Chapter 98 - 97: Cunning Is Nature, and Loving You Is Instinct

Chu Liangyu said nothing, merely giving him another look. She knew what was making him so awkward.

The corners of her lips twitched. She found the whole scene quite amusing.

The thought had barely crossed her mind when she decided to close her eyes and concentrate on guiding the energy within Xiang Qiancheng.

Suddenly, she heard a PLOP, like something hitting the floor, accompanied by a flash of white light the size of a soccer ball.

The already dim room was suddenly filled with light, and Chu Liangyu was momentarily blinded. It took her a long moment to recover.

PLOP. It was the same sound as before.

Chu Liangyu’s gaze followed the sound. She froze, and then the corner of her mouth twitched.

Yu He had transformed into his beast form. He still had the upper body of a man and the lower body of a cyan fish tail, but his size was a far cry from what it used to be.

As he was now, Chu Liangyu felt "tiny anchovy" was a more fitting description.

He was only about the size of Chu Liangyu’s middle finger. She figured he would probably fit perfectly inside the teapot.

Seeing him flopping around like a real fish, it was clear he was just as bewildered.

Chu Liangyu suppressed a smile and said, "It’s probably just temporary. When I’m finished, I’ll put you in the teapot."

The frantically flopping Mermaid stilled. He propped himself up and stared directly into Chu Liangyu’s eyes, as if to ask, ’Are you serious?’

Perhaps the pose was too exhausting. He held it for a moment before growing tired and simply collapsing back onto the floor.

"I’ll get him. You continue."

A hand reached over and scooped up the Mermaid from the floor.

He did exactly as Chu Liangyu had said, opening the teapot and placing Yu He inside.

A moment later, Chu Liangyu heard the faint sound of a tiny fish tail slapping against water.

"You really put him in the teapot?"

Chu Liangyu was taken aback. She had only been joking.

"But wasn’t that what you said, Female Master? Besides, at his current size, it’s a perfect fit for him in there."

Hu Qiumu’s tone was completely matter-of-fact, and he even seemed to admire the idea Chu Liangyu had come up with.

Chu Liangyu cleared her throat. ’Right now, it seems... this really is the best arrangement.’

"How are you holding up? If it’s getting bad, just hang on a little longer. I’ll come help you as soon as I’m done here."

As she spoke, she had already guided more than half of the energy within Xiang Qiancheng. It would take no more than fifteen minutes to finish.

"I’m fine. Just focus on helping them first."

He was exercising extreme self-control just to keep his voice sounding normal.

"Alright, then. I’ll help them first."

From her tone, it was clear she hadn’t noticed he was hiding anything. Hu Qiumu’s rigid body relaxed slightly, and in the darkness, his eyes grew brighter.

He didn’t have to wait long. Chu Liangyu clapped her hands and stood up. "Done. Next."

"Who would you like to save first, Female Master?"

"The one in the worst condition, of course." Her gaze swept over the remaining men. Chu Liangyu pointed at Xiong Xianhui. "Hold him down for me. He’s the one."

The man’s appearance was just too cringey to ignore. It wasn’t just that he was clutching a pillow for dear life; he was also calling out "Female Master" with a look of profound affection, making it impossible for Chu Liangyu to overlook him.

Hu Qiumu was a resourceful man. Instead of interrupting Xiong Xianhui’s little performance, he found a rag to gag him with, then used the vines that had fallen to the floor to bind him securely.

In truth, Hu Qiumu had his own selfish reasons for doing this. He was afraid he’d be influenced by the man’s behavior and lose his own self-control, leaving Chu Liangyu with the impression that he was some kind of libertine.

Chu Liangyu didn’t know what he was thinking; she only knew that blessed silence had suddenly fallen. She gave him an appreciative look and got down to business.

She had been worried that while she was concentrating, someone else would try to flirt with her like Xiang Qiancheng had. But with Hu Qiumu helping, she no longer had to worry about that at all.

As for whether Hu Qiumu himself would become another Xiang Qiancheng, Chu Liangyu had been observing him. He seemed to have a high tolerance for pain, so she probably didn’t need to worry for the time being.

"What should I do with him?"

In Hu Qiumu’s palm was a miniature elephant. Perhaps unused to being held, he struggled, trying to leap to the floor.

It seemed the Creation Power was beginning to take effect, causing them to return to a more primal state. Auspicious golden cloud patterns had appeared on all four of Xiang Qiancheng’s limbs, and a bright vermilion dot adorned his forehead, lending him an ethereal, divine air.

"He doesn’t need water like Yu He does. You can put him wherever."

Hu Qiumu’s lips curled, the smile in his eyes deepening. "Alright. Then into the wardrobe he goes."

Chu Liangyu gave him a suspicious glance and opened her mouth to speak, but then thought better of it. ’He probably just doesn’t want me to be disturbed,’ she reasoned, and said nothing.

Time flew by once she focused on the task at hand, with Hu Qiumu buzzing around her like a busy little bee, helping out wherever he could.

Even so, by the time Chu Liangyu was nearly finished, she felt utterly exhausted, especially mentally.

Hu Qiumu expertly tossed the shrunken men into the wardrobe one by one. At first, Chu Liangyu had been interested in observing their transformations, but by the end, she couldn’t even be bothered to look, simply moving on to the next target without a second glance.

At last, only Hu Qiumu remained.

Chu Liangyu swayed, steadying herself against the bed as she stood. Her voice, she noticed, had grown hoarse. "It’s your turn. Come here."

"No rush." Hu Qiumu handed her a teacup. "Have some water and rest for a minute."

"This isn’t from the pot Yu He is soaking in, is it?"

Hu Qiumu was amused by her look of disgust. He placed one knee on the edge of the bed and leaned in, bringing his face level with hers. "I think I might have forgotten about that. Maybe... you shouldn’t drink it."

One look at his expression told Chu Liangyu she was overthinking things. She dodged his hand and downed the tea in one gulp.

Chu Liangyu went to hand the cup back to him, but as she looked up, she found his gaze upon her was exceptionally intense. The affection in his eyes was like a rich, sweet wine, intoxicating with a single glance.

Being watched like that, even Chu Liangyu couldn’t stop her heart from racing. "Take the cup. I’ll help you with the energy in your body."

"No rush."

The prolonged suppression made his voice alarmingly hoarse. The body heat he had been forcefully containing was released in a sudden rush. A wave of heat surged through him, and his skin from his neck to the tips of his ears turned a shade of crimson that looked as if it might draw blood.

Chu Liangyu was startled. The cool back of her hand instinctively went to his forehead. "Don’t tell me you’ve pushed yourself too far?"

"Get on the bed and sit down. I’ll help you."

Chu Liangyu’s expression turned serious. She grabbed his arm and forcefully pulled him onto the bed.

The movement was so sudden that Hu Qiumu, caught off guard, lost his balance and tumbled toward her.

Shocked by his scorching body heat, Chu Liangyu reached out to push him away. But before she could, Hu Qiumu propped himself up on his arms, moving slightly away from her—but only slightly. If he were to lower his head, their lips would touch.

"I don’t want you to guide it that way. Can we... try another method?"

As he spoke those words, a thought seemed to flash through Chu Liangyu’s mind, so quickly that she had no time to grasp it.