Chapter 55: Little Jellyfish
It was like on the way home, I suddenly saw a rose. I thought you would like it, so I brought it back for you.
A gift could be long-planned, or it could be a sudden whim.
The star-sized, translucent golden conch shell was faintly visible under his silver hair. Its spirals were intricate, complementing the golden epaulets on his black military uniform.
Deng Xi held up his own and slightly turned his head, revealing the ear under his golden hair. “Little Mute, help me put it on.”
Si Jisheng took the bright silver little conch shell from Deng Xi, slightly lowered his head, and, with his eyes lowered, attached the earring to Deng Xi’s earlobe.
The feeling of wearing an earring was very novel. Deng Xi couldn’t help but raise his hand to touch it, to confirm that it was still there.
Si Jisheng’s fingertips curled slightly. “Do you know how to use it?”
Deng Xi was stunned for a moment, then honestly shook his head. He curved his eyelids. “Little Mute, teach me.”
Si Jisheng extended his fingertip and touched Deng Xi’s earlobe.
His sensitive ear was pinched. The touch was magnified by the rough gun calluses on the pad of his finger. Si Jisheng lowered his eyes and watched as Deng Xi’s ear turned red, bit by bit. A faint smile appeared in his eyes.
Because they were too close, their breaths were almost intertwined. Deng Xi didn’t know why, but his face was a little hot. The sticky breath came out of his nose and sprinkled on the cold, white neck of the man before him.
Deng Xi raised his hand and fanned himself. His nasal voice was stuffy and muffled. “It’s so hot.”
Si Jisheng’s movements paused slightly. He also learned from Deng Xi and squeezed out a low “hmm?” from his nasal voice, asking, “Is it hot?”
Deng Xi blinked his clueless blue eyes. “Isn’t Little Mute hot?”
Si Jisheng shook his head slightly. “Concentrate.”
He pressed the tip of the conch shell, and the pad of his finger also rubbed against the pink, tender earlobe. He said seriously, “Press once to start recording. After you’re done recording, press a second time to save it.”
But Deng Xi only heard a few words. He didn’t know why he felt even hotter. He said in a small voice, “I know.”
What first time, second time, it was very simple. He had remembered it all!
After getting Deng Xi’s response, Si Jisheng let go of his hand. “I also have a gift I want to give you.”
Deng Xi’s misty eyes widened, filled with pleasant surprise and anticipation. “What, what? What gift?!”
Si Jisheng got up, found a damp wooden box on the flying ship, and placed it on the table. “Open it and see.”
The reddish-brown wooden box was not locked. After Deng Xi lifted it, he saw a palm-sized shell inside. The pearly white shell still had damp seawater on it. His eyes lit up. “This is the second shell that Little Mute has given me.”
The first was the shell bed for him to sleep in.
Si Jisheng denied, “It’s not a shell.”
Deng Xi blinked in confusion.
“Keep opening.”
The pearly white shell was like a mysterious gift box. Deng Xi carefully opened it to see the treasure inside.
A soft tentacle unexpectedly wrapped around his fingertip, soft and damp. With every breath, its transparent body would flash.
Deng Xi blinked blankly for a moment, thinking that he was hallucinating. He frantically looked at the little mute, then at the small creature in the shell. After a long while, he curved his eyelids.
He was clearly very happy, very pleasantly surprised, but he couldn’t help but have a hoarseness in his voice. “It’s the little jellyfish.”
Deng Xi said softly again, “It’s my little jellyfish.”
The little jellyfish seemed to be able to understand. More tentacles wrapped around him, as if to say silently.
I’ve come to find you.
Deng Xi’s eyelids trembled, and his blue eyes filled with tears. He greeted it happily, “Long time no see.”
He extended his fingertip and poked the little jellyfish’s head.
The little jellyfish was poked and swayed. It clumsily swayed its transparent body. Even so, it still clung to Deng Xi’s finger even more tightly.
It seemed to be asking with great concern.
Where did you go? Me and that stupid whale waited for you for a long, long time.
The corners of Deng Xi’s eyes turned slightly red. He explained anxiously, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to abandon you. I just didn’t have time to tell you.”
The little jellyfish blinked, its light soft.
It’s okay, as long as you’re okay.
Deng Xi couldn’t help but curve his eyes into a smile.
“Because that was a primitive planet, and there was no positioning, it took a long time to find them. I’m sorry,” Si Jisheng said in a low voice.
The day after Deng Xi had decided to stay, Si Jisheng had instructed the military to send out people to investigate. He would pay attention to the progress every day. Fortunately, the blue whale had always kept the little jellyfish with it and had been waiting for Deng Xi to come back in the same place, without going to other sea areas.
Using a carpet search with a thermal energy instrument, they had finally succeeded in finding them.
But—
“I showed them your picture and asked them if they were willing to leave the ocean. They are very intelligent and understood.”
Big Whale flicked its fin and quietly revealed the shell on its back. In the end, it was this little jellyfish in the shell that had taken the initiative to go with the military personnel.
Si Jisheng did not force them and had them return to the capital star immediately. Today, this well-protected wooden box had arrived in his hands.
Deng Xi realized something. “Did Big Whale stay in the ocean?”
Si Jisheng said comfortingly, “Don’t be sad.”
Deng Xi revealed a smile. “I’m not sad, because I was the one who picked up the little jellyfish. The little jellyfish only has me.” He said quietly, “But Big Whale is different. It has its own pod.”
“If it leaves the ocean, I will be very happy.”
“If Big Whale stays in the ocean, I will also be very happy, because I know that Big Whale doesn’t have to worry about me anymore.”
Deng Xi let go of the little jellyfish, suddenly turned around, and gave the little mute a big hug. “Thank you for the gift, Little Mute. I really like it.”
He curved his eyelids and said softly, “I forgive Little Mute for not being a bad little dog.”
A liar would not remember everything he had promised so clearly. The little mute had remembered every word he had said.
He had a large shell to sleep in, an endless supply of food every day, and a new group of ocean friends.
He had also seen the little jellyfish he had wanted to see and had gotten news of Big Whale.
The little mute had done it all.
So amazing.
Then can you, continue to work hard?
Don’t hurt yourself for the sake of humans anymore.
Sensing the slight stiffness of the little mute’s body, the hand on his shoulder seemed to want to push him away. Deng Xi buried his head even more tightly. He said softly, “I’m a little hot, but Little Mute’s body is very cool. Can I hold you for a while?”
“Besides us, only the little jellyfish saw.”
Don’t be afraid of being misunderstood by others.
The Jiaoren’s low body temperature was slowly assimilated by the warmth of the little merman’s body. Si Jisheng waited for a moment, then suddenly said in a low voice, “It is a bit hot.”
But he still hugged Deng Xi back, absorbing the warmth from his body.
Like two injured animals licking each other’s wounds.
Deng Xi touched the small golden conch shell that was so close to him. His fingertips inevitably touched the base of his ear, where his silver hair hung down. He said seriously, “I will take good care of the little jellyfish.”
“Then can Little Mute also treat the gift I gave him seriously?”
With every word Deng Xi said, a warm breath would softly spray over. Si Jisheng slightly turned his head, not in the opposite direction, but towards Deng Xi.
Their noses were almost rubbing against each other.
It was so ambiguous it didn’t look like a normal friendship at all.
Deng Xi’s breathing became even hotter, and his heart was beating very, very fast for some reason. When the little mute opened his lips to speak, he looked at those thin lips and seemed to have returned to that dim and lightless treatment room, to the afternoon when he had been pressed under the silver Jiaoren, unable to move.
His heartbeat reached its peak in an instant.
Si Jisheng: “How should I treat it?”
Deng Xi replied in a daze, “You have to listen to it every day, you can’t forget. Even if there are no new recordings, you have to listen to the old ones.”
He emphasized again, “You have to listen to my song every, every day.”
Si Jisheng replied with a sound, “Alright.”
Deng Xi couldn’t help but curve his eyes into a smile. After his attention was diverted, he found that his heartbeat didn’t seem to be as fast anymore, but he could still feel the vibration in his eardrums.
Deng Xi pricked up his ears and listened carefully. After a long while, he finally found the true source of the heartbeat. It was the chest he was pressed against.
He said blankly, “Little Mute’s heartbeat is so fast.”
Si Jisheng did not deny it. He squeezed out a low “hmm” from his nasal cavity. “I’m sorry, I can’t control it.”
Deng Xi was so hot he could barely breathe. “Is it because it’s too hot?”
Then it would be fine if he let go, right?
Just as Deng Xi had propped himself up, he was pressed back by a large palm. A low, hoarse voice sounded by his ear. Although it was the same tone as usual, indifferent, it seemed to be a little different.
Si Jisheng asked in return, “Didn’t you say you wanted a hug?”
