Chapter 33: I Didn’t Look

Chapter 33: I Didn't Look

Compared to human legs, merfolk naturally prefer the embrace of the sea. Yet, Si Jisheng rarely indulged in such freedom. After countless acts of self-restraint, the dryness of his tail had become a familiar habit.

The moment he plunged into the ocean, his shimmering silver tail instantly unfurled. The parched scales drank in the seawater, and his restless mind seemed to find peace in the vast expanse.

Deng Xi, flicking his tail fin, swam closer. Unencumbered by clothing, he again noticed the bloody wound on the silver-tailed merman's arm, instantly forgetting his earlier question.

Though much time had passed and the wound had begun to scab, a faint trace of blood still seeped out upon contact with the salty water. Deng Xi swam over, a hint of anxiety in his voice, "Little Mute, is your injury still not healed?"

Si Jisheng remained unconcerned.

But Deng Xi was already circling in distress.

Si Jisheng dove deeper into the sea, swimming a considerable distance away.

Deng Xi paused, bewildered for a moment, then followed like a loyal shadow. "Where are you going, Little Mute?"

The silver-tailed merman led the blue-tailed one through swirling currents. Amidst the surging waters, the merman’s low, resonant voice echoed, "New home."

Before Deng Xi could fully process it, they had arrived.

They reached the coastline.

It was an estate that stretched along the entire shore, allowing one to swim directly from the sea into a central pool within the building. Beneath this pool lay a bottomless, unfathomable underwater chasm.

The unique darkness of the deep sea extended downwards, with wild seaweed clinging to the cliffs and vibrant coral reefs scattered throughout. Swimming upwards from the abyss would bring them to the surface—right into a human dwelling.

Led by the silver-tailed merman, Deng Xi arrived at the edge of the pool. He curiously glanced around and spotted a familiar giant shell on the shore.

It was the same shell Ai Er had mentioned—the one the Marshal had sent for him.

It was here too!

Deng Xi turned to look at the silver-tailed merman, but the next second, a large hand covered the upper half of his face. The damp, briny scent of seawater filled his nostrils, carrying a faint chill, yet the palm was significantly warmer than the ocean.

His vision plunged into darkness. He blinked, his damp, curled eyelashes brushing against the man’s palm like tiny, wet brushes.

Deng Xi was remarkably obedient. Even with his eyes covered, he remained perfectly still. Tilting his head, he asked, "Is there something I shouldn’t see?"

Si Jisheng murmured in response, "Turn around first."

The little mermaid dutifully covered his eyes and turned his back, his actions clearly conveying one message: he was incredibly obedient and wouldn’t peek!

Si Jisheng let out a quiet sigh of relief, shifted into human form, and stepped onto the shore. He grabbed a pair of tactical pants and pulled them on without bothering to dry off.

When he turned around, he found Deng Xi staring at him with wide, curious eyes, like an eager child.

His breath hitched.

Caught in the act, Deng Xi immediately covered his eyes again and tentatively turned his back, resuming his previous posture—head bowed meekly, as if his golden hair could shield him from view.

Deng Xi strained to listen for any movement behind him. Why was it so quiet? He cautiously lowered his hands and turned to peek—only to meet a pair of silver eyes watching him silently.

Clasping his hands behind his back, Deng Xi guiltily lowered his head like a child caught misbehaving. Si Jisheng stepped onto the submerged steps of the pool, holding a box he'd just retrieved. "This is a first-aid kit."

Distracted by the change of topic, the guilty little mermaid perked up again, his eyes crinkling as he swam closer. "What's it for?"

Si Jisheng explained, "Healing wounds."

The red medicinal herb that could treat injuries was unique to that particular planet. He needed to impart new knowledge to Deng Xi—at the very least, how to properly treat wounds in this new world should he ever get hurt.

He would serve as the example.

Under Deng Xi’s watchful gaze, the first-aid kit was opened. He watched intently as Little Mute picked up a bottle of liquid and poured it over the bloody wound on his hand. The "sizzling" sound of disinfectant filled the air, sounding painful even to hear.

Deng Xi winced in sympathy. "Does it hurt a lot?"

Si Jisheng: "It’s fine."

He set down the disinfectant. "Next is this small bottle."

Deng Xi diligently noted it, nodding.

After applying the healing solution, Si Jisheng wrapped the wound with a special waterproof dressing.

In the past, he would have let such a minor injury heal on its own; with a merman’s regenerative abilities, it would be a matter of just one day.

For ordinary people, minor wounds were typically treated this way. For more severe injuries, standard medical pods would be used. But Si Jisheng hoped Deng Xi would never have cause to use a healing pod.

Ancient imperial records stated that merfolk were exceptionally delicate beings. To the merfolk, they represented two extremes: one at the very apex of the food chain, the other at its very bottom, easily preyed upon.

They were too fragile.

Even with the ocean’s protection, they would gradually vanish from the annals of history due to various unforeseen accidents.

Deng Xi was the last hope of the merfolk.

He must have endured a difficult life—in the past, surviving only on clumps of seaweed in the ocean, and only on rare occasions, if lucky, finding fresh fish.

Catching a single fish would leave him covered in wounds. When encountering other sea creatures, his only option was to flee.

Si Jisheng couldn’t fathom how Deng Xi had managed to survive in the ocean.

He surveyed his surroundings. This was the closest he could come to providing Deng Xi with a natural ocean environment in the imperial capital. Compared to that distant planet, this sea was small. Its only saving grace was its safety.

Si Jisheng placed the first-aid kit by the poolside in a prominent spot, easily within the mermaid's reach.

Merfolk were prone to accidental scrapes and bruises. It was better to be prepared.

"Also,"

Deng Xi lifted his head curiously, his ocean-blue eyes appearing exceptionally clear and pure, like sparkling sapphires.

Si Jisheng’s chest rose and fell slightly. Though somewhat exasperated, he spoke with patience, "Staring at someone’s private areas is very impolite."

Deng Xi froze for a second, blinking innocently—as if he hadn’t been the one sneaking glances at Little Mute’s lower half after he’d put on human clothes.

He asked curiously, "Why can’t I look?"

Si Jisheng also paused, his lips parting as he struggled to explain. After a moment’s hesitation, he asked, "Don’t you have a mating season?"

Deng Xi’s ears turned red. Softly, he murmured, "Not yet."

Merfolk would choose their gender, male or female, sometime after infancy. Their mating season would arrive sometime after adulthood.

While Deng Xi had reached adulthood, he hadn’t experienced it yet.

He didn’t understand why Little Mute was asking him such a personal question.

"What's the connection between these two?"

Si Jisheng rarely found himself at such a loss, unsure how to explain that the human crotch was equivalent to the reproductive organs of mermaids or mermen. He conceded defeat, "In short, you can't look."

Deng Xi: "What exactly is that?"

Si Jisheng coughed lightly. "I'll go get our food ready."

He beat a hasty retreat.

After leaving the pool, Si Jisheng put on clean clothes and activated his light screen. Just as he was about to contact his adjutant, the adjutant called him first.

The adjutant was unusually cautious these days. The marshal had been in a foul mood, his aura keeping everyone at bay. To make matters worse, the Research Institute and the Elder Council had been stirring up trouble, forcing him to report with extreme care to avoid triggering any explosions. "The director couldn’t find you earlier, so he asked me—what's the plan for your treatment?"

Si Jisheng narrowed his silver eyes.

The adjutant instantly realized his first sentence had already set the marshal off.

Si Jisheng coldly retorted, "What does my treatment plan have to do with the Research Institute?"

The adjutant immediately relaxed. "I'll send someone right away to drive those persistent pests out of the military headquarters."

Then, cautiously, he asked, "Any changes needed to your treatment?"

Si Jisheng frowned indifferently. "No. It remains as it was."

The adjutant: "What if the Elder Council asks about... your special someone?" Reading the marshal's mood, he grew bolder. "Marshal, can we take action?"

The Research Institute relied on the Elder Council for support. Since they couldn’t gain any advantage from the military, they naturally had the Elder Council elders intervene.

The adjutant genuinely didn’t want to deal with them. No negotiation tactics—good old-fashioned punches would work better.

Just thinking about it infuriated him. The empire was divided into three powers: the royal family, the military, and the Elder Council.

If not for the marshal’s alien identity, which had always drawn criticism, the military wouldn’t have had to endure the Elder Council's backstabbing while biting their tongues. The military’s greatest humiliation had been yielding to the royal family back then, allowing that treatment pod into the military-political building.

But now—

Though by protocol, aliens were indeed supposed to be handed over to the Research Institute before being retrieved by their guardians, the space pirates had been defeated by them, and the money had come from their pockets. Yet their marshal had to find a lofty excuse just to bring back someone he cared about, jumping through all these hoops.

The adjutant sighed inwardly. If only the marshal weren’t an alien, and if only he didn’t need this so-called treatment.

Si Jisheng first nodded, then asked in return, "That person?"

The adjutant instinctively replied, "Your... you know, Marshal. The whole base is gossiping about—" He instantly shut his mouth.

Si Jisheng’s expression remained unchanged. "Three extra hours of training. Everyone."

The adjutant gave a pained salute.

But the next second, it hit him—the marshal didn't deny it?! So it was true?

The adjutant coughed violently, his face turning red. Just as he was about to end the call, he heard their marshal suddenly ask, "When you found me back then, where was I?"

The adjutant thought carefully before recounting, "You had lost control and were alone in a dark cave."

This had been reported long ago.

The adjutant repeated, "Marshal, you can check the footage from back then. It really was just you alone."

Si Jisheng’s brows tightened. His silver eyes lowered, staring at the blue-scale bracelet clinging to his wrist for a moment before tightening his mechanical glove. "Were the shells in the cave closed or open?"

Such a tiny detail—the adjutant truly couldn’t recall immediately. He pulled up the archived footage, preparing to play the video. "Marshal, let me check. But back then, it was underwater with no light. The recorded footage isn’t clear, so it's tough to make out."

Si Jisheng paused. "Never mind. Just send me the video." After a moment’s thought, he added, "Also, get me a sex ed documentary."

Author's Note:

Don’t wait for a second update (.