Chapter 74: Dangerous
The embrace was simply too sudden.
But Si Jisheng had immediately protected Deng Xi, who had jumped onto his back, and then, his body had instantly stiffened.
The little merman’s clear voice was both obedient and soft, and he recited the words one by one next to the little mute’s ear.
Seeing that the little mute was not speaking, Deng Xi tilted his head, his chin resting on his shoulder, and peeked at the expression on the silver-tail’s face. “Little Mute, speak.”
Deng Xi looked at him with an expectant expression, seeking praise.
So what if he didn’t tell him? He had still learned it!
Si Jisheng slowly inhaled the cold air into his lungs and, after a while, he avoided the question. “That’s very dangerous. You can’t suddenly jump on me next time, you know?”
Deng Xi perfunctorily nodded his head, and his blue eyes blinked, sparkling as he looked at the little mute.
Praise me, praise me.
Si Jisheng carried Deng Xi from his back to his front. The moment he lowered his eyes, he saw a pair of bare feet. He furrowed his brow. “Why aren’t you wearing shoes again?”
Deng Xi “hmm”-ed twice. “I’ll definitely remember next time!”
Si Jisheng replied with a faint sound.
Deng Xi, who had been ignored, was not satisfied. He repeated, “Little Mute, answer me quickly. Am I right?”
Si Jisheng’s reply was so low it was almost inaudible. It was almost a nasal sound that had been forcibly squeezed out. He carried Deng Xi and walked out without looking sideways.
The path ahead was suddenly blocked by a pair of blue eyes. Deng Xi, who had straightened up, lowered his exquisite little face and looked down. His curly golden hair, with his forward-leaning posture, fell strand by strand onto Si Jisheng’s body.
A few strands of golden hair, like specks of light, brushed against his face.
Deng Xi was relentless. “Am I right?”
His softened voice was particularly sticky as the last syllable was drawn out.
The fierce beast that was hidden in his silver eyes seemed to be finally unable to hold back. In an instant, it became obscure and dark. Si Jisheng stopped his steps and stared straight at Deng Xi, not hiding or avoiding. His pale eyes were so deep that they were bottomless.
His voice was deep, and his tone was almost coaxing. He said, word by word, “Say it again.”
Deng Xi, who had never been afraid of the silver-tail, couldn’t help but hide back, but a large palm held the back of his head. It was afraid that he would fall back, but to say that it was worried was an understatement. It was also a restraint, as if not allowing him to retreat in the slightest.
The hand that had taken off the mechanical finger sleeve was still cool. It was pressed against the slightly protruding cervical bone at the back of Deng Xi’s neck. It was clearly not moving, but it made Deng Xi couldn’t help but straighten his back as if he were trembling slightly.
He seemed to have been locked.
The other party had clearly told him that it was useless to avoid it. Since he had run into it himself, then he shouldn’t think about leaving again.
Uncomfortable.
Deng Xi shook his head. “Don’t touch.”
He was talking about the little mute’s hand that was pressing on his cervical bone.
But Si Jisheng turned a deaf ear. His palm slightly raised, almost forcing Deng Xi to move closer to him. “I didn’t hear clearly. Say it again.”
The clueless little merman pursed his lips. “Then, then I’ll say it again. Little Mute has to listen carefully.”
Si Jisheng replied with a low sound.
Deng Xi slowly recalled the two interstellar syllables he had just learned and vaguely spat out two words, speaking very slowly and reciting very seriously.
It was the merman’s language.
Deng Xi had converted those two words into the merman’s language and said them to the little mute.
Because he had not heard Deng Xi speak the merman’s language for a long time, Si Jisheng was stunned for a moment before he reacted. His eardrums instantly began to swell, and with his violent heartbeat, it was sometimes fast, sometimes slow, without any rhythm.
Deng Xi watched as the little mute slowly closed his eyes. The pupils that were staring at him seemed to have changed into a vertical shape for a moment, so fierce it was scary.
The merman’s sixth sense told Deng Xi that the little mute was very dangerous right now. What he had to do now was to immediately jump off him and then quickly hide in the shell and hide well.
So, he subconsciously shrank back, and the next second, he was blocked by the large palm behind his head.
Deng Xi belatedly realized that he seemed to be unable to escape.
He was like a little sloth hanging on a hunter with a gun, being held by his hips and his neck, and had already fallen deep into this cold and dangerous embrace.
The flustered little merman’s subconscious cry for help was even directed at the hunter who was restraining him. He complained very, very pitifully, “Little Mute is being fierce to me.”
The sanity that had been trapped in the beating sound was instantly pulled back by this sentence. The dangerous aura that had been spreading in the quiet air seemed to have disappeared completely in an instant.
Si Jisheng’s expression did not fluctuate in the slightest. He asked in return, “How was I fierce to you?”
Deng Xi was stumped. After a long while, he dizzily shook his head. He didn’t know, but it was just so scary.
Not the current little mute, but the one from just now.
“Anyway, you’re not allowed to scare me.” The little merman, who had sensed that the danger had retreated, began to cluelessly demand that the hunter from just now agree to this and that.
The stopped steps began to move again.
Si Jisheng looked ahead. “I didn’t scare you.”
“You did! Then did Little Mute hear clearly?”
“No.”
“Liar.” Deng Xi didn’t believe it.
“Mmm.” Si Jisheng generously admitted it.
Deng Xi was carried back to the sofa. The dirty feet were wiped clean one by one. Then, Si Jisheng continued to prepare today’s dinner.
Deng Xi glanced at the little mute who had his back to him. Thinking of the vertical pupils that had flashed by just now, he couldn’t help but walk to the rose-red shell and lift it to take a look.
The silver briefcase that he had hidden here a few days ago was still in its original place, without any change.
Deng Xi opened the briefcase and looked inside. After counting, he confirmed that the number of doses was the same as when he had received it, and only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. He looked back at the busy little mute and quietly closed the shell.
On the carpet next to the rose-red shell were Deng Xi’s scattered little toys, the puzzle picture frame that Bunny had given him, and the little whale pillow that he had just gotten back… they were all piled together.
This was Deng Xi’s little world. Si Jisheng would not set foot in it. Occasionally, when it was too messy to be seen, he would go and arrange them one by one.
Deng Xi dug out a calendar from the pile of toys. He had also bought this on the star network. Bunny had taught him for a long time before he had learned how to read a calendar.
Today was the 25th.
The number “30” at the end of this page of the calendar was circled in red.
Deng Xi counted. There were still 5 days until it was time for the little mute to take his medicine. He secretly memorized it in his heart, ensuring that he would not forget.
If he didn’t take much medicine, then could the situation from last time be avoided? Deng Xi thought for a moment. It seemed that it was from that day that he had started to, even if the little mute didn’t hug him, he couldn’t help but move closer and didn’t want to let go.
So strange.
Deng Xi closed the calendar in confusion, sat on the carpet and thought for a moment, and placed the calendar in a conspicuous place.
When it was time to sleep at night, Deng Xi transformed into his fish tail and soaked at the bottom of the pool. He didn’t feel anything on land, but when he swam to the bottom of the sea, the cool waves gently surged, and the low water temperature was so comfortable that Deng Xi never wanted to swim out of the water again.
It wasn’t until he saw the little mute walk over that Deng Xi swam back to the side of the pool, poked his head out, and the moment he broke through the water, the temperature was a mixture of cold and hot, so uncomfortable that Deng Xi let out a small, soft hum.
Si Jisheng took off his clothes, the military knife from his combat boots, the laser gun at his waist, and the pure black leather belt. These were all placed on the suspended table far from the pool, a place that Deng Xi couldn’t reach.
He saw the little merman in the pool, who was humming uncomfortably, and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“It’s hot.” Deng Xi flicked his tail fin and swam around restlessly, again and again. “It’s very hot on the surface of the water.”
Si Jisheng used his comm to check the central control system that was releasing cold air. After confirming that there was no problem, he looked up at the working pipes. Finally, he confirmed that the problem was with Deng Xi.
“Turn around first.”
Deng Xi obediently turned his back.
Si Jisheng stepped into the water, transformed into his silver fish tail, and swam towards the blue-tail. “Give me your hand.”
Deng Xi didn’t even peek. After getting permission, he turned back and lifted his hand out of the water.
The seawater flowed down from his wet palm, splashing the surface of the water into ripples, and was then loosely held by a large palm.
A touch and then gone.
Si Jisheng only touched it once before he withdrew his hand.
Deng Xi’s body temperature was normal, no different from when he was on land. Even with just a touch, he could feel the warmth.
But soon, Si Jisheng overturned this theory. His brow furrowed. A normal human’s body temperature was usually around 37 degrees Celsius, with the lowest being 36 degrees Celsius.
But mermen and Jiaoren were different. A merman’s body temperature was between 32-35 degrees Celsius, and the fluctuation was only due to hot and cold weather, or the difference between being on land and on the sea.
A Jiaoren’s would be lower, but it would not be below 30 degrees Celsius.
Si Jisheng touched Deng Xi’s hand again, his brow furrowing even more. He couldn’t be sure if Deng Xi’s body temperature had exceeded the critical value.
Even if a merman’s body temperature was normal, it was still higher than a Jiaoren’s. It was normal for him to feel a warm sensation.
Deng Xi stared blankly at his little hand being touched again and again. Finally, he shyly put it behind his back and guessed, “Am I sick?”
Si Jisheng replied calmly, “Wait a moment.”
Soon, the mechanical butler, who had received the order, brought over a thermometer. To get an accurate value, the thermometer Si Jisheng had chosen was relatively primitive.
“Open your mouth.”
Deng Xi raised his head and opened his lips, biting the mechanical pump head that was extended into his mouth. Before he could hold it, he was slightly withdrawn by someone, but it was still in his lips.
Si Jisheng reminded, “Don’t bite.”
Deng Xi obediently released his teeth. Because he was holding something, his cheeks were slightly puffed up, and his speech was slurred. “I know!”
Si Jisheng probed deeper with the mechanical pump head.
He stopped after reaching a certain depth.
Deng Xi held it for several minutes before the thermometer “beeped—”. Si Jisheng said in a low voice, “It’s done.”
The thermometer was withdrawn.
Deng Xi, who was slow to react, did not have time to open his lips. The moment it was withdrawn, he even pursed his lips inwards, making a very light and small “pop” sound.
Si Jisheng glanced at the temperature displayed on the thermometer—34.9 degrees Celsius.
A very dangerous number, just 0.1 away from the critical value.
It was like a volcano that was about to erupt. The lava was actually flowing under a thin layer of volcanic ash. No one knew if it would suddenly erupt in the next moment.
The little mute’s expression was very grave.
Deng Xi was a little uneasy. “Am I sick?”
He knew that humans would take their temperature when they had a fever. Would mermen do the same?
Si Jisheng frowned. The situation was not so bad that it required treatment. It was even very likely that it was just a false alarm.
He could only wait until tomorrow to go to the treatment center and see.
