After Teasing the Crazy Mermaid, He Actually Deceived Me into Marriage - Chapter 68

As soon as Si Tang returned to the villa, she saw Fan Yi sitting on the living room sofa as usual.

He always came back exceptionally early, and Si Tang noticed that he seemed to have quite a bit of free time. She figured most of the company affairs were handled by Xiao Liu.

“Tang Tang, you’re back.”

His left hand was still wrapped in a bandage, conspicuously placed in front of him. He turned his head toward her in the light, giving her the illusion of a damp, injured puppy waiting for its owner to come home.

Si Tang instinctively nodded in response, changed her shoes, and walked into the villa. As she passed by Fan Yi, he keenly caught the scent of sandalwood and pine lingering on her.

From an angle she couldn’t see, his eyes darkened uncontrollably.

After leaving the He Corporation, Si Tang had gone to Xing Nian to work. Exhausted from a busy day, she greeted Fan Yi and went upstairs to rest.

Only after Si Tang’s figure disappeared at the top of the stairs did Fan Yi’s silent, still form finally stir. He immediately stood up and hurried upstairs without even turning off the TV.

At that moment, no one was paying attention to the television, which was broadcasting a breaking news segment.

“We interrupt with an urgent news update. At 8:15 this morning, an abnormal ecological phenomenon occurred at the former medical waste disposal center in the northern suburbs of our city…”

“This medical waste incineration site, which has been barren for twenty years, was discovered this morning to have plants growing at an astonishing rate.”

The camera zoomed in, clearly revealing a bizarre boundary: outside a circle about ten meters in diameter was cracked, scorched earth, while inside, the vegetation was unusually lush. Weeds had grown knee-high, and clusters of flowers were in full bloom, as if it were a paradise beautiful yet surreal.

“According to records, this site has long been used to process pathological specimens, laboratory waste, and special medical refuse from hospitals across the city,” the reporter stated. “Preliminary investigations show that the plants are common species and pose no danger. Further information will require additional research by scientists.”

The screen cut to a group of researchers in white hazmat suits. They were collecting soil samples using specialized containers. As the camera panned, a gentle and refined face came into view.

The evening glow blazed unrestrained, its orange-red waves of light slicing through the sky like a blade through waves.

Having eaten an early dinner, Si Tang had fallen into a deep slumber. A gentle breeze swayed the light-blocking curtains, and a sliver of the sunset glow happened to fall across her brows, accentuating her soft and serene demeanor.

A dark, damp gaze enveloped the sleeping figure. If Si Tang were to wake at that moment, she would surely be suffocated by the overwhelming possessiveness in that stare.

Seeing her sweet and tender appearance, Fan Yi couldn’t resist stepping closer. Yet, just as he was about to move even nearer, he abruptly halted.

The unfamiliar scent of sandalwood mixed with cedar assaulted his senses, causing his eyes to momentarily lose control, shifting into an eerie, ghostly blue.

It was a scent one would only carry after spending a long time in an enclosed space with another man.

He didn’t like it.

No, he loathed it.

He extended his left hand and gave a slight movement. The bandages wrapped around it vanished, revealing a hand as fair and flawless as jade.

With his right hand, he retrieved a fragment of the Main God’s crystal. An icy blue light enveloped Si Tang, and she sank into an even deeper dream.

Only then did Fan Yi allow himself a slight smile. Gently, he lifted the blanket beside her and, quite naturally, lay down next to her.

Still feeling it wasn’t enough, he stretched out his arms and embraced Siting from the side, his arms instinctively wrapping around her like vines, as if a wild beast were marking its territory.

“Tangtang.” Holding her by the waist, he couldn’t resist nuzzling her hairline only to catch that scent again, the one that infuriated him to no end.

Fan Yi had only one thought in his mind: to revert to his true form and cover Si Tang entirely, erasing every trace of that scent. She should carry only his scent.

His face dark with gloom, he pressed a series of kisses against the skin behind her ear, as if trying to absorb her essence. Then, as if unable to bear it any longer, he abruptly sat up in bed, gently lifted Si Tang into his arms, and carried her into the bathroom.

He didn’t turn on the light. The frosted glass window was tightly shut, allowing only a few faint rays of twilight to filter through, casting a dim, ambiguous glow that added an indescribable sense of intimacy.

The sound of running water filled the room. Expressionlessly, Fan Yi undressed Si Tang. As her flawless body, which once would have stirred no emotion in him, was laid bare before his eyes once more, his gaze unexpectedly turned shy.

He averted his face but couldn’t resist stealing glances out of the corner of his eye.

His entire face heated up in an instant.

His Adam’s apple bobbed, his breathing grew heavier, and the desire in his eyes burned hotter.

Suddenly, he lifted Si Tang into the bathtub, clumsily gathering her long hair and cradling the nape of her neck with his hand.

Without a hint of shame or guilt, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he stepped into the bathtub himself and transformed into his true form,

A silver fishtail shimmered with iridescent hues in the dim light, marred only by a dark red scar along its side, hauntingly beautiful. His jet-black hair turned into a cascade of snow-white strands spilling over the edge of the tub and spreading across the floor.

He settled Si Tang onto his tail.

With one hand, he scooped water and poured it over the girl, using his palm to gently cleanse her skin. With the other, he couldn’t resist lowering his head to kiss her.

His fingertips traced her spine and the curve of her waist with an almost reverent touch.

The faint light illuminated his face, revealing an expression bordering on madness and obsession.

Si Tang felt unbearably hot.

Her entire body seemed tightly bound by vines, her breaths filled with damp, heated air and a familiar, domineering cold fragrance.

A strange sensation washed over her, as if a dangerous beast had caught the scent of prey and was ready to devour it whole.

Si Tang’s eyes snapped open, and she gasped for air.

The quiet, pale moonlight seeped through the curtains, casting faint rays into the room. Si Tang felt uncomfortable all over.

She had that dream again.

Slowly, she got out of bed, her body feeling as if it had been drained. After taking a shower, she instinctively glanced in the mirror and was startled.

The girl reflected was exquisitely beautiful, her skin flawless and pale. Yet, the allure at the corners of her eyes and brows seemed as if she had been thoroughly cherished, her entire face flushed with a rosy, peach-like glow.

Si Tang splashed cold water on her face several times.

The next day.

In a hidden laboratory.

Ling Xubai adjusted the microscope’s focus, and the sight before him made him hold his breath. Ordinary soil typically contains millions of microorganisms per gram, but the sample under the lens held at least ten times that number, with an astonishing diversity. Even more peculiar, these microorganisms appeared unusually active, forming intricate symbiotic networks with one another.

His notebook was already filled with dense observations:

“Specimen X-37, 14th observation. The microbial community exhibits unprecedented diversity, including at least 15 undocumented bacterial species. Metabolic activity exceeds that of standard soil samples by 300%. Cell division rate.”

His recording was abruptly interrupted by the ringing of his phone. The caller ID showed the number of the municipal hospital. Ling Xubai paused his work, removed his gloves, and answered the call.

“Mr. Ling, I’m sorry, but your father’s heart is not compatible with yours. An organ transplant is not possible.” The voice on the phone shattered his last shred of hope.

“I understand. Thank you for letting me know,” he replied mechanically before hanging up.

He stood silently, gazing out the window, his figure seeming as elusive and enigmatic as a mist.