Chapter 27 Forest Berry Milk Tea

Chapter 27 Forest Rose Berry Milk Tea

The bad news of having no calorie bombs to eat struck Rui Rui, who suddenly realized he had been fasting for a terrifying ten hours!

Baby seal instantly felt dizzy and blurry-eyed, his two trembling little leopard claws shaking rhythmically.

Was this... a symptom of low blood sugar?

"Mmph!" Little Dumpling cried out, using all her strength to flip over, open the drawer, pull out three boxes of truffle chocolates, and pour them all into her mouth.

Her little mouth slowly chewed, even her whiskers drooping weakly.

Gulp.

With the final swallow of chocolate, the little one with a chocolate-smeared mouth let out a sigh and said softly, "Finally recovered, that was really dangerous!"

He jumped out of bed and went to the full-length mirror to examine himself.

His originally soft, black sesame dumpling-like figure seemed to have shrunk from hunger. How haggard he looked—even the spots on his body had faded, making him resemble a moldy round purple eggplant.

He had lost so much weight...

Baby seal wriggled half a step back, performing a seamless sequence of turning his head, biting his lip, and shedding tears, à la Lin Daiyu.

Major General Li woke up early. After receiving an "OK" from his adjutant, the weight in his heart finally lifted, and the humiliation of being falsely accused as an iron-straight alpha vanished.

He jumped out of bed and began preparing breakfast.

Unlike the health-conscious, light-eating elites of the central city, Li Hanchuan’s cooking style leaned toward hearty Federal dishes, with a preference for savory, oily, and salty meats—truly the luxurious military rations needed for marching and fighting.

It was a diet that could sustain him through days of hunger in emergencies.

He was still wearing Rui Rui’s frilly little apron, which stretched tightly across his chest, though he found nothing strange about it.

Rui Rui had only worn that apron a few times.

But every time he saw it, the commander envisioned his beautiful, delicate little wife cooking for him, secretly adding points to her image each time.

While adding seasonings, the alpha paused.

What were omega eating habits again? Eating less? Light meals? Dieting?

Li Hanchuan’s expression darkened.

No way.

Eating so little—a few kisses and they’d run out of breath.

High-heat stir-fry—!

Rui Rui, lost in melancholy in the spacious apartment, was halfway through his sorrows when the aroma of food drew him in. By the time he reached the dining room, he was speechless. He obediently took a seat, waiting for his husband to finish reducing the sauce for the final dish.

The man, as if accompanied by a "Cooking Master Boy" BGM, announced, "Let’s eat."

Rui Rui nodded weakly.

According to the law of the salty-sweet perpetual motion machine, after eating sweet foods for the past few days, he needed to consume savory foods today.

His husband’s cooking was just right!

As a carnivore, baby seal ate voraciously. Li Hanchuan tried several times to strike up a conversation but found no opportunity.

The alpha grew somber, clenching his fists under the table.

Those baseless blind dates from before had clearly upset his little wife. Even now, she hadn’t forgiven him, resorting to overeating and self-destruction.

Seeing the omega’s dispirited state, Li Hanchuan’s heart ached.

-

After the meal, Rui Rui opened WeChat with its 99+ messages and replied to the various ladies eagerly inviting him out:

"Sorry, I’m not feeling well today and have more urgent matters. Next time for sure, mm..."

He reviewed the message, his fair fingertips tapping to delete all the "mm"s.

That day, the elite ladies of the central city were abuzz.

The elegant Madam Mermaid, despite being unwell, insisted on assisting Major General Li with official duties, surpassing the role of a supportive spouse and becoming a true battle comrade to the cold-blooded general.

Storytelling accounts on short-video apps launched a new segment—

[The Untold Secrets of the Mermaid and the Cold-Hearted Warlord]

"This is no political marriage—it was orchestrated by someone!"

"The warlord had his eyes on the little mermaid long ago. He chased, she fled, but in the end, she still fell into his clutches through this marriage. That’s why, in a fit of rage, she slapped the great man, who instead of getting angry, laughed and kissed the chastity-obsessed little mermaid in front of everyone!"

"Everything I’m saying is true. Feel free to verify—if even one word is false, I’ll go bald and never grow hair again!"

"If you know who this great man is, type it in the comments—but don’t use his full name. None of us can afford to offend him..."

A hairless cat beta sat in the live stream, chuckling.

The omega at the center of the gossip sighed, putting down a sample: "Sorry, this isn’t the flavor I’m looking for either."

Rui Rui walked out of the bakery disappointed.

This was already the thirteenth bakery he had tried. His stomach was full, but his heart felt empty—he still hadn’t found the taste of little fox’s baking.

Baby seal was like a spirit that would revert to its true form without consuming human souls, except what he consumed was high-calorie butter and condensed milk.

Just as he turned the corner, a figure crashed heavily beside his legs, looking disheveled and whimpering softly in pain.

Scattered items from a canvas bag spilled all over the ground.

Rui Rui: "...Hu Lai?"

Fox omega scrambled up with eerie agility, embarrassed to be seen in such a state by the mermaid, his entire body burning with shame.

Just as he was about to run, a muscular alpha grabbed him by the collar.

"Xiao Lai, where do you think you’re going? We were classmates, after all. How about sharing your contact info?"

It was a shark alpha, covered in piercings that jangled with every move, his appearance and sound intimidating.

Clearly, this was the type to turn aggressive after failing to pick up an omega.

The fox looked terrified, his eyes wide, struggling futilely. "I—I said I don’t like you and don’t want to share my contact info!"

"Wait a moment," Rui Rui said, starting to search his pockets.

"?" The shark alpha watched as a tissue was spread over his arm that was restraining someone, as if his body was some kind of filth.

Then, this stunningly beautiful demihuman omega, of indeterminate species, placed a hand on top, squeezing with deliberate pressure. Anyone could sense the threatening intent.

Yet, he was so beautiful that for a moment, one could only stare at his face in a daze.

The omega with long, light-golden hair smiled gently. "Let him go."

"Ha, you're even prettier," the alpha suddenly said, as if catching the scent of blood, a crazed light bursting in his eyes. "You don't have the scent of being marked, sweet thing!"

Little fox gritted his teeth. He hadn’t meant to drag this mermaid into it—he’d rather take him on alone!

Rui Rui’s gaze steadied, the warmth in his eyes cooling slightly.

"You insolent thing, do you even see who I am?"

The shark alpha was about to spout more nonsense, but when he met those ocean-blue eyes, his body reacted before his brain could, freezing stiff and forcing his knees to buckle toward the ground—

"M-Mermaid?"

The dual suppression from a high-ranking omega and the oceanic hierarchy instantly robbed the man of his ability to move.

He released the fox, clutching his own throat in agony, realizing there was no way to resist. He knelt reverently.

"So you are the Madam Mermaid here for the arranged marriage... I—I didn’t recognize you, I offended you and your friend!"

The fox gaped, speechless.

Rui Rui seemed nothing like his usual gentle self. His eyes were cold, showing no pity for this bully who relied on his biological advantage.

The shark alpha crawled forward meekly, bowing to kiss the tip of Rui Rui’s shoe. "Please allow me..."

Those beautiful sapphire-blue eyes watched him.

His current abilities and aura were blessings granted by the Mermaid Chief. If he lost it all, reverting to a baby seal with nothing but looks, blubber, brains, and bravery—would anyone still like him?

Rui Rui felt a hint of loneliness.

Just before the shark’s lips touched his shoe, the omega suddenly lifted his foot and stomped on his face. For a moment, it uncannily mirrored how Li Hanchuan had kicked someone before.

If not for the limitations of his human form, he would have used his leopard claw to fiercely punish this bully who targeted land critters!

The beauty’s thin lips parted, uttering a single word: "Scram."

-

"Why did you help me?"

The fox, now sitting on a public bench, was fuming, likely angry at himself for setting up a mermaid who meant no harm.

Rui Rui looked at him, his clear eyes matched his reply: "I didn’t think about anything."

In that moment of protecting someone else, the baby seal had even forgotten about delicious bread.

Something deep inside him stirred faintly.

He had glimpsed some meaning in coming to the human world.

Hu Lai’s fists clenched, then unclenched, then clenched again. He never expected to meet such a guileless omega. If the other knew about his scheming, he’d surely be disappointed.

After a long silence,

Hu Lai still lacked the courage to face it directly. Instead, he shifted back to fox form, staring at his jet-black paws, and said, "About the things I made..."

"Don’t be fooled by their small size. A single one packs more calories than two of your meals. The ladies in Central City are very careful about their diets—they wouldn’t touch that stuff."

"I know," Rui Rui replied.

Little fox jerked his head up, touched. "You know?"

The fox fell silent.

What did this hungry look mean?

Hu Lai fished out a beautifully wrapped cookie from his bag and handed it over. "Thank you for today. And... I’m sorry."

He thought the famously beautiful mermaid Omega would never allow such a thing—a scheming fox trying to harm him, then daring to offer a friendly gesture. No one would accept that.

But Rui Rui tore open the package in a flash, and the cookie as big as his palm vanished in an instant.

Little fox muttered thickly. "...Thank you."

From now on, he would always make low-fat, low-sugar treats for Madam Mermaid. He swore he’d never try to be clever again!

Rui Rui tasted the lingering flavor.

Did I just eat a wad of air?

Why didn’t my strength return?

So strange!

Baby seal anxiously fidgeted with his fingers, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "What were all those piercings on that shark earlier? They looked really cool."

-

Military Headquarters Office.

After finishing his report, the gossipy adjutant started chatting again: "Major General, have you heard? That chauvinist Minister Lü went to a nightclub a few days ago to hit on omegas, bragging nobody could call him out. But then an omega came onto him, and when they made eye contact, he realized it was his own wife!"

"The two started fighting right there in the club..."

Li Hanchuan had heard, of course.

The couple fought all the way from the club to the military headquarters—quite the scandal. Minister Lü was detained on the spot.

"What decent married alpha goes to a nightclub?" the alpha snorted, noticing his pen had run out of ink.

It carried a faint trace of Rui Rui’s scent, left from the last time he’d used it.

Li Hanchuan thought for a moment, then instead of throwing it away, slipped it into his breast pocket.

The adjutant, witnessing this: "..."

Major General, sporting his new brooch, declared confidently: "My wife is very fragile. He’s clearly been jealous about my previous matchmaking meetings, but he hasn’t scolded me once."

"He’s even less likely to do teenage rebellion antics."

-

At the piercing shop, Rui Rui enthusiastically waved goodbye to the alt-style piercer.

How could he not get in on the action?

Back in the sea, Rui Rui was the most fashionable, style icon of a baby seal around.

After carefully observing human divers, Little Dumpling found the most beautifully patterned eel and stuck it in his nostrils, imitating the look of diving gear.

This instantly sparked a trend among countless young seals.

"Check it out," he pointed at himself, the diamond stud on his tongue sparkling brightly, "Looks good, right?"

Hu Lai was silent for a moment before nodding.

Despite his earlier attempts to talk her out of it, Major General's wife insisted on getting a tongue piercing, a navel piercing, and three ear piercings on one side.

Are "mermaids" always this wild?