Chapter 8: The Eight-Headed Whale

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Ruan Mianmian never learned how to hide his tail properly, so he often wore a long hoodie. Now, as he lifted the hem, he misjudged the length and accidentally revealed a section of his fair waist, precisely at the most delicate hollow. The curve tightened there, then expanded above and below, revealing his vertebrae one by one, slender and fragile like the stem of a rose.

“What are you doing?” Jing Chengyun covered her eyes, though her fingers were spread wide enough to let her gaze linger near the rabbit spirit’s waist. Her palm could block her conscience but not the restless surge of her blood.

Ruan Mianmian looked back pitifully, both hopeful and anxious: “Mianmian has wrapped himself as a gift, to offer to his master.”

How absurd and terrifying! Jing Chengyun couldn’t understand why Ruan Mianmian was so willing to offer himself—this was hardly the thought of a normal person. At 25 years old, Miss Orca had never believed that any human—or any shape-shifting spirit—would willingly submit and offer everything to another.

Could it be that she was just too young and inexperienced to know that there were people like Ruan Mianmian in the world?

Jing Chengyun felt bewildered and lost, suppressing her frustration to growl, “Do you know what you’re doing? I’m a normal woman with feelings and desires!”

“I—I’m also a normal little rabbit with feelings and desires…” Ruan Mianmian’s voice lacked any force, his teary eyes blurred and his tone soft and weak.

“Impossible, absolutely impossible.” Jing Chengyun was burning with anger—or rather, the fire of guilt burned fiercely within her. How she wished to leap forward, grab that little rabbit’s tail, and rub it until he cried bitterly!

The little rabbit with his tail curled up was right in front of her, yet she couldn’t reach him. Jing Chengyun was torn between resentment and irritation: “Ruan Mianmian, if you keep acting like this, get out! I have no improper thoughts about you, none at all!”

She knew the raging blood and heat she felt were aftereffects of a charm spell. While still somewhat clear-headed, she rushed into the bedroom, locked the door, and called her grandmother who was vacationing far away in the North Sea: “Hello? Grandma! Have you ever heard of charm spells…”

“The filthy bastard who dared charm my baby, I swear I’ll kill him!” Jing Chengyun’s grandmother, over 700 years old and widely experienced, despite her age cursed like a cannonade, nearly bursting Jing’s eardrums.

That wasn’t all—Jing Chengyun’s mother’s voice soon joined in with a barrage of vigorous curses.

“Let’s get to the point, stop the bickering,” Jing Chengyun stomped irritably. She couldn’t admit she was the one under the charm spell, or else her grandmother and mother would never stop arguing. “It’s my friend who was charmed. Although the spell was lifted, the aftereffects remain.”

“Oh, is that so?” Upon hearing her precious granddaughter was safe, grandma’s tone turned much colder. “That depends on the caster’s skill and your friend’s spiritual cultivation.”

Charm spells have existed for thousands of years, most widely used and spread among the fox clans. Over time, the art faded, and few practitioners remained.

Hearing this, Jing Chengyun felt somewhat reassured. She had great confidence in her own cultivation; in Baiyun City, stretching east to west and back a hundred years, there was no other 20-year-old spirit capable of taking human form.

Grandma added, “For those with high cultivation, just one dual cultivation session is enough… Ah, why am I telling you this? You’re just a baby, shouldn’t listen to adult matters, tsk tsk tsk.”

Well… a 25-year-old whale compared to a 700-year-old whale, who’s the baby here?

Even though Jing Chengyun could handle ten opponents at once in university, when her grandma went to the police station to identify her, she angrily defended her: “She’s only twenty, would she really start a fight?”

Having a fiercely protective grandmother meant Jing Chengyun’s mother mainly handled her upbringing. Without that, given Jing’s violent tendencies, it would have been difficult to live peacefully in a society where humans and spirits coexist.

Dual cultivation? Jing Chengyun’s relaxed breath tightened again, her expression growing serious. She trusted her traveling grandmother and had no doubts about the method to cure the charm’s aftereffects.

But who could she dual cultivate with?

Surely not Ruan Mianmian, who was stuck with his tail curled up in the living room?

Goosebumps prickled down her spine. Jing Chengyun quietly opened the bedroom door a sliver, only to meet the dark, moist eyes of Ruan Mianmian.

The sudden eye contact startled her so much she shivered and cursed, “You still want to come to my bedroom door to tempt me? You’re unreasonable!”

“Ah—!” Ruan Mianmian screamed, devastated, “My most precious thing is my tail! I want to offer my tail to my master! Is that what you call tempting?!”

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Jing Chengyun fell into a brief, subtle silence. Who was the real student of charm spells here? This rabbit was even more seductive than some fox spirits—and self-taught at that.

She turned her face away, hiding the complicated expression from Ruan Mianmian.

Ruan Mianmian whimpered softly, his delicate sobs tugging at Jing Chengyun’s heart, making it impossible for her to think straight.

Finally, Jing Chengyun flopped onto the bed and closed her eyes firmly, “No crying. I’m going back to sleep.”

The crying stopped abruptly.

Fearing that Ruan Mianmian might do something strange while she slept, Jing Chengyun set a protective barrier around herself; anyone who came close would be instantly repelled.

She also cast a soothing, sleep-inducing spell to help herself fall asleep quickly.

Early summer’s hot breeze drifted in gently. Jing Chengyun soon fell into a dream.

A cool breeze slipped through the window crack, cooling her legs. In the dream, she felt cold and kicked her leg to adjust her position. Unfortunately, her gentle kick landed squarely on the floppy-eared rabbit, sending him tumbling hard onto his backside.

Ruan Mianmian didn’t mind the pain—falling was no big deal; he could get up again.

After four or five tries, he finally lay on the same bed as his master. With the protective barrier around her, he couldn’t get too close, but five centimeters was already impressive!

If he could just sleep well, if only sleep well once, when he woke, he would belong to his master completely.

The more Ruan Mianmian thought, the happier he felt, and his eyes slowly closed.

*

In the dream, anything was possible.

In a misty sea, a lazy orca drifted aimlessly, unsure of her destination. She was a gigantic beast, revered and feared across the ocean, yet even ocean rulers could feel aimless.

Suddenly, a glow appeared ahead in the water. Curious, the orca swam toward it—ah, it was the Sea God!

The Sea God’s kind face was surrounded by divine radiance. She spoke, her voice ethereal and gentle, as if carried from miles away: “My dear child, what have you lost—this golden rabbit, the silver rabbit, or the bronze rabbit?”

“...What?” Jing Chengyun was stunned.

“My child! I ask again, have you lost the golden…”

“Does it have to be a rabbit?”

The Sea Goddess, most benevolent, even when angry, only raised her voice: “Who doesn’t love rabbits? They are cute, clingy, lively, and fluffy. Rabbits are simply the best! Regardless, today I bestow this rabbit upon you!”

Thunder rumbled as the Sea Goddess turned to bubbles and vanished beneath the water. Moments later, a dazzling golden light appeared where she had been. Looking closely, the glow surrounded a humanoid rabbit spirit!

Tears streamed down the rabbit spirit’s ears, and his pale face flushed a rosy hue—the color only seen after tears, untouched by desire.

As the golden light faded, the rabbit spirit’s face was none other than Ruan Mianmian’s!

“Grandma—!”

Jing Chengyun awoke with a scream, drenched in sweat. She couldn’t tell what kind of dream it had been—a spring dream, a nightmare?

Looking down, the little rabbit was so startled by her sudden shout that he lay on his back, frantically rubbing his face, wailing, “Ah—!”

Clearly, he had been frightened into a stress response.

Ruan Mianmian was just too helpless!

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Jing Chengyun put aside her disdain and hurried to check on Ruan Mianmian. She cupped the floppy-eared rabbit in her hands, gently massaging his forehead.

After a few minutes with no improvement, Jing Chengyun transferred a trace of her spiritual energy to soothe the frightened little rabbit’s mind.

This time it worked. The little rabbit gradually calmed and shifted from rabbit form back to human.

Human-form Ruan Mianmian curled up weakly, his eyes hazy and unfocused. He was still shaken and hadn’t regained his color. His pale skin made his lips appear even more vividly red.

Jing Chengyun suddenly felt a heat rising in her lower abdomen, a warm current wildly surging inside her, making her heart race and her thoughts whirl.

Dual cultivate with him, dual cultivate with him, a voice in her head urged ceaselessly. As long as she crossed this hurdle, the charm’s aftereffects would heal!

“Mi-Mianmian…” Jing Chengyun clenched her fists and resolutely said, “Let’s dual cultivate! Please say yes!”

Ruan Mianmian froze. Having lived over a hundred years, even if useless, he knew what dual cultivation meant.

He straightened, gazing tenderly at his beloved master: “Dual cultivate with me? But why? You didn’t even want to touch my tail before, so why suddenly want to dual cultivate?”

Jing Chengyun: “...”

Silly rabbit wasn’t so easily fooled. She had thought he would agree without hesitation.

“Because you’re cute and beautiful, I like you a lot!” Jing Chengyun grabbed his shoulders and shook him vigorously. “To comfort your stress, I touched your rabbit form—wow, you’re so soft and fluffy, really good to touch!”

Ruan Mianmian’s entire rabbit self went dumbstruck, a flush spreading across his cheeks. He dared not admit that he had just slept on the same bed with his master.

Since they had already been that close, what was the harm in being a little closer?

If the master wanted to dual cultivate, then they would do it thoroughly!

With Ruan Mianmian’s consent, Jing Chengyun raised her hand, spiritual energy swirling. Doors and windows closed tightly, with only faint light seeping through the curtains.

Everything proceeded smoothly.

Ruan Mianmian cooperated remarkably well. Jing Chengyun made him cry when she wanted, made him call out as instructed.

Spiritual energy flowed and exchanged between them, and the evil fire in Jing’s abdomen gradually dissipated.

But the fire in her heart grew ever stronger and hotter. One time was not enough—she wanted a next time, and the time after that… Ruan Mianmian was so obedient; even when pinched and bitten painfully, he only shed gentle tears, never uttering a single “no.”

It was over.

Ruan Mianmian was left alone in the bedroom. He gently pulled at his master’s clothes to cover his bruised body.

So this was what dual cultivation felt like. It really hurt—the master’s teeth were sharp, her grip strong; she pinched his tail and spanked his bottom, leaving him no pleasure at all. But the master seemed very happy...

So he was willing to endure the pain for a lifetime.

Ruan Mianmian crawled into bed and typed a few queries into the search engine: “Will sleeping together produce little rabbits? Will dual cultivation produce little rabbits? How to have little rabbits?”

He touched his lower abdomen, frowned thoughtfully, then replaced all three instances of “little rabbits” with “little orcas.”