02

 "I'll take care of him." Xi Long had calmed down, calmer than someone who had just come of age. He dragged the corpse deep into the cave, the bloodstains winding and rugged like an ink painting.

Xi Long threw the corpse down, landing right next to the tentacle from before.

That tentacle was clearly not normal either; although it was severed, it still seemed alive. The red eyeball seemed to be staring at the dead man when Xi Long approached. Annoyed by

the stare, Xi Long picked up a stone from the ground and smashed it hard against the eyeball on the tentacle, like a bursting cake, shattering into pieces.

But it wasn't as delicious or as beautiful as a cake.

It even had a touch of horror.

After doing this, Xi Long treated it as if he had casually done a trivial matter. He turned to comfort Jiang Nian.

Yes, Jiang Nian, the two words swirled ambiguously in Xi Long's mouth. He was certain that this was the mermaid's name, and he felt secretly pleased that he had learned the mermaid's name, bringing him one step closer to the mermaid.

The unease of murder vanished without a trace.

So Xi Long didn't see the tiny fragments of eyeball tissue splatter onto the mangled head of the dead man, and then… slowly merge into one.

When he returned, Jiang Nian was innocently licking her fingers, a captivating and alluring sight. If she hadn't been licking human blood, it might have made the young man stand up on the spot.

Xi Long was, of course, a young man.

He was focused on getting into university, had no crushes, no romantic feelings, and had never even touched another person's finger.

He was naturally drawn to Jiang Nian's natural charm and sensuality.

To be honest, Xi Long felt he had already broken down after seeing the mermaid, like a human facing an unspeakable ancient god leading to a mental breakdown, or perhaps falling into a hallucinatory world after eating a rare herb, no longer a normal human being.

Otherwise, he couldn't explain his recent actions.

Xi Long was originally very cold, but deep down, he was still upright and kind.

But now he was only thinking, Nian Nian loved human blood and flesh so much, how could he satisfy this desire of hers?

Xi Long pulled the mermaid into his arms again, watching with love as Jiang Nian licked his fingers, which were as white as a ball of fat, until they glistened with moisture. He couldn't help himself and kissed Jiang Nian's lips, his sharp teeth drawing blood, but Xi Long didn't let go, he couldn't let go.

He even felt satisfied.

Nian Nian was in his arms, no one could take him away.

No one could.

The sea breeze blew gently, salty and fishy, ​​stirring the mermaid's hair.

It also stirred the corpse's fingers, the fingertips twitching a few times in the darkness, then returning to stillness.

…

Two months later.

Xing Hongyi stepped into the fishing village.

His younger brother, Xing Min, had gone missing a few months earlier on a cruise ship business trip. His subordinates had inquired for a long time and finally found his brother's whereabouts in this fishing village.

Unsure why his younger brother hadn't contacted him for so long, Xing Hongyi, being a brother, still brought his subordinates to find him.

However, their timing was poor.

It seemed someone had just died in the village; white silk and paper money were everywhere, and the sounds of gongs and drums could be heard in the distance, creating a somber and mournful atmosphere.

Xing Hongyi frowned. From his elevated position, he could only see a crowd of people, gathered together like a string of busy ants.

His subordinates were talking to the village chief. Seeing Xing Hongyi's expression, the village chief, his aged face filled with mystery, said, "It was the Xi family boy who died, but I know he's not dead. He made a deal with the Sea God."

Hearing such mystical words, Xing Hongyi's brows furrowed, but he didn't have the habit of correcting others; he had only come to find his brother.

Fortunately, the village chief didn't say much more. Seeing the photo of Xing Minzheng handed to him by his subordinates, he smiled and said, "Him? I've seen him. He died two months ago."

This statement almost made Xing Hongyi lose his composure.

But the village chief added, "However, he recently came back to life, and your brother also made a deal with the Sea God."

The village chief's cloudy eyes held a cryptic expression. He looked at Xing Hongyi's sharply defined, handsome face and said, "You need to be careful of him in the future."

Xing Hongyi assumed the old man was getting old and his mind wasn't clear anymore; as long as he knew his brother was alive, that was enough. Led by the village chief, Xing Hongyi arrived at the entrance of the fishing village's inn.

After having his subordinates give the village chief some reward, Xing Hongyi went to the front desk. He was very handsome and should have appeared very composed, but his short, spiky hair gave him a somewhat rugged look.

Therefore, he didn't seem like a good person; he exuded a sense of pressure. He said, "Hello, have you seen this man? Which room is he in?"

Unlike the hotels Xing Hongyi usually stayed at, the inn in the fishing village didn't rigorously verify identities. The receptionist glanced at the photo and said, "Room 69."

"Thank you."

After getting the room number, Xing Hongyi and his subordinates walked up the stairs of the small, old hotel. Room 69 was on the second floor. He stood by the door, and his subordinates knocked.

No one answered after a

while. Finally, the door opened, and his younger brother, Xing Minzheng, appeared. He didn't look haggard. Seeing Xing Hongyi, he exclaimed with surprise, "Brother, what brings you here?"

Xing Hongyi vaguely remembered the village chief's words and subconsciously sized up Xing Minzheng. Finding nothing different about his brother, he said, "I came to pick you up. What brings you here on your business trip?"

Xing Minzheng smiled, a hint of shyness in his expression, which was quite rare. Xing Hongyi knew his brother looked respectable, but wasn't very good inside.

Xing Minzheng said, "Brother, I've met my true love, but he hasn't accepted me yet. I had to stay and beg him to look at me. I forgot to tell you."

This surprised Xing Hongyi greatly.

He had always thought his younger brother was incapable of love and would die alone. While he was much the same, it was ultimately a good thing that his brother had found someone he loved.

"Let me see?" Xing Hongyi asked.

"No."

Rejected by Xing Minzheng, Xing Minzheng's face, which had been smiling just moments before, now looked at his brother, who had come from afar, with cold and hostile eyes, as if he were looking at a rival in love. It was

as if, in his mind, his brother seeing his lover would steal his wife—utterly ridiculous.

Xing Hongyi, being so intelligent, couldn't possibly have missed it.

He didn't say much.

It was normal for someone falling in love for the first time to be less rational.

However, seeing Xing Minzheng completely covering his lover with clothes, not letting anyone see a glimpse of her skin, still made Xing Hongyi think his brother was seriously ill.

Xing Hongyi, along with his subordinates and brother, boarded the private jet.

Xing Hongyi didn't ask his brother anything like, "Does your lover like you now?" or "Did your lover leave here with you willingly?" Such superfluous and useless questions.

Clearly not.

The person wrapped in clothes had been motionless since his brother carried them out; only the fabric around their nose and mouth moved slightly, indicating they were alive.

Perhaps they had fainted.

But their family didn't have a gene for good people, and he didn't think there was anything wrong with his brother's behavior.

If he met someone he liked, and that person didn't go with him, he would do the same.

But that day would never come.

At the moment the plane took off, Xing Hongyi felt a strong gaze upon him—hatred, anger, malice—a wave of negative emotions swept over him, not directed at him, but merely brushing past him, yet making Xing Hongyi's brow twitch.

But looking out the window, he could only see the increasingly smaller fishing village and the boundless ocean.

"..." Xing Hongyi withdrew his gaze, silently looking at his brother on the other side—no, to be precise, at the person in his brother's arms.

Because that gaze, besides being negative, was also mixed with a deep sense of reluctance and affection, all of which was directed at this person whose gender was still unknown, someone who was shrouded in mist.

This place was indeed a bit eerie.

The strangest thing was that

Xing Hongyi realized his brother's hostility towards him earlier was not unfounded.

He had developed a considerable interest in the person wrapped in a pile of clothes.

Although not a great deal.

Xing Hongyi's index finger and thumb gripped his chin, his other hand opening a magazine on the plane, but his mind wasn't really focused.

He was thinking that he had to see what his brother's lover was like.

Otherwise, the flames burning in his heart might just grow stronger and stronger, impossible to extinguish.

Fortunately, that opportunity was coming soon.

After returning to F City, the stronghold of the Xing brothers, life went on as usual. The Xing family was now under Xing Hongyi's control, with Xing Min assisting him. Both of them were ruthless and cold-blooded, and the Xing family was thriving.

However, Xing Minzheng is now clearly infatuated with his lover, often making excuses to stay home and spend time with her. Even without paying special attention, Xing Hongyi knows that his younger brother has been spending money like water lately, expending a fortune just to win a smile from his beloved.

Yes, even though Xing Hongyi hasn't seen his sister-in-law yet, he secretly thinks she must be a beauty, a stunning beauty at that.

Xing Minzheng is wary of everyone, afraid that his lover might be seen by anyone.

Xing Hongyi has tried to find out what his brother's servants are saying, but even the servants can't see her. The next day, the servant lost her job, which could be seen as a warning from his brother.

Xing Hongyi's desire only intensifies.

He feels that his curiosity is only fueled by his brother's secrecy, and that he will lose interest immediately once he sees his sister-in-law's true face.

One day, while smoking and chatting with his subordinates, one of them, who had accompanied him to the fishing village, casually mentioned his younger brother, saying, "He's really out of his mind. If he keeps shirking his work, I'll have someone kill his wife and see if she still has the ability to make Xing Minzheng infatuated."

This was a joke.

But the usually composed subordinate looked up and said, "If Mr. Xing can't stand Vice President Xing's wife, you can leave it to me."

In the past, when his subordinate said "leave it," he simply meant to get rid of her; his methods were quite good, and Xing Hongyi had always trusted him.

However…

Xing Hongyi used a cigar cutter to cut off the burning, scarlet tip of the cigar, the ash falling into the ashtray.

But Xing Hongyi could see that this time, his subordinate's "leave it" concealed an urgent and undisguised desire.

His subordinate, too, had been seduced by someone whose face, personality, and gender were unknown.

In just that brief time together, he had fallen in love with someone whose appearance, personality, and gender were unknown.

Xing Hongyi's eyes, darker than most, were devoid of any smile.

It wasn't because his subordinate had foolishly fallen for his brother's lover, but because he was shocked to find himself feeling offended.

It was as if his own wife was being spied on.

He… had been bewitched too.

How could this be?

← Previous Chapter Next Chapter →