Chapter 181 A kiss is not about transferring breath, it's about kissing.
Jiang Yuhuo stared intently at him. Although she had witnessed his appearance firsthand, she still couldn't believe it and wanted a definite answer from him.
Is it because of her differentiation?
How could such a proud merman be divided because of her?
Jia Yue didn't answer her. He grabbed Jiang Yuhuo's hand and strode into the bedchamber.
The moment the palace doors slammed shut, Jiang Yuhuo was pinned against them. A chill instantly washed over her, not only from the cold door behind her but also from the body pressing against her from the front.
He pressed his forehead against hers, so close that his slightly cool and heavy breath was almost touching her lips.
Jiang Yuhuo could hear his own heart pounding in the quiet bedroom, its rhythm intertwining with his breathing to create a blush-inducing melody.
"It's not about passing on breath..."
He said something in a low, hoarse voice, but Jiang Yuhu didn't hear him clearly. "What?"
The next moment, a cool breath filled her mouth and nose, and the mermaid's soft lips kissed her almost fiercely, kissing her lips forcefully, as if he wanted to devour her, sucking heavily, her lips being repeatedly ground in the wetness, urgent and fierce.
Jiang Yuhuo was annoyed by his sudden and violent action, and bit his lower lip with her sharp canine teeth.
Then she heard the merman let out an unbearable "Mmm..." It was an extremely soft moan, yet strangely enough to make one blush.
Jiang Yuhuo dared not bite hard, but the mermaid's lips were so soft and thin that a light bite drew blood. Tasting the sweet, cool blood, she quickly released her grip, wanting to let him go, but he had other plans. A nimble little fish seized the opportunity to slip between her teeth, forcefully probing and demanding…
He even lifted the back of her neck with his hand, making her tilt her head back slightly so that the little fish could go deeper into the belly.
The smooth, agile little fish and her tender chase, the touch and entanglement of her tongue, gave her a subtle, tingling sensation amidst her annoyance. This tingling feeling seeped into her scalp and out through her hair, making her unconsciously forget to resist.
In his dazed state, Jiang Yuhuo suddenly realized what he had just said; he was referring to what they were doing right now.
It wasn't breathing on me, it was a kiss.
By the end, Jiang Yuhu was panting heavily. If he hadn't given her a breath from time to time, she probably would have suffocated long ago.
Jia Yue reluctantly parted from her, a strand of saliva trailing from the corner of his lips. He breathed softly, his moist eyes gazing at the slightly dazed person before him. The saliva, tinged with water droplets, clung to her lips, which he had kissed until they were red and moist, swaying gently with her breath.
With a clear swallow, Jiang Yuhuo raised her eyes slightly and saw the Adam's apple bobbing in front of her.
These male sexual characteristics were not present in Xiao Hai before. She stared blankly at them, and inexplicably wanted to touch them...
The merman in front of her moved closer again at this moment. He followed the silver thread that hung between them little by little back, his tongue slowly tracing it away, and finally pressed it against her lips again, gently and softly, like small animals licking the moisture from the corners of her lips.
The moment he approached, Jiang Yuhuo instinctively held her breath. The delicate, gentle touch, like a soothing balm, stirred a strange, indescribable flutter within her.
She stared intently at the person in front of her, his gaze lowered, focused on her lips.
Seemingly sensing her gaze, the merman slowly raised his eyes. The clear, cold blue in his eyes became dark and deep. At this moment, his eyes were full of desire, so deep that they seemed to swallow her whole. Her figure was clearly trapped in that pool of dark blue water.
When he stopped hiding it, his intense possessiveness even made Jiang Yuhuo feel threatened.
It's like a wild beast locking onto its prey, intending to capture it, drag it into its den, and then slowly tear it apart and devour it...
Jiang Yuhuo turned his head away.
His kiss landed on her neck, lightly pecking at her slender, taut neckline, watching as her fair skin instantly flushed red. Wherever his kiss landed, the blush spread from there.
A tingling, unbearable itch ran down Jiang Yuhuo's neck. Just as she was about to push him away, a low, husky voice suddenly sounded in her ear.
"It's you..."
"You made me differentiate, you... made me want to become a man, to take on a male form, to be worthy of you..."
As she uttered the last word, the merman's teeth grazed her earlobe, lightly but firmly.
It was hard to say whether it was because of his words or the bite he took. Jiang Yuhuo was caught off guard, and for a moment she felt her scalp tingle, her body and heart trembled. She instinctively wanted to escape, but Jia Yue seemed to have expected it, holding her tightly in his arms and stroking her back gently with one hand.
"Don't go..." The merman buried his face in her neck and pleaded in a muffled voice, "Don't leave me alone again."
Jiang Yuhuo gradually relaxed under his comforting words, but the shock in her heart lingered. She couldn't help but ask, "Why did you differentiate? Is it because that day... I touched your tail?" She paused, her gaze falling to his legs, "I remember... you were trembling very badly..."
Recalling the time she held his tail in her arms to cool him down and help him sleep, a blush crept onto the merman's face. "That day, the place you touched... was very sensitive... so, that's why..."
He suddenly released her, held her shoulders, leaned down slightly to look directly into her eyes, and said seriously, "But not only because of that, but also because... I admire you."
"Because of love, the desire to differentiate arises, an urgent desire to be a match for you, and a fear that you will be taken away by someone else."
Jiang Yuhuo was stunned by such a blatant confession and was at a loss for words. She stared blankly into his eyes, as if her mind had been stolen, and couldn't say a word.
It took her a long time to regain her ability to speak, and only then did she feel a touch of shyness. She glanced away from his direct gaze, "You never told me this before. And you never did afterward either..."
The merman gave a bitter laugh and pulled the person into his arms again. "Can't you ever feel my heart?"
Jiang Yuhuo silently frowned. Back in Liyue Village, she considered Xiao Hai a close companion. She liked him, but not in a romantic way, and Xiao Hai felt the same way about her. Later, when Jia Yue regained her memories, she could sense that he treated her differently, but she only assumed it was out of guilt.
As Jia Yue stroked her hair, he suddenly realized that if he didn't say it directly, she would probably never understand his feelings.
His young and oblivious lover.
"Once you say something like that, you can't take it back. I'm scared too..."
Because of what happened at Liyue Village, she kept him at arm's length, and he felt guilty, so how could he dare to reveal his feelings to her? He was afraid that she wouldn't feel his affection and would be attracted to someone else, but he was also afraid that if she found out, it would only make her dislike him even more. He was torn between these two options, suffering endless torment, and could only carefully lure her over little by little, until this day.
"When a merman loves someone, he will only love that person for his entire life. This is my final word. What if you find out and then you don't want it..."
Jiang Yuhuo vaguely sensed something and got up from his embrace. "You mean, you want me to take responsibility for you?"
She frowned, her expression even somewhat troubled, as if she wasn't ready to face all of this.
Jia Yue knew it was time to stop for today. If he pushed her too hard, she would walk away again. But they had already come this far; another step forward would lead to their long-awaited companionship. Those beautiful scenes seemed so close, if only he gave her one more push…
"So, what about you? Are you willing?"
Ultimately, he still longed to gain the upper hand, so he reached out to stroke the back of her head, waiting for her answer.
Jiang Yuhuo flinched at that moment and turned her head to avoid his hand.
Whether you hate it or like it, your body will give you the answer.
Jia Yue's hand froze in mid-air. After a long while, she finally spoke with difficulty, "Did I... make you hate me?"
Jiang Yuhu shook her head. She didn't dislike his touch, but he touched her in the wrong places.
Now that things had come to this, she had nothing to hide. She pointed to the back of her head and said, "There's a wound here. Don't touch it."
Thinking of his question, Jiang Yuhuo pondered for a moment, then shook her head. "Since you are my incarnation, I know I should take responsibility for you. But I'm sorry, I still can't..."
She only had a few years left in this body, and before that, she didn't know if she could completely kill Jia Qianyang.
Given the long lifespan of merfolk, Jiang Yuhuo felt that rather than letting him spend the rest of his life in loneliness, it was better not to give him any hope in the first place.
Jia Yue sensed something else in his voice, and a dull ache shot through her heart. "You still have someone else in your heart?" He took her hand, his fingertips gently tracing the lines on her fingers, and mocked himself, "Still can't forget him?"
Knowing he had misunderstood, Jiang Yuhuo withdrew her hand. "No, it's my own fault."
"I have to go now."
“It’s already night, are you still going? Even if you go to Xidu now, the people in the palace will have already retired by the time you arrive.”
Jiang Yuhuo paused in his steps.
Suddenly, someone hugged her from behind. "Stay a little longer for me, okay? You know I need you..."
Jiang Yuhuo glanced at the sky and finally gave in.
The sleeping quarters contain beds and a pool.
Jia Yue transformed into a mermaid and swam in the pool. Moonlight shone on the surface of the pool, making her already shimmering tail even more dazzling.
Jiang Yuhuo sat by the pond, gazing intently.
Time seemed to have returned to that afternoon when she took Xiao Hai to soak in the pool in the mountains of Liyue Village.
Suddenly, Jia Yue emerged from the water. Under the moonlight, the mermaid's handsome face became even more breathtaking.
Jiang Yuhuo looked away; his beauty was so captivating that it made her heart flutter, so she simply stopped looking. But then a hand pulled her into the pool.
The pool water submerged her head, and she instinctively held her breath. Annoyed, she turned her head and saw the merman smiling at her. Through the shape of his mouth, she recognized that he was telling her to "breathe".
What a joke, she's not a mermaid.
Jia Yue kept talking to her, her eyes encouraging. Jiang Yuhuo gritted her teeth and decided to give it a try. She opened her mouth and nose and was surprised to find that she could actually breathe underwater.
She was instantly excited and wanted to tell Jia Yue. But as she turned her head, her lips were kissed, and a cool breath filled her mouth.
As Jiang Yuhuo lay by the pool, she was still somewhat surprised. "Is it because of the mermaid pearl?"
Jia Yue leaned close to her, looked into her bright eyes, and nodded. "From now on, you will be free in the water too."
He had thought she would be happy, but before Jiang Yuhuo lay down on the couch to fall asleep, she suddenly asked him, "Jiayue, if I die, will the mermaid pearl return to your body?"
Jia Yue's expression changed instantly, and she bit her lip as punishment, "Don't say things like that, you won't die."
No matter what happens, he will not let her die. She is his partner, and they will stay together.
After Jiang Yuhuo fell asleep, Jia Yue got up and left the bed, moving behind the screen.
There hung two sets of wedding gowns made of silk, one for a man and one for a woman, each according to Jiang Yuhuo's and his own measurements. The wound on his palm had long since healed, but the sting of seeing her and another person in their wedding gowns before him still lingered, a sting that had made him want to kill that person that day.
The merman put on the men's clothes, lay back on the couch, and pulled the sleeping person into his arms, the large fabric covering the person completely.
He carefully avoided the area he couldn't touch, only gently kissing the top of her head.
He had examined the wound by parting her hair; he could immediately tell it was the exit point for her soul left during the body swap. Given enough time, the mermaid pearl could help it heal, but it couldn't be sealed off yet. This body was already too weak to withstand the strain; her soul absolutely had to emerge from there.
He believed that if he could find her original body and switch back with her, her suffering would be greatly reduced. Without the physical constraints, she might agree to form a bond with him. After all, she was a woman of her word; having acknowledged her responsibility to him, she would fulfill it when she was able.
Listening to the shallow, steady breathing of the person in her arms, the merman transformed into a fishtail and slowly wrapped it around the legs of the person beside her. The cool touch seemed to make her feel comfortable, and sensing that the person was unconsciously moving closer to her, the merman closed her eyes contentedly.
Under the illusory halo of the mirage pearl, a man and a mermaid slept in each other's arms on the bed, their bodies covered in red silk, just like a real married couple.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Sorry for being late again! This chapter was really difficult to write today, but even while I was stuck, I kept writing and a mysterious smile crept onto my face. It's a bittersweet experience, and I hope you are too! [milk tea][milk tea][milk tea]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
