Chapter 32: But I Like You
Every breath was painful.
It had been a misunderstanding from the very beginning. They were not of the same kind, yet they had both mistaken each other for their own. But in reality, the truly vile and cruel race had always been only him.
Si Jisheng had never been so clearly aware of himself. He leaned forward, and the military greatcoat draped over his shoulders fell to the ground due to his movement. The shoulders and neck, which had been pressed down by heavy medals for years, were suddenly relieved. He learned the merman’s language that Deng Xi had spoken at that time and, almost perfectly, replicated it, “But I like you.”
The low, magnetic, and hoarse voice entered his ears. Deng Xi’s crying paused, and he widened his eyes slightly, then blinked very lightly. The tears in his blue eyes dripped down, and his blurry vision instantly became clear.
What met his eyes was a pair of pale silver pupils.
Reflected in them was a very, very small figure, which was Deng Xi himself. Besides him, Deng Xi always felt that there were many, many things hidden inside that he couldn’t understand.
It also seemed very sad.
Deng Xi really wanted to touch it.
Si Jisheng switched back to the human language and, for the first time, said Deng Xi’s name in the interstellar language. He said, “I also really like… Deng Xi.”
Because he was not very proficient, it was still a bit stilted.
Choose him again, firmly.
He pleaded humbly, “Can you stay for me?”
Deng Xi blinked, and another tear fell.
Si Jisheng waited for a while.
But the little merman just quietly looked at the silver-tail and shed tears.
His oppressed chest also began to ache. Si Jisheng closed his eyes, and even the root of his tongue seemed to be bitter. “The starship to take you back to the ocean is already prepared. If you want—”
“My tail hurts.”
The interrupted words paused.
Deng Xi buried his face in the little mute’s shoulder and neck, wiping his wet tear stains on the human’s clothes. He said in a muffled voice, “I’m dehydrated.”
Si Jisheng was slightly stunned. Soon, a very faint smile appeared in his silver eyes. He picked Deng Xi up. “Can you hold on?”
Deng Xi nodded his little head and “hmm”-ed twice.
The blue fish tail began to wrap around Si Jisheng’s leg from the waist down. He bent down and picked up the military greatcoat from the ground, draping it over Deng Xi’s body, covering his bare back. Then he kicked away the wheelchair, opened the door of the conference room, and strode away without looking sideways.
Aier, who was waiting outside the door, widened her eyes in disbelief and quickly ran after him. “Marshal, where are you taking Deng Xi? I can lead the way. Deng Xi’s living quarters are this way. Marshal? Your Excellency?”
Hearing the voice, Deng Xi moved under the greatcoat, wanting to peek his head out, but was pressed back by a large palm. By his ear was the little mute’s voice, which was completely different from just now. His tone was cold. “Didn’t you say I was the first treatment subject?”
Si Jisheng: “Then before I have fully recovered, as my therapist, he will naturally stay by my side.”
This was simply a robber!
Aier gasped. She desperately tried to think of a way. Just as she was about to contact the director, the robber in her eyes spoke again, “The document that the research institute reported this morning has been signed by the military, the Council of Elders, and the royal family.”
Si Jisheng stepped into the research institute’s elevator and said politely, “I’m sorry to trouble you, but please extend my thanks to your director.”
The elevator doors instantly closed before her eyes. Aier watched helplessly as the elevator shot straight into the sky, reaching the top floor of the building.
The elevator doors opened again, and what met his eyes was a flying ship that had been waiting for a long time. The adjutant was leaning against the outside of the ship. Seeing the Marshal striding over, he immediately stood up straight and saluted. “Marshal, the water tank you requested has been prepared.”
Si Jisheng replied coldly.
As the adjutant was reporting, he couldn’t help but look at the blue fish tail wrapped under the military greatcoat. He clicked his tongue. After meeting his commander’s emotionless gaze, he quickly looked away again. “Marshal, where are we flying to next? The military headquarters?”
Si Jisheng stepped onto the flying ship. “Go to District A.”
The only coastal area in the imperial capital.
The adjutant set the location to the piece of land he had bought overnight, turned on the autopilot, and got off the flying ship. The flying ship automatically entered the flight path and set off for its destination.
Deng Xi was not used to wearing human clothes. After he felt that his surroundings had become quiet, he lifted his face with some discomfort. With a single movement, the clothes draped over him fell to the ground.
He wrinkled his little nose in annoyance. Before he could react, he was placed in the water.
Deng Xi carefully pulled his tail away. His slightly dehydrated tail was submerged in the seawater, and it instantly felt much more comfortable. He looked around uneasily. What was even more unfamiliar was the little mute, who was walking with human legs.
He was a little tired from crying.
Deng Xi buried his face in the seawater, and the tear stains on his face were instantly wet again, leaving no trace.
Deng Xi thought, this was the last time.
The last time.
Deng Xi knew what it felt like to be lonely. He didn’t want his only kinsman to be alone in the human world, with no one to accompany him.
Deng Xi emerged from the water again and lay on the side of the water tank, watching as the little mute was busy with who knows what. He knocked on the water tank, making a very light sound.
Si Jisheng quickly turned back. When he walked over, there was a small, moving tail following behind him.
Deng Xi tilted his head curiously.
Si Jisheng followed his gaze and said, “This is a robot.”
Deng Xi: “What’s a robot?”
Si Jisheng explained in a way that Deng Xi could understand, “It’s like the blue whale that helped you move. Usually, when I’m not around, if you need any help, you can find them.”
It was a long sentence, but Deng Xi only heard a few words. He asked dejectedly, “Why isn’t Little Mute here?”
Si Jisheng paused for a moment.
The robot, which was only half a person’s height, was a step ahead of him. It reached the side of the water tank first and, according to its programming, raised its hands and steadily presented a tray to Deng Xi.
On the white porcelain plate were all kinds of seafood. Compared to yesterday’s monotonous salmon, it was very sumptuous.
It was clear at a glance that it had been carefully prepared.
Deng Xi: “Is this for me?”
Si Jisheng nodded slightly. He quietly took out a silver-white, ring-shaped comm. “Hand.”
Deng Xi extended his hand, and the next second, an iron ring was slipped onto his wrist. He knew nothing. “What is this?”
Si Jisheng explained patiently, “This is a comm.”
He rephrased it, “This is something that allows us to meet anytime, anywhere.”
Deng Xi pursed his lips, a little disbelieving. “Really?”
Si Jisheng took Deng Xi’s hand, and his fingertip tapped the surface of the silver ring. With a light swipe, the blue screen that Deng Xi was familiar with suddenly appeared in the air.
“After you open it, just say my name.”
The little mute’s name?
Deng Xi remembered, but he felt that it wasn’t those three words, but the name they used for each other.
Deng Xi said tentatively, “Little Mute?”
The interface of the blue screen suddenly changed.
Si Jisheng, who had personally set up this program, continued, “Press this icon.”
Deng Xi’s fingertip tapped lightly.
The next second, the comm on Si Jisheng’s knuckle automatically lit up with a blue screen. Because the system was set to give it priority, the call was automatically answered. A second little mute magically appeared before Deng Xi’s eyes.
The little mute appeared on his blue screen, and he appeared on the little mute’s blue screen.
Si Jisheng lowered his silver eyes slightly and hung up the call. “Try it yourself?”
Deng Xi tentatively imitated the little mute from just now, swiped the silver ring, then said “Little Mute” again, and pressed the icon again.
The call was successfully connected.
For Si Jisheng, it was a very small matter, but for Deng Xi, under Si Jisheng’s guidance, he had slowly taken the first and most important step into the human world.
It was a sense of security.
Deng Xi looked at the real little mute, then at the second little mute on the blue screen. His eyelids curved, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly, revealing his first smile of the day. His eyes were bright. “So magical!”
This way, the little mute would always be by his side.
“Anytime?”
“Mmm, anytime.”
Deng Xi looked at the little mute standing beside him. After explaining the comm, Si Jisheng was processing the unfinished seafood on the robot’s tray. His lowered silver eyes were focused and serious.
Very suddenly,
Deng Xi remembered the two words the little mute had said just now.
Like.
Deng Xi actually liked the little mute in both his merman and human forms. What he hated was the possibility that the little mute didn’t like him.
Deng Xi just wanted an equal return for his efforts, an equal affection.
He liked spending time with the little mute and wanted to live in the ocean with him.
He also wanted the little mute to be the same as him.
So, the little mute also liked spending time with him, right? Deng Xi’s eyes curved. The empty and bewildered feeling in his heart was suddenly filled with something.
He could try living in the human world.
Deng Xi looked down at his tail. But he couldn’t grow human legs. It didn’t matter, as long as there was seawater, as long as he had a small pool.
After this sumptuous lunch was over, Deng Xi, who was immersed in the fantasy of having to endure hardships with the little mute in the future, was carried to the transparent window of the flying ship.
Deng Xi looked out curiously. At first glance, his blue eyes widened, and he said in pleasant surprise, “It’s the ocean!”
A vast, boundless, transparent blue ocean, so distant that he couldn’t see the end. Compared to the small pool he had imagined, it was much, much larger.
The flying ship, which was flying high in the sky, slowly descended. After reaching a certain height above the sea, it stopped in place and automatically opened its cabin door.
Si Jisheng carried Deng Xi to the cabin door. Below them, only a few meters away, was the surface of the sea that Deng Xi had not seen for a long, long time.
Si Jisheng loosened his grip slightly. “Do you want to try jumping down?”
Deng Xi nodded vigorously.
Si Jisheng let go, and with a powerful flick of his blue tail fin, Deng Xi leaped from the flying ship into the sea and quickly disappeared into the water.
This ocean felt very unfamiliar to Deng Xi, but when he closed his eyes, he could feel the ocean’s tolerance and closeness to him.
It also liked Deng Xi very much.
It was even welcoming the little merman to come and play in the ocean.
After Deng Xi tentatively dived to a certain depth and got the ocean’s permission, he began to swim happily, flicking his tail fin. But soon, he swam back to the surface, looked up at the little mute in the sky, and waved his hand. “Little Mute, come down too!”
Because he had held the wet little merman, the seawater had already soaked his combat suit, making it stick to his body. Si Jisheng deftly took off his soaked top, then took off his black combat pants, revealing the Jiaoren’s pale skin and perfectly lined, thin muscles.
He was almost completely naked.
Deng Xi, on the surface of the sea, looked up and curiously observed the human’s body structure, his gaze finally landing on the triangular area.
What was that?
Mermaid lines 🤭