The Mermaid's Secret Beauty

Beneath the divine altar, Lady Lianchuan drifted through a century of absurd years, intoxicated by life and death, finding the mortal world unbearably dull—until a beautiful mermaid arrived from the Southern Sea. The mermaid was stunning, pure, and easily deceived, so much so that Jinli’s eyes sparkled at the sight. Their first encounter was by the lotus lake; startled, the little mermaid fled in panic, but that wary, guarded glance captivated Jinli completely. To win the mermaid’s devotion, she willingly offered her lotus heart, fought the heavens, relinquished her title as a goddess, and endured the harshest celestial punishments. Under Jinli’s earnest pursuit, the mermaid blushed deeply, hesitating yet ultimately surrendering his true heart to her. While the gods of the heavens lamented the fate of this innocent mermaid, fearing he would be deceived and betrayed by Jinli’s fickle ways, behind the doors of the deep-sea palace, Jinli discovered the cruel truth: all of it was the mermaid’s enchantment. He pretended to love, deceived, and abandoned her, everything he did was for another. In the end, the one who played with hearts fell victim to genuine love herself. Grief-stricken, Jinli endured the agony of the mermaid’s poison, while the one she loved looked on, indifferent to her pain. It was only after the war between gods and demons, when Jinli left him for good, that Gengyuan finally awakened to his true feelings. He searched heaven and earth, longing for even a single thought of her. A hundred years later, when they met again, she was now the exalted Empress of Demons; to her, he was nothing but smoke and dust among the living. The mermaid bowed his head, giving his all, humbling his heart to the dust just to beg for her mercy: “A Jin, please, look at me just once more!” But the woman who once grieved for love now reclined upon her lofty throne, her gaze clear and filled with mocking indifference: “I have given you what you wished for. You should be happy, shouldn’t you?”