Chapter 4: She Loves Me So Much

Jiang Yang transferred the two previous mummies and replaced them with two honest and diligent crew members, instructing them not to abuse the handsome merman.

This job was much better than rowing oars. This ocean-going ship was frighteningly large, and it took dozens of people to swing a single oar with all their might, so tiring that their hands almost broke off. It was not a good job. It was better to tame the merman. If successful, one might even get a good position.

Jiang Yang said this merman didn’t like rough treatment. It was easy to say, wasn’t it just coaxing! For the sake of future work, the two new crew members were all thinking of ways to build a good relationship with the merman.

After handling that, Jiang Yang returned to her room, “How long until we reach the Nalong Nation?”

Lan Qian said, “Second Miss, the waves have been strong these past few days and the ship is progressing slowly. It looks like it will take another half month to arrive.”

Half a month… Jiang Yang sprawled on the soft couch, so bored.

Lan Qian knelt beside the couch with a grin and said, “If Second Miss finds it boring, why don’t we go fishing at the rear of the ship?”

“Not interested.” Jiang Yang rolled over. She had already tried sea fishing when she first boarded the ship. At first she found it novel, but after fishing a few times, it wasn’t that interesting anymore.

Moreover, the sun at sea was vicious. Without sunscreen, the intense ultraviolet rays turned her face bright red and peeling in just a day. It was suffering.

She had thought that transmigrating into a matriarchal nation with such a noble identity, she should have come to enjoy good fortune.

But before she could be happy for long, she discovered there was no such luck. Great clans had no concept of deep affection between siblings. The eternal theme was the struggle for power and profit.

It was still alright between women, at least open and aboveboard. But the infighting between men was miserable.

Her legitimate and illegitimate brothers, in order to fight for a good wife, fought so disgracefully, with incidents like falling into water, disfigurement, ruining vocal cords. It was like the TV dramas Legend of Zhen Huan, Palace, War and Beauty. Her daily amusement at home was watching these men compete.

As for her and Jiang Qingzhou… Although they were born of the same father, Jiang Qingzhou had deep thoughts and grasped military power. If she tried to memorize a few poems from Li Bai and Du Fu like other transmigrated women to gain the title of a talented woman and overshadow the eldest legitimate daughter, she probably wouldn’t live to adulthood, at least not with all four limbs intact.

So over the years, she simply played it cool. Study? Study my ass! The brothel was her eternal home.

Finally, she gained the title of a notorious prodigal. Her elder sister was no longer wary of her, and there was a bit of sisterly warmth. But she was still too stupid and naive. Even if she played it cool, with one word from that bastard emperor, she still had to bitterly work to make money.

She understood now that even if she transmigrated, a working person was still a working person.

But this time, the job was the kind where failure meant beheading. The tears of a corporate slave flowed down.

Just then, the Angry Bird flew back. Who knows if it had experienced a societal beating or what, but the Angry Bird’s feathers were all puffed up. The Angry Bird had become an Exploding Bird.

Jiang Yang habitually picked it up by its claws and dangled it, shaking it, “Where did you go crazy?”

The Angry Bird crazily cursed, flapping its wings so hard they almost fell off.

Lan Qian stroked its feathers and said, “Second Miss, Hua Xiao’s feathers are all wet. Perhaps it was hit by the waves.”

“Hit by the waves and still able to fly back?” Jiang Yang teased.

“Hua Xiao is a spirit bird trained by the eldest miss. There are only two in the entire Lingnan region, always kept in the army to transmit military information. It can soar a thousand miles. Knowing your journey at sea would be long this time, the eldest miss specially allocated one to you,” Lan Qian said.

Jiang Yang flicked its exploded wings, mercilessly mocking, “With these little wings, like a chicken, it can fly a thousand miles?”

Angry Bird: “Chirp—Chirp—Chirp—”

After playing with the Angry Bird, Jiang Yang casually tossed it to Lan Qian, “I’m going to take an afternoon nap. Don’t disturb me. Call me for dinner.”

“Yes!”

The Angry Bird was still cursing. Lan Qian pinched its beak with both hands, “Little thing, don’t make a fuss. If you keep causing trouble, Second Miss will continue to dangle you and throw you into the sea.”

The Angry Bird shut up, glaring at Jiang Yang resentfully.

At night, Jiang Yang tossed and turned in bed. Damn, she slept too long in the afternoon.

Jiang Yang rubbed her messy hair and lifted the covers. Lan Qian was sleeping not far behind a small partition. Who knows what sweet dream she was having, even drooling with a smile.

The Angry Bird still had its eyes open, relentlessly glaring at her. It was indeed of owl mixed-blood, not sleeping even late at night.

She slowly stood up and pushed open the window. The moonlight was quite nice tonight. The sea moon was a magnificent scene, gentle and vast.

Jiang Yang lived in an inland city and had never seen the sea in her life. Her knowledge of the sea was limited to short videos, with thick filters and slightly melancholic and desolate music. It was so artistic. Now when she closed her eyes, it was as if the music was beside her ears again.

Hmm? The music seemed to really be beside her ears. Was she having auditory hallucinations?

Jiang Yang pushed open the door and listened carefully. It wasn’t a hallucination. Someone was really singing, and it was a man’s voice.

Men were not allowed on ships sailing out to sea, for fear that the women couldn’t control themselves. But where was this voice coming from?

Jiang Yang quietly went downstairs. The tune of this song was unlike any folk tune of the matriarchal nation, but it was very ethereal and distant, just like the singing of the legendary mermaids.

Mermaids… Jiang Yang walked to the taming room. The voice was indeed coming from inside. No wonder it was a merman.

The two guard crew members at the door had already fallen asleep. There was a small crack in the door. Through the crack, Jiang Yang saw the handsome merman with his back to her, singing towards the moon. The singing voice was gentle, beautiful, with a hint of melancholy, like the sandy sound of ocean waves. The soft moonlight spilled onto his body, and his thick damp long hair was also dyed a layer of pale white under the moonlight.

With the song finished, the lingering tune seemed to still echo in her ears.

“Sung well.” Jiang Yang clapped and casually took off the white jade bracelet on her hand, throwing it at the handsome merman, saying with a grand air, “This lady rewards you.”

The handsome merman was startled by her voice. He turned around in shock and surprise, instinctively reaching out to catch the bracelet she threw, his clear jade-like crystal eyes looking at her in confusion.

Jiang Yang: “……” Oh no, she was used to rewarding in brothels and mistook the handsome merman for a male courtesan.

In order to fully play the prodigal role, she often frequented courtesan houses and the like, often spending a thousand gold in one go. When the money ran out, she would casually take off a jade pendant or bracelet.

If she had no money, she would ask her parents, or if that didn’t work, ask Jiang Qingzhou. Anyway, the Jiang family was rich. It was all for fun.

The more she spent, the more secure she felt. My good sister, do you see? This old mother is hopelessly indulged in beauty, not only not studying, but also not very bright. I won’t pose a threat to you. Rest assured, rest assured.

Chi Mei looked at the white jade bracelet Jiang Yang threw to him. The color was very nice, like the lustrous color of pearls. Tapping it lightly with a fingernail could produce a crisp and pleasant sound.

“You’re giving it to me?” Chi Mei held the white jade bracelet in delight, his black and bright eyes looking at her, flashing with specks of light, like stars in the night.

“Um… I guess so.” Jiang Yang laughed guiltily. Fortunately, the handsome merman didn’t know what “reward” meant.

“Thank you.” Chi Mei pursed his lips, the corners of his mouth slightly lifted.

Obviously a cool and handsome face, how could it look so soft and fluffy when smiling? Jiang Yang leaned against the doorframe, watching him holding the white jade bracelet preciously, and unconsciously smiled too.

Chi Mei was about to put it on his own wrist when suddenly he remembered what his brother had told him before.

“Human females especially like to give jade items like jade hairpins, jade pendants, and jade bracelets as love tokens when pursuing males. As long as the male accepts these, it means agreeing to be together, just like merfolk females giving coral and seaweed when courting.”

No wonder she had saved him, protected him, and so on before. It turns out… A faint blush rose on Chi Mei’s fair cheeks, his fingers tightly grasping the jade bracelet.

But… Chi Mei lowered his head in shyness and difficulty. But he was a prince of the merfolk and couldn’t marry a human.

Although Jiang Yang was very good-looking, very powerful, and had saved him, just wearing a frost-white single garment and casually leaning against the doorframe in the moonlight, she had a strong attraction.

The sea breeze blew up the hem of her clothes and her long hair. The messy strands fluttered around her brows and eyes, heroic yet beautiful. Every member of the merfolk was beautiful, but no merfolk female could compare to Jiang Yang.

If only she were also a mermaid, Chi Mei thought sadly.

“Why don’t you put it on?” Jiang Yang asked, seeing his sudden frozen movement.

Sure enough, she was already getting impatient.

Chi Mei’s bright obsidian-like pupils flickered shyly as he coyly said, “…This isn’t good. It’s too… too fast…”