"ah--!"
Water splashed everywhere.
Shen Zhiyi gasped and struggled to grab the edge of the wooden tub.
The apricot-colored thin shirt was soaked with water and clung tightly to her body.
She looked at Qingyuan with a blank expression.
"Sir, what are you doing?"
He leaned in close, almost touching her forehead.
A distant, chilling aura pressed down instantly, and Shen Zhiyi's breath caught in her throat.
"Call me Qingyuan," he said softly.
His deep blue eyes swirled like deep-sea currents, churning and surging, trying to pull her in.
Shen Zhiyi was instantly captivated.
His expression changed from tense to blank and vacant.
"Qingyuan".
She was completely compliant and slowly opened her lips.
Qingyuan frowned.
In just a moment, he let go and moved a little further away from her.
Inquiring eyes fell on her.
He had not been able to draw any power from her to restore his demonic energy.
Is it that she lacks goodwill, or that this ability is not based on goodwill?
He narrowed his eyes slightly, lost in thought.
Shen Zhiyi suddenly came to her senses.
Just as she was about to say something, the man in front of her turned around, revealing his broad back to her.
"I've already warned you."
"Stay away from me."
He said coolly.
But where she couldn't see, his finger bones gripped the edge of the bathtub tightly, squeezing until they turned white, forcefully pressing down the lines on her forehead.
Shen Zhiyi: ...
She found this merman really strange.
But beside him was his gleaming tail.
Looking at the beautiful fish scales on the fish, and thinking about the five hundred taels of silver she would earn each month, the anger on her face unconsciously faded away and turned into a sweet smile.
whee.
Even the most ruthless woman would laugh out loud upon seeing these scales.
"Qingyuan, are you hungry?"
After she finished speaking, she unconsciously paused for a moment.
Why don't I call him "sir" or "you" anymore?
It was as if I had been manipulated by something.
Shen Zhiyi tilted her head in confusion, but didn't think much of it. She got up and climbed out of the bucket. "I'll go prepare dinner for you."
A cunning glint flashed in her eyes.
She has plenty of power and means to make him cry!
A short while later, Shen Zhiyi changed her clothes and brought in a plate of food.
There were several items on it, all covered with lids.
"Look what I brought you!"
She dragged over a small table, placed it next to the bathtub, and put the food on it.
She moved another chair and sat down next to him.
“You must like raw food, right?” She opened the first lid. “Here, try this.”
Qingyuan frowned as he looked at the round, purple little thing in the center of the plate.
"What's this?"
“These are onions.” Shen Zhiyi said calmly, but secretly she was laughing to herself.
I definitely don't recognize you!
She straightened her lips and said seriously, "This is a fruit that is rarely seen here."
"Take a bite, and you'll never forget it."
She specifically chose the spiciest and spiciest variety!
I refuse to believe I can't bring him to tears!
"How are we supposed to eat this?" Qingyuan looked at her, puzzled.
Shen Zhiyi picked up an onion and stuffed it into his hand, saying, "Just like this, gnaw on it."
"Try it quickly."
She looked up at him, her bright, expectant eyes sparkling.
Qingyuan hesitated and lowered his head.
I took a bite.
He chewed slowly and deliberately, his face showing no change. He even commented, "Hmm... crisp and tender texture, sweet and refreshing, with a faint aftertaste of seaweed."
"It really is delicious."
Shen Zhiyi was stunned.
ah?
Her gaze slowly moved down and landed on the onion in his palm.
Could it be... that you picked up the wrong one?
Did they make a non-spicy but delicious variety?
Unconvinced, she snatched the onion from his hand and took a bite herself.
"Ugh! Cough cough cough! Cough—!"
The intense spiciness hits your nasal cavity.
Her eyes quickly welled up with tears, and tears welled up at the corners of her eyes.
“You…” Her hand trembled as she pointed at Qingyuan, unable to utter a complete sentence.
Qingyuan's gaze fell on the onion.
The spot where she had just nibbled was so close to the bite he had taken.
It felt as if two lips were about to touch and meet...
His Adam's apple bobbed.
He looked away and stared at her with a strange expression.
"What’s wrong with you?"
He widened his eyes slightly, looking puzzled. "What did I do now?"
Shen Zhiyi choked on her words.
Tears welled in her eyes as she waved her hands haphazardly.
"N-nothing..." She swallowed the onion, took two big gulps of tea to catch her breath, and smiled, "I said, you're right, this onion is so delicious it makes me cry."
She groaned inwardly, wiped away her tears, and handed the onion out, asking, "Do you still want some?"
Qingyuan stared at the teeth marks on the surface, her finger bones curling up slightly.
She turned her head away, lowered her eyelashes, and a faint blush crept up her ears.
"I'm not eating anymore," he said.
Shen Zhiyi didn't press the matter, "Then it seems that raw food doesn't suit your taste."
"Fortunately, I also prepared cooked food."
You'll definitely like it!
She opened the lid of another plate.
What comes into view is a thick layer of devil's red chili peppers.
They were even piled up into small mountains.
Shen Zhiyi chuckled inwardly.
This is the insanely spicy hellfire pepper that she spent a fortune to find from foreign merchants!
Just from the name, you know it's not ordinary.
It is rumored that even a tiny bit of it can make people cry their eyes out.
She refused to believe that so much wouldn't force him to shed tears!
Qingyuan glanced at it, stiffly turned his head, and slowly said, "Are you sure I'll like it?"
Shen Zhiyi picked up her chopsticks and rummaged through the pile of chili peppers.
She revealed the bright red, pickled fish head underneath and gave him a sweet smile.
"Fish, isn't that your favorite?"
Looking at the smile on her lips, Qingyuan suddenly lowered his head, picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks, and put it in his mouth.
Shen Zhiyi held her breath and stared at him without blinking.
"how?"
She moved closer, her eyes filled with expectation.
Qingyuan caught a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance emanating from her, and paused in his chewing.
"It smells wonderful." He looked up at her and said softly.
It smells delicious?
Shen Zhiyi was stunned again.
I turned my head to look at the plate of chili peppers.
Could I have been scammed by a foreign merchant and bought counterfeit goods?!
"You should try some too." Qingyuan picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and put it in her bowl.
Shen Zhiyi suspiciously picked up a small piece of snow-white fish meat and carefully took a bite.
"boom--!"
A fire burned directly from the tip of the tongue to the throat, and then straight to the top of the head!
She dropped her chopsticks, covered her lips, and jumped up from her chair, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face!
This is way too spicy!!!
"Water...water!" She tilted her head back and drank all the tea, her lips swollen, and called out indistinctly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, before darting out.
Qingyuan watched her disheveled figure, then slowly picked up another piece of fish and put it in his mouth.
A barely perceptible curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.
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