Chapter 24: Lock Him Away So He Can Look Only at Him

Qing Ze had expected Yun Fu to value his words as she had in the past, responding with her usual natural compliance.

Yun Fu cast a glance at this peacock, who lacked even half the beauty of a merman, and couldn't even be bothered to play along.

"Say what you have to say, or get lost."

Qing Ze’s face flushed a mix of green and black. Under Yun Fu’s cold gaze, he felt a hollow ache in his chest, yet he was unwilling to leave just like that. Acting out of sheer petulance, he blurted out, "I came to ask you—weren't you going to give me a fan made of merman scales? Where is it? I want it now!"

From a blind spot outside the villa, Qin Min, having just parked his aircraft, heard these words. Seeing Yun Fu standing opposite Qing Ze, he gripped the iridescent scales in his hand, his pale blue eyes filled with icy stillness.

So, the beast from outside had actually come to demand them. Would Yun Fu, who had always favored this peacock, borrow flowers to present to Buddha by taking his scales? And if she couldn't get them, would she lock him up and forcibly extract them? Should he indulgently give them to her, or should he chain her up, wrap her in his fish tail, and force her to look only at him?

[Oh my god, the female lead’s move is brilliant! Getting the peacock to demand the scale fan just as the merman happens to witness it—the female supporting character is doomed.]

[It’s quite vicious. Regardless of whether she agreed or not, having the merman see this is truly stifling. Given the merman’s dark and obsessive nature, the "dark room" plot I’ve been waiting for might actually be coming!]

[A merman, a beauty, and a dark room—hee hee! I want to see forced love, and it would be even better if it went on for days without stopping. Just thinking about it makes me blush.]

Qin Min glanced at the strange, scrolling comments. He suppressed his presence, his position so cleverly chosen that the three people inside could not see him.

Qing Ze kept his eyes on Yun Fu, his fingers twitching. What he didn't say was that Su Nianwei had expressed a desire for the fan earlier. However, since merman beastmen were rare in the Empire, they cherished their scales and would never sell them on the Star Network. Unable to bear seeing Su Nianwei sad, and knowing that one of Yun Fu’s beast-husbands was a merman who was very doting toward her, Qing Ze had mentioned to Yun Fu that he liked fans made of merman scales.

Yun Fu, infatuated with him at the time, had immediately promised to extract the scales and make him a fan. Having been pampered by Yun Fu for so long, Qing Ze didn't doubt her words for a second. He had even heard that Yun Fu had tricked that merman into coming home and locked him up just two days ago.

Yet, the Yun Fu he had seen twice now had become much more beautiful and far colder toward him, which made Qing Ze uneasy. So, after leaving the detention center, when Su Nianwei said she wanted to see the scale fan today, he had come to find Yun Fu without a second thought.

Hearing Qing Ze’s demand, a look of irony crossed Yun Fu’s face. "I am a 'useless female.' What makes you think I could extract scales from a 3S-level beastman?"

Qing Ze’s expression turned awkward. That was true—he hadn't considered at all whether Yun Fu, who previously had no spiritual power, might get hurt facing a powerful merman. He had only asked Yun Fu to fetch them because Su Nianwei wanted a scale fan. That really did seem excessive. Before the annoyed Yun Fu, Qing Ze felt a pang of self-reflection for the first time.

But seeing Yun Fu looking so well-cared-for, without a single mark of injury, his guilt was halved. "Aren't you fine, though?"

"Besides, Qin Min is your beast-husband; he can't hurt you. If you’ve already taken the scales, just give the fan to me. I’m in a hurry."

Yun Fu’s eyes were cold. She let out a scoff. "You just said Qin Min is *my* man. Do you think I would dig out his scales for an outsider like you? What do you think you are?!"

Qin Min’s hand tightened around the scales. Even though he understood that Yun Fu’s words were meant to provoke, he couldn't help but feel a warmth spread through his heart.

In contrast, Qing Ze felt uncomfortable. However, he still refused to believe that Yun Fu, who had previously been dismissive of all her beast-husbands, could truly care for Qin Min. It was likely just a tantrum.

Qing Ze turned his head away, pinched his fingers, and squeezed his eyes shut, as if making a difficult promise. "If you give me the scale fan, I’ll treat you better in the future."

"I’ll even give you the roses you asked for before, and we can go on a date."

The way he said it, as if dating her were some immense favor, made Yun Fu laugh in anger. What kind of deluded beast was this? It was as if he couldn't understand human speech.

Qin Min’s eyes were as cold as tempered ice.

01, unable to hold back any longer, moved. As an S-level beastman, Qing Ze was knocked over by a single kick. 01 stepped on his shoulder, rendering him unable to move. The force was so heavy that Qing Ze felt as if his shoulder were about to shatter, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead from the pain.

When Qing Ze stubbornly tried to stand, a surge of spiritual power from an unknown source struck his lower leg with a violent impact. His knees buckled, and he crashed to the floor, kneeling before Yun Fu.

Yun Fu raised an eyebrow, looking at Qing Ze’s solid thud on the ground, and said nonchalantly, "Although you don't understand human speech, since you've apologized so sincerely, I will forgive your babbling."

Qing Ze gritted his teeth, cursing internally that an android could possess such strength, while saying to Yun Fu, "Yun Fu, I know you’re angry with me, but was it necessary to have an android beat me? Tell him to let me go."

Qing Ze continued with his self-righteous threats. "If you unleash your vicious nature on me, I will never speak to you again."

Yun Fu curled her lips. "Never speak to me again? That would be wonderful."

"01, give him another kick and clear him out. Don't pollute the air of the villa."

The tall, blond man nodded. He landed a kick on Qing Ze’s chest, hoisted him up, and tossed him directly over the villa’s perimeter wall. Afterward, he pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his hands. His every movement was incredibly elegant; the earlier violence was gone, and he looked just like a nobleman.

"Well done," Yun Fu said with a soft curve to her lips.

01’s mechanical eyes softened. He bowed slightly and lifted Yun Fu’s hand. Just as he was about to perform a hand-kissing gesture, a fierce and violent surge of spiritual power whipped across his lips. The force was aimed at slicing his lips right off.

01 glanced toward the outside of the villa, meeting those cold, pale blue eyes. He didn't alert Yun Fu. Instead, he turned back and performed a gentlemanly bow to her.

"Processing trash for you, My Lady, is my honor."

The man’s description of Qing Ze made Yun Fu feel quite pleased. She praised 01 once more before turning to walk into the villa.

The two had just entered, and 01 had barely gone to pour water for Yun Fu, when a sound came from the entryway. Qin Min’s slender figure walked in slowly.

His arrival was so coincidental that Yun Fu wondered if he had seen Qing Ze coming to look for her. Receiving Yun Fu’s gaze, Qin Min walked toward her, his expression unchanged.

"What are you looking at?"

He was too calm; it was impossible to tell if he had seen the scene of Qing Ze asking for the scale fan.

Yun Fu simply asked directly, "Did you see Qing Ze when you came in?"

Qin Min hadn't expected her to say his name so casually. Was it possible that Yun Fu had really changed her heart and no longer liked that married beast?

"I saw him. Did he come to find you?"

Qin Min gripped the scales, his expression faint, though in reality, the scales were digging into his flesh.

Yun Fu noticed Qin Min’s tightly clenched fingers. She glanced at his hand and said, "Yes, he came to ask me to dig out your scales. But I had 01 throw him out."

"You are my beast. I don't even have your scales yet; how could I possibly give them to an outsider?" Besides, did that peacock even deserve to hold merman scales?