Chapter 3: An Inescapable Fate
Gu Yunsheng’s eyes widened in surprise. He could really breathe in the water! A cool sensation carrying the scent of sea salt traveled up his nose and into his lungs. It felt incredibly comfortable; the distress from earlier vanished instantly. He could also feel a warm, magical substance flowing from the Mermaid Pearl into his body, washing away the choking sensation.
Seeing he was alright, Ling Xi finally let go. A trace of tenderness, which even he didn’t notice, flashed in his beautiful blue eyes.
His slender fingers gently grazed Gu Yunsheng’s cheek. The icy touch made Gu Yunsheng shrink his neck back.
“Don’t be afraid…” Ling Xi’s voice was low, like whispering sweet nothings. “From now on, you are mine.”
Before Gu Yunsheng could react, Ling Xi suddenly lowered his head and gently bit down on his neck.
“Ah…” Gu Yunsheng let out a soft cry at the sudden sensation. He instinctively tried to dodge, but Ling Xi held him tightly in his arms, rendering him immobile.
He felt as if a small beast was nibbling on his neck. A numbing, tingling sensation made his whole body go soft. A strange feeling spread rapidly from the bite, rushing through his limbs like an electric current.
“Don’t move…” Ling Xi’s voice sounded in his ear, carrying a hint of dominance. “It will be over soon.”
Gu Yunsheng felt his heart pounding violently, his brain buzzing like a chaotic pot.
Was he being marked? Like in the animal kingdom, becoming someone’s property with just a bite?
“From this day forth, you belong to me… You are not allowed to leave me.”
Gu Yunsheng wanted to shout a rebuttal. He was a model youth from a civilized society; how could he casually become someone’s “person”? Moreover, he had zero feelings for this merman who had appeared out of nowhere and forced himself on him!
But he opened his mouth and couldn’t make a sound. He could only let Ling Xi ravage his neck, leaving a mark unique to him, as if swearing sovereignty.
Marked?!
Gu Yunsheng panicked. He was a straight-as-steel man. He hadn’t even dated before transmigrating, and now he was being… marked by a merman?! This was too much stimulation!
He wanted to struggle, to resist, but Ling Xi’s embrace was like an iron clamp. He could only watch helplessly as that demonic, handsome face drew closer. Sharp teeth pressed against his gland… followed by a sharp piercing pain.
“Ah!” Gu Yunsheng couldn’t help but cry out in pain. His body instinctively tried to flee, but Ling Xi pinned him firmly. He could only powerlessly endure the unfamiliar pain, feeling a scorching liquid being injected aggressively into his body, as if it wanted to burn him to ash.
“Don’t be afraid, I’m here…” Ling Xi’s voice was deep and hoarse, carrying a strange magic that soothed Gu Yunsheng’s panic.
“How does it taste? My little pet.” Ling Xi’s voice held a trace of imperceptible pleasure, like he was admiring a carefully captured prey.
Gu Yunsheng finally snapped back from the severe pain. He stared in horror, wanting to speak, but found he could make no sound, only weak whimpers.
Ling Xi’s mark brought not only physical pain but also psychological humiliation and fear.
“Not speaking? Do you dislike me, or are you expecting someone to come save you?” Ling Xi’s fingers gently rubbed Gu Yunsheng’s lips, his tone carrying a dangerous edge.
Gu Yunsheng turned his head away, avoiding Ling Xi’s aggressive gaze as a layer of mist formed in his eyes.
He wanted to curse, to ask why Ling Xi was doing this to him, but he knew it would only further provoke this temperamental merman.
“Heh, what a stubborn baby.” Ling Xi chuckled lightly, seeming satisfied with Gu Yunsheng’s reaction.
He suddenly pulled Gu Yunsheng into his arms and bit his earlobe with a hint of punishment.
“Remember, from now on, you can only be mine.”
Gu Yunsheng leaned limply in Ling Xi’s arms, feeling the other’s strong, powerful heartbeat, and inexplicably felt a sense of safety.
He closed his eyes in misery, tears streaming down his face. In Ling Xi’s eyes, they looked like beautiful pearls falling into the sea.
He was so scared. He had only just transmigrated, and he had already been marked by a huge merman! What the hell was this!
Ling Xi felt the person in his arms trembling slightly. His heart felt as if it were squeezed by a small invisible hand—stifling, and inexplicably aching.
“Don’t cry…” Ling Xi’s voice softened unconsciously, carrying a trace of panic and doting he hadn’t realized himself.
He gently stroked Gu Yunsheng’s hair, clumsily wanting to comfort him, but… he didn’t know how to coax people!
“Please, let me go,” Gu Yunsheng sobbed, grabbing Ling Xi’s arm pitifully, looking at him with pleading eyes. “Let me go back to the shore, okay…?” His face was pale, looking utterly fragile. “I’m scared. Being in the sea… makes me feel… like I can’t breathe…”
“Can’t breathe?” Ling Xi frowned, a trace of confusion flashing in his azure eyes, as if hearing something impossible.
He looked down at the delicate person in his arms. The pale face still had tear stains, looking pitiful like a kitten drenched in rain, making one want to hold it and cherish it.
“You mean… you feel uncomfortable staying in the sea?” Ling Xi asked tentatively, a hint of tension in his voice that even he didn’t detect.
“Mmh…” Gu Yunsheng nodded pitifully, his small hand clutching the hem of his clothes. His eyes grew redder, looking even more aggrieved.
Those watery eyes were pitiable, stirring Ling Xi’s heart.
Having lived for hundreds of years, this was the first time he had met a creature so afraid of water. The merman race was born of the ocean and grew up in the ocean; for them, staying in the sea was a hundred times more comfortable than on land. Yet this boy’s reaction was the complete opposite, reminding him of land beasts clumsily flailing when they first fell into the water. It was inexplicably… a little cute?
He looked Gu Yunsheng up and down. His skin, white as jade, seemed to emit a faint halo in the seawater. Strands of wet hair stuck to his cheeks, making his small face look even more moving. Ling Xi’s azure eyes confirmed it again: “You really are an Omega.”
That sentence exploded like thunder in Gu Yunsheng’s ears.
He jerked his head up, looking at Ling Xi in disbelief. His eyes were full of panic and helplessness, like a startled rabbit wishing it could burrow into a hole.
He had only been in this world for a day. Although his understanding of the ABO setting wasn’t complete, he knew generally that in this ABO world, the three genders were distinct. Omegas were at the bottom of society—frail, susceptible, the object of all Alphas’ contention, and… tools for reproduction.
“I am not an Omega! I’m just a normal person!” Gu Yunsheng shook his head violently, blurting it out. His tone was full of resistance and disbelief. “I just… I just look a bit delicate…” He explained frantically, trying to convince Ling Xi, or perhaps trying to convince himself. “And… and I like girls! I’m not some…”
He stole a glance at Ling Xi, his voice getting smaller and smaller.
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