Chapter 57: Prototype

Chapter 57: Prototype

Jiang Xun wasn't sure if he should feel proud that, in Liu Hai's heart, he was worth at least two bags of potato chips.

Accepting this "honor," he settled onto the mattress. “Let’s sleep.”

“Yay!” Liu Hai happily squeezed in beside him, pressing so close from tail to shoulders that there wasn’t an inch of space between them.

Jiang Xun: “…”

“Liu Hai.”

The other’s presence was overwhelming. Jiang Xun leaned back slightly, only to look up and find Liu Hai staring at him with an intense gaze.

Jiang Xun: “…”

He said nothing, yet somehow, he said everything.

Jiang Xun sighed helplessly and returned to his original position.

Still, he whispered, “Liu Hai, generally speaking, humans don’t sleep this close.”

“Hm?” Liu Hai tilted his head. “Oh, right. Human rooms are warmer.”

“But isn’t it a bit colder here than where we were before? Wouldn’t it be more comfortable to huddle?”

Jiang Xun lowered his gaze, as if trying to convince himself. “…Is it a habit retained from cold regions for mutual warmth?”

“But you must know by now that humans don’t sleep like this, right?”

Jiang Xun remained rational. “Before, you even knew not to sleep with Xiao Jin.”

“N-no, I didn’t know.” Liu Hai closed his eyes. “My brain’s shut down. I’m asleep.”

“You’re not asleep yet, just getting ready to sleep, right?” Jiang Xun stared at him. “Don’t think you can always get away with this.”

Liu Hai, eyes still shut: “Zzz—zzz—”

Jiang Xun: “…”

“While there’s a human idiom called ‘sleeping like a log,’ no one actually makes ‘zzz’ sounds while sleeping.”

Liu Hai angrily nudged him with his head. “Hey! Why do you always have to expose me?!”

“I just want to sleep with you!”

Jiang Xun: “…”

He clutched his chest, trying to convince himself that his racing heartbeat was definitely due to the physical impact and not because of anything else.

“What’s wrong?” Liu Hai poked his hand. “Did I hurt you?”

He eyed Jiang Xun suspiciously. “You’re not faking it, are you?”

Jiang Xun gave a wry laugh. “Maybe…”

“Let’s sleep.”

“Oh.” Liu Hai didn’t press it, yawning. “Goodnight, Jiang Xun.”

Jiang Xun went quiet, waiting until the other’s breathing steadied before murmuring in response, “Goodnight, Liu Hai.”

…

The next morning.

Jiang Xun had braced himself for some mishaps.

Perhaps Liu Hai’s tail would once again end up on his forehead, chest, or legs. Or maybe he’d wake up to Liu Hai splayed in some impossible, upside-down sleeping position. At worst, he might find half his body dunked in the pool…

But none of that happened. He slept peacefully until morning, his arms wrapped around a fluffy Liu Hai.

Wait… fluffy?

Had he really ended up head-to-tail again?

Jiang Xun opened his eyes and looked at what he was holding.

But what met his eyes wasn’t a tail—it was a fluffy, round, milky-white back of a head, incredibly soft to the touch.

Jiang Xun: “…”

He slowly loosened his grip, trying to sit up, only to realize his hand was still trapped under the other’s head.

He tentatively patted the sleeping form. In response, it let out a contented murmur, rolled over comfortably, and showed no intention of opening its eyes.

Jiang Xun finally got a clear look at its face.

Still asleep, beneath two black, bean-like brows, its eyes were narrowed into dark slits. Amidst the milky-white fur, its mouth and nose were dark, like sesame filling leaking from a white dumpling.

His gaze trailed downward—a round little body with two stubby arms that didn’t quite seem capable of clasping together, resting lazily on its belly.

The tail looked distressingly familiar—both in its fluffy, voluminous shape and the way the fins merged to resemble a single tail. It was all very, very familiar.

Jiang Xun could still recall Liu Hai demonstrating how his tail fin worked, showing him the real tail tucked between the two fins.

Logically, he probably already knew what had happened.

But emotionally, Dr. Jiang Xun found himself in the rare predicament of drawing a complete blank.

“Good morning!” Xiao Jin greeted as she pushed the door open.

Though they weren’t at the research institute and morning schedules were looser, none of them had the habit of sleeping in.

Leaning against the doorframe, Xiao Jin said, “Ah, Boss, you slept here with Liu Hai again last night? You didn’t even bring a thick blanket? Be careful not to catch a cold.”

Before she could fully open the door, Jiang Xun instinctively pulled the covers over Liu Hai’s upper body.

“Huh?” Xiao Jin looked at him in confusion. “What’s wrong, Boss?”

“Uh, nothing.” Jiang Xun, still collecting himself, looked away uncharacteristically. “Did… you need something?”

“Not really.” Xiao Jin scratched her head, puzzled. “It’s just that A Yu’s making breakfast today, so he asked me to check how Liu Hai wants his fish prepared.”

She peeked in, seeing only Liu Hai’s tail sticking out. “Still lazing around? Not hungry for fish, Liu Hai?”

She reached out, grinning as she approached. “Let me pet you!”

"Wait!" Jiang Xun couldn't stop her in time.

"Hm?" Feeling his tail being touched, Liu Hai sleepily pushed himself up with his upper body.

But today, his flippers seemed oddly short and couldn't reach the ground.

He finally managed to open his eyes and saw Jiang Xun, who looked somewhat flustered, and Xiao Jin, who was completely stunned.

What's going on?

Liu Hai yawned and tried to roll over, only to plop off the mattress with a thump, giving a little bounce.

The Seal King, now flipped onto his back with no legs, narrowed his eyes as if sensing something amiss.

Trembling, he stretched out his hands to confirm...

Uh-oh, he'd turned back into a seal.

"Wh-what the heck?!" Xiao Jin's voice shot up abruptly. "Aww, so cute! But..."

She looked around in confusion. "Chief, where's Liu Hai?"

Jiang Xun: "..."

He silently glanced at Liu Hai, tongue-tied.

In front of Liu Hai, it was probably best to pretend he didn't know...

He cleared his throat and mumbled, "Uh, this is how I found him."

"I'll check the pool!" Xiao Jin whirled around and dashed toward the pool, pausing briefly to crouch and baby-talk the strange little guy on her way. "Aww, you're so adorable! Did you drift in with the tide? I'll come play with you after I find Liu Hai—"

"Hey—" Liu Hai tried to call her back, but Xiao Jin had already rushed out like the wind.

"Oh no!" Xiao Jin wailed after searching the pool. "Liu Hai—Liu Hai's gone! Where's my big sweet Liu Hai?! No way, he's too well-behaved to wander off. Something must've happened—could it be that Wang Yiliu's got buddies helping him?"

Jiang Xun tried to calm her. "Just breathe first."

He subtly motioned for her to step aside, careful not to arouse Liu Hai's suspicion. "Let A Yu know, and then we'll search outside."

"Come here."

"Okay!" Xiao Jin hurried over. "We can ask Mr. Laurence for help! He has more connections up north—it'll make the search easier!"

As they stepped out of Liu Hai's room, Jiang Xun stopped the frantic Xiao Jin. "Didn't you think his tail looked familiar?"

"Ugh, sorry, Chief, I can't tell tail fins, flippers, or back legs apart right now!" Xiao Jin covered her face. "All I can think about is Liu Hai missing—what if he wandered out into the ocean... Wait, there aren't killer whales in northern waters, right?"

"Calm down," Jiang Xun sighed. "Look, I'll spell it out."

"I think that *is* Liu Hai."

"Huh?" Xiao Jin's mind blanked for a few seconds before she slowly turned to look back at the door.

A sneaky little shape was peeking out from behind it, but it scurried back in the moment it noticed her gaze.

"Now that you mention it, the tail does..." Xiao Jin gestured vaguely before suddenly straightening up. "No, we can't be sure yet. Let me touch it to check how it feels!"

"Stop." Jiang Xun said flatly. "I don't know if he can freely switch between forms, so let's pretend we haven't noticed and give him space to see if he changes back."

"Ohhh!" Xiao Jin nodded eagerly. "Maybe he was so sleepy he shape-shifted by accident!"

She sounded a little regretful. "But I really wanted to give him pets..."

Then she asked, "Chief, did *you* pet him?"

Jiang Xun averted his eyes. "Maybe another time."

"Ah!" Xiao Jin pointed at him accusingly. "You did, didn't you? You totally got your pets in, didn't you? That's not fair, Chief! You should've hinted for me to pet him too!"

Jiang Xun: "...Keep your voice down."

"Go tell A Yu, but don't slip up in front of Liu Hai."

"Got it!" Xiao Jin agreed and raced to the kitchen, bursting in all excited. "A Yu, A Yu! Guess what I just saw?"

"Hmm?" A Yu was tying his apron and turned around. "Did you ask Liu Hai how he wants his fish today?"

Xiao Jin scratched her head. "Ah, no."

A Yu sighed. "So, what's got you distracted now?"

"Ugh, I didn't take a photo!" Xiao Jin moaned before spotting the ketchup nearby. Grabbing a plate, she said, "Hold on, I'll draw it for you! I just saw Liu Hai like *this*!"

A Yu frowned as she doodled while explaining, then looked up with a complicated expression. "You're saying you just saw Liu Hai turn into a... uh..."

He searched for the right words. "...breaded shrimp with a face?"

Xiao Jin swatted his arm. "Don't be mean!"

"Don't talk about our Liu Hai like that!"

A Yu rubbed his side. "I was talking about your drawing skills..."

......

Meanwhile.

Liu Hai anxiously flopped into the pool, completely confused. How had he suddenly changed back to being a seal?!

Did this mean he could finally get past this weird phase and fully transform?

But... can he turn human again?!

Author's Note:

Xiao Jin: Guys, time to put our acting chops to work!