Chapter 13

Afterward, Yu Yan ate a little, but You Fuzhou noticed that he was at most half-full. “No appetite?”

Yu Yan shook his head. “That’s about enough. If I’ve been starving for too long… eating more might make me nauseous and throw it all up. That’s from experience when I was a kid.”

He wasn’t putting on any airs, but that casual remark stabbed right into You Fuzhou’s heart.

You Fuzhou didn’t know what to do. He gazed at Yu Yan and finally just said, “Don’t go on hunger strikes anymore.”

He told Yu Yan, “Nothing is more important than your health.”

Yu Yan replied obediently, “Got it.”

But he hadn’t promised anything.

You Fuzhou’s head throbbed.

He truly was at a loss.

Yu Yan changed the subject. “You mentioned… a gift.”

You Fuzhou sighed inwardly. “Yeah.”

He stood up. “It should be ready… Want to see it?”

Yu Yan nodded and murmured, “No one’s ever given me a gift before.”

He truly hadn’t received one. The last “gift” had been a control collar fastened around his neck by some noble. Yu Yan had shattered it with his immense mental power and silently dealt with the noble afterward.

Yu Yan didn’t like that kind of gift, because breaking the suppression collar came at a small cost to him.

Brain strain. Pain.

You Fuzhou led Yu Yan out the door. Spotting the White Lion lounging there, Yu Yan’s eyes curved into a smile as he called out, “Mianmian.”

The White Lion, hearing its name, was thrilled. It wagged its tail. Since You Fuzhou was fully conscious, it restrained itself from pouncing on Yu Yan, but anyone could tell it adored him.

You Fuzhou cleared his throat lightly, his ears growing warm.

He led Yu Yan downstairs to the room where he’d built the fish tank for him.

Yu Yan had only entered it once before and hadn’t returned since, because You Fuzhou wanted to surprise him.

For a socially awkward Sentinel to think of preparing a surprise was proof enough that this Guide held a special place in his heart.

You Fuzhou pushed open the door, and Yu Yan beheld the enormous open-topped fish tank, filled nearly three-quarters with seawater. And that seawater…

Even Yu Yan froze for a split second, his mind going blank as instinct took over. “You went to Siren Star for this water…”

You Fuzhou nodded, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “You said you have half-Mermaid blood, so I fetched seawater from the seas where the Mermaid Clan used to live.”

Siren Star had long been destroyed, leaving only vast, empty oceans. The Mermaids, Sea Monsters, and other inhabitants who had once thrived happily there couldn’t keep pace with humanity’s rapid technological evolution and had become “meals on the table” in every sense of the word.

So You Fuzhou knew that Siren Star was the ideal habitat for Mermaids, yet many had never lived in the place best suited to them, never felt how warm and welcoming those seas could be.

He knew Yu Yan hadn’t either. He figured that since he’d brought the man back—and the Guide had clearly stated he wanted to stay with him for life—doing this was simply the right thing.

But to Yu Yan, this Sentinel’s kindness exceeded anything he’d imagined.

Gazing at You Fuzhou, a complex swirl of emotions filled his eyes, his heartbeat erratic. His voice was soft. “Are you this good to everyone?”

You Fuzhou didn’t know how to respond, because he didn’t think it was a big deal. Yu Yan had endured so much suffering. He had time on his hands anyway, and a trip to Siren Star posed no danger… So what?

Before You Fuzhou could speak, Yu Yan lowered his gaze, his face paling slightly as he whispered, “If you save someone else someday and treat them this well, I’ll get jealous.”

You Fuzhou: “…”

His ears were still warm from his Spiritual Body acting like a cat around Yu Yan, and this remark made his eyes widen, his face flushing hot as tension gripped him.

You Fuzhou hesitated.

He and Yu Yan weren’t in that kind of relationship…

Looking at the dejected Yu Yan, he closed his eyes.

Whatever.

“Then… I’ll make sure the other Guides pay extra attention to taking care of them.”

Yu Yan hadn’t expected that response from You Fuzhou, though… it wasn’t entirely surprising?

You Fuzhou cared about him more than he’d thought.

Delight flickered in Yu Yan’s eyes as he looked up at You Fuzhou. “Really?”

He was clearly happy, yet he immediately showed a hint of unease. “Am I being unreasonable…?”

“No.” You Fuzhou sighed inwardly. “Right now, we…”

He couldn’t say those words, so after a brief pause, he simply added, “You can make those requests of me.”

After careful thought, he continued, “If anything comes up in the future, contact me first. Tell me, ask me.”

Don’t pull another hunger strike.

It wasn’t that he found it troublesome; he was afraid something would happen to Yu Yan.

When he’d heard from the fighter pilot that Yu Yan hadn’t eaten for five days, it had been the most terrified he’d felt in ages. You Fuzhou had been so shocked he’d shut off his suppressor right away. His Spiritual Body had raced so fast to confirm Yu Yan was still alive.

Sensing You Fuzhou’s mental fluctuations, Yu Yan agreed meekly, “Yeah, okay.”

You Fuzhou cleared his throat again. Being alone with Yu Yan always left him awkwardly unsure where to put his hands and feet. “Want to give it a try?”

He meant trying to release his Spiritual Body.

But Yu Yan asked, “Why didn’t you put a lid on it?”

You Fuzhou didn’t hesitate. “You said you were once locked in a tank like that. It must have been awful, so I left it open-topped with some gaps above.”

As he spoke, something occurred to him, and he handed Yu Yan a key. “This is the only key. From now on, only you can enter this room. But you can’t lock yourself in here and starve, and you can’t harm yourself.”

Yu Yan stared at the key nestled in You Fuzhou’s broad, dry palm, the Sentinel’s matter-of-fact words still echoing in his mind—words not every Sentinel could match.

Not even most Guides were this considerate.

And he was only twenty…

Yu Yan couldn’t name the emotion clogging his chest, but the complex feelings surging through him were even more intense than when he’d learned about the fish tank.

Instead of taking the key, he made a solemn decision.

He wanted to return the favor to this Sentinel, who seemed too perfect to be real, straight out of a fantasy. He looked at You Fuzhou. “Want to see my Mermaid form?”

You Fuzhou blinked, unfamiliar with Siren customs and unsure if it would be disrespectful. “…Is that okay?”

Truth be told, he was curious.

Yu Yan was the only S-Class Guide, the sole successful hybrid of human and Mermaid.

Most of all… he was stunningly attractive. You Fuzhou prided himself on never judging by appearances, yet Yu Yan’s face left him speechless, the first person he’d ever thought truly breathtaking.

—If he said that aloud, Li Santian and the others would call him a Versailles poster child.

After all, You Fuzhou had this face himself. They’d said countless times he was God’s most perfect creation.

Powerful, kind personality, and that flawless face without a single flaw.

Even 3D models weren’t as handsome.

“I don’t usually like letting others see my Mermaid form.”

Yu Yan said.

You Fuzhou instinctively wanted to say forget it, but before he could, Yu Yan smiled softly, his eyes curving gently as he told You Fuzhou, “But I want to show you.”

Yu Yan was a master manipulator.

He wanted to make it clear to You Fuzhou: he was special.

Yu Yan stood quietly before his Sentinel and asked, his simple words carrying layers of meaning, “Do you want to see?”

You Fuzhou wasn’t inept, just inexperienced. “…”

He paused, then followed his heart. “Yeah.”

He wanted to.

Yu Yan’s smile deepened as he stepped onto the platform You Fuzhou had built, ascending step by step.

The moment he grasped the hem of his shirt, You Fuzhou realized and turned away without hesitation.

Yu Yan tilted his head, eyeing You Fuzhou—whose ears had turned red down to his neck—with a touch of regret, but he wanted to tease him more.

No rush. Soon enough.

Yu Yan stripped off his clothes and dove into the water.

You Fuzhou cursed his Sentinel senses.

Even at max suppressor setting, he could clearly hear Yu Yan undressing, and the splash was even sharper.

Having held Yu Yan before, he roughly knew how solid his upper body was. He could picture it in his mind… Stop!!!

That was so rude!!!!!

“…You Fuzhou.”

A muffled voice came from behind, like an ancient chant—hazy, unreal, yet brushing his ears like silk, leaving his heart itching unbearably.

“Aren’t you going to look at me?”

You Fuzhou took a deep breath, steadied himself, and turned. The sight in the tank struck him like a spell, rooting his gaze in place.

Most Mermaids he’d seen were gorgeously colorful, dazzling to the eye, but Yu Yan was different.

His tail was pitch-black, yet shimmering rainbows glided across it as it moved—utterly unique.

That already aggressive face now sported fins, with faint, delicate black scales fanning out beneath his eyes.

One hand pressed against the tank glass, connected by webbing between unnaturally long fingers that ended in sharp black claws—fierce and inhuman.

His eyes had also shifted to a deep indigo hue, close to black yet distinct from it, carrying an extra layer of icy, inorganic oppression.

You Fuzhou barely noticed the vast expanse of toned muscle exposed across Yu Yan’s waist and abdomen. He stared, completely entranced.

…So handsome.

You Fuzhou was utterly dazed.

He really was that handsome.

This version of Yu Yan bore no trace of the stereotypical image people held of Guides. Instead, he evoked the image of some ferocious beast that had lurked in the ocean’s deepest trenches for years before being hauled up by humans.

Especially when Yu Yan parted his lips. His mouth opened to reveal a set of shark teeth—

You Fuzhou: “!!!”

Even handsomer!!!

This was a hundred times more impressive than his fighter jet…

Yu Yan could clearly sense the young Sentinel’s heartbeat thundering at an unnaturally rapid pace, yet he deliberately asked, “Is it… not good-looking?”

In a low voice, he added, “Half of my bloodline comes from the Shark Clan, so it’s not pretty…”

“…Yu Yan.”

You Fuzhou drew in a deep breath. For the first time, he didn’t coax or placate him—instead, the reaction seemed to delight Yu Yan. “You might need to rethink your sense of aesthetics.”

Yu Yan: “.”

He likes it this much?

He smiled, but with the mermaid features it brought—especially those pristine, razor-sharp shark teeth—the expression didn’t look like simple joy. It resembled the thrill of a predator who had just cornered its prey.

Yet You Fuzhou couldn’t hold himself back. He took a step closer.

Only then did he realize that Yu Yan’s mermaid form was far longer than his original body, giving him a somewhat massive presence.

“…”

Handsom-er and handsom-er.

No man could resist a mermaid this handsome.

None.