bacchusnovels Chapter 499 How to Prove Love?
Chapter 499 How to Prove Love?
Chapter 499 How to Prove Love?
it hurts!
Furong's consciousness was blurred, and a sharp pain pulled her back to reality from the darkness.
Her eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes with difficulty.
The surroundings were dim and blue, and the silent water flowed gently over my body.
where is this?
She tried to move her limbs, but they felt unusually heavy. She managed to turn her head and realized with a start that she was in a spacious and dark underwater cave.
Furong's heart sank suddenly. She called out her sister's name, but only stirred up a string of tiny bubbles inside her hood.
She anxiously scanned her surroundings, but all she could see was the dim lake water and strangely swaying water plants.
Just then, a blurry shadow slowly approached from the cave entrance.
Furong stared warily at the figure, and as it slowly approached, she finally recognized it as a mermaid.
The mermaid was a woman, tall and slender, with long, flowing dark green hair. She gripped a sharp trident tightly in her hand and looked at her warily.
Fleur quickly reached for her waist, only to find, to her dismay, that her wand was nowhere to be found.
What should I do?
Will the mermaid attack me?
Furong's heart pounded wildly, almost leaping out of her chest. She stared nervously at the mermaid before her, her mind a complete mess.
What should I do?
Without her wand, she was completely defenseless; if the merman wanted to harm her, she would be utterly powerless to resist.
At this moment, Furong's palms were sweating profusely, her body was trembling slightly, and her mind was already conjuring up the worst possible scenarios:
if----
What will Gabrielle do if she fails?
Her younger sister is still waiting for her to rescue her; she absolutely cannot fall here!
Just as Furong was still lost in thought, the mermaid's gaze softened. She tilted her head slightly, turned around gently, and gestured to Furong to follow her.
Furong felt a sense of relief, her body went limp and she almost collapsed to the ground.
She gritted her teeth, strained her exhausted body, and silently followed behind the mermaid, a faint hope rekindling in her heart.
Perhaps—Gabrielle can still be saved.
The two slowly made their way deeper into the cave.
Before long, they arrived at a strange stone cave.
On the rock in the center of the cave, there was a set of clothes made of pearls and shells. The clothes were exquisite, but also very revealing, barely covering the vital parts.
The mermaid pointed to the garment and then looked at Hibiscus.
Furong stared blankly at the outfit the mermaid had pointed out, her cheeks instantly flushing crimson.
This garment is almost entirely woven from pearls and fine seaweed, so thin and transparent that it is extremely revealing and cannot cover any vital parts of the body.
She turned back to look at the mermaid, embarrassed and annoyed, not understanding what the other was up to.
Seeing her hesitation, the mermaid grew impatient, pointed to the outfit, and then took out a pink bow from somewhere.
Furong immediately recognized one of her sister's belongings!
At this point, the mermaid's message was quite clear.
Furong bit her lip, her heart filled with turmoil:
Is wearing this the only way to find Gabrielle?
But what should she do if she rejects the mermaid?
After a moment's hesitation, Furong closed her eyes, trembling as she reached out and carefully took the garment. Her fingers gently traced the pearl-woven fabric, and the icy touch sent a shiver down her spine.
For Gabrielle's sake, she had to endure even such humiliation!
The mermaid nodded in satisfaction and slowly turned away, seemingly to give Hibiscus some privacy.
Furong sighed inwardly, barely supporting her aching body, and looked down at her soaked robe. She took a deep breath and slowly unbuttoned the robe one button at a time.
As the robe slipped down, a fair shoulder was gradually revealed.
She reached out and brushed her waist-length hair aside, trying to cover her exposed skin, but this action only made her appear more charming and delicate.
The skirt, woven from fine water plants, was as light as gauze, yet it barely covered the top of the thighs.
A pearl-strung ribbon hangs down from her neck, its allure enhanced by the subtle glimpses of her skin.
Furong lowered her head, her cheeks burning as if they were about to burst, even the tips of her ears turning red. She suppressed her shame and trepidation, turned to look at the mermaid who was still facing away from her, and gently touched the mermaid's shoulder to indicate that she was ready.
The mermaid slowly turned around and carefully looked Furong up and down.
Furong's cheeks quickly turned burning hot, and shame, anger, and embarrassment almost overwhelmed her.
She instinctively hugged her arms tightly, trying to cover her exposed body, and a feeling of indescribable humiliation rose in her heart.
Even though she was facing only mermaids, who were not human at all, she still felt an unprecedented sense of shame.
The cool pearls rolled slowly on her skin, as if reminding her of her current disheveled and wretched state.
She bit her lip, lowered her eyes, and wished she could disappear into the shadows at the bottom of the lake immediately.
But for her sister's sake—she had to endure all of this.
Just as Furong was eagerly hoping that the mermaid would take her to find her sister, the mermaid suddenly stopped what she was doing, pointed to a flat rock next to her, and gestured for her to sit on it.
Furong stared at the rock with suspicion, becoming wary.
But the mermaid persisted in gesturing for her to sit down again, her expression seemingly devoid of hostility, but rather carrying a hint of expectation.
After hesitating for a moment, Furong finally sat down slowly on the rock.
The moment she settled down, a strange sensation quickly spread up from the bottom of the rock, and cool, slippery seaweed suddenly coiled around her body like snakes.
"No--!"
Furong struggled in terror, trying to break free from the tangled water plants.
Amidst the tangled water plants, the delicate pearl-woven ropes broke under the weight.
Scattered pearls rolled into the water, making a soft sound.
The already thin garment instantly became disheveled and tattered, with a few strands of waterweed tangled around the waist, vaguely outlining the curves.
Furong struggled desperately to escape, but to no avail.
The water plants snaked upwards along her arm, clinging tightly to every inch of her skin.
She could feel the slippery plant fibers gradually eroding her defenses, peeling away her last layer of protection bit by bit.
She was breathing heavily, her chest heaving violently.
Her neatly styled hair came undone in the struggle, and water droplets slid down her flushed cheeks, indistinguishable between water and tears.
"Let me go!" Her voice was choked with sobs.
The mermaid watched all this unfold quietly, slowly approaching the girl trapped on the rock.
The water plants continued to tighten, forcing Hibiscus to straighten her back and expose herself to the mermaid in an extremely shameful posture.
She looked up at the mermaid in despair, her eyes filled with shock and confusion.
Why?
A sly glint appeared in the mermaid's eyes, as if she had finally succeeded. She nodded with satisfaction, turned around, and left the cave without a second thought.
Furong struggled desperately, but soon exhausted her strength. Her breathing became rapid, her eyes stung, and humiliation, anger, and despair churned within her.
She was scammed.
At such close proximity to her sister, she actually trusted the mermaid.
Furong lowered her head, tears finally welling up in her eyes, blurring her vision.
After the mermaid left the cave, her figure slowly changed, and in an instant, she returned to Sean's appearance.
He swam swiftly towards the mermaid village, his figure tracing a smooth arc in the dark lake.
Judging by the time, Qiu Zhang is almost at Mermaid Square.
He had to get there before Qiu Zhang arrived.
Indeed—
He doesn't have much time left!
Qiu Zhang sized up the five people in front of him.
One was a red-haired boy wearing a Gryffindor robe—this was Ron Weasley, and she certainly knew him.
Beside her was a little girl who looked no more than eight years old, whose cloud-like silver hair reminded her of a hibiscus.
Maybe it's her sister.
Next to him was the girl named Erin, who was always by Krum's side and was originally one of their warriors.
And Cedric's classmates.
Qiu Zhang's gaze slowly shifted, settling on the last figure, and his pupils suddenly contracted.
It was Professor Phillips!
The only thing that made her feel fortunate was that what was tied up wasn't Professor Phillips' original appearance, but rather how he looked at the ball that day.
If—if others knew that her most treasured possession was Professor Phillips.
She could hardly imagine the consequences.
Qiu Zhang stared at Sean, who was sleeping with his eyes closed, a faint blush appearing on his face. His heart was pounding and his ears were ringing.
Why a professor?
She had never revealed her inner thoughts to anyone, and she herself was unwilling to face this secret emotion, yet now it was exposed to her in such a naked way.
She instinctively looked around; thankfully, the other warriors hadn't appeared yet, and no one noticed her.
However, this sense of relief was quickly replaced by anxiety.
She had to make a decision quickly—no matter what, she couldn't let anyone else know that Sean Phillips was the one tied up here!
Cho Chang gritted his teeth, quickly pulled out his wand, and swam towards Sean.
She thought the mermaids would turn their spears sideways to attack him, but they didn't.
The lead mermaid slowly swam forward, its hair floating like seaweed, its dark green eyes staring silently at Qiu Zhang. Suddenly, it spoke: "Warrior, if you want to take away the person you cherish, you have to play a game with us first."
Qiu Zhang was slightly taken aback, staring at the other person with some doubt.
"What game?"
The mermaid leader did not answer her, but simply waved the trident in her hand, and the mermaids on either side quickly untied Sean.
Qiu Zhang quickly reached out and caught the sleeping Sean. Just as she was about to take Sean to the surface, the mermaid leader stopped her.
"Follow me," the other person said simply, turning and swimming toward a small stone house not far away.
Qiu Zhang hesitated for a moment, and although he was puzzled, he still held Sean tightly and followed.
The stone house was shrouded in shadow, its black walls covered with thick moss, exuding a chilling aura.
When Qiu Zhang stepped into the house, her eyes quickly adjusted to the dim light and she found a stone table in the center of the room.
The merman leader glanced back at her and said coldly, "We're just curious why you value this human so much. What does he mean to you?"
Qiu Zhang was stunned; he could feel his cheeks burning hot in the water.
Faced with such an embarrassing question, she was speechless for a moment and could only nervously bite her lip.
"If you can convince us, you can take him away," the mermaid leader continued. "Otherwise, you'll have to leave your most precious memories here in exchange."
Qiu Zhang's heart skipped a beat. He looked down at Sean's sleeping face in his arms, his heart filled with complex emotions.
How should she answer?
"Time is running out, witch."
"The mermaid urged."
"Tell us, why him?"
Qiu Zhang looked up into the mermaid's eyes, those dark green pupils staring at her with curiosity and seriousness.
She bit her lip, but finally mustered the courage to speak. Though her voice was silent, it formed a string of shimmering bubbles in the water, clearly reaching the mermaid's ears: "Because he taught me how to face my inner desires. He is like light; even just standing there makes me feel safe and secure."
After she finished speaking, her cheeks felt burning hot, and she almost dared not meet the other person's gaze again.
The mermaid leader gazed at her thoughtfully, then after a moment, suddenly revealed a strange smile: "I see—interesting human emotions." It said slowly, "It seems you haven't been deceiving us."
Qiu Zhang paused for a moment, then looked at the other person nervously: "Then—can I take him away?"
The mermaid leader shook his head, a meaningful expression on his face: "I'm sorry, witch, this is not enough to convince us."
Qiu Zhang stared at it in astonishment, opened his mouth in bewilderment, and frantically exhaled a series of bubbles.
"Why?" An inexplicable anxiety rose within her. "I'm telling the truth—isn't that enough?"
The mermaid leader spoke slowly.
Language is always easily embellished; humans often use it to conceal their true feelings. Only true love can awaken the one sleeping in your arms. If you truly cherish them, then go and prove it.
Qiu Zhang's heart was pounding so hard that she could hardly breathe.
Prove it—? How do I prove it?
Must I express my feelings for him now, in front of the mermaid, in some way?
She nervously looked down at Sean in her arms.
Sean remained asleep peacefully, his black hair swaying gently in the water, his expression so serene that she couldn't bear to disturb him.
"I'll give you some time to think about it."
Seeing her hesitation, the mermaid leader softened his voice considerably.
"You can prove your love in this room. If I come back to this room in twenty minutes and he still hasn't woken up, then this project has failed."
Having said that, it brandished its trident, turned and left the stone house, taking the other mermaids with it, and the oppressive silence returned to the surroundings.
Cho Chang stood there blankly, staring at Sean with his eyes closed, his mind in turmoil.
How do you prove love?
How can we prove our love?
Moreover—
The other person was already unconscious and couldn't sense her feelings at all.
Could it be that...?
Qiu Zhang suddenly thought of a way, and her pretty face blushed.
Is it really only by doing that that he will wake up?
But what if—it fails?
Doesn't that mean that her secret will not only be discovered, but may also be completely shattered?
Her heart was in turmoil, filled with anticipation and fear, shyness and anxiety.
"Professor—what should I do?"
She gazed almost helplessly at Sean's sleeping face and gently touched his cheek with her fingertips.
Perhaps, only by facing it honestly can we get out of this predicament.