Chapter 21: I’ll Take You
When Xiudi found Xia Yi, he and Xiao Ya were in the middle of a heated argument, neither willing to back down.
Xia Yi was stubborn. “I’m going to the Silver Sea Empire to find Ouyang. I’m not going back to the sea.”
“The Silver Sea Empire is dangerous, you can’t go. Little Yu, please be good. I’ll take you back to the sea, I know the way. Okay?” Xiao Ya pleaded earnestly.
“No! I have to find my brother, too!”
“What brother?”
“I’m not telling you.”
“You saw it yourself just now,” Xiao Ya said, “how mermaids are bullied in the underground city. Aren’t you afraid you’ll end up like that?”
“I… I won’t,” Xia Yi said timidly.
In truth, he was a little scared. That black mermaid had been beaten horribly. If it weren’t for Ouyang, he might have been beaten to death, too. Ke Da had told him how sinister the underground city was, but he had never seen it with his own eyes.
Now, he had.
“Xia Yi.” A gentle voice came from behind them. The two, who had been arguing, instinctively turned around.
This secluded spot was where Xiao Ya had been hiding in Dongcheng for several days. It was relatively safe, but not completely.
Xiao Ya hadn’t expected anyone to find this place. His expression changed, and he quickly hid the little mermaid behind him.
Then he saw the man’s face clearly.
Everyone knew the boss of Xicheng, and besides, Xiao Ya had tried to seduce him before. He let out a sigh of relief. The boss of Xicheng seemed like a decent person.
Xia Yi recognized Xiudi, too. After all, they had met at the entrance of the Starstone market.
The man had mistaken him for someone else.
Xiudi looked at the little mermaid’s delicate face, his expression gentle. “Do you need my help?”
Xia Yi blinked. “Do you know how to get to the Silver Sea Empire?”
Xiudi’s smile faded slightly.
“Ouyang went to the Silver Sea Empire. I’m worried he’s in danger. Ke Da said he’s still injured. It’s all my fault, I made him angry.” Xia Yi’s head drooped in dejection.
Xiudi took a few steps closer, his eyes lowered. “He won’t be in danger.”
Xia Yi looked up at the man with hopeful eyes. “Really?”
Xiudi hummed in agreement. His gaze lingered on the face before him. How could two people look so much alike? Their eyes, eyebrows, lips, skin—everything was identical except for their aura. For a fleeting moment, he was in a daze, thinking the person in front of him was Xia Ni.
“The underground city is dangerous,” Xiudi said.
“I know.” Xia Yi had heard this countless times from different people, and after seeing the black mermaid get beaten, he understood it all too well.
Xiudi tried to invite him. “Come stay with me. You can leave whenever Ouyang Xiaoli comes back. It’s not safe out here right now.”
“Don’t go…” Hearing this, Xiao Ya quietly tugged on the little mermaid’s sleeve and whispered, “Don’t just go with a stranger.”
Even though he thought Xiudi was a good person, he didn’t know him well. You could never truly know what was in someone’s heart.
“No, thank you.”
Xia Yi shook his head.
Ouyang would be worried if he came back and couldn’t find him. Besides, he knew there was some distance between Xicheng and Dongcheng. He found it strange that Xiudi was here.
“Why are you in Dongcheng?”
Xiudi looked at the mermaid calmly. “I was looking for someone and happened to run into you.”
Xia Yi didn’t think much of it.
But Xiao Ya was different. He keenly sensed that the way Xiudi looked at the little mermaid was off. There was a mix of daze, infatuation, and pain in his eyes.
This was definitely not simple.
“Little Yu, let’s go back.”
Xiao Ya quietly pulled at the little mermaid.
“Okay.”
Xia Yi wanted to go back, too. He had run out so recklessly, and not only had he failed to find Ouyang, but he had also run into thugs and trouble. Maybe Ouyang is already back and looking for me, Xia Yi thought.
“I’ll take you.”
Xiudi spoke again.
Xia Yi was about to refuse, thinking Xiudi had his own things to do, but Xiudi said softly, “I’m friends with your brother. It’s only right that I take care of you. I’ll leave once I get you home safely.”
“I’m not my brother.”
Xia Yi’s tone was very serious.
Xiudi paused, not expecting the little mermaid to have already noticed. He smiled. “I know. Of course you’re not him.”
Xia Yi looked at the man, confused.
If he knew he wasn’t his brother, then why did he still want to take him home? That gentle look in his eyes had almost misled him.
Xiudi said, “I’m just seeing you home.”
Xia Yi glanced at Xiao Ya beside him. Ever since Xiudi appeared, Xiao Ya had been hiding, as if afraid Xiudi would recognize him.
Xiudi followed the little mermaid’s gaze but had no impression of Xiao Ya. “Your friend?”
Xia Yi thought for a moment. They were probably friends now. They had hidden together all over the underground city and even defeated some thugs. They had been through something together.
“Yeah.”
Xiudi didn’t pay much attention to Xiao Ya. “Then let’s go back. We shouldn’t delay.”
Xia Yi agreed.
When they reached Ouyang Xiaoli’s apartment building, Xiudi stopped. His eyes were gentle as he reached out to ruffle the little mermaid’s hair. “Go on in.”
Xia Yi didn’t like others touching his hair. He turned his head to dodge the touch.
Xiudi chuckled softly.
He remembered that Xia Ni also hated people touching his hair. His already cold face would turn as frigid as an ice cave. Xiudi’s feelings were complicated.
He lowered his eyes.
Ouyang Xiaoli wasn’t the only one who had snuck into the Silver Sea Empire. He had gone up there, too. During that time, he had searched everywhere for Xia Ni, for a very long time.
But Xia Ni had vanished.
Just as Zuo Yinwan had said today, Xia Ni had gone to the Silver Sea Empire. Xiudi had thought so too, but he couldn’t find him no matter how long he searched.
“Your brother… has he contacted you?” As Xia Yi was about to walk into the apartment, Xiudi finally couldn’t resist asking.
Xia Yi turned back in surprise.
He paused for a moment, then shook his head. “I don’t know where my brother is right now, either.”
His brother hadn’t returned to the sea since he left six months ago. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have surfaced to quietly check on the situation.
Who knew he would end up being caught in Ouyang’s net?
Xiao Ya knew he was a slave and was intimidated by Xiudi’s status, so he said he wouldn’t go back with the little mermaid and would stay in his own place.
But he couldn’t help but follow them secretly, afraid that Xiudi might do something to harm the little mermaid.
Fortunately, nothing happened along the way.
Before leaving, Xiudi glanced faintly at the wall not far away before retracting his gaze.
A small fry posed no threat to him, so he didn’t pay much attention and didn’t linger in Dongcheng for long before turning to leave.
It wasn’t that he was afraid of Ouyang Xiaoli, but he felt there were more important things he needed to do.
Just as he left Dongcheng, Xiudi ran into Ouyang Xiaoli and his men, who were just returning.
Ouyang Xiaoli stopped and stared at the man opposite him.
Tang Si was quick to speak. “Well, well, what wind blew the people of Xicheng over to our side?”
Xiudi smiled. “What a coincidence.”
He glanced beside Ouyang Xiaoli. There were only Tang Si and Xiao Mo. He said slowly, “I remember Zuo Yinwan was with you. Why didn’t you take her to the Silver Sea Empire?”
Ouyang Xiaoli frowned. “What are you trying to say?” Why bring up that woman out of the blue?
Xiudi smiled. “Nothing, just curious. I’m heading back.”
He walked past Ouyang Xiaoli, then suddenly stopped. “I forgot to tell you, your little mermaid is very cute and innocent.”
“You should protect him well.”
His tone was full of meaning.
Ouyang Xiaoli’s first reaction was that something had happened to the little mermaid. His heart skipped a beat. When he calmed down, he picked out the key words.
Your little mermaid?
Xiudi knew Xia Yi was a mermaid.
Ouyang Xiaoli’s eyes darkened. He lowered his head to call Ke Da, but the call didn’t go through.
What’s going on? Isn’t Ke Da always with the little mermaid? Did he fall asleep?
Ouyang Xiaoli was in no mood to play games with Xiudi. He decisively turned off his terminal and quickened his pace, arriving at the apartment building in no time.
He looked up at the balcony.
No one.
He had thought a lot on his way to the Silver Sea Empire. His earlier emotions had been inexplicable. Thinking about it carefully, there seemed to be nothing to be angry about.
He had always taught the little mermaid not to talk about having babies. The little mermaid had listened, and yet he himself had become unhappy.
He really was a difficult person.
After figuring things out, Ouyang Xiaoli bought two loaves of bread in the Silver Sea Empire to bring back for the little mermaid.
He turned to look at Tang Si and Xiao Mo. “You two go back first, no need to follow me. Xiao Mo, keep an eye on the starship. If anything unusual happens, call me. Tang Si…”
Ouyang Xiaoli paused. “Help me check who Zuo Yinwan has been in contact with recently.”
Tang Si was surprised. “You suspect her?”
Ouyang Xiaoli didn’t say it outright. “She had ulterior motives for coming to work for me in the first place. I was too lazy to deal with it before, but it’s better to get it cleared up now.”
“Alright,” Tang Si agreed.
Xiao Mo also responded, “Don’t worry about the starship, Boss. I’ll keep an eye on it.”
The other two left, leaving Ouyang Xiaoli standing alone downstairs. He swiped his card and entered the elevator.
Opening the door, Ouyang Xiaoli scanned the living room. There was no sign of the little mermaid, nor Ke Da. His lips tightened slightly.
He walked straight to the bedroom and pushed the door open.
…The little mermaid was wrapped in his blanket, curled into a small ball, sleeping soundly. Seeing this, Ouyang Xiaoli breathed a sigh of relief.
He closed the door.
He lowered his head to call Ke Da.
The call still didn’t go through. After three tries, Ouyang Xiaoli realized something was wrong. He recalled what Xiudi had said earlier.
He had a bad feeling.
Without thinking, Ouyang Xiaoli turned back to the bedroom and shook the sleeping little mermaid awake. Xia Yi groggily opened his eyes.
“Hmm?”
“Where’s Ke Da?”
Before he left, Ke Da had been with the little mermaid.
Ke Da’s mission was to accompany the little mermaid. He wouldn’t leave without his permission.
Xia Yi was instantly awake. “Didn’t Brother Ke Da go looking for you?”
Ouyang Xiaoli’s brows furrowed. “Looking for me?”
“After you left, Brother Ke Da was worried about you, so he went to find you. I wanted to go find you too… It was that Zuo, Zuo Wan who opened the door.”
“Zuo Yinwan!”
Ouyang Xiaoli shot up.
He had been careless. He had known for a long time that someone like Zuo Yinwan couldn’t be kept around for too long, but he had put it off until he had forgotten about it.
“You went out?”
Ouyang Xiaoli looked at the little mermaid.
The little mermaid felt a little guilty. “Just… just for a little while. Nothing happened, I came back quickly, really!”
“As long as you’re okay.”
Ouyang Xiaoli patted his head.
But one thing couldn’t be delayed. Something must have happened to Ke Da, otherwise he wouldn’t be ignoring his calls. Ouyang Xiaoli’s face darkened.
“You stay here and don’t run around. I’ll be right back. Don’t open the door for anyone.” After saying that, he was about to leave but was pulled back from behind.
Xia Yi nervously grabbed the man’s hand. “Did something happen to Brother Ke Da?”
He was very uneasy.
And a little helpless.
“No.”
Ouyang Xiaoli was calm.
“Take me with you, please. I used my mental power to attack a lot of bad guys today. I’m very strong. I want to go save Brother Ke Da.” In his panic, Xia Yi let a lot of things slip, unknowingly revealing what had happened today.
That was Brother Ke Da, who had always been so good to him. If he didn’t go, what if Brother Ke Da got hurt? The thought made him anxious.
Ouyang Xiaoli’s brows tightened.
“Mental power?”
“Yeah!”
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