Chapter 253
Tang Yu’an covered one side of his face.
It didn’t actually hurt—it was just… too unexpected.
Why did Brother Qi suddenly, suddenly kiss him and even bite his face?
He rubbed his cheek, and in his mind, the image of Zhou Qi holding his face and kissing him in his dream surfaced… The tips of the boy’s ears slowly turned red.
The sea breeze blew in waves, carrying away the heat from his face.
Tang Yu’an gazed at the vast blue ocean before him. Slowly, the shyness in his heart calmed down, replaced by a different kind of thought.
Speaking of which…
What does a kiss feel like?
Although he had spent most of his adolescence in another world, it wasn’t like he had no exposure at all—he had watched movies and TV shows.
In his dream, before Brother Qi could kiss him properly, he had woken up.
Tang Yu’an sat cross-legged at the cave entrance, resting his chin on one hand. Thinking about this, he felt a little regretful.
Why didn’t he wait until Brother Qi finished kissing him before waking up? If he lay back down and went back to sleep, could he continue the dream?
Even though they were both boys, he didn’t seem to dislike the idea of Brother Qi kissing him. Other than feeling embarrassed, he didn’t find it repulsive at all.
And now, as the shame faded, curiosity took over.
After all, in just two months, he would be sixteen. A youth on the verge of adulthood, beginning to feel the first stirrings of curiosity about such things.
Tang Yu’an rested his chin on his hand, staring blankly at the sea.
Suddenly, the spider silk wrapped around his wrist twitched. He snapped back to his senses and looked down, only to see Zhou Qi swimming back at some point.
The morning light stretched across the sea, scattering golden flecks atop the waves. The blue fishtail swayed leisurely in the water, breathtakingly beautiful.
Tang Yu’an unconsciously held his breath.
So beautiful…
No matter how many times he saw it, he felt like he would always be enchanted by this sight.
Tang Yu’an sat frozen as the mermaid swam to the cave entrance, breaking the water’s surface and appearing before him.
Droplets trickled down from his damp hair, sliding over his firm chest, gliding along his slender yet powerful waist, before seeping into the shimmering blue scales.
Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but swallow.
He shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, his gaze fell on the sapphire necklace hanging from Zhou Qi’s neck, rising and falling slightly with his breath.
The boy was once again captivated.
But then, his gaze inadvertently landed on a small red mark. He stiffened, instinctively lifting his head, only to meet Zhou Qi’s eyes.
Zhou Qi was staring at him, those deep blue eyes devoid of their usual coldness, now carrying a warm smile.
The young man held out both hands, and Tang Yu’an finally noticed that he was holding a pristine white seashell.
He offered the seashell to Tang Yu’an, a hint of appeasement in his eyes.
Tang Yu’an snapped out of his daze, looking between the seashell and Zhou Qi’s devilishly handsome face.
He paused before pouting, “Are you trying to apologize?”
Zhou Qi said nothing, merely pushing the seashell closer to him.
Tang Yu’an huffed, “I trusted you, and you tricked me! How could you mess with me like that? That was too much!”
He still didn’t understand why Zhou Qi had bitten his face. Other than teasing him, he couldn’t think of another reason.
The more he thought about it, the more frustrated and embarrassed he became. He reached out and pinched Zhou Qi’s nose, scolding, “Brother Qi, why is your ‘instinct’ so mischievous?”
Zhou Qi blinked. Then, suddenly, he dropped the seashell, grabbed Tang Yu’an’s hand, and—just like yesterday—began sniffing it before rubbing his cheek against his palm.
His open display of affection made Tang Yu’an feel like a balloon being deflated, all his anger slowly dissipating.
A thought surfaced in his mind—Zhou Qi’s instincts were so different from his usual personality. Could it be that… he had been suppressing himself all this time?
Tang Yu’an had never seen Zhou Qi act playful or mischievous. He was always so composed, so strong—like he knew and could do everything.
But… he was only three years older than him.
Tang Yu’an had always seen Zhou Qi as an adult, handling everything effortlessly. But… was it because he had been forcing himself to act that way?
Recalling everything that had happened since they arrived in this world, remembering Zhou Qi’s childhood experiences, Tang Yu’an suddenly felt a dull ache in his chest.
“Alright, I forgive you,” he finally softened his tone.
Tang Yu’an reached out and, just like Zhou Qi always did to him, ruffled the young man’s damp hair.
“You can be playful now. I’ll protect you,” he murmured gently.
The young man, who had been rubbing against his palm just moments ago, suddenly went still. He stared at Tang Yu’an, as if trying to process his words.
“I won’t really get mad at you either. If you make me angry, just coax me and I’ll forgive you.”
Tang Yu’an thought for a moment before adding, “But you still can’t go too far!”
The moment he finished speaking—
Splash!
Zhou Qi suddenly lunged out of the water, pouncing on him.
Caught off guard, Tang Yu’an tumbled backward onto the purple-red carpet.
“Drip—drip—”
Water trickled from the young man’s hair, dripping onto his face. More water from Zhou Qi’s waist and fishtail seeped into his clothes, soaking him.
“Y-you… What are you trying to do now?”
Tang Yu’an lay in Zhou Qi’s shadow, looking up at him, his voice trembling slightly.
Ever since Zhou Qi transformed into a mermaid, he had become completely unpredictable. He kept doing things that Tang Yu’an never saw coming.
Just like now—Zhou Qi pressed one hand against the ground beside his face, while the other stroked his cheek.
His fingers traced over his skin, lingering with a fondness and tenderness that made Tang Yu’an hold his breath.
“I-it doesn’t hurt anymore…”
His voice trailed off into the sound of waves—because Zhou Qi’s fingertips had reached his lips, silencing him.
Tang Yu’an stared blankly at him.
He could feel the slight roughness of Zhou Qi’s fingertips, smell the faint saltiness of the sea on him, and most of all…
He could feel his own desire.
His gaze slowly lowered, settling on Zhou Qi’s lips—his first time truly noticing them.
A beautiful, well-shaped mouth. A soft pink hue. Slightly glossy from being soaked in seawater…
Tang Yu’an’s heartbeat quickened, pounding so loudly that the entire cave seemed to echo with it.
His mouth felt dry. Instinctively, he licked his lips—
His tongue just barely grazed Zhou Qi’s fingertip.
Salty—tasted like seawater.
Zhou Qi’s hand jolted back as if electrocuted, but halfway, he stopped.
His gaze shifted from Tang Yu’an’s face to his own fingers.
Then, he looked back at Tang Yu’an. Slowly, deliberately, he brought his fingers to his lips.
His gaze never left Tang Yu’an’s, yet his tongue flicked out, lightly licking the moisture left behind by Tang Yu’an.
Tang Yu’an: “…”
His face instantly turned crimson.
He had no idea why, but even though Zhou Qi was only licking his own fingers, the scene somehow felt even more intense than when he had kissed his fingertips the day before.
He wanted to hide out of embarrassment, yet he couldn’t tear his eyes away from Zhou Qi.
They hadn’t even touched beyond this, yet Tang Yu’an felt his entire body tingle—like…
Zhou Qi was licking and sucking… as if it were his tongue.
(//0////o//)
As soon as this thought flashed through his mind, Tang Yu’an felt his face heat up even more, burning all the way to his ears.
“Brother Qi… Brother Qi…”
He called Zhou Qi softly, not even sure what he wanted to say. Finally unable to bear it, he raised his hands and covered his eyes.
Zhou Qi’s ear tips twitched slightly.
He gazed at the boy, watching as he blushed all the way down to his neck, calling his name in that soft, melodious voice.
Even though he had forgotten everything, he just knew—the boy was calling for him.
So cute…
So incredibly cute!
He reached out and grasped Tang Yu’an’s wrist, gently pulling his hands away, revealing the boy’s round, bright eyes once more.
The usually clear and innocent eyes now carried a misty daze.
Zhou Qi slowly leaned closer.
His deep blue eyes grew darker and more obscure. Tang Yu’an looked at him, feeling that at this moment, Zhou Qi seemed to have regained his consciousness.
Despite the significant change in his hair and eye color, Tang Yu’an still saw the Zhou Qi he knew in this face…
He felt Zhou Qi’s forehead press against his, slightly cool, absorbing the excessive heat on his own face, yet failing to calm his mind.
Their noses finally touched, their breaths intermingling…
Tang Yu’an tensed even more.
Was Brother Qi really… really about to kiss him? Just like in his dream?
Then… what should he do?
Should he push him away? But… what did a kiss feel like?
Curiosity surged within him, making him stay still, obediently waiting to experience the feeling described in literature.
He waited.
But Zhou Qi’s lips never descended, making his heart itch, as if someone was teasing him with a feather.
Just as Tang Yu’an couldn’t resist tilting his chin up, intending to take the initiative—
Zhou Qi suddenly looked toward the entrance of the cave, and the intimate atmosphere vanished instantly, his expression turning sharp.
A curtain of water shot up into the sky, blocking several incoming mutated metal daggers in midair.
“Splash—”
As the water fell, Zhou Qi had already scooped up Tang Yu’an, shielding him behind his back.
The mutated daggers, washed into the sea, floated back into the air.
Tang Yu’an was momentarily dazed by the sudden battle, but his years of training kicked in, making him quickly pull out his Shadow Umbrella and check the map.
Then, his hands froze.
“Black Pearl?”
Tang Yu’an immediately peeked out from behind Zhou Qi, only to see a large black cat standing on a floating metal plate in the sea.
Its golden slit pupils were locked onto Zhou Qi, filled with hostility and wariness.
Then, a small figure leaped up from outside the cave.
“Woof woof!”
It was none other than the pup form of Yuan Bao.
It barked fiercely at Zhou Qi, and if the cave weren’t so small, it probably would have reverted to its original form to fight him.
“Yuan Bao! Black Pearl!”
Tang Yu’an hurriedly ran out from behind Zhou Qi, frantically explaining to his pets who had worked so hard to track him down.
Flying out of the cave, he spotted Wang Cai and Yin Bi up on the cliff, anxiously searching for a way down.
He scooped up Yuan Bao in one arm and Black Pearl—who had reverted to its small kitten form—in the other, flying up to the cliffside to soothe them.
“You guys ran all night, must be exhausted.”
Tang Yu’an quickly took out some milk to reward them, then pointed at the anxious mermaid swimming back and forth in the sea. “That’s Brother Qi. He won’t hurt me.”
Clearly, his pets had failed to recognize Zhou Qi—probably due to the change in his aura.
Once the misunderstanding was finally cleared up, Tang Yu’an let out a breath of relief.
Looking down from the cliff, he saw Zhou Qi had stopped swimming. At the moment their eyes met, Zhou Qi had been gazing coldly and sharply at the cliff, seemingly contemplating something.
But as soon as he saw Tang Yu’an looking at him, his expression instantly softened into one of pure innocence, eyes brimming with pitiful pleading.
The speed of that transformation made Tang Yu’an wonder if he had just imagined the previous expression.
He wasn’t even sure how to face Zhou Qi right now. Just thinking about how he had almost kissed him earlier made his face flush again.
Brother Qi might be muddled right now, but he wasn’t…
How could he have almost stolen Brother Qi’s first kiss just out of curiosity? Just thinking about it made his face burn.
Tang Yu’an shifted his gaze away, only to find Black Pearl looking up at him with concern.
A moment later, Yuan Bao also turned to him.
Then Wang Cai.
Finally, Yin Bi, who didn’t understand but followed the others anyway.
“……”
Tang Yu’an covered his face. After squatting down to escape reality for a while, he finally pulled himself together and said, “I’m fine, no need to worry.”
“You guys must be tired after running all night, right?”
He cast a healing spell on the four of them before storing them in his pet inventory to let them rest. Taking a deep breath, he flew back down the cliff.
Seeing that he was finally coming down, Zhou Qi eagerly stretched out his arms, leaped out of the water, and caught him, pulling them both into the sea.
The blue gemstone necklace around Zhou Qi’s neck automatically generated a protective barrier, preventing Tang Yu’an from feeling uncomfortable.
However, they didn’t resurface.
Zhou Qi held him tightly, swishing his tail and swimming deeper into the ocean.
Realizing his intention, Tang Yu’an immediately struggled.
Unable to overpower him, Zhou Qi had no choice but to carry him back up.
Tang Yu’an flew back to their previous resting spot in the cave, retrieving his sleeping bag, the iron basin with the Flame Stone, and the purple-red carpet, storing them all in his inventory.
Turning around, he found the mermaid youth leaning against the cave entrance, gazing at him pitifully with his deep blue eyes, full of guilt.
Such a rare sight of Brother Qi…
With this, Tang Yu’an temporarily forgot about the moment they had almost kissed.
“I just came back to grab my stuff,” he explained, then looked out at the sea and asked, “Do you want to take me underwater to play?”
The earlier battle had jolted Zhou Qi’s mind back somewhat, allowing him to barely understand Tang Yu’an’s words.
In truth, he had wanted to take Tang Yu’an to the seafloor to hide him away—so those fluffy four-legged beasts wouldn’t steal him.
But he was smart enough not to say it out loud.
Instead, he extended his hand toward the boy once more.
Tang Yu’an hesitated for a moment before placing his hand in Zhou Qi’s palm and saying, “Where do you want to take me? Let’s go.”
Faced with the boy’s pure trust, Zhou Qi paused.
Then, he pulled him into the sea.
He held the boy in his arms, spinning and gliding through the ocean, sometimes leaping out of the water, sometimes diving deep into the sea, as if they were truly playing together.
Tang Yu’an let out a carefree laugh as they soared high above the waves.
In his mermaid form, Zhou Qi seemed to be the undisputed ruler of the sea. Wherever they passed, the bizarre-looking marine creatures would scatter in terror. No mutated creatures dared to approach them, let alone attack.
They weaved through schools of fish, swam past glowing coral reefs at the seabed, and even the once-turbulent, fearsome deep sea shed its intimidating nature, revealing only its breathtaking beauty.
Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but take out his optical brain to capture this magical and dreamlike moment.
Zhou Qi once again carried him above the surface, letting Tang Yu’an ride on his back as they sped across the water, sending towering splashes into the air.
The two of them laughed freely, screaming together in excitement during thrilling moments.
It had been a long time since Tang Yu’an had experienced such uninhibited joy. He forgot all his worries, fully immersed in the happiness Zhou Qi brought him.
Eventually, exhaustion caught up with them.
Zhou Qi lay floating on the water, while Tang Yu’an lazily sprawled across his chest. Occasionally, he would roll over and lie beside Zhou Qi, gazing up at the vast blue sky above.
“That was so much fun!”
He chuckled softly.
In the past, he never would have imagined that one day he’d be floating on the ocean with Brother Qi, who had now transformed into a mermaid more beautiful than any sea siren.
The waves rocked them gently as they drifted aimlessly, uncertain of their destination.
Yet, Tang Yu’an felt completely at peace. No matter where they ended up, as long as Zhou Qi was by his side, there was nothing to fear.
However, after staying in the water for so long, his fingers had become wrinkled.
He flipped over again, resting his chin on Zhou Qi’s chest, and said, “Brother Qi, let’s go to land. If I stay in the water too long, I’ll get sick.”
Saying that, he showed Zhou Qi his pruney fingers.
Zhou Qi immediately furrowed his brows in concern. Though he didn’t want to be disturbed by anything or anyone, he still nodded.
Tang Yu’an grinned. “Let’s fly a kite!”
Zhou Qi looked at him in confusion.
Tang Yu’an pulled out a rope, but after considering it, he switched to a softer fabric strip instead.
He carefully wrapped it around Zhou Qi’s waist, his fingers inevitably brushing against the smooth scales of his hips and tail.
Zhou Qi’s gaze darkened with restraint.
Unaware, Tang Yu’an finished tying the cloth around them both and then cast a floating spell on himself.
He hovered in midair, and because of the cloth connecting them, he looked like a kite being flown by Zhou Qi.
“Brother Qi, do you remember this?” Tang Yu’an asked with a smile.
Zhou Qi stared at him for a moment—then nodded.
Tang Yu’an was startled. Could it be that Zhou Qi was regaining his memories? He wanted to ask more, but before he could, Zhou Qi determined their direction and started pulling him forward.
To be honest, Tang Yu’an was completely lost.
All he could see was endless water, an unchanging seascape in every direction. Even on the map, there was only a thin line showing their past trajectory.
They had strayed far from the shore, surrounded by thick mist, with no way to tell which direction led to land.
Yet Zhou Qi remained certain.
Tang Yu’an let himself be pulled along, floating above, until an hour passed—still, no land appeared.
“Stop swimming! Let’s take a boat instead!”
Tang Yu’an stopped Zhou Qi, then opened the in-game shop and purchased a self-navigating boat.
Just as he was about to use his White Swan Gloves to lift Zhou Qi onto the boat, a pillar of water suddenly shot up from the ocean, carrying them to the ship’s deck.
Zhou Qi held onto him, his tail flicking as he leapt onto the deck.
Tang Yu’an quickly bought a large bathtub, filled it with seawater, and let Zhou Qi soak in it before deactivating his floating spell. Then, he pushed the tub into the cabin.
“I’m going to change my clothes. Don’t move!”
After taking a shower and changing into dry clothes, Tang Yu’an returned—only to find Zhou Qi already asleep in the bathtub, eyes closed in exhaustion.
He must not have slept well last night either…
Tang Yu’an draped a blanket over him, then tiptoed to the control panel to figure out how to operate the boat.
Thankfully, the controls were similar to those of a smart truck. First, he released mechanical insects to scan the surrounding terrain.
Before long, the insects transmitted images back to him—and Tang Yu’an spotted a faint silhouette ahead.
It appeared to be an island rising from the sea, its mountain peaks barely visible in the distance.
