Chapter 252
As nightfall descended, the sun hung just above the horizon, its golden light scattering across the sea like scattered bits of broken diamonds.
Tang Yu’an sat stunned on the rocks, gazing blankly at Zhou Qi, who had now transformed into a mermaid.
His expression was calm, but his deep blue eyes held a distant, cold indifference. His once-handsome, human features had now taken on a more otherworldly, mesmerizing beauty, no longer resembling the Zhou Qi he knew.
“Brother Qi, do… do you still remember me?” Tang Yu’an reached out to touch him, but his hand was grabbed midway.
The young man’s indifferent gaze shifted to curiosity. He held Tang Yu’an’s hand and sniffed his scent, then gently pressed his cheek against his palm, rubbing against it.
Tang Yu’an stared at him, his heart skipping a beat.
The Zhou Qi in front of him was still Zhou Qi, but there was something both familiar and strange about him.
“Do you not remember me?”
Although Zhou Qi never spoke, Tang Yu’an felt a strange sensation, as though he really had become a mermaid and lost his memories from his human life.
Zhou Qi didn’t answer. He tilted his head, still pressing his face against Tang Yu’an’s palm. When he spoke, he slightly raised his eyes and glanced at him.
Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but swallow hard.
This version of Brother Qi… was so beautiful.
“I’ll help you…”
The rest of his words got caught in his throat, as…
Just as he was gently rubbing his face against Tang Yu’an’s hand, Zhou Qi suddenly tilted his head. His deep blue eyes still stared at him, but his lips… softly kissed the tips of Tang Yu’an’s fingers.
Tang Yu’an’s face immediately turned bright red.
He stared stupidly at Zhou Qi as he extended his rosy tongue and slowly, gently… licked the pad of his finger.
(//o////o//)
W-What is Brother Qi doing?
Tang Yu’an quickly withdrew his hand, but before he could even blink, Zhou Qi leaped out of the water, his fish tail shimmering under the evening sun, casting a dreamlike glow.
Zhou Qi placed his hands on either side of Tang Yu’an and moved closer, his fish tail half-submerged, creating a captivating scene with the sea and the sunset.
But at that moment, Tang Yu’an couldn’t even appreciate the beauty.
He stared at Zhou Qi, who was now just inches from him, their noses nearly touching.
Zhou Qi’s gaze was charged with a dangerous, almost aggressive energy as it roamed from his eyes to his nose, then to his lips.
Tang Yu’an’s breath quickened.
Zhou Qi’s gaze was so tangible, it felt like it was pressing against his lips, sending tingling sensations through his body.
The breath he exhaled, laced with the salty sea breeze, intensified the sensation.
“Boom—”
A loud sound came from the sea, pulling Tang Yu’an out of the strange atmosphere.
He instinctively turned his head, and saw a whale leaping out of the sea and crashing back down, splashing water everywhere. The tides surged more violently with the impact.
After the whale plunged back into the sea, it spouted a massive column of water, creating a rainbow in the twilight.
Tang Yu’an had never seen such a sight before; he had only seen it on TV, and he couldn’t help but be mesmerized.
“How beautiful…”
Zhou Qi also turned to look at the whale, and upon hearing Tang Yu’an’s words, he turned his gaze back to the boy’s sparkling eyes, now completely captivated by the scene.
His lips tightened slightly, a trace of displeasure appearing in his expression.
Then, he raised a hand and pinched the boy’s face, forcing him to turn back toward him, his focus returning to him.
The boy’s soft, chubby cheeks were pinched, creating two little dimples, making him look incredibly cute.
The previously fearsome mermaid, with the corner of his lips curling up slightly, smiled.
Tang Yu’an was stunned by Zhou Qi’s behavior, and when he saw him smile, he couldn’t help but be entranced.
He had never realized how handsome Brother Qi was before.
The boy stared at Zhou Qi, his round eyes reflecting his image. Zhou Qi paused, then loosened his grip and leaned in closer again.
His mind was hazy, his thoughts jumbled.
He didn’t remember anything. After he opened his eyes, he wandered aimlessly through the sea, until he caught a faint, familiar scent.
So, he swam here, looking at the hand reaching down from the sea, unable to resist reaching up to grab it.
Then, the boy pulled him up.
So cute.
The moment he laid eyes on the boy, the thought flashed through his mind. He didn’t even know what “cute” meant, but that didn’t stop him from thinking…
This boy was cute. Cute was him.
He wanted to get close to this boy, to touch him, to have his gaze fixed on him, to… taste his lips.
Zhou Qi moved closer and closer, almost getting what he wanted, but just then—
“Ah-choo!”
Tang Yu’an turned his head to sneeze.
The sound startled Zhou Qi. He widened his eyes, staring at Tang Yu’an. The dangerous look in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a flustered expression.
What’s wrong with you?
Tang Yu’an read the question in Zhou Qi’s gaze, and for some reason, the nervous, helpless feeling inside him suddenly vanished.
Although Brother Qi’s behavior had become a bit strange after turning into a mermaid, his care for him hadn’t changed.
“It’s a bit cold. I need to change my clothes quickly,” Tang Yu’an explained.
After waking up on the beach, he had been too preoccupied with finding Zhou Qi and sending tasks to Hai Jing, and his clothes were still wet.
Now, the evening breeze was making him shiver.
Tang Yu’an gently pushed Zhou Qi aside. He fell back into the water, looking up at him with those deep blue eyes.
The boy had been about to take off his clothes, but then he paused.
Tang Yu’an turned his back, and as he was about to remove his outer jacket, he stopped again.
When he turned around, he saw the mermaid youth’s upper body still above the water, staring at him intently with those eyes.
“What’s so interesting to look at…”
Tang Yu’an mumbled, turning his head and lifting his shirt. But as soon as he revealed a small part of his slim, pale waist, he stopped.
“Stop looking at me!”
He turned his head, blushing as he shouted at Zhou Qi.
Zhou Qi tilted his head slightly, his expression puzzled, as if he didn’t understand why the boy suddenly got angry.
Of course, the boy’s tone had a softness to it, one that only people who were close to each other could use, sounding almost like a pout…
So cute.
Zhou Qi thought to himself.
Tang Yu’an, standing on the rocks, didn’t know why he suddenly became so shy.
He had always joked that when Brother Qi grew up, they wouldn’t bathe together anymore, that there would be some distance between them, but now…
He was the one acting like this.
They were both boys, so why was he so embarrassed?
But…
Every time he thought about how Zhou Qi had been looking at him earlier, with that aggressive gaze, Tang Yu’an felt his face growing hotter.
He held onto the hem of his clothes, hesitating for a moment before saying to Zhou Qi, “Turn around.”
Zhou Qi blinked, looking at him in confusion.
“Turn around!”
Tang Yu’an huffed, squatting down, grabbing his shoulders to turn him away. When Zhou Qi turned his head to look at him, he cupped his head to turn him back.
“Be good and don’t move!”
Once Tang Yu’an confirmed that Zhou Qi was obediently not moving, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
He turned to the side, quickly taking off his wet clothes and putting on clean ones, then took out a towel to dry his damp hair.
As he dried his hair, he glanced over at Zhou Qi, only to see that he, too, had taken off his upper clothing.
Tang Yu’an opened his mouth in surprise and saw the young man turn around.
He leaned slowly against the reef, resting his chin on one hand, his eyes still fixed on Tang Yu’an, unblinking, while his beautiful blue fish tail swayed gently in the water.
Tang Yu’an felt his heart skip a beat.
He stared at Zhou Qi, noticing water droplets falling from his deep blue hair, landing on his strong chest.
His gaze followed the droplets, sliding down to the faint outline of the mermaid’s line at Zhou Qi’s waist, but the water stopped him from going further…
While he was lost in staring at Zhou Qi, Zhou Qi reached out his hand toward him.
Tang Yu’an hesitated for a moment but still squatted down and placed his hand into his palm.
Zhou Qi’s palm was large, with long, distinct fingers. Tang Yu’an’s hand looked small in comparison, and the fingers appeared somewhat round and blunt.
Tang Yu’an tried to pull his hand back, but Zhou Qi grabbed it.
The young man smiled slightly, first sniffing his hand, then pressing a kiss onto his palm.
(1/0////o//)
As they grew older, Tang Yu’an could feel Zhou Qi becoming distant. It wasn’t that their relationship was breaking, but rather…
Zhou Qi had been avoiding physical contact with him.
Now, Tang Yu’an somewhat understood his feelings. Was it because they were growing up that it became awkward to be close?
He looked at Zhou Qi, who was once again being affectionate toward him, and for some reason, he felt a bit shy.
This affection felt different from when they were younger, though.
When they were young… would Zhou Qi kiss his hand like this? Tang Yu’an couldn’t remember.
At that moment, his face became increasingly flushed, as if he had a fever. However, despite the embarrassment, Zhou Qi’s gentle smile drew him in.
At this moment, Zhou Qi reached out with his other hand.
His palm landed on Tang Yu’an’s still-damp hair, rubbing it gently, and then withdrew.
A crystal-clear drop of water appeared in his hand, and Tang Yu’an’s hair and the towel on his shoulder dried instantly.
Zhou Qi casually tossed the water drop away and then turned his gaze back to Tang Yu’an, seemingly wanting to touch his face.
The young man’s tender, smooth face turned a deep red, making Zhou Qi want to bite it.
Tang Yu’an instinctively pulled away.
He also pulled his hand back and stepped aside, patting his cheeks to shake off the feeling.
Get a grip!
He couldn’t let himself be as dazed as Zhou Qi.
After a moment of feeling the sea breeze, Tang Yu’an finally felt his mind clear. He started to look around at the environment.
He tried to avoid looking at Zhou Qi.
Zhou Qi, now a mermaid, was confusing him. He kept getting lost in his gaze. This wasn’t good!
It was getting late, and he needed to find a suitable place to stay for the night.
Since his magic tent had been returned home, it wasn’t possible to stay as comfortably as before. But setting up a simple tent to block the wind would suffice.
Just as he was about to fly up to the rocks, he felt his foot being grabbed.
He looked down to see Zhou Qi, his face full of concern, his gaze asking: Where are you going?
Tang Yu’an paused.
Right, Zhou Qi had become a mermaid. He probably couldn’t leave the water…
Just as he was thinking, his peripheral vision caught something, and he quickly looked over. To his surprise, there was a cave at the bottom of the cliff on the other side.
Tang Yu’an’s face lit up, and he quickly pulled his foot out of Zhou Qi’s hand, saying, “Let’s go over there.”
Seeing the boy fly toward the cave, Zhou Qi immediately turned and jumped into the water, using his tail to follow him.
Tang Yu’an landed inside the cave. It was small, with a mutated spider inside.
As soon as he landed, the mutated spider lunged at him, but he quickly dealt with it using his magical marbles and mouse trap.
Tang Yu’an took out an iron pot, dropped two fire stones in it, and the cave instantly brightened and warmed up.
This cave was quite low, and Zhou Qi was still in the water, just lifting his body slightly, and he could easily reach the cave’s edge.
He leaned his body forward, his deep blue eyes watching Tang Yu’an quietly as he busied himself inside the cave.
“Brother Qi, are you hungry?”
Tang Yu’an spread a maroon carpet on the ground, sat down, and took out the glutinous rice his father had made.
The glutinous rice smelled wonderful, with mushrooms, peanuts, and sausage added. As soon as he took it out, the aroma spread, making Tang Yu’an feel even hungrier.
He didn’t eat right away but instead handed Zhou Qi his portion.
Zhou Qi glanced at the rice, then at the boy, but didn’t reach out. Instead, he opened his mouth.
“You want me to feed you?”
Tang Yu’an blinked. The Zhou Qi in his memory was always calm and restrained. Seeing him so casual for the first time was rather novel.
He grabbed a spoon, scooped some rice, and held it to Zhou Qi’s mouth.
Zhou Qi took the spoon in his mouth, but his eyes still stayed on Tang Yu’an. After swallowing the rice, he grabbed the spoon and scooped some for the boy, holding it up to his mouth.
Tang Yu’an: “….”
This felt a little strange…
However, looking into Zhou Qi’s captivating blue eyes, he couldn’t refuse and obediently opened his mouth to eat.
The two of them ate the glutinous rice, one spoonful at a time.
After finishing, Tang Yu’an felt sleepy. He checked the map and saw that other places were marked with many red dots, but their area was completely clear.
He glanced at Zhou Qi, wondering how long it would take for him to recover.
However, when he absorbed the Wood Spirit Bugs, it only took the next day to recover, so this time, it shouldn’t take too long, right?
Tang Yu’an rubbed his eyes, trying to stay awake, and then used his healing magic, pressing the light onto Zhou Qi’s chest, intending to protect his heart veins like before.
Healing magic worked as long as the light made contact. His hands didn’t need to touch directly.
But then…
Zhou Qi grabbed Tang Yu’an’s wrist, pressing his palm against his smooth chest.
Tang Yu’an: “…”
He could feel Zhou Qi’s warm body temperature and his strong heartbeat, thumping faster and faster… just like his own heartbeat.
Heat rushed to Tang Yu’an’s cheeks.
He didn’t know what was happening to him. It wasn’t like he hadn’t touched him before. When Zhou Qi turned to stone, he’d been touching him every day.
But now… it felt different.
Maybe it was the way Zhou Qi was looking at him. Maybe… he had grown up?
Tang Yu’an bit his lip, continuing with the healing magic, until all his energy was used up. He quickly pulled his hand back.
“I’m going to sleep!”
He didn’t set up a tent but instead took out a sleeping bag and curled up inside it like a little caterpillar.
The boy buried his face in the sleeping bag, trying to hide and release the emotions he had nowhere to place.
But after a while, he suddenly thought of something, quickly popped his head out, and looked at Zhou Qi, who was still crouched at the cave entrance, staring at him. He anxiously reminded him.
“I’ll sleep for a while. You stay close to me, don’t run off, okay?”
Zhou Qi quietly looked at him, and it was hard to tell whether he understood.
This was really hard to trust… Tang Yu’an hesitated for a moment, then took out some dark green spider silk from his portable storage and tied it around his wrist.
Then, he moved to the cave entrance, grabbed Zhou Qi’s hand, and wrapped the other end of the silk around his wrist.
“Now you can’t run away.”
Tang Yu’an smiled at Zhou Qi, who was staring at him, and suddenly reached out to poke his face.
Soft and plump, very bouncy.
Unable to resist, he poked the other side of the boy’s face.
Tang Yu’an looked helplessly at Zhou Qi, waiting for him to stop playing before saying, “I’m going to sleep now. If you need anything, just call me.”
Then, he curled back into the sleeping bag.
Tang Yu’an was really tired. After drifting hundreds of kilometers in the sea, even though he was unconscious, his body had reached its limit.
He closed his eyes, and soon fell asleep.
In his dream, Zhou Qi appeared again.
He had transformed back into the form Tang Yu’an was familiar with, smiling gently at him. Just as Tang Yu’an was about to feel happy, Zhou Qi cupped his face, then… kissed him.
Tang Yu’an suddenly opened his eyes.
Sunlight illuminated the cave walls, the night had passed. He looked at the bright light and slowly came out of the dream scene.
It was just a dream…
Tang Yu’an froze.
What was going on? How could he have such a dream?
It must be because Zhou Qi had become a mermaid, and his behavior had become too flirtatious, causing him to have such a nightmare! But…
Was it really a nightmare?
Tang Yu’an was about to touch his lips when he suddenly felt something and looked up.
Without realizing it, his hand had extended outside the sleeping bag, and a warm, large hand was holding it. The spider silk wrapped around their wrists piled up on the ground in circles.
He followed the hand up, holding his breath.
Zhou Qi was sitting with his back against the stone wall, his eyes half-closed. He was shirtless, and below his waist was a blue fish tail. The semi-transparent tail fins spread in the water.
The sunlight gently bathed him, making his scales shine brightly, like a dream.
So beautiful…
Tang Yu’an carefully sat up from the sleeping bag, looked at the beautiful fish tail, and couldn’t resist reaching out to touch it.
The moment his hand touched it, Zhou Qi opened his eyes.
In the moment he opened his eyes, his gaze was cold and indifferent, his blue eyes resembling a truly emotionless ocean creature.
But when those eyes saw Tang Yu’an, the ice in them melted in an instant.
He smiled, reached out, and pulled Tang Yu’an into his arms, rubbing his nose against the boy’s neck, sniffing his scent.
Tang Yu’an, who had been frozen from being caught touching the fish tail, slowly relaxed.
“Good morning, Brother Qi.”
He tried to stay calm, saying, “How are you feeling today?”
Unfortunately, Zhou Qi had not regained his senses, and his condition seemed to have not improved.
Brother Qi won’t stay like this forever, right?
After a simple breakfast, Tang Yu’an quickly made a video call to Teacher Gu, hoping to ask if he had any solutions.
They had already completed their transaction last time, and the new spirit storage bag, along with supplies, was sent off to his mother’s dreamland via the drift bottle.
The wood crystal stones given to Gu Ganli had also been fully delivered.
After listening carefully to Tang Yu’an’s description, Gu Ganli furrowed his brows and began to think seriously.
He speculated, “After Brother Qi consumed the water spirit insect, he transformed into a half-human, half-fish form. His mind might be in a chaotic state, and everything he does is driven by instinct.”
Instinct?
Tang Yu’an looked at Zhou Qi, who was still playing with his hand, not restraining himself even when Teacher Gu appeared. He couldn’t help but wonder.
Brother Qi’s instincts were so strange? It felt completely different from usual!
“Is there any way to help him? Can we use the five elements method like before?” Tang Yu’an asked.
Gu Ganli shook his head. “I think he’s able to maintain this state because of the earth element power in his body.”
Earth overcomes water, so Zhou Qi already has spiritual energy that can suppress water energy.
Tang Yu’an nodded.
Indeed, when he consumed the earth and wood spirit insects before, he directly turned to stone and wood. When it was fire, he burned up completely.
Water is mild, and Zhou Qi is still able to maintain half of his human form. It’s already a big improvement.
“Don’t worry,” Gu Ganli continued, “Water is not the most difficult element. Now, it’s only a matter of time.”
Since most of the human body is water, there is a natural advantage for the water spirit insects, and the external environment doesn’t exert much pressure.
“So we don’t need to get him out of the water?” Tang Yu’an asked.
“Yes,” Gu Ganli nodded. “This chaotic state may even help him better understand the water element.”
He comforted him further, “Zhou Qi has succeeded many times before, so there’s no need to worry too much.”
With Gu Ganli’s reassurance, Tang Yu’an finally felt relieved.
Soon, they ended the video. Tang Yu’an looked at Zhou Qi and said, “Brother Qi, you need to get better soon.”
Zhou Qi tilted his head to look at him, suddenly pointed at the sea, and Tang Yu’an instinctively looked towards the ocean.
Seabirds flew over, and other than that, there were only the surging waves.
Tang Yu’an was confused, when he suddenly felt Zhou Qi move closer to him. His warm lips brushed against his cheek, then… nipped him lightly.
Zhou Qi opened his mouth and gently bit Tang Yu’an’s soft cheek, feeling just as soft and tender as he had imagined.
As the boy stared at him in disbelief, Zhou Qi had already splashed into the sea with a splash and disappeared.
“Why did you bite me?”
The cave echoed with the boy’s frustrated voice.
