Original Title: 我为鱼肉
Author: 宁远
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=2871823
Description:
Approach her, serve her, please her, and then kill her.
“The heart is like a double silk net, with thousands of knots within.” —— Song Dynasty, Zhang Xian
LP: Saw the comment on NovelUpdates, and yes, the title is the most literal.
Metaphorically, “我为鱼肉” means “I am at the mercy of others” or “I am vulnerable and powerless”. In Chinese culture, fish meat is soft and easily eaten or controlled, so this phrase suggests a state of helplessness, as if the person is as vulnerable as a piece of fish ready to be consumed or manipulated.
This phrase is often part of a larger saying, “人为刀俎，我为鱼肉” (rén wéi dāozǔ, wǒ wéi yúròu), which translates to “They are the butcher’s knife, and I am the fish meat,” conveying a sense of being at the mercy of someone more powerful.