Chapter 99: The Little Merman Chose Him
The soft, damp sensation of the little merman’s lips still lingered on his cheek, while that slim little body leaned against his chest.
For a moment, the tall cat-eared boy went so stiff he could not move at all.
From the tips of his ears to the base of his neck, heat gradually spread.
His ears were still covered in black fur, so the change in color could not be seen there, but at his neck it was glaringly obvious.
An unnatural flush appeared over his originally pale skin, spreading all the way under his collar.
Even the way Gu Qinian held the merman looked a little unnatural. His arms were rigid and awkward.
Hearing the pounding of the boy’s heartbeat beneath his chest, Gu Tang could not help curling his lips.
Hehe, seventeen- or eighteen-year-old Young Master Gu was really innocent…
“Young master, let us do it instead!”
Seeing that their young master looked as though he had been frozen in place, his expression shifting red, then pale, his subordinates assumed he was not physically up to it and all reached out to help.
Without exception, however, each of them received a cold look from the young master.
In an instant, the aura around their young master changed.
He became like a beast protecting its food, guarding his prey with deadly intensity.
Not letting anyone touch it.
Every subordinate there was pinned in place by that possessive gaze. No one dared step forward anymore, much less take the little merman from Gu Qinian’s arms.
Among the crowd, there were still a few brave souls whose loyalty outweighed their fear.
One young subordinate stepped forward and tried to persuade him. “Your injuries haven’t healed yet. Carrying the merman onto the ship is too hard on you. It would be better to leave it to us…”
The voice sounded a little familiar to Gu Tang.
Curled up in Young Master Gu’s arms, he peeked out and took a look. Instantly, joy rose in his heart.
—it was Jiang Yiwen!
Knowing that his childhood friend also existed in this world made Gu Tang feel much more at ease.
Judging by the shape of his ears, Jiang Yiwen’s beast form seemed to be a rabbit.
Those fluffy white ears were also extremely cute.
Then Yiyi had to be a rabbit too!
Gu Tang was filled with anticipation for the animal forms of the sibling pair, so he raised a little hand and waved at him.
…Was he greeting him?
Feeling the little merman’s friendliness, Jiang Yiwen was flattered and also lifted a hand to wave back.
Who knew that such a simple gesture would anger his young master.
The fur on the back of Gu Qinian’s ears puffed up as he clutched the little merman tightly to his chest and bared sharp canine teeth at his subordinate. “Move.”
The suppression from bloodline hierarchy was too terrifying.
Jiang Yiwen, just a rabbit, was not even enough to fit between a black panther’s teeth, so he had no choice but to step back.
Very quickly, everyone on the ship learned that their black-panther young master had brought an unknown, beautiful little merman aboard.
And had even carried him up personally.
It was clear he considered him extremely important.
Everyone started guessing at his intentions.
Some even said to Gu Qinian, “Young master is wise. Bringing back such a rare merman as prey means his tears can be harvested for healing. The family head will definitely be very pleased.”
Gu Tang: “???”
What was wrong with these people?
Did they not know to avoid saying such things in front of him?
He was still lying right there in Young Master Gu’s arms, and they were already thinking about how to get tears out of him?!
And besides, the head of the Gu family was Dad Gu.
Dad Gu had protected him well ever since childhood. There was no way he would ever do something like that!
Feeling the little merman in his arms shift uneasily, Gu Qinian lowered his head and looked at him. The little merman blinked, those amber eyes of his shining brightly, clean and clear.
Such a pair of eyes would surely look beautiful red from crying.
But that would also make people feel even more sorry for him.
Of course Gu Qinian knew the value of merman tears.
He had only recently been acknowledged by the family and urgently needed to prove his ability. If it were someone else, they might truly have offered this little merman up to the family head as a gift.
But he would not.
The only reason he had brought the merman onto the ship was to protect him.
So that a defenseless little merman would not be targeted by hyena pirates again.
That was all.
“No one is allowed to make him cry.”
Gu Qinian’s deep voice cut off the thoughts of his subordinates.
When no one was looking, Gu Tang poked Young Master Gu in the chest with a finger. “You’d better remember what you just said.”
As if he did not know.
Though Young Master Gu refused to admit it, Gu Tang had long since noticed—
he liked seeing him cry.
As soon as he cried, Young Master Gu became especially excited.
The biggest proof was this dream-fragment world itself.
Young Master Gu had actually designed his tears in the dream to have healing power…
Was it really healing, not an aphrodisiac?
Otherwise, why was it that even when Gu Tang cried and crawled away, he would still be dragged back, and Young Master Gu would always go on while coaxing him…
Niannian was a huge pervert!
Gu Qinian heard the little merman in his arms muttering nonstop.
That pleasant voice sounded like spring water flowing through a mountain stream, tinkling and clear.
It was especially beautiful to hear.
But he could not understand a single word.
The merfolk’s language system was different from that of beastfolk. They had their own method of pronunciation. Even their ordinary speaking voice could lure people in, and if they sang, it was said to be even more soul-stirring.
Legend said that merfolk used their songs to enchant sailors at sea.
So if one came into close contact with a merman, the best thing to do was block one’s ears to avoid losing one’s mind.
But perhaps the little merman before him had saved his life.
And not only that, he also gave him a… strangely familiar feeling.
Gu Qinian had always lived alone and had never been interested in anything. This was the first time he had genuinely wanted to communicate with someone.
“What exactly are you saying?”
As he carefully placed the merman into a bathtub filled with seawater, he could not help asking, “Are you talking to me?”
Gu Tang looked up at him and saw confusion reflected in Young Master Gu’s black eyes.
What was going on?
“You can’t understand what I’m saying?”
Gu Tang asked in surprise.
What answered him was an even more bewildered look from Young Master Gu.
Only then did Gu Tang realize what the problem was.
Listening carefully, the sounds he made really were different from everyone else’s.
No wonder whether he thanked Young Master Gu or muttered complaints at him, the other person had barely reacted.
Turns out he simply could not understand him at all!
This was bad…
How could they communicate if they did not share a language?
And how could he wake him up if they could not communicate?
Was this not a dead loop?!
“Does something hurt?”
Seeing the little merman’s delicate brows draw together and a troubled expression appear on his face, Gu Qinian asked with concern.
Though he was not sure whether the other person would understand, he still tried to comfort him in a warm voice. “The bathtub is a little small. Bear with it for now. It’ll be better once we get back.”
He would have preferred to let the little merman stay in the bedroom, but merfolk could not stay out of water too long.
Gu Tang nodded and swished his tail at the cat-eared boy to show that he was not uncomfortable.
He was only frustrated by the language barrier.
But Gu Tang, who was a fish for the first time, did not know that for merfolk, swishing the tail was a courting gesture.
The little merman had a slender waist and a long, beautiful tail. Those pearl-colored scales shimmered with every movement.
Gu Qinian only glanced once before looking away, his Adam’s apple rolling impatiently.
One must not look at what is improper…
Gu Tang noticed that Young Master Gu was not looking at him and had even turned his head aside. Instantly displeased, he reached out and turned the boy’s face back. “Look at me.”
His fingers accidentally brushed against those two cat ears.
Well, it was deliberate.
He had wanted to pet those furry cat ears for a long time.
Since they were growing on his own husband’s head, touching them once should not be a problem, right!
His heart itched, so he took the chance to pinch them, only to discover that both of Young Master Gu’s thin ears were burning hot.
What was this?
Young Master Gu was blushing???
Gu Tang felt as though he had discovered a new world and instantly became energized.
Ever since they got married, his Young Master Gu had completely forgotten what shame was.
Outside, he was clearly a solemn, serious CEO. Not only was he the head of the Gu family, he also controlled the lifeline of the new-energy industry. He was the kind of man who only needed to cough lightly for the whole business world to tremble.
But the moment he got home, his true form came out.
He turned into clingy Niannian.
And not just clingy—shamelessly clingy.
The two of them stuck to each other so much that things often escalated very easily.
In the villa that was their marital home, Young Master Gu could find an excuse to treat any corner as a bedroom.
So seeing a shy Young Master Gu like this was simply too rare.
Gu Tang narrowed his eyes and licked his lips.
Teenage, awkward Young Master Gu was so cute!
“…” Gu Qinian quietly glanced sideways at the little merman.
He discovered that the other’s gaze toward him was completely direct, and the soft wet tongue that slipped over his lips seemed full of teasing.
He swallowed instinctively. This time, even his cheeks and the corners of his eyes slowly turned red.
Young Master Gu had just turned eighteen, and he had grown up wandering outside, living a hard life in the open.
He had never experienced anything so suggestive before.
He had heard that merfolk were a species especially skilled at seducing others. This little merman looked young, pure, and adorably innocent, yet who would have thought that he could also be this… adept.
The little merman’s pale slender fingers stroked his ears, then slid to his cheek.
Though he was being touched so freely, Gu Qinian could not reject him. Worse, his eyes could not help drifting toward the little merman’s rosy, full lips.
“Do you want to kiss me?”
Noticing where the other was looking, Gu Tang leaned a little closer.
Even without sharing a language, his body language clearly showed he was asking for a kiss.
Gu Qinian’s throat sank hard, and he suddenly straightened up. “Y-you should rest.”
Saying that, he hurriedly fled the bathroom.
Leaving behind a baffled Gu Tang soaking in the bathtub.
He did not even dare kiss him.
Teenage Young Master Gu was really timid…
Back when they were still in school, they had often gotten just that close, and Young Master Gu would suddenly flush and run to the restroom to take a cold shower.
At the time, Gu Tang had honestly thought he had some sort of illness!
Remembering the past made Gu Tang both amused and sentimental as he stirred the seawater in the tub, his gaze drifting to the porthole outside.
At night, the sea was pitch black, with only a few scattered points of starlight flickering in the distant sky.
For some reason, he suddenly felt as though he had forgotten something…
What was it?
Gu Tang jolted. “Ah! Little System!!!”
He had been so busy chasing after Young Master Gu that he had left the little system behind in the sand pit!
Still, the system could move freely through fragment worlds, so there was no need to worry too much. If it were necessary, the little system would come find him on its own, just as it had in previous worlds.
The most important thing right now was completing the awakening mission.
As long as he woke Young Master Gu up, both he and the little system could return to the original world.
But the Young Master Gu here was shy.
He would run away and not come back.
And since they did not share a language, there was no point in calling after him.
Gu Tang, hampered by his fish tail, simply gave up struggling and curled up in the tub to sleep.
He did not even notice the dark shadow gradually covering the porthole.
Knock knock—
Something tapped twice on the glass.
Gu Tang rubbed his eyes and looked outside.
The moment he made out what was swaying outside the window, he nearly screamed—
a huge octopus tentacle!!!
Luckily, Gu Tang’s eyesight was good enough that he immediately spotted the little shell wrapped around the tentacle and swallowed his scream back down.
His first judgment was that the tentacle probably meant no harm.
Otherwise, it would not have politely knocked on the window.
Besides, the little system was with it. Though the size difference was enormous, maybe it was one of the system’s friends…
After hesitating, Gu Tang opened the window.
The tentacle paused, then, seeming somewhat unwilling, placed the little shell into his palm.
After setting it down, the tip of the tentacle rubbed against the shell with obvious reluctance. Then the whole tentacle clung to the porthole, blocking it tightly and even shutting out the moonlight behind it.
Gu Tang cupped the little shell. “What’s going on here?”
The system sounded weak. “It’s a long story…”
“System, why is your voice hoarse?”
Gu Tang nudged the little shell with a finger and said worriedly, “Your shell seems loose too…”
The system answered with difficulty, “…That’s not important.”
“It is important!”
Gu Tang stared at it with concern. “Can this body still recover?”
The system sighed faintly. “It doesn’t need to. Once I leave this world, I won’t use this body anymore. If one gets played broken, I’ll switch to another…”
Gu Tang blinked. “Who played with it?”
“Sen—”
The little system only managed one syllable before slamming on the brakes, its shell blushing pink with embarrassment. “Host, don’t try to trick me!”
Gu Tang pointed at the twisting tentacle outside and knowingly asked, “What’s that, then?”
Having gone so long without getting the shell back, the tentacle was already showing signs of impatience and had begun moving faster.
The system hurried to soothe the giant thing outside. “Let me introduce him. This is my senior.”
“Oh…”
Gu Tang let the word stretch out meaningfully.
The tentacle, however, seemed extremely dissatisfied with that description. Dark mist began to spread around it.
Panicking, the system quickly corrected itself. “A-also my boyfriend.”
At once, the tentacle calmed down.
Having successfully gotten some gossip out of the system, Gu Tang was very satisfied.
But when he looked at the palm-sized shell, then at the tentacle outside, whose real body could only be guessed to be gigantic, he could not help feeling a tiny bit worried—
The size difference was way too extreme!
Could the little system really handle that?
“All right, enough about that!”
To keep the host from letting his imagination run further, the system coughed lightly. “I’m here to load a language module for you. You’ve probably noticed already—you can’t speak the beastfolk language. You can understand them, but they can’t understand you.”
Gu Tang stared at it in surprise. “I thought you couldn’t affect this world.”
“But my senior can.”
Though it sounded a little shy, the system’s tone turned subtly proud when speaking of its boyfriend. “His permissions are relatively high. Even inside fragment worlds, he can break some of the rules.”
Gu Tang did not understand it, but he was deeply shocked.
Breaking some of the rules of a fragment world…
Was that not basically the main core?!
Did the little system know that its senior-slash-boyfriend was the main core?
His gaze involuntarily drifted to the writhing tentacle outside, and he suddenly noticed that an eye had opened at its tip.
A cold vertical pupil stared at him, full of warning.
Gu Tang immediately shut his mouth.
Silently, he lit a candle of prayer for the little system in his heart.
“Host, swallow this.”
The system’s relaxed voice pulled Gu Tang back to the present.
He turned around and saw the shell open on its own, revealing a perfectly round, lustrous white pearl inside.
Gu Tang put the pearl into his mouth.
It melted instantly.
It was slightly cool and a little sweet.
Gu Tang licked his lips. “It tastes good. Is there any more?”
“…”
The system was speechless. “I rubbed that pearl out with great effort! There’s only one, no second version!”
Gu Tang looked a little disappointed. “Oh.”
He had wanted to let Young Master Gu taste it too.
After all, since childhood, the two of them had always split everything in half and shared equally.
Eating something all by himself felt a little unfamiliar.
“Host, do you feel anything?” the system asked.
Gu Tang patted his stomach. “It feels sort of cool here.”
Maybe it was just his imagination, but his tail also seemed a little brighter in color.
The system closed up its little shell. “Other races should be able to understand you now…”
Yet before it could finish speaking, the tentacle wrapped around it again.
Knowing it was time to say goodbye, Gu Tang waved at the little system. “See you later, System.”
“See you later, Tangbao glugluglu—”
Dragged by the tentacle into the dark sea, the little system only managed a stream of bubbling sounds.
Gu Tang: “…”
—
The next day, Gu Tang was picked up from sleep.
Still half-drowsy, he opened his eyes and saw the cat-eared boy, drenched all over.
The water from his own body had soaked into Young Master Gu’s clothes, and the wet shirt clung to the firm muscles of his chest, outlining a very sexy silhouette.
That was a bit too much visual stimulation for early morning.
Very pathetically, Gu Tang gulped audibly.
Young Master Gu misunderstood him and asked in a low voice, “Hungry?”
If he had not asked, it would have been fine. But once he did, Gu Tang suddenly realized that his belly really was empty, so he nodded honestly.
“…”
Young Master Gu’s cat ears twitched slightly, and he looked a bit hesitant. After pausing for two seconds, he still asked, “Can you endure it for a little while?”
“We need to do a physical examination. The doctor said fasting would be better.”
Gu Tang was not afraid of being hungry, but the mention of a medical exam made him suddenly nervous.
He had heard yesterday that many of the crew members were discussing how rare merfolk were, how precious their healing ability was, and how valuable they were.
He was not going to be sent away for research, was he?!
“There’s no need to be afraid.”
Seeing the alarm on the little merman’s face, Gu Qinian hugged him a bit tighter. “It’s only a routine exam, just to confirm your physical condition.”
Of course Gu Tang trusted Young Master Gu and obediently nodded.
Gu Qinian carried him out of the bathroom and temporarily placed him on the bed.
He did not care in the least that the bedding would get wet.
Before calling the doctor inside, Young Master Gu took a thin blanket and wrapped it around the little merman’s naked body.
Last night had been dark. When he carried the little merman aboard, no one had been able to see clearly. But now, in broad daylight, he did not want anyone else looking at the little merman’s beautiful body.
His gaze drifted to that pearl-colored fish tail.
Then he took out another thin blanket and wrapped that too.
Wrapped up like an overstuffed little fish burrito, Gu Tang: “…”
How was anyone supposed to do a checkup like this?!
Only after making all the preparations did Young Master Gu allow the doctor to enter.
It was also the doctor’s first time examining a merman. He was extraordinarily careful throughout, as if afraid of hurting the little merman’s skin, which looked delicate enough to break at a touch.
“I’ll do it.”
Young Master Gu spoke up from the side.
As he said it, he lifted the little merman onto his lap, pulled out one jade-smooth arm from the blanket, and offered it to the doctor for blood to be drawn.
Gu Tang himself was not afraid of needles.
But he felt this was a good chance to awaken Young Master Gu.
He deliberately acted scared and burrowed a little deeper into the boy’s arms. As expected, the arms holding him tightened.
“It won’t hurt. It’ll only feel like an ant… no, like a little crab pinching you.”
Young Master Gu bent to his ear and gently coaxed him.
The two of them were very close.
Taking advantage of that, Gu Tang turned his face and tried to brush his lips against Young Master Gu’s.
The Young Master Gu in this dream fragment was at his teenage stage. If Gu Tang remembered correctly, this had been when Young Master Gu wanted most to kiss him.
There had even once been a kiss in the changing room behind the school anniversary performance, through the barrier of a mask.
Only back then, Gu Tang had been foolish and had not understood what Young Master Gu meant.
Even now, when he thought back on it, he still felt it was a pity.
If he had known Young Master Gu’s feelings at the time, he definitely would have let him kiss him—not through a mask either. He could have kissed him for as long as he wanted.
He would not have let Young Master Gu carry that regret from adolescence.
Yet as soon as Gu Tang turned his face, before he could actually kiss him, Young Master Gu had already pulled away.
Gu Qinian coughed lightly. “Be good. Don’t move.”
Gu Tang: “…”
The sneak attack had failed, and Gu Tang sulkily puffed his lips out.
He was so displeased that he did not even notice when the doctor finished drawing the blood.
Looking at the angry little side profile of the merman, Gu Qinian’s heart softened into a mess.
He could feel this little merman trying hard to get close to him.
That made him feel both delighted and thrilled.
But the thinking of merfolk was not quite the same as that of beastfolk. Perhaps merfolk did not mind, but for beastfolk, kissing was an extremely intimate act.
He would not take advantage of the little merman while the other was still naive and unaware.
After the basic physical examination, the doctor took the blood sample away for analysis.
Only then was Gu Tang finally allowed to eat.
Since they did not really know the little merman’s tastes, Gu Qinian had his men prepare a small sample of every kind of food available on the ship, and let Gu Tang take only one bite of each to see what he liked best.
During the meal, he was not put back in the water.
The entire time, Gu Tang sat on Young Master Gu’s lap and allowed himself to be fed.
He only had to open his mouth. He did not even need to raise an arm.
Whenever Gu Tang tasted something delicious, he happily swished his tail.
Seeing that beautiful pearl-colored tail swaying, Gu Qinian’s eyes darkened.
Why was he wagging his tail in front of him again?
Why was he always making courting gestures at him?
Yet when he looked at the little merman’s innocent smiling face, it felt like maybe he did not mean it that way after all…
Gu Tang, completely unaware of the cat-eared boy’s troubles, discovered that because his tail was slippery, he was starting to slide right off the other’s lap.
So very naturally, he looped his arms around Young Master Gu’s neck and shifted his hips a little higher.
By accident, he touched something.
The cat-eared boy’s pupils suddenly shrank, and in an instant his face turned red all the way down his neck. Flustered, he hurriedly set the troublesome little merman off to the side.
As for himself, he awkwardly grabbed a pillow and hid it across his lap.
Gu Tang had only wanted to sit more securely. Who would have thought the other would not only stop letting him sit there, but would even set him down far away?
The little merman immediately grew unhappy.
His fish tail slapped loudly against the bed in protest.
“…”
Gu Qinian felt that he urgently needed a cold shower. Unfortunately, at that exact moment, the doctor returned with the lab results.
He could only take a deep breath and forcibly suppress the heat the little merman had stirred up in him.
The doctor, entirely unaware of the subtle atmosphere in the room, reported worriedly, “Young master, I have one piece of good news and one piece of bad news.”
Gu Qinian hated this kind of suspense the most, and he was especially impatient right now. “Say both.”
“The good news is that this is a very healthy male merman.”
When the doctor came to the bad news, his brows tightened deeply. “The bad news is that this merman is about to enter mating season. It is not advisable to take him away from his native sea. You need to send him back. He urgently needs to mate with his own kind…”
“I don’t want that!”
Before the doctor could finish, he was interrupted by a clear, sweet voice.
Both Gu Qinian and the doctor turned to look at Gu Tang, both wearing expressions of utter disbelief.
The doctor stammered, “T-this merman can speak?!”
Gu Qinian was equally shocked. Grasping the little merman by the shoulders, he asked, “How do you know the beastfolk language?”
“I learned it last night.”
Gu Tang curved his eyes at him. “I wanted to talk to you.”
Warmth spread through Gu Qinian’s heart at those words. Before he could ask more, the little merman turned to the doctor and said firmly, “Don’t make things up. I don’t want to find my own kind.”
This little merman only looked young. In truth, he was already an adult.
Everyone knew that once an adult merman entered mating season, failing to mate could even lead to death.
The doctor was confused. “If not your own kind, then who do you want?”
Without hesitation, Gu Tang raised his hand and pointed at the cat-eared boy beside him.
“Him.”
