I Don't Want To Fall In Love With The Heroine [Quick Wear] - Chapter 27

Bai Qian was at a total loss for words.

She desperately wanted to tell the incredibly self-assured girl in front of her that she had absolutely zero interest in becoming her “Prince Consort” or whatever royal title she was imagining.

However, Bai Qian was the one who had initiated this high-stakes performance of “deep affection.” She had been playing her part for so long that the other lead actor had become completely immersed in the role. No matter how she looked at it, it was far too late for Bai Qian to suddenly call “cut.”

Still, she couldn’t stand seeing the Princess look down on her with such arrogance. She decided to play along, leaning into the role. “If I’m willing to be obedient, my beloved Princess, when exactly will you allow me to be your Consort?”

Yu Shaoling’s expression flickered through a dozen different emotions in a heartbeat before settling back into her default mask of haughty disdain. “Greedy little captive. Let me remind you once more: do not harbor such delusions. The human who becomes the Consort of the Mermaid Kingdom certainly won’t be you!”

She denied it flatly and thoroughly, yet she seemed to forget that the first time she rejected this human captive, her words had been “A human could never be the Consort.”

Now, she had already placed “human” as a viable option on the list of candidates.

Bai Qian feigned a sniffle, making sure her “deeply hurt” emotions were fully visible. “I understand. I won’t harbor such delusions anymore.”

Yu Shaoling’s brow didn’t smooth over at the woman’s compliance; instead, it furrowed deeper at her reaction. Seeing that the woman looked so heartbroken that she wanted to flee, the girl spoke up instinctively, her voice tinged with a regret she didn’t quite recognize. “Little captive, I told you this from the very beginning. You surely aren’t as fragile as other humans, are you?”

Bai Qian turned her back to her, her calm and steady expression perfectly hiding the disappointment she had just projected. “Of course not. I’m just going to go get a glass of water.”

“Tsk.” Yu Shaoling climbed out of bed and snatched the arm of the “pouting” little captive. With a mix of impatience and helplessness, she planted a kiss on the woman’s lips. “You humans are so indirect. Fine, I was lying just now. You’re serving me well enough for now, so I won’t be looking for a Consort yet. Are you satisfied? What a disobedient captive.”

“…”

“What are you standing there for? Let’s go. I’ll go with you to get water. I don’t know who you learned this from, being so clingy.”

Bai Qian didn’t have time to process whatever wild theory the girl’s stubborn mind had concocted. She hurriedly stopped her, speaking with forced sincerity. “Didn’t you want to read stories? I’ll find them for you. I can get the water myself.”

Yu Shaoling’s face darkened. “Little captive, are you trying to push your luck again? Is a kiss not enough? Do you really have to make a scene until I agree to name you Consort? You know that’s impossible.”

Bai Qian: “…”

Driven to the brink of collapse by the girl’s logic, and in a moment of desperate urgency, Bai Qian grabbed the girl’s chin, stood on her tiptoes, and gave her a heavy, purposeful kiss.

“I’m satisfied with just this. Truly. So, you stay here and read the stories I find for you. When I’m back from getting water, you can tell me about them, okay?”

It was the first time the little captive had kissed her so boldly. And after the kiss, she shyly looked away, not daring to meet her gaze.

Yu Shaoling couldn’t describe the feeling swirling inside her. Such an act would never be permitted in the Mermaid Kingdom, a place where status and rank were everything. According to mermaid law, she could have sentenced this disrespectful little captive to a lashing with a sea-whip.

But she didn’t want to. She was living in the human world now, and she should follow human laws. As far as she knew, there was no such prohibition in human legal codes. Moreover, punishment wasn’t what was on her mind. Instead, an uncontrollable image appeared in her thoughts.

If I told the little captive I was naming her my Consort, what kind of expression would she have on her face?

Yu Shaoling couldn’t quite imagine it. Realizing where her thoughts were wandering, her face stiffened. She walked back to the bed with a haste that betrayed a secret guilt she hoped Bai Qian wouldn’t notice. “Weren’t you going to find me stories? Hurry up and do it.”

Bai Qian hadn’t expected a simple kiss—a daily routine by now—to actually work on this girl. Her surprise lasted only a second before she reacted, clicking open a novel website on the phone. She found a story titled Rebirth: Staying Away from the Scumbag Prince, opened the first chapter, and handed the phone back.

The story was four hundred thousand words long with seventy thousand words of free chapters. If the girl liked it, by the time Bai Qian finished preparing the “medicine,” she should still be reading the free part.

Bai Qian went to the kitchen and juiced some oranges. Following An Yan’s instructions, she poured one-third of the bottle’s liquid into the juice. Just as the woman had said, the sea-blue liquid vanished into the orange juice instantly, leaving no trace behind.

If Yu Shaoling hadn’t lost her memory, a single initiative from Bai Qian would have shown results. But because the girl had lost her memory three separate times, the experiment had to be performed three times. Once the third time was finished, she would have the final proof of whether she was the mermaid’s “True Love.”

Bai Qian prepared the drink and carried the glass back to the bedroom. Just as she reached Yu Shaoling’s side, the girl looked up.

“How do I pay? It won’t let me read the rest.”

Bai Qian was stunned. “It’s only been a few minutes. You finished over twenty chapters already?”

The Princess was not pleased with the doubt. “Are you questioning me?”

“I’m admiring you,” Bai Qian said sincerely.

Yu Shaoling grudgingly accepted the lukewarm praise and took the orange juice the “little captive” had prepared. “This story is actually quite well-written. How do I tip the author? Good work should be encouraged.”

Bai Qian topped up two hundred yuan in the account and showed her how to purchase the paid chapters, then helped her send a “reward” to the author. “There, that’s a tip.”

“Only a hundred points? We mermaids aren’t as stingy as you humans. If you’re going to give a gift, give the best one. This ‘Deep Sea Bomb’ is the top one, right? How many can I send?”

Bai Qian grabbed the hand that was about to hit ‘pay.’ “I don’t have that much money! You’re spending my money right now!”

“Tsk. I am your Master. Being able to spend money on me is your honor.”

“…” Thanks, but I’d like to decline the honor.

Seeing Bai Qian’s genuinely pained expression, Yu Shaoling didn’t force her to top up more. She downed the orange juice in three gulps and shoved the glass back into Bai Qian’s hand. “Fine. When I have my own money, I’ll tip her properly. Happy? Now go put the glass away and come back to read with me.”

Bai Qian hadn’t even made it out of the room before she heard the sound of the phone hitting the floor.

The girl’s voice was full of murderous intent, yet, under the influence of the drug, it sounded as soft as a mewling kitten. “You… you devious captive… what vile drug did you give me this time!”

Bai Qian turned around. Yu Shaoling was glaring at her, her face flushed a deep peach-pink that extended all the way to her forehead. Bai Qian set the empty glass on a side table and walked toward the mermaid who was now her “prey.”

“You wicked captive! What do you think you’re doing!”

As she interrogated her, the woman sat on the bed. She reached out and touched the girl’s hot, flushed forehead, her voice low and soft. “My Princess… this disobedient captive is going to help you find your lost tail.”

The mermaid’s ethereal, intoxicating midnight song reached the depths of the ocean. On the surface, pink bubbles began to gurgle and rise, as if the creatures below were answering. Or perhaps, they were simply celebrating.

Their Princess had finally found her beloved Consort.

Bai Qian knew the tail wouldn’t grow back instantly, but she forgot to mention that to Yu Shaoling.

The Princess, who had reluctantly surrendered herself for the sake of her mermaid heritage, woke up with one goal: to see her new tail. But when she looked, she didn’t see a single beautiful scale. Instead, she saw those same human legs that she found so incredibly eyesore.

Bai Qian carried a plate of steamed dumplings upstairs. From a distance, she could hear a sound from the master bedroom that sounded like the house was being demolished. When she pushed the door open, she was frozen by the sight of the disaster area, thick with dust.

A dark-faced Yu Shaoling sat amidst the ruins of the bedframe, which had been split into pieces by her psychic power. The chaos around her didn’t make her look pathetic; instead, it lent her the tragic beauty of a fallen princess.

She looked up at Bai Qian, her eyes cold but filled with a heartbreaking agony. “You lied to me. I hate nothing more than being lied to.”

Every word was like a silent blade, stabbing straight into Bai Qian’s heart.

Bai Qian knew she had to find a solution fast, because she saw Yu Shaoling raising her hand toward her. The psychic power of a mermaid who has begun the “regeneration” process is powerful enough to kill.

Bai Qian didn’t dare gamble on Yu Shaoling’s feelings for her. If she lost the gamble, she didn’t even know what would happen next.

A ring of light the size of a red bean gathered in the girl’s palm. The girl, her mind consumed by the pain of betrayal, had lost her reason. Only one command echoed in her mind: Kill her! Kill the one who betrayed you!

The ring of light was fully formed. Yu Shaoling raised her palm, about to strike Bai Qian with enough force to kill a human.

“I can’t take it anymore!”

Bai Qian screamed the words, her voice hoarse from crying. Tears fell, hitting the floor in small splashes. She looked at the girl with an obsession that held no regret. “Since you don’t love me anyway, then I’d rather have you hate me!”

Yu Shaoling’s pupils contracted violently. Her palm trembled, and the ring of light shot out uncontrollably toward the woman.

In that blinding light, the image of the woman’s terrified, panicked face became a nightmare that would cause Yu Shaoling’s heart to convulse with pain for the rest of her life.

The girl lunged toward Bai Qian without a second thought, trying to shield her from the strike. But she was just a fraction of a second too late to catch the light.

She could only watch through bloodshot eyes, weeping with agony and regret, as the light swallowed Bai Qian.

Drip.

A blood-stained pink pearl hit the floor, merging with the puddle of the woman’s tears.

The mermaid’s ethereal, mourning scream shattered the only intact window in the room.

“NO—!”

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