TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 15

Yu Su grimaced, his face twisted in pain as he supported his waist.

“This is ridiculous. Three steps and I’m down again. What’s the point of standing up if I just end up back in the wheelchair?”

The moment he managed to stand on his own earlier, Yu Su had wanted to leap in joy. But after considering the state of his legs, he wisely curbed his excitement and cautiously took a few steps.

And now, here he was.

Yu Su shifted himself to sit against the edge of the bed, pulling at the carpet fibers with a sigh. “Ah… I miss having a tail.”

Life had been so much easier then. With just a little effort, he could dart through the water like an arrow, free to go wherever he pleased.

Now, the half-crippled mermaid slumped dejectedly, his chin resting on his chest. That’s when he heard the door swing open. The heavy wooden door slammed against the wall and rebounded slightly, the force of the entry leaving no doubt about the urgency of the visitor.

Chi Yanxing’s expression was grim as he propped himself against the doorframe. Behind him, the butler followed, his face lined with worry.

When Uncle He saw Yu Su sitting on the floor, he let out a dramatic exclamation, “Mr. Yu!”

Chi Yanxing strode into the room, his brows furrowed. His gaze landed on the disheveled bed. “Where were you trying to go?”

Yu Su glanced up at him, shrinking under his sharp gaze, and mumbled softly, “I… I just wanted to go to the bathroom.”

Chi Yanxing’s voice dropped a few notches, tight with anger and concern. “And the smart assistant and call bell I left by your bedside? Are they just decorations?”

The butler silently stepped forward to check the alarm system.

Their master rarely cared about anything. Yet when it came to this Mr. Yu, from the very beginning, his actions had betrayed his words.

Yu Su blinked in surprise. “I…”

Chi Yanxing crouched down, his hand carefully inspecting Yu Su’s legs. His tone remained frosty. “I don’t want to see accidents happen because of your reckless mistakes.”

Uncle He put down the device he was examining as Chi Yanxing continued, “Even with thick carpet, there’s a hard floor underneath. In your condition, how many falls do you think you can take?”

Aside from his father, no one had ever reprimanded Yu Su this harshly. And this was Chi Yanxing—the man he liked. The man who had rescued him from the ocean.

Logically, Yu Su knew Chi Yanxing was concerned for him, but it still hurt.

“I… I didn’t know…”

He’d simply been so excited to discover he could stand that he’d forgotten his limitations. He was a mermaid stranded on land, his tail hidden, now living among humans.

“Chi Yanxing, why am I so useless…”

The normally bright and optimistic omega spoke in a voice so soft and sorrowful that both men froze.

“So useless that I’ve been the weakest since I was a child. So useless that even now, I can’t walk properly. No matter where I am, I always need others to worry about me and take care of me.”

The brief joy of standing had given way to crushing disappointment. His companion’s scolding, combined with long-buried memories of inadequacy, surged forward. Yu Su couldn’t hold back the lump in his throat. He swiped at his misty eyes, scattering the unshed tears.

He didn’t usually cry. This wasn’t like him. Why did Chi Yanxing—this human—seem to have a direct line to his emotions, always effortlessly making him act out of character?

When Yu Su raised his hand to his eyes, Chi Yanxing finally felt a pang of regret.

Uncle He sighed, bowing slightly to both of them before leaving and closing the door behind him.

Inside, Yu Su’s reddened eyes brimmed with grievances and unspoken thoughts.

“I don’t know why I followed you back here. It’s like I was possessed. Chi Yanxing, if you really think I’m such a burden, so hard to care for, just send me back to the sea.”

Chi Yanxing’s frown deepened.

Send him back? To what? The ocean couldn’t even provide a bowl of warm fish soup. How could a delicate omega who loved good food survive in such a barren place?

No, he wouldn’t let that happen. Ever.

This was his omega. The one who perfectly matched him. Besides, they had a temporary marking agreement. Chi Yanxing repeated this reasoning to himself before speaking.

“…I’m sorry, Yu Su. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.”

His voice softened, though the furrow between his brows remained. His mind was torn between fragmented memories of his childhood and the present image of a distressed Yu Su.

“I know you care about me,” Yu Su said, meeting Chi Yanxing’s gaze with a hint of spoiled stubbornness. “But I don’t care. I’m still a little upset. You said I could come with you, but you’ve never taken me anywhere.”

“Chi Yanxing, I came to your world, but you haven’t even once taken me out to have fun.”

Chi Yanxing’s mind buzzed as two voices overlapped. One was clear and lively; the other, faint and childish.

[“Yanxing-gege, take me out to play. Little Fish wants to play with you…”]

[“Chi Yanxing, you haven’t taken me out even once—”]

The echoes of the past blurred with the present.

A sharp hum jolted through Chi Yanxing’s thoughts. He struggled to suppress the overwhelming disarray, his memories overshadowed by Yu Su’s current presence.

“Next time, I won’t let that happen,” he finally said, his voice steady. “Tomorrow, I’ll take you out.”

Clearing his head, he reached out and carefully scooped Yu Su into his arms. “Were you trying to go to the bathroom just now? Or did you need something else?”

His father had told him: little fish should remember what they want to remember and forget the things that make them unhappy.

So, Yu Su deepened his focus on Chi Yanxing’s soft words of comfort and worked hard to downplay the earlier events that had upset him.

The mermaid, whose emotions gradually shifted and adjusted, shook his head. “It’s nothing. I just wanted to look at myself in the mirror…”

Chi Yanxing said, “Then, let’s have Uncle He put a small mirror by your bedside later, okay?”

Yu Su obediently nodded. “Okay.”

Then, as if still worried, he added, “I like bigger ones.”

Chi Yanxing replied, “Got it.”

Yu Su, who merely wanted to look in a mirror, was then carried out of the room by Chi Yanxing. At some point, Uncle He had brought up the wheelchair, now neatly parked against the wall outside the door.

“It’s too late today; you can’t go out again. But I can take you to my room to have a look. There are lots of interesting little things on the balcony.”

Yu Su sniffled, his expression both pitiful and comical, and muttered softly, “What interesting little things? Obviously, it’s just the wild little fish you’re raising.”

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