Chapter 108
Xing Nuo trusted his brother completely and nodded without hesitation, hearing that it was time to leave.
He placed the little octopus on the deck and hopped over to the merpeople.
The merpeople were also slightly dazed. Although they couldn’t understand the conversation between the octopus and Xing Nuo, they sensed the close bond between them.
A sense of familiarity and trust, like between kin.
Xing Nuo stood in front of Qiu Ke, tilted his head up, and politely pointed at the conch.
“Big Brother, can I bowwow conch?”
The players, confused, but not wanting to offend the little merman who seemed close to the octopus, handed him the conch.
Xing Nuo held the conch and spoke into it.
“I no speak merpeople language. I wanted to tell you…I fake merman. Sowwy.”
Oxi, hearing the translated words, shook his head and, crouching down, his eyes meeting the little merman’s, gently pinched his cheek.
“No. You bwave little merman.”
Xing Nuo didn’t pull away, just smiled shyly, his dark eyes sparkling.
“I Xing Nuo. Student in Class Two…kindergarten. Happy to be fwiends.”
Oxi, understanding now, patted Xing Nuo’s head and nodded.
“Go where you want to go, Xing Nuo.”
Just as the clan leader and elder hadn’t stopped Xing Nuo from leaving with the little octopus, Oxi wouldn’t stop him either.
The little merman should go where he belonged.
He spoke into the conch, his voice filled with gratitude.
“Xing Nuo, no matter what you are, our clan owes you a debt of gratitude.”
Xing Nuo just shook his head. He didn’t need any reward.
He waved at Oxi and the other merpeople and hopped back to the little octopus.
He took the little octopus’s tentacle and, swinging it gently, asked:
“Where we go now?”
The little octopus climbed back onto Xing Nuo’s head and pointed towards the surface.
“Let’s go see the sunset!”
The sun was about to set.
The orange-red light painted the blue ocean, a breathtaking sight.
Inside the ship’s cabin.
The merpeople, having finally agreed to cooperate with the humans, found the other merman, who was being held captive on the lower deck.
The merman, surprised and overjoyed to see his kin, watched as they killed the monster guarding him, tears streaming down his face.
His tears turned into round, shimmering pearls.
A merman only cried tears that turned into pearls, known as “Mermaid’s Tears,” when they experienced immense joy.
As the sun finally set, the players realized they had been going about this dungeon all wrong.
They should have killed the monsters and rescued the merpeople to obtain the Mermaid’s Tears.
Not listened to the monsters and risked their lives for nothing.
Near the shore.
Xing Nuo, the little octopus on his head, climbed onto a large rock as the waves crashed against the shore.
His tail dangling in the water, he looked at the horizon, his eyes wide with wonder.
“Wow! Pwetty sunset!”
The little octopus waved its tentacles excitedly.
“Yes! I’ve seen it many times from here! Best view of sunset!”
Xing Nuo clapped his hands like a seal, his eyes sparkling, his tail slapping against the rock.
“Big Brother, being fishy so fun!”
The little octopus, looking at Xing Nuo’s joyful expression, its beady eyes also twinkling, felt a warmth spread through its usually cold and indifferent being.
It had always come here alone before, watching the sunset from this rock.
Back then, it had only felt bored and lonely.
The human textbooks were right!
Sharing beautiful scenery makes it even more meaningful.
Xing Nuo, counting on his fingers, listed the beautiful things he had seen.
“Coral reef so pwetty…jellyfish and sea angels too…and youw lair…sparkly!”
The little octopus hummed, watching the sun sink below the horizon, and smiled.
“Next time…I bring you again.”
Xing Nuo nodded eagerly, thinking about taking Daddy and Big Brother there too.
The little octopus just smiled and ruffled Xing Nuo’s hair with a tentacle.
“Okay. If you wemember.”
As darkness fell, it took out a Memory Hourglass.
Xing Nuo, vaguely recognizing the cone-shaped hourglass, watched as the little octopus mumbled something, and took off his crown.
The SSS-level crown, beautiful and sparkling, imbued with Shen Baizhou’s powerful energy, shimmered in his hand.
As Xing Nuo looked at it, his form began to fade.
Morning light filtered through the curtains, casting long shadows.
Xing Nuo, in his fluffy pajamas, woke up groggily.
It was Monday.
The thought made him sad, and he slumped his shoulders as his brother carried him to the bathroom and placed him on the small stool in front of the sink.
His curls drooped dejectedly.
Shen Yan straightened his curls, but they immediately flopped back down.
“So sad? Don’t want to go to kindergarten?”
Xing Nuo, who found kindergarten a daily torture, spat out the toothpaste foam and nodded.
“Kindygarten not fun.”
Shen Yan chuckled and poked his pouting cheek.
“Nonsense. The teacher posted pictures, and you were having the most fun on the slide.”
Teacher Xiao Song often posted pictures of the children in the class group chat.
Shen Yan would carefully examine every picture with Xing Nuo in it and save them on his phone.
Xing Nuo mumbled, rinsing the foam from his mouth.
“Not. I play slide…but miss Big Brother and Daddy.”
He then pouted.
“Daddy no see Zaizai…four days.”
He swung his little legs, sighing dramatically, his small back radiating an air of world-weariness.
“Daddy must miss me.”
Shen Yan, thinking about Shen Wen’s situation, also sighed.
“Alright, finish your breakfast. Big Brother will take you to kindergarten.”
Xing Nuo nibbled on his bun, then looked up and saw Shen Baizhou, his slippers shuffling, his uniform askew, rushing out of his bedroom with his backpack.
“Late! Late! Gotta go!”
He stuffed a bun in his mouth and ran out the door.
Xing Nuo, used to this scene, sighed again, his chin resting on his hand.
“Big Brother and me…so hawd life.”
Shen Yan chuckled, rubbing his forehead, and wiped the egg custard from Xing Nuo’s mouth.
“Just eat. You always complain about school.”
Xing Nuo, resigned to his fate, ate most of his bun and, holding his brother’s hand, went to kindergarten.
At the kindergarten gate.
Xing Nuo, led inside by Teacher Xiao Song, waved goodbye to his brother.
He put his backpack away, took out his small cloth, and meticulously wiped his desk and chair.
Little Fatty, plopping down in his seat next to him, pouted and snorted.
“Xing Nuo so fussy! We men…don’t care ’bout dirty.”
Having been quiet for two days, he couldn’t resist his usual taunting. He grinned smugly at Xing Nuo.
Xing Nuo sighed softly, ignoring Little Fatty, and put his cloth away.
He took out his water bottle and sipped through the straw.
Qingqing walked in listlessly, her face in her hands, her backpack still on her back, and sat down.
Xing Nuo leaned closer, his eyes filled with concern.
“Qingqing, what’s wrong?”
Qingqing sighed, her voice slightly teary.
“Xing Nuo, there are no mermaids! Waaah!”
She had been heartbroken all weekend.
Xing Nuo, hearing this, sighed and took out the little mermaid doll his brother had given him from his backpack, placing it on Qingqing’s desk.
“For you, Qingqing. My Big Brother bought it.”
Shen Yan, worried about Xing Nuo, had bought him a mermaid doll at the mall.
It was the little one’s first encounter with the harsh realities of the world, and he didn’t want him to be too heartbroken.
The little mermaid doll was soft and squishy, and Qingqing hugged it, her eyes lighting up.
“Xing Nuo, are you sure there are no mermaids?”
Xing Nuo shook his head firmly, his eyes bright.
“Yes, there are!”
Little Fatty, still laughing, pointed at the doll, looking at them as if they were idiots.
“We’re six years old! Almost in elementary school! How can you still believe in such childish things?”
Xing Nuo, usually too timid to argue with Little Fatty, put his hands on his hips and retorted:
“But you no pwoof…no mermaids!”
Their argument attracted Teacher Xiao Song’s attention.
She came over, carrying a stack of picture books, and told them to sit down.
“Today, Teacher will tell you another story about the Little Mermaid. Everyone sit down.”
After the story, Qingqing, her earlier doubts gone, clenched her fists, her belief in mermaids restored.
Because of their little argument, during lunch, Xing Nuo gave all his meat to Qingqing.
Little Fatty, who had been planning to take Xing Nuo’s meat, seeing it all gone, was furious.
“Why you give to Qingqing?!”
Xing Nuo, taking off his bib and folding it neatly, replied softly:
“It’s my food. I no want give you.”
Something about his words seemed to trigger Little Fatty, who burst into tears, collapsing onto the floor, wailing loudly.
Teacher Xiao Song hurried over to comfort him.
Qingqing, having happily devoured the meat, grabbed Xing Nuo’s hand and pulled him away.
During nap time, Xing Nuo, lying quietly on his cot, heard Little Fatty’s muffled sobs from the next bed.
Xing Nuo, hugging his mermaid doll, snuggled into his pillow and thought, Was Zaizai that mean?
He sighed softly and, seeing Teacher Xiao Song leave the room, quietly climbed out of bed and went to Little Fatty’s cot.
“Little Fatty, why you cwy?” he whispered.
Little Fatty always said mean things, but Xing Nuo had never cried.
Was it just because of a few pieces of meat?
Little Fatty, unable to explain, his tears still flowing, just curled up, hugging himself.
