"Yaoyao, let me be your one and only," Lucia murmured, his voice as smooth as aged wine and full of endless temptation.

With that, he slowly lowered his head, leaning in to kiss Su Yaoyao. As the distance between them shrank, the air grew thick with a heart-pounding intimacy.

Just then, a noise came from the living room—louder this time, as if someone was deliberately making a disturbance.

Lucia and Su Yaoyao froze. They exchanged a look, a bad feeling rising in both of them.

Though he was just as suspicious, Lucia put on a gentle smile to soothe Su Yaoyao. He patted her shoulder lightly and said in a steady voice, "I’ll go take a look."

With that, he rose slowly and walked out of the room with a steady gait, gently closing the door behind him and blocking the view of the living room.

Left alone in the room, Su Yaoyao felt her heart pound with unease from the sudden interruption. She had no idea what to do.

She began to pace around the room subconsciously, trying to calm her nerves. The room’s decor was exquisite and unique, every detail a testament to Lucia’s taste, but Su Yaoyao was in no mood to appreciate any of it.

Just then, an octopus slipped nimbly under the crack of the door. It wasn’t large, but it was exceptionally agile.

The moment it entered the room, a strange light enveloped its body. As the light flickered, the octopus rapidly transformed, stretching and reshaping itself until, in a mere moment, it had become a tall human figure.

The figure approached Su Yaoyao from behind without a sound, then suddenly threw its arms around her, holding her tight.

"Lucia, you’re back already?" Su Yaoyao said, assuming he had returned. But when she turned her head and saw it was Noah, she couldn’t help but gasp in surprise. "Noah?"

"Surprised to see me? Are you unhappy to see me?" Noah’s voice was tinged with hurt and discontent. He held Su Yaoyao tightly, as if afraid she would disappear the very next second.

"This is someone else’s house. Of course it’s strange to see you here," Su Yaoyao explained in a fluster. She truly never expected Noah to show up like this.

"Then why are *you* in someone else’s house? And in their bedroom, no less." A hint of jealousy crept into Noah’s voice. Instead of letting go, he held her even tighter, burying his face in the crook of her neck. He sniffed and nuzzled against her, as if marking his territory.

Su Yaoyao’s face flushed crimson. She was in turmoil. How was she supposed to explain her penchant for petting fluffy things to Noah in a situation like this?

After all, back in her own world, it was just a simple, harmless preference. But here, fluffy creatures could turn into men, which complicated things immensely.

Noah’s expression darkened, his once-clear eyes now clouded over. His voice trembled with a hint of despair and pain. "Did you come here to sleep with another man? Am I not enough for you?"

Su Yaoyao immediately realized Noah had misunderstood. From the look of him, he was on the verge of completely snapping.

Panicked, she rushed to explain, "No, that’s not it! I just wanted to pet something fluffy. Ever since Bai Lian and the others went back to the base, I haven’t gotten to touch a fluffy tail in ages."

Su Yaoyao’s words were like a sharp blade stabbing Noah straight through the heart.

He thought with a bitter heart, ’It’s over. I’m a bald octopus. I’m not fluffy. Is that why she doesn’t like me?’

At this thought, the rims of his eyes grew red, and a tide of disappointment and pain washed over him.

Suddenly, the clear sound of footsteps echoed from outside the door. Each step was like a hammer blow to Su Yaoyao’s heart, which leaped into her throat.

She knew it was Lucia. Her mind went blank, filled with nothing but panic and helplessness.

’After all, a man has just inexplicably appeared in this room. How am I supposed to explain this?’

’And to make matters worse, there’s no second mask for Noah to wear. If Lucia recognizes him as the Second Prince of the Sea Clan, he’ll realize there’s something special about my identity and probably guess that I’m the Holy Female.’

And she definitely didn’t want him to know that right now.

In that desperate, panicked moment, Su Yaoyao spun around and grabbed Noah’s arms, her eyes wide with anxiety.

She lowered her voice, hissing, "Noah, hide! Quick! Don’t let him find you!" Though quiet, her voice was laced with an undeniable urgency.

Noah was filled with resentment and hurt. He scowled, his lips forming a pout. "Why are you afraid of him?" he grumbled. "I’m your future Beast Husband." His tone was a mixture of disdain for Lucia and frustration with Su Yaoyao.

"Quick, Noah, please listen to me," Su Yaoyao’s voice became a plea. She knew this was no time to argue—every second counted.

Seeing he was still reluctant, she shook his arm, her voice turning into a wheedling whine. "Please, please." She looked as desperate as a drowning person clutching at a straw.

Noah could never say no to her. Though he felt utterly helpless, he couldn’t bear to see her so anxious, and finally gave in.

A faint glimmer of light enveloped him, and in the blink of an eye, his body had transformed back into the shape of an octopus.

Waving its tentacles, it nimbly climbed up her leg, slithered along the hem, and shot up underneath her skirt.

Su Yaoyao couldn’t help but let out a small gasp, not expecting Noah to hide *on* her.

Mortified and frantic, her cheeks flushed scarlet, but she didn’t dare make a sound.

Just then, the door creaked open, and Lucia’s voice drifted in. "Yaoyao, I’m back." Noticing her flushed face and flustered expression, he asked with concern, "What’s wrong?"

"I-It’s nothing!" Su Yaoyao replied, quickly trying to change the subject. "What was that noise just now?"

Lucia walked over to her side as he explained, "Someone forgot to close the kitchen window. The wind blew the curtains and knocked over a glass of water. It’s nothing serious."

"Oh, I see." Su Yaoyao tried her best to sound calm, but the slight tremor in her voice betrayed her nerves.

All she could do now was pray that Lucia wouldn’t notice the shocking secret—Noah—hiding under her skirt, and that this whole mess would just blow over...