"Lady Nishang! You have no idea!"

Xu Yingsnow slammed the steaming mug of milk onto the desk with a loud *thud*, milk splattering across her arm and the once-tidy surface in milky droplets. She clutched the phone, venting her frustration.

"That little brat Nainai is absolutely outrageous!"

Yingsnow was beautiful, graceful, and usually polite and considerate—except when ranting to her superior about Nainai’s antics.

"She kept spouting nonsense like, ‘I *deserve* a state payroll! If I don’t eat this rice, nobody will! Such a waste!’ and flat-out refuses to work! She’s so cute-looking! Why’s her personality so rotten? How can anyone be that lazy? She probably hasn’t bathed or brushed her teeth in nearly a month! Yet she doesn’t stink at all—still smells sweet! It’s not fair! ...Waaahhh!"

Sarcastically mimicking Nainai’s tone, Yingsnow grew more worked up, slamming the desk repeatedly with sharp *thwacks*... though her grumbling soon took on a strangely envious edge.

"Xiaoxue, calm down," soothed Lady Nishang’s voice from the other end of the line.

Her voice was warm and serene, like late-summer sunlight—radiating a sacred, maternal gentleness that made one imagine a stunning, big-sisterly figure with boundless warmth.

Indeed, Lady Nishang was the director of Ashi City’s Subhuman Administration branch and head of its Field Operations Division—Yingsnow’s direct superior. True to her voice, she was endlessly patient with everyone. Yingsnow often turned to her for comfort after clashing with Nainai.

"Think carefully, Xiaoxue. Nainai’s extreme resistance to working outside likely runs deeper than her excuses," Lady Nishang murmured. Her elegant fingers held the phone as her gaze flickered slightly toward a thick dossier beside her—a far more detailed file on Nainai, including her past as a man and the truth behind her refusal to work:

—the major incident that once shook the city.

But Yingsnow’s clearance level didn’t permit access to it. Lady Nishang kept it vague, offering only a gentle nudge.

"Besides, records show she’s forty-eight this year—only two years younger than me. Calling her ‘little brat’ isn’t very polite... Ah! Here it is!"

A distant *"Package for you!"* echoed faintly through the phone, followed by a soft *gurgle* of splashing water. It sounded as if Lady Nishang were bathing mid-call.

Yingsnow wasn’t fazed. She knew Lady Nishang wasn’t in a tub—her life was simply intertwined with water.

For Lady Nishang was no ordinary human. She was a Subhuman—a mermaid.

Her upper body was breathtakingly voluptuous; her lower half, a sleek tail shimmering with jade-and-pearl scales. Yingsnow had visited her home once—a space more like an Olympic-sized pool. Water sounds were routine.

"Signature done! Package received. Have a safe trip back~"

"Inspect it? No need, I know what’s inside..."

"It’s fine, truly. No trouble at all... No complaint! I won’t complain, really! Take care now~"

...

"Lady Nishang... what was in the package?" Yingsnow asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

After enduring Nainai’s antics, that exchange—refusing to check a delivery while insisting *"no trouble"*—made Yingsnow suspect... *adult toys*.

Vibrators. Jump ropes. Plugs...

Just picturing the elegant, motherly Lady Nishang—Nainai’s equal in beauty—using such things sent Yingsnow’s heart pounding.

"Hmm? Oh, it’s a new gadget from HQ’s R&D division. Something for Subhumans, I think. Haven’t checked yet—it’s still internal, so I can’t show outsiders... I’ll open it soon." Oblivious to Yingsnow’s lewd thoughts, Lady Nishang chuckled softly.

"Oh... I see..." Yingsnow exhaled slowly, oddly relieved yet inexplicably disappointed.

"Anyway, let’s discuss real work, Xiaoxue."

A soft *swish* of water followed as Lady Nishang placed the package on a water-repellent coffee table, then glided onto a plush sofa woven from the same fabric. Hugging a cushion, she focused on the call.

"You’re being too rigid, dear. Why fixate on forcing her out?"

"*Me?* Stubborn?" Yingsnow froze mid-wipe, milk droplets glistening on her skin and the desk. She truly didn’t see it. But Lady Nishang was never wrong.

"You’re all flustered, aren’t you?" Lady Nishang teased gently.

"I’m sorry..." Yingsnow murmured, flustered.

"No need to apologize. It’s nothing to be ashamed of." Lady Nishang’s voice softened. "Think: Nainai, that bat Subhuman, *refuses to leave home* for work. She’s unfit for your outreach role. So why insist she step outside at all?"

Her fingers traced circles on the sofa, playing with beaded water droplets. As Yingsnow’s breath hitched in realization, Lady Nishang smiled slowly:

"If she won’t go out... why not let her *work from home*? Hmm?"