Chapter 2633: Impetus

A while later, Shang Hongyu suddenly stood up and said, “Ah Zu, my little sister has something she wishes to say. I shan’t disturb the two of you.” Following that, she left with a bizarre smile. She even shot her little sister a look before closing the door behind her.

Zu An looked at Shang Liuyu in surprise. “Big sister Shang, what do you want to tell me?”

Shang Liuyu’s cheeks immediately reddened. Her previously relaxed expression suddenly looked incredibly awkward. It was a moment later before she spoke up. “My big sister said that since we have already progressed to this point, we should become a proper couple before you leave, lest...”

“Lest what?” The other party’s shy appearance made her look indescribably delectable to Zu An, so he couldn’t resist teasing her further.

Shang Liuyu raised her head to look him in the eye. She gently touched his cheeks with her fair hands. “Lest something were to happen to you. I’d live out the rest of my life in regret.”

Those words moved Zu An, and he grabbed her hand.

They are truly concerned about me. I’m heading to other universes that we know nothing about; even I don’t know what will happen.

He pulled her into his arms and said, “I’ll be careful. I have the backing of a true deity now, so the trip won’t be as dangerous as you think it to be.”

“Mm.” Shang Liuyu rested her cheek against his chest and felt his heartbeat. Her heart slowly calmed down.

“You only mentioned what your big sister thought. How about you?” Zu An asked.

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

“I...” Shang Liuyu looked conflicted. A while later, she shook her head and replied, “I don’t know.”

“Do you feel as if something is missing?” Zu An asked with a smile.

Shang Liuyu instinctively nodded. “Indeed, especially after hearing your story with the ancient Mermaid Queen. She might be my past incarnation, but we're still two different people. I envy the deep bond you two shared.”

Her words were vague, but Zu An understood what she was getting at. He and Shang Liuyu had already maxed out their feelings for each other, but they were lacking an impetus to advance their relationship. Were it not for his encounter with the ancient Mermaid Queen, this parting could have served that purpose.

However, women were sentimental creatures. Zu An already had a grasp of Shang Liuyu’s personality from the first time he met her. Beneath her carefree exterior was an innocent girl who harbored fantasies about love. She didn’t want to be outdone by her previous incarnation.

“You don’t need to feel burdened. We don’t have to rush things and regret it in the future. Wait for my return. We’ll find an auspicious timing and get married...” Zu An’s expression suddenly stiffened halfway through his words.

Pui pui pui! How can I raise such a massive death flag?! Movie characters who promise to marry their lover after returning from a dangerous trip are almost guaranteed to die. How could I make such a low-level mistake?

Shang Liuyu’s face also warped in horror as the same thought occurred to her. “You mentioned before that such words are incredibly inauspicious.”

“Then you should accompany me tonight to console my wounded soul. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything other than hug you.”

Shang Liuyu nodded. It looked as if her cheeks had been applied with the world’s finest rouge. With their parting imminent, she wanted to spend as much time with her lover as possible. They embraced in bed as they shared their yearning for each other.

All of a sudden, Shang Liuyu shuddered. “Y-You... Why are you touching my foot?”

“How beautiful.” Zu An fiddled with the foot in his hand. He finally understood why there were so many people who were into feet. “Big sister Shang, you don’t know how much I hoped to have such a day with you from the first time we met.”

Shang Liuyu recalled the first time they'd met in a gazebo and smiled gently. “So back then, you were already a scheming pervert.”

“It’s called appreciation for beauty.” Zu An missed the old days. “I wouldn’t have dared to overstep the line back then.”

“But now you dare?” Shang Liuyu regretted it as soon as she blurted those words out.

“Well, I’d obey if big sister Shang tells me to stop right now,” Zu An said as he leaned in.

Shang Liuyu immediately exclaimed, “Stop!”

Zu An was rendered speechless. “I haven’t even started yet!”

“But you’re... You’re still holding it.” Shang Liuyu could feel the heat from Zu An’s palm against her foot, and that made her heartbeat quicken.

Zu An was amused by how tense she was. “Does the Mermaid race have sensitive feet?”

Shang Liuyu turned away as she grumbled, “I’m sure you know given how often you play with my big sister.”

Zu An relished in her pleasant, quivering voice. He reflexively gripped her foot even tighter.

Shang Liuyu trembled. She shouted in alarm, “Stop!”

“See, I keep my promises, don’t I?” Zu An chuckled at her flustered response.

“Remove your hand.” The furiously blushing Shang Liuyu tried to withdraw her leg, but Zu An held it so firmly that she couldn’t pull it out.

“I only promised to stop when you asked me to. I didn’t say that I would release your leg.”

“You liar! Ahh, don’t... Stop!”

Zu An was amused. “Are you asking me to stop or not?”

“You’re taking advantage of me!” Shang Liuyu gritted her teeth. She lurched forward and bit his shoulder.

The two of them began bickering. At some point, the room abruptly fell silent. They found themselves so close that they could feel each other’s breaths.

Shang Liuyu’s beautiful eyebrows fluttered. She suddenly found herself at a loss.

Zu An leaned in. Shang Liuyu’s breathing quickened, but she didn’t avoid him.

The two lovers kissed.

Some time later, Shang Liuyu suddenly exclaimed with a quivering voice, “Why are you taking off your clothes?”

“It’s too hot.”

“But you’re taking off my clothes too!”

“Aren’t you hot too?”

“But we’re in the underwater Dragon Palace!”

“How weird. The Dragon Palace feels oddly hot today.”

“No... Stop!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll just cuddle a little.”

“...”

A while later, Shang Liuyu bit her lips. Her eyes glimmered as she murmured, “If you really wish to... I can do it too.”

Her concession left Zu An feeling as if his mind was going to explode, but he shook his head. Perhaps she sounded willing now, but it would leave her with regrets. He didn’t want to leave her with a lifelong regret over a moment of recklessness.

Shang Liuyu felt his concern, and that tinged her heart with sweetness. But when she lowered her head, she couldn’t help but worry. “But your current condition...”

“You can help me.”

“Ah... It was big sister who did it the last time. Should I call her over?”

“You don’t necessarily have to use...” Zu An leaned in and whispered to her.

Shang Liuyu was stunned. Her face reddened in embarrassment. “Where do you learn this nonsense from?”

Worried he would get his way, she morphed her legs back into a tail to cut his thoughts short.

...

The following day, Shang Hongyu and Shang Liuyu escorted Zu An out of the Dragon Palace for thousands of kilometers before reluctantly bidding him farewell.

Shang Liuyu sighed. “Big sister, do you think I’m useless?”

“Ah? You didn’t give it to him even though it was such a good opportunity yesterday?” Shang Hongyu was taken aback.

Shang Liuyu blushed furiously. “That’s not what I’m talking about! I’m lamenting that I can’t be of any help to him even though he’s venturing into an unknown world.”

“So did you give it to him yesterday or not?” Shang Hongyu was more concerned about that.