I Don't Want To Fall In Love With The Heroine [Quick Wear] - Chapter 25

Bai Qian knew that tonight’s “tail regeneration test,” which had been so rudely interrupted halfway through, was officially a bust.

Between the girl’s erratic temperament and this maddening bout of amnesia, Bai Qian’s mood had soured completely. She slapped away the hand still lingering on her lips and propped herself up with her elbows, preparing to get out of bed.

Suddenly, a powerful grip slammed onto her shoulder, pinning her down with the strength of a hawk securing its prey.

“******” (You crawled into my bed, and now you want to run?)

Yu Shaoling reached out with her free hand. As if unwrapping a gift, she pressed her finger against the top button of the pajamas; with a soft glow, the button disintegrated into dust.

Panic flared in Bai Qian’s chest. Her free hand snatched the girl’s wrist before she could continue the “unwrapping.” She hissed through gritted teeth, “I fought for these pajamas at a half-price sale! The original price was four figures! You touch another button and I swear I’ll hit you!”

Yu Shaoling couldn’t understand a word the woman was saying. She simply stared at those red, moving lips—they were perfectly shaped, full, and captivating—but the gibberish coming out of them was incredibly annoying.

The girl’s face darkened with a threat. “******” (Shut up. Don’t force me to make you.)

Bai Qian snapped, “Let me go! Consider it my bad luck, I don’t want to do anything tonight. Let go!”

Unable to silence the woman with threats, Yu Shaoling instinctively raised her hand. A silver ring of light gathered at her fingertip, ready to tap Bai Qian’s forehead. But as her gaze fell upon those tempting, swollen lips, her movements faltered. By the time she snapped out of it, she had already used her own lips to seal that annoying mouth shut.

After a brief, firm press, Yu Shaoling pulled back.

“******” (Keep talking, and I really will punish you.)

Bai Qian was bewildered. We kissed, so why do I still not understand a word she’s saying?

Before she could ponder it, her second button was effortlessly turned to dust. Yu Shaoling’s eyes were like a stagnant pool—even facing the beautiful, snowy scenery beneath her, not a ripple of emotion showed.

“******” (Answer me. Who sent you? To think they’d have you use such a low-class tactic.)

In the Mermaid Kingdom, the “honey trap” was considered the most despicable of strategies. A mermaid who fell for such a trap was a disgrace. As the future Queen, she would never succumb to such a primitive scheme.

Or so Yu Shaoling told herself.

Bai Qian, realizing she couldn’t overpower her, shifted her strategy to protecting the remaining buttons. With two buttons gone, her collar was open wider than ever before, revealing a vast expanse of pale skin. She raised her hands, trying to shield what was left of her dignity.

She failed to realize that this defensive posture did nothing to protect her; instead, it squeezed her curves together in a way that would make anyone’s blood boil.

The supreme future Queen of the Mermaid Kingdom could never fall for such a crude conspiracy!

Yu Shaoling repeated the mantra in her head. Just as she felt she had regained her composure, her expression shifted violently. Bai Qian barely had time to react before her lips were sealed once more.

Yu Shaoling’s eyes were bloodshot. It was unclear if she hated the lowly human for this trickery or if she was furious at herself for failing to resist the temptation. She was no longer content with a brief taste; she transformed her resentment into primal impulse, punishing the human with a fierce intensity.

She pulled her lips back but didn’t move away, pressing her hot cheek against Bai Qian’s. She leaned into the woman’s ear, which was flushed red from the lack of oxygen. Biting down on the tender skin, she growled, “Cunning human… you’ve succeeded.”

The noble Queen finally bowed her head to her captive. Using the hand destined to hold a jeweled scepter, she brought the lowly, fragile human a peak of exquisite pleasure that resonated from body to soul.

The proud Queen’s face was flushed crimson, yet her eyes were unseasonably cold. Her voice was a deep, magnetic rasp. “Don’t you forget your place. To think you’d dare have me do such a thing for you!”

Bai Qian’s eyes were veiled in a misty haze. Her pale, trembling fingers hooked into the girl’s hand in a desperate, clinging grip. Her lips parted, and her voice was a sweet, intoxicating nectar that could melt a person’s bones.

“Lick it.”

The proud Princess would never stoop so low for a lowly human!

Bai Qian’s piteous voice sounded like the mewling of a kitten. “Please… lick it for me.”

The last thread of Yu Shaoling’s reason snapped. The mouth that would one day solemnly swear its oath to the kingdom was stained with a sweet, fragrant nectar that didn’t belong to her.

******

Bai Qian didn’t want to remember a single detail of what she had pleaded for last night—that was absolutely not her!

When she woke up, Yu Shaoling was still asleep beside her. Bai Qian carefully lifted the duvet, only to find the girl’s legs were still legs. She let out a sigh of resignation. As she tucked the girl back in, she saw her brow furrow suddenly. Bai Qian froze, but the girl didn’t wake, so she quietly climbed out of bed.

She didn’t even stop for slippers; her exit from the room felt like a frantic escape.

An Yan had just opened her shop when she saw Bai Qian, who had clearly been waiting for quite some time. The woman looked perfectly normal, but An Yan seemed to see right through her. She cut straight to the point: “Tried it?”

The images Bai Qian wanted to forget flooded back. Her ears turned red, but she maintained a facade of composure and nodded.

“Didn’t work?”

“No.”

An Yan handed her a glass of lemon water. “Were you the one on top?”

Pfft!

Bai Qian spat out the water in shock. She coughed several times before catching her breath. An Yan patted her shoulder casually. “Wrong position. Try again tonight. If it still doesn’t work, come see me.”

Bai Qian wiped her mouth. “Is there any other way?”

An Yan shook her head. “Of course not. But this just proves that mermaid of yours isn’t ‘the one.’ Come back later and I’ll introduce you to someone new. As the saying goes, if it’s going to end, better to end it now. Right?”

“…”

“Anything else?”

“No.”

“Then I won’t see you out. My consultation fees are high; if you don’t leave now, I’m starting the clock.”

Bai Qian bolted. Just as she rounded the corner of the alley, she saw a striking, dark-faced girl standing by a utility pole. She was surprised to see her there. “How did you know I was here?”

Yu Shaoling walked toward her with a frozen face. With every step, the pressure in the air dropped. She stopped in front of Bai Qian, her innate aura so oppressive that Bai Qian’s legs went weak. This was the natural power mermaids held over humans.

Just as she was about to fall backward, a hand caught her waist. Yu Shaoling effortlessly swept the woman up into a bridal carry.

“My little captive is being disobedient. Once the task is finished, you try to run?”

Bai Qian snapped out of it and struggled in her arms. “Are you crazy! Put me down!”

Yu Shaoling gave her a sharp smack on the rear as a warning. The sensation of the contact made her pause, but she didn’t let go. “Since you’ve been in my bed, you are my captive from this day forward. Don’t even think about running. Got it?”

The girl carried her forward. “We mermaids have countless ways to torment you. If you want to spend your days in peace, I suggest you put your energy into pleasing me instead of trying to escape.”

Bai Qian: ?

“Wait, what do you mean ‘pleasing you’?!”

Yu Shaoling let out a low, mocking laugh. She set Bai Qian down and gripped her chin, her thumb rubbing the lips she had bitten swollen. “You were bold enough to crawl into my bed yourself, yet now you’re afraid to hear me say it? Little captive, don’t you think you’re being a bit ridiculous?”

“I did not crawl into your bed! That is my house! If anyone crawled into a bed, it was you!”

The mermaid princess looked even more disdainful. “I didn’t expect you humans to be so devious. You don’t dare crawl into the bed yourselves, so you use schemes to force me into yours.”

“…” Your imagination is a disease; you really need treatment!

“Whatever. You’re no threat to me. Someone like you… I could make your life a living hell without even trying. So, be a good girl and do as I say. Otherwise, if you dare do anything you shouldn’t—” A vicious glint of threat flashed in her eyes. “Don’t blame me for being unkind.”

Bai Qian’s head was spinning. She sensed a deeper, darker meaning in those words. She asked with a dark face, “Excuse me, please explain: what exactly is ‘someone like me’?”

Yu Shaoling’s gaze drifted from her lips down to the faint marks on her collarbone. Her dark amber eyes narrowed as the flushed images from the night before filled her mind. Her breathing became slightly unsteady, but she quickly caught herself and scoffed, “Someone like you… a lowly human who uses their body as bait.”

“…”

“Little captive, what is your goal? To seize power? Or to start a war between humans and mermaids?”

Bai Qian rolled her eyes. “What if I said my goal was you?”

Yu Shaoling’s expression turned complex, a swirl of emotions crossing her eyes. Finally, she let out a cold laugh. “No mermaid ruler has ever had a human partner. You, wanting to be the Prince Consort of the Mermaid Kingdom? Pure delusion. Don’t think that because you succeeded in luring me once that I’ll look at you differently. Even if I fall for your tricks again next time, it will only prove that you humans are truly diabolical.”

Bai Qian: ??? Listen to yourself! You scumbag fish! It was perfectly consensual, yet you’re pinning all the blame on me! And from the sound of it, you’re already pre-blaming me for any ‘mistakes’ you might make next time if you can’t resist the temptation?!!

The scumbag fish continued, “However, if you know your place and serve me well until I get my tail back, I wouldn’t mind giving you some rewards to keep you happy.”

“Sea-Beef?”

Yu Shaoling scoffed. “It seems your love for me runs deep indeed; you’ve researched me quite thoroughly. But don’t get ahead of yourself. Sea-Beef is a precious commodity; you aren’t worthy of receiving it.”

Bai Qian was speechless. I wonder who it was that promised me three whole rooms of Sea-Beef.

“Then what are you talking about?”

A flash of self-consciousness crossed the Princess’s eyes. “Next time you use those wicked schemes of yours… I suppose I could be persuaded to lick it for you again.”

Bai Qian: “…” Is there a cop nearby? I want to report someone for driving without a license!

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