Chapter 9: Proper People and Proper Fish

During dinner time, Lan Qian brought in the meal. As Jiang Yang had recently grown tired of seafood, the kitchen had specially used the limited vegetables on the ship to make a refreshing and crisp salad.

“This dish is really good. After eating stir-fries for so long, this one tastes the best. Reward!” Jiang Yang said after finishing the meal.

Lan Qian, who was serving behind Jiang Yang, looked at her with an expression that was hard to describe. It was because of Jiang Yang’s unintentional words that Lan Qian realized when Jiang Yang had started to dislike seafood. It was exactly when that merman was fished up.

Thinking back to how the merman had smugly said that Jiang Yang had ‘fallen in love at first sight’ with him, Lan Qian couldn’t help but suspect that Jiang Yang had deliberately stopped eating seafood and switched to vegetables just to please the merman.

When it comes down to it, mermen are also fish, so they can be considered as being from the same family. Jiang Yang probably feared that the merman would find her too cruel and develop an aversion.

This wasn’t a great romantic, but simply a great fool.

Lan Qian shook her head and sighed, “Yes.”

Jiang Yang felt that Lan Qian was acting strangely today and asked, “What’s wrong with you today? Not happy?”

Lan Qian immediately forced a smile, “No, Mistress, I’m very happy.”

She absolutely couldn’t let the Second Miss know that she had discovered her being dumped… no, her love being rejected. It was too miserable, she didn’t even have the qualification to be dumped.

Jiang Yang had no idea that her image in Lan Qian’s heart had already deteriorated to such an extent. She ate happily on her own.

Lan Qian suddenly remembered the request of the scheming merman downstairs and asked, “Second Miss, that merman said he wanted the peacock feather inserted in the blue and white glazed phoenix-headed vase in the council hall.”

“Oh, then just give it to him.” Jiang Yang didn’t care, it was just a few peacock feathers, worth a few coins.

Too indulgent with that fish.

Lan Qian clenched her fists and asked again, “He also wants to move the eight-panel screen.”

“Okay, move it to my room.” Jiang Yang focused on eating.

Lan Qian took a deep breath and said, “That merman, because of your favor, has become increasingly arrogant. He demands the best of everything, even better than your own meals. It’s simply outrageous.”

“He’s a deep-sea fish, of course the fish he ate in the sea are better than what we eat. It’s normal for him to have high standards.”

“……” Lan Qian was so angry her chest hurt. Second Miss, this isn’t how you pursue a man. You need to use both kindness and severity. Indulging him too much will only make him take a mile when given an inch. Looking at you now, even dogs would shake their heads.

But what could be done? She had fallen deep.

Lan Qian had never wished so much to reach Nalong Country quickly and bring back a few top-notch dark-skinned handsome men to make Jiang Yang come to her senses soon.

With a gloomy face, she went to the merman’s room and instructed the crew to move the eight-panel screen away.

Chi Mei leaned leisurely and comfortably against the inside of the water bucket. The thin and tough merman silk on his body outlined his strong and powerful upper body in a faint and enchanting way. His heavy ink-like long hair hung down his chest, the ends spreading out on the water surface like strange seaweed. A peacock feather shuttled between his slender and fair fingers, the feathers brushing past his exquisite and deep brows and eyes. Like a victorious general, he looked at Lan Qian provocatively, “See, I told you Jiang Yang would listen to me.”

Lan Qian didn’t say anything, thinking that once they reached Nalong Country, his good days would be over. At that time, she would personally remove his scales and cut off his flesh.

“Hurry up and move the things. Stop dawdling, the Second Miss is still waiting,” Lan Qian urged impatiently.

“Wait, where are you taking this screen to?” Chi Mei suddenly changed his leisurely and smug attitude, asking nervously.

Lan Qian sneered, “Naturally to the Second Miss, to be placed in her room.”

Chi Mei’s expression suddenly tightened. Looking at the eight beauties on the screen, each with their own charm, his attitude suddenly reversed, “I don’t want to lose this screen anymore.”

Lan Qian frowned, “Crazy!”

But she still followed his wishes and put the screen back in its original position. For no other reason than he was now the person the Second Miss held dearest to her heart.

After the people left, Chi Mei stared at the eight beauties on the screen, looking at each one carefully and meticulously. His lips were pressed tightly, his eyes like a precise instrument not missing any corner of the painted figures. A crystal-clear water droplet swayed on the tip of his bangs, dripping onto his thick eyelashes, like transparent glaze reflecting his lush dark pupils.

Finally, his tense expression eased a little, the tight muscles in his hands relaxed. Looking at the people in the painting like defeated opponents, he waved the peacock feather in his hand flamboyantly, “…None of them are as good-looking as me.”

At sunset, Jiang Yang came.

The color of the sunset at sea changes with the weather. Today it was a dreamy orange-purple. The handsome merman lazily lay on the edge of the water bucket, his fish tail softly stretching out of the bucket. Under the thin merman silk, his abdominal muscles were faintly visible, a line of trenches extending all the way to where his tailbone connected with his fish tail.

The light of the setting sun fell on his body, like the ambiguous mood lighting of a nightclub. The atmosphere was amorous, and the fish also became a bit improper. Jiang Yang couldn’t help stealing a few glances, then a few more glances. Mm, nice butt!

“Jiang Yang!” Chi Mei turned his head, looking at her with happy surprise, his fish tail wagging like a dog’s, splashing water everywhere. For a moment, Jiang Yang doubted if she was keeping a fish or a husky.

Anyway, the improper atmosphere was gone in a second. What amorous charm, it was just a silly sea dog fish.

“Jiang Yang, you’re here. Did you come to see me?” His dark pupils were tinged with a bit of color from the sunset, bright and lively. The clouds outside the window seemed to be burning.

“Mm.” Jiang Yang smiled slightly and responded, “What about you, are you used to living here after moving?”

Chi Mei nodded, his dimples innocent and gentle, “Very good, very used to it. I really like it here.”

After moving to the wheelhouse, Jiang Yang had found an excuse to remove the iron collar that had been locking Chi Mei’s neck. Although she couldn’t give him complete freedom, at least he could move freely here, which was much better than in the merman taming room.

Moreover, according to the guarding crew members outside, the place he lived now was not far from where Jiang Yang lived. Jiang Yang lived just a few floors above him. Deliberately arranging it so close, wasn’t it because she cared about him?

In fact, apart from not being able to roam freely in the sea, his current life was not much different from his previous days at the bottom of the ocean.

Every time he thought of everything Jiang Yang had done for him, Chi Mei felt grateful and warm in his heart.

“Second Miss, we’re here to change the water,” two crew members knocked on the door and said.

Jiang Yang nodded, “Come in.”

Changing the water was a troublesome task. The water bucket that held Chi Mei was very large. To change the water once, it was necessary to first temporarily place him in a slightly smaller bucket, then have several people carry out the seawater in the large bucket one bucket at a time, and then fill it with new seawater one bucket at a time.

The two crew members worked together to carry in a half-filled small bucket and let the handsome merman jump in himself. But today, who knew if these two water-changing crew members were new or what, but they placed it a bit too far. When the handsome merman jumped in, not only did he splash her with water, but he also fell towards her.

Jiang Yang instinctively supported him, her hands naturally wrapping around his waist. Mm, not only was his butt perky, his waist was also great.

Indeed, the muscles of those who swim were particularly firm and taut, like a bow pulled tight to the extreme. His firm and powerful waist and abdomen had no excess flesh. It was said that the swimming speed of mermen was very fast, so their explosive power must be very strong.

The thin merman silk was as if nothing was there. The merman’s body temperature was slightly cool, while Jiang Yang’s palm was slightly warm. The mixing of cold and heat created a strange numbness. Jiang Yang clearly felt the handsome merman who had crashed into her arms take a sharp breath, his eyelashes wet, the tip of his nose beading with fine sweat, the waist dimple under her palm contracting sensitively.

Jiang Yang steadied him and said gently, “Be more careful next time.”

“……Mm.” The handsome merman lowered his head, but the snow-white skin on the back of his neck instantly turned scarlet, as if steamed by the water vapor.

The crew quickly finished changing the water and left silently. As soon as they exited the wheelhouse, they couldn’t help but rub their shoulders and complain, “This isn’t keeping a beast, it’s simply serving an ancestor.”

The sun had completely set, and the sea was plunged into darkness. Jiang Yang lit a lamp. The illumination range of ancient lamps was limited, so she moved it next to the handsome merman. The lamplight illuminated his face, half submerged in darkness and half in light. His thick long lashes seemed like light-drenched wings, gentle and soft.

“Didn’t you often sing late at night before? How come I haven’t heard you sing these past few days?” Jiang Yang asked.

Chi Mei’s expression changed rapidly. Since he had communicated with his clan members that day, he had quickly received a reply. They were on their way, but they couldn’t determine the exact location and needed him to respond every night to find the right direction.

But… Chi Mei glanced at Jiang Yang, his eyelashes trembling lightly, “My throat has been hurting these past few days, so I don’t want to sing.”

“Oh.” Jiang Yang couldn’t hide her disappointment, “Alright, your throat is important.”

Chi Mei tugged at her sleeve, his eyes moist and bright, “You want to hear me sing?”

Jiang Yang didn’t want to force him, “Another day then.”

“Actually, I can sing softly to you,” Chi Mei pursed his lips and smiled shyly. Even his singing voice was so attractive to her.

The handsome merman sang in a soft and gentle manner, his voice not as far-reaching and long as before, somewhat like a gentle and soft murmur. His slightly raspy voice was like a light feather plucking and teasing her heart.

Jiang Yang habitually tapped her fingertips on the edge of the water bucket, immersed in the song.

When the song ended, the handsome merman looked at her with moist eyes.

Jiang Yang felt that he was like a shy and timid little bride, oh no, little husband. She wanted to pinch him, but thinking of the handsome merman’s intense reaction last time, Jiang Yang suppressed her sinful hand. She was a proper person and never teased innocent fish.

However, she still had to reward him for singing so well. She instinctively patted her body but unfortunately didn’t have anything on her this time.

“Jiang Yang, what are you looking for?” Chi Mei couldn’t help but ask when he saw Jiang Yang lower her head and search her body.

“Looking for something to give you,” Jiang Yang answered subconsciously.

Chi Mei’s fingertips trembled slightly, suddenly feeling shy, “You don’t need to give me anything. I’m willing to sing for you.”