AITAMITB Chapter 57

Shen Zhifei’s kiss was like a blazing fire, invading Zhao Xiaokui’s world as if it wanted to engulf everything in flames.

Zhao Xiaokui almost forgot her superhuman instincts, being kissed like a fish deprived of water, struggling to breathe.

Her superhuman form manifested almost uncontrollably.

After a long while, their lips parted.

Shen Zhifei lowered her head, looking at the mermaid pressed against the sofa.

In Zhao Xiaokui’s eyes, she saw her own reflection.

Zhao Xiaokui’s eyes had turned into dark golden vertical pupils, with an upturned tail at the eye’s end. Her ears were pressed close to the collarbone, covered by a thin membrane surrounded by delicate golden scales.

“Shen Zhifei…”

She whispered softly.

As if understanding the anxiety in her heart, Shen Zhifei lowered her head, giving a gentle kiss on her eyes. Zhao Xiaokui closed her eyes, and Shen Zhifei continued kissing towards her ears. Soft lips repeatedly touched the sensitive scales, sending waves of electric currents through Zhao Xiaokui’s limbs and body.

Her body tensed uncontrollably, and her sharp fingers directly tore through Shen Zhifei’s shirt, the knuckles turning slightly pale.

“It looks very beautiful,” Shen Zhifei, self-proclaimed not an artist, if these features appeared on someone else, she might find it strange. But if it was Zhao Xiaokui, she thought it looked beautiful, with not a single aspect not to her liking. She even hoped that Zhao Xiaokui wouldn’t look so good. Thinking of this, she sighed softly, “My Xiaokui is beautiful, so beautiful that I want to hide her away, so she can be my exclusive treasure, and no one else can covet her.”

Zhao Xiaokui could sense that what she said was genuine, feeling delightfully satisfied. She leaned in to kiss Shen Zhifei and said, “We’re truly a perfect match, even in our thoughts.”

Shen Zhifei raised an eyebrow, lowered her head, and continued kissing Zhao Xiaokui.

Neither of them was adept at expressing emotions, but as long as they were together, it was like suffering from a skin hunger, craving to be close to each other at all times.

No need for excessive sweet words; simple kisses naturally conveyed and expressed all the affection.

Until a growl from their stomachs disrupted the harmony between the two, Shen Zhifei separated from Zhao Xiaokui.

The latter raised her hand, covering her face, filled with embarrassment, unwilling to look at her.

Shen Zhifei rubbed her head, “Wait a moment; I’ll go make you some food.”

She walked towards the kitchen, and Zhao Xiaokui climbed off the sofa, leaning on the back to watch her.

Shen Zhifei walked while pulling up her shirt, revealing her snow-white, slender arms. Her hands were long, and the joints were beautiful, the kind of hands that seemed a waste not to play the piano.

Zhao Xiaokui had torn several holes in her white shirt, and from the gaps, one could vaguely see her delicate waist and a hint of a curve.

Zhao Xiaokui collapsed on the sofa, covering her eyes with her hands.

She couldn’t look; looking at her, she was afraid she would turn into a beast.

The onset of the estrus period had its pros and cons. On the positive side, it accelerated her physical growth, shortening the transformation period from the pseudo-first stage to officially reaching the first stage. However, the downside was apparent. As her body’s strength grew constantly, she could control it when in a calm mood. Still, if her desires were stimulated, she couldn’t guarantee one hundred percent that she wouldn’t hurt Shen Zhifei.

Moreover, on careful consideration, it seemed that Shen Zhifei did not have any intention of further development with her. Each time, it ended with kisses and embraces.

Sigh…

She had the desire but lacked the ability, and Shen Zhifei seemed to have the ability but looked like she didn’t have much desire.

Although she wasn’t particularly concerned about this and just wanted to be with the person she liked, Shen Zhifei’s lack of initiative made her feel a bit frustrated.

Could it be that they were really going to have a Platonic-like romance?

But thinking that the person was Shen Zhifei, she felt that even if it were Platonic, she would accept it.

In the kitchen, Shen Zhifei opened the refrigerator, took out fresh vegetables, and rinsed them under the tap.

The cold tap water flowed over her slender fingers, and she exhaled slowly, reaching to unbutton the two buttons at the neckline.

There were some things she didn’t intend to happen too soon.

Zhao Xiaokui was still young, and she didn’t believe that living in the mermaid world for five years could establish a mature view of love and family.

Their encounter was too coincidental, fitting precisely at the right time, with various events pushing them forward. The love between them had too many unique elements.

Perhaps some people believed that love equaled passion, with bodies coming together at the peak of intensity. Even if they separated later, there would be no regrets. But she was different. Once she committed to someone, she wanted to walk with them until the end. She didn’t want to revel in passion and then scatter like fallen feathers in haste.

If that were the outcome, she would rather wait.

Because it was late, Shen Zhifei prepared some quick dishes. When she brought the dishes to the table, she discovered that Zhao Xiaokui had fallen asleep again.

The frequent episodes of falling asleep raised Shen Zhifei’s alertness. She recalled Zhao Xiaokui’s complexion when she had just woken up and couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.

Since becoming a superhuman being herself, although she lacked much attack power, she had gained a rough understanding of the physical endurance of superhumans. Previously requiring six hours of sleep, she could now be fully satisfied with three hours. The next day, she would go to work full of energy, with work efficiency more than doubled. Shen Entertainment, under her high efficiency, had already begun a steady expansion, showing signs of transforming from a small fish into a big fish.

She knelt on one knee in front of Zhao Xiaokui. Despite Zhao Xiaokui’s usually alert nature, she was now sleeping deeply, not even blinking her eyelashes.

Shen Zhifei’s heart sank for a moment.

No one understood better than Shen Zhifei how much Zhao Xiaokui lacked a sense of security.

When they first met, regardless of how light her footsteps were, as soon as she entered the bathroom, Zhao Xiaokui would immediately open her eyes and look at her accurately.

Later, as Zhao Xiaokui became familiar with her scent, she changed to closing her eyes, signaling for a hug or a kiss.

But almost every time, whenever she approached, Zhao Xiaokui would inevitably react.

This lack of security couldn’t be filled by ordinary means; it could only be healed with time.

Even Shen Zhifei couldn’t think of any particularly good solutions.

She didn’t believe that the Night Walkers could solve this kind of problem.

Compared to that, she was more inclined to think that Zhao Xiaokui had suffered some kind of injury, preventing her from maintaining this level of vigilance.

In recent days, she had occasionally dreamt about Zhao Xiaokui in the mermaid world, and she had also tagged along to the library, gaining some understanding of things related to the soul.

She reached out and gently smoothed the subtle wrinkles on Zhao Xiaokui’s forehead, then leaned her own head against it.

In each person’s brain, there is a vast expanse of sea of consciousness, storing various kinds of information.

Of course, the term “sea” is just an adjective describing the diversity of consciousness, not referring to a specific form. Consciousness has no form, and their subconscious thoughts determine the appearance of each person’s sea of consciousness.

Shen Zhifei’s sea of consciousness is a library.

Decorated in black and white tones, rows of books line the shelves. Above, a vast starry sky stretches out. In the center of the bookshelves is a mermaid statue modeled after Zhao Xiaokui.

Her resting place is a mahogany desk and an old-fashioned chair with a backrest.

On the other hand, Zhao Xiaokui’s sea of consciousness is a tangible ocean.

A massive wave crashes towards Shen Zhifei.

Caught off guard, she closes her eyes, preparing for the impact. Surprisingly, the wave hits her but passes through her body like a phantom.

—Even in an uncontrollable sea of consciousness, Zhao Xiaokui avoids her.

Shen Zhifei opens her eyes and looks at the world before her.

A violent storm rages over the sea, the sky pitch-black like a stone, devoid of any starlight.

The wind howls, and colossal waves roar.

The scene resembles an apocalypse.

Yet, Zhao Xiaokui peacefully sleeps amid this apocalyptic world.

She rests on a small rocky outcrop, just emerging above the sea surface, barely enough for a person to stand.

Zhao Xiaokui lies prone on top of it.

Her seaweed-like long hair hangs wetly by her side, her face unnaturally pale. The fish tail languidly trails in the seawater, the golden scales, devoid of sunlight, appearing dim as if covered in a layer of ash.

Shen Zhifei walks towards Zhao Xiaokui.

As if she is the owner of this ocean, with each step she takes, a rock rises beneath her feet, forming a path until she reaches Zhao Xiaokui’s side.

She kneels beside Zhao Xiaokui, and the rocks transform into a soft sponge, not at all rough on her knees.

Attempting to lift the sleeping mermaid, the moment she touches the exposed skin, the icy temperature sends shivers down her spine. Despite the chill, she doesn’t hesitate and continues to embrace Zhao Xiaokui.

The cold emanates from the person in her arms, and Shen Zhifei feels like she’s fallen into an ice cellar, her blood slowly freezing. Yet, throughout, she never entertains the thought of letting go of Zhao Xiaokui.

The sea’s storm continues to rage, but it seems to have calmed slightly, though not significantly.

Shen Zhifei holds Zhao Xiaokui tightly, closing her eyes.

The familiar dream returns.

It’s still the mermaid world.

The little mermaid with a golden fishtail, under the cold gaze of onlookers, sways her tail and enters the library again.

Shen Zhifei notices that although Zhao Xiaokui isn’t smiling, her lips are slightly upturned, giving the impression of a cheerful mood.

So Shen Zhifei’s mood also improves.

Even the bone-chilling cold seems to dissipate somewhat, perhaps due to Zhao Xiaokui’s positive mood.

As in every previous dream, she followed Zhao Xiaokui into the merfolk library.

There weren’t many people reading inside. Unlike valuing knowledge, the merfolk prioritized strength, taking pride in their bodies rather than their minds.

However, after the little mermaid entered the library, she cautiously looked around, appearing somewhat nervous despite the limited number of people.

Shen Zhifei felt a slight surprise.

This wasn’t Zhao Xiaokui’s first visit to the library, and such emotions shouldn’t have surfaced by now.

What could she be up to?

Following behind Zhao Xiaokui, she observed her usual routine of selecting a book in order.

Zhao Xiaokui immersed her mental power into the book, fully entering its contents, and achieving the desired effect.

However, shortly after, she noticed Zhao Xiaokui’s mental power being withdrawn and quickly left.

Under Shen Zhifei’s watchful eyes, Zhao Xiaokui, like a sneaky thief, surveyed the surroundings and headed toward the depths of the library.

Inside, there were the encrypted forbidden books of the merfolk.

She watched as Zhao Xiaokui took out a book with an angel depicted on the cover, placing her hand on it and reciting complex incantations.

As each incantation was uttered, a white light gradually permeated the once unremarkable stone tablet book.

Angel, holy light.

Shen Zhifei recalled where this memory came from.

It seemed that this book was one of the forbidden books whose seal Zhao Xiaokui had secretly broken.

The white light intensified, gradually becoming so bright that it was almost blinding. The golden-tailed mermaid swallowed nervously and glanced around with some unease.

But curiosity and a daring spirit suppressed fear. Closing her eyes, she projected her mental power into it.

Shen Zhifei, somewhat helpless about Zhao Xiaokui’s audacity, also entered before Zhao Xiaokui’s mental power took over.

In the pure white world, an angel with three pairs of golden wings cast a faint glance at the sudden appearance of the two individuals.

Suddenly, as if an endless stream of light and heat rushed towards them.

Shen Zhifei felt as if a blazing fire had ignited on her soul, intense pain spreading through her limbs. She couldn’t help but scream uncontrollably, opening her eyes in Zhao Xiaokui’s consciousness. Her head tilted back heavily, resembling a dying swan, exposing her graceful neck.

The flames spread from her body.

In an instant, the seawater evaporated into white smoke, boundless darkness retreated at a visible speed, and wherever the flames touched, the raging storm subsided.

Finally, the burning flames licked the sky, gradually swallowing the darkness. The oppressive dark sky turned blue, and radiant sunlight poured down like dispelling clouds and mist.

As the last trace of darkness receded, the flames on Shen Zhifei’s body subsided, slowly disappearing into her chest.

Shen Zhifei covered her chest with her hand, and she could see a small, white flame burning on her heart.

---