Difficult times are truly trying.
The high fever sent his temperature soaring, forcing Shu Tang to use fever patches and ice cubes from the car’s cooler to try to cool him down; however, the effect of physical cooling was almost negligible. His breath remained scorching hot, and the places he touched her were exceedingly burning.
The mermaid seemed to be suffering. He loosened the collar of his black military uniform and leaned back in the passenger seat, his gaze unfocused, occasionally glancing at her while his breathing grew increasingly labored.
Shu Tang comforted him as she continued to drive.
Her alpha instincts told her that they needed to find a safe, undisturbed place to get through this period, so Shu Tang located the nearest hotel.
She kept telling him on the road: “We’re almost there.”
The mermaid’s response was somewhat hoarse.
Unfortunately, the navigation through the polluted area went awry, and half an hour later, they had not yet found their way back.
At this point, the mermaid’s patience had reached a dangerously critical threshold.
The kitten frantically made phone calls trying to find someone while tentatively checking the temperature of the mermaid’s forehead. His eyes were full of bloodshot veins, and his beautiful Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed. This cold-blooded creature was struggling to restrain some urge.
Finally, while gazing at her profile, he suddenly whispered:
“Stop looking.”
The communicator beeped twice and fell under the seat.
His leather glove roughly moved upwards, tearing the fabric.
She exclaimed, seemingly saying something about waiting until they arrived at the location to start.
But the next second, she was already held against the steering wheel.
The privacy curtain in the car slowly rose.
…
The special period would last a whole month.
In the end, Zhu Yan barely managed to keep calm and found a resort hotel with the kitten, where they temporarily stayed.
Due to the extraordinary circumstances, Shu Tang took a month off directly.
During the first few days in the hotel, the mermaid was very restrained. He was well aware of the evolution his body had undergone and how difficult it was for her to endure the demands of the special period, and he did not want to hurt her.
So, every time after she fell asleep, he would go out to buy inhibitors.
Upon returning, he would sit in the dark living room, expressionlessly injecting himself with the inhibitors.
The inhibitors did have a bit of effect, but seemed slightly inferior in the face of his evolved, formidable physique.
After discovering that his body had evolved, the monster had never anticipated facing the current situation. He stared at the inhibitor he had injected, feeling a trace of melancholy.
He worried that the kitten would grow tired of his endless demands, even resorting to cold showers after injections. However, the consequence was an increasing irritability and worsening restlessness that should have been soothed by her pheromones during her special period.
Shu Tang had not noticed this until she accidentally found the inhibitor vial in the trash.
In the middle of the night, when the kitten woke up, she saw the tall mermaid sitting in the dark on the sofa, injecting himself with the inhibitor.
His face was expressionless, but he looked somewhat downcast.
When he heard a noise and turned his head towards Shu Tang, he said nothing.
But suddenly, Shu Tang felt that the tall “little rose” in front of her looked rather pitiful.
She walked over and snuggled into his arms, lifted her head, and gave him a sweet kiss. Then she unbuttoned her nightgown, letting the smooth fabric slide off.
The mermaid’s gaze froze.
He warned her softly to put on her clothes and leave, or he might not be able to control himself.
But the kitten seriously told him: she was his inhibitor.
They looked at each other.
She raised her head to kiss the poor little creature who hid away to take his inhibitors.
The poor little creature fiercely told her to get off him, harshly saying he feared he might accidentally kill her.
But she had already kissed his throat.
…
Their relationship was tepid and prolonged.
So much so that Shu Tang thought they had entered a mode of an old married couple too soon.
This was certainly good—they rarely argued, and their spirits were closely knit;
Even in certain aspects, they would discuss, because the mermaid’s evolved body was very strong, and he was always careful not to hurt her.
This cherished feeling was of course wonderful.
But because of this, there was a lack of fiery passion between them.
Shu Tang believed that perhaps this was the pattern of their love for the rest of their lives: a slow simmer, gently bubbling away.
However, this particular period was like an extremely spicy seasoning.
They went through an incredibly crazy month.
Under the influence of agitated pheromones, their attraction to each other reached a certain peak. Whether it was the other’s breath or their gaze, both seemed like potent drugs.
She found herself often staring blankly at the mermaid. The way his shirt was unbuttoned, appearing lazy but with a decadent, noble beauty; his wet hair and the way water droplets rolled down his neck while he showered; even the blue-tinged veins pulsing on his arms while he cooked mesmerized her.
The kitten realized that he had become something akin to a powerful catnip.
She even developed certain reflexes. For instance, her legs would go weak just seeing him take off his gloves;
Occasionally, when he loosened his collar to reveal a weary look like a wilted blue rose, she would think of them leaning together by the window after their encounter;
The mermaid would whisper in her ear as usual, and just thinking of his recent whispers would make her ears burn with heat;
…
Of course, the mermaid, being in this special period, was constantly troubled by these reflexes.
For example, the kitten liked to grab pillows at that time, so every time he saw her clutching some fabric, his Adam’s apple would uncontrollably roll;
Or when the kitten would subconsciously arch her back at times, so each time he saw her expose half her waist, he would immediately avert his gaze;
Even after stopping the suppressants, her fingers, her voice, everything became a strong signal.
This tormented the mermaid greatly, often making him ask his kitten in a frustrated tone:
Had she used some kind of strong attractant perfume on herself?
They both realized that some intense chemical reactions had occurred between them.
The feeling was very novel.
However, under this intense attraction, a very real problem lay between them: their vastly different fighting capabilities.
Once they stopped using suppressants, this problem became very obvious.
Zhu Yan felt that his excessive demands might pressure the kitten, so he decided to set specific times, only in the afternoon and late at night.
In a sense, this monster, who appeared quite fierce on the outside, was actually a very considerate partner, taking great care of the kitten whom he viewed as easily perishable.
In the mornings, Zhu Yan would find things to do to distract himself—
Like reading, writing in his journal, or reviewing past records.
He was a man whose execution and self-control were so strong, it was almost perverse.
However, every morning, the kitten would saunter around in front of him wearing only one of his shirts. The oversized shirt covered her to mid-thigh, but it was still ambiguously seductive due to the lingering traces on her body. She would naturally drift past him like this.
If he pretended not to see, she would sit directly opposite him and feign reading.
Her pheromones were like cat hair fluttering everywhere, constantly disturbing him.
Eventually, the mermaid could no longer endure it and would throw her onto the bed.
Before her heat, Shu Tang had never been so proactive. She often accused the mermaid of being “delusional,” but now, with the heat starting, it seemed as if everything was turned upside down.
Zhu Yan, for her health, chose celibacy and strict self-discipline.
This action perfectly hit the cat’s peculiar preferences.
Like telling a cat—
Don’t knock over the water glass.
Cat: What? Immediately knock over the water glass!
Don’t disturb work.
Cat: What? Keyboard, let me lie on it!
Zhu Yan wrote in his diary:
“Some say there are no weapons left that can restrain me.”
“That is obviously incorrect.”
“The kitten is my nemesis, sent from the heavens.”
…
Watching the oblivious and eager kitten, the mermaid began to change tactics; he decided to go out with the kitten in the mornings.
With his self-control, going out during this period wasn’t too difficult.
The mermaid thought: This way, she can honestly spend the morning.
But, he underestimated the determination of felines to spread their wings at the edge of danger.
The kitten would deliberately reach for items on supermarket shelves while they were out shopping, exposing her midriff in front of him.
Countless times, he caught her by the waist, whispered reprimands in her ear, and pulled her clothes down.
Yet, she would still sneak up in crowded places and steal kisses on his ear flaps.
Thus, often when they returned home and closed the door, the expressionless Zhu Yan would immediately press her against the door and kiss her, softly cursing her as a “bad cat,” a “little liar,” and then scold her, ordering her to behave as he began to deal with the kitten.
Zhu Yan also harbored a desire for revenge.
At such times, he would try to teach the kitten a memorable lesson.
However, this lesson was utterly ineffective.
Despite each time being miserable, the kitten would use the same tactic every time and never tire of it, as if she had developed a great passion for seducing him.
—The mermaid even thought that she treated it as a hobby.
He considered it a sweet torment.
He couldn’t understand why every time the kitten cried so miserably, yet she would still grab tissues in front of him or bite his ear flaps, eagerly seducing him the next time?
When he looked in the mirror, he wondered: was it because his eyes had turned blue and he seemed easier to bully?
She never seemed afraid in front of him, nor could she remember the lesson.
But later, Zhu Yan gradually figured it out.
He wrote in his diary:
“Because I am the original culprit who indulged her.”
“She knows I love her and will never hurt her, so she began to take advantage of me.”
“And I initially chose the wrong approach of appeasement.”
“But perhaps this is the essence of love: always indulging her.”
…
Just like the mermaid thought.
Shu Tang also believed that marriages could have their lulls.
Marriage was never as wonderful as the passionate phase of courtship; passion would fade as they grew familiar with each other.
Just like in fairy tales, once the prince and princess are together, there’s no follow-up because eventually, everything becomes mundane like daily chores.
But it seems that a few months into their marriage, they entered a new phase.
Like dry tinder and a raging fire.
Sweet courtship fermented into strong, intoxicating wine.
They had special nicknames for each other that they would only use during certain times.
She loved it when the mermaid called her “Good Girl” in his deep, pleasant voice, but in reality, he always called her “Bad Cat,” “Little Rascal,” “Little Liar.”
They kissed under the shower;
They whispered ambiguous secrets in hidden corners;
They left their favorite marks on each other’s bodies.
They also had an unspoken understanding.
For example, a single look could ignite their passion.
Love did not enter the grave after marriage.
Instead, it reveled in the gradually chilling nights of winter.