When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)-Chapter 707: I Wish

Shen Nianzu roamed his eyes all over his lover’s face, a sharp ache prickling at the most tender part of his heart.

Jin Jiuchi appeared... worse for wear.

His usually bright eyes were more subdued, his lips tightly pursed, and the lines of his jaws were tense. When he gazed down at Shen Nianzu like this, there was a faint sense of oppression, which reminded Shen Nianzu of the first time he’d met the man’s black-eyed counterpart.

But the image shattered once Jin Jiuchi reached out and stroked his cheek, trying to wipe away the smudge of dirt and blood to no avail. His movement was so gentle, so were his eyes, as if he was afraid that his rough callouses would hurt Shen Nianzu more. This was still the lover he knew best.

"Are you tired? Would you like to bathe?" he inquired softly. "I can draw water for you if you want."

Shen Nianzu couldn’t help it; he chuckled. "You can even do that here?"

"Hm-mm, anything for Nian’er."

Pressing a brief kiss to his soft yet dirty cheek, Jin Jiuchi straightened up and found his way to the bathroom. Soon, the sound of water running could be heard within.

Shen Nianzu had never stayed in such a modest house before. He found it quite novel. The bathtub was twice as small as the one in his house, and yet he and Jin Jiuchi insisted on squeezing in together even if they had to struggle where to put their limbs and legs, as if they were conjoined twins that could never be separated. In the end, they settled on a cuddle position with Shen Nianzu spread out on top, using his lover as a warm cushion.

Jin Jiuchi gently washed his hair, smoothing away the knots and massaging the scalp while Shen Nianzu leaned back on his chest and hummed in bliss.

When it came to his body, Jin Jiuchi’s movement became particularly careful. Although Shen Nianzu’s wounds had closed, the marks and bruises still remained, looking so jarring against his fair skin. Shen Nianzu heard the sound of teeth grinding behind him, "Should have bitten that bastard harder..."

Smiling, Shen Nianzu turned and pressed his lips on the man’s chin, while his hand stroked the back of Jin Jiuchi’s nape to soothe him. At least now, at this moment, he did not want to hear about the Nightmare, did not want to think about anything else except for the two of them.

His gesture was highly effective. Soon, Jin Jiuchi melted against him, his bigger and broader body draped over Shen Nianzu’s back, purring from his throat just like a big cat that had gotten a sniff of catnip.

"Nian’er..."

Shen Nianzu could feel a certain part rousing and poking against his back.

His gaze deepened, and his breathing grew heavier. He nibbled on the jut of his lover’s jugular, asking, "Do you want...?" his voice was soft and silky, as dangerous and seductive as a poisoned apple, tempting the other to sink his teeth and take a bite out of him.

Jin Jiuchi was startled, as if he didn’t expect Shen Nianzu to extend such an invitation— here, in this place. His expression became a little dumb, "B-B-But you’re injured..."

Shen Nianzu chuckled, a sweet and lilting sound that seemed to hook straight into the other person’s soul. "How do you know I can’t if you don’t give it a try?" he cooed, his silvery lashes fluttering, looking a notch darker due to the moisture.

As if it was not enough, he also transformed the lower half of his body!

Splash. The stunning, beautiful purple tail swayed leisurely in the air, kissed by glistening droplets of water, while the owner squinted his eyes, looking alluring beyond measure. "I remember last time... you told me you wanted to play, hm?"

Jin Jiuchi’s face turned beet red as if all the blood had rushed to the top of his head. He abruptly covered his mouth and nose, even raising his head for good measure, crying out for the injustice he had suffered, "Ugh, Nian’er, that’s not fair! Spare my poor little life, will you?!"

Shen Nianzu burst out into delightful laughter. "Hahaha!" 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

No one could resist the sweet, ravishing and devastatingly gorgeous merman Shen Nianzu. Even with a slightly pale face, he was still the most beautiful sight Jin Jiuchi had ever laid his gaze upon. He was captivated, mesmerized, unable to put up even the slightest bit of resistance as soon as Shen Nianzu hooked his finger at him.

And so, Jin Jiuchi prepped that part of him that had never been used before with careful movements, and they made gentle, gentle love in the cramped bathtub inside a random house in the abandoned world.

Jin Jiuchi swore he had planned to take it slow! But the Shen Nianzu before him was truly so irresistible, letting out sweet cries and gasps as he told Jin Jiuchi to go harder, that it’s okay and he could take it. Shen Nianzu had never been a vocal person to begin with. In bed, he had always liked to cover his mouth and smother his voice, unwilling to let go no matter how much Jin Jiuchi coaxed him... but now that he had suddenly become so unrestrained, how was Jin Jiuchi supposed to survive such a divine temptation? He was just a weak mortal, for God’s sake! In the end, he lost control of himself and took his lover roughly just as he wished.

The intimacy lasted for a long, long time. From the bathroom to the living room and the bedroom, they let go thoroughly and indulged themselves in this space that had been forgotten by time.

When they woke up after an ample rest, the sky outside remained pitch-black, making one feel a little disoriented.

It was impossible to wear the previous dirty clothes, so they borrowed some from the house owner’s wardrobe and made their way outside, strolling down the street hand in hand.

The little town must have been quite beautiful when it was still alive, each building exuding a charming rustic vibe, perfect for a little getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. Although the space overlap made for a bizarre sight, it still did not prevent Shen Nianzu from having a lot of fun looking around, and Jin Jiuchi... well, he was content to follow whenever his jade doll went.

They laughed at each amusing sight they saw, climbed to the highest skyscraper and danced through the ruin without music, their eyes reflecting nothing but each other’s smiling visage.

"Is that... a wishing fountain?" Shen Nianzu squinted his eyes, his attention drawn to the empty square not far away.

Without thinking twice, he pulled Jin Jiuchi over, his eyes alight with joy and excitement.

"Wishing fountain?" Jin Jiuchi echoed in confusion as he scanned the sight before him, having not heard of such a term before.

"Uh-huh, it’s quite common at tourist spots." Shen Nianzu fished out two coins he had picked along the way and pressed one to Jin Jiuchi’s palm, his smile prettier and sweeter than any flowers in full bloom. "You toss a coin into the fountain and make a wish."

Jin Jiuchi raised his hand to inspect the coin with great interest. "Huh? That’s pretty cool. And then? Will my wish come true?"

"Maybe yes, maybe not. But it doesn’t hurt to try, does it?" Shen Nianzu shifted his gaze back to the front, playing with the small coin between his fingers. He had never been one to bother with what was clearly a manmade superstition, but now he found himself wanting to do it... just because. So he simply followed his heart and closed his eyes, tossing the coin from his hand.

A small splash was heard as the small coin sank into the water.

He made a wish out loud. "I wish this moment would last forever."

God knew how many wishes he so badly wanted to voice; he wanted the Nightmare to perish, he wanted a miracle to descend upon their world, he wanted more power to tear the Nightmare apart with his own hands, but... he knew better than anyone they were all wishes that could never come true. And so Shen Nianzu humbly wished... he simply wished that they could have this moment to themselves. He wished, in this place that no longer had a tomorrow, that they would be immortalized here as well.

How good, how perfect would that kind of ending be?

...Even if ’forever’ was nothing but a lie he told himself.

Another plunge, Jin Jiuchi had tossed his coin in as well.

Then Shen Nianzu heard him pray:

"I wish Nian’er can go back to his world safely."

Shen Nianzu stilled, the soft smile on his face fading.