MERFOLK SURVIVAL RULES CHAPTER 26

Chapter 26

As if just noticing the third wheel in the room, Ouyang Xiaoli turned his head and glanced at Keda.

His eyes were calm, betraying no emotion, but Keda got the message loud and clear. The boss was telling him to get lost.

He was being an eyesore.

Keda shot to his feet, quickly tidied up the trash on the sofa, and, without needing to be told, vanished in under thirty seconds.

He even helpfully closed the door on his way out.

The little merman was so focused on his massage that he didn’t even notice his Keda-gege had disappeared.

Overcome with exhaustion, Ouyang Xiaoli had completely relaxed upon returning home. The little merman’s hands were soft and small, and though he wasn’t using much force, the gentle kneading on his shoulders was incredibly soothing, easing away much of his fatigue.

Gradually, he sank into a deep sleep, his breathing becoming even and steady.

The room fell silent.

Xia Yi stopped moving.

Kneeling on the sofa, he could see the man’s handsome profile just by looking down: the sharp brows, the high bridge of his nose, the thin lips…

The man’s head was tilted back against the sofa’s edge, and he was sleeping soundly, though his brow would occasionally furrow.

It seemed he was having a bad dream.

The man had broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His tall frame was stretched out, his long legs bent uncomfortably because of the coffee table in the way.

Awake, he was a leopard lurking in the shadows—alert and dangerous. Asleep, he was like a beautiful rose.

Xia Yi didn’t know why he would use a rose to describe Ouyang, but at that moment, he felt as if Ouyang was luring him in with his beauty and his thorns, drawing him irresistibly closer.

Despite the danger…

His lips landed on the man’s, soft and yielding, like jelly.

Xia Yi held his breath, not daring to make a sound. He had thought Ouyang’s lips would be like the rest of him—aggressive and unapproachable.

He thought he’d be bitten if he got too close.

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But they were soft.

The little merman’s eyes were wide, his heart hammering like a drum. He clutched the man’s shirt, a mix of fear and excitement swirling inside him.

He stayed like that for four or five seconds.

Feeling like a thief, Xia Yi pulled away.

And then he saw the man, who was supposed to be asleep, slowly open his eyes. They were dark and deep, like the starry night sky of ancient Earth.

Xia Yi froze.

Ouyang Xiaoli looked up at the little merman, his fingers tapping idly on the arm of the sofa.

“Caught you.”

A low chuckle was hidden in his voice.

Startled, the little merman tried to scramble away, but a hand suddenly pressed against the back of his head, guiding him back down. His eyes widened.

Their lips met again. Unlike his own stolen, tentative kiss, this one was fiercely aggressive, a whirlwind of passion.

The little merman’s mind went completely blank. By the time he came to his senses, he was pinned against the sofa.

Ouyang’s unique scent filled his nose, making his head spin. He instinctively tried to push him away.

It was useless.

A quarter of an hour later, Ouyang Xiaoli seemed to finally come to his senses. He paused, looking down at the dazed little merman in his arms.

Thankfully, their clothes were still intact.

He sat up, massaging his temples, just as the little merman asked in a soft, sweet voice, “Ouyang, does this mean I’m the sister-in-law now?”

Ouyang Xiaoli raised an eyebrow. He was still hung up on that. His obsession ran deep.

“Nope.”

His voice was lazy.

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The little merman was not having it. He scrambled up, glaring at the man with his hands on his hips. “But… but you kissed me!”

“Oh?” Ouyang lifted his gaze, deliberately adopting the tone of a scumbag. “Who made the rule that a kiss makes you the sister-in-law? That’d be letting you off easy.”

Xia Yi was speechless.

He felt terribly wronged.

“Then… then you’re just a hooligan!” he finally managed to say.

Ouyang Xiaoli couldn’t help but smile. He continued to tease him. “So what if I am? What are you going to do about it?”

The little merman’s lip trembled.

Tears began to fall.

Pearls dropped to the floor with a crisp, pleasant sound. Ouyang Xiaoli stiffened, a flicker of regret crossing his face. Maybe he’d gone too far.

“You want to be the sister-in-law that badly?” he asked softly.

Xia Yi nodded earnestly, his eyes red.

“Why?” Ouyang Xiaoli asked again, looking straight into his eyes.

Xia Yi hesitated. He wanted to say it was so Ouyang wouldn’t slap him to death at some point in the future.

And so Ouyang would protect him.

But for some reason, he had a feeling that saying those words would change everything.

His instincts told him to keep his mouth shut.

“I just want to,” Xia Yi mumbled.

His voice was soft and sweet, and to Ouyang Xiaoli, it sounded like he was whining affectionately. A gentle smile touched his eyes.

What a little thing.

“Fine. You can have the title for a month.”

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Xia Yi wasn’t satisfied.

How could something like this be treated so casually, like a game? It felt so half-hearted.

Ouyang Xiaoli caught the little merman’s expression, his brow furrowed in displeasure. He chuckled. “Don’t like it? Then you don’t get it at all.”

“No, I want it!”

Xia Yi blurted out, afraid the man would take back his offer.

—

The next day, as soon as Keda walked in the door, the little merman proudly announced, “Keda-gege, I’m the sister-in-law now!”

Keda was dumbfounded. “Huh?”

“Ouyang kissed me, and I kissed him. So now I’m your sister-in-law,” the little merman said smugly, sipping milk while sitting cross-legged on the sofa.

“He kissed you?!”

Keda’s eyes lit up.

“Mhm!”

“How did he do it?” Keda couldn’t imagine someone like the boss actually kissing someone. Did he keep a straight face the whole time?

“Ow!” The words had barely left his mouth when something smacked him on the head. Keda clutched his skull.

“If you’ve got nothing better to do, go inspect the starship. It sustained a lot of damage this time. I want a full report.”

It was the boss’s voice.

Keda whined, “Boss, you can’t just forget about your brother now that you have a wife.”

“You got a problem with that?”

“…”

Even if he did, he wouldn’t dare say it.

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Keda felt like a proud father. Hearing that the little merman and the boss had finally kissed, he shed tears of joy.

It hadn’t been easy!

A couple of days later, the little merman moved into the master bedroom next door, sharing a room with Ouyang. The bed in that room was wide, spacious, and soft.

It wasn’t that Ouyang Xiaoli had insisted he move. He suspected Keda might have put the idea in his head. That evening, the little merman had come pattering up to his door and knocked. When he opened it, he saw him standing there, hugging a pillow and looking up at him earnestly.

“Ouyang, I want to sleep in a bigger, softer bed. Keda-gege said your bed is really comfortable.”

Ouyang said, expressionless, “No.”

Xia Yi’s face fell. “But I’m already the sister-in-law. The sister-in-law gets to sleep in the same bed as Ouyang. And… and Xia Yi wants to have Ouyang’s babies.”

Ouyang Xiaoli coughed.

“Have… have what?”

Xia Yi looked at him. “Don’t be shy. It’s normal.”

Ouyang Xiaoli was speechless.

Somehow, in the end, Ouyang Xiaoli gave in and let him in. The little merman celebrated by bouncing on his bed.

“Wow, it’s so soft and big!”

“Ouyang, come lie down! Let’s cuddle and go to sleep!”

“Mmm, it’s so warm. I love this bed. So this is the perk of being the sister-in-law.”

Xia Yi rolled around under the covers, burying his face in the blankets that smelled distinctly of Ouyang, his cheeks turning red.

Ouyang Xiaoli let out a soft chuckle.

When Tang Si and the others heard that the boss was sharing a room with the little merman, they weren’t surprised. A natural-born golden merman was, after all, incredibly precious.

And the boss was tall, handsome, and charming. No one was a better match for him.

“What have you found out about Zuo Yinwan?” Ouyang Xiaoli asked Tang Si directly.

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He had given Tang Si the task before Keda got into trouble, but with the Zerg invasion, he hadn’t had a chance to follow up.

Tang Si stroked his chin. “She’s been going to the Silver Sea Empire frequently. Not sure who she’s meeting.”

Xiao Mo chimed in, “Doesn’t she have an old master in the Silver Sea Empire? She learned her skills there. That’s probably why she goes.”

Tang Si shot him a sideways glance and snorted. “Well, well, Xiao Mo. Since when did you start defending her?”

Xiao Mo paused. “I just don’t think we need to assume the worst of her. She’s just a woman. Just because she likes the boss, do we have to shut her out?”

“Something’s not right with you.”

Tang Si stared at Xiao Mo.

Xiao Mo snapped, “Think what you want. I’m just stating the facts.”

Ouyang Xiaoli glanced at Xiao Mo, who looked away and offered no further explanation.

“Xiao Mo, you keep an eye on Zuo Yinwan. For the next few days, Tang Si, you’re with me at the starship, repairing parts.”

Xiao Mo’s mouth opened, but he said nothing.

As they left, Tang Si scoffed and shot Xiao Mo a look of utter disdain.

Xiao Mo’s face darkened.

On the way to the starship, Tang Si couldn’t stop talking about Xiao Mo.

“Boss, I’m not just saying this, but something’s off about him. For a while before the Zerg invasion, he was always disappearing.”

“When did he ever show that woman any pity before? It’s strange.”

“You think he likes Zuo Yinwan? No way. After all these years, why now all of a sudden?”

“Didn’t he have a thing for mermen a while back? I thought he liked your little merman. I even tried to talk to him about it, but he denied it.”

“I think he’s lost his mind.”

…

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Ouyang Xiaoli slowed to a stop, his eyes deep in thought. “Be extra vigilant these days.”

Tang Si asked, “Vigilant of Xiao Mo?”

“Be vigilant of everyone.”

Ouyang Xiaoli hadn’t told Tang Si about the starship’s data errors. If he had, Tang Si’s temper would have sent him straight to Xiao Mo for a fight. The incorrect trajectory, running into the storm—that could have been bad luck. But the solar winds? That was pushing it. One thing after another… it was too much of a coincidence.

He hoped it wasn’t Xiao Mo.

There were only three of them on the ship at the time. Xiao Mo would have been in danger too. It didn’t make sense for him to take such a risk.

—

Elsewhere, Xiao Mo met with Zuo Yinwan, his expression grim. “You’d better not be planning anything big between the Silver Sea Empire and the Underground City.”

Zuo Yinwan raised an eyebrow. “You have to help me.”

“I won’t betray the boss.”

That was Xiao Mo’s last line of defense.

“I won’t betray Ouyang either. I like him too much. I’m only going to help him, help him take over the Silver Sea Empire.”

Zuo Yinwan clicked over to him in her high heels. Seeing that he wouldn’t look at her, she scoffed and forcefully grabbed his chin.

“What’s wrong? Does seeing me remind you of what happened that night?”

Xiao Mo’s face grew even darker. Just before the Zerg invasion, after Keda was beaten up, he and Zuo Yinwan had accidentally slept together.

He felt he had deeply wronged the boss. Although he had never thought much of Zuo Yinwan, there was no denying she was the most beautiful woman in the Underground City. If the boss were ever to have a woman, Zuo Yinwan would be the most suitable choice.

Xiao Mo had always believed that.

Even now, with the boss seeming to care so much for the little merman, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t one day take an interest in Zuo Yinwan.

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