“Well… not all fish are the same. Who says flicking a tail always means that?”
Yu Mian, who had been frozen in place, quickly shifted into emergency evasive mode the moment he processed what was happening, especially after noticing that Huo Ting behind him had also paused for a brief moment.
An instinctive alarm seemed to blare in his mind in an instant.
However, Yin was completely oblivious to Yu Mian’s subtle hint. Instead, he remained standing there, vaguely tense and confused.
“My family told me that… because our tails best showcase our strength and beauty.”
Yin stammered as he added, as if afraid that Yu Mian wouldn’t understand.
Besides, wasn’t this common sense among most aquatic races?
But as soon as he finished speaking, he noticed the atmosphere becoming even more subtle.
Because the two-legged beast standing behind Teacher Fish Soup Noodles, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly let out a low chuckle. Meanwhile, Teacher Fish Soup Noodles reached up and covered his forehead with his hand.
So when Lina and the others noticed that Yin had been talking with Yu Mian alone for quite a while, they saw him turn back with a somewhat melancholic and bewildered expression.
“Yin, what were you two talking about for so long just now?”
“You’re famous now! The whole company knows about you! How did you even dare to do that?”
Everyone chattered noisily around Yin, only to find that he seemed more absent-minded than usual.
Because, for the first time in his life, Yin felt inexplicably lost.
Could it be that he had misunderstood from the very beginning?
Was it really not the case that not all fish flicking their tail meant courtship?
Even so, as Yin recalled that scene in the water, he couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of melancholy.
“Sigh, if only there were a blind box for this…”
If there were mermaid blind boxes, he would definitely collect them all. No, he had to collect multiple sets!
“Hmm? What blind box? Is there a new series out?”
Everyone felt that Yin had been getting stranger lately, saying things that left them completely baffled.
While it was true that some special races struggled with certain differences that made it hard for them to fit in, everyone still loved Yin, the sea otter who loved drawing blind boxes.
Only Lina seemed to sense something. She blinked a few times before curiously glancing in the direction where Yu Mian had left.
This guy Yin really had no sensitivity at all. Had he said something wrong again?
Meanwhile, in the car on the way home, the strange silence made Yu Mian want to cover his face with his jacket.
Just a second ago, he had dragged Huo Ting into taking a photo, but in the next moment, he was the one who ended up crashing.
If flicking a fish tail signified courtship, then wouldn’t he be an extremely flirtatious mermaid?
Was he going around seeking courtship on Starry Sky Lake?
That would be a little too much like a sea king…
Fortunately, no bizarre rumors about a “sea king mermaid” had spread around Starry Sky Lake.
“”Sea king means someone who is juggling multiple partners at the same time. Basically, a player.
“But you’re actually still laughing?”
Yu Mian turned to Huo Ting, only to find that the man still had a hint of a smile in his eyes. His entire being itched to pin this guy down.
Yu Mian refused to believe that Huo Ting hadn’t figured out the truth.
In fact, from the moment he had first received that little note, Huo Ting had already noticed that this solitary mermaid had little understanding of many common racial customs.
But recalling Yu Mian’s golden tail stirring ripples in the water every time, Huo Ting could indeed understand why aquatic races would display their tails as a form of courtship.
“But it really is beautiful. Especially when your tail lifts and sends waves rippling through the water.”
The sight of it always made it impossible to look away.
It even made one hesitate…was such a dreamlike being truly real?
Only when he swam closer, resting his hands on the shore to speak to you, could you confirm that this was no illusion from the deep sea.
However, hearing Huo Ting speak so seriously, Yu Mian felt even more embarrassed for some reason.
Because if he counted, he couldn’t keep track of how many times he had flicked his tail to play with the water. And he often made Huo Ting hold his clothes by the shore.
Help…
“Except there’s one thing Yin said that was wrong.”
Just as Yu Mian was getting out of the car after arriving home, Huo Ting suddenly added.
Yu Mian, who had just barely calmed down: ?
“What was wrong?”
Did this guy actually have some unique insight into aquatic races?
“You don’t need a fish tail to respond to courtship. Humans just have a different way of doing it.”
Just as Huo Ting was about to continue with a low chuckle, Yu Mian, who was momentarily stunned, lunged at him and pinned him down.
“Don’t say it!”
This guy dared to say anything?
Caught off guard, Huo Ting subconsciously caught the weight that suddenly fell into his arms.
Yu Mian had always been a bit slender and was extremely picky about food. Even though Huo Ting had left plenty of high-quality nutrient solutions in the study, Yu Mian still preferred sneaking into the kitchen to cook.
He absolutely refused to touch those nutrient solutions he disliked.
Yet, despite all the ingredients he had used up, it was Huo Yan who had visibly gained weight. Yu Mian, on the other hand, didn’t seem to have put on a single pound.
Huo Ting was momentarily distracted, so his words got cut off mid-sentence. Yu Mian finally let out a heavy sigh of relief.
But the moment he relaxed, Yu Mian realized they were standing a little too close.
Huo Ting’s body was tall and solid, and the fingers resting on his waist had an unmistakable presence. For some reason, Yu Mian suddenly recalled the sensation of being held by him that night.
Especially how his waist had felt so ticklish that it made him instinctively want to pull away.
Just as Huo Ting lowered his gaze to look at Yu Mian and was about to say something, he quickly lifted his head, noticing movement in the distance.
“Brother Yu Mian! We came to find you!”
“Huo Ting, Yu Mian, are you here?”
Madam Inas, who had just grabbed the runaway Huo Yan, looked over and immediately sensed something off about the atmosphere.
“Oh my, did you two just get back from somewhere? There was no helping it, Huo Yan insisted on coming over…”
Inas looked at the scene with great curiosity, suddenly realizing that Qiao Ni hadn’t been wrong. Huo Ting actually listened to someone now.
In the past, even convincing him to go shopping with the elders was harder than climbing the heavens.
And why did it feel like they had come at the wrong time?
Yu Mian’s ears were still warm, and even though Huo Ting looked outwardly calm, he was still holding onto Yu Mian’s hand without letting go.
However, Huo Yan remained completely oblivious and excitedly carried a box of gifts inside.
“Brother Yu Mian, let’s go inside! I bought so many presents!”
Ever since his parents had returned and his exam scores had improved significantly this semester, his allowance had skyrocketed. He no longer had to endure the strict control from before!
“Look at this, look! Press this button, and it spins while playing music! What do you think of this New Year’s gift? I also bought…”
Since most of the family was finally gathered, Inas and Huo Dong had decided to take time off until after the New Year to properly celebrate before heading off on another round of outer star system research.
After all, they were often away for years at a time, and their opportunities to spend New Year’s with Huo Yan had been few and far between. Since they happened to be back just in time, they might as well celebrate together.
As a result, Huo Yan had been overjoyed these past few days. He clutched a pile of trinkets, eager to show them off to Yu Mian one by one, even insisting that Yu Mian pick out his favorite.
“This one looks nice… This one too…”
With Huo Yan chattering away, the strange atmosphere from earlier was finally interrupted.
Yu Mian actually felt a little relieved.
If Aunt Inas and the others hadn’t shown up, what exactly was this guy Huo Ting planning to say?
He had a feeling it would be something hard to handle.
The cool bracelet on his wrist, now pressed against his ear, had unexpectedly become a perfect cooling device.
“That bracelet seems to suit him well. Did Yu Mian say he liked it?”
At this moment, Madam Inas was looking at Huo Ting with a smile, especially when she noticed the dark blue bracelet Yu Mian was wearing. It was the very one she had helped design.
Even she was surprised that Huo Ting had thought of such a thing. And for such a precious gift, there couldn’t have been a better recipient than this mermaid.
At the very least, even when Yu Mian wasn’t in the water, he could still feel the refreshing essence of the ocean.
Faced with his aunt’s curious gaze, Huo Ting remained silent, simply reaching into the car to help move a box.
“Hey, why are you the one carrying this?”
Noticing his quiet demeanor, Madam Inas only smiled more.
“In any case, you should just be straightforward. Don’t end up like your uncle back in the day.”
Women with keen intuition could always spot these things right away.
Huo Ting’s movements paused slightly, but just then, his uncle, Huo Dong, walked over and found that he was getting stabbed in the back again.
“Hey, hey, what did I do back then?”
“Tsk, if it weren’t for your face back then, I really might not have agreed on impulse. And your gifts were so outdated.”
Madam Inas shook her head, leaving Huo Dong momentarily red-faced and conflicted.
“Outdated? But wasn’t it common to give roses?”
Hearing the commotion, Yu Mian glanced over curiously.
He hadn’t expected to lock eyes with Huo Ting in an instant. The very next second, he quickly looked away.
Only Huo Yan was left watching everything in confusion, turning his head back and forth between the two several times.
‘Oh? Was Brother Yu Mian finally fed up with his cousin?’
‘Hmm… I never expected to see the day!’
Huo Yan shook his short legs but ultimately asked about what he was most concerned about:
“So, when is the next volume of “Rebirth Of The Interstellar Soldier King” coming out, Brother Yu Mian? My classmates told me to ask you! Everyone really, really wants to know if Lin Mu defeated that bad guy!”
After all, his parents wouldn’t let him read the new book, “I Picked Up A Traveling Light Brain”, and “Bei Xing’s Necklace”, which he had been following daily, had just ended. That left only “Rebirth Of The Interstellar Soldier King” driving him crazy with anticipation.
Especially the latest arc where Lin Mu infiltrated the Marshal’s residence for revenge, it was simply cool. The villain, Hilton, trusted Lin Mu over his own son, making it both amusing and refreshing to read.
Everyone was eager to see what would happen next.
“Let me think… “Rebirth Of The Interstellar Soldier King” should be coming soon, I think.”
Talking about the final two volumes for “Rebirth Of The Interstellar Soldier King”, Yu Mian’s attention was momentarily shifted, and he quickly did some calculations in his mind.
Come to think of it, this was his longest serialized work and it really was approaching its grand finale.
He had even considered releasing the last two volumes together so readers could enjoy the ending all at once.
Of course, that was only if he could write fast enough.
It was just that lately, he had been stuck on the romance subplot in “I Picked Up A Traveling Light Brain”, which had slowed down his progress on “Rebirth Of The Interstellar Soldier King”.
Maybe it was because the CP dynamic in “I Picked Up A Traveling Light Brain” was something he had never written before.
Or maybe… It was because he had been preoccupied with a certain something lately.
“In any case, writer’s block is still the scariest thing in the world.”
Fortunately, his rhythm for the main plot was flowing smoothly, and tonight’s update for “I Picked Up A Traveling Light Brain” had already been scheduled in the draft box. The plot developments during this period had been particularly intense.
Even Madam Inas couldn’t help but want to ask for a tiny spoiler about where the plot was heading when they met.
However, today, Inas and Huo Dong had brought Huo Yan for a visit to Starry Sky Lake, bringing a share of New Year’s supplies and gifts for Yu Mian as well. The house was now packed with things, filling an entire corner.
So Yu Mian spent the whole day tidying up and decorating with New Year’s ornaments. The place suddenly felt festive.
He realized that having elders handle these things really did make the holiday feel different. He had never noticed before that celebrating could actually be kind of fun.
“But as a mermaid, don’t you need to rest in the water at night? Won’t your tail get dry?”
Just as they were about to leave, Madam Inas asked curiously, having noticed that Yu Mian had stayed out of the water the entire day.
Since she and Huo Dong had returned, they had yet to see his mermaid form, though Huo Yan had described it countless times.
“Uh… it’s fine either way. As long as my tail doesn’t feel dry, I don’t have to go in the water.”
Yu Mian was caught off guard by the question and hesitated for a moment before quickly explaining.
In fact, he had deliberately avoided the water all day. After all, he didn’t want to recall the fishtail incident for the time being.
Besides, with the bracelet on, he could still feel a faint misty moisture surrounding him, even without submerging in water.
So, like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, he simply decided to ignore it.
“That’s good. Anyway, after a busy day, make sure you rest well tonight.”
Madam Inas smiled as she bid farewell. Huo Yan, who was unwilling to leave, had to be physically carried away by Qiao Ni and the others.
As he waved and watched them leave, Yu Mian finally let out a sigh of relief with a subtle sense of happiness.
Although it was lively, after such a long and busy day, he was really feeling a little exhausted.
He now just wanted to go soak in the water for a while, and maybe even take a nap.
