SSEWC Chapter 77

On the table in the cabin, wisps of heat rose from the freshly prepared delicious dishes, which were scooped out with a sand pot and placed on the table.

Even though the temperature in Mingcheng had been low for the past few days, with cold winds blowing outside, at this moment, He Heng was sweating profusely from the heat.

Confronted with “Black Chicken and Yellow Flatfish” and “Old Turtle Bastard,” the two delicacies specially prepared for him by Qiao Ran, he was momentarily unsure of where to start.

In the gap while He Heng was in a daze, the little merman had already picked up a piece of old turtle meat and put it into his bowl.

“Taste it, Old Turtle Bastard.”

He Heng: “…” This phrase sounds a bit peculiar.

Despite feeling a bit apprehensive, he took a bite.

In that moment of biting down, the fragrance of the food immediately spread in his mouth.

Although the dish’s name sounded somewhat peculiar, the taste turned out surprisingly good.

Qiao Ran had added many other ingredients while preparing these two soups, such as ginseng, pigeon meat, sea cucumber, and fresh oysters brought in from the seaside—nourishing and invigorating ingredients. Coupled with slow stewing over a low flame for several hours, the ingredients were cooked to a soft, tender texture, melting in the mouth.

The essence of the ingredients had also melded into the soup, making it particularly suitable for consumption in such cold weather. After drinking a bowl of hot soup, the entire body warmed up.

Because all of this was “specially” prepared by Qiao Ran for himself, He Heng found himself eating more than usual.

After finishing the meal made by the little merman, he felt energetic throughout the entire day, remarkably efficient in his tasks. However, come evening, He Heng noticed something was amiss.

He seemed to be a bit… overly energetic.

During the day, the two pots of soup contained highly nourishing ingredients, and He Heng, being in the prime of his youth, felt a surge of heat throughout his body. After bathing and freshening up in the evening, instead of subsiding, this heat sensation seemed to escalate, leaving He Heng feeling a bit parched.

In the midst of his confusion, the recently bathed little merman emerged from the bathroom.

Perhaps due to the recent exposure to steam, Qiao Ran’s porcelain-white skin had a thin rosy tint. Water droplets clung to his dark, long hair, and the thin garment outlined his gracefully contoured body. He looked irresistibly tempting, like a fully ripened fruit.

He Heng thought to himself, given that Ah Ran’s estrus season hadn’t completely passed, there was no need for restraint tonight.

With such thoughts in mind, he sat on the edge of the bed as usual, anticipating the little merman to willingly nestle into his arms, seeking affection.

To his surprise, in the next moment, Qiao Ran unceremoniously pushed him out of the door and promptly stuffed a pillow and a blanket into his arms.

“Let’s sleep separately tonight.”

There seemed to be a sly hint in the other’s smile.

At this moment, He Heng stood outside the door, holding a pillow and a blanket, staring blankly at the little merman inside the room, drying his wet hair.

“What’s going on?”

At this moment, the little merman had finished drying his hair. He tossed the damp towel onto a nearby shelf, leaving his clothes loosely hanging around his neck, revealing a large expanse of fair skin and delicate collarbones. He Heng’s breath caught in his throat.

The next second,

“Sleep separately if we’re sleeping separately.”

“Good night!”

He Heng stubbornly hugged the pillow in his arms and declared a resounding “good night.” His loud voice left the little merman momentarily stunned.

Having said that, he carried his belongings (the blanket and pillow) to the small couch outside, indignant as he covered his head with the blanket.

In his mind, He Heng kept reassuring himself:

Sleep! Sleep! Sleep!

Could he not fall asleep just because they were sleeping separately?

As a result, once he closed his eyes, the image of the little merman coming out of the bath flashed in his mind.

Qiao Ran’s fair cheeks had a faint blush, water droplets dripped down from his hair tips, eventually sliding into the wide-open neckline. The little merman’s plump, rosy lips even had a slight upward curve.

He Heng: “…”

Damn it! He couldn’t sleep like this!

Thinking of that, he once again covered his face with the pillow.

The pillow, having just been washed, carried a pleasant fragrance, making He Heng reminisce about the scent of the little merman.

Qiao Ran used to obediently lie in his arms after each bath, hugging the soft pillow. Even the scent was delightful.

As he thought about this, he suddenly realized…

Qiao Ran does smell nice.

His own pillow in his arms also smells nice.

So, rounding it off, there’s not much difference between the pillow and the little merman.

With this thought, He Heng had almost convinced himself. So, he hugged the pillow more comfortably and shifted to a cozy sleeping position.

To help himself fall asleep faster, he began counting sheep in his mind.

“One sheep… Two sheep… Three sheep…”

“…”

Just as He Heng closed his eyes, on the verge of drifting into sleep,

“Ninety-nine little mermen,”

“One hundred little mermen…”

Damn,

In that instant, he was wide awake again.

On the other hand, Qiao Ran was equally uncomfortable. He thought his estrus season was almost over, so everything would be fine. Little did he know, he underestimated the impact of that bowl of old turtle soup.

He didn’t drink much of it, why was he feeling so uneasy?

At this moment, the little merman pressed his burning cheeks against the cool wall, attempting to alleviate the heat sensation. However, as the seconds ticked by, the discomfort only intensified.

“Ugh~”

Qiao Ran pinched a corner of the blanket and restlessly tossed and turned in bed.

The bed still retained He Heng’s scent, making Qiao Ran even more restless. His thoughts became chaotic.

Qiao Ran muttered to himself,

Why hasn’t he come in yet?

Should he go out and look for him?

Hmm, maybe he should wait a little longer before going out to find him, wait for another hour… no, half an hour… well, how about fifteen minutes?

Finally, after about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the little merman cautiously pushed open the door, holding a pillow and a lamp. However, at that moment, he heard the steady and prolonged sound of someone breathing in the side hall. The noise was quite loud.

Qiao Ran took a closer look and saw He Heng sprawled on a small couch, legs stretched out, face covered with a pillow, sleeping soundly. He seemed to be in the middle of a deep dream.

In this moment, the little merman, holding the lamp, visibly paused,

He thought the other was as uncomfortable as himself, but it turned out… he was sleeping even more soundly than a pig!

With that in mind, Qiao Ran placed the lamp down and grumpily settled onto the small couch, nestling into the gap between He Heng and the wall.

Being nudged like this, He Heng woke up. In fact, he hadn’t been sleeping soundly, frequently dreaming of himself and the little merman swimming in the sea.

Now, waking up like this, the person was right in front of him. He Heng immediately embraced the other from behind, his warm breath brushing against Qiao Ran’s neck. Without thinking, he blurted out,

“Wanna do it?”

His voice still carried a bit of sleepiness.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Ran was instantly baffled. He had just seen He Heng sleeping soundly a moment ago, and now that he had come over, the first thing he asked was, “Wanna do it?” He didn’t even call his name or inquire about how he woke up.

The little merman’s sense of grievance surged up immediately, “Not doing anything, just sleeping!”

Seeing the other pouting and fidgeting in his arms, He Heng couldn’t help but laugh, “Can you really sleep like this, Ah Ran?”

“I can.” Qiao Ran murmured softly, then covered his head with a pillow.

However, after a while, he realized he couldn’t sleep at all. The impulsive urge from the estrus season surged again, making him uncomfortably hum softly.

Seeing this, He Heng restrained his restless hands, lifted the pillow covering the little merman’s face, and saw the reddened corners of his eyes and dampened sideburns.

With a touch filled with affection, he traced the contours of Qiao Ran’s lips and brows, but he made no other moves.

At that moment, Qiao Ran couldn’t resist any longer. He turned around, kissed the man’s lips like a gentle rabbit, then proceeded to his chin and Adam’s apple.

“Mm~”

But at that moment, He Heng suddenly reached out, gripping Qiao Ran’s chin. There was a hint of a smile in his deep eyes. “Is Ah Ran looking for me just for this?”

Qiao Ran shook his head slightly, but before he could speak, He Heng continued, “Is being with me just for…”

“Not at all.”

Qiao Ran hastily blushed and covered He Heng’s mouth. He was afraid the other would continue to talk nonsense. He quickly explained, “Mermen… Mermen only go into heat when they meet someone they like.”

He Heng raised an eyebrow, as if he hadn’t understood, and continued to ask, “Oh? So, what does Ah Ran mean then?”

At this point, Qiao Ran had lowered his head. He gently pulled at He Heng’s chest and whispered, “I… I like you.”

“Mm.” He Heng smiled, “I like Ah Ran too.”

With that, he lifted Qiao Ran’s chin and kissed his lips. Once again, their figures entwined…

A week after returning to Mingcheng, He Heng accompanied Qiao Ran to meet his relatives under the sea.

When the merfolk learned that Qiao Ran had found a long-distance human boyfriend, many of them expressed strong opposition.

One elder even pulled Qiao Ran aside behind the coral reef, saying, “I know you young people like handsome ones, but the more handsome a human is, the more cautious you should be. Don’t get deceived!”

Qiao Ran was a bit bewildered, “Grandma, he won’t deceive me.”

The elder replied, “Ah! How do you know he won’t deceive you? You don’t know, that’s why it’s called ‘deceived’. Let me tell you, young and good-looking mermen like you, if caught by malicious humans, might end up in an aquarium as an exhibit.”

Qiao Ran: “… Grandma, he’s not malicious.”

Elder: “Then, what’s his name?”

The little merman thought for a while and hesitantly said, “Da Zhu.”

“Da Zhu, that name sounds simple.” Seeing this, the elder asked again, “So, what kind of business does he usually do?”

Qiao Ran wasn’t quite sure about human occupations, so after some serious thought, he replied, “It seems he collects rent. He manages the land in Mingcheng, and many people have to pay him rent for their land.”

After hearing this, the elder’s expression suddenly changed. She stroked her chin, lost in thought.

It seemed that this man named “Da Zhu” was likely the son of a landlord. In that case, it seemed unlikely that Qiao Ran would suffer after going ashore.

In the end, after careful consideration, she said to Qiao Ran, “Alright, go ahead. But if you suffer any grievances, you must come down and tell us.”

Qiao Ran nodded, “Thank you, Grandma, but he won’t let me suffer.”

At that moment, the elder clearly saw an unprecedented brightness in the little merman’s eyes. Immediately, he eagerly swam towards the man waiting outside.

Once he reached the man, He Heng took Qiao Ran’s hand, and the little merman naturally snuggled close. He tilted his small face, smiling and chattering away with his partner.

Watching this scene, the elder sighed silently…

Perhaps grandchildren have their own blessings.

Several months after He Heng returned to Mingcheng, news of the emperor’s passing reached the capital. The eldest princess, Fu Yanyu, naturally ascended to the throne, becoming the first empress of Daliang.

After ascending the throne, Empress Fu Yanyu ordered the cessation of the sea-filling and dam-building projects. She entrusted the management of the waters near Mingcheng to He Heng, hoping that he could restore the marine ecology in the area within a few years.

In the years following Empress Fu Yanyu’s coronation, He Heng indeed accomplished everything she hoped for.

As the last rays of the sunset fell from the west, the travelers on the beach gradually dispersed. Now, only two figures remain.

The tall man stood on the wooden bridge by the shore, gazing at the half-submerged black-haired merman in the water. He smiled and said, “Ranran, had enough fun?”

However, the moment he finished speaking, the silver-tailed merman in front of him immediately floated up from the water, playfully flicking his tail and splashing the man with water.

He Heng rolled up his pants and sat down on the wooden bridge with a laugh, “If you keep playing, it’ll be dark soon.”

“Got it.” Hearing this, Qiao Ran muttered softly, then swam slowly towards He Heng.

After swimming to his side, Qiao Ran rested his upper body on the man’s lap. The silver tail still swayed in the water as he lay obediently, allowing He Heng’s fingers to run through his smooth long hair.

Looking at his peaceful demeanor, He Heng touched his head and asked, “Tired?”

“Mm.” Qiao Ran nodded.

He Heng said, “How about we go home?”

“Okay.” With that, the little merman exerted force to flick his tail, propped himself up, and pounced into the man’s arms, giving him a kiss on the lips.

As the sky was about to darken, the two of them walked hand in hand away from the beach.

The gentle waves washed over the shore, erasing the rows of footprints, deep and shallow, on the sandy beach…