Chapter 40
Even though he had been sold by Ouyang, he couldn’t help but think of him at a moment like this. Xia Yi felt he was truly spineless.
He cried even more heartbrokenly.
“Ouyang, Xia Yi misses you so much.”
“Boohoo…”
Song Chengbing was also a bit at a loss. He only wanted the little mermaid to come out; he hadn’t expected such a huge reaction. It gave him quite a start.
He hurriedly retreated.
Standing in place, he cleared his throat.
He turned and whispered instructions to the guard: “Call Xia Ni over. Tell him it’s urgent.”
“Yes, sir.”
Xia Yi was crying so sadly that he didn’t hear what Song Chengbing said at all. He gripped the bars of the cage, his entire body trembling with his sobs.
Song Chengbing quietly sighed.
There was a small laboratory in Xia Ni’s room. At this moment, he was researching cold weapons to use against the Zerg.
Just as he was halfway through summarizing the data and report results, there was a knock on the door. Xia Ni raised his eyebrows in displeasure, not even lifting his head.
Everyone in the palace knew that Xia Ni hated being disturbed while writing research reports. But this was a special situation, so they had to muster the courage to knock. However, there was no movement from inside.
The Guard Officer: “…”
Okay, I knew this would happen.
He cleared his throat: “Adjutant, the General says he needs to see you.”
Xia Ni used to be their Adjutant—resourceful, brave, and skilled in battle. He was also the person who had braved death with the General the most times.
But Xia Ni didn’t like them calling him “Madam,” so they could only address him as Adjutant.
Still, there was no movement from inside.
“The General went to the black market today, intending to find Sea Fishy Grass for you… but an accident happened halfway through, and he came back early.”
The room remained extremely quiet.
“He spent one hundred million spirit stones to win the auction for a natural mermaid and just brought him back…”
The door suddenly opened. Xia Ni’s somber face appeared behind it. Although he had just been diagnosed with pregnancy, his stomach was still as flat as a plain.
His temperament was cold and distant.
Although he looked exactly like Xia Yi, one was cold and distant, while the other was soft, cute, and squeamish. The difference in temperament made them easy to distinguish.
The guard officer was slightly stunned.
“Where are they?” Xia Ni asked calmly.
The guard officer was still marveling at how Xia Ni and his younger brother really did look exactly alike, and for a moment, he forgot what he had missed saying.
He subconsciously replied, “His bedchamber.”
Xia Ni quietly clenched his fist. That bastard. He had only just gotten pregnant, and Song Chengbing actually brought another mermaid back to the bedchamber.
He must be tired of living!
Xia Yi was tired from crying, but his small hands still tightly gripped the iron bars of the cage. His eyes, red and swollen, timidly peeked at the tall man at the door.
The man seemed to be scared of him.
That was good. That way, the man wouldn’t come near him again. Maybe he would even detest him.
Xia Yi secretly made up his mind.
Song Chengbing kept a respectful distance from the little mermaid.
Firstly, he was afraid the little mermaid would overthink things; secondly, he was afraid the little mermaid would be scared. To be honest, he hadn’t even been this cautious on the battlefield.
Song Chengbing felt quite helpless.
Xia Ni actually didn’t really believe that Song Chengbing would look for another mermaid. Before he got together with Song Chengbing, back when he was just an Adjutant dealing with matters alongside him every day and stopping Zerg invasions, he had seen through Song Chengbing’s character thoroughly. This man was devoted and deeply affectionate. Once he decided on something, he wouldn’t change easily.
Song Chengbing was very disdainful of infidelity and believed that this was the difference between animals and humans.
In the animal world, there were no rules. They could urinate and defecate anywhere, and even mate at will without any restraint.
But humans were different.
Humans were independent, thinking individuals. Knowing something was wrong, they could control themselves and restrain their behavior.
Animals didn’t have the concept of restraint.
Someone once asked a question: between emotional infidelity and physical infidelity, which one can you not accept? Actually, the answer is obvious. Emotional infidelity means the person has fallen for someone else, but knowing it’s wrong, they force themselves to show restraint, making themselves sober up quickly so they won’t—and can’t—take the next step to physical infidelity. Physical infidelity is much more serious. It means the person is like an animal without thought, following their physical sensations and casting aside morality and education. At that moment, what is the difference between them and animals?
Song Chengbing disdained becoming such a person.
Xia Ni understood this well, so he wasn’t really angry. The reason he was going over was that the guard officer wouldn’t lie to him.
Song Chengbing really did buy a mermaid.
And the guard officer also said Song Chengbing wanted him to go over. Xia Ni grew suspicious—why ask him to go there?
He pushed the door open and walked in.
Although he knew in his heart that Song Chengbing wouldn’t cheat, Xia Ni still put on a cold expression, waiting for Song Chengbing to give him an explanation.
Not far away, there was a cage. Inside the cage was a small, cute boy, trembling with his back to them, sobbing quietly.
He looked like he had been bullied.
Xia Ni frowned subconsciously and turned his gaze to Song Chengbing beside him. “Why did you call me here?”
Song Chengbing: “…”
Xia Yi actually wasn’t crying anymore. He had cried until he couldn’t cry out any more tears, and his eyes were dry, but he had to keep up the act.
He was worried the man would come over again.
Hearing the door open, he quietly pricked up his ears to listen carefully. Then he heard a cold voice that sounded a bit familiar…
!!!
Xia Yi’s eyes widened instantly.
In disbelief, he quickly turned his head and saw the person standing beside the man.
That face, identical to his own, wore a look of faint impatience. Every expression was one he knew so well.
Immediately after, the ordinary-looking man who had bought him tore off the fake skin and wig from his face, revealing a handsome, profound face and golden hair. His blue eyes were imbued with a shallow gentleness.
Xia Yi pursed his lips.
He looked at them with red eyes.
Xia Ni glanced over inadvertently and saw the mermaid’s face in the cage. He froze instantly, his pupils dilating several times over!
“Xia Yi?!”
Xia Ni’s voice almost cracked.
Xia Yi pressed his lips together and didn’t speak.
Tears fell like golden beans.
Xia Ni didn’t have time to think. He rushed to the cage in three steps. The moment he saw the cage clearly, his eyes grew several degrees colder.
What was going on?
Why was Xia Yi locked inside?
If he found out which bastard did this to his brother, he would definitely skin that person and deep-fry them twice in oil!
Damn it!
At this time, Song Chengbing walked over and explained the situation, saying helplessly, “He screamed as soon as I got close, so that’s why I asked you to come.”
Xia Ni was already so angry his eyes were red. After hearing Song Chengbing recount his brother’s ordeal, his heart ached, and he regretted leaving without saying goodbye.
He had been accidentally injured while fighting the Zerg before. Song Chengbing insisted he not go back to the battlefield until he was fully healed, and because of that, he hadn’t gone to find Xia Yi.
He never expected that just because he hadn’t gone back for half a year, this idiot Xia Yi would be caught by humans and sold on the black market!
The cage lock was opened.
Xia Yi didn’t cry and scream as much as expected. He pursed his lips tightly, looking at his brother, then stubbornly turned his head away.
Xia Ni squatted down. “Grown some backbone, have you?”
His brother used to say this to him often, especially when he was throwing a tantrum.
Because of his brother’s protection, Xia Yi was willful, squeamish, and loved to cause trouble. He was often scolded by his brother for this and that, but Xia Yi wasn’t sad because he knew his brother loved him very much deep down.
Xia Yi couldn’t help but burst into tears.
The fear and grievances of these days, the bitterness of being sold by Ouyang, the despair of missing his brother but him not being there—all vented out as tears.
Xia Yi cried until he was out of breath.
“B-Brother… boohoo… W-Where did you go? Xia Yi couldn’t find you.” Xia Yi cried so hard he couldn’t speak clearly, his voice intermittent. “Xia Yi was so scared. There are so many bad people here.”
“It’s so scary here…”
Hearing Xia Yi say there were many bad people, Xia Ni thought his brother had been bullied.
He anxiously stepped forward, his hands flustered as he checked Xia Yi’s body. “Is there anywhere that hurts?”
A trace of confusion appeared on Xia Yi’s face.
It wasn’t until his brother reached out to lift the clothes covering his legs that Xia Yi hurriedly held them down, looking at the man behind his brother with a flushed face.
This man had blonde hair and blue eyes.
He must be his brother’s lover.
Xia Ni also seemed to realize it was inappropriate. He calmed down, turned back, and said to Song Chengbing, “Ah Bing, you go out for a while.”
Song Chengbing nodded.
With only the two brothers left in the room, Xia Ni had no more scruples. He went directly to lift Xia Yi’s clothes, only to be held back tightly by Xia Yi again!
“I-I’m fine.”
Xia Ni raised an eyebrow. “I’m your brother, what are you being shy about?”
“T-That’s still no good.”
Xia Yi stammered.
Xia Ni narrowed his eyes. He glanced at Xia Yi and found that Xia Yi’s eyes were dodging, afraid to look at him. Obviously, he was hiding something.
His heart sank.
The room was very quiet. Neither of them spoke. Xia Ni had excellent patience; he waited quietly, waiting for Xia Yi to confess everything to him.
Xia Yi didn’t dare tell his brother about what happened in the Underground City. If his brother knew, he would definitely seek revenge on Ouyang. Xia Yi’s feelings were complicated. He didn’t want to see his brother get hurt, nor did he want to see Ouyang get hurt. He was just that spineless.
“I… I…”
Xia Yi lowered his head and mumbled.
Xia Ni stared at him. “Hmm?”
Xia Yi found it difficult to speak, but still whispered with a blushing face, “Ouyang said my body can only be seen by him alone…”
That was what Ouyang had said during their sweet moments. Ouyang might not remember, but he remembered it clearly.
Xia Yi silently hung his head.
Xia Ni: “…”
His eyes were steeped in ice.
Who was Ouyang? Why did Xia Yi listen to this person? And… it sounded like this bastard had already seen Xia Yi’s body?!
And only he could see it?
Xia Ni’s chest ached with anger. “Who is Ouyang? And what is your relationship?!”
Xia Yi tugged at his clothes uneasily.
“Also, didn’t Brother tell you not to trust humans?! Not to get close to humans! Did you treat my words as wind blowing past your ears?!”
Xia Ni looked extremely stern.
Xia Yi was unconvinced. “Brother got together with a human too.”
Xia Ni sneered. “Are we the same?”
Xia Yi puffed up his cheeks, refusing to admit defeat. “That person just now is the one Brother likes, right? He’s also a human. Is he a bad person too?”
Xia Ni was so angry he spoke without thinking. “Yes, there are good and bad people. But with your pig brain, do you think you can distinguish them?!”
Xia Yi shouted aggrievedly, “I knew that in Brother’s heart, I’m no different from an Ancient Earth pig, that’s why you abandoned me! And you scolded me!”
“I don’t care about Brother either!”
Xia Ni was stunned. “What?”
Xia Yi regretted his words as soon as they came out, but since his brother hadn’t shown any happiness upon seeing him this time, Xia Yi felt very sad.
His brother just kept scolding him.
So he didn’t want to apologize immediately.
Xia Ni frowned. “Why do you think I abandoned you?”
Xia Yi said self-righteously, “Brother didn’t come back for half a year, you definitely didn’t want Xia Yi anymore.”
Xia Ni laughed angrily. “Half a year ago, I was injured by the Zerg on the battlefield, so I’ve been recovering. Ah Bing wouldn’t let me go out. Later, I went to look for you, but you weren’t in the sea.”
Xia Yi was originally sulking; only in front of his brother did he dare to throw such wanton tantrums.
But hearing that his brother was injured, he immediately forgot about his sulking and hurriedly walked up to his brother, anxiously touching him here and there.
“Brother, are you okay?”
Xia Ni’s heart warmed.
He sighed softly.
He gently rubbed his brother’s soft hair and hugged him, his heart softening a patch.
Xia Yi hugged his brother back dependently.
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