Chapter 9: The Haystack
After running for a while, Xia Yi realized he was still in the same place, a strong arm around his waist. He cried even harder.
“Big bad guy!”
“Ouyang is a big bad guy!”
Ouyang Xiaoli was embarrassed. He quickly covered the little merman’s mouth, carrying him behind a wall; this place was relatively secluded.
“Don’t cry, don’t cry; okay, okay, I’m a big bad guy,” Ouyang Xiaoli softly coaxed the merman.
“Wuwuwu…” Xia Yi was heartbroken; with the man’s comfort, he cried even harder, as if venting all his grievances.
Ouyang Xiaoli sighed.
Forget it, let the little merman cry; it would be worse if he held it in. There weren’t many people in this secluded corner anyway.
Ouyang Xiaoli thought this.
Half an hour later, Xia Yi cried himself out, his eyes swollen like two peaches. He hiccuped, snuggling into the man’s arms.
Ouyang Xiaoli looked at him: “Finished crying?”
“Mm.” Xia Yi felt a little embarrassed; after a while, he softly said, “Ouyang, kiss me, and I won’t be angry.”
Ouyang Xiaoli: “…”
He licked his dry lips.
Damn it, this little merman looks so pure, but he’s so bold inside. If he said that the little merman didn’t understand what a kiss meant, he wouldn’t believe it.
Ouyang Xiaoli lowered his head, his gaze falling on the little merman’s rosy, delicate lips, his eyes deepening. After a long time, he turned his head away.
He scoffed: “You wish.”
Rare and precious golden natural mermen, so soft and cute, anyone who saw them would be reluctant to refuse their requests, especially since they were asking for kisses and hugs. Most men would be overjoyed.
But Ouyang Xiaoli was different from those men. Although Xia Yi was the most beautiful and well-tempered merman he had ever seen, he had his principles. After only a few days, he had fallen for him?
Ridiculous, how could that be!
“What were you talking about with Xiu Di earlier?” Ouyang Xiaoli recalled the earlier incident, casually asking.
Xia Yi’s two little fingers gently pinched the man’s clothes. He was a little unhappy and wronged that Ouyang hadn’t kissed or comforted him.
“He thought I was Brother Xia Ni,” the merman’s voice was still soft and sweet.
“You have a brother?”
Ouyang Xiaoli was a little surprised.
“Mm.”
In a crack in the wall, Koda quietly withdrew his gaze, standing up, unexpectedly bumping his head with two other heads that had appeared above him, making a crisp collision sound!
“Ouch～”
Koda wailed in pain.
The next second, he immediately covered his mouth, his eyes wide, looking at Xiao Mo and Tang Si with slight resentment; the two opposite him touched their noses and looked up at the sky.
Silence hung between the three.
Finally, Xiao Mo spoke, clicking his tongue, “I didn’t expect this little merman to be so proactive. If I were Big Brother, I couldn’t refuse.”
Tang Si nodded: “Me neither.”
Tang Si’s impression of mermen changed after meeting Xia Yi. For the first time, he knew that mermen could be so soft and well-behaved.
Making one want to offer everything for a smile from the merman.
The low status of mermen in the Underground City was partly due to the fact that most mermen were fierce and irritable. They possessed psychic powers and healing abilities, but they often wouldn’t heal humans; they even showed hostility towards humans. Over time, mermen’s status gradually declined.
In the end.
They even became playthings.
Of course, this was limited to the Underground City; the mermen of the Silver Sea Empire were naturally more noble.
The mermen’s rankings spoke for themselves. Therefore, Tang Si couldn’t help but envy Big Brother, who had casually caught a merman.
A natural golden merman!
Koda rubbed his bumped forehead, looking gloomy at the two: “What are you two sneaking around for? Don’t you make a sound when you walk?”
Tang Si: “…”
Xiao Mo: “…”
It’s unknown who was too engrossed; someone was standing behind him, yet he hadn’t noticed. If it were someone with malicious intent, his life would have been over, Tang Si hummed inwardly.
Koda had made quite a commotion just now; the sharp-eared Big Brother must have noticed.
In the end, Koda was carried away by Tang Si and Xiao Mo, one on each side, his mouth covered, his legs kicking in the air.
People passing by looked at them in astonishment.
Finally, Koda was dumped in a secluded spot, on a haystack. Koda scrambled to his feet, several stalks of hay stuck in his hair.
His appearance was quite comical.
“Koda, you little rascal, did you say something to that merman? Why is he suddenly so eager for Big Brother, like he’s starved?”
Tang Si’s body moved closer.
Koda retreated, waving his hands: “No, it wasn’t me; why would I randomly talk about such things!”
Xiao Mo: “Oh?”
The words “I don’t believe you” were written all over their faces. At this moment, Koda felt like he was naked in front of them.
There was no point in hiding it anymore.
Koda: “…”
Facing the scrutinizing gazes of Tang Si and Xiao Mo, he could only surrender and confess everything.
“Big Brother is not young anymore; it’s impossible for him to remain single for the rest of his life. His lifelong happiness is something worth considering,” Koda cleared his throat, straightening his clothes and saying solemnly: “…I just gave him a little nudge; I didn’t expect Xia Yi to be so receptive. Big Brother wasn’t really reluctant at first; no, not reluctant; his body wanted it, but his mouth didn’t admit it. In one word, he’s tsundere!”
“I was doing a good deed.”
Koda smirked proudly.
The two opposite him twitched their mouths.
Tang Si let go of Koda, thinking that it was a good thing if Big Brother’s matter worked out.
“Zuo Yinwan might make a fuss; she’s been by Big Brother’s side for four years, hasn’t she?” Recalling Zuo Yinwan’s obsession with Big Brother, Tang Si frowned: “The little merman got Big Brother in three days; she might be unwilling; the little merman will be in danger then.”
“We need to give her an explanation.”
Xiao Mo laughed, “Zuo Yinwan isn’t anyone to Big Brother; why give her an explanation?”
Tang Si was stunned.
Koda snorted softly. Compared to the sharp and arrogant Zuo Yinwan, he preferred the cute Xia Yi as his sister-in-law, so he chimed in, “Yeah! Why give her an explanation? Who does she think she is? To be honest, I’ve never liked her; she’s perfectly fine staying in North City; why did she have to come to East City and pester Big Brother every day!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed that Tang Si and Xiao Mo’s expressions were not right; they kept winking at him.
Koda felt inexplicably confused.
“Did something get in your eyes?” He was about to get closer to take a look.
Xiao Mo: “…”
Tang Si: “…”
Ouyang Xiaoli stood expressionlessly behind Koda; he raised his hand and put it on Koda’s shoulder. Koda turned around, jumping up as if he had seen a ghost! Of course, he didn’t jump up because his shoulder was held down by Ouyang Xiaoli. Koda winced and cried out in pain.
“I didn’t use much force,” Ouyang Xiaoli rolled his eyes at this drama queen.
Koda chuckled.
He secretly glanced at Xia Yi, who was standing quietly beside Big Brother. Xia Yi’s eyes were swollen and watery, showing how perverted Big Brother was.
“What are you looking at?” Ouyang Xiaoli glared at Koda warningly.
Koda shuddered.
He said with a forced smile: “Nothing, nothing.”
Koda secretly despised himself; he was too cowardly in front of Big Brother.
He also felt puzzled. Besides, he wouldn’t snatch Xia Yi away; why was Big Brother so nervous? His possessiveness was too strong!
Overbearing and tsundere.
Xia Yi would like him, that’s a joke!
Returning to the Starstone Market, it was still crowded inside and outside; the event had already begun; people coming to buy starstones were not only from East City but also from the other three cities.
Everyone wanted to try their luck, but those who unearthed jade, etc., didn’t use them to accumulate energy for the starship. Not everyone wanted to dedicate themselves to the starship like them. Those people would sell the jade, get spirit stones, and use the spirit stones to buy food.
The obsidian that Xiao Mo had unearthed had the highest energy among all the jades.
On old Earth a long time ago, these ordinary stones had no energy; obsidian couldn’t even be unearthed from the starstones.
But because of a major explosion on old Earth, harmful gases increased, disasters became frequent, the climate deteriorated, and the composition of the stones changed.
Gradually evolving into starstones.
Later, humans escaped to the Silver Sea planet; this was the only planet that suited the survival of ancient humans.
It is said that billions of years later, someone came to that abandoned planet and discovered that those stones had energy; they brought them back to the Empire.
After that, there was a special group of people who went to the abandoned Earth to collect starstones.
Obsidian had the highest energy among all starstones; one could only be unearthed every few years. Its rarity was comparable to gold on old Earth.
Ouyang Xiaoli wouldn’t let them hand over the obsidian that Xiao Mo unearthed like the other Underground City leaders; he let them decide for themselves.
That’s why the incident on the ship happened.
Xia Yi carefully followed Ouyang Xiaoli, but the crowd was too dense; he was pushed back.
At that moment, a shadow suddenly fell in front of him. Before he could look up, a strong arm appeared around his waist, firmly holding him.
Creating some space for him.
Xia Yi felt a familiar aura; he knew it was Ouyang holding him. He pursed his lips, the corners of his mouth curling up; even his hair seemed happy.
“So short, can you even breathe?” Ouyang Xiaoli lazily said.
Xia Yi was stunned.
After a long time, he belatedly realized that Ouyang was making fun of him; his lips formed a straight line; he turned his head and ignored Ouyang.
“I, I can breathe!”
He showed his last bit of stubbornness.
Ouyang Xiaoli chuckled softly, his voice low and magnetic: “Is that so.”
If it were on old Earth, his voice at this moment would be called a baritone. Normally, he didn’t deliberately display it; others would only think it was nice. When he deliberately slowed his speech, it had a seductive quality, causing the listener’s ears to redden.
Xia Yi stammered for a long time, unable to say a complete sentence; his mind was completely mush.
Ouyang Xiaoli seemed not to notice that his tone was different from usual. He naturally took the little merman’s soft, small hand and squeezed it.
Mmm, it’s really soft.
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