The sink was icy cold, and when his legs touched it, Li Shu shivered from the chill, but he quickly had no time to focus on that. The scorching kiss assaulted his soul, and his body heated up in response.
The mirror was large and clear, reflecting every movement of the two. Li Shu tilted his head back as Lu Xi buried his face in the crook of his neck, leaving one red mark after another.
The hand gripping the edge of the white bathrobe tightened, and the red at his fingertips faded away, leaving only a pale white.
Suddenly, the man who had been burying his head lifted it, his crimson eyes meeting his own reflection in the mirror and the corner of his mouth curled into a wicked smile. The person in his arms had their clothes half open, exposing a large expanse of smooth skin on their shoulder. Thanks to him, red was spreading across the jade-like fair skin, like a bunch of tempting plum blossoms blooming in the snow.
This person was his.
His grip tightened, and he heard a soft groan from the person in his arms. The sound was small, but it was like pouring boiling oil on a raging fire, boiling violently in his heart.
The small flame in his eyes grew larger, and under its master’s deliberate indulgence, it spread rapidly, soon turning the entire meadow a magnificent red.
It was burning.
The fire spread uncontrollably. Feeling the intense fire in his heart, Lu Xi’s movements became more wanton.
Hot.
This was Li Shu’s only sensation. From the outside to the inside, and from the inside to the outside, it was as if a fire that could burn everything had ignited, consuming his body, his reason, his soul, everything, wanting to burn him to ashes.
Lu Xi was the source of the heat, but Li Shu had no intention of pushing him away. He opened himself up, allowing the fire to ravage him.
The fire died down several hours later. Lu Xi held Li Shu in his arms and washed him clean. He carried Li Shu, who was washed from head to toe and inside out, to the bed, found a set of clean clothes according to his instructions, and patiently dressed him.
Li Shu was truly exhausted now. Like a large doll, he allowed Lu Xi to move him as he pleased. He couldn’t understand how things had gotten so out of control with Lu Xi in the bathroom. By the time he came back to his senses from the heat, it was too late to stop him.
After reflecting deeply on his behavior earlier, Li Shu rubbed his forehead with a headache, silently cursing his lapse in judgment due to desire.
The satiated merman was particularly agreeable. He answered every question Li Shu asked and did everything he was told. Seeing him so obedient, the anger in Li Shu’s heart subsided a little.
He leaned against the headboard, reviewing the documents sent over from the base. Every day, someone would send updates on the situation at the base, and Li Shu needed to ensure that there were no problems back there.
From the very beginning, there weren’t many people who knew of Lu Xi’s existence. At the time, to maintain secrecy, even the transporters didn’t know what their boss had sent to the base. They thought it was just another experimental product and never imagined that it contained a merman.
Thanks to their caution at the time, they weren’t truly forced into a desperate situation now.
Lu Xi brought over the cooked porridge, awkwardly feeding it to Li Shu with a spoon. The porridge had been specially prepared and delivered by someone. Besides the villa where the owner lived, there was also a place nearby designated for the servants, and all three meals were prepared by the chefs there and then sent over.
Most of the servants on the estate were on leave, leaving only a few essential ones behind. These people were not allowed to approach the main villa. They had worked for the Li family for many years and knew their boundaries well, they would never pry into the affairs of their employers. For instance, now that the master had ordered no one to approach the villa, they wouldn’t go near it.
In the days Li Shu had been there, he hadn’t seen a single servant. This was for the benefit of both parties. Although Lu Xi could transform into a human form, he wasn’t human at his core, and human morals had little hold on him. If the two sides meet, it would definitely not be Lu Xi who gets hurt.
While handling his work, Li Shu let Lu Xi clumsily finish feeding him lunch. Yes, the morning’s tossing didn’t end until noon.
Especially after coming into contact with water, Lu Xi was almost uncontrollable. No matter what Li Shu did, he couldn’t get him to stop.
Lu Xi also knew he had gone too far this time, so when Li Shu ignored him, he only dared to approach cautiously and didn’t dare to do anything more.
The information he received was too important and after returning that day, Mr. Chen instructed not to be disturbed and locked himself in his study. After carefully examining the documents the Li brothers had given him, he took them to consult others the very next day.
This matter was of great importance, and he didn’t dare to make the decision alone. Before making a decision, he had to verify the authenticity of the documents. Even if the Li brothers could guarantee the truthfulness of the documents with 100% certainty, he still couldn’t recklessly hand them over.
Verifying this information’s accuracy was no simple task. First of all, they couldn’t find a merfolk. Secondly, even if they did find one, he couldn’t be sure they could communicate successfully, let alone confirm whether what the merfolk said was true or not.
There were too many uncertainties. If what Li Shu said was true, then the discovery of merfolk would not just concern one country, but all of humanity. Until now, no one had ever found another intelligent species on this planet besides humans, but now they had. And not only that, the intelligent species they discovered wanted to form a bond with humans…
Mr. Chen sought out friends he trusted and could rely on, and found time to discuss parts of the situation with them. This matter was too big for him to handle properly by himself. Sometimes, a great achievement wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
While Mr. Chen was busy with the merfolk matter, the Li family was also keeping up. Li Yan went to handle the expedition team that had discovered the merman. Although they had already taken confidentiality measures months ago, it wasn’t enough. Now that the existence of merfolk was about to be made public officially, the temptation they faced would only grow. The measures they had taken before might not be sufficient for long.
A thousand-mile dam could collapse due to a small hole. Sometimes, it was often the most inconspicuous things that would cause the entire situation to fall apart. Such a thing must never be allowed to happen to the Li family.
Everyone had their own tasks. Compared to them, Lu Xi was almost too carefree.
Aside from matters concerning Lu Xi, Li Shu was still searching for the male protagonist. The mission revolved around the male and female protagonists. The female protagonist was now working with him, but the male protagonist was still nowhere to be found. If he couldn’t find the male protagonist, how was he supposed to complete his mission?
Daniel.
He only had a name. With the vast ocean and so many merfolk, how was he supposed to find the one named Daniel with just a name?
News about merfolk was all over the internet, and some educational posts had appeared as well. It seemed that Mr. Chen had already started taking action. Li Shu clicked his mouse and opened a few related news articles, but found nothing particularly useful.
Should he try using Mr. Chen’s connections? But how would he explain it? How would he explain knowing this name? All his knowledge of the merfolk world came from Lu Xi, and he couldn’t even guarantee the completeness of the information he had.
He couldn’t ask Mr. Chen for help. But so many days had passed, and his brother hadn’t received any news either. He didn’t want to just keep waiting, but there was nothing he could do.
How could he find him?
Before he could figure out a solution, Li Shu received a call from Lin Luo. His eyes lit up—aside from Lu Xi, wasn’t there another source of information readily available?
Lin Luo was calling to ask about merfolk. The Lin family had connections in high places, and he had heard the news from his family. Eager to talk to Li Shu, he told him the news that hadn’t yet been made public and then asked, “Can we talk in person?”
Just when he felt sleepy, someone handed me a pillow. Li Shu happily agreed.
Lin Luo arrived, and naturally, Yasu came with him. This time, Li Shu had someone bring them in from outside. The previous time, Yasu had used mental control on the security personnel outside, but Lu Xi had resolved it. Now that they had already met, there was no need for such measures this time.
“What’s wrong with you?” Li Shu took a sip of tea, frowning slightly.
Lin Luo, who was sitting across from him, clearly didn’t look well. Last time he came, he was a healthy young man. How come he looked so listless after just a few days?
Lin Luo was in a daze for a moment before he replied, “I’m fine.”
Li Shu: “You don’t look fine. Do you have something on your mind?”
“Brother Li Shu, are you and Lu Xi also in a relationship?” Lin Luo raised his teacup, letting the rising steam hit his face. Behind the swirling mist, his eyes were slightly red.
In fact, he already knew the answer without asking. Last time he came, Lu Xi was in the swimming pool, and Li Shu didn’t know that merfolk could grow legs. Now, the man sitting next to Li Shu had a pair of impressive long legs. And that man’s possessiveness towards Li Shu—he was all too familiar with it, because there was someone like that by his side as well.
Upon hearing his name, Lu Xi looked up. He glanced at the subordinate across from him and the partner the subordinate had chosen, then wrapped his arm around Li Shu’s waist, which served as his answer to Lin Luo’s question.
Lin Luo nodded slightly. After that, he didn’t ask any more related questions and instead started talking about the news he had just received. “It seems the higher-ups have already decided on a policy regarding merfolk—the main approach is conciliatory. It’s best to avoid conflict if possible…”
He shared everything he had heard and asked anxiously, “Will this approach have any impact on…?”
Strangely enough, Li Shu immediately knew that the word Lin Luo had omitted was “humans.” Now he was somewhat curious as to why Lin Luo would think humans would be at a disadvantage in this conflict.
Suppressing his curiosity, Li Shu gently squeezed the hand at his waist and said, “They must have considered it more thoroughly than we have.”
“Yeah.” Lin Luo forced a smile.
Li Shu expected Lin Luo to be the one to seek him out, but it was Yasu who came first. To create an opportunity for Lin Luo, Li Shu had already sent Lu Xi away. Although Lu Xi was unwilling to leave Li Shu’s side, Li Shu’s firm attitude forced him to reluctantly go to the swimming pool alone. Even though they had human forms, merfolk still had to soak in water periodically.
Looking at the tall man, Li Shu raised an eyebrow. “Yasu?”
“Mr. Li.” Yasu looked at the man by the window. The setting sun streamed in from outside, landing right on the man’s face. Behind him was darkness, and in front of him was light. He stood at the junction of light and shadow, making it hard for others to see through him. Yasu knew this human was the mate chosen by the king. He shouldn’t be meeting him alone; it was too risky, but he came anyway.
“I would like to ask Mr. Li for a favor,” Yasu said.
