ICTEUWMN Chapter 131.1

“What are you saying? What do you mean by ‘you actually managed to have a mermaid show up’?”

Huo Yuejiang’s expression became oddly arrogant upon hearing this, his beard almost falling off from the smugness.

Not only did the person appear, but he was also very amazing:

“He’s even a writer. And he’s very good at writing articles!”

“That’s right, that’s right! Brother Yu Mian is super amazing! I can vouch for that!”

Huo Yan, who was standing nearby, jumped up on the spot and raised his hand to speak.

The Huo Dong couple looked at each other in shock as the old man and the child spoke in unison.

Yu Mian had just reached the doorway when he overheard the voices inside praising him, and his face flushed.

Help, was Grandpa and Huo Yan’s huge filter for him really impossible to fix?

Huo Ting, on the other hand, had a faint smile in his eyes, especially when he noticed how this “fish” Yu Mian immediately lowered his head.

“You’re not going in?”

Yu Mian felt that stepping inside at this moment truly required a bit of courage.

Especially when he faintly heard Huo Yan chirping like a little magpie in the hall. Yu Mian really wanted to rush in, cover his mouth for a second, pack him up and carry him away. Unfortunately, his heart desired it, but his strength fell short.

He was exaggerating things way too much.

In just these few short seconds, Huo Yan was already bouncing around, gesturing to the whole family about his first encounter with Brother Yu Mian.

After all, he was the first in the family to discover Brother Yu Mian. He had been so excited but had to keep it a secret, not daring to tell anyone.

Huo Yan had nearly suffocated holding it in.

Now that he could finally share it openly with his parents, how could he not talk about it to his heart’s content?

“At that time, it was my sharp eyes that noticed right away that the little fish in the conch shell was different! It was so beautiful, like a star glowing in the water!”

Huo Yan even subconsciously gave himself some credit, embellishing his observation skills.

Madam Inas listened to Huo Yan’s description, and felt that her son, who used to fail his language essays, seemed to have improved his language skills just a tiny bit.

Could it really be that one becomes red by being near vermilion and black by being near ink?

“Doesn’t he find you annoying? You’re so noisy. Don’t scare him away.”

Although Madam Inas knew her son’s personality well, she still worried that Huo Yan might scare the young mermaid.

“Ah? How could that be? Brother Yu Mian likes me a lot! He even made me little cakes and read me stories! We’re the best friends in the whole universe! If you don’t believe me, wait until Brother Yu Mian arrives and ask him yourself!”

Huo Yan became anxious upon hearing his mother’s words, almost swearing to the heavens that his friendship with Yu Mian was as pure as crystal.

The Huo Dong couple looked at each other.

For that young mermaid named Yu Mian to get along with someone like Huo Yan and even take such good care of him, he must have a wonderful personality.

Even if there hadn’t been that connection with the old man, they would still have to thank him properly.

Though, in the end, their eyes still fell on the golden conch shell that Qiao Ni had packed in advance for Yu Mian to take home this time.

“So, the child marriage you arranged back then… actually came true?”

Huo Dong couldn’t help but reach out to touch the conch shell, speaking with a strange feeling as he asked his father, Huo Yuejiang, who was standing beside him.

“But judging by Huo Ting’s personality, I doubt he would care about something like this.”

As Huo Ting’s uncle, Huo Dong knew his character quite well.

For a moment, his thoughts wandered even further.

“Ah? Dad, Mom, what are you talking about?”

Unexpectedly, Huo Yan popped up.

“A child marriage? What do you mean by a child marriage?”

He tugged at his mother’s sleeve, looking shocked and curious, as though he understood something but wasn’t quite sure.

“Young master, it’s better if you don’t ask.”

Qiao Ni, who was standing to the side, couldn’t help but laugh. In fact, the entire hall’s attention had been drawn by Huo Yan’s loud questioning.

Even the attendants nearby struggled to hold back their laughter.

“I…”

Just as Huo Yuejiang opened his mouth, a sudden cough came from nearby. He turned around in surprise, nearly sending his beard flying.

Huo Ting was standing there, expressionless, looking straight in their direction. Beside him, Yu Mian looked so embarrassed and bewildered that one foot hesitated to even touch the floor.

‘What… exactly did I just hear?’

‘A child marriage?’

Yu Mian even thought his ears were playing tricks on him.

What exactly had his parents said to Grandpa when they gave him that conch shell back then?

In the silence that followed, the Huo Dong couple realized something was wrong and subconsciously followed everyone’s gaze toward the entrance behind them.

The moment their eyes met Yu Mian’s, even though Qiao Ni and the others had yet to introduce him, the Huo Dong couple already guessed who he was.

In the past, they had only heard the old man repeatedly describe and emphasize how stunning that mermaid couple was, and after hearing it so many times, they gradually began to doubt him.

Could such a dreamlike being truly exist?

Perhaps after surviving a great ordeal, the old man had developed a bias toward those who saved him?

It was not until this moment when she saw Yu Mian with her own eyes that Madam Inas finally believed that mermaids were indeed nature’s darlings.

“Uh, well, sorry. We were just chatting casually… Huo Ting, you brought the guest back?”

Realizing he might have said something he shouldn’t, Uncle Huo Dong quickly tried to smooth things over, his hands unusually at a loss.

‘How very impolite.’

“Dad, but you still haven’t told me, what does a child marr…mmph!”

Huo Yan was the only one who didn’t sense that the atmosphere was wrong and continued to ask questions relentlessly. When he wanted to know something, he had endless energy to get to the bottom of it.

Unfortunately, this time, Madam Inas swiftly covered his mouth and pulled him into her arms.

“I’m sorry. We didn’t come out to welcome you earlier. How was your trip? Was everything smooth?”

Madam Inas prided herself on her social etiquette, though this time it came off a bit forced.

She was so flustered she almost forgot how strong she was, unintentionally leaving her son gasping for air as she covered his mouth.

‘Help! Brother Yu Mian, save me!’

Huo Yan blinked frantically at Yu Mian, desperately signaling for help, but it seemed no one noticed.

“Ahem, dinner, dinner! Let’s eat first! Qiao Ni prepared a rather unique dinner today, right?”

Huo Yuejiang decisively stood up, coughed a few times, and called everyone to head to the dining room.

“…”

Yu Mian glanced at Qiao Ni, who looked equally embarrassed as she held out the golden conch shell to him.

After taking it, he suddenly felt that the conch shell was very hot.

So the initial reward the system gave him wasn’t without reason after all?

“So you knew all along, right?”

When Yu Mian looked up at Huo Ting and questioned him in a low voice, his tone somehow didn’t sound offensive at all.

But just as Yu Mian was about to run off with the conch shell in his arms, Huo Ting smiled faintly and grabbed his hand.

“Can I explain when we get back?”

Yu Mian quickly covered the tips of his ears with one hand, still hugging the conch shell with the other. He really wanted to hear how Huo Ting would explain this.

In fact, Qiao Ni truly outdid herself today. Under her lead, the kitchen staff prepared an exquisite and delicious meal, far exceeding expectations. Many of the dishes were ones she had learned from Yu Mian.

Every time a new dish was served, Qiao Ni would glance at Yu Mian to see if he was satisfied with it.

Whenever she noticed Yu Mian eating happily, she would be overjoyed as well.

To be honest, everything about Young Master Yu Mian was great, except that he was too thin. If only he could eat a little more.

The Huo Dong couple also quickly noticed that it wasn’t just their younger son, Huo Yan, who liked this mysterious mermaid guest. The whole family seemed to be very friendly toward Yu Mian.

Even Huo Ting…

Huo Dong couldn’t resist sneaking glances at the scene, despite his wife Inas’s warning look.

It was all too abnormal.

Huo Dong was sure of it.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Huo Dong and I brought back quite a few gifts this time. Huo Yan, go grab them and hand them out.”

At Inas’s command, Huo Yan cheered and obediently ran off with his short legs.

‘If Mom and Dad prepared gifts, they had to be amazing!’

‘And Brother Yu Mian must have a share too!’

“Actually, it was the gift you sent that reminded me, Huo Ting. I wouldn’t have thought it through otherwise. You even picked out such professional items, did you do some research beforehand?”

As Inas handed out gift boxes, she smiled, mentioning the package she had received earlier.

“After all these years of marriage, I doubt Huo Dong even knows these brands.”

The moment Inas brought up the gift bag filled with all kinds of luxury skincare products, Huo Dong recalled the feeling of being blindsided. He looked at Huo Ting with condemnation, his gaze practically screaming: “When did you become so thoughtful?!”

Shouldn’t gifts for the women in the family be something all the men discussed and arranged together?

“What? Cousin, you actually gave Mom a special gift?”

Hearing this, Huo Yan perked up, his eyes sharp as he looked at Huo Ting.

That didn’t sound like something his cousin would do.

“What gift was it?”

However, Huo Ting frowned. He had no recollection of sending his aunt any special gift.

“Wasn’t it you? Hals later told me you even sent a gift to the old woman. Speaking of which, my mother’s travel group should be back soon, right? It looks like your days of staying up late fishing are over, Dad”

Inas reminded with a smile, and her words succeeded in making Huo Yuejiang feel unsettled.

Once his wife returned, he would definitely be back under supervision.

“Well, deep-sea fishing… Those who don’t get it just can’t appreciate the fun.”

Seeing that the topic and conversation had finally shifted away from him, Yu Mian quietly sighed in relief. He subconsciously hugged the conch shell resting on his lap.

As his thoughts drifted, he found himself pondering just what kind of misunderstanding his parents had gotten into back then.

He had always known his parents were unreliable, often forgetful too. He could still vividly recall how, when he was little, they had taken him out to enjoy the sea breeze and ocean views without a care in the world, only for him to catch a fever the next day. The scolding from his grandmother that followed still felt fresh.

But this… a child marriage?

How could they make such a decision so casually without telling the child?

And yet, if his parents were really mermaids, why had they never told him he was one too?

Dealing with carefree parents like his was such a headache.

If only they were as dependable as Huo Yan’s parents, even if it was a little bit. Then he wouldn’t have to guess so much, okay!

“This one’s for you. Take it.”

“…Thank you!”

While Yu Mian was still lost in thought, Madam Inas handed him a gift box with a bright smile. Yu Mian quickly accepted it and thanked her.

Huo Yan’s mother was indeed very beautiful, a classic Federation Star beauty. Her personality was warm and gentle too.

“No need to thank me. Honestly, I feel a bit embarrassed. You’ve been stuck with Huo Yan’s chatter for so long. That kid’s such a handful, right? And he talks so much.”

Madam Inas took the chance to chat and openly look at Yu Mian again, and the smile on her face became even wider.

After all, up close, it was clear how stunning Yu Mian truly was. It was almost unbelievable.

“It’s alright. Huo Yan’s actually very smart. Most of the time, he’s quite well-behaved too.”

Yu Mian glanced at the extremely aggrieved-looking Huo Yan beside him and smiled, speaking up in his defense.

“True. Madam Inas, Young Master Huo Yan has been reading a lot of extracurricular books lately. I bet he’ll improve significantly in the final exams this time.”

Qiao Ni chimed in with some praise as well, complimenting Huo Yan from every angle.

Huo Yan finally looked at his mother with satisfaction.

“You all spoil him too much. I know what he’s like.”

Madam Inas ruffled Huo Yan’s head while looking at Yu Mian, and her mood became increasingly happier.

After all, as a famous beauty in the Federation, Madam Inas naturally loved beautiful things as well, and Yu Mian was pleasing to the eye even just sitting here.

His personality was completely different from both Huo Yan and Huo Ting. He was the ideal junior she would love to take shopping and introduce to her friends.

“What a pity I didn’t get a chance to prepare a separate gift for you this time. If I had known earlier, I would have added one for sure. For now, please accept this one, and I’ll make it up to you next time.”