Chapter 40: Alienation

Chapter 40: Estrangement

To be fair, the military canteen wasn't bad at all. In fact, even with the option to dine out, it was always packed.

Even amidst the chaos of war, the cooks could still expertly caramelize pork belly. Though everything was cooked in one pot, no essential steps were ever skipped.

Considering it was Deng Xi’s first time trying human food, Si Jisheng chose easily digestible millet porridge, a few light seasonal vegetables, and a steamed fish that Deng Xi might enjoy.

Everything was packed in the military’s special biodegradable food containers.

When Si Jisheng turned around, he saw Deng Xi blinking helplessly, his arms laden with snacks.

His silver eyes narrowed slightly, scanning the haul.

A jar of fruit candies—all artificial flavors and dyes.

A cup of iced milk tea—fattening and bad for digestion.

And a pile of fried, puffed snacks that looked anything but healthy.

The flying chair’s surroundings were empty. The snack-givers had long since vanished, leaving only Deng Xi, who, under Little Mute’s watchful gaze, frantically shoved the snacks into the flying chair, trying to hide them.

He’d eaten the snacks others gave him and now had no room for the food Little Mute had brought.

Deng Xi guiltily lowered his gaze and maneuvered the flying chair to wobble over to Little Mute. “Shall we eat here?”

Si Jisheng’s expression remained neutral. “We’ll eat back in the room.”

Under the canteen’s subtle, gossiping glances and the stares of those who seemed ready to snatch the mermaid away on the spot, Si Jisheng expressionlessly led the flying chair onto the Cloud Elevator of the military administration building.

The ride to the top floor would take a while.

Deng Xi fiddled with the human snacks he’d been given, sniffing curiously at the jar of dried fish that intrigued him most.

The glass jar was tightly sealed, so the little mermaid couldn’t smell anything. The rustling noises as he fidgeted filled the quiet elevator.

“You can eat it.”

Deng Xi’s eyes lit up as he held out the jar. “Little Mute, open it for me.”

The jar of dried fish was small enough for Si Jisheng to hold in one hand. He twisted it open effortlessly and gently placed it back on Deng Xi’s flying chair, cautioning, “But only a little.”

The dried fish were only half the length of Deng Xi’s fingers—tiny things. The little mermaid had never eaten fish so small, and they were all shriveled up. How strange.

Hesitantly, Deng Xi put one in his mouth, chewed tentatively, then bit down. The fish crunched satisfyingly with each bite.

His blue eyes instantly sparkled.

Unlike the clean sweetness of raw fish, this was salty, with no hint of fishiness. The bones had been roasted until crispy.

So delicious!

Deng Xi couldn’t help but eat one, then two, then three…

Soon, he’d polished off half the jar.

Just as he was about to reach for more, the jar was suddenly taken from his grasp. Before he could react, he saw the silver-tailed man’s thin lips pressed into a cold, stern line as he declared flatly, “I’m confiscating these.”

Deng Xi’s eyes widened. “No!”

The little mermaid whined. “Little Mute took my fish!”

Si Jisheng looked down. “Don’t eat too much before a meal.”

Deng Xi pressed his lips together, remaining silent.

Si Jisheng sighed, his brow furrowed. “I’ll give it back after you finish eating.”

Only then did Deng Xi’s eyes crinkle with delight.

The elevator doors opened at that moment.

Si Jisheng led Deng Xi to his private quarters on the top floor. He turned off the flying chair, bent down, and lifted the little mermaid onto a seat.

Having been confined in the flying chair for so long, Deng Xi couldn’t help but flap his tail the moment he was free. The fins slapped against the floor with loud splashes, even spraying droplets onto Si Jisheng’s black combat pants, leaving wet marks.

Si Jisheng crouched down, untangling the mermaid gauze wrapped around the blue tail, and asked softly, “Does it hurt?”

Deng Xi looked down at Little Mute, who was crouched beside his tail, and shook his head. “No, it’s fine. I’ve always had enough water.”

“My tail feels good.”

Si Jisheng nodded, refilled the seawater tank in the flying chair, and then pressed the button on the meal container.

The military’s meal box automatically unfolded, steadily displaying the food inside. It transformed into plates, spreading outward and arranging itself neatly on the table.

Si Jisheng placed the special spoon he’d brought into Deng Xi’s millet porridge. “Can you use this?”

Deng Xi had only ever used human knives and forks before. He shook his head.

Si Jisheng leaned down, scooped up a spoonful of steaming millet porridge, waited a moment for it to cool, and then brought it to Deng Xi’s lips. “Open your mouth.”

Deng Xi obediently accepted the bite and mumbled, “What is this?”

He didn’t know what it was, but since Little Mute was feeding him, Deng Xi didn’t hesitate to eat it.

The millet porridge was soft and delicious, subtly sweetened by the cook. It was the first hot meal the little mermaid had ever tasted.

It felt new and wonderful.

Si Jisheng patiently explained, “It’s porridge made from rice, a grain humans eat every day.”

Deng Xi: “Like how we eat fish?”

Si Jisheng hummed in agreement. “Did you learn how to use it?”

Deng Xi nodded.

The little mermaid clumsily picked up the spoon, mimicking the silver-tailed man’s movements as he scooped up the porridge. Since it was much simpler than using a knife and fork, Deng Xi successfully brought the first bite to his mouth without spilling it.

He quickly mastered the spoon.

But chopsticks, used for eating proper meals, were several times harder than knives and forks. Si Jisheng picked out the fish bones and placed the meat into Deng Xi’s bowl, letting him scoop it up with the spoon.

The steamed fish was drizzled with a thick sauce—a little hot—but paired with the soft, sweet millet porridge, it was savory and satisfying.

With each bite, his stomach grew warmer.

Deng Xi squinted his blue eyes in delight, his eyelids curving, “So delicious!” He loved human food.

Si Jisheng placed some fresh vegetables into Deng Xi’s bowl as well, worried that Deng Xi might knock the bowl over since it was his first time using a spoon. He watched as Deng Xi finished his meal, then returned the dessert—the jar of dried fish—to Deng Xi before starting his own meal.

Deng Xi rested his chin in his hands, watching Little Mute eat, when suddenly a thought occurred to him. He tilted his head in confusion, “Someone once said I was Little Mute’s little boyfriend.”

“What is a little boyfriend?”

The chopsticks in Si Jisheng’s hand abruptly clinked against the bowl, producing a sharp, resonant sound that echoed deafeningly in the quiet room.

He coughed lowly, his chest rising and falling as he took a deep breath.

Deng Xi, even more puzzled, asked, “Why isn’t Little Mute saying anything?”

Si Jisheng lifted his gaze to Deng Xi, “It’s a special name.”

Deng Xi blinked curiously, “What kind of name?”

Si Jisheng said slowly, “A name used because we like each other.”

His silver eyes reflected Deng Xi, standing stunned, his throat tight.

Deng Xi paused for a moment before understanding, then lit up with realization, “Oh, so it’s a name for good friends!”

His eyes curved happily.

The air seemed to freeze for an instant.

The lounge remained silent for a long while before Si Jisheng finally responded quietly, “Good friends?”

Deng Xi nodded matter-of-factly, “Yeah, I like Little Mute, and Little Mute likes me. Aren’t we good friends?”

Si Jisheng set down his chopsticks, closing his eyes as if restraining himself, then repeated in a quiet voice, “Good friends.”

Even a hint of barely contained frustration could be heard in his low voice.

Holding each other tightly in the icy sea, caressing each other’s tails almost like courtship, asking to sleep curled up in the same shell.

Good friends?

Si Jisheng abruptly stood up, took two steps away, then turned back, slipping his hands under Deng Xi’s arms and lifting him from the dry chair.

Like picking up a doll, his movements restrained and distant—nothing like before when he would wrap his long arms around Deng Xi’s waist and press him against his chest.

He coldly placed the little mermaid back into the moist flying chair, then turned away, only to pivot back under Deng Xi’s bewildered gaze. With a cold expression, he plucked out the snacks that had been pressing against the mermaid’s tail one by one and set them on the table.

Wordlessly, he poured a cup of sweet juice from the lounge and placed it beside Deng Xi.

Si Jisheng took a deep breath, “I’m leaving.”

Deng Xi nodded obediently, a small dimple appearing at the corner of his lips, “Then Little Mute can go do his work.”

Si Jisheng’s expression instantly turned even colder, his thin lips pressing tightly together as he turned and strode toward the door. His hand paused on the doorknob for a few seconds.

Deng Xi watched Little Mute’s tall figure, waving slightly, his blue eyes crinkling, “Goodbye, Little Mute.”

The next second, the lounge door was shut firmly behind him.

Si Jisheng gave off a chill as he walked toward the VR training field, only to be intercepted midway. Dr. Li, carrying a sealed silver medical kit and holding the hand of a white-haired child, came face-to-face with the Marshal.

Dr. Li nodded, “Marshal.”

She gently nudged the white-haired child forward, “Mommy has some work to take care of. Go keep the older boy in the lounge company, okay?”

The white-haired child, clutching the device Dr. Li had given him, nodded and hurried into the lounge.

The hallway went quiet again, and only once they were completely alone did Dr. Li lower her voice, “Marshal, I’ve brought the medication.”

Si Jisheng strode toward the treatment room, “How many days’ worth?”

Dr. Li followed behind him, her expression troubled, “According to your newly decided treatment plan, this will only last three days.”

Then she sighed, “But perhaps that’s for the best.”

A single treatment could suppress the Merman Transformation for three months and stabilize the monitoring system of the Marshal’s mental state for nearly half a year.

They entered the treatment room, where Dr. Li opened the case, revealing a full box of gene inhibitors. After showing them to the Marshal for inspection, she smoothly stored them in the treatment room’s secure fridge.

Dr. Li was not only an excellent pharmacist skilled in preparing medications for aliens but also had significant expertise in the field of psychology.

She turned on the treatment room’s lights and poured the Marshal a glass of warm water, “Our earlier session was interrupted because of my child. That was my mistake.”

“Let’s talk.”

Si Jisheng sat quietly on the treatment room’s leather chair, nodding slightly.

“Your mental state has fluctuated five or six times recently. Your aide mentioned you also experienced a Merman Transformation episode, though it was suppressed by the med pod.”

“Why did you suddenly increase your dosage?”

A long silence followed.

“Next question.”

“Do you still use the training field to burn off excess energy?”

“Yes.”

“Venting emotions is good, but control serves you better.”

“I understand.”

“Do you still need medication to help you sleep?”

“Readings show my sleep quality has improved.”

“And how do you feel?”

“Perhaps I don’t need it anymore.”

“What changed?”

He seemed to recall something, his features relaxing slightly as his silver eyes fixed on a chipped teal conch shell on the round table. After a moment, he said quietly, “I found someone unforgettable.”

He’d found his treasure again.