The Man by the Sea (Part 2)

The sharp pain in her arm pulled Shen Hua back from the brink of death, just when she felt she was one step away from it. The intense discomfort came quickly and left just as fast, but she was still shaken, collapsing powerlessly onto the ground covered in countless pebbles.

It took her a full three minutes to hear her own breathing again—she was still alive.

Her gaze fell on her wrist, the one that had pulled her back from the edge. The hand gripping her arm was not like a normal human hand. It had slender and long finger bones, skin as pale as his body, but the palm was rough, almost like an exfoliating glove.

These details weren't the focus. What mattered was that Shen Hua keenly noticed his nails were not rounded and smooth like a normal person's but were sharp, transparent claws. She had already experienced their hardness firsthand.

It hurt so much!

"Let go of me." She could forgive someone for playing dead to scare her, but nearly killing her and leaving several bloody holes in her arm was something she couldn't take lightly.

However, her stern words did not make the man release his grip. His nails dug deeper into her flesh, causing her so much pain that she nearly screamed.

"You're bleeding." Shen Hua originally wanted to reprimand him harshly, but her tone softened when she saw the thirty-centimeter gash on his side. The wound, which had somehow healed, had split open again, and dark red blood was flowing out.

The man remained unmoved, his eyes still coldly fixed on Shen Hua.

Looking into his eyes again, Shen Hua was at a loss for words. Besides his eyes, she finally saw his face clearly. Blonde hair and blue eyes gave the first impression of a high-bridged nose and deep-set eyes typical of a Caucasian, but he wasn't. Despite his blonde hair and blue eyes, his facial features were less pronounced, more like an Oriental. His long eyelashes cast deep shadows under his eyes, and his slanted eyebrows peeked out from under his messy bangs. A high, straight nose and thin, pale lips gave him a dangerous and exotic beauty.

No matter how handsome or beautiful he was, it didn't excuse his violent behavior.

"Please, handsome, let go, okay?"

The man's expression remained unchanged. Shen Hua assumed he didn't understand, so she tried different languages.

"S?ppmig, okej?"

"イケメン,手を放すのはいいですか?"

"Lasciami andare, ok?"

"Look, leave me alone, ok?"

"..."

Shen Hua tried every language she knew, but the man's expression stayed cold throughout. Frustrated, Shen Hua hesitated to punch him again, fearing her arm might be permanently damaged.

Just as Shen Hua was about to act, the man finally released her. His four fingers had... webs between them?

So shocked, she didn't even notice her bleeding wounds. The man, however, paid no attention to her shock. He looked away, not at his own injuries, but at his lower body.

A pair of long legs.

Legs?

Human-like legs?

Why did he have legs?

Where was his tail?

Mermaid lore said they only transformed their tails into legs on special occasions to walk on land. But many mermaids, according to tradition, never left the ocean or transformed their tails.

Shen Hua's gaze moved from his unusual hands back to his face. His icy eyes now showed a hint of surprise—because of his legs?

Oh no, she saw something she shouldn't have, risking a bad fate!

Wait, did she know too little about men or did this man have a peculiar fetish? He was... completely bare down there. Stop thinking, Shen Hua, you're not that kind of girl!

Oh, right, her wound still hurt!

Normally, Shen Hua would return any injury tenfold, but she doubted she could inflict that kind of harm on this man. She had four bloody holes in her arm—another strike would mean four more.

"Hey..." Shen Hua felt she needed to remind him about his bleeding wound before seeking revenge. On closer inspection, he had many injuries besides the nasty gash on his side, seemingly just healed.

What had he gone through to get so injured?

And his extra finger joint, webbed hands, sharp nails...

Curiosity killed the cat, but many people still risked their lives to satisfy their curiosity.

Like Shen Hua.

The man's attention returned to her as she tugged his hand. His expression remained indifferent, his blue eyes mesmerizing. Staring into them, all worries seemed to vanish. If she ignored the initial murderous look, she might even like his harmless demeanor.

Shen Hua pointed at his wound. Miraculously, in these few minutes, his wound had stopped bleeding, though it still looked severe.

The man tried to change positions but winced, probably pulling at his wound.

"What are you trying to do?" Shen Hua saw him brace himself as if ready to swim back into the sea and quickly stopped him.

His movement was restricted. At least two of his bones were dislocated, and his waist wound was serious. Most importantly, his legs seemed too weak to function.

The man looked at Shen Hua. If he wanted to return to the sea, he had to rely on this human.

Shen Hua instinctively shrank back, her arm wounds throbbing. She tried to change the subject: "Where are your clothes?"

As soon as she asked, Shen Hua wanted to slap herself. There were no clothes in sight. If he could answer, he wouldn't be naked now!