“Are you afraid of sharks?” Ouyang Xiaoli asks softly.
Xia Yi is extremely nervous, his small hands clutching the man’s shirt, “…Don’t throw Xia Yi to the sharks, Xia Yi will be very obedient.”
Ouyang Xiaoli raises an eyebrow.
A slight curve forms on his lips.
It seems this little merman is truly terrified of sharks. Earlier on the boat, he hadn’t spoken much, only uttering two words – his name – and responding with headshakes, nods, or a confused expression to further questioning. Now, hearing that he might be thrown to the sharks, his fear has caused him to speak more.
The sky in the Underground City is grayish-white, a depressing atmosphere permeating every corner.
To be precise, the Underground City doesn’t have a real sky, but a giant screen.
Many lights are installed on the screen.
But usually the lights are off; looking up, one only sees the grayish-white sky.
There are no seasons here, no rain, hail, or snow, only the perpetually grayish-white sky overhead.
Xia Yi cautiously looks at the street.
The streets of the Underground City are broken and dirty. The overhead lights are off, so it’s night, with only dim streetlights on either side.
If you ignore the screen.
This moment resembles a normal day and night cycle.
The buildings of the Underground City are dilapidated, the ground pitted and uneven. Passing through an alley, Ouyang Xiaoli stops in front of a building.
He touches his wrist-mounted datapad against the door’s sensor, and the door opens. Ouyang Xiaoli carries the merman inside.
The door quickly closes automatically.
Xia Yi belatedly realizes that the others are gone.
This is an enclosed space.
Like an elevator in a book.
At a certain floor, the elevator opens, and the man carries him out.
He swipes his datapad at a door.
On the table sits an empty nutrient paste pouch, with some milky white liquid remaining. Ouyang Xiaoli places the merman on the sofa and casually throws the pouch in the trash can, walking to a storage box.
He hesitates before opening it.
Inside are rows of neatly arranged nutrient paste pouches and two potatoes.
Ouyang Xiaoli asks, “What do you eat?”
Xia Yi glances at the rows of milky white nutrient paste pouches and cautiously says, “I, I can eat anything.”
Ouyang Xiaoli takes two pouches.
He walks to the sofa, inserts a straw into one pouch, and hands it to Xia Yi, who obediently takes it.
He sucks it.
“Pfft!!!” Xia Yi can’t help but spray the nutrient paste.
What is this?
Ouyang Xiaoli doesn’t move for a long time.
His eyelashes are coated with milky white nutrient paste.
The atmosphere freezes for a moment. Ouyang Xiaoli remains silent for a moment, then slowly opens his eyes, calmly wiping the nutrient paste from his face.
He stares at the milky white residue on his finger for a while and then licks it clean.
The Underground City is different from the Silver Sea Empire. It’s poor and dirty; nutrient paste is a luxury for ordinary people. Slaves certainly don’t get it; someone who can store a whole box of nutrient paste is a “top tycoon” in the Underground City.
However, he is still just a commoner.
Even so, he hasn’t forgotten almost being bitten to death by several stray dogs as a child for a single potato. He still remembers the taste of that potato.
Food is very important in the Underground City.
Xia Yi is anxious and afraid.
He clutches the nutrient paste pouch tightly, shrinks back on the sofa, his body trembling, tears clinging to his eyelashes.
He realizes he’s made a mistake.
“I, I’m sorry…” A faint, soft voice, like a kitten’s meow, fills the air.
Ouyang Xiaoli isn’t angry. His expression is calm; after making sure his face is clean, he takes the nutrient paste pouch from Xia Yi and walks towards the storage box.
Xia Yi silently watches the man.
The man opens the storage box again, puts the opened nutrient paste back inside, and takes out two potatoes.
Ouyang Xiaoli goes into the kitchen.
The house is very quiet. Xia Yi sits on the sofa, holding his breath, not daring to move, only hearing faint sounds from the kitchen.
“This is such a hassle.” A bowl of steaming potato soup is placed in front of Xia Yi.
Xia Yi looks up, noticing the man’s slightly furrowed brow and somewhat sullen expression. The man doesn’t even bother to look at him and turns to leave.
Xia Yi is stunned.
Tears fall, forming pearls, and landing on the old wooden table, making a sound.
He’s been rejected.
His stomach rumbles. Xia Yi glances at the simple potato soup, sniffs, and finally begins to eat.
He finishes the potatoes quickly but still feels hungry.
He remembers the white liquid.
He has a feeling that he may have to drink that strange stuff every day.
It’s called nutrient paste.
The book mentions it.
Nutrient paste tastes strange; he has never tasted anything so unpalatable.
It tastes worse than seaweed.
Humans have such strange tastes.
But nutrient paste is precious in the Underground City; not everyone can drink it.
This is what the book says.
The book also says that nobles in the Silver Sea Empire don’t drink this strange-tasting stuff.
Ouyang Xiaoli comes out of the shower and sees the merman sitting on the sofa, lost in thought, the bowl of potato soup completely empty.
Spotlessly clean.
It seems the little merman was really hungry.
He dries his hair and walks over, suddenly noticing some pearls on the floor. He glances at Xia Yi’s face; indeed, the little merman is crying, clutching his stomach sadly.
Ouyang Xiaoli stops.
“What’s wrong?” He frowns, casually throwing the towel on the sofa.
Xia Yi pouts, embarrassed to say he’s still hungry, but unwilling to drink the strange nutrient paste, so he remains silent.
Ouyang Xiaoli raises an eyebrow, “Not full?”
He walks to the table, picks up the bowl, and heads towards the kitchen, “There are only two potatoes in the storage box. I can’t help it if you’re not full.”
His tone is indifferent.
Xia Yi stiffens slightly: “…”
Ouyang Xiaoli lazily washes the bowl under the tap and puts it back in place.
Having been on the boat for two days with little sleep, his body is at its limit. Ouyang Xiaoli rubs his eyes and returns to his room.
He’s just comfortably lying down.
When he suddenly remembers the merman in the living room.
Extremely tired, he gets up and rummages through his closet, finding an old blanket, his old shirt, and red beach shorts. They might be a bit small for him, but they should fit the merman.
Ouyang Xiaoli leaves the room.
He throws the blanket and clothes onto the sofa.
He looks down at the little merman.
“Don’t make a sound at night, or I’ll throw you out to feed the sharks.”
Then he turns and closes the door.
Xia Yi: “…”
He rubs his eyes, stares at the wall, still a little dazed. From being caught in the net to coming ashore, he’s still a bit slow to react.
The interstellar record novel says that natural mermen are incredibly precious.
They are invaluable in both the Silver Sea Empire and the Underground City.
Looking at the cold, isolated door, Xia Yi’s mind conjures the handsome man’s face, his eyes deep but somewhat cold.
Xia Yi pouts and wants to cry.
He misses his brother.
——
The next morning, Xia Yi sits up with a sore back. He’s not used to sleeping on the sofa; while it’s not cramped for his size, turning over is difficult, incomparable to the spaciousness of the ocean.
Xia Yi feels wronged.
His stomach rumbles again. It’s already morning, but the man in the room hasn’t moved.
Xia Yi, clutching his stomach, shrinks back on the sofa.
Two hours later, the room door finally opens. Ouyang Xiaoli’s hair is messy, his eyelids lazily half-closed.
He slowly walks to the storage box.
He takes out a nutrient paste pouch.
Turning around, he sees half of a cautious head peeking from behind the sofa. He stops, instantly becoming alert.
The little merman is wearing ill-fitting clothes, like a child stealing adult clothes.
Ouyang Xiaoli frowns. He chose the smallest size, but the little merman is too small. Is it because of malnutrition?
Xia Yi timidly looks at the man.
“You’re awake so early?” Ouyang Xiaoli turns and opens the storage box again, taking out another nutrient paste pouch. He walks to the sofa and, regardless of whether Xia Yi wants it or not, shoves the pouch into his arms, “Even if it tastes bad, you have to drink it. Otherwise, you’ll starve, and I don’t have that many spirit stones to buy you potatoes.”
Xia Yi can only take the pouch.
He takes the straw, mimicking the man’s actions from yesterday, and slowly sucks it, his face scrunching up.
It tastes awful.
Ouyang Xiaoli inadvertently hums with a laugh.
He’s long used to the taste of nutrient paste; he finishes it quickly, throws the pouch in the trash, and slowly turns to the little merman.
“Are you going out with me later, or are you staying here?” Ouyang Xiaoli asks.
Xia Yi looks at him questioningly, “Hmm?”
“If you go out, don’t tell anyone you’re a natural golden merman,” Ouyang Xiaoli says casually, standing up, “…The Underground City is full of all sorts, and no one will protect you.”
Xia Yi stammers, “You, you…”
“I protect you?” Ouyang Xiaoli glances at the merman’s beautiful eyes and suddenly smiles, “You’re not anyone to me. Why would I protect you? Forget it, you should stay home.”
He returns to his room.
When he comes out again, he’s wearing similar clothes to yesterday.
Ouyang Xiaoli buttons his shirt while talking to Keda on his datapad, his tone impatient.
“Yeah…ate…sofa…sprayed me last night…very pampered…you’re so worried, why don’t you come over yourself?”
Keda immediately says, “Boss, I’ll be right there!”
Ouyang Xiaoli: “…”
He looks at the hanging datapad speechlessly.
He walks to the sofa and looks at the merman, who seems lost in thought, “Keda will come later; he’ll be with you today.”
Xia Yi raises his little face.
Then silently lowers his head.
From Ouyang Xiaoli’s perspective, he can clearly see the merman’s beautiful collarbone and a large expanse of white chest. The clothes are too big for the merman. Even with the top button fastened, a lot of tender skin is exposed. Looking down, the slender, straight legs are smooth and delicate; not even the black mermen of the Underground City, let alone the blue or white mermen of the Silver Sea Empire, have skin this flawless.
Ouyang Xiaoli averts his gaze.
Author’s Note: If you like it, please add it to your favorites! =^_^=
