Chapter 81: Bite Mark

Yu Zhizhi crouched by the bathtub and found the lock on the chain. She glanced at the nearby sink. When Luther had left, he must have hung the key there.

But now, it had disappeared.

She searched for a while longer but still couldn’t find the key for the lock.

"That’s strange, I’m sure I saw it..." she muttered to herself.

「Meanwhile.」

Having left the cabin, Luther had one hand shoved in the pocket of his military trousers, a ring of keys dangling from his finger.

To prevent the pure-hearted and kind Ms. Zhi Zhi from being bewitched by the Mermaid and coaxed into unlocking the chains, he had deliberately taken the key with him when he left.

Even though the Mermaid had been drugged and lost his strength, it would still be risky to leave him in a room with a delicate young female from the Rabbit Clan without the chains to restrain him.

Yu Zhizhi didn’t find the key.

The chains couldn’t be unlocked for now.

"I don’t know where the key is," she said softly. "I’ll ask Luther when he gets back. For now, why don’t I feed you something to eat?"

’This was the Mermaid she’d gone to such great lengths to buy at the auction. She hoped he would eat well and recover his health. That way, he could help her complete the main quest.’

The Mermaid lay in the bathtub, his wavy, long hair floating like seaweed. His face was pale and gaunt, making the faint mole on the tip of his nose especially striking. He possessed an allure that was hard for any female to resist.

He didn’t respond.

Yu Zhizhi returned to the bathtub’s side and sat on a small stool. She broke a small piece off the seaweed cracker in her hand and gently brought it to the Mermaid’s rose-red lips.

The Mermaid hadn’t eaten in days. Smelling a food he liked, he remained silent for a long moment before slowly opening his mouth and taking a bite of the cracker.

The bathroom was very quiet.

Aside from the occasional sound of ripples spreading through the water, there was only the crisp snap of crackers being broken.

’Yu Zhizhi was reminded of her time at the Duke Mansion.’

’The Duke had always wanted her to eat more.’

’Only now that she had a "pet" of her own did she understand why.’

’Just like now.’

’She, too, wanted this Mermaid to eat more. Watching him eat the food she offered, bite by bite, gave her an inexplicable feeling of satisfaction.’

After a few crackers, the Mermaid’s hunger subsided.

His sharp, white teeth began to feel itchy. After deftly taking the cracker from the young rabbit female, he didn’t pause at all, instead closing his mouth around her finger.

Yu Zhizhi’s eyes widened slightly as a tingling numbness spread from her finger. The Mermaid’s teeth were nibbling gently on her forefinger.

And then...

He seemed to apply a little pressure.

Yu Zhizhi didn’t feel any pain, just a light prick.

The young female remained perfectly still, her hand outstretched, letting him bite. A thin layer of frost gradually crept over the Mermaid’s tail—

When Mermaids feel anger or disgust, their tails gradually turn white.

’He was disgusted by his own powerless body.’

’In his mind, he wanted to tear the little rabbit’s finger off and swallow it whole. But now, all he could do was hold it gently in his mouth, as if they were engaged in some intimate act.’

He used all his strength.

Finally, he broke the young female’s skin.

A drop of blood touched his tongue, and a triumphant smile spread across the Mermaid’s face.

’...This was his rebellion.’

’Even having been blinded, stripped of his strength, and chained up in this cramped bathroom, he would never submit. Not to anyone.’

Yu Zhizhi felt a sharp sting. She couldn’t help but frown, her shoulders flinching.

But she didn’t pull her finger away.

She let the Mermaid continue to bite.

’The Mermaid was surprised.’

’If she struggled now, it would only hurt more.’

’His teeth had already pierced her skin. He anticipated the little rabbit’s cry of pain, her screams, and the lashing that was sure to follow.’

But there was nothing.

The young female just sat there quietly by the tub, well-behaved, letting him bite as a drop of fresh blood slid over his tongue and down his throat.

The Mermaid used all his strength.

’This was the most he could manage.’

The initial sting quickly faded. Yu Zhizhi stared at him, dazed. As a pleasant tingling sensation washed over her, a blush crept up her cheeks.

’...Does the Mermaid Clan possess some sort of Magic Power?’

’Even having her finger bitten gave her such a strange feeling.’

Yu Zhizhi was a little nervous. "Are you done yet?" she asked in a low voice.

The Mermaid: "..."

"How much longer are you going to bite me?"

"..."

Realizing the little rabbit wasn’t afraid at all, the Mermaid furiously released his grip. The frost on his tail deepened, turning it as white as the snow on the windowsill.

Yu Zhizhi retracted her finger and looked at the bite mark. After a moment’s thought, she reached into the bathtub and pulled the Mermaid’s hand out of the water.

The Mermaid was blind.

’His senses of smell and touch were incredibly keen. He tilted his head slightly, wondering how this little rabbit planned to "punish" him.’

’He may have been weak just now, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t aggressive.’

’If it weren’t for the drug’s effects, he could have dragged this young Rabbit Clan female into the tub and bitten her to death.’

Yu Zhizhi looked at his pale, well-defined fingers. She leaned in and gently bit down on one.

Ngh...

’This was her "retaliation" for what he’d just done.’

’You need to eat properly.’

’And not bite me when I’m feeding you.’

’The Mermaid was stunned. He’d never expected the young female’s punishment to be so—’

’—gentle.’

Yu Zhizhi nibbled a few times, making sure to leave her own bite mark on his forefinger. When she let go, she saw the Mermaid’s tail gradually change from white back to its original pale blue. Soaking in the water, it was so beautiful she couldn’t look away.

’For some reason, her mouth felt dry and her heart began to race.’

Yu Zhizhi looked down at the hand she was gently holding. As if beyond her control, she lowered her head and lightly licked the bite mark on the male Mermaid’s finger.

—It was her bite mark.

’Yu Zhizhi wanted to get closer to him...’

"SPLASH—"

With a light flick of his tail, a spray of water flew out of the tub, drenching her.

The cool, salty water, mixed with sea salt, seemed to snap Yu Zhizhi back to her senses. She stared blankly at the Mermaid’s cold, indifferent face.

The youth’s tone was mocking. "Even if you cry and beg, I can’t satisfy you."

Members of the Mermaid Clan are incapable of mating before they develop legs.

Yu Zhizhi: "..."

"I wasn’t!"

She guiltily let go of his hand.

’How strange.’

’If not for that splash of cold water, she might have actually climbed on top of him.’

Her long skirt was damp. She stood up, gathered the plastic bag of crackers, and fled the bathroom with a hasty, "I’m going to eat now, too."

’Was he a Mermaid?’

’He was a Devil, meant to bewitch the hearts of others.’

It was the first time Yu Zhizhi had ever felt this way. It was as if her body was no longer her own, and she found herself craving his touch.

Back in the living room, she flopped onto the soft sofa, her cheeks still warm.

Just then, a clear female voice came over a broadcast—

"Attention, residents of Zero Star Street! The event at Paradise is starting in just fifteen minutes!"