Chapter 27: Going Ashore
Chi Xiasheng’s heat came very suddenly.
One second, he was busy moving rocks with Wen Nian to catch the small gray fish hiding in the crevices.
But the next, he felt the world spin. His body went limp, and he collapsed powerlessly on a rock.
Wen Nian, who was still chasing the small gray fish, turned around and saw Chi Xiasheng lying on the rock. He was startled and even let go of the small gray fish he had caught, quickly swimming over.
“Xiaxia? What’s wrong?”
Two rosy blushes appeared on Chi Xiasheng’s cheeks. He gasped for a few breaths before shaking his head.
“I don’t know.”
As the temperature in Chi Xiasheng’s body rose, more and more small fish were attracted by the spiritual energy he was emitting. The small gray fish that had just escaped Wen Nian’s clutches was also drawn over, wagging its head as it looked at Chi Xiasheng.
Just as Wen Nian was wondering what to do, he looked up and saw a circle of fish with pink, love-filled bubbles around them. He was so shocked that he quickly hugged Chi Xiasheng and swam to find Wen Shu.
When Wen Shu saw Chi Xiasheng’s condition, she roughly knew what was going on.
“Xiaxia’s heat is here.”
Chi Xiasheng tilted his head in confusion. “Heat?”
Why does that word sound so strange?
“The merman race has a heat every hundred years. This is your first heat. It means you’re about to enter adulthood and will shed your cub identity to become a mature merman.”
Wen Shu patiently explained to Chi Xiasheng.
Although mermen were favored by the heavens and endowed with powerful abilities and exceptional beauty, they were still, at their core, half-human, half-fish creatures.
Like some animals, mermen also had heat cycles. And because mermen often lived for thousands of years, their heat cycles were very long, lasting from a year to as long as three to five years.
Hearing this, Chi Xiasheng thought back to his frequent weakness and fevers over the past six months. Could it be that his heat had already arrived, but he just hadn’t realized it?
“That should be it. You haven’t been taught before and don’t know about merman matters, so it’s easy to mistake it for an illness and ignore it.”
Wen Shu paused, then said with concern, “Xiaxia, have you ever… mated?”
Chi Xiasheng’s face turned red, and he shook his head in shame. “No.”
Wen Nian didn’t think there was anything to be embarrassed about. He had seen sea creatures mate all the time, so he said happily, “Me neither! I don’t like casual mating. Is Xiaxia the same?”
Seeing Wen Nian’s eager expression, as if he wanted to discuss it in depth, Chi Xiasheng’s face was already covered in a red blush. He turned his head away to avoid his gaze.
“No, don’t talk about it.”
Wen Shu also tapped Wen Nian on the head. “Don’t cause trouble. We’re talking about serious matters.”
Wen Nian stuck out his tongue and fell silent.
“Auntie Wen, then what should I do?”
Now that Chi Xiasheng knew the reason for his fevers, he naturally wanted to resolve the matter of his heat as soon as possible.
“Of course, find a partner to mate with!” Wen Shu had been through this before and gave him some very experienced advice. “There are many enlightened creatures in the sea. You can pick one you like. Like me, I had Wen Nian with a koi demon.”
Chi Xiasheng felt that Wen Shu’s tone was as if she were picking out cabbages by the roadside. Her casual attitude made him feel a little out of place.
“Then does Auntie Wen always… do that with Uncle Koi?”
Chi Xiasheng still felt a little embarrassed. After all, he had been single for twenty years and now had to discuss such matters with an elder. It really made him feel a little ashamed.
“I wouldn’t do it with that ugly thing so many times,” Wen Shu’s gentle tone was full of disdain. “It’s just that I didn’t have a better choice at the time. Otherwise, I prefer humans…”
At this point, Wen Shu’s tone suddenly paused. Her eyes became a little dim, and she lowered her gaze, not continuing to talk about herself.
“If you don’t like sea creatures, Xiaxia, you can also go to land to find one. But a fish demon would be more suitable for you. After all, they’re short, so it won’t hurt.”
Wen Shu sighed and continued, “But it’s not very satisfying either.”
Chi Xiasheng: “…”
Can you not talk about such explosive topics with such a nonchalant expression?
Chi Xiasheng felt that he was not suited to be a fish. The world of fish was too risqué, too unrestrained. He really couldn’t adapt.
“Your heat now is just a precursor. When it really comes, you won’t care so much. Lust will occupy all your thoughts, so you still need to find a suitable mating partner as soon as possible.”
Chi Xiasheng nodded. After talking with Wen Shu, he felt his strength had recovered a lot, and his face wasn’t so hot anymore.
With his strength back, Chi Xiasheng began to think about his heat.
Poking his head out of the sea, he looked at the sparkling surface and his gaze unconsciously turned towards the land.
He was, at heart, a conservative person. Before all this, his only thought had been to find a compatible partner and live a stable life together. But now, it seemed there was no time for him to fall in love first before reaching the stage of intimacy.
And…
Chi Xiasheng looked up at the land and felt that it was time to go back.
Since he had decided to leave, he needed to say goodbye to Wen Nian and the others.
But the moment Chi Xiasheng proposed going back to land, Wen Shu clapped her hands. “Alright, then let’s pack up and go to land!”
Wen Nian also shrieked with excitement on the side. “To land! I want to eat lots and lots of coconuts and fruits! And mooncakes!”
Chi Xiasheng had said before that mooncakes were eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and Wen Nian had been thinking about it ever since, so he was particularly excited now.
Chi Xiasheng was taken aback by their reaction, then couldn’t help but smile.
“Actually, Auntie Wen, you don’t have to accompany me. I can go by myself…”
Chi Xiasheng sensitively sensed Wen Shu’s thoughtfulness. This was the first time he had experienced an elder worrying about him going on a long trip and wanting to follow him. It made his heart feel warm.
Wen Shu’s voice was as gentle as ever, her eyes warm, as she interrupted him. “Of course I have to accompany you. Choosing a mating partner is a very important matter, especially since you’re so young. How could I let you go alone? Don’t worry, I know a lot of people on land. I’ll definitely help you choose the most suitable partner!”
With that, Wen Shu quickly went to pack. After all, time was of the essence. They had to go ashore as soon as possible.
While packing, Wen Nian saw the golden card under his bed and, with a cry of “oh,” handed it to Chi Xiasheng. “Xiaxia, I found this where I found you. Is it yours? It’s been under the bed all this time, I forgot about it.”
Chi Xiasheng’s hands paused. He looked at the bank card that Father Su had given him at Su Chimian’s birthday party, and an indescribable feeling welled up in his heart.
The grief had slowly been eroded by time, but looking at the card, he still felt a sense of unwillingness in his heart.
Why was I the one who was abandoned?
And for a fake son…
The thought of it still made his heart ache as if it were being pricked by a needle.
“What is this? I’ve never seen it before.”
Wen Nian was very curious about the card and blinked at Chi Xiasheng.
“A bank card. It’s useless now.”
Wen Nian wanted to ask what a bank card was, but seeing that Chi Xiasheng’s expression was not good, he stopped himself.
“Do you still want it?”
Chi Xiasheng shook his head calmly. “It’s useless. What’s the point of keeping it?”
In the end, the card was left under the shell bed at the bottom of the sea.
He hoped that when he returned here in the future and saw this card again, he would be able to face everything calmly.
After packing their few belongings, the three fish began to swim towards the land.
Swimming was very tiring. Wen Shu hadn’t swum for so long in a long time. Even when they had moved before, they had swum and stopped, taking half a month to move.
Chi Xiasheng was also not a skilled swimmer. Among the three of them, only Wen Nian was full of energy, eagerly rushing forward.
After swimming for a day, when they passed a small island, Wen Shu let out a long breath, feeling that they couldn’t go on like this. So, she transformed her legs and went ashore.
Her red fishtail transformed into a beautiful red dress, and her red hair turned reddish-brown, making the already gentle her even more soft and sexy.
“You two wait for me here.”
Chi Xiasheng and Wen Nian didn’t understand why Wen Shu had suddenly gone ashore. They looked at her with dazed expressions as she swayed her hips and walked onto the island.
Before she left, Wen Shu even patted their two dazed faces, thinking that the two of them were somewhat similar at times. Although Chi Xiasheng looked quiet, he was actually very slow emotionally and would often daze off, his mind empty. And Wen Nian, on the other hand, was so big-hearted that he had nothing to think about.
Sigh, what a pity, Wen Shu shook her head and sighed.
Seeing Wen Shu walk away, Wen Nian turned to Chi Xiasheng with a dazed expression. “Xiaxia, where did Mom go? Are we not swimming anymore?”
Chi Xiasheng rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment before saying confusedly, “Maybe… she went to find food?”
“Wow, I’m hungry too. I wonder if there are any delicious fruits on this island!”
At the mention of food, Wen Nian’s expression became a little excited, and he looked at the island with a longing expression.
Seeing Wen Nian so excited, Chi Xiasheng felt that he couldn’t just sit and wait. He planned to go ashore to see if there were any coconut trees and pick a coconut to rehydrate.
So, the two fish also transformed into human form and went ashore.
The moment they went ashore, Wen Nian, like a little fish diving into the water, happily looked around this deserted beach with curiosity.
Chi Xiasheng went ashore and found that this small island was not a deserted island. There were actually signs of human activity on the beach.
The place they had come ashore was behind a deserted forest, which blocked the full view of the small island. After walking out of this wild forest, Chi Xiasheng saw that there were actually human buildings in the flat area in the center of the small island!
Now Chi Xiasheng was a little surprised.
Wen Nian, on the other hand, didn’t care about these things. He looked at the forest and kicked it a couple of times with his foot, hoping to kick down another coconut to eat.
But no coconut fell. Instead, some small green fruits fell, hitting Wen Nian and a little boy on the head.
Hearing the human cub’s cry of surprise, Wen Nian was startled and, like he had stepped on a grasshopper, jumped behind Chi Xiasheng, hiding his head.
“Xiaxia, there’s… there’s a little cub over there!”
Chi Xiasheng also didn’t expect there to be a human on this island. He walked around the tree trunk and, seeing a little boy holding his head, he quickly went over to ask if he was okay.
Because he hadn’t walked so quickly in a long time, Chi Xiasheng stumbled. When he reached the child, he almost tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground.
The child had probably never seen an adult as clumsy as Chi Xiasheng, who couldn’t even walk properly. His grape-like black eyes stared blankly at Chi Xiasheng’s legs.
“Big brother, can’t you walk either?”
Hearing the word “either,” Chi Xiasheng was slightly taken aback. He looked down and saw the child’s wheelchair.
He had thought the child was injured and was in a wheelchair, but now, seeing the child’s limp legs, he guessed that he probably couldn’t walk at all.
“You… what are you doing here alone? Where are your parents?”
The little boy continued to stare at Chi Xiasheng’s face without blinking, not answering his question.
Chi Xiasheng had to change the question. “How old are you?”
The little boy’s slightly childish voice finally sounded. “I’m four years old.”
Hearing the child’s tender and childish voice, Chi Xiasheng couldn’t help but feel a sense of pity for him. He was so young and already unable to stand…
“Big brother, you should come home with me. If you can’t walk, you’ll be disliked in the adult world.”
The little boy looked at Chi Xiasheng’s face and couldn’t help but reach out and touch it. It was cool and smooth, just like the translucent jade at home.
Chi Xiasheng didn’t mind the little boy’s rudeness and instead asked, “Why would I be disliked for not being able to walk?”
“No one likes a little cripple,” the little boy said, thinking that this big brother might be a little stupid. He tilted his head and continued, “But I like it. A little cripple and a little cripple can play together.”
Chi Xiasheng couldn’t help but laugh.
The little boy continued, “If you’re disliked, you won’t be able to support yourself. But I’m different, I have a lot of money.”
The smile on the penniless Chi Xiasheng’s face slowly faded.
At this moment, Wen Nian also hesitantly came over. Seeing the human cub, he was still a little scared. After all, this was the first living human he had ever seen. Even though it was just a child, he was still a little nervous.
“I’m… I’m sorry, I hit your head earlier.”
The little boy shook his head magnanimously. “It’s okay. If you give me this big brother, we’ll be even.”
Wen Nian: ???
“No! He’s my good friend!”
The little boy pouted. “He’ll be my good friend soon!”
Wen Nian: “No! I just accidentally hit your head, but Xiaxia is still mine!”
His only good friend was being snatched away. Wen Nian was almost driven to tears by this human cub.
“Alright, alright…”
Chi Xiasheng acted as the peacemaker, mediating between the human and the fish.
“Niannian, don’t argue with him. He’s still young, he doesn’t understand these things.”
Wen Nian was unhappy. “I’m young too! I’m only a hundred years old, I’m still a baby cub!”
Chi Xiasheng was stunned by Wen Nian’s shameless claim. He stared with wide eyes, unable to react for a long time.
Just as Wen Nian was red in the face with anger, the little boy’s parents came looking for him.
“Bo Wenxing, why did you come here?”
A gentle and handsome man in a crisp white shirt slowly walked over.
Seeing Chi Xiasheng and Wen Nian standing next to the little boy, the man paused slightly, a hint of surprise in his eyes, but he still walked over to the little boy’s side without stopping.
He placed a small blanket on the little boy’s legs and nodded slightly at Chi Xiasheng.
“Uncle.”
Seeing the man, a smile appeared on the little boy’s face.
“Let’s go. The sun is about to set.”
The little boy pointed at Chi Xiasheng. “Uncle, let’s take him with us. He can’t walk either.”
Now the man turned his head in surprise and looked at Chi Xiasheng’s legs.
At this moment, Chi Xiasheng was squatting and half-kneeling on the beach to talk to the child. Seeing the man look at him, he quickly waved his hand. “No, I just fell because I was running too fast.”
Hearing this, the little boy’s eyes widened, and his starry eyes suddenly filled with tears.
“No, you… you couldn’t walk just now, sniff sniff…”
The little boy was probably not in good health, and his cries were not as strong as other normal children. His thin, weak voice was like a sick little kitten, making one’s heart soften.
Just as Chi Xiasheng was wondering how to comfort the child, the other’s uncle spoke again. “I’m sorry, children can be a bit noisy.”
The man in the white shirt looked at Chi Xiasheng and frowned slightly.
“Why do you look so familiar?”
Only then did Chi Xiasheng shift his gaze from the little boy and meet the man’s eyes.
Because he had completely transformed into a merman, Chi Xiasheng’s appearance was closer to the exquisite beauty of the merman race. Deep within his pupils, there was a silver-blue color that was invisible to ordinary people, like a jewel embedded inside.
The man who met his gaze was taken aback, feeling as if he had heard a siren singing softly in his ear. The strings of his heart were plucked, and his rhythm was almost disrupted. But his self-control was very strong, and he quickly steadied his expression.
At this moment, Chi Xiasheng also recognized who the man was.
When he was in the entertainment industry, he had heard of this person’s name—Bo Wenye, a very famous director in the industry. He had his own unique style in filming. Any TV series he directed would be a hit. And his eye for things was sharp. He often invested in hit dramas. In recent years, he had been transitioning, but he would still direct a drama every one or two years to maintain his feel for filming.
In this world that valued looks, Bo Wenye was also well-known for his handsome appearance and had even accumulated a group of loyal fans that were no less than those of a traffic star.
But Chi Xiasheng never expected to meet him on a small island in the middle of the sea.
Chi Xiasheng wanted to ask him about the island, but he was afraid of saying too much and exposing himself. And he had just made his nephew cry, so it didn’t seem like a good time to talk.
Bo Wenye felt that he should have seen Chi Xiasheng in the industry before, but then he thought, if he had seen him, he shouldn’t have no impression at all. After all, his looks were stunning enough to be considered a sensation in the industry.
“We have to go first. It’s getting late, Xingxing can’t catch a cold.”
Bo Wenye finally came back to his senses, pushed the little boy’s wheelchair, and, under Bo Wenxing’s wronged gaze, slowly walked away.
The sky was getting dark, and the red sunset clouds seemed to be about to fall into the sea. The sea and the sky were one, a dazzling red.
The trees by the side were cast in long, faint shadows by the setting sun. One of the tree shadows overlapped with Chi Xiasheng’s figure.
Seeing that he was still looking even after the other had walked away, Wen Nian waved his hand at him in confusion. “Xiaxia, do you like him? Do you want him to be your mating partner?”
Chi Xiasheng’s face instantly turned bright red. He didn’t know if the distant Bo Wenye had heard. He quickly covered Wen Nian’s mouth.
“Don’t talk nonsense! I wasn’t looking at him!”
Two rosy blushes appeared on Chi Xiasheng’s cheeks again. He looked up and met Bo Wenye’s gaze, who happened to be looking back.
His eyelid twitched, and he quickly looked away.
“Mmph, let go, mmph, you’re suffocating a fish!”
Wen Nian pulled Chi Xiasheng’s hand away and took a couple of deep breaths.
“Xiaxia, if you don’t, then you don’t. Why did you cover my mouth?”
Chi Xiasheng looked at Wen Nian’s pleading gaze and helplessly rubbed his head.
“In the human world, you can’t just say the word ‘mate.’ It’s impolite, Niannian.”
Wen Nian said, “Oh,” and squatted on the ground, continuing to look in the direction Wen Shu had left.
“Why isn’t Mom back yet? Xiaxia, do you think she doesn’t want us two fish anymore? Do you think she’s taken a liking to another human cub…”
Chi Xiasheng had originally thought the sea at sunset was quiet and beautiful, but now, with Wen Nian chattering in his ear, he had no mood to enjoy the scenery.
Wen Nian had probably been cooped up at the bottom of the sea for too long. Once his nature was unleashed, his mouth chattered on and on with no signs of stopping.
“Wen Nian, you’re so noisy.”
Wen Shu, wearing a pair of beautiful rhinestone high heels and a light beige dress, walked over gracefully.
“Mom!”
“Auntie Wen, you’re back!”
Wen Shu smiled and nodded slightly. “Let’s go. This small island should be a newly developed resort island. Let’s go to a human restaurant to eat first.”
Wen Nian threw away the branch in his hand and jumped to stand next to Wen Shu. “Wow! Food, food!”
Chi Xiasheng had guessed before that this small island might be a tourist destination like a resort; otherwise, there was no explanation for why Bo Wenye would be here with his little nephew.
But thinking of something, Chi Xiasheng frowned and hesitated. “But we don’t have any money. You have to pay to eat in a restaurant.”
Wen Shu, however, smiled brightly, her radiant face even more beautiful than the large sunset clouds behind her. “What do you think I went to do? A beautiful lady invited us to have dinner with her.”
Chi Xiasheng was taken aback and looked at Wen Shu with a dazed expression.
“Ah, isn’t that… not good…”
Wen Shu sighed. “Don’t be so rigid. The lady was very sincere. There’s no need for us to refuse her invitation.”
Chi Xiasheng was dizzily pulled along.
As they walked, the center of the island gradually revealed itself to the three of them.
The island was roughly oval-shaped. The southeastern side, where the three of them had come ashore, was covered in forests and gravel, with almost no signs of people. When they reached the flat central area, distinctive island houses became more numerous.
Chi Xiasheng saw a neatly paved stone path. On both sides of the path were various small shops with an island flair. There were also couples and families on vacation, strolling hand in hand, talking and laughing.
Some street vendors on the island were shouting loudly. The aroma of food from the restaurants wafted out, captivating Chi Xiasheng’s senses and making him rub his nose.
This overwhelming sense of lively, worldly atmosphere made Chi Xiasheng feel a little dazed. It was as if the vast silence of the seabed had been an illusion, and he had always lived in such a bustling place.
But Wen Nian’s chattering voice brought him back to reality. Looking at the two of them, smiling and talking beside him, a real sense of warmth suddenly filled Chi Xiasheng’s heart.
When the three of them arrived at the only hotel on the island, the last sliver of sunset glow was swallowed by the darkness, and the boundless night swept across the entire sky.
On a sofa in the hotel lobby, a cute girl with a bob haircut, wearing a pink sweatshirt, saw the two people next to Wen Shu and stood up in surprise, her mouth almost agape.
“Sister Xiaoshu, they are…”
Wen Shu had told her she was bringing two of her kinsmen over. The girl, momentarily captivated by Wen Shu’s beauty, had immediately agreed. When she learned they had no place to stay, she had generously booked two rooms for them.
Afterwards, Bai Ranran almost died of regret, thinking, How could I have agreed just because the pretty lady was beautiful!
What if Wen Shu was a bad person…
Ah, Bai Ranran thought, there’s no way such a beautiful person could be bad. Sister Wen Shu just wants to get to know me, she wouldn’t deceive me!
Bai Ranran, the ultimate sucker for a pretty face, now saw the kinsmen Wen Shu had brought back and felt as if she were floating on air. Her infatuated eyes sparkled.
Such handsome men and beautiful women! What kind of race are they? Is their special trait producing beauties?
Don’t be fooled by Wen Nian’s talkativeness. When faced with humans, he would just shyly shrink back.
Chi Xiasheng was pushed forward and had to brace himself to greet her.
“Hello, thank you for inviting us…”
“It’s no problem, no problem! I love eating with beautiful people! I can eat an extra bowl!”
Bai Ranran saw Chi Xiasheng’s face, wiped the non-existent drool from the corner of her mouth, and said coyly, “Little brother, what’s your name? I think you look a bit like my next boyfriend.”
Wen Nian glanced at Chi Xiasheng’s face and whispered doubtfully in his ear, “Xiaxia, why do you look like her next boyfriend?”
Chi Xiasheng pushed Wen Nian’s little head back down.
Breaking out in a cold sweat, Chi Xiasheng looked at Wen Shu pleadingly. “Auntie Wen, maybe we should go back…”
“No, you don’t talk.”
Wen Shu pressed a finger to Chi Xiasheng’s lips. “You just need to quietly sell your looks.”
Chi Xiasheng: “…”
In the end, because Wen Shu rejected Chi Xiasheng’s suggestion, the three of them ended up staying at the hotel.
Bai Ranran thoughtfully took them on a tour, introducing the island’s scenery.
Wen Nian pouted, thinking, What’s there to see at night? It’s pitch black, you can’t see anything.
Wen Shu gently tapped him on the head. “Be quiet.”
Wen Nian ducked his head again, looking wronged.
Bai Ranran, however, was very happy. Being with good-looking people put her in a good mood. She chirped like a little bird as she walked ahead, pointing to the people on the beach.
“There’s a film crew over there. I came here to visit Sister Qiu Li on set.”
Hearing the familiar name, Chi Xiasheng was taken aback and turned to look towards the beach.
