed his beautiful tail, swimming closer, and apologized softly, “I’m sorry, did I hurt you just now?”
“N-no…”
Since he had apologized, Ning Zhixia couldn’t keep dwelling on it. He wiped his mouth, pretending to be calm. “Just remember to warn me next time!”
“Okay.”
Audrow readily agreed, wrapped his arms around Ning Zhixia’s waist again, and like he was teaching a youngling how to swim, slowly pulled him deeper into the pool…
