Into The Sea

Sexual content warning.

“I think I like you.”

The first time she heard Ah Li confess her feelings, she was squatting in the vegetable garden behind the house, loosening the soil. Without thinking, she replied, “I like you too.”

The girl froze, her eyes lighting up with joy. “What do you like about me?”

Yu Shanye looked up in confusion. “What?”

“I said, what do you like about me?”

“Why are you asking this all of a sudden?” She casually wiped the sweat from her forehead, leaving a gray smear of dirt. “Are you hungry? What do you want to eat tonight?”

Ah Li realized what had happened and stared in disbelief. “You weren’t even listening to me!”

Yu Shanye was confused. “What did you say just now?”

“You… you…” The girl’s face flushed with anger, and tears welled up in her eyes. She stomped her foot and ran away.

Yu Shanye, still clueless, called after her, “If you’re not busy, go fetch some water and water the garden!”

The little dragon ran farther and farther away, and Yu Shanye wasn’t sure if she’d heard her. She sighed helplessly and squatted back down, muttering to herself, “What’s she so mad about all the time?”

The gentle sunlight spilled across the ground, and the birds chirped crisply in the distance. Soon, two coal-black Nightmare Beasts rolled over, asking if they could pick a few fruits. Just as Yu Shanye was about to agree, a rustling sound came from the woods, and a slender, beautiful white dragon flew over, opening her mouth and spitting a large stream of water at her.

“…”

The woman, drenched from head to toe, slowly blinked, water droplets dripping down her face. She clenched her fists, gritting her teeth as she said, “Ah-Li!”

But Ah Li was even angrier, shouting, “I hate you!”

With that, she flew off without looking back.

The two Nightmare Beasts standing nearby, caught in the crossfire, shook off the water droplets and calmly said, “The temperaments of demons in their mating season are not very stable. You’ll get used to it.”

Yu Shanye froze. “What?”

The Nightmare Beast was puzzled. “You didn’t know?”

“Know what?”

“She likes you,” the other Nightmare Beast said as if it was obvious. “We’ve been eating her spring dreams for days now. They taste sweet, with a hint of bitterness.”

“…”

Yu Shanye’s mouth dropped open in shock. “Spring dreams? Whose spring dreams? Ah Li’s? Ah Li’s dreams about who?” As she asked the last question, she suddenly realized something and said in horror, “How can you even eat those kinds of dreams? Aren’t you ashamed?!”

“What’s there to be ashamed of? Dreams aren’t real.” The Nightmare Beast comforted her. “Don’t worry, we just taste them. You don’t need to feel ashamed.”

“No, this has nothing to do with me, this…”

She was at a loss, finally understanding what Ah Li meant by “like.” The thought of escaping crossed her mind, but they were trapped in this forest, unable to avoid each other. Moreover, she couldn’t bear the thought of the little dragon going hungry. After much internal struggle, she finally left the house to look for her.

As expected, Ah Li was sitting in her usual spot, sulking. Not far away, the sound of rushing water echoed as a waterfall cascaded into a sparkling pool. When she sensed someone approaching, she turned her head away, clearly refusing to engage.

Yu Shanye sighed and said helplessly, “I’ll listen to you properly from now on. Can you listen to me now?”

After a long silence, Ah Li raised her head, her eyes still red. “Speak.”

Yu Shanye hesitated, sitting down beside her. “It’s not that I’m against you liking me…”

Before she could finish, the girl’s eyes widened with hurt, and Yu Shanye quickly added, “But! Right now, it’s just the two of us trapped here. Every day, the only person we see is each other. Maybe that’s why you like me. Think about it, doesn’t that make sense?”

Ah Li frowned. “No.”

“Why not? You’re still young…”

“I’m not young.” Ah Li said stubbornly. “Demons grow slowly in both mind and body, so one or two hundred years old is considered an adult. But in reality, we’ve lived longer and met more people than you can imagine.”

Yu Shanye was speechless, staring blankly at Ah Li. After saying those words, the girl lowered her head, hugging her knees sadly. “Yu Shanye, I like you. It’s just you. It’s not because I’ve compared you to others. Why do I have to meet many people before I can say I like you?”

Ding-ling, ding-ling—

The rain gradually subsided, and the clear and melodious sound of the wind chimes finally penetrated the window, reaching the warm, spring-like room.

“Ah…”

The fiery heat withdrew from below, and then something slippery slipped inside. Yu Shanye couldn’t help but clench her legs, but the slender girl squeezed her waist between her thighs, climbing up to bite her lip. “Don’t get distracted…”

Yu Shanye gasped, blinking in confusion. “Huh?”

“You were distracted,” Ah pouted, her tail swirling inside the tight, wet entrance, eliciting a clear, wet sound. Yu Shanye hissed, instinctively gripping the girl’s shoulders. “Enough… that’s enough…”

“Not enough.” Still dissatisfied, she caressed the woman’s sweaty back with her palm and lowered her head to bite her neck. “You’re the one who woke me up, and you’re still getting distracted. It’s like I’m not good enough.”

Yu Shanye sighed. “You’re good enough.”

“Then why are you getting distracted?” She stared at Yu Shanye’s flushed face, her palm sliding down to the wet, throbbing clit. “Were you thinking about someone else?”

Yu Shanye shivered, closing her eyes, tears welling up at the corners. “Don’t, uh… don’t say nonsense…”

“Then what are you thinking about?”

“I was thinking…” She gasped for breath, pulling the girl down by the neck and biting her lightly. “I think you tricked me.”

Ah Li was stunned. “What?”

“You told me back then that you’d lived longer and met more people than I imagined. But later, when I asked your master, she told me… the first time you saw humans was when she brought you ashore.”

Ah Li blinked, shifting her gaze guiltily, but her arms tightened around Yu Shanye.

“But not long after you came ashore, you met me. Whether intentional or not, you’ve mostly been with me since then. So, from beginning to end, the only person you’ve truly been close to is me.” She chuckled, pinching Ah Li’s nose. “You lied to me about meeting a lot of people.”

Ah Li was quiet for a moment before mumbling, “But I told you back then, I like you, and it’s not because I compared you to others. Look, now I’ve met many people and experienced many things, but I still only like you.”

Yu Shanye’s eyes softened as she gently caressed the girl’s face. “I should have believed you sooner.”

Ah Li huffed. “Of course.”

She pulled out her tail, her fingers brushing over the swollen entrance before slowly pushing back in. “If I didn’t like you, I wouldn’t dream about you every night.”

This should have been a sweet confession, but Yu Shanye was froze, suddenly remembering what the Nightmare Beast had said back then.

Ah… I should have asked back then, in Ah Li’s earliest dreams, was I on top or bottom?

Suddenly, the little dragon on top of her let out a disappointed cry. “You’re getting distracted again!”

Yu Shanye jolted. “No, I’m not…”

“You are!” Ah Li’s face flushed red as she bit Yu Shanye’s shoulder. “I hate you!”