**Mermaid (Top) x Human (Bottom), Egg-Laying, HE** Ruan Chen is B City’s infamous delinquent, untamable even by the heavens. But he never expected to wake up one day to find his familiar bedroom gone, replaced by a glass enclosure—with him trapped inside. The moment Ruan Chen stands up, he kicks over what appears to be a "food bowl." Then he looks up, only to see a crowd of mermaids outside the glass, their eyes gleaming with hunger as they stare at him. What the hell is going on?! --- "Admiral Lux, this is a rare human specimen. This breed is generally docile, enjoys eating rice, and is easy to care for. It’s already vaccinated and in good health," urged the director of the Human Breeding Center, gazing at the stunningly handsome mermaid before him. "Docile?" Lux lowered his gaze. The black-haired human was hammering wildly at the glass, shouting incomprehensibly, with food scraps stuck to his feet. "Well..." The director faltered awkwardly. "This one’s an exception—he’s… livelier. Would you like to see the others?" "No. I want him. My adjutant will handle the paperwork." --- Ruan Chen is taken home by Lux, but the mermaid keeps trying to cuddle, kiss, and pet him. Even after having a scale ripped off, Lux remains unbothered, seizing the chance to plant a kiss on Ruan Chen’s palm. Something’s wrong with this world. Ruan Chen glares, barking: "Don’t touch me!" But to Lux’s ears, the angry yell morphs into a soft, sweet *"Meow~"* So cute. Lux wants to scoop him up, bury his face in that slender neck, and take a deep, greedy inhale. His tail flicks happily as he watches Ruan Chen curl into a defensive ball in the corner. --- For the first time in his fearless life, Ruan Chen feels genuine dread—faced with a nail clipper larger than his hand. "Stay the hell away!" He scrambles into the corner of the room. Lux watches him squeeze futilely into the closet, his carefully groomed fur now a mess. Ruan Chen is eventually plucked out, one hand forcibly uncurled by the mermaid. *Click.* His nails are trimmed. Ruan Chen struggles to escape. "Good boy," the translator in his ear purrs Lux’s deep voice. "I’ll give you a snack after." Wide-eyed, Ruan Chen snarls: *"Meowrrr—!"* Lux’s translation earpiece was lost earlier in the scuffle. Hearing the noise, he smiles. "Yes, Ruan Ruan is absolutely right." Ruan Chen: "..." *I was cursing you out!* --- *In mermaid hearing, Mandarin = cat sounds. Heavy AU elements.* *Fluffy romance—the title/summary reflect the actual plot. Exit now if humans being kept as pets isn’t your thing; no need to announce your departure.*