On the second day after dealing with Fu Yunwei’s matters, He Heng drove back to Mingcheng with Qiao Ran.
The little merman’s mating season hadn’t completely passed, and combined with the distressing nights over the past few days, the carriage’s intense jolting made He Heng worry about Qiao Ran’s comfort. Therefore, he stuffed several soft cushions behind Qiao Ran’s lower back and let him lean against himself.
On the previous night, He Heng told Qiao Ran that he had found a method to restore his vision. Once they returned to Mingcheng, he might quickly regain his eyesight.
So, throughout the journey, Qiao Ran appeared very excited. Nestled in He Heng’s embrace, he chattered away, talking incessantly.
Midway through the carriage ride, the little merman seemed a bit motion sick, but he stubbornly rallied, trying to stay alert. He played with He Heng’s hair, murmuring softly to himself.
He Heng, observing Qiao Ran’s continuous yawning and the way he absentmindedly twirled his own hair with his fingers, chuckled helplessly. He wrote in Qiao Ran’s palm, “Feeling sleepy? Take a nap, and when you wake up, we’ll be there.”
Qiao Ran shook his head. There were many things he hadn’t discussed with Da Zhu yet, and he didn’t want to wait until they returned to Mingcheng. He wanted to talk now.
So, the next moment, the little merman lifted himself from He Heng’s lap, encircled his waist, and raised his small face, asking, “Da Zhu, do you want to… come back to the sea with me?”
Seeing that He Heng didn’t immediately respond, Qiao Ran continued, “You said before that the people in the village don’t like you, right? And they treat you badly. You can come back to the sea with me; the people around me are all very kind. Besides my family, there are also dolphins and sharks, they will surely like you. And also…”
“After I regain my eyesight, I can cure your throat, and then you’ll be able to speak,” said Qiao Ran, counting on his fingers and fervently listing the benefits of going back to the sea together.
Watching the little merman passionately detailing the advantages, He Heng instinctively curled the corner of his mouth.
Meanwhile, Qiao Ran was still brainstorming, “Oh, by the way, if Da Zhu wants to visit your cousin, he can come up anytime. You don’t have to worry about that…”
At that moment, He Heng interrupted him, “Ah Ran doesn’t even know what I look like yet? You’re casually bringing me home? Haven’t you considered what if I’m very ugly? Then all your fantasies would be shattered, wouldn’t they?”
“Hmm?” The little merman first appeared puzzled, then gently shook his head.
The next moment, he climbed up from the swaying and tilting carriage, feeling his way to turn around. He straddled He Heng, saying, “No.”
Qiao Ran’s fingertips delicately traced over He Heng’s high eyebrows and then his slightly curved lips.
The sensation of their skin pressing against each other was slightly ticklish yet enticing, as if a subtle electric current started from their fingertips and gradually spread throughout their bodies.
The little merman’s lips curled, revealing two pointed little fangs beneath his crimson lip.
At this moment, he lowered his head, and their noses were almost about to touch. The fiery breaths intertwined, disrupting the rhythm of their heartbeats.
“I can feel it…”
“You’re the way I like.”
Upon hearing this, He Heng didn’t speak. He chuckled, leaned in, and bit down on the other’s lips…
With a “bang!” sound, the carriage jolted again.
He Heng pulled Qiao Ran into his arms, kissing him amidst the bumpy ride.
But in his mind, he wondered, is it still possible to learn disguise techniques now?
When the carriage arrived in Mingcheng, it was already midnight, and the sky outside had turned completely dark.
After playing around for the entire afternoon on the road, Qiao Ran ended up feeling a bit weary after getting off the carriage. Not only that, but he also had some back pain.
Once the two returned to the small wooden house on the edge of the fishing village, they quickly prepared some food and got ready for bed.
He Heng asked Qiao Ran if tomorrow morning would be a good time to restore his eyesight.
However, he didn’t tell Qiao Ran that there was a bit of his own selfishness behind this plan.
Because this way, Qiao Ran could spend an extra night with him.
Qiao Ran agreed, thinking that if he regained his eyesight in the morning, he would have the whole day to be with He Heng. From the moment he opened his eyes in the morning, he could see He Heng until they went to sleep at night.
With this in mind, the little merman unusually nestled into bed early at night. He thought about getting up early the next day so he could see He Heng sooner.
Watching the excitement on Qiao Ran’s face, resembling a child eager for a spring outing the next day, He Heng’s mood was somewhat complicated.
He embraced the little merman as they lay down in bed together, kissed Qiao Ran on the back of his neck, and wrote “Goodnight” in the palm of his hand.
When the first faint light of dawn penetrated the small room, Qiao Ran woke up from a hazy dream. Like the previous days, he instinctively reached towards the pillow, but this time, he didn’t encounter the familiar embrace. There was only a cold pillow, and it seemed like the person beside him had been gone for a while.
The empty feeling in his palm made the little merman suddenly alert. He sat up abruptly, calling out in panic,
“Da Zhu? Da Zhu, are you here?”
However, there was no response.
At that moment, Qiao Ran’s eyelids began to flutter rapidly. He propped himself up, anxious to get out of bed and search for He Heng’s presence.
Just then, an elderly woman’s voice suddenly sounded in his ears.
“The floor is cold. Don’t go down barefoot like that.”
Qiao Ran immediately recognized it as Aunt Li’s voice. He urgently asked, “Where’s Da Zhu? Where did he go?”
However, Aunt Li just sighed and remained silent for a moment before shifting the topic without responding.
“I’ve brought the village doctor for you; he can help you regain your eyesight.”
As Aunt Li’s words fell, a person approached Qiao Ran.
The individual reached out and removed the black cloth covering his eyes.
However, Qiao Ran’s thoughts were not on regaining his eyesight at this moment. He kept asking,
“Where is he? Tell me, okay?”
Why did Da Zhu leave without saying anything?
And why wouldn’t these people answer his questions?
Could it be… that Da Zhu didn’t want him anymore?
The more the little merman thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt. He sat listlessly on the edge of the bed, looking dispirited.
Aunt Li, witnessing his dejected state, couldn’t bear it. “Da Zhu…”
She started to say something but sighed halfway through, “Ah… let’s wait until you regain your eyesight before talking about it.”
With that, she left the small wooden house.
During the interval when the doctor was putting the little merman’s eyes back on, Aunt Li hurriedly arrived at another nearby room. Seeing He Heng pacing inside, she immediately asked in a flustered manner,
“Lord He, Lord He, what should we do? He’s causing a ruckus, insisting on seeing you!”
He Heng, hands behind his back, paced back and forth in the room, looking somewhat distressed. “You… just come up with an excuse, say I can’t see him.”
“Huh?” Aunt Li was puzzled. “What kind of excuse should I make for him to believe it?”
He Heng’s index finger rested on his chin as he circled around the room, deep in thought. “Let me think…”
However, in the midst of his contemplation, a series of knocks echoed from outside the door.
“Da Zhu? Da Zhu, are you inside?”
Witnessing this, He Heng became even more anxious. He quickened his pace, moving around like an ant on a hot pot.
He… he hadn’t even learned the art of disguise yet. How could he let the other see him in this state?
Curses.
If only he had known, he should have found someone to do his makeup this morning.
Just then,
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
The knocking on the door grew louder from outside, accompanied by Qiao Ran’s shouting,
“Da Zhu, I know you’re inside. Why won’t you see me?”
In Qiao Ran’s urgent tone, there was a hint of grievance, resembling the pitiful whimpering of an abandoned puppy.
With the doctor’s help a moment ago, Qiao Ran finally regained his sight. However, when he opened his eyes, all he saw was an empty room. Although traces of the other person’s presence remained, the person himself was nowhere to be found…
Meanwhile, in the room, He Heng, after circling around, suddenly fixed his gaze on the blanket on the bed.
In that split second, He Heng pushed Aunt Li toward the door, lowered his voice, and said, “You… tell him I’ve contracted a highly contagious and serious illness. The kind that can be transmitted upon contact. Ask him not to come in.”
Having said that, he swiftly lifted the blanket on the bed over his head and lay down, covering himself completely.
When she came to her senses, she followed He Heng’s instructions and walked to the door. Looking at the anxious little merman, she blurted out, “He… Lord He…”
“Da Zhu!”
To cover up her slip of the tongue, Aunt Li immediately raised her voice, “Lord Da Zhu! Lord Da Zhu, he suddenly caught a cold.”
“How could that be?”
Qiao Ran’s expression appeared incredulous, more filled with worry. “He was perfectly fine yesterday. How did he suddenly fall seriously ill today?”
He almost muttered to himself, “I don’t believe it… Let me in to see him.”
“Ah! Ah!” Aunt Li’s eyebrows were almost twisted into a zigzag, her face wrinkled like a bitter gourd. She hurriedly blocked the door to prevent Qiao Ran from entering, waving her hands to deter him, “No! No! This cold he caught is highly contagious. If you go in, you’ll get infected.”
Upon hearing this, Qiao Ran remained stubborn, “If he won’t see me, then I’ll stay right here. If he doesn’t come out, I won’t leave.”
“Sigh…” Unable to persuade the other party, Aunt Li could only leave reluctantly.
Having shouted outside the door for a while, Qiao Ran’s voice became quieter now.
“Da Zhu, can you hear me?” The little merman’s forehead rested weakly against the door, and his voice sounded muted and listless.
“Can you let me in? Merman’s tears can fulfill a human’s wish. I can cure your illness.”
“Don’t be like this. I’m scared…”
“I want to see you.”
As he continued, his voice became softer and softer, until a scalding tear dropped onto his hand, and Qiao Ran realized he was crying.
Following that, hot tears streamed down his cheeks uncontrollably. The little merman choked up, unable to speak, as if his throat was blocked.
He feared that He Heng didn’t want him anymore, but he feared even more that something had happened to him.
They say that when a merman sheds tears, it can make wishes come true. So, at this moment, he kept wishing in his heart, “I hope Da Zhu gets better soon.”
In the next moment, a small note suddenly appeared under the door crack. Qiao Ran picked up the note and found written on it, “You go back first.”
Just now, when He Heng heard the little merman crying, he almost couldn’t resist going over to open the door.
“No, I’m not going back.”
Qiao Ran crumpled the note, wiped away his tears, and stubbornly said, “I’ll wait outside. If you have the ability, never open the door for me in your entire life.”
Having said that, he leaned against the wooden door and sat down outside, hugging his knees.
At this moment, Qiao Ran felt a mix of anger and sadness. He was angry that He Heng was avoiding him, yet worried that something might have really happened to him. The image of his grandfather’s appearance when he fell seriously ill and passed away flashed in his mind, causing the little merman’s heartache.
On the other side of the door, He Heng wasn’t feeling well either. He simply covered his head with a blanket, thinking resentfully, considering suffocating himself to end it all…
In the midst of their standoff, time passed by, second by second.
He Heng waited and waited until the sun had set, and the sky outside had turned dark. Finally, he tiptoed to the door, preparing to see what was happening.
About two or three hours ago, there was no sound outside. He thought that by now, it was so late that the little merman should have left. So, he carefully opened the door.
However, to his surprise, when He Heng opened the door, he found Qiao Ran still sitting on the ground, already asleep. As he pulled the door open, the support Qiao Ran was leaning on was suddenly gone, causing him to drowsily fall to the ground.
In this remote area, it got especially chilly outside at night. Qiao Ran, only dressed in thin clothes, ended up sleeping on the cold ground. How could his body endure it?
Thinking of this, He Heng immediately frowned, bent down, and prepared to lift the little merman lying on the ground.
However, at the moment his fingertips touched the other, Qiao Ran, who had just been “soundly asleep” suddenly opened his eyes.
He Heng, who met the little merman’s gaze, internally exclaimed, “It’s over.”
The next moment, he swiftly ran back into the room, picked up the blanket from the floor, and covered himself, preparing to escape.
However, his blanket was quite long. While it provided cover, it also tripped him up.
“Where are you running to?”
Qiao Ran grabbed the blanket that He Heng was dragging on the ground and said angrily, “Aren’t you sick? How come you can run so fast?”
In that brief glance just now, he didn’t have time to clearly see He Heng’s face, but he confirmed one thing: He Heng wasn’t sick. How could someone who ran faster than a rabbit look like they were seriously ill?
With Qiao Ran’s shout, He Heng became even more panicked and ran even faster, ignoring the resistance from the blanket trailing behind him, sprinting like he was in a hundred-meter race.
Of course, the little merman refused to let go, and the two of them immediately engaged in a tug-of-war with the blanket as the anchor point.
In the end, He Heng overwhelmingly won this “competition.” He successfully pulled the blanket, rolling both of them onto the bed. When he secretly lifted the blanket, what came into view was Qiao Ran’s exceptionally beautiful face, still carrying a hint of grievance.
Due to crying earlier, Qiao Ran’s eyes were still a bit red. Additionally, after sitting on the cold ground for a long time, he hadn’t completely recovered. Now, he was curled up in the corner, trembling. His fingertips were icy, and when he saw He Heng’s face, his pupils shrank for a moment, like a startled little squirrel.
Watching this scene, He Heng felt a discomfort in his heart, as if someone had pinched it. Immediately, he covered Qiao Ran with his own blanket, making sure to pull it over his head in case he didn’t want to see him.
But at that very moment,
“Thump! Thump! Thump!”
Qiao Ran, nestled in the dark blanket, felt his heart pounding especially fast.
In the brief moment of seeing He Heng’s facial features, he was suddenly struck by how handsome he was.
While time had distanced him enough to almost forget the appearance of the man who took his eyes, his intuition told him that it was a sinister, ruthless, and malicious person, and that person couldn’t be He Heng.
Reason urged him to be afraid of the person in front of him, but his instinct compelled him to get closer to him. This internal conflict made Qiao Ran increasingly distressed.
Under the blanket, He Heng felt like it hadn’t been a second when Qiao Ran’s fair fingertips grabbed a corner of the blanket. Like a curious kitten, he peeked out with a pair of eyes, then quickly retreated, and then peeked out again, and retreated once more…
Capturing the opportunity like a game of whack-a-mole.
At this moment, He Heng couldn’t bear it anymore. He had been a shrinking turtle all day, and now he had to step up.
If he didn’t seize the chance on land, would he have to go to the ocean floor to find a wife later?
Chasing after his wife would turn into a crematorium or, worse, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”
So, he seized the perfect moment when Qiao Ran peeked out once more, forcefully grabbed the corner of the blanket, and closed in on the little merman, cornering him.
As he looked at the man’s prominent nose and deep eyes so close to him, the little merman quickly turned around, facing the corner of the wall, to prevent the other from noticing his unease.
At that moment, the man’s hot breath touched his nape.
“I’m not him…”
Qiao Ran knew it wasn’t He Heng.
But the thought of how this man pretended to be the mute Da Zhu from his village, deceived him by pretending to be unloved and mistreated, and deliberately feigned illness today, making him shed tears in vain, made Qiao Ran furious.
He said gloomily, “Are you mute?”
He Heng: “No.”
Qiao Ran became more frustrated, “Then your name is Da Zhu?”
He Heng: “No.”
Qiao Ran raised an eyebrow, “And you haven’t caught a cold?”
He Heng: “No.”
With the conversation reaching this point, the little merman held the blanket with a pout, refusing to talk to He Heng any further.
In his frustrated thoughts, the merman concluded that this man always lied to him, treated him like a fool, and he despised him!
Seeing the merman’s sulking expression, He Heng couldn’t help but smile wryly. He hadn’t expected that Ah Ran’s greatest skill was getting angry. He even thought that Ah Ran might throw him into the sea to feed the sharks.
If he had known this, he wouldn’t have pretended to be sick.
With this in mind, He Heng reached out and embraced Qiao Ran, holding onto the merman’s chilly fingertips.
Feeling the warmth from the fingertips, the little merman visibly tensed for a moment but still obediently accepted the other’s actions.
He allowed He Heng to gradually approach from behind until the man’s chest was pressed against his back, completely enveloping him in his embrace.
Seeing the little merman being so compliant without any resistance, He Heng became even more audacious. He first used his lips to touch the most sensitive spot on the side of his neck and then bit his delicate earlobe, causing the merman to tremble.
“Um~”
Qiao Ran uncontrollably let out a soft sigh. He was still in his estrus period, and his body was already sensitive. With He Heng teasing him like this, his breathing became rapid, and he curled up like a small shrimp, his face flushed with embarrassment.
He Heng was intimately familiar with Qiao Ran’s various reactions – a touch would make him blush, a kiss would make his legs weak, and any intimate contact would elicit a response.
As expected, it was the same this time. Seeing Qiao Ran’s response, he gently held him and began to move slowly.
“Mmm~”
The little merman couldn’t help but emit soft gasps. Amber eyes were veiled with a layer of mist, and the water droplets moistened his fine, long lashes. Instinctively, he pressed his body closer to He Heng, seeking comfort from the man.
However, at this very moment, the man behind him stopped his movements, and his deep voice carried a hint of teasing.
“Ah Ran… Don’t you like it? Okay, I won’t touch you.”
At this moment, Qiao Ran felt dizzy, unable to think about anything. He pursed his thin lips into a line, feeling on the verge of tears due to He Heng’s teasing.
Seeing that the man remained unmoved, in the end, the little merman softly sobbed, turned around, and took the initiative to kiss the man’s lips…
Early the next morning,
He Heng sat on the edge of the bed, comforting the little merman for quite some time. With the tenderness from the previous night, Qiao Ran couldn’t stay angry with him.
Moreover, Qiao Ran had a soft personality, and he already liked the other person. With a little coaxing, He Heng managed to smooth things over.
In no time, He Heng persuaded Qiao Ran to stay in Mingcheng with him. He assured Qiao Ran that he would accompany him back to the sea to visit his family in the future.
After comforting the little merman, He Heng tidied up his appearance, changed into the attire of a local magistrate, and prepared to resume his role as the governor of Mingcheng.
Before leaving, He Heng kissed Qiao Ran’s forehead and told him that he would come back for lunch. With a joyful mood, he left the cabin…
At noon,
He Heng returned to the small fishing village with his attendants.
Now, standing outside the small wooden house, even before entering, he could smell the rich aroma of food.
He Heng thought that the little merman must be cooking a delicious meal for him, making him feel exceptionally good.
With this in mind, he eagerly pushed open the door, and sure enough, Qiao Ran was busy at the stove, just as he had expected.
He Heng immediately walked over, surrounded Qiao Ran from behind, and leaned his head against Qiao Ran’s neck, asking, “It smells so good, what are you cooking?”
In front of him, there were two large pots on the stove. Wisps of steam continuously escaped from the gaps between the pot lids, and occasionally there were “thump, thump, thump!” sounds, indicating that soup was being cooked.
Looking at the purple sand pots emitting a tempting aroma, He Heng couldn’t help but want to reach out and lift the pot lids to see what was being cooked. However, just as he was about to touch the lid, Qiao Ran gave his hand a swift pat.
The next moment, he saw the little merman flash him a “gentle” smile, for some reason, making He Heng feel a bit uneasy.
Immediately, Qiao Ran picked up a dishcloth and uncovered one of the purple sand pots emitting steam. Inside the pot were already cooked black-boned chicken and mushy fish meat.
Qiao Ran looked at the pot of soup and smiled at He Heng, saying, “These are all specially prepared for you.”
“This dish is called ‘Black Chicken and Flatfish Soup,’ or you can simply call it… ‘Black Chicken and Flatfish.'”
In that instant, He Heng suddenly felt that the food in the pot was not as appealing anymore, and a cold sweat seemed to be forming on his forehead.
So, he pointed at the other pot on the stove and asked in a stuttering manner, “Then… what about this one?”
Qiao Ran immediately lifted the lid of the other pot, revealing an old soft-shelled turtle placed in the simmering eggs.
“This is a soup made with old soft-shelled turtle and fresh chicken eggs… The dish is called ‘Turtle and Egg Stew,’ you can also call it…”
“Old turtle Bastard.”
He Heng looked at the two pots of soup emitting enticing aromas and then at Qiao Ran, who was smiling at him with an “amiable” expression.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Don’t like it?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, “…”
Why does it feel like these dish names would only appear at a “Hongmen Banquet”?
