AITAMITB Chapter 32

The cold water in the bathtub failed to lower Zhao Xiaokui’s elevated body temperature. Instead, after absorbing her warmth, there was a faint upward trend in the temperature.

However, at this moment, Zhao Xiaokui’s brain had become calm and clear.

She lifted Shen Zhifei, whom she had pulled into the water, above the surface to prevent her from choking on water.

As Shen Zhifei emerged from the water, she still kept her eyes closed, weakly leaning against Zhao Xiaokui. Her face displayed an abnormal flush, resembling someone intoxicated with alcohol.

With Shen Zhifei in her arms, Zhao Xiaokui stood up from the water, dried both Shen Zhifei and herself, walked barefoot out of the bathroom, placed Shen Zhifei on the bed outside, and covered her with a blanket.

After completing all this, she cast a deep gaze at Shen Zhifei, then turned around, returned to the bathroom, locked the door behind her, and placed her hands on the bathtub. Manipulating her extraordinary abilities, she swiftly caused a thin layer of ice to form on the surface of the water in the bathtub.

When she felt it was about right and the entire bathtub was emitting a cold aura, Zhao Xiaokui removed her last piece of clothing and directly slipped through the hole intentionally left open.

The ice in the water began to melt rapidly the moment she entered. Fortunately, with the support of her extraordinary powers, the melting speed was moderate, balancing with the rate of condensation, maintaining a relatively low temperature.

In this chilly environment, Zhao Xiaokui couldn’t help but shiver. If she possessed a mermaid’s physique, she wouldn’t fear this temperature, but her current body was that of a human. Humans, by nature, lacked resistance to extreme conditions. Even though her abilities had improved during her advancement, she still couldn’t match the innate cold resistance of a true mermaid.

However, the cold sharpened her senses.

In the water, Zhao Xiaokui stared at the cracks on the ice surface, her thoughts swirling in her mind.

No wonder she couldn’t immediately figure out what had happened. The situation occurring in her body was extremely rare even among the merfolk.

Occasionally, there might be one or two cases, and they would become the subject of much attention—of course, in a tone of mockery and disdain.

Merfolk were quite popular in the extraordinary world for two main reasons.

Firstly, their innate beauty sets them apart. Even races renowned for their attractiveness, such as elves, would willingly yield in their presence. The allure of mermaids, compared to the purity of elves, was more captivating.

Secondly, mermaids possessed a unique characteristic—mating season.

Here, the mating season didn’t mean that mermaids mated like animals at fixed times. Instead, it referred to a period where mermaids experienced intense physiological and psychological changes when they fell in love.

Even though this race was known for being passionate, ruthless, cruel, and violent, the existence of this characteristic meant that despite numerous individuals being abandoned by merfolk, countless others would step forward.

Who wouldn’t want to be the unique and cherished one in the eyes of proud and powerful mermaids, to have them forsake everything and sing only for you, searching the deep sea for pearls to adorn your beauty?

Zhao Xiaokui always felt that this trait was the last trace of romance left by the creator for merfolk.

However, even in this state, where their growth speed received unprecedented blessings, and their abilities were developed to the utmost, the majority of merfolk still considered those in the mating season as foolish and silly.

As the rulers of the ocean, the brutal inter-species competition forged formidable individuals. When they were in the ocean, facing creatures of the same rank, they were almost invincible.

The mating season would make them even more powerful, but it also created an unprecedented weakness—their lovers.

If the loved one was already powerful, it was fine. However, if the lover entering the mating season was weak, they could easily be manipulated, becoming a weapon against the merfolk.

Moreover, once a mermaid entered the mating season, it was challenging to break free unless their lover died. However, the one in love might not always remain devoted to the mermaid.

Therefore, in the history of the merfolk, those who entered the mating season seldom had a good ending.

Either they fell victim to a lover’s manipulation, dying at the hands of enemies, or their lover betrayed them, inflicting harm with their own hands.

Did she love Shen Zhifei?

What is love?

Zhao Xiaokui didn’t know.

She felt a dependency, closeness, and trust towards Shen Zhifei, but love… that seemed a bit too much.

Inevitably, her thoughts drifted back to the image of Shen Zhifei being pressed underwater, her face flushed, waiting for Zhao Xiaokui to harvest her.

Her uncontrollable fangs emerged from the corners of her mouth, causing a tingling sensation. Zhao Xiaokui increased the output of her extraordinary power, and the bathroom gradually became enveloped in condensing white vapor.

The deep chill that penetrated her bones calmed her overheated blood once again, and the fangs gradually retracted.

Zhao Xiaokui closed her eyes in the water.

…

When Shen Zhifei woke up from the bed, it was still early.

She turned her head toward the direction of the bathroom, where the bathroom, enveloped in extraordinary power, exuded a chilling atmosphere.

The heat outside had not yet dissipated, but inside the room felt as cold as deep autumn.

She didn’t turn on the lights but lay on the bed, looking up at the ceiling, quietly contemplating her thoughts.

How she ended up on the bed last night was not clear in her memory, but she remembered the moment when Zhao Xiaokui kissed her lips.

At that time, her consciousness was not completely blurred. She remembered clearly who was kissing her, but she did not refuse.

She admitted there was the alluring scent emanating from Zhao Xiaokui that played a role, but fundamentally, she didn’t want to refuse.

She reached for her phone on the bedside table, found Rong Zhen’s name, and sent a message—

“Let’s set a time to annul the engagement.”

When Zhao Xiaokui woke up, Shen Zhifei was no longer in the villa.

She climbed out of the water, casually breaking off a piece of ice growing on the sink. Before going to sleep, she didn’t retract her extraordinary power, resulting in the entire bathroom turning into a world of ice and snow.

The Night Walkers’ understanding of extraordinary power was limited to the extent of material transformation. However, the ways in which extraordinary power could be used far exceeded their imagination.

For example, in the process of material transformation, extraordinary power could impart the property of indestructibility to the material. Like the ice blocks created by Zhao Xiaokui with water, until she removed the extraordinary power, normal room temperature couldn’t make them melt like ordinary ice. Only when exposed to higher temperatures, such as being placed over a fire, was there a possibility of melting.

Zhao Xiaokui waved her hand to retract the extraordinary power. Besides deliberately protecting the bathtub, she no longer paid attention to it, allowing the ice in the bathroom to melt steadily at room temperature.

Stepping out of the bathroom, her nose, heightened significantly due to the onset of the mating season, detected the unique scent of Shen Zhifei.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Xiaokui pounced onto Shen Zhifei’s bed, inhaling deeply in the spot where she had slept.

Even though she had decided to suppress her emotions and not cause trouble for Shen Zhifei, indulging in a little secret admiration to ease her own emotions seemed acceptable.

Anyway, as long as Shen Zhifei doesn’t know, it’s fine!

Plan executed!

Shen Zhifei had been up for a while, and the scent on the bed had dissipated quite a bit. Disappointed, she got out of bed.

Before leaving, she accidentally kicked the trash can at the foot of the bed. Out of boredom, she casually stepped on the switch. To her surprise, the perfume bottle she had seen just yesterday lay quietly inside.

Did Shen Zhifei throw it away because she said it smelled bad?

Although she knew this thought was a bit presumptuous, Zhao Xiaokui suddenly felt quite pleased.

She lightly kicked the trash can, watching the perfume bottle sway inside. With a cold laugh, she said, “With your current state, do you still want to compete with me for affection? In the next life, be a person.”

On the other side, Shen Zhifei and Rong Zhen, the engaged couple, were sitting across from each other at a table, looking at each other.

“You want to annul the engagement?”

“Yes.” Shen Zhifei nodded. “There are no financial disputes between us, so there’s no need to return the betrothal gifts. I will inform both families about the annulment and take responsibility. It has nothing to do with you. Afterward, I will announce the annulment on public platforms.”

Rong Zhen leaned back in his chair, frowning slightly.

He was a tall and handsome man with deep-set features. Even when he was silent, he exuded a strong sense of restraint.

He looked at his fiancée as if trying to see through Shen Zhifei’s thoughts.

Rong Zhen said, “I want to know what prompted you to make this decision. If I remember correctly, I’ve brought up the idea of annulling the engagement before, and you rejected the proposal.”

Shen Zhifei didn’t care about his imposing aura and said, “People change.”

Rong Zhen sneered.

If someone else said this, he might have believed it, but Shen Zhifei?

A woman so rational that she’d rather plan her life in a 24-hour schedule wouldn’t bring up the idea of annulment without a good reason.

For some reason, in Rong Zhen’s mind, a flash of the photo he saw online suddenly appeared.

His expression turned less favorable, and he asked Shen Zhifei, “Is it because of Zhao Zijin?”

“Not Zhao Zijin,” Shen Zhifei corrected his wording, “It’s Zhao Xiaokui.”

It was a tacit admission to his words.

“You—” No matter how composed he usually was, upon hearing this news, he felt as if the sky were falling.

Seeing the news online about Zhao Zijin and Shen Zhifei being together, the most ridiculous person was him. Based on his understanding of the two, these two women were absolutely unrelated. It was as unlikely as pigs flying for them to be together. He suppressed the anger in his heart and said, “Do you even know what you’re saying?”

Shen Zhifei continued nonchalantly, “Regarding the annulment, I hope you can cooperate.”

“Shen Zhifei!” He urgently said, “Let me see Zhao Zijin.”

Thinking about Zhao Xiaokui’s possible reaction to the news that Rong Zhen wanted to see her, Shen Zhifei chuckled and said, “She wouldn’t want to see you.”

“I thought she was recovering at your place. I didn’t go to see her to avoid startling her. But what did you do to her? She lost her memory, with a mental age of only eighteen. I trusted you to take care of her. Is this how you take care of her? Taking care of her into your bed? Turning her into your lover?” Rong Zhen couldn’t control his cold sarcasm and irony. He emphasized with a commanding tone, “I want to see her!”

Shen Zhifei’s face turned cold. “Dream on.”

And so, the once-engaged couple parted ways on unfriendly terms.

Turning around, Shen Zhifei informed both families about the annulment.

The Rong family was aware of Rong Zhen’s previous intention to annul the engagement, but after Shen Zhifei’s rejection and the family’s interference, it had been left unresolved. Now, with the engagement already on the agenda and both families even discussing wedding preparations, Shen Zhifei suddenly declaring she wouldn’t proceed left everyone dumbfounded.

The Rong family didn’t believe Shen Zhifei’s claim that the responsibility for annulment lay with her. Rong Zhen’s mother, upon hearing about Shen Zhifei’s desire to annul the engagement, quickly called her, saying, “Zhifei, did Rong Zhen force you to propose the annulment? Tell Auntie, and I’ll deal with him. Rong Zhen behaved a bit recklessly before, a bit unruly, but men, when they’re young, are not always honest. Rest assured, Auntie will definitely teach him a lesson…”

On the Shen family side, with Shen Zhifei’s parents deceased, the Shen Group was inherited by her uncle and aunt. Right after hanging up with Rong’s mother, her aunt called to advise her not to be stubborn. Marriage was a serious matter, and as a woman, she should endure. No matter how promiscuous a man might be outside, as long as he had a home in his heart, it was fine.

Shen Zhifei answered call after call, and in the end, she simply turned off her phone.

Suddenly, she felt a strong desire to hear Zhao Xiaokui’s voice.

Although she had several phones, and almost everyone in both the Shen and Rong families knew the numbers, after turning off all her phones, she decided to borrow a temporary phone from her secretary.

From memory, Shen Zhifei dialed Zhao Xiaokui’s number.

The call was quickly answered, and she heard the familiar voice on the other end, “Hello?”

Shen Zhifei: “It’s me.”

Zhao Xiaokui: “…”

Just hearing the voice made her fangs emerge.

Downstairs, Zhao Xiaokui, who was watching TV, turned and ran upstairs upon hearing the ringing phone.

Hearing the clattering sounds on the phone, Shen Zhifei asked in confusion, “What are you doing?”

“Nothing, really…” Zhao Xiaokui, burying her head in Shen Zhifei’s blanket, took a deep breath and tried to conceal her actions.

Shen Zhifei suddenly guessed what she was doing and confidently said, “You’re in my room.”

Zhao Xiaokui retorted, “No, I’m not.”

Shen Zhifei didn’t expose Zhao Xiaokui’s attempt to cover up; she simply said, “Rong Zhen and I have annulled our engagement.”

This was truly earth-shattering news that stunned Zhao Xiaokui. She was so shocked that she could only produce a meaningless monosyllabic sound, “Ah?”

After a while, she finally snapped out of it and urgently asked, “Why?”

Could it be because of her?

No, no, no, Zhao Xiaokui interrupted her imagination. That would be too presumptuous.

“Why?” Shen Zhifei repeated her question, saying, “Maybe because in the dark night, I encountered sunlight?”

Zhao Xiaokui exploded on the spot!

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Translator’s corner:

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