5.
When Meng Fu returned to Kingdom of Lotian, the old king had only one breath left, his mind unclear, lying groggily on the bed all day long, already unable to recognize Meng Fu.
Meng Fu’s eyes had not completely recovered yet; she could only vaguely see some outlines. She behaved no differently from ordinary people. Except for the few people who had been by her side for so many years, no one knew that there was a problem with her eyes.
The eldest prince and the second prince both did not take to heart this sister who had once been sent away for a marriage alliance. She had left Kingdom of Lotian early; within the kingdom, she had no power, no connections. Even if she returned, what could she use to compete with them?
Meng Fu also did not reveal her intention to join this power struggle in front of the two elder brothers. Not long after, the old king died. The throne of Kingdom of Lotian ought to have been inherited by the eldest prince, but the second prince was always dissatisfied with this and united many nobles, attempting to force the eldest prince to abdicate.
Meng Fu finally made her move. She chose to stand on the side of the eldest prince, pulling over two nobles for him. However, that was all she did; she still hoped that these two could delay things for a bit longer.
When the eldest prince finally ascended to the throne smoothly, Meng Fu not only healed her eyes, but also developed her own forces. Incidentally, she also had someone go search for a mute young man in the sea region where her accident had occurred.
During this period, whenever she couldn’t sleep at night, she would always think of that night, when he sat outside the porthole, playing that piece of music for her.
That night, the sea breeze was gentle, the moonlight was bright.
The eldest prince was very grateful for Meng Fu’s help. Not long after ascending the throne, he rewarded Meng Fu with the Moonlight City north of Kingdom of Lotian.
Moonlight City was actually just a small town with fewer than five thousand people. Aside from having a nice-sounding name, it had no other advantages.
Meng Fu already understood her brother’s way of offering rewards, so she was not surprised. The new king even thought that his reward was already generous enough, fully acknowledging the help Meng Fu had provided during his ascension.
His subordinates believed that Meng Fu staying in the city posed no danger, and urged the new king to drive her out of the royal domain. After the new king’s own friends left the palace, Gu Yi ran over and casually chatted with Meng Fu for more than half the day. Finally, he straightened his expression and, pretending to ask casually, said: “My lord, what do you think of Duke Sedolan?”
Facing him, Meng Fu immediately understood this new king’s plan and didn’t bother beating around the bush, directly asking: “Does the royal brother want me to marry Duke Sedolan?”
The new king did not deny it, and followed Meng Fu’s words, saying: “The grand duke very much admires you. Several times he has asked me about your news. Although you were once sent to Salatiti for a marriage alliance, that matter ultimately fell through. Your status matches that of the grand duke.”
Seeing Meng Fu remain silent, the new king continued: “The grand duke is only a few years older than you, but men being older has its own advantages. You will understand after spending some time with him.”
Meng Fu lowered her gaze to the exquisite pastries on the table and said softly, “I am not interested in the grand duke.”
The new king’s face instantly fell. He could not accept Meng Fu’s refusal, and Meng Fu must be arranged by him.
“You should carefully consider it,” the king said, then turned to leave. He had already given Meng Fu enough face, hoping she would be clever.
Meng Fu raised her hand to pick up a piece of pastry and ate it slowly and leisurely. She originally intended to act gradually and not cause bloodshed, but this royal brother of hers was simply too eager to seek his own death.
She could only fulfill his wish.
When the king was still the eldest prince, fighting fiercely with the second prince, Meng Fu had already grasped more than half of the palace guards. Now, even if she wanted to forcefully take over the palace, it would not be a difficult matter.
In the evening, the new king again sent someone to deliver a set of skirts, ordering that Meng Fu must wear this skirt the next day to accompany Duke Sedolan to the Holy Mother Cathedral.
Meng Fu lifted the skirt from the maid’s hands and glanced at it, then lightly laughed aloud.
The teacher beside her looked puzzled and asked: “Your Highness, what are you laughing at?”
Meng Fu turned around and showed the skirt to the teacher, saying: “I think this skirt is a little too small for royal brother, have the maid modify it a bit.”
The teacher asked in shock: “You mean to let the king wear this skirt?”
Meng Fu smiled and said: “Wouldn’t it be bad to just send Duke Sedolan alone to the Holy Mother Cathedral?”
The teacher moved his lips, not knowing what he should say. Once Meng Fu decided something, he could not change it.
That very night, Meng Fu launched a coup, directly leading people to storm the royal palace.
Inside the palace, the king was playing with his lovers. Along with a burst of shrieks, the snake-colored long-haired carpet in the ballroom was instantly stained red with fresh blood, and Meng Fu’s black boots stepped over it without mercy.
The king and his lovers hid inside a cabinet. When the cabinet was opened, he saw Meng Fu outside, half his face filled with fear and half with anger, and he shouted sharply: “Meng Fu, what do you want to do?”
The guards behind Meng Fu very perceptively brought over a chair. Meng Fu sat down, leisurely looking at the embarrassed king, and said slowly: “Nothing much, just wanting to marry Duke Sedolan.”
The king sat in the cabinet, unable to understand why she had made such a big scene over this small matter. He frowned and asked: “What is wrong with the grand duke? Young and promising, handsome and elegant, distinguished family, outstanding talents—what dissatisfaction do you have? I am your royal brother, would I harm you?”
Meng Fu found his words rather ridiculous. Between the brothers and sisters of their royal family, what affection could there be?
She smiled and then casually asked: “Since Duke Sedolan is so good, why don’t I marry you, royal brother, to him?”
Upon hearing this, the king felt as if he had been ruthlessly humiliated. His eyes instantly flushed red, and he shouted sharply: “How could this be!”
“Why couldn’t it?” Meng Fu smiled and said, “The grand duke is young and promising, handsome and elegant, distinguished family, outstanding talents. I think matching you with him is extremely fitting. What dissatisfaction do you have?”
She returned the king’s previous words back to him.
The king’s face alternated between green and white. Meng Fu smiled slightly and said: “Royal brother, I have told you many times, I really don’t like this kind of thing. Why do you always not believe me?”
The king looked at the soldiers behind Meng Fu. Knowing he had no strength to resist, his face changed again, and he apologized to Meng Fu, saying: “Ah Fu, I am sorry. This time it is royal brother’s fault. Royal brother guarantees you, it will absolutely not happen again in the future.”
“I have received your apology,” Meng Fu stood up, looking down at the king from above, and said, “However, royal brother, I realized a long time ago that power—it’s better to hold it in one’s own hands.”
“So, royal brother, will you abdicate on your own?” Meng Fu paused slightly, tilting her head slightly, her smile gentle yet clear, and asked, “Or shall I help you abdicate?”
The king understood his fate was sealed. It was just that he hadn’t even warmed the throne seat yet, and now he was about to be thrown off?
Meng Fu patiently reminded him: “It’s just that if I have to act personally, the result might not be the one royal brother wishes for.”
As she said these words, her face still carried a gentle and soft smile, as if she were simply talking about how today’s weather was good, or how the afternoon dessert was a bit too sweet.
The eldest prince was not a stubborn person to begin with. Knowing the situation was settled and he could not reverse it, he could only obediently abdicate according to Meng Fu’s words.
He was exiled to a border town on the western side of Kingdom of Lotian. On the day of his departure, Meng Fu personally sent him out of the royal city. Before parting, Meng Fu said to him: “Royal brother, after you leave, who knows when you can return. I have a gift I want to send you.”
The eldest prince was holding in a breath of anger. When he could return was not up to him but up to Meng Fu. What kind of gift could she still give him?
The eldest prince grumbled inwardly, thinking Meng Fu might still have some memories of their brother-sister relationship from the past and was going to give him some travel money.
Meng Fu raised her hand, and a maid carrying a wooden box walked up from behind, bringing the box to the eldest prince. The eldest prince found the box somewhat familiar but couldn’t recall where he had seen it before.
“You can open it and see,” Meng Fu said with a smile.
The eldest prince did not stand on ceremony. He opened the box directly in front of Meng Fu, and then his expression froze. His eyes widened, and he simply could not believe what he saw.
Meng Fu’s smile was shallow. She explained to the eldest prince: “I had the maid alter this skirt. It should fit you perfectly now. Duke Sedolan will probably be very pleased when he sees it too.”
The eldest prince’s face instantly turned extremely ugly. He raised his head and stared at Meng Fu. Under the sunlight, the weapons in the palace guards’ hands gleamed coldly, making the eldest prince’s eyes ache.
The eldest prince took the box from the maid’s hands, gritting his teeth and saying: “Thank you.”
Meng Fu was all smiles and said: “As long as royal brother likes it.”
The eldest prince truly did not want to look at this little sister of his one more time. He turned and climbed onto the carriage, leaving the royal city where he had lived for nearly thirty years.
Mid-July, clear skies for thousands of miles.
Hundreds of white pigeons soared up from the round plaza in front of the cathedral, flying toward the azure sky. The long street outside the royal palace was packed with citizens who came to watch the ceremony, as the Pope, clad in white robes, personally crowned Kingdom of Lotian’s new queen.
6.
In the deep sea, the old Sea King and his queen were driven off the throne. His scepter became Li Yue’s possession, and the palace he spent massive wealth and fish power to build was also occupied by Li Yue.
The old Sea King hid at the edge of a pitch-black sea trench, grumbling and sighing all day long. No matter how many sweet words the queen whispered to him, it was useless; he could no longer pull himself together.
In the silent depths of the night, this old Sea King thought back to the old prophecy: Today, the princess who passes by will become the Sea King’s queen.
At that time, he thought the prophecy meant that one day he would fall in love, abandoning his beloved wife. So, to show his loyalty to the queen, he dispatched mermen to kill that princess. He never imagined that the prophecy actually meant he himself would be overthrown by that princess.
The princess never wanted to be his queen; he had simply overthought everything.
Thinking of this, the old Sea King heaved a heavy sigh.
That prophet too—couldn’t they have said things more clearly? Why make it so complicated!
Li Yue, having taken the Sea King’s position, truly acted as he had said before: he first began cracking down on all the shady types of sorcerers.
Huaiming watched his giant cauldron being carried away by mermen to be scrubbed clean, then placed on the beach to be sun-dried under the blazing sun for several hours before being returned. Only after all the old herbs and messy lab notes were turned in and inventoried was he allowed to keep them. The price was that all his silky black hair had fallen out, and now his bald head would gleam under the light.
Even this could be considered minor, because Li Yue also required that before each experiment from now on, a full report must be written and sent to him—what materials were being used, and for what purpose—all had to be clearly detailed.
Huaiming really needed to say thanks; he wanted to shout for help, riding a whale to flee from this sea area.
Only now, all the merfolk were under Li Yue’s control, and no one dared to take on his request.
Moreover, the merfolk were too busy taking care of themselves and truly had no way to come to Huaiming’s rescue.
In the past, under the old Sea King’s leadership, this group of merfolk would harass passing ships every three to five days, starting fights even when nothing happened. Now, all of that had been forbidden by Li Yue. The merfolk suddenly became bored, not knowing what to do anymore, and ended up forming groups to challenge Li Yue. The result was that all of them were casually shoved into the mud by Li Yue, leaving just their tails wagging outside.
Li Yue disliked that they waggled unevenly, so he caught another merman to sing on the side, making them wag their tails in rhythm to the song.
Actually, when other merfolk who wanted to challenge Li Yue saw this scene, their scales nearly fell off from shock. Were these the merfolk from Zu’an? So scary, so scary!
Yet the merfolk didn’t give up. They dragged over another big guy who had just returned from Zu’an. Although he didn’t seem as strong as Li Yue, surely he could make Li Yue suffer a little?
But—they intended to use Zu’an to defeat Zu’an!
In the end, when that big merman saw Li Yue, he immediately collapsed to the ground, lying still, not daring to move before His Majesty the Sea King.
At this point, the merfolk completely wilted. One by one, they obediently listened to Li Yue’s orders.
In just a few short days, the atmosphere of this sea area was completely transformed: fish had their fish morals, mages had their mage morals, building a harmonious ocean and creating a beautiful home together.
After settling these matters, Li Yue continued learning human language from Huaiming. Now he could fluently curse people in human language and had even instinctively learned to rhyme, just to make his words sound more imposing.
Huaiming: “……”
Truly worthy of being the king of Zu’an.
Upon hearing that Li Yue was going to find her after mastering counting, Huaiming was rendered even more speechless.
What person could he be going to find! Obviously he was going to seek revenge!
Li Yue didn’t care about Huaiming’s complaints. Now that he had finished learning, he finally completely understood the meaning of the words she had said when leaving.
“If one day, you miss me, then go to Kingdom of Lotian’s Lancheng to find me. My name is Meng Fu.”
Lancheng?
Meng Fu?
7.
Not long after Meng Fu’s coronation, someone brought back a man from that sea region. The man was tall and robust, with dark skin. He was mute and matched Meng Fu’s description perfectly.
Meng Fu sat on the throne, looking down at the man. His facial features were proper, his clothes were clean, and his appearance was quite decent. He stood straight in the center of the grand hall, neither humble nor arrogant.
Meng Fu propped her chin and studied him for a while, then finally asked aloud: “Were you the one who saved me back then?”
The man could not speak. He gestured with his hands twice, and the attendant beside him translated: he needed paper and pen.
Meng Fu nodded slightly. A maid brought paper and pen before the man. He picked up the pen and began to draw. Not long after, his drawing was finished. He folded the paper and asked the attendant to deliver it to Meng Fu.
On the drawing was a giant shrimp shell, and inside sat a slender young girl, staring absentmindedly toward the boundless sea.
Meng Fu did not mention to him that she had once slept inside a shrimp shell.
She stared at the girl in the drawing for a moment, then curved her mouth into a smile. She stood up, quickly walking to the man’s side, joyfully grabbing his hand and saying: “It really is you!”
The man hesitated slightly, but after a long while, finally nodded to Meng Fu.
“I’ve been looking for you for so long,” Meng Fu said excitedly.
The man, seeing her so excited, seemed a little shy as he lowered his head. Meng Fu continued to ask him: “What is your name?”
The man picked up the pen and swiftly wrote down his name on the white paper.
Xie Erwen. Meng Fu lowered her head and softly read out his name, then gently said, “A very nice name.”
Xie Erwen straightened his shoulders and gestured twice. The attendant beside Meng Fu translated, saying he was explaining his background.
Meng Fu patiently listened to Xie Erwen’s account, occasionally asking him a few questions. They chatted from noon until dusk. Seeing weariness appear on Xie Erwen’s face, Meng Fu thoughtfully instructed an attendant to take him to a nearby palace residence to rest.
After Xie Erwen left, Meng Fu called her subordinate and instructed: “Go investigate his identity more carefully.”
As she was speaking, an elder entered from outside. Seeing Meng Fu, he got straight to the point and said: “Your Majesty, I heard a guard brought back a man from outside today.”
Meng Fu did not hide it. She nodded and smiled: “Indeed there is such a matter. If Teacher had come a little earlier, you might have seen him too.”
“He’s left the palace?” the elder asked.
Meng Fu replied: “No, I arranged for him to stay at the Bailu Palace for now.”
The elder furrowed his brows. He had long heard that Meng Fu sent people to find the one who rescued her by the sea. If Meng Fu only wanted to repay him, he could understand. But looking at things now, it clearly was not so simple—what exactly did she want to do?
“Why leave him in the royal palace?” the elder disapproved.
Meng Fu said: “He has no home anymore.”
“If he has no home, you could buy him a residence in the city,” the elder felt that directly keeping such a man in the palace was very unlike what Meng Fu would normally do. He paused for a moment, then lowered his voice and asked: “Your Majesty, you don’t intend to make him the royal consort, do you?”
Meng Fu asked: “Why would Teacher think so?”
The elder did not answer Meng Fu’s question directly, only saying: “If you truly like him, just make him a lover. For someone of unknown origin, making him the royal consort would absolutely not do.”
Meng Fu stood up slowly, taking the handkerchief the maid brought and carefully wiping her hands. She said to the elder: “Teacher, you are overthinking it. For now, I have no intention of seeking a royal consort.”
Only then did the elder relax. He said: “That’s good. Have you finished investigating that man’s background?”
“I have already ordered people to continue investigating,” Meng Fu replied.
The elder nodded slightly, knowing Meng Fu had her own judgment.
At present, Kingdom of Lotian’s military strength could not even rank at the top on this continent. Several neighboring countries were eyeing Kingdom of Lotian’s border lands greedily. After learning the news, Meng Fu quickly allied with Saratesis and other nations. As long as anyone dared attack Kingdom of Lotian, Saratesis would immediately strike at their capitals. For a time, the various countries maintained a fragile balance, and no one dared to make the first move.
Xie Erwen often came to see Meng Fu. He never spoke, always sitting quietly by her side, and when Meng Fu discussed state affairs with her ministers, he would tactfully withdraw.
Many noble ladies thought he was Meng Fu’s lover. Although he was mute, they thought he still looked quite decent. Some even felt they were better matches and privately offered themselves to Meng Fu, only to be teased by her and sent away in embarrassment.
Meng Fu clearly knew that Xie Erwen’s identity was suspicious. However, she also knew that in a short time it was impossible to find out who had sent him.
Today she happened to have free time. She decided to try probing him a bit. Meng Fu turned her head and asked Xie Erwen: “Do you have time? Come take a walk with me.”
In an instant, Xie Erwen’s eyes lit up with brilliance, and there was even a hidden trace of pride. He immediately nodded toward Meng Fu.
The weather was clear, the sky cloudless. A breeze carrying the scent of flowers blew from the deep valley to the lakeside. The branches and leaves swayed gently in the wind, a few leaves drifting down from the treetops, floating on the water’s surface, rippling outward in circles.
Meng Fu walked slowly while chatting casually with Xie Erwen.
From Xie Erwen’s words and actions, he was definitely not the kind of homeless wanderer he claimed to be. On the contrary, his background should be quite decent.
Then what was his intention in coming to her side?
And how did he know about that painting?
Meng Fu was very worried that the man had already been harmed by them.
Meanwhile, unnoticed by her, a silver-tailed merman raised his head above the water.
Li Yue narrowed his eyes, staring at the two people walking along the lake.
The girl he once rescued had regained her vision—not only could she see properly now, but she could even go out walking with another man.
But… was this mess really what he came to see?
He came all the way to the lakeside just for this?
This pair of fish was really too unfriendly—where were the laws of the Sea King!
The Sea King was very angry, and the consequences…
There were no consequences.
He could cover the clear sky with clouds instantly, summon a torrential downpour, make the calm lake roil with waves, even stir up a colossal tide, and sweep that annoying-looking man far, far away.
But he could do none of that.
He had to restrain all those bad impulses in his heart.
What right did he have to do all that?
The other party hadn’t provoked him; he couldn’t just deal with him because he found him unpleasant to look at.
If he really did that, the human would probably cry their heart out.
Yet he was still very angry, so angry that Li Yue didn’t even know what exactly he was angry about, but he couldn’t act and could only circle in place.
The surrounding lake water, stirred up by his anger, began to surge, the commotion growing larger, eventually forming a giant whirlpool.
Even though Li Yue tried to hide it well, such a huge disturbance could not possibly escape Meng Fu’s notice.
She stared at the whirlpool and softly asked: “What is that?”
Xie Erwen shook his head.
He didn’t know what it was either, but he instinctively felt it wasn’t a good thing for him.
He raised his hand and gestured toward Meng Fu, hoping she would return with him.
Meng Fu refused.
Her heart seemed to be calling her to stay here.
If conditions allowed, she even wanted to go explore that whirlpool.
She wanted to know what was waiting for her there.
By the time Li Yue realized he had caused such a big commotion, it was already too late.
When he lifted his head, he immediately met Meng Fu’s gaze.
In the center of the whirlpool, Li Yue actually showed no embarrassment at all.
He swam out from behind the tree branches, appearing openly, looking at Meng Fu on the shore, and then leaped out of the water, greeting her.
After that previous incident, Meng Fu thought she would develop a deep aversion to mermen.
But strangely enough, as she looked at this merman, her heart held no fear or repulsion—only admiration for his beauty and strength.
His silver tail rose high, then slammed heavily back into the water, splashing droplets that refracted the sunlight into a rainbow of colors.
In the next moment, his entire fish body sank into the lake, and he disappeared from sight.
Meng Fu stared at the rippling water, her gaze darkening slightly.
All of a sudden, she found herself wanting this beautiful merman too.
She wanted to keep him by her side forever.
8.
Xie Erwen’s identity was finally discovered: he was the illegitimate son of the King of Fenglai Kingdom and a lover. Previously, he had been kept outside the palace, and very few people knew of his existence.
Meng Fu analyzed it briefly: his arrival in Kingdom of Lotian was likely intended to use a beauty trap on her.
Since that was the case, she could completely use this scheme against him—and pull a move against Fenglai Kingdom too.
She had dinner with Xie Erwen and personally sent him back to the Bailu Palace.
Xie Erwen was very happy and even pulled her hand, asking her to come in and sit for a while, but Meng Fu refused.
As Meng Fu turned to leave, Xie Erwen suddenly grabbed her sleeve, gesturing wildly with both hands.
He was asking if Meng Fu liked him, even a little.
Meng Fu smiled at him and said: “Guess.”
After saying that, she left, while Xie Erwen stood still in place, staring blankly at her figure disappearing into the moonlight.
Meng Fu returned to her palace. After finishing all pending government affairs, she prepared to bathe and rest.
The largest bathhouse in the palace was built by the old king during his reign to please his beloved lover: extravagantly decorated, colossal in size, nearly half the height of the Bailu Palace Xie Erwen now lived in.
In the past, bathing there required hiring thousands of officials just to fetch water.
After ascending the throne, Meng Fu had the bathhouse remodeled, connecting it to the flowing waters of the garden, turning it into a scenic pond for enjoying mandarin ducks. She built a small bathhouse next to it for her daily use.
As she passed by the scenic pond, she lowered her head to look at her reflection in the water.
Unconsciously, she thought of the merman she had seen by the lakeside earlier.
Where was he now?
Would she ever see him again?
Meng Fu walked past several arched corridors and stopped by the small bathhouse.
She waved her hand to dismiss the maids, then began to remove her robe.
Just then, a gurgling sound came from outside the bathhouse. Meng Fu paused, hesitated briefly, and then walked out.
She did not expect to see the merman she had encountered before—right in the center of the scenic pond, surrounded by white mist, as if a fairyland.
He stood with arms crossed, scanning his surroundings.
Many small fish circled around him. Whenever he moved slightly, the little fish would flip onto the water’s surface and pretend to be dead.
Meng Fu stood at the water’s edge, staring at the merman.
The shimmering scales of his tail opened slightly.
For a moment, she didn’t know what she should say.
She ought to ask:
Who was he?
Where did he come from?
Why did he appear here?
Or, perhaps, she should call someone to come and drive him away.
But she didn’t want to do that.
She wanted him to stay.
As she approached, Li Yue sensed her presence.
He looked up toward the pond’s edge.
There was only Meng Fu—no other man.
Li Yue’s silver tail swayed happily.
Meng Fu remained silent for a while.
She moved closer to the water’s edge, bent down slightly, and asked Li Yue: “Did you come to find me? Is there something you need?”
As soon as she spoke, Meng Fu realized she might be talking to herself.
Mermen and humans spoke different languages—he might not even understand her at all.
But what surprised her was:
After she finished speaking, the merman slowly swam closer.
Then he raised his hand—holding precisely the necklace Meng Fu had given away that day.
The blue gemstone at the necklace’s end shimmered magnificently under the light.
Xie Erwen had once said: That necklace was accidentally lost in the deep sea.
Meng Fu never fully believed his words.
She had always feared that the necklace’s true owner had perished in the deep sea along with it.
But now, the necklace appeared before her again.
What was the relationship between this merman and the necklace’s original owner?
Meng Fu faintly sensed something, but she needed to verify it herself.
She reached out her hand and gently touched Li Yue’s cheek.
Li Yue was not used to being touched by others—if it were anyone else, he might have swatted their hand away.
But Meng Fu was different.
From the first moment he saw her, she was different.
Li Yue’s face flushed slightly, his mind a chaotic mess.
Why was this human woman touching a merman?
Her eyes were beautiful like stars…
Was he drugged or poisoned?
Why was his face getting hotter and hotter?
“Was it you who saved me that day?” Meng Fu asked him softly.
Li Yue lifted his chin proudly and hummed a soft “Mhm.”
Meng Fu believed it.
She didn’t need the merman in front of her to provide any other proof—she simply believed him.
No wonder she didn’t feel afraid when she saw him.
No wonder he had always remained silent before.
No wonder he could so easily find strange and curious foods in the ocean.
All her doubts now had reasonable explanations: It was only that some mermen had wanted to kill her, while he had saved her. Perhaps he had been rejected by the others, which led him to come to her.
For a moment, Meng Fu even hoped that her guess was true.
If so, then she could rightfully keep him by her side.
While secretly wrapping that necklace carefully around Li Yue’s neck, Meng Fu asked him, “How did you find me?”
Li Yue tilted his head and asked back, “Wasn’t it you who called me here?”
As soon as he finished speaking, a group of startled small fish darted away underwater.
On the surface, Meng Fu’s and Li Yue’s reflections blurred together, merging into one.
Meng Fu froze for a second, her eyes shining brightly, as she asked Li Yue: “You can speak now?”
Li Yue replied: “Just learned.”
“Did you… learn it for me?” Meng Fu asked him.
Although it was true that Li Yue had learned human language because of Meng Fu, he didn’t know how to answer. Hearing such a question, he felt strangely shy. His ears began to turn red.
But when he met Meng Fu’s expectant eyes, he still gave a low “Mhm.”
Meng Fu chuckled softly.
She remembered what she had said to him before leaving— with a gentle smile and her hands propped on the edge of the pool, she bent toward him and asked: “So you came to find me today… because you missed me?”
Li Yue’s ears flushed even redder.
He pursed his lips and said nothing.
But Meng Fu had already seen the answer she wanted in his eyes.
Meng Fu’s gaze landed on his red, blood-like ears—so adorably cute.
She resisted the urge to reach out and touch them and instead asked: “Did the other mermen know you saved me? Did they bully you?”
Li Yue choked slightly.
This question was a bit of an insult!
Bully him?
He had always been the one bullying them!
“They wouldn’t dare,” he said.
“That’s good,” Meng Fu said.
From his tone, it seemed that he held a high status among the merfolk, and she could be more at ease.
“Can you tell me your name?” Meng Fu asked.
“Li Yue,” he replied.
“Li Yue…”
Meng Fu softly repeated the name.
Li Yue’s heart was like a very soft jellyfish bumping into something— he suddenly really hoped she could call his name using the merfolk’s language.
After thinking for a moment, he asked Meng Fu: “Are your eyes fully healed?”
“They’re all better. Do you want to check?” Meng Fu blinked at him mischievously.
Li Yue said, “Let me see.”
Meng Fu leaned closer to him, and her long thick eyelashes fluttered lightly under his hand, brushing against his heartstrings.
Her eyes had indeed recovered beautifully: deep and bright, reflecting Li Yue’s figure even more clearly than ever before.
After a long while, Li Yue withdrew his hand.
The two of them looked at each other, and only after a long time did they move their gazes away.
Li Yue shared stories about life under the sea.
Meng Fu sat at the edge of the pool listening attentively.
The two of them chatted about all sorts of trivial, nonsensical things without ever getting bored— simply wishing to keep talking like this forever.
As night deepened, the maids outside came to inquire several times, but Meng Fu brushed them off each time.
At the window, red roses unfurled their petals gently under the moonlight.
“I have to go,” Li Yue said.
Meng Fu didn’t want to let him leave.
She wanted to keep him here.
She could build him a pool of pure gold, present him with the finest things in all of Kingdom of Lotian—but in her heart, she also knew clearly that she could not actually do all of that.
She suppressed these faintly crazy thoughts, and her face remained gentle and smiling as she asked Li Yue: “Then when will you come again?”
Li Yue thought for a moment and said to Meng Fu: “When you want to see me.”
Meng Fu propped her left hand under her chin and said to him: “But I want to see you now.”
Li Yue turned his head away and huffed.
Meng Fu smiled and asked:.”What’s wrong? You don’t believe me?”
Li Yue said: “Don’t you want that Xie Erwen?”
Meng Fu pondered for a moment before realizing he meant Xie Erwen.
She had no plans to correct him and instead asked: “How do you know his name?”
“I just know,” Li Yue said.
Meng Fu let out a small sigh and said to Li Yue: “What would I want him for? I only want to see you.”
Li Yue froze. He pressed his hand against his chest.
What kind of poison was this— even though there had been no physical contact, his heart felt like it was about to leap out of his ribcage. When he met her eyes, it felt as if he was about to drown in her gentle gaze.
He was a merman!
To drown would be such a disgrace!
Meng Fu smiled lightly.
She had never thought she would one day fall in love with a merman.
She didn’t know exactly when she had fallen for him— perhaps it was the moment she realized he had saved her, perhaps it was when she left him that farewell kiss, or perhaps it was today when she met him again with her own eyes.
But it no longer mattered—what mattered was that it had already happened.
Her teacher did not wish for her to marry a mute man of unknown origins.
Would he feel a little comforted if he knew she wanted to marry a merman who could speak two languages?
Thinking of this, Meng Fu laughed softly.
She leaned over like before and lightly kissed Li Yue on the cheek, saying:.”This is today’s goodbye kiss.”
This kiss was gentle and sweet.
Li Yue clearly realized this wasn’t poison—.it was a gift.
He asked her:.”Then what should I give you?”
Meng Fu thought for a moment and answered: “I want to hear the song you played for me that night.”
“I’ll sing it for you,” Li Yue said.
The songs of merfolk were a divine blessing..Their voices were the most beautiful sounds in the world— but before this, Li Yue had never sung.
Meng Fu would be the first person to hear his song,.and the only one.
After Li Yue left, Meng Fu took a bath, lay on her bed, and fell into a deep sleep.
—
In the following days, Li Yue often visited. The palace servants began to notice this. They secretly gossiped that Her Majesty seemed to have a new lover. They looked at Xie Erwen with sympathy in their eyes.
Xie Erwen wore a sullen face.
That night, when Meng Fu had said “guess,” he had thought Meng Fu might truly have had some genuine affection for him. He never expected she could fall for someone else so quickly.
He wanted to see what made that man so special.
Meng Fu knew what was going on in Xie Erwen’s heart. But now that she had someone she liked, she no longer intended to toy with Xie Erwen. After all, merfolk were very jealous creatures.
She redecorated the pond left behind by the old king, placing great shells all around.
When Li Yue came again, she asked him: “Do you like it here?”
Li Yue had no particular interest in gold, silver, or gems. But because this place had been carefully prepared by Meng Fu, he nodded.
Meng Fu then asked: “Then, can you stay a few more days this time?”
Recently, the sea had been relatively peaceful, and ever since the brain-glowing mermen had stopped going out to scam others, there wasn’t much business to attend to anyway.
Li Yue agreed, and Meng Fu was very happy.
She prepared many treats that Li Yue liked, and even made a few plush rabbit toys with long floppy ears.
She discovered that Li Yue really liked rabbits, but since such small animals couldn’t survive at the bottom of the sea, she could only make him stuffed ones.
Later, Meng Fu simply moved her government affairs to be handled beside the pool.
The palace servants realized that the queen genuinely liked this new lover, though they didn’t know what he looked like— it was impressive how he had so completely captured Her Majesty’s heart.
After finishing her work, Meng Fu sat by the pool and chatted with Li Yue.
She noticed that today, Li Yue’s face seemed especially red.
Normally, just a little teasing would make this merman freeze stiff, but today he was sticky and clingy, always moving closer to her.
Just as Meng Fu was about to tease him about it,.she suddenly felt the heat of his breath against her face— it was incredibly hot, and carried a faint, intoxicating fragrance.
Meng Fu realized something was wrong.
She reached out and grabbed Li Yue’s hand— only to be shocked by how hot his body temperature was.
She touched a few other places on him—they were just as hot.
Alarmed, she asked: “Why is your body so hot? What’s going on? Are you sick?”
Could the palace doctors even treat a merman? Probably not.
Were there doctors specifically for fish? Where could she find one?
Meng Fu became both anxious and regretful. Was it because she had insisted on keeping him here that he had fallen ill?
Li Yue had just wanted to say he was fine—but then he felt like every spot Meng Fu touched had caught fire and burned through his body.
In the next instant, he shot away like an arrow from a bow, swimming far, far away.
Cold splashes of water landed on Meng Fu’s face. She wiped her face casually and shouted at him:
“Li Yue, come back here!”
It wasn’t that Li Yue didn’t want to be by Meng Fu’s side. On the contrary, right now he wanted to be near her more than ever before.
But— he truly couldn’t stay.
It wasn’t illness.
It was because… his mating season had arrived.
After all these years of evolution, merfolk still had a mating season— what an unreasonable biological setup!