ICTEUWMN Chapter 135.2

“Sleepy?”

Huo Ting, who had been watching from the side, originally wanted to continue the unfinished conversation but noticed that Yu Mian did seem a little drowsy.

He subconsciously reached out and brushed the tips of Yu Mian’s hair near his ear.

“…Maybe just a little.”

Could it be because he hadn’t been in the water all day?

Yu Mian found it strange. Logically, he had stayed up all night grinding out chapters before without feeling this tired. Was it because he was getting older and couldn’t stay up late anymore?

Just as he was about to head into the water, he turned toward Huo Ting behind him, looking a little unreasonable, “But today, you’re not allowed to stand on the shore and watch.”

What if his tail unconsciously flicks again and gets mistaken for a courtship signal? That would be a disaster.

Huo Ting hadn’t expected to be directly stripped of his right to stand on the shore.

“Then should I swim with you? Or am I not even allowed to stay in the lake?”

The next second, he asked with a curious undertone.

“…?”

“Do you even know how to swim? A lake and a swimming pool are completely different.”

Yu Mian looked at him skeptically.

After all, when he and Huo Yan had water fights in the swimming pool at the old residence, Huo Ting had mostly just stood at the edge, watching.

He had assumed Huo Ting wasn’t fond of water.

“If I don’t know how, will you teach me?”

Huo Ting paused for a moment, then asked with a faint smile playing on his lips.

The question made Yu Mian hesitate.

After all, he had personally taught Huo Yan how to swim before.

Wouldn’t it be unfair if he refused? That would be blatant favoritism.

[Fish deep in thought.jpg]

But soon, Yu Mian realized…

“You obviously know how to swim!”

He almost had to chase Huo Ting down in the water. The moment they dived in, it was clear this guy wasn’t swimming like a beginner at all!

Did he really think he could fool someone who had taught plenty of kids at the swim center before?

Huo Ting hadn’t expected to be exposed so quickly.

Or rather, Yu Mian’s experience with swimming was just too extensive.

Yu Mian quickly discovered that, if he didn’t transform a tail for speed, his swimming pace would be almost the same as Huo Ting’s.

This guy had clearly trained since childhood.

And with Grandpa Huo’s love for fishing, he had likely dragged his grandson along for countless swimming trips.

As for those times at the old residence swimming pool, Huo Ting had probably realized Huo Yan was too terrible at swimming and couldn’t be bothered to play with him, so he had stayed out of it entirely.

Now Yu Mian was mad.

O皿O

The next second, a golden fishtail flickered into view. The moment it swayed in the water, his speed increased greatly as he chased after the figure ahead.

Though, the moment Yu Mian accelerated, Huo Ting had already come to a halt.

It had been a long time since he last swam in the lake like this.

But when Huo Ting turned around, he was unexpectedly met with the sight of Yu Mian, who had secretly transformed his tail for extra speed, swimming toward him.

The golden fishtail shimmered in the water like rippling moonlight, like a vivid dream beneath the night sky.

When Yu Mian looked up, he realized Huo Ting had actually stopped. He didn’t have time to slow down or dodge, so with a muffled groan, he crashed straight into his arms.

The impact sent them colliding in the water, with waves rippling around them. The golden fish tail wrapped around them in layered patterns, and their shared body warmth became strikingly apparent.

“Hiss… Did I hit you?”

Yu Mian had originally wanted to catch up with this guy and scold him, but unexpectedly, he was caught off guard and knocked someone over in the water, which was an unprecedented fail.

As he was held by the waist, his hands resting on Huo Ting’s shoulders, Yu Mian met Huo Ting’s gaze and after confirming that everything was fine, couldn’t help but feel both ticklish and amused.

The last time he had crashed into something in the water, it had been Ernis, that little crab.

But even if Huo Ting got knocked over, he deserved it.

“More importantly, why did you lie?”

The moment Yu Mian remembered how this guy had pretended not to know how to swim, he tried to put on a serious face and interrogate him.

“Sorry…”

But just as he got the words out, Huo Ting apologized so readily that Yu Mian pursed his lips and blinked a few times, caught off guard.

It felt like punching cotton. Wasn’t this cheating?

The next second, Yu Mian could only retaliate by fiercely pinching Huo Ting’s cheeks.

Originally, he just wanted to bully him a little. But Huo Ting didn’t resist at all, letting him squish his face into strange expressions. It made Yu Mian both want to laugh and feel like this guy was just being shameless.

Once they quieted down in the middle of the lake, the atmosphere unknowingly became subtle.

“…Actually, I really didn’t know that a mermaid flicking their tail meant that.”

In the silent center of the lake, Yu Mian finally looked at Huo Ting seriously and explained, his golden tail swaying gently in the water.

That matter with Yin earlier in the day had passed, but after thinking about it all day, Yu Mian still felt the need to clarify. It wouldn’t be good if any misunderstandings lingered.

“I know.”

Huo Ting quickly replied in a low voice.

He had known from the beginning that Yu Mian had done it unintentionally.

But the way Yu Mian earnestly explained now carried a subtle emotion that made Huo Ting fall silent as well.

After gazing into Huo Ting’s dark eyes for a long time, Yu Mian finally shifted his gaze away.

“Ahem… But actually, I don’t have much experience with human relationships either…”

His voice was a little lower this time, like a soft whisper in the ear.

It sounded like he was sharing an embarrassing secret.

The idea that Fish Soup Noodles was actually clueless about love… If someone spread that rumor on star network, no one would believe it.

After all, many Fish fans firmly believed that their beloved Fish Soup Noodles must be a love expert. Otherwise, how else could he write such compelling stories?

But only Yu Mian knew that he could be called a giant in theory, but a dwarf in practice.

“But I think you’re not very good at this either. In fact, you’re pretty terrible.”

Yu Mian was certain that when it came to this, Huo Ting wasn’t much better than him.

In any case, if this was something embarrassing, then there was no way he was going to be the only one feeling that way.

Huo Ting, who had been earnestly listening to Yu Mian’s serious accusations, lifted his gaze and admitted, “Yeah, I’m really bad at it.”

And it seemed like he had only made Yu Mian angry.

From childhood to now, this was the one thing Huo Ting had to admit he hadn’t done well.

In fact, he had done quite poorly.

“…So, should we learn together?”

Just as Huo Ting’s mood was sinking, a question with a hint of gentleness reached his ears.

“Because I’ve thought about it carefully these past few days, and it feels like if I really want an answer, I should at least give it a try.”

Even though the words were as reserved as could be, to Yu Mian, who couldn’t help but smile as he spoke, this was actually quite bold and thrilling.

Like a little fish that had always hidden inside its shell. Finally, on this moonlit night, it peeked its head out, curious to try.

Yu Mian had thought about it for a long time.

This couldn’t possibly be harder than writing, right?

Well, he won’t know until he gives it a try!

So, in the rare moment that Huo Ting was stunned, Yu Mian tightened his grip on Huo Ting’s shoulders, feeling both nervous and excited, like he was about to do something mischievous.

His fishtail unconsciously curled in the water.

The next second, he leaned in and lightly brushed a kiss against the corner of Huo Ting’s lips, like a dragonfly skimming the surface of the water.

Yu Mian, who was trying something like this for the first time in two lives, felt his face grow so hot that he couldn’t help but want to flee after committing the “crime”.

He felt so naughty.

Was it because of the rice wine Lina and the others had given him earlier?

But before he could flick his tail and make his escape, Huo Ting, who had finally processed what just happened, firmly caught his wrist in the water.

Along with his flustered movements, the two of them tumbled into the water together, and Yu Mian realized he was about to lose his chance to escape.

“…You’re pressing on my tail!”

The nervous and embarrassed protest immediately made Huo Ting loosen his grip entirely.

He was suddenly unsure of what to do.

But perhaps, from the very first moment they met, it had always been like this.

Yu Mian, who had originally planned to use the distraction to escape, noticed Huo Ting genuinely looking down at his fishtail and suddenly felt a little guilty. Flustered, Yu Mian quickly flicked his tail to dodge his gaze.

“Ahem… I lied. It didn’t hurt. You weren’t pressing on it.”

How could a fishtail even get pressed down in the water?

So this guy was surprisingly easy to fool.

Mostly, it was just embarrassing to have his tail stared at like that.

But so what?

An eye for an eye.

He was only getting even with this guy for lying about not knowing how to swim.

So, just as a hint of guilt started creeping into Yu Mian’s heart, he saw Huo Ting reaching out as if to check his tail. Without hesitation, Yu Mian turned and righteously fled the scene at top speed.

“…”

Watching the incredibly nimble golden tail darting rapidly toward the shore, Huo Ting, who was now completely certain he had been tricked, was momentarily stunned before letting out a helpless chuckle.

This mermaid had always been one who valued fairness above all else.