Scales

Si Jinyan's injuries recovered quickly. A few days later, he was moving as usual.

Everyone here seemed accustomed to it, but Chi Li felt doubtful. As a top-tier alpha, he knew his recovery ability was better than that of ordinary people. Si Jinyan's level of recovery was somewhat beyond normal.

Today, someone Chi Li had not seen in a long time suddenly appeared in the hospital room.

It was the doctor he had met when he was sent to the research institute. The doctor seemed quite familiar with Si Jinyan, and the moment he entered, he began criticizing Si Jinyan for being too reckless.

Si Jinyan did not get angry. After listening for a while, he finally interrupted impatiently.

Only then did Lu Jiu look at Chi Li by the bed and greet him first. "Long time no see. Do you still remember me?"

Chi Li nodded. "Long time no see. I remember you."

Lu Jiu looked at Si Jinyan. "Shall we do an examination first?"

Si Jinyan nodded.

Lu Jiu smiled at Chi Li. "Could you step out for a moment?"

Lu Jiu looked to be only in his twenties, like a college student who had just graduated. His smile was approachable, but when he looked at Chi Li, the gaze behind his lenses carried a sharp scrutiny.

During this time, Chi Li had stayed by Si Jinyan's side to care for him. Si Jinyan had never asked him to leave during dressing changes before. Now, Si Jinyan said nothing, and Chi Li nodded, knowing they had matters to discuss that outsiders were not meant to hear.

The moment the door closed, Lu Jiu said angrily, "You were far too careless. Do you not know your current condition can't withstand this kind of strain? What if you suddenly lost control? There were so many people there, and it was broadcast live across the entire Empire. It couldn't have been suppressed even if we tried."

Si Jinyan frowned. "I knew what I was doing. I wasn't out of control to that extent yet."

Lu Jiu still wanted to say more. He opened his mouth, but in the end only said, "Let me see your injury. Have the scales appeared?"

Si Jinyan uncovered the wound on his back. The bullet wound had already healed, but instead of human skin, four or five fine silver-black scales had grown over it. The scales did not seem fully formed yet and gleamed with a soft luster.

Lu Jiu frowned deeply. "He didn't see them, did he?"

Si Jinyan knew Lu Jiu meant Chi Li. "No. I concealed them when applying the medicine."

Si Jinyan could control how much the scales covered, just as he could freely shift between a mermaid tail and human legs. But for scales that grew under this kind of physiological stimulation, he could only make them disappear briefly.

Lu Jiu administered an injection. "You were too reckless."

Lu Jiu said, "Ever since you became unable to properly control your pheromones, the stability of your merfolk blood has also been affected. You should know that you can no longer casually use merfolk abilities, especially in crowded places, to enhance your speed or withstand attacks."

Si Jinyan's identity as a mermaid had always been a secret within the Empire.

A few years ago, Si Jinyan had suddenly developed Pheromone Deficiency Syndrome, suffering frequent pheromone riots. At the same time, his mermaid state had also been affected. In mermaid form, Si Jinyan was more likely than usual to lose control.

When a mermaid with a body a hundred times stronger than a human's could not control his reason, he was no different from a ticking time bomb.

"I know," Si Jinyan said.

Lu Jiu's voice immediately rose several decibels. "You know? So you didn't reinforce the muscles that would be hit by the bullet and just let it enter your body, taking it head-on? Do you know you would have died if it had hit your heart?" If he had reinforced his body, that bullet could not have hurt Si Jinyan at all.

The heart was not actually a mermaid's most vulnerable place. After studying ancient records for years, Lu Jiu had finally discovered that Si Jinyan was missing a piece of his Merfolk Core. It was the most important scale on a mermaid's body, growing close against the soft heart. With its protection, the vulnerable heart was no longer a mermaid's weakness.

The Merfolk Core was said to be "capable of curing all illnesses." The books also recorded that a weapon fused with a Merfolk Core would become "the sharpest sword" and "the strongest shield."

But Si Jinyan did not have that scale. Lu Jiu had discovered this because Si Jinyan had nearly died from several bullets aimed at his heart.

Si Jinyan had no memory of that scale.

But Lu Jiu knew that the scale had been there since a mermaid's birth. Unless the mermaid willingly removed it, it would not disappear. Even in death, it would only become an ordinary scale once its power completely faded.

After Lu Jiu finished the examination, Si Jinyan got dressed and said calmly, "I knew what I was doing."

Lu Jiu calmed down. "You shouldn't have saved him. We can find countless omegas to treat you. As long as their compatibility is above ninety percent, we have succeeded once already, and we can succeed countless more times. You should be calmer next time. Even if you hadn't saved him, your people would not blame you. There will always be some casualties when stopping rioters."

At those words, Si Jinyan's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. When Lu Jiu spoke the first half of his sentence, a thought flashed through Si Jinyan's mind: perhaps he would never find another one.

The thought vanished in an instant, but Si Jinyan remembered that it had also crossed his mind when he saved Chi Li. His body had reacted faster than his thoughts, making an instinctive move.

Lu Jiu recorded data on all aspects of Si Jinyan's condition and gave him a few more reminders before leaving.

After Lu Jiu left, Chi Li finally asked Si Jinyan, "How did it go? Did something happen?"

Si Jinyan pulled Chi Li into his arms. Si Jinyan sat at the edge of the bed while Chi Li sat between his legs, his head buried against the back of Chi Li's neck. Sometimes, he would use that position to kiss Chi Li's gland.

Chi Li had noticed that Si Jinyan had become especially fond of this position lately.

Si Jinyan's voice was low. "It's nothing."

Perhaps Lu Jiu was right that he was losing control more severely. Lately, Si Jinyan often had the urge to wrap Chi Li's legs in his tail and drag him into the deep sea, to watch him struggle, watch him beg with reddened eyes, then bite the fair nape of his neck and become one with him.

His blood grew scorching with the thought, and Si Jinyan's kisses on Chi Li's gland gradually changed in nature.

But today, they were interrupted halfway through.

A knock came from outside the door, followed by Geng Ji's boisterous voice. "Open up! I know you two are in there!"

It was Geng Ji's first appearance since that day.

Chi Li's entire body tensed in fright. He was standing in front of the desk and nearly crumpled to the floor as his legs went weak, but Si Jinyan caught him from behind.

Chi Li turned back to look at Si Jinyan, nervous and pitiful.

Si Jinyan hastily finished.

When the door opened, Geng Ji saw Si Jinyan's dark expression and smelled the suggestive pheromones in the air.

Geng Ji thought, This is bad. "Who knew you two would be so busy in broad daylight..."

As he spoke, he pulled the person beside him behind his back to hide him. "Don't corrupt children."

Chi Li opened the window to air out the room. When he turned around, he noticed that Geng Ji had brought someone with him. The boy looked around twenty and resembled Geng Ji somewhat. He was very beautiful, with the delicate refinement of a porcelain doll, and much smaller than Geng Ji. He looked like an omega, but Chi Li could not smell his pheromones.

Geng Ji pulled the boy over. "Let me introduce you. This is my younger brother, Geng Xing."

Geng Ji then said to Si Jinyan, "I told him you were injured, and he insisted on coming to see you."

The boy called Si Jinyan "Brother," but seemed somewhat reserved around Chi Li.

Si Jinyan rubbed Geng Xing's head.

The boy appeared extremely dependent on Geng Ji and followed him everywhere.

Only when Geng Ji looked at Geng Xing did his gaze become so gentle it seemed capable of melting someone.

At lunch that afternoon, Chi Li saw Geng Ji holding Geng Xing on his lap and feeding him medicine. A piece of cake sat beside them, and a strange feeling flickered through Chi Li's heart.

Later, Chi Li learned that Geng Xing had once been kidnapped. The kidnappers had killed their hostage and removed Geng Xing's gland. Geng Xing had been unconscious for a month, and when he woke up, something was wrong with his memories. His intelligence was only that of a child several years old.

During that period, Geng Ji had nearly gone mad. He tortured the people who had kidnapped Geng Xing to death one by one, and only then did he gradually return to normal.

That night, while Chi Li and Si Jinyan were taking a walk downstairs, they unexpectedly saw two familiar, indistinct figures in a corner of the garden.

Chi Li's hearing was excellent. He heard broken, choking sobs. They belonged to Geng Xing.

When he realized what they were doing, Chi Li's eyes widened.

Just as he was about to look again, his vision was covered. Si Jinyan blocked Chi Li's eyes with his hand. Beneath his palm, Chi Li's lashes brushed against it like tiny fans. Si Jinyan's voice held an unreadable displeasure. "Watching that closely?"

Chi Li blushed, then seemed to think of something. Surprise and hesitation laced his voice. "They were...?"

Si Jinyan gave a quiet hum and pulled Chi Li back.

Chi Li had not yet recovered from his shock when Si Jinyan dragged him into another small grove.

Si Jinyan kissed him. Chi Li was still distracted, and Si Jinyan was dissatisfied. His pheromones spilled out and wrapped around Chi Li. "Focus. Don't think about anyone else."