chapter 2
Jiang Yancheng stops short and whips around.
Xu Yan smiles. “Didn’t you say she’s a little succubus? Her true form will protect her. Maybe she’ll even sprout a pair of cute little wings.”
He relaxes a little.
Besides, lifeguards have already jumped in after seeing someone fall overboard.
Then comes another splash.
He stares at the suit jacket tossed up by the man who dove in right after them.
It looks suspiciously like that man’s.
Jiang Yancheng frowns. He must be seeing things.
The head of the Song family once moved freely through both the underworld and respectable society overseas. Now that he has returned, he is carving a bloody path through the business world. Why would a man like Song Xuye personally dive in to save someone?
Seawater rushes into my ears.
Through the haze, I feel as if a broad tail lifts me from below.
The beautiful tail is cool and soothing. Long silver hair winds around my fingertips, and powerful arms hold me tight…
When I wake, I am in a small wooden cabin.
Beyond it lie dense jungle and a restless sea.
I am on an island.
No wonder I dreamed about a heroic merman saving me.
The door creaks open.
Instinctively, I pull the blanket tighter around myself.
A man walks in.
He is tall, with closely cropped hair brushed into a short, sharp fringe. His brow is deep-set, his nose high, his lips thin, and a string of fish bones circles his wrist.
His sun-browned skin carries a thriving, primal strength. His arms are broad and beautifully muscled.
He is shirtless beneath an apron, its ties knotted loosely around his waist, emphasizing broad shoulders and a narrow middle.
When he turns to lock the door, every movement draws attention to his inverted-triangle build. The sheer physical magnetism of him is overwhelming.
The desire the seawater suppressed begins to stir again.
He strides toward me, every heavy step landing squarely on my heart.
I swallow and stare at his bulging chest.
Running my tongue over my fangs, I murmur, “I’m so hungry. I want a bite…”
He grips my chin and tips it up.
Only then do I notice the exquisite little merman cake in his other hand.
His eyes are hawk-sharp as he demands in a deep voice, “A bite of what? Be specific.”
I swallow. “You.”
Silence drops over the cabin.
His lashes tremble.
Then his brow creases and his gaze snaps to mine.
He looks fierce.
I fall quiet, but my eyes cannot resist taking one more tour of his muscles.
Now I am even hungrier.
My eyes practically glow.
He sets the cake down on the table with a thud.
“Feed yourself.”
It is a beautiful little cake, ringed with colorful shells and pearls.
At its center lies a delicate, handsome merman. A cute black fish design curls across his side, and the tail flowing from his waist is almost lifelike.
“So cute.”
“What is?”
“The cake. And this handsome merman. His tail is the sweetest part.”
The man’s hand pauses.
“Did you make it?”
I imagine him in all his sun-browned, muscular glory, lowering those stern eyes to patiently pipe frosting.
The contrast is almost too much.
“Who else?”
He goes into the outer room.
Through the window, I watch him take off the apron, wind it carelessly around one hand, and put it away.
The muscles hidden beneath the cloth are now on full display.
I stare, entranced.
Who would have guessed that such a rugged man would have pink nipples?
Adorable.
He seems to feel the heat of my gaze and cuts me a look.
I immediately lower my head and eat the cake.
Guilty, I start talking around a mouthful of frosting.
“The merman you made looks so real.
“I think I saw merfolk when I was little. Can they grow legs?
“And when they reproduce, do they turn human, or stay fish?
“How does it work with a tail?”
I poke the frosting tail beneath the little merman’s abs.
“Is it here? Could they turn into fish and do it in the water?”
I shamelessly keep asking indecent questions.
When I look up, the man’s face is dark.
The tips of his ears, however, are red.
His words come out sharp. “Why are you touching it like that?”
“I— You’re not the cake. Why are you getting worked up? You made it for me to eat. What does it matter if I touch it a few times?”
I jab the tail several more times.
Honestly. What a strange man.
“Don’t tell me you’re still a virgin. I’m only asking about merfolk reproduction, and you’re already angry.”
In truth, I am deliberately steering the conversation this way.
If he really is a virgin, I am even more eager to discover what he will taste like.
“Heh.”
He gives a short, mocking laugh.
“You want to know?”
A faint smile touches his lips, and something in his voice draws me in.
“Then I’ll tell you. Merfolk have powerful appetites. They’re even fiercer with their tails out—especially…”
He pauses and looks me over.
“With a creature who suits them.”
I think about it.
I am a little succubus who can never get enough.
A merman and I would be perfect together.
Wait. Wasn’t I trying to seduce the rugged man in front of me?
Huh?
Where did he go?