What a question to ask!

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“Actually, I think… you could do some more bad things to me.”

After saying that, Bai Ling assumed the other party would immediately respond to his invitation and take some fierce action. To his surprise, the merman merely studied him for a moment before replying:

“Be specific.”

“Huh?” Bai Ling’s pupils dilated slightly, caught off guard.

Yu Chen’s gaze scanned over the young man’s flushed shoulder blades as he calmly explained, “I am not medicated, so my interpretation of language is prone to deviation. You should use more restrictive sentences with me, such as ‘you may only touch my head,’ or ‘kissing is permitted, but the duration must be capped at 30 minutes.’ Precisely define the boundaries of my activity, rather than extending a simple invitation to… do bad things.”

He paused slightly, his heavy, slow breath brushing against the rim of Bai Ling’s ear, sending a wave of tremors rippling through him.

“Otherwise, I will default to assuming you have left your gates wide open, granting me total license to act as I please.”

Gates wide open… Bai Ling’s cheeks burned fiercely, not daring to delve into the underlying implications of those words.

The merman might be ill, but his meticulous and proper nature remained unchanged. As always, he respected the omega’s input, proactively acting as a safeguard for Bai Ling to prevent him from losing his head in a fleeting moment of passion.

“I will give you half an hour to think it through clearly, alright?”

The merman pinched his scalding earlobe with a touch of affection. “Lather up some soap, take a relaxing bubble bath, and seriously consider how far you will permit me to go tonight. You know your own physical condition; I trust you will evaluate your tolerance for risk properly.”

This was the guidance of a guardian, but it was also a considerate warning, somewhat equivalent to a “caution: wet floor” or “beware of fierce animal” sign.

Yu Chen had no idea that in the Little Bird’s eyes, a sign typically reserved for zoos had already materialized above his head. He gently said:

“I will sit outside and wait for you.”

“Okay…” Bai Ling murmured in a daze, allowing the man to scoop him up and place him back into the bathtub, much like coaxing a child into a bath.

Yu Chen caught a casual glimpse as the scar on the inner side of Bai Ling’s residual limb flashed past. Perhaps pricked by his gaze, the bird rapidly brought his legs together, pressing his upper body down toward his knees, scrambling to conceal the imperfection with his body.

Amputees who have suffered such trauma all share this kind of psychological knot: a deep-seated fear of others staring directly at their physical incompleteness.

Yu Chen did indeed want to part those legs and examine it thoroughly. However, tightly grasping his knuckles onto the rim of the bathtub, he quietly pondered for a moment before lowering his head to give a remarkably tender press against the crown of the Little Bird’s hair.

“I won’t look. When you are ready, then show me.”

The string that had been tensed tightly in Bai Ling’s heart slackened a fraction. He watched the merman’s handsome, broad back disappear behind the closing door before finally relaxing his limbs, leaning back to immerse himself into the swaying water of the bathtub.

Though his body has become… feral, his overall nature is still quite understanding.

Just as Bai Ling was sighing with this realization, he suddenly heard a crisp crack from somewhere. He watched open-mouthed as the very edge of the bathtub fractured.

His mouth twitched slightly. “…It’s a completely fraudulent understanding.”

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An avian’s average body temperature sits around 40°C, meaning his bathwater could be a touch on the scalding side. Lying in the water, he felt as if he were floating weightlessly among the clouds, every pore on his body opening up to breathe. It felt as though the hot, soothing temperature was being absorbed deep into his frame, leaving him comfortably steaming from his lower abdomen to the tips of his hair.

Bai Ling had once heard a doctor say that bathing can soothe the mind and relieve physical stress, therefore, many people undergoing rehabilitation training are advised to soak in hot water.

Yet, a luxury like this was something Bai Ling had rarely been able to enjoy. In fact, taking a bath was an entirely alien activity to him.

Growing up in the shelter as a child, he shared a communal bathhouse with the other young fledglings from the crowded dorms. Later, upon entering the military, the emphasis was strictly on speed and efficiency, cementing his habit of taking a quick shower and leaving immediately. During his Revolutionary Army days, eating and sleeping often took place entirely aboard warships, where water usage was strictly rationed by volume and schedule. Having hot boiler water for a wash was a blessing in itself; who could possibly draw a massive tub of water to luxuriously indulge in a bath within the captain’s quarters?

Yet ever since he moved in here, Yu Chen had begun casting a spell over him. Typically, after dinner, the two would idly chat by the table for a while. Once the food had digested a bit, the merman would lean forward and remind him in that persuasive tone:

“The temperature drops at night. Go take a bath to warm your body up before you sleep.”

Or perhaps, “There are bath bombs in the cabinet; you can choose whichever color you like.”

It wasn’t a lecture, nor was it a forced modification of his lifestyle habits; it was merely a gentle presentation of an alternative, making one psychologically eager to try it.

Bai Ling knew exactly how stubborn and obstinate his own temper could be. He was the type of person who would stick to a single mecha until it fell apart. Furthermore, having lived to the age of forty-two in his past life, he was a middle-aged man whose character was thoroughly set in stone, making it incredibly difficult for him to accept anyone else’s advice.

But as he opened the built-in cabinet by the tub and began seriously pondering which color of bath bomb he preferred, a sudden realization hit him, causing his heart rate to accelerate for a few seconds.

It seems the other party has already thoroughly infused himself into his life. At some point, he began to hold his hand, making changes and leading him toward a better direction.

Bai Ling couldn’t help but look to the side. On the chair directly beside the bathtub sat a set of clean, fresh-scented cotton pajamas. The tiled floor was entirely covered with non-slip mats, and even both sides of the toilet had been quietly outfitted with accessible grab bars at some unknown point in time.

These were all minor details that Yu Chen had never openly brought up to boast about. Yet Bai Ling felt that it was precisely these dense, interwoven details, continuously overlapping and accumulating like drops of water merging into an ocean, that formed this man’s steady and substantial inner heart.

This brand of care required no verbal declaration whatsoever. One only needed to put on the pajamas he provided and step out securely to be thoroughly steeped in his love.

A single floor lamp glowed within the room, its soft illumination dimmed to a level perfect for peaceful sleep. Seated in a single-seater sofa, the man’s posture was loose and indolent. He wore a pearl-white dress shirt and iron-grey, straight-leg tailored trousers, his long legs resting upon a footstool, just exposing a stretch of delicate-patterned socks. The sheer elegance of his silhouette was enough to make one’s throat move.

Leaning on his walking stick, Bai Ling stood beside the footstool, bending down to slide his hand along the man’s calf.

Yu Chen had been browsing a thick auction catalog. At this moment, the heavy pages tilted downward, revealing a pair of deep, green eyes that studied Bai Ling with an unreadable gaze.

“Intent on inspecting the merchandise?”

Hearing the man tease him, Bai Ling shrugged his shoulders with a hint of apparent regret: “You aren’t wearing sock garters today.”

Yu Chen arched his eyebrows slightly, letting out a laugh: “I have only ever heard that crows like to collect shiny coins; I have never heard that falcons also enjoy unbuttoning people.”

“It simply proves you haven’t seen enough, and your understanding of ornithology isn’t thorough enough.”

Bai Ling scrutinized him as he spoke. This guy was a massive individual, completely filling out the gaps of the sofa. Yet the old man’s waist and leg contours were striking: broad shoulders and a narrow waist with a flawless ratio. He was precisely the type where a casual hookup would be a guaranteed win, and a long-term bed partner would be an absolute jackpot.

Steadying his mind, Bai Ling asked, “Want to go to bed and do it for a bit?”

The corners of Yu Chen’s mouth twitched up slightly into a smirk as he threw back a question: “Do?”

Bai Ling repeated: “Do.”

“Which ‘do’?”

“Fuck!” Bai Ling snapped in annoyance.

“Ah, so it is the ‘do’ that means ‘fuck,'” Yu Chen casually unbuttoned the top button of his collar, his tone lifting slightly. “Now that we have the action and the location, we are still missing the duration and the depth.”

“The duration… do you want foreplay? If we skip it and dive straight in, I can handle 40 minutes at most. Any longer won’t work; I still have to pilot in the finals tomorrow afternoon.”

Leaning on his walking stick, Bai Ling’s pinky finger quietly twisted in a subtle fidget.

How could any small movement escape Yu Chen’s eyes when he observed Bai Ling so meticulously? Propping his arm up and tilting his torso slightly, his long fingers resting against his temple, he asked:

“Do you want foreplay?”

Bai Ling looked up, dazed. “…What kind of question is that?!”

“A serious, responsible one.” Yu Chen closed the pages of the catalog with a soft thud, sending ripples through Bai Ling’s heart. He lifted his eyes to look over. “If you like me, we can lengthen it; if you don’t like me, we can get straight to the point.”

Bai Ling felt like a child brought to a convenience store by a parent, standing hesitantly before three massive ice cream freezers packed with a dazzling array of choices. After a long pause, he mumbled:

“…Whatever.”

“There is no ‘whatever’ option.” The universal parental response.

“Anyway, you can kiss me for half an hour without stopping. Just use that as the standard.” Bai Ling’s scalp tingled. He couldn’t understand why this old man couldn’t just keep things simple and rough.

He was actually starting to miss the previous “feral fish.”

“Then what about the depth? You need to give me a baseline scale.”

Bai Ling’s face flushed a deep, shameful crimson, his feathers completely bristling. “What the hell is depth supposed to mean?! You stretch and contract however you want, can I even stop you?!”

In terms of actual experience, past life’s Commander Bai was absolutely a seasoned veteran who had seen it all. Whether it was a dominant alpha from the Central Army or a battle-hardened squad leader, what kind of alpha hadn’t he encountered? If he were paraded through the military headquarters right now, he could name more than half of the well-built ones standing in line. He had never taken mating seriously.

Back then, when the alphas he captured saw him kick open the door and enter, every single one of them would shut their mouths in terror and properly call him “Commander.” During the process, they would either shed tears of humiliation or beg for mercy in panic. If anyone dared to make too much noise, he would press a gun barrel against their throat and snap:

Shut up. Say another word and I’ll cut your tongue out.

Why was it that here, dealing with this agonizingly meticulous old alpha, even the depth had to be investigated? What on earth was there to ask?!

Bai Ling felt a surreal sensation, as if he were reviewing a detailed service menu at a luxury club. No, even a luxury club wouldn’t have such tiny bit service clauses.

Expressionless, Bai Ling asked, “If conditions permit it, would you want to print out a survey questionnaire for me to fill out?”

He meant it as a blatant sarcasm, but he didn’t expect the other party to actually consider it seriously. The merman looked thoughtful and said, “Considering my complex situation, creating a questionnaire is indeed necessary.”

“Complex?” Bai Ling caught the keyword instantly.

Yu Chen crossed his legs, a reassuring smile gracing his features, but his next question shifted to an entirely different matter: “Have you ever been knotted by an alpha?”

That question caught Bai Ling completely off guard.

A knot was something that only happened when an alpha was thoroughly satisfied from the bottom of their heart. With his previous warlord-style playstyle, he was lucky if he didn’t scare the alphas into wetting their pants; who would have dared to knot him? Even if someone had tried, the moment there was a hint of it, they would have been blasted away on the spot.

Yu Chen read the answer from his delayed reaction. His eyes narrowed slightly under the light as he casually informed him:

“Mermen have different habits than ordinary humans. We prefer…”

Bai Ling: ?

He heard the merman’s mellow voice slowly say, “…to thoroughly fill you up.”

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Author’s note:

Little Bird: Stop asking so many questions. Just push me down and that’s it!

Old Merman: (thoughtfully) You say whatever. To me, it means “doing whatever I want”. I really meant what I said.

Little Bird: Which sentence?

Old Merman: Thoroughly fuck you up.