Chapter 3: Choking
Deng Xi didn’t know why the silver-tail had suddenly stopped, but the life-threatening pain had momentarily robbed Deng Xi of his reason, and he bit down hard on the silver-tail in a fit of rage.
Only after he’d bitten him did he belatedly realize how brave he’d just been.
Deng Xi didn’t dare to move, sensing the emotionless gaze behind him. His mind started to race.
I’m about to leave this beautiful world.
And on an empty stomach, too.
Could I at least have a fish first? Just one.
Deng Xi’s spirits sank. What was he supposed to do?
Suddenly, a piece of the red medicinal grass that had scattered in the water drifted before Deng Xi’s eyes, carried by the current.
Deng Xi’s eyes lit up. I’ve got it!
While Si Jisheng was still thinking, a weak voice sounded by his ear. “I can take you to find this red seaweed.”
It wasn’t any language Si Jisheng was familiar with. On the surface, he had been too distracted to listen, but in the silence of the deep sea, the exceptionally ethereal melody entered his ears, amplified infinitely. It was as pleasant and beautiful as a song.
This song seemed to possess some kind of magic. The killing intent in Si Jisheng’s eyes slowly dissipated.
Deng Xi: “Can you understand what I’m saying?”
Of course, he could understand.
It was a very strange feeling. The unfamiliar language entered his ears and was automatically translated in his mind.
Si Jisheng attributed it to them being of the same kind.
He parted his lips, his Adam’s apple bobbing with difficulty. He paused, then closed his mouth again without a word.
The excessive silence from the silver-tail behind him made Deng Xi’s heart pound. He secretly bit his lip, his voice growing smaller and softer. “I don’t mean you any harm.”
There was still no movement from behind him. The large hand on his neck could end his life at any moment. The scent of blood grew thicker in his nostrils due to their proximity, and there was also the intense sense of danger emanating from the silver-tail, constantly setting off Deng Xi’s merman radar.
Deng Xi took a deep breath. His gills, as thin as a butterfly’s wings, fluttered slightly, brushing against the silver-tail’s cold fingertips, and then trembled again.
“I’ve lived here for over ten years, and you’re the first intelligent creature I’ve ever seen.” Deng Xi’s voice was very soft. “Are you really going to kill me?”
“I might be your only kinsman.”
Because he was afraid, Deng Xi’s voice trembled slightly, but his enunciation was clear, carrying an indescribable sense of resolve, not at all panicked. “You’re seriously injured right now. Without my help, you definitely won’t survive.”
But it was also extremely strange. It seemed to be right next to him, whispering in his ear, yet it also seemed to come from a particularly distant depth, ethereal and remote. Its special rhythm made every sentence irresistibly strike the heart.
“Please believe me.”
“My only kinsman.”
Si Jisheng’s silver eyes lost focus for a moment, then reconsolidated with extreme speed. He looked again at the blue-tailed Jiaoren imprisoned in his arms.
His gaze slowly swept down, inch by inch, from the delicate eyebrows and eyes to the lips that had been bitten a tender red, and then further down, to the fair neck held firmly in his hand.
Si Jisheng stared at this spot for a long time.
His substantial gaze was like the silver-tail’s cold fingertips, slowly, bit by bit, caressing his face.
Deng Xi didn’t even dare to blink or swallow.
He cursed viciously in his mind, Stare all you want! If you have the guts, then touch me.
Before the thought had even faded, Deng Xi’s Adam’s apple was gently rolled between his fingers. The pressure wasn’t great, but it sent a shiver through Deng Xi’s entire body.
The touch continued. The pads of his fingers, so cold they felt almost lifeless, circled the small, delicate, protruding point. Then, unlike the light pressure from before—in fact, the complete opposite—it was viciously pressed down.
Pain, nausea, and even suffocation all told Deng Xi in an intensely undeniable way that the other had seen through his little tricks.
Oh no, he’s a merman too. Of course he knows a merman’s voice can interfere with one’s mind. Deng Xi was so scared he squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for death to come.
But what came instead was a heavy weight on his shoulder.
So heavy.
The weight made Deng Xi stumble forward a fin’s length.
The silver-tail seemed to have collapsed onto Deng Xi from exhaustion, pressing the full weight of his body onto Deng Xi’s shoulders.
But only the hand on his neck, fitting snugly and without any slack, told Deng Xi that the other had agreed to his proposal.
He was using his actions to tell Deng Xi to take him to find that red medicinal grass.
Deng Xi couldn’t believe it. So he was just scaring him just now?
How despicable!
He shouldn’t have been curious!
He shouldn’t have been soft-hearted!
To have such a beautiful tail, but to be so malicious on the inside! What a trash kinsman!
Deng Xi huffed and puffed as he dragged the silver-tail toward the location of the red medicinal grass. Even though the seawater helped lighten the load, he was really, really heavy!!!
Deng Xi regretted it. He was so tired from swimming.
He regretted it so much his guts were turning green.
Because he didn’t want any more physical contact—after all, both his and the blue-tail’s upper bodies were bare—Si Jisheng only used his two arms to prop himself up on the other’s shoulders. This posture was no longer simply a weak collapse; it was almost like he was pressing the other down.
But his kinsman was very dedicated, without a single complaint.
Obedient enough.
Si Jisheng’s silver eyes shifted slightly. A single glance at the blue-tailed Jiaoren’s clear blue eyes showed they were filled with defiance. He was surprisingly easy to read.
His only kinsman?
This was the last thought that flashed through Si Jisheng’s mind before darkness descended. The next second, the hands propped on his shoulders loosened slightly and slid down Deng Xi’s shoulders. Even the hand choking Deng Xi’s neck went limp.
“What’s wrong with you?” Deng Xi’s tone was strained. He was already trying to guess how the other planned to scare him next.
Unexpectedly, the response he got was the silver-tail’s head falling onto his shoulder blade, his chin landing right in the hollow of Deng Xi’s shoulder. The pain made Deng Xi hiss lightly.
Deng Xi: “You—”
Following that was the body pressing against his back. It was just as cold. Their skin touched, and with each of the silver-tail’s breaths, the thin layer of muscle rose and fell against his exposed back.
This was the first time Deng Xi had been so close to another merman. Of course, there had never been any other fish for him to get close to before.
As a result, he overreacted and threw the silver-tail off.
After realizing what he’d done, Deng Xi immediately grabbed the sinking silver-tail, muttering, “He’s not dead, is he?”
He looked at the silver-tail’s gills. At a glance, the silver gills seemed motionless. Deng Xi stared until his eyes were sore before he could make out that the other’s silver gills were trembling ever so slightly.
So he’s not dead yet.
But he’s not far from it.
Deng Xi let out a soft breath, and a string of bubbles rose in the water. He blinked, let go of his hand, and allowed the silver-tail to sink into the cold depths of the ocean.
The seabed was very deep. The silver-tail’s figure gradually disappeared from Deng Xi’s sight. Deng Xi poked his reddened neck. It hurt so much that he let out a string of bubbles and pulled his hand back, not daring to touch it again.
Deng Xi: “I’m really sorry this time.”
Deng Xi turned and, with a flick of his tail fin, continued to swim toward the location of the red medicinal grass. He had to go pick some to treat his injury. It really, really hurt!
And his stomach was so hungry.
·
The location of the red medicinal grass wasn’t fixed to just that one area. After all, the ocean was vast, and Deng Xi never stayed in one place for long. The merman’s inherited memories had taught Deng Xi a special way to find them, so he wouldn’t get lost.
After passing through a dark passage, a field of red coral appeared before him. Around the red coral, red seaweed grew sporadically.
“Finally here.”
Deng Xi was so tired that the speed at which his gills fluttered had increased significantly. He took a few breaths, letting out another string of bubbles.
Deng Xi shook his head, and all the bubbles popped.
As he relaxed, the “fish” draped over his shoulder also slid off his body and slowly sank to the seabed.
Deng Xi glanced at the still-unconscious silver-tail. Even though he was already very tired, he still rallied his spirits and cheered himself on internally.
You can do it!
I’m not tired!
Deng Xi turned and pulled up a few stalks of red seaweed, tying the silver-tail up securely. After all the preparations were done, Deng Xi leaned against the red coral and waited for the silver-tail to wake up.
The red medicinal grass tied around Si Jisheng leached its juices, which mixed with the seawater and simultaneously began to heal Si Jisheng’s injuries.
But this treatment was very limited, only enough for him to open his eyes and regain consciousness.
Struggling out of the darkness, Si Jisheng quickly realized that his entire body was tightly bound. In his current weakened state, he couldn’t break free.
The first thing his silver eyes did was to rely on instinct and look sharply in Deng Xi’s direction in the distance.
Even though the silver-tail couldn’t move right now, Deng Xi was still on high alert, as if facing a formidable enemy.
He’s tied up, so don’t be scared, don’t be scared!
Deng Xi flicked his tail fin and swam toward the silver-tail, stopping at a safe distance. “You passed out just now, but I still carried you over here.”
Deng Xi was nervous, but he kept his face taut. However, it was clear that his delicate features made it hard for him to look serious. He tried to make his tone as cold as the silver-tail’s expression. “I want to make a deal with you.”
Deng Xi held his breath, waiting for the silver-tail’s response.
The silver-tail didn’t speak or move.
Deng Xi: “…”
Is he a mute?!
Deng Xi: “You’re all tied up by me now!”
The silver-tail’s gaze remained indifferent.
Deng Xi: “…”
Deng Xi was frustrated.
“You probably don’t have much strength left, and your tail is injured, so you can’t swim very far. I didn’t want to save you at first.”
Deng Xi’s face was sullen, and his tone was not friendly. “But I’m very hungry right now.”
Deng Xi: “I’ll help you heal with this red seaweed, and after you regain your strength, you’ll help me catch something to eat.”
The silver-tail was silent.
Deng Xi held up one finger. “Just one fish will do.”
The silver-tail remained silent.
He had observed that his kinsman didn’t have a single injury on him. As a Jiaoren, how could he possibly not be able to catch even a single fish?
Deng Xi got angry. “Why aren’t you talking?”
Si Jisheng closed his eyes.
Deng Xi: “?”
Deng Xi was really angry now.
“You can’t talk, can you?” Deng Xi’s light blue pupils curved slightly, the same pale color as the sky. He smiled beautifully. “Little Mute?”
You guys think he might be a mute?
The nightmare and reality overlapped at this moment.
Si Jisheng’s eyes snapped open, and he glared at Deng Xi.
His silver pupils became slits, and a fierce hostility surged.
