Where the Tides Meet

A preview of my upcoming novel, “Turning My Life Around Through Farming in the Beastfolk World” . Blurb: Lan Jue was a monster born in the depths of the sea. When she first saw the human floating among the waves, pity was not what welled up inside her. It was the most primal instinct of all: the pure desire to tear her apart and swallow her whole. If this “food” willingly belonged to her and let herself be devoured, that would be a supreme delicacy beyond compare. Everyone at WORSA knew that the newcomer, Lan Jue, was beautiful and powerful. She also seemed to have an improper relationship with Yin Ning. A shipwreck several months ago. A beautiful woman with long blue hair and blue eyes, wearing a seaweed gown and covering her chest with only two large seashells, rescued Yin Ning. She gave her fish and shrimp, and kept her warm. Yin Ning was grateful, but could not shake her doubts. Until one late night, something cold and slick, like a “vine,” silently wound around her ankle. Yin Ning opened her eyes. Beside her, Lan Jue was still fast asleep. But below her waist were several indescribable, sinister tentacles that shimmered in a dark blue-violet hue. They slowly writhed and unfurled, silently winding their way up her body. If she could harness this power from the abyss, if she could unravel the secrets of this deep-sea monster… For that, Yin Ning was willing to pay any price, even if the price was herself. “You saw everything.” Yet Lan Jue’s tentacles did not loosen in the slightest. Instead, they coiled even tighter. Yin Ning kept a straight face and coaxed her. “Come away from this sea with me. I can give you everything the land has to offer and make all your wishes come true.” “On what terms?” How could she explain an employment relationship to a deep-sea leviathan? Yin Ning chose to be a heartless woman. “Let me be your master, and I’ll ‘raise’ you. When you please me, I’ll give you what you want.” Bonus scene: A plea for help titled “I Have a Heartless Boss” went viral on the holo-messaging network. The anonymous poster claimed that she had come ashore a year ago and had been working for a human every day since. But the promised payment had never arrived. She asked what she should do in this situation. Everyone was outraged. They said they couldn’t believe this sort of thing still happened in this day and age. The boss was hardly human, and they strongly urged the poster to reveal her identity so the World Court could deliver a fair verdict. Anonymous poster: She’s human. I’m the one who isn’t. The payment is that she lets me eat her. Comments: ?! What kind of eating? Wait, why are you insulting yourself? Lan Jue gave the replies some serious thought. How many different meanings did “eat” have? After looking it up, she understood. . [Updates with the rankings before going premium. Updates at midnight. Chapter comments are open.] ★ This is a long-form story, with a happy ending: a powerful, possessive nonhuman attack who works hard to learn about humans x a highly educated, restrained, scheming human recipient. ★ This story has its own worldbuilding. Please don’t judge it by real-world standards. ★ All the main characters are women. Upcoming novel, “Apocalypse Cohabitation Application [Stockpiling]”: A cold but devoted assassin attack x a gentle, perceptive doctor recipient . Just after ending her career as an assassin, Xie Zhihan paid a fortune for the top three floors of a building, hoping to spend her retirement alone, lazing around with her cat. Unfortunately, the day after the renovations were complete, the apocalypse began. Overnight, multiple meteorites crashed down, volcanoes erupted, and temperatures rose worldwide. Then the glaciers began to melt. Sea levels rose, and tsunamis raged across the coast, swallowing up more than half of the coastal cities in a single night. The permafrost thawed, viruses spread, and people collapsed all over the streets. Before long, the infected lost their minds, becoming violent and attacking anyone they saw. The cities began to fall. The climate went haywire, too, with typhoons, torrential rain, and thunderstorms striking one after another. The world became an out-of-control hellscape, and humanity could only struggle to survive between natural disasters and monsters. Xie Zhihan sat at home, watching the carnage outside. Not bad. She had stockpiled plenty of supplies so she could stay in. Just then, her phone rang. [2701-Shen Qingwu] has requested to add you as a friend through the residents’ group chat. She had seen this woman twice when she first moved in, and they vaguely remembered each other. [28-29-30-Xie Zhihan]: ? [2701-Shen Qingwu]: Could you help me clear out the infected? Would that be convenient? [2701-Shen Qingwu]: The neighbors next door have been making banging noises since yesterday, and liquid is seeping out from under their door. I’m guessing the people inside have already turned. If we leave them alone, they could damage the structure. You live above the 27th floor, so I imagine you don’t want them climbing up there either? This woman was clear and logical, and every point she made was important. She was good at this, but what did it have to do with her? She typed without changing expression. [28-29-30-Xie Zhihan]: Whatever. The other woman went quiet for a moment. A few seconds later, Xie Zhihan received another message. [2701-Shen Qingwu]: I’m a doctor. I can drive and repair cars, and my apartment is a double suite with two separate entrances that could serve as a buffer zone. If we work together, would you consider living together? Xie Zhihan looked at the message, narrowing her eyes slightly. Two entrances meant they could set up a double line of defense. Driving and repairing cars meant mobility and logistical support, and she was a doctor, too. [28-29-30-Xie Zhihan]: Wait there. She stood up and picked up a weapon. On her way to the door, she turned back and took a can of ice-cold cola from the fridge. It was stockpiled before the apocalypse, and every can she drank was one less. But she was in a good mood today. On the twenty-seventh floor, three infected fell in one minute. [28-29-30-Xie Zhihan]: Done. The door opened a crack, revealing half a face. Pale skin, a straight, elegant nose, and a pair of eyes looking at her, calm and warm like a lake in late autumn. Shen Qingwu opened the door. She wore a light gray lounge outfit under a hiking jacket, her hair tied back casually. She held a club in one hand, with a knife strapped to her waist. “Thank you. You’re amazing. I’ve already packed: clothes, medicine, tools, seeds, and books.” . After Shen Qingwu moved in, she organized the home down to the last detail. Seedlings sprouted on the vertical growing racks, supply-use charts and water-quality records hung on the wall, and she had drawn up three evacuation plans. Xie Zhihan: “Are you really just a doctor?” “I am a doctor. I also spent three years with Doctors Without Borders. I’ve worked in war zones, epidemic areas, and disaster sites.” The woman turned her face aside. The gloomy sky looked gentle in her eyes. She said, “There are still plenty of things about me for you to discover, little by little.” . Xie Zhihan realized something was wrong. She was beginning to get used to things. She was getting used to the figure moving around the living room, the rustle of paper when the charts on the wall were updated, the gentle voice, and having someone across from her at mealtimes. She had been alone for so long that she thought she was only suited to living alone. But Shen Qingwu had seeped into her life like warm water. By the time Xie Zhihan noticed, traces of the woman were everywhere. It made Xie Zhihan feel a subtle sense of alarm. She shouldn’t get used to anyone. . Theme: The road may be long and difficult, but keep going and you’ll get there.