The Fear of the Needle

Su Xiaoxiao had been living in a daze these past few days. Only when Gu Yan brought out the acupuncture tools would she vaguely realize that another seven days had inexplicably slipped by.

She was far too thin; her abdomen remained stubbornly flat, bearing no discernible sign of pregnancy.

The needle was to be inserted into her lower abdomen, and despite all the mental preparation Su Xiaoxiao attempted, she found it incredibly difficult to accept.

This would be the first time she was fully conscious, forced to witness Gu Yan insert a silver needle, longer than her own finger, into her abdomen.

For Su Xiaoxiao, it was no different from torture.

Pregnant merpeople were fiercely protective of their abdomens, unwilling to expose them, much less allow anyone else to touch them. To even consider inserting a needle was unthinkable.

Even with Gu Yan’s prior explanations, Su Xiaoxiao remained profoundly terrified.

The moment she saw the silver needle, she recoiled, swatting Gu Yan’s arm away before scrambling back into a corner of the bed. Still feeling utterly vulnerable, she even pulled the quilt over herself, seeking a desperate shield.

Gu Yan, looking utterly helpless, stood by the bed and spoke to Su Xiaoxiao in a gentle, reassuring tone. “Nothing will happen, Xiaoxiao. Don’t you trust me?”

“It only looks long, Xiaoxiao. It won’t hurt.”

“Xiaoxiao, it’s just a few needles in your lower abdomen, and then it will be over. Don’t you care about your little fish pup anymore? Come out, please, trust me.”

“Xiaoxiao, you…”

Despite Gu Yan’s persistent coaxing, Su Xiaoxiao remained huddled in a tight ball, unwilling to budge. When she heard the mention of her ‘little fish pup,’ the quilt visibly twitched for a moment, then settled again.

Su Xiaoxiao was consumed by such profound terror that she began to experience hallucinations and delusions. She constantly felt unsafe in the Demonic Realm, convinced that even without direct harm, she could never truly find peace.

She seemed incapable of hearing Gu Yan’s words, as if everything around her had faded into dimness, preventing her from even noticing the silver needle clutched in her hand.

Every day, her lower abdomen would ache with a dull discomfort. Blood was indeed thicker than water, and Su Xiaoxiao knew it was her little fish pup struggling in fear.

Whenever she slept, she would dream of her little fish pup crying, and the dreams were always awash with blood—her own blood, the blood of her clan, the blood of her little fish pup…

These relentless nightmares ravaged her consciousness to such an extent that Su Xiaoxiao sometimes struggled to discern the boundary between dream and reality.

Gu Yan stood by, completely at a loss, not daring to take another step forward.

It wasn’t until Xiyue stepped forward and spoke, her voice sharp: “Don’t you want to keep this little bastard? If you refuse to cooperate, do you truly believe you can save it?”

Xiyue hadn’t been making frequent appearances these days. Her duties were heavy, and she also needed to set aside time for cultivation. She would only visit the small courtyard once a day, and always after Su Xiaoxiao had already fallen asleep.

The ‘little fish’s’ words were far too prone to infuriating her. Xiyue feared that if she lost control, she might accidentally strike Su Xiaoxiao dead with a single palm, leaving her without a new bed-warming s*ave.

Xiyue had also heard Gu Yan speak of the acupuncture treatments.

At this moment, Xiyue should have been cultivating and regulating her qi in the cold spring behind the mountain. However, her mind had been restless, and as if by some inexplicable impulse, she had found herself in the small courtyard where Su Xiaoxiao resided, coincidentally stumbling upon this exact scene.

Xiyue’s sudden appearance made Su Xiaoxiao visibly tense. The already thin, small huddle of her body seemed to shrink further, as she frantically tried to bury her head deeper into the quilt.

“Come out!!!” Xiyue’s temper had grown even shorter, and she spoke with chilling impatience.

Inside the quilt, Su Xiaoxiao trembled, covering her ears, as tears unknowingly streamed down her face.

‘Don’t come closer…’

‘Don’t come closer…’

Her lips trembled, ceaselessly repeating those three words within her mind.

It was futile. Xiyue, her brows furrowed, impatiently ripped back the quilt, seized Su Xiaoxiao’s ankle, and dragged her forward.

Too impatient for further pleasantries, she pulled Su Xiaoxiao’s hands away from her ears. “Stop acting like a madwoman,” Xiyue said coldly. “Listen closely. You insisted on keeping this little bastard yourself. If you want to keep it, you must undergo the acupuncture treatment. These aren’t my words; they are Gu Yan’s.”

“If you find it unbearable, then make your decision clear today: are you willing, or are you not?”

Xiyue still had not abandoned the idea of getting rid of the fetus in Su Xiaoxiao’s womb.

Whether it was deliberately humiliating Su Xiaoxiao in front of her mermaid clan elders and tribesmen, or intentionally manipulating her to choose to abandon the child herself.

Or even now, knowing full well that Su Xiaoxiao’s terror was not an act, she was deliberately enticing her to make that choice once more: to willingly abandon the fetus.

Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes brimmed with tears, her expression utterly broken and pathetic.

Xiyue stood extremely close, observing every trace of grievance in Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes with unnerving clarity.

Xiyue paused for a moment, yet still spoke with a cruel edge. “Su Xiaoxiao, do you understand? What will you choose?”

‘Another choice.’

Gu Yan stood to the side, her demeanor a stark contrast to Xiyue’s harshness, and gently tried to soothe Su Xiaoxiao. “I promise you, nothing will happen. Otherwise, you can do with me as you please. Xiaoxiao, don’t be afraid. If these needles aren’t inserted, your cherished little fish pup will…”

Xiyue let out a ‘tsk’ and shot a sharp glare at Gu Yan.

‘Completely unnecessary.’

Su Xiaoxiao remained stunned for a long moment, her body trembling violently. Finally, she spoke in a faint, reedy whisper. “I… I am willing…”

A complex mix of emotions churned within Xiyue. To be pushed to such a desperate point, yet still wish to keep this little bastard.

She released Su Xiaoxiao’s shoulders with a less-than-gentle grip, then stood up, her voice cold and detached. “Think clearly,” Xiyue stated. “It’s not just once today. It will be once every seven days.”

‘Were merpeople not said to be the most fearful creatures?’

‘Why, despite such overwhelming terror, was she still unwilling to give up?’

Su Xiaoxiao offered no reply. She simply raised a hand to wipe her eyes, her face set in an expression of grim resolve, as if prepared to face death itself.

Gu Yan spoke some trivial, comforting words, attempting to divert Su Xiaoxiao’s attention and ease her tension, but unfortunately, the effect was minimal.

Su Xiaoxiao was trembling so violently that Gu Yan found herself hesitant to proceed.

Xiyue grew increasingly impatient. Seeing Su Xiaoxiao on the verge of tears again, those eyes filled her with profound irritation.

Finally unable to bear it, Xiyue stepped forward, covered Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes, and impatiently snapped at Gu Yan: “Hurry up! Don’t let her eyes wander.”

Gu Yan’s mouth twitched. ‘Xiyue should get some acupuncture herself,’ she thought. ‘By the looks of it, her mind is quite unwell.’

Su Xiaoxiao was incredibly nervous. With the skin of her chest exposed to the air and her eyes plunged into darkness, her mind began to race with uncontrolled thoughts.

Fortunately, Gu Yan had not lied. The silver needle, once inserted into her abdomen, only caused a pang of pain with the very first prick; after that, Su Xiaoxiao gradually grew accustomed to the sensation.

Initially, the little fish pup in her belly had been restless, causing Su Xiaoxiao a dull ache in her abdomen, but the subsequent pain was significantly alleviated.

After the entire acupuncture session, not only was Su Xiaoxiao drenched in sweat, but even Gu Yan felt a chill run down her spine.

Su Xiaoxiao, with her eyes covered, didn’t see it, but Xiyue’s gaze was terrifying, as if she intended to kill.

Gu Yan thought Xiyue was incredibly stubborn.

Hadn’t she spoken the harshest words? Then who was it who secretly channeled spiritual energy into Su Xiaoxiao’s abdomen to alleviate the pain during the acupuncture?

****

Su Xiaoxiao recuperated for several days, yet her spirits remained low.

Xiyue, having found several colorful little fish from an unknown source, placed them in the pond.

The two turtles seemed to know these fish were personally brought by Xiyue, and dared not eat them, instead coexisting in unusual harmony.

Gu Yan told Su Xiaoxiao that while she needed to rest well these days, she shouldn’t stay cooped up indoors. She encouraged her to go out and feed the fish.

Su Xiaoxiao still remained silent, preferring to stay inside and stare blankly rather than venture out.

Her mood was low, but Xiyue’s nature would not tolerate Su Xiaoxiao’s sullenness. The more Su Xiaoxiao tried to avoid and escape her, the more Xiyue insisted on having her by her side.