After Teasing the Crazy Mermaid, He Actually Deceived Me into Marriage - Chapter 19

After admiring the butterflies, Fan Yi continued to guide her through the jungle. With him by her side, all dangerous creatures kept their distance.

Si Tang felt an inexplicable and peculiar sensation.

It was a sense of security.

As the sun set in the west, Si Tang finally had her fill of fun and obediently followed Fan Yi back to the cave.

However, today, even after Si Tang finished her dinner, Fan Yi did not leave. Instead, he quietly stayed close to her.

As Si Tang prepared to bathe, she sensed something strange.

Her lips twitched slightly as she glanced at the man lounging in an antique chair, reading a book.

“Fan Yi, why haven’t you left yet?”

Fan Yi calmly turned a page, his tone matter-of-fact. “Because, as a friend, I need to protect you.”

His words sounded touching.

Si Tang sighed helplessly and tried to reason with him. “But that doesn’t mean we have to be together every single moment. For example, right now there’s no danger at all.”

Yet, the moment Si Tang finished speaking, Fan Yi’s eyes flickered, and suddenly, a brightly colored spider, almost the size of Si Tang’s fist, scurried down from the stone wall above.

It hung upside down, facing Si Tang directly.

“…”

“Ahhh! Help!”

The more colorful the spider, the more potent its venom. Terrified, Si Tang leaped up and threw herself directly into Fan Yi’s arms.

Si Tang was most afraid of spiders and snakes, and a spider the size of a fist would frighten even the bravest of souls!

Seeing her reaction, Fan Yi couldn’t help but find it amusing. It seemed she hadn’t been this scared even when she first met him.

Fan Yi naturally held her in his arms, patting her back gently, his voice soft. “It’s alright, it’s alright, Tangtang. I’m here.”

Only then did Si Tang snap out of her daze, realizing she had thrown herself into Fan Yi’s embrace. Thankfully, Fan Yi didn’t understand the boundaries between men and women, so she wasn’t too embarrassed.

She stepped back from his embrace and noticed the spider was gone. It must have been dealt with by Fan Yi.

Lowering her head, she whispered, “Thank you, Fan Yi.”

She expressed her gratitude sincerely, unaware of the pleased smile curling at the corners of the deity’s lips before her.

“Mmm, so, I have to protect you.”

Si Tang heard the words from the person in front of her.

Now, she had no reason to refuse. But she found it extremely odd usually, due to the protective barrier around the cave, not even a mosquito could get in.

Suddenly, it dawned on her belatedly that this was likely the fish’s doing on purpose.

Enlightened, she looked up and glared at him accusingly. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you, Fan Yi!”

Even when called out directly, Fan Yi showed no sign of annoyance. Instead, the smile in his eyes deepened.

Without a hint of guilt, he continued, “But there was indeed danger. This cave used to have many hazardous elements. After I cleared them out, the barrier disappeared during my mating season, so who knows how many dangerous creatures have slipped in since then.”

“Then why don’t you clear them out again?”

Fan Yi shook his head helplessly. “As you know, my mating season just ended, and my divine power isn’t stable yet. So.”

“Alright, I understand.” Si Tang was half-convinced but decided to believe him for now.

“Then I’m going to bathe. You should leave first.” Si Tang turned and headed toward the hot spring in the inner chamber.

Behind her, Fan Yi wore a triumphant smile.

When Si Tang finished bathing and was about to sleep, Fan Yi still hadn’t left. Not only that, but he also declared he would sleep beside her.

“No, absolutely not!” Si Tang insisted.

“Why?” Fan Yi’s tone sounded somewhat innocent. “It’s not like we haven’t slept together before.”

Si Tang: “…”

“That was different!”

“How was it different?”

Si Tang broke out in a panicked sweat. “In the human world, men and women should maintain proper boundaries!”

Fan Yi watched her flushed face and breathless arguing, then conceded and took a step back.

“Fine, I won’t sleep. I’ll just watch over you from here.”

“Watch me?” Si Tang’s voice rose in disbelief.

“Mhm.”

“How could I possibly sleep like that?”

“I need to protect you.”

Si Tang: Annihilated.

After their negotiation reached a stalemate, Si Tang lay on the bed while Fan Yi sat quietly beside her, watching.

She turned over, facing away from him.

Why is he acting like some male ghost? Si Tang thought inexplicably.

Yet gradually, the feeling of being watched faded away, replaced by a sliver of security that allowed her to fall peacefully asleep.

The night was deep and still as water.

As the young girl drifted into sweet dreams, Fan Yi soundlessly appeared before her, reaching out to gently stroke her closed eyelids.

Her defenseless state pleased him.

The smile at the corner of her lips suggested she was having a wonderful dream.

Fan Yi truly wished he could enter her dreams.

“What a pity.” he murmured softly.

What a pity that she still wasn’t his believer.

Morning.

When Si Tang woke, Fan Yi was no longer in front of her. After washing up, she came to the cave entrance where, as expected, he was already waiting with food prepared.

Recently, this treatment had indeed left her feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the favor.

She sat down opposite him and hesitantly said, “Stealing food from cruise ships. won’t that disrupt order?”

Fan Yi remained silent.

In truth, 8856 had already warned him to stop this behavior. The human world was buzzing about the incidents, with numerous cruise ship surveillance videos circulating online, leading many to believe in supernatural events in the Atlantic.

“It’s fine,” he said after a long pause. “From now on, I can cook for you.”

After all, cooking shouldn’t be difficult for a deity.

Si Tang: “?!”

The Sea God cooking for her? He really. I’m moved to tears.

“No need, no need! I can cook for myself. Just find me some ingredients and seasonings!” Si Tang waved her hands dismissively.

“I’ll do it,” the Sea God insisted stubbornly. “Are you afraid I’ll poison you?”

Si Tang immediately shook her head.

“Eat quickly. After you finish, I have a gift for you,” Fan Yi said.

Only then did Si Tang remember he’d mentioned a gift for her this morning.

She finished her meal with eager anticipation, then sat in her chair, gazing at him expectantly.

Fan Yi pulled out an exquisitely packaged box from his sleeve.

“For you.”

The box was entirely made of crystal glass and quite large. Si Tang accepted it delightedly, full of anticipation as she opened it, only for her expression to freeze.

Inside was a thin layer of crystal, and sandwiched within it lay rows of butterfly specimens.

The blue morpho butterflies that had been fluttering around her just yesterday now lay cold and still within the crystal layers. Their postures captured their most beautiful moments, all uniformly spread-winged as if still alive.

Yet Si Tang knew they had been turned into specimens, stripped of life, never to revive again.

They were beautiful, but their beauty sent a chill down her spine.

Seeing Si Tang silently staring down at the butterflies for a long time, Fan Yi finally spoke.

“Tangtang, these are the butterflies you loved. I made sure they died at their most beautiful moment and encased them in crystal so they could stay with you forever. You won’t have to worry about them dying someday and leaving you alone.”

Si Tang: “…” Was that what I meant yesterday?

Si Tang slowly looked up and saw Fan Yi gazing at her, his deep blue eyes clear and earnest.

So he hadn’t been deliberately trying to scare her.

Silently, Si Tang closed the box.

Noticing her pale face, Fan Yi tilted his head slightly and asked gently, “Don’t you like it?”

His voice was soft. “Anesthesia, immobilization, organ removal, desiccation. I worked on it all night.”

The more he spoke, the more creeped out Si Tang became.

Yet his blue eyes remained pure and flawless, as if he didn’t understand the meaning of life and death and thus held no reservations.