Chapter 76: The Angler Prince and the Big Mermaid
The blue sea was calm and windless, gentle waves lapping against the royal ship and… a small boat beside it.
The little prince of the Donut Kingdom, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, his face slightly sweaty, his lips pursed in concentration, looked like he was about to fall asleep. But in the next second, he abruptly stood up, reeling in his fishing line, the small boat rocking violently.
“Hey—”
Ning Zhixia, one foot on the edge of the boat, pulled hard, the shiny fishhook glinting mockingly in the sunlight, a testament to his two wasted hours.
“How’s it going?”
The court painter, the prince’s closest friend, waved his brush and called out from the railing of the main ship.
“Not good!”
Having caught nothing for days, Ning Zhixia shook his empty bucket, a dark cloud hanging over his head. “I suspect the fish in this sea are all spirits! They eat my bait and run off!”
“I told you that magic mirror’s prophecy wasn’t reliable, but you wouldn’t listen.” Qu Banqing chuckled mercilessly. “Now you’ve wasted five hundred gold coins and suffered for three days.”
Ning Zhixia paddled towards the ship, the small boat bumping against it with a thud.
“Not necessarily, I think the beast-eared wolf boy who sold the mirror seemed like a good kid.” The kind prince wasn’t heartbroken about his potentially wasted money, firmly believing he could find the rare fish mentioned in the prophecy.
“Are you still fishing then?” Qu Banqing lowered a rope ladder, looking at his sunburnt nose with concern. “Should we… go back?”
“Hmm…” Ning Zhixia hesitated, glanced at the shimmering sea surface, and nodded reluctantly, “Fine, if we don’t catch anything tomorrow, we’ll go back.”
The little prince’s dejected voice drifted over the waves towards the horizon.
He took his friend’s hand and climbed onto the ship, ready for a bowl of chilled sweet soup in the cabin.
The next day, despite his attendants’ protests, the stubborn little prince decided to try again—
“I won’t lose to the wind, and I won’t lose to the rain!”
Ning Zhixia declared, paddling vigorously.
His friend, leaning on the railing, yelled, “At least get a bigger boat, you idiot!”
What was the point of being so enthusiastic when he hadn’t even moved five meters?
The sun was scorching, and even with his hat, Ning Zhixia felt the glare. He quickly cast his line, planning to reel it in after an hour.
But it seemed all his fishing luck was concentrated on today. Ning Zhixia caught four or five plump salmon, then cast his line again, and pulled up… a giant clam?
A pale red giant clam was rare, and the flesh inside seemed to contain a large, glowing pearl.
But… could you even catch that with a fishing rod?
Ning Zhixia scratched his head, puzzled, but it didn’t dampen his joy. He wanted to parade around the palace with his boat full of fish.
“Look! I caught it!”
He held up the clam, waving excitedly at the ship’s crew and Qu Banqing.
“What did he catch…”
Qu Banqing squinted, unable to see clearly, then noticed a silvery-gray shimmer on the sea surface, gradually approaching the small boat.
He made a puzzled sound and raised his telescope.
When a shimmering ear fin appeared in the lens, his heart leaped—
“Your Highness! Come back!”
His fingers tightened around the railing, and Qu Banqing leaned over, yelling towards the small boat.
The crashing waves drowned out most of his voice.
The clueless little prince, holding the clam, turned his head and froze.
Silver-gray hair, intertwined with water droplets, clung to a bare, muscular chest. A fishtail swayed beneath the surface, and the creature of his fantasies leaned against the edge of the boat, tilting its head and looking at the stunned young man.
Ning Zhixia gasped, but couldn’t help but take a few steps closer.
Light-colored eyes traced the prince’s sun-kissed face, then landed on the large shell in his hand, his lips curving into a smile as a melodious tune escaped them: [You’ve caught me.]
The unique voice was more beautiful than any court music, and although Ning Zhixia didn’t understand the words, he sensed no malice, even a strange sense of joy.
Because the fishtail beneath the surface was swaying playfully, like… a dog seeing a bone?
Ning Zhixia chuckled at the thought and leaned closer to look, then noticed a faint blush spreading across the translucent fin.
“Ah…” He was momentarily stunned. “…So pretty.”
Qu Banqing directed the ship closer, his heart pounding, and he saw that the prince was not only unharmed, but also blushing, struggling to carry a merman onto the deck.
“Gah—”
Qu Banqing was almost in tears, clutching his philtrum and yelling, “Why did you bring him on board?! Throw him back!”
The merman, placed on the deck, weakly leaned against the prince, his ear fins drooping listlessly.
The kind little prince, who had been rubbing his sore back, immediately felt sympathy and hugged him, “But he’s injured…”
“Injured?”
Qu Banqing looked him over and raised an eyebrow.
The powerful tail fin, capable of shattering ships, did have a small tear, but for a creature that ruled the ocean, this was like scraping your knee while walking, completely illogical.
He was about to protest further when a large, fishy hand covered his mouth, silencing him.
“No need to say more, I’m taking him home!”
The little prince, his lips set in a defiant pout, ordered his crew to return.
Soon, the palace servants were bustling, and in no time, everyone knew that the little prince had brought back an exceptionally beautiful merman.
If the merman wasn’t so large and heavy, the perpetually single little prince would have carried him around the palace.
The little prince placed the merman in his bathroom, the large, circular pool spacious enough, and most importantly, conveniently located for him to visit first thing in the morning.
“Sorry, it’s probably too small for you, I’ll take you to my country estate as soon as the pool is finished there.”
Ning Zhixia squatted by the pool, apologizing as he poured healing potions into the water.
The merman didn’t seem to mind, swimming around the pool as if he were a king surveying his new territory.
“You seem to like it…”
Ning Zhixia, satisfied, went to his bedroom.
Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the gilded patterns on the walls, and a mysterious magic mirror hung on the wall, shimmering.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
The witch’s beautiful face appeared in the mirror, a smile on her lips, “How was your fishing trip?”
“Excellent!”
Ning Zhixia described his abundant catch, even showing her the pink clam.
He hugged the clam, glanced towards the bathroom, lowered his voice, and said, “Your prophecy was much more accurate than those fortune tellers at the church… I actually found the rare creature you mentioned!”
The witch: “Oh?”
“A silver-tailed merman!”
Ning Zhixia’s face flushed with excitement. “He’s so beautiful!”
The witch smiled knowingly: “Is that so? Congratulations.”
“Hee hee…”
Ning Zhixia tossed a few crystals into the mirror as a thank-you gift and left the bedroom, humming cheerfully.
The witch slowly glanced in the direction he had left, her image fading from the mirror.
The dragon and the centaurs, the little prince’s friends from another world, heard about the merman from the court painter and erupted into an argument at the tavern.
“Mermen are cunning creatures! They’re full of tricks!”
“Last year, I just scared his dolphins a little, and he almost flooded Dragon Isle with a tsunami!”
“Hit a rock with his tail while fighting a sea monster? Impossible!”
“He’s the lord of the sea now, who would dare provoke him? Unless it was some kind of year-end evaluation for sea monsters?”
The centaurs slammed their wooden mugs on the table, spilling the orange liquid.
The little prince, sipping his warm milk, absently nodded, his mind already planning what kind of cookies to bring back for the merman’s supper.
Although the merman didn’t talk much, he was always gentle and patient with him, even offering art lessons.
Ning Zhixia dismissed his friends’ warnings, attributing them to stereotypes, and became closer to the merman.
Mermen were intelligent creatures, and the kind prince, worried he would be bored, would often sit by the window and read him poems and stories.
The merman would lean against the edge of the pool, his chin resting on his hand, as if dozing, but whenever the prince’s voice stopped, he would open his eyes, flick a drop of water at him, and urge him to continue.
“Hey, Audrow, you almost got my new book wet!”
Ning Zhixia, having exchanged names with the merman, was more casual now.
He sat by the pool and pinched the base of his ear fin as punishment.
The leisurely swaying tail under the water froze, and Audrow looked up, grabbing his wrist.
The merman’s muscles, honed from years of swimming, were smooth and powerful, unlike the bulky knights in the arena. He released Ning Zhixia’s wrist, his large hand sliding down to his waist, gently patting it.
“Ear fins are sensitive, don’t touch them.”
“Oh… sorry…”
Ning Zhixia wanted to ask what would happen if he kept touching them, but he met Audrow’s seemingly calm gaze, his heart skipping a beat, and he instinctively retracted his hand.
Every creature had its own preferences and taboos.
For example, when he scratched a dragon’s chin, the majestic creature would fold its wings and lie down like a cat, purring contentedly.
If it was in a particularly good mood, it would even generously offer some gold coins.
Ning Zhixia didn’t dwell on the ear fin incident, but to apologize, he brought a plate of cupcakes and started chatting about the upcoming ball.
He knew the merman enjoyed hearing about things on land and chattered for a long time.
As Ning Zhixia sipped his juice, Audrow toyed with the jeweled buttons on his sleeve, “So you’ve been busy learning to dance lately?”
“Yes, it’s so difficult.” The little prince complained about his strict dance instructor.
“Really? I’ve never seen a human ball.” Audrow blinked. “You know, there aren’t many such lively events in the sea.”
Hearing the curiosity in his voice, Ning Zhixia stood up and demonstrated the new steps he had learned.
The thin fabric clung to his long, slender legs in their boots as he moved rhythmically.
“And then there’s this…”
Ning Zhixia gracefully spun around, bowed slightly, kissed his thumb, and looked up with a shy smile.
Audrow stared at him, a slow smile spreading across his lips.
“How was it, was I good?” Ning Zhixia hopped back and sat down.
Audrow’s gaze lingered on his long, graceful legs, his throat bobbing: “Good, what was that last move?”
Ning Zhixia smiled: “Just a kiss on the hand for my dance partner.”
“Is that so?”
Audrow took his hand, lowered his head, his warm breath brushing against his skin, leaving a damp spot.
Ning Zhixia was stunned, speechless.
The merman, not receiving a response, nuzzled his hand against Ning Zhixia’s thigh, then abruptly sat up.
Water splashed, warm breath against his cheek, but his expression remained calm and indifferent, as if he was simply curious, but beneath the surface, the diamond-shaped slit in his tail opened, a sharp blade almost touching his taut abdomen.
“It’s, it’s not like that, you just kiss your own thumb.”
Ning Zhixia’s face burned, and he quickly explained, turning away, “I have to go to class now, I’ll come and play with you after dinner.”
“Okay.”
Audrow didn’t mind his obvious avoidance and smiled.
His light-colored eyes greedily followed the retreating figure, the desire in them only fading when he was out of sight.
His tail swished softly in the water, and Audrow hummed a tune, the dim magic mirror in the bedroom suddenly glowing.
“My esteemed master, what are your commands?”
The witch’s cheerful voice echoed in the room.
The merman, leisurely enjoying the prince’s leftover cake, asked casually, “How long does it take to brew a potion for transforming into legs?”
The witch, as if prepared, smiled, “Whenever you need it.”
At the ball that night, the little prince seemed unwell, dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn’t slept for days.
“Don’t worry, it’s just the princess from the East, just dance for a while and you’ll be fine.”
Qu Banqing, thinking he was nervous about the ball, comforted him, then took his painting supplies and went to a corner to work.
Ning Zhixia straightened his bow tie and walked towards the princess from the East.
The princess from the mysterious kingdom had fox ears, similar to some of the half-beasts in his town.
She clearly didn’t enjoy balls either, and as Ning Zhixia greeted her, a beautiful woman approached.
“This is my priestess.” Princess Qiushui introduced her.
Ning Zhixia nodded at Priestess Yin, then his clothes were tugged, and he looked down to see four fox-eared children surrounding him.
“And these are…?”
“Yes, we have a lot of children.”
Priestess Yin raised an eyebrow.
Ning Zhixia’s eyes widened, he politely excused himself, and turned away to process this information.
Just then, the music stopped, and footsteps approached amidst a chorus of gasps.
The brilliant light from the chandelier elongated the newcomer’s tall figure.
He stood close to the prince, his silver-gray hair falling onto Ning Zhixia’s shoulder as he bent down slightly.
“Ah! Audrow!”
Ning Zhixia turned around, bumping his nose against Audrow’s hard collarbone, and took a step back, rubbing his nose, his eyes shining with surprise.
“You can grow legs?”
“Yes, with a little magic.” Audrow lowered his eyelashes, brushing the hair away from the prince’s forehead. “But it only lasts until midnight.”
Ning Zhixia: “I see…”
“Then let’s not waste time, I can dance the opening dance with you.”
Audrow took his hand and placed it on his chest, his other arm wrapping around his waist.
The colorful patterns on the carpet seemed to bloom under their feet as Ning Zhixia was gracefully twirled around.
As he landed in Audrow’s cool embrace, he suddenly realized, “Why are you leading?”
“You don’t expect me to bend over backwards under your arm, do you?” Audrow blinked.
Imagining the scene, even more comical than a court jester’s performance, Ning Zhixia chuckled and let himself be twirled around in the light.
Before the clock struck midnight, Ning Zhixia didn’t let the merman leave the ball alone and embarrassed.
Ignoring his father’s shocked expression, he took Audrow’s hand and snuck away to his bedroom.
The agile fishtail swayed in the water, and Ning Zhixia looked down, realizing that the merman had almost fully recovered.
The ball was intended as a prelude to an arranged marriage, but the little prince and the princess from the East hadn’t clicked, instead developing a friendship and going on a shopping spree together.
The worried king sent out invitations to other kingdoms, hoping to arrange his son’s marriage soon.
Rumors of the little prince’s engagement to a foreign princess spread throughout the palace.
Ning Zhixia, troubled, went to the bathroom, wanting to talk to Audrow, but found him listlessly lying by the pool, the cupcakes untouched.
This wasn’t normal!
“Audrow, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Ning Zhixia rushed to the poolside, touched the merman’s cheek, and was about to call for a physician.
But Audrow shook his head, played with Ning Zhixia’s fingers, and said absentmindedly, “It’s nothing, I’ve just been away from the sea for too long.”
The palace was far from the ocean, and the water in the pool, created with magic, was different from real seawater.
Moreover, a sea creature like a merman must be uncomfortable living in such a confined space.
Ning Zhixia, feeling guilty for his selfishness, decided to send Audrow back to the ocean.
Before Audrow’s condition worsened, Ning Zhixia used the excuse of welcoming the princesses’ fleet and set sail from the port with his ship.
The sea was calm, and if it weren’t for the sadness of parting with the merman, Ning Zhixia would have even gone fishing.
But as they approached their destination, the clouds darkened, and the experienced captain rushed to ask the prince if they should continue.
Ning Zhixia couldn’t risk the lives of his crew, so he had to release the merman here.
Audrow pressed his cold fingertip against Ning Zhixia’s lips, then turned and jumped overboard, his perfect form arcing gracefully as he disappeared beneath the waves.
“Goodbye, Audrow!”
Ning Zhixia waved, both sad and happy for him.
When the familiar figure was out of sight, he sighed and leaned against the railing dejectedly.
“Your Highness!”
The attendants suddenly screamed, drawing their swords and pointing at the sky.
Several thick, pink tentacles emerged from the sea, lashing out at the deck—
“Slap!”
“Slap!”
Suckers attached themselves to the wooden planks, pulling them downwards.
“W-what is that?!”
Five or six tentacles snaked across the deck as if searching for something, sending the attendants into a panic.
Ning Zhixia lost his balance, stumbled, and bumped against the railing, his eyes meeting a large, pink head.
“Yay, I found you!”
With the octopus sea monster’s cheerful cry, Ning Zhixia was wrapped in a tentacle.
“Oh my god, it’s a sea monster! Release His Highness!”
The attendants reacted, grabbing their swords and aiming them at the pink octopus.
The sea monster, unfazed, grabbed the prince and fled, not putting up a fight.
Ning Zhixia had never imagined being carried by a tentacle across the sea, until he saw the familiar reef in the distance, a silver-gray figure gracefully floating in the sunlight, and he stopped screaming.
It was Audrow!
He was saved!
Overjoyed, before he could even call for help, he was tossed by the octopus into the merman’s arms.
“Here you go!”
The octopus waved its tentacles happily, caught the pretty glass bottle Audrow tossed to it, and, delighted with its new toy, blew a stream of bubbles and quickly left.
Ning Zhixia, his arms around Audrow’s neck, blinked in confusion, then looked up and saw a smug smile on his handsome face.
He had a feeling that the sea monster and the merman had made a deal, and he was the merchandise!
Audrow leaned closer, his chin resting on Ning Zhixia’s shoulder, his nose nuzzling his neck, then he gently kissed the prince’s lips.
Their tongues tangled, and Ning Zhixia, flustered, grabbed his ear fin, a soft moan escaping his lips.
Audrow stopped, his breath catching in his throat, and instead of pushing away the hand on his ear fin, he leaned closer and licked the prince’s throat.
“You tricked me! You were fine all along!” Ning Zhixia said, both embarrassed and angry.
“I couldn’t just watch you marry someone else, Your Highness.” Audrow kissed his neck, his eyes half-closed, and reminded him, “You accepted my betrothal gift.”
“When did I—”
Ning Zhixia’s voice trailed off, his eyes widening in shock.
Oh my god! The giant clam! He had even proudly shown it off to everyone in the palace!
Now he understood. It had all been planned, and his resistance had only fueled the merman’s interest, who now pulled him deeper into the sea.
Spoils had to be taken back to the lair to be enjoyed slowly. The merman eagerly swam through the underwater cave, and when they resurfaced, they were in a palace garden pool on an unfamiliar island.
His pants were torn open, and luxurious clothes and silks were already prepared, fit for a prince, but not now, now he had to indulge in the pleasure he offered.
The merman’s nails were too sharp for delicate exploration, and Ning Zhixia, under his intense gaze, blushed, a bad premonition rising.
As expected, Audrow took his hand, placed it behind him, and with a suggestive smile, said, “Do it yourself.”
Ning Zhixia shook his head resolutely: “I won’t—”
Before he could finish, Audrow bent down and kissed his ear, sending shivers down his spine.
Ning Zhixia couldn’t resist, arching his back and obediently complying, soft moans escaping his lips, making the fishtail sway even more excitedly.
“Don’t look…” Ning Zhixia tried to cover those wicked eyes, but Audrow turned his head away.
“Why?” His tail brushed against Ning Zhixia’s leg, and Audrow raised an eyebrow.
Ning Zhixia snorted and tried to climb onto the shore.
Audrow pulled him back, their tongues tangling in a hungry kiss, swallowing his moans.
Ning Zhixia closed his eyes, offering no resistance, his breathing ragged as he was pushed against the edge of the pool.
His fingers tightened around Audrow’s arm, the powerful fishtail swaying, waves crashing against the jade steps.
Warm sunlight caressed his face, and Ning Zhixia arched his neck, his Adam’s apple bobbing, then he was suddenly flipped over, his upper body falling onto the shore.
“Bite down.”
His shirt was pulled up and stuffed into his mouth, silver-gray hair brushing against his smooth, trembling back.
The pampered prince obediently bit down on the fabric, whimpering like a puppy.
He didn’t know how long it had been, but when he was flipped over again, the orange-red sunset made his face burn.
His toes dipped into the water, creating ripples.
Ning Zhixia suddenly kicked Audrow’s shoulder.
Whether it was sweat or water, a dampness lingered on his foot.
“His Highness has quite a temper.”
Audrow wiped his mouth, his fingers lingering on Ning Zhixia’s smooth leg, then grabbed his ankle and pulled the human, who thought he could escape, back into the water.
The fishtail thrashed, the water churning, and before being completely consumed by pleasure, the angler prince thought resignedly, at least he had caught a unique and beautiful mermaid!
-END-
