The mutant merman’s expression instantly turned dejected.
He gripped the glass in front of him with both hands, wishing he could burst out of the pool and stop Yunyang from leaving.
Unfortunately, the glass used in the laboratory was incredibly durable. Combined with the cushioning effect of the water, only a pure-strength-type beastman above S-rank had any chance of breaking through it.
He clearly didn’t meet the requirements.
Fu Shiyi wouldn’t stop Yunyang from taking another beastman husband, but if Yunyang herself wasn’t interested, he was more than happy to have one less rival.
So the moment Yunyang spoke, he immediately lifted her into his arms and turned to carry her out of the laboratory.
Chu Zhiwei also led her eighteen beastman husbands out after them.
She had already finished helping with the work at the research institute, so there was no point in staying.
She had told Yangyang about the mutant merman only to help make an introduction for the sake of her own merman husband.
The merfolk were few in number, so their people generally had a good relationship with one another.
Now that the mutant merman had failed to win Yangyang over, she naturally wouldn’t interfere any further.
And it wasn’t just Chu Zhiwei—even her merman husband didn’t say a word in the mutant merman’s favor.
If he couldn’t keep a female interested, that was a problem with his own abilities.
Seeing the two females leave the laboratory with their beastman husbands, Fuyuan panicked.
Yier shook his head. This mutant merman had been given a chance and still hadn’t been able to make use of it.
Not everyone was honored enough to receive a female’s visit.
Fuyuan anxiously thrashed his tail in the pool. He called out Yunyang’s name, but she didn’t even look back.
Fuyuan glanced at Yier, then pleaded toward Yunyang’s retreating back, “Could I… tell only you?”
Naturally, he was referring to the second form of his evolved ability.
Yier: “…”
Was their research institute not worthy of knowing?
The mutant merman’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried remarkably well.
Outside the laboratory, Fu Shiyi’s gaze darkened. He had no intention of stopping.
He had already given the merman a chance.
Yunyang tugged at his clothes. “Fu Shiyi, I want to know.”
There was no other reason. She was simply curious.
The mutation and evolution of an ability was unprecedented in the Federation.
As for whether she would accept Fuyuan as a beastman husband, she wouldn’t make that decision based on an ability alone.
Fu Shiyi stopped and lowered his eyes to look at her.
Meeting those bright, rippling black eyes, he sighed helplessly and finally set Yunyang down.
Yunyang had no intention of returning to the laboratory. She simply turned around and leaned against his chest.
Chu Zhiwei stopped as well, staying to watch the spectacle.
Yier, who felt rather disgruntled, was very tempted to make things difficult for Fuyuan.
But with two S-rank females present, he didn’t dare. All he could do was open the hatch above the pool.
Fuyuan practically swam out in a rush.
Once a merman emerged from the water, his fish tail automatically transformed into a pair of legs. The beautiful scales turned into an irregular skirt.
Yunyang studied the skirt with interest.
She had to admit, the style was quite attractive.
Fuyuan seemed not to have used his legs in a long time. The moment his feet touched the ground, he staggered several steps before getting used to them.
Then he hurried over to Yunyang.
Under the deathly stares of her five beastman husbands, he dropped to one knee and cautiously lifted Yunyang’s right hand.
Yunyang raised an eyebrow but didn’t pull her hand away.
Fuyuan was overwhelmed with delight. He carefully held her hand, then lowered his eyes and activated his ability.
A gentle song, soft as a lullaby, rang beside Yunyang’s ears.
At first, it was like a single drop of water falling into the ocean.
Gradually, the melody spread in ripples, ethereal and lingering—a temptation from the depths of the sea that no artificial music could ever rival.
At first, Yunyang merely thought that the merman’s voice was indeed beautiful.
But soon, she noticed something changing.
Not in her body, but in her mind.
She hadn’t expended any mental power for several days, and her mental energy had long since recovered to one hundred percent.
Even so, she could still feel her mental strength being replenished by Fuyuan’s song.
The second form of Fuyuan’s evolved ability could actually restore a female’s mental energy?
Yunyang suddenly understood why Fuyuan had been unwilling to tell anyone else.
In the eyes of the Federation’s males, a female’s mental energy could only be restored through rest and… recovery.
If the research institute discovered that Fuyuan’s mutated ability had this effect, they would report it immediately.
And for the sake of all the Federation’s females, he would definitely be taken away and dissected for research.
To the Federation, males had always been seen as expendable sacrifices for the sake of females.
Perhaps some males would willingly offer themselves up, but Fuyuan had already been subjected to human experimentation by those deranged researchers. Refusing to go through something like that again was only natural.
Yunyang understood.
Perhaps afraid that she wouldn’t be able to feel the effect, Fuyuan continued singing for a long time.
Judging by everyone else’s reactions, only she could hear the song.
To be honest, Yunyang was quite tempted by this ability.
With it, even if she occasionally exhausted her mental energy, she could replenish it immediately instead of falling unconscious for so long as she had before.
Besides, Fuyuan’s ability wasn’t the only thing useful about him. His appearance also happened to suit her tastes.
Yunyang looked down at Fuyuan and asked bluntly, “Do you want to become my beastman husband?”
Fuyuan was still holding her hand. Now, he slowly lowered his head and pressed his face against it.
His deep blue eyes shimmered with tears.
Every part of his expression was cautious and tentative.
“Is that allowed?”
This time, not only Fuyuan but also all five of Yunyang’s beastman husbands held their breath as they stared at her.
The research institute’s staff were waiting for Yunyang’s answer as well.
Which single male in the entire Federation wouldn’t want to become the husband of an S-rank female?
Yunyang glanced at Fuyuan’s bare wrist. Instead of answering, she asked, “You don’t have a wrist terminal?”
Fuyuan nodded, his eyes dimming slightly.
“It was destroyed by those people.”
Naturally, those insane researchers hadn’t given their captives any chance to call for help.
His wasn’t the only one. The wrist terminals of all the beastmen who had previously been taken away for experimentation had been destroyed as well.
Yunyang nodded and looked toward Yier.
He immediately understood. “Please rest assured, Lady Yunyang. I’ll help him apply for a new wrist terminal.”
Yunyang then took a sheet of paper from her spatial storage unit and wrote down a string of numbers in sweeping strokes.
Her five beastman husbands only needed one glance to let out a silent sigh in their hearts.
That was their mistress’s wrist-terminal number.
It was obvious that she had agreed.
“Contact me once you have a new wrist terminal.”
Yunyang handed Fuyuan the paper with her wrist-terminal number written on it, then turned around and took Fu Shiyi’s hand.
“We’re going home.”
Fuyuan stared blankly at the paper in his hands. It seemed to still carry the pleasant fragrance of the female.
He was a little confused.
Had she agreed?
Or had she rejected him?
Even after Yunyang’s figure disappeared from sight, Fuyuan still couldn’t figure it out.
Yier could only glare at him speechlessly. “That’s Lady Yunyang’s wrist-terminal number. If she hadn’t agreed, she wouldn’t have given it to you in the first place.”
“You really struck it lucky, kid.”
The dimness in Fuyuan’s eyes gradually gave way to light once more.
She had agreed!
He stood up, brimming with anticipation. It was the first time he had ever spoken to Yier.
“I want to get a new wrist terminal as soon as possible.”
