Wen Yu told Lansi a story.
In his tale, in the vast ocean, there lived a sea monster.
This sea monster was very lonely, so it had been asleep for many years.
When it finally woke up one day, it discovered the world had changed.
Strangely, it also found four mermaid eggs.
These eggs were precious. The sea monster thought for a while and, in the end, chose not to destroy them. Instead, it placed the four eggs in a warm, shallow part of the sea, wanting to see how they would hatch.
The first to break from its shell was a blue-tailed mermaid. He was male, but he seemed incomplete, as if his evolution hadn't finished.
Soon after his birth, the blue-tailed mermaid fell ill and died.
Next came a pair of twin sisters.
They supported each other and lived in the sea for a time. But when they reached the nesting stage, one of them became stronger. They couldn't resist their instincts and began to fight each other. In the end, both were gravely wounded. They failed to build their nest, and their wounds became infected. They died.
But just before the end, the two sisters reconciled. They passed away smiling.
The last egg kept the sea monster waiting for more than fifty years.
The long wait made the sea monster wonder if the egg was dead.
But in the end, to the monster's joy, a white mermaid hatched from it.
This white mermaid had a distinct personality. The sea monster thought perhaps it came from laziness. After all, it had slept in its egg for so long.
To prevent this little white fish from suffering the same fate as the others, the sea monster decided to care for it personally.
What surprised the sea monster was that the little white fish turned out to be very lively. So lively that the monster sometimes wanted to spank its tail.
The sea monster only wanted the white fish to live. What it didn't expect was that the little white fish would teach the monster how to truly live.
After finishing the story, Wen Yu sat by the pool. He gently stroked Lansi's head and said:
"And then, they lived a happy life."
Was that supposed to be a fairy tale?
Lansi tilted his head back into the warmth of Wen Yu's palm and looked up at him curiously.
If Wen Yu had really never entered the sea in the first half of his life, how could he tell such a story?
It almost felt like the sea monster had spoken through him.
Seeing the white mermaid's azure eyes fixed on him, clear and deep as the ocean, Wen Yu felt a sudden itch in his heart. He bent down, kissed Lansi's forehead, and asked:
"Lansi, do you have someone you like?"
Lansi froze, his cheeks flushing pink.
At the question, the image of a black-tailed mermaid flashed in his mind.
What did that mean?
Why had Winsor been the first to come to mind?
Lansi blinked hard, then looked up at Wen Yu. But for some reason, the image of the black-tailed mermaid in his mind suddenly overlapped with Wen Yu's face.
Oh no.
Lansi began flicking his tail in frustration. He didn't know anymore whether he liked Winsor or Wen Yu.
Flustered, he turned away and replied stiffly:
[In any case, it's not you.]
He was going back to the sea.
In fairy tales, mermaids always ended in tragedy when they fell for humans. Lansi felt that, with his "senior" as an example, it was better not to get involved with Wen Yu.
"Is that so?"
Wen Yu chuckled softly. "That's really sad."
To Lansi, it seemed like Wen Yu didn't mind the answer. His light smile gave the impression that he didn't care who Lansi liked. That made Lansi feel oddly relieved.
"What should I do then?"
Wen Yu had seen all of Lansi's little reactions. He could hardly hold back his grin, but still decided to tease him a bit more.
"So I spent two hundred million to buy a Lansi who doesn't even like me. Isn't that a huge loss?"
He held up his fingers and started counting.
"Labor costs, babysitting fees, sea fish expenses. Lansi, how are you going to pay me back?"
Lansi was stunned.
He wasn't used to this.
Weren't they just talking about feelings? Why had it turned into a discussion about money?
Why was life so brutally realistic?
All at once, the shyness in his chest vanished. Lansi screamed angrily at Wen Yu, then leapt from the water with a splash and tackled him with his full body weight.
Wen Yu hadn't expected Lansi to be so bold. Caught completely off guard, he was knocked over instantly.
Lansi hadn't expected Wen Yu to fall so easily either. With Wen Yu now beneath him, he froze.
What should he do next?
Lansi frowned, staring at the man under him.
He decided he'd teach Wen Yu a small lesson.
"Ow…"
Wen Yu grunted as Lansi's weight pressed down on him. He rubbed the back of his head, then looked up and saw Lansi's determined expression. He couldn't help but laugh.
"What, are you planning to eat me?"
[Yes. If I eat you, I won't have to repay my debt.]
Lansi bared his teeth in mock anger.
[Don't think I'm easy to bully.]
With that, Lansi grabbed Wen Yu's shirt with his sharp nails and gave a sharp tug—
Rip.
The fabric tore open, exposing Wen Yu's warm, strong chest.
Lansi: "…"
In Lansi's mind, he had only meant to grab Wen Yu's collar, lift him up, press their noses together, and give him a fierce warning.
Just like in the movies.
Lansi lowered his head and felt the warm body beneath him. He couldn't help but place his hands on Wen Yu's chest.
His fingers pressed against firm, elastic muscles, and through his palm, he felt heat and the steady, powerful rhythm of Wen Yu's heartbeat.
It was so warm... Lansi instinctively curled his tail, drawing it from the water and laying it across Wen Yu's leg.
After a moment, as if still unsatisfied with the warmth, Lansi folded the sharp fins of his tail and gently wrapped it around Wen Yu's legs, bit by bit.
Anyone else might have been startled by the sensation of a snake-like tail coiling around their legs, but this was Wen Yu.
Wen Yu looked down at the webbed hand resting over his heart. He reached out, grasped Lansi's clawed fingers, and chuckled softly. The slight tremble of Lansi's hand didn't go unnoticed.
"Satisfied?" Wen Yu teased.
Lansi's eyes widened, jolted back to awareness. He opened his mouth, ready to argue that he wasn't groping Wen Yu, wasn't being inappropriate. This was a misunderstanding, just the start of a quarrel.
But before he could speak, Wen Yu beat him to it. He reached out, threaded his fingers through Lansi's white hair, and gently touched his smooth back, tracing down along the spine like one might stroke a cat.
"Hmm?"
"Ai—"
Lansi didn't know why, but that gentle touch sent a shiver through his whole body. His scalp tingled, pores opened, and a wave of comfort washed over him.
Eyes fluttering shut, Lansi sighed contentedly. He relaxed under Wen Yu's caress and slumped forward until he lay completely on top of him, breathing softly.
Seeing the way Lansi curled up on him, Wen Yu couldn't help sliding his other hand along Lansi's waistline. In response, Lansi let out a quiet hum, and his tail began to rub against Wen Yu's legs. His azure eyes shimmered, full of unspoken need.
The white fish in Wen Yu's arms felt like a delicate flower trying to bloom under his touch.
Lansi's body trembled, a pink flush spreading across his cheeks and skin, and his temperature rose.
He seemed confused. His body leaned closer to Wen Yu but also flinched away, tail tightening around Wen Yu's legs as if trying to pull him toward the water.
This push-and-pull made Wen Yu feel both helpless and amused. He couldn't move with Lansi clinging to him like that, and in the end, he was dragged into the water.
One of the rules of mermaid care was clear: during the nesting period, humans should not approach mermaids who were showing signs of affection. Mermaids, driven by instinct, would try to bring their chosen companion into the water and stay with them in their nest.
There was a real risk of drowning.
For Lansi, breathing in water felt no different than on land. His mermaid nature made him favor the sea, so it was natural for him to bring Wen Yu into the water, to hold him and keep him close in his lair.
He liked Wen Yu's warmth, his touch. And, driven by instinct, Lansi wanted to bring Wen Yu into the nest, to curl up and sleep beside him.
As a human, Lansi had always liked sleeping with a pillow in the summer. Wen Yu, now, was like that pillow.
But Wen Yu's body was still human. Not long after being pulled underwater, he ran out of oxygen.
After releasing the last few bubbles from his lungs, Wen Yu tried to swim upward, but Lansi's tail kept him bound.
Panicking, Wen Yu pushed at Lansi and accidentally swallowed a mouthful of seawater. The burn of it made him cover his nose and mouth, and bubbles streamed from between his fingers as he started to struggle.
Lansi felt the tension in his tail and finally came to his senses.
Seeing Wen Yu's face pale from lack of air, Lansi instinctively leaned in and kissed him, transferring oxygen from his own mouth to Wen Yu's.
The breath helped. Wen Yu recovered a little and opened his mouth to accept more.
Humans are so fragile, Lansi thought.
Now fully awake, Lansi knew Wen Yu couldn't stay underwater. He tightened his arms around him and began swimming toward the surface.
Throughout the ascent, Lansi didn't leave Wen Yu's side. Their lips remained pressed together to deliver air.
But just as Lansi was about to break away, he felt something soft and slippery push back. Wen Yu had turned passive to active, sealing their mouths together.
Lansi froze.
What was that? Was Wen Yu still trying to breathe?
Even after reaching the surface, they remained locked in that kiss.
Stunned, Lansi finally pulled away and said seriously:
"You're already above the water. Breathe on your own."
Wen Yu blinked innocently, lips slightly red.
"Okay."
Lansi glared at him, then flicked his tail and sank back into the water.
Wen Yu's antics had stirred something in him. The urge to secrete nesting fluid had returned. He needed to build his nest.
But after a few seconds, Lansi changed his mind. He resurfaced, his head bobbing above the water, staring unhappily at Wen Yu.
Wen Yu hadn't moved from the same spot, still standing in the water. When he saw Lansi return, he looked genuinely surprised.
"Don't tease me again," Lansi warned. "Follow me one more time and I'll..."
Wen Yu raised his eyebrows, waiting.
"I'll drown you!"
Lansi stared at him for a long moment, tossed out that threat, then flicked his tail and vanished into the depths.