TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 24

Everything was wrong with that.

Chi Yanxing had been acting strange ever since that afternoon. Not only had he kissed him, but now everything around him seemed to quietly bend toward Chi Yanxing’s will.

Yu Su shot him a suspicious look. “I’m warning you—don’t use your good looks to trick me. I won’t fall for it again.”

He’d realized by now that no matter how clearheaded he normally was, as soon as it involved Chi Yanxing, he’d lose all sense of reason. He wasn’t himself.

Impulsive. Irritable. Desperate for a sense of safety from the other man.

Chi Yanxing crouched by the edge of the pool.

Yu Su added, “Even though you don’t remember, that little merman incident still happened. I’ve been reviewing everything I was taught back then, seeing if I can sing your memory back into place.”

Chi Yanxing paused. “You mean… memories that were erased can be recovered?”

Yu Su snorted. “Don’t get too excited. It’s not that easy. For someone to wipe your memory that thoroughly, I might not even have the power to restore it.”

But Chi Yanxing felt like, as long as Yu Su was beside him, everything else faded into the background.

“It’s okay,” he said. “Even if I can’t get them back, it doesn’t matter.”

Yu Su suddenly splashed a handful of water at him. “Heartless human.”

Chi Yanxing: “…”

So now that they’d abandoned the whole agreement model… was this hell mode?

But thankfully, even if this fish liked to sass people, at his core, he was still simple and genuine. Chi Yanxing wiped a droplet off his cheek and said gently, “You were just marked today, and you cried your eyes out this afternoon. Get some rest. I’ll come back in the morning.”

Hearing that, Yu Su couldn’t help recalling the wild, ridiculous events of the afternoon. He felt more than a little embarrassed. So he bared his little sharp teeth at Chi Yanxing, gave one splash of his tail, and dove to the bottom of the pool.

Chi Yanxing stood up and lingered at the pool’s edge for a while before finally turning and heading back to the villa.

Night deepened.

—

The next morning, Uncle He brought out the last plate of breakfast, but Yu Su still hadn’t come up from the pool. He looked toward Chi Yanxing, who was already seated:

“Sir… should we call Mr. Yu?”

Chi Yanxing picked up his chopsticks. “No need. If there’s nothing urgent, make sure no one else goes near the pool—and you should avoid it too.”

Uncle He nodded in understanding. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

But a few seconds later, he added, “Sir…”

Chi Yanxing gave a quiet “mm” in response.

“Mr. Yu… is he still making a fuss about leaving?”

Chi Yanxing didn’t answer whether Yu Su was making a fuss. He only said, “He can’t leave. I’ll make him stay. Once everything settles down, if he wants to go back to the sea for a bit of fun, I might consider it.”

Uncle He, though familiar with the alpha’s temperament, still felt worried. “But with Mr. Yu’s personality, I’m afraid this won’t be easy to handle.”

Chi Yanxing put down his chopsticks. “It’s not easy, but it has to be done. His personality may seem straightforward, but deep down he’s timid and soft. For now, a few words won’t convince him, so I plan to try a different approach.”

Uncle He: “Huh??”

A different approach?

Chi Yanxing didn’t elaborate, only telling him to prepare some more food for Yu Su.

As Uncle He cleared the dishes, he kept thinking about it, unable to guess what good idea the alpha might have. He shook his head and returned to the kitchen. While putting away the dishes, his eyes suddenly landed on the family set he had secretly bought a few days ago—three cute cat bowls, two big and one small—neatly placed in the corner of a clean cupboard.

Uncle He’s hands froze for a moment before inspiration struck him like lightning.

It happened to be a day off today, and Chi Yanxing hadn’t gone to the company. After breakfast, he went upstairs to the master bedroom.

The wind blew in from the open balcony, making the curtains flap noisily. Chi Yanxing walked over, tied them back, and stepped out onto the balcony.

The fish in the tank had been rowdy all night yesterday. Whether they’d been partying too hard, he didn’t know, but this morning—when they should’ve been active—they were instead floating listlessly at the bottom.

When Chi Yanxing lifted the glass cover, he found the fat fish lined up against one side of the tank. A quick glance to the side told him the reason.

That side was closest to the swimming pool.

It seemed Yu Su, in his mermaid form, was quite the attraction for these little creatures.

And this was just the few in the tank—it wasn’t hard to imagine how popular Yu Su must be under the sea.

“Jealous little fish, still silly enough to keep asking to go back to the sea.” Chi Yanxing tossed some fish food into the tank. “Stubborn.”

Speaking of stubbornness, Chi Yanxing couldn’t help thinking about yesterday afternoon. Putting away the fish food, he rested a hand on the balcony railing, looking down at the pool below.

The morning sunlight made for a better view than at night—the pale blue water shimmered gently, light dancing across the ripples, clearly revealing the mermaid resting at the bottom.

Chi Yanxing looked openly, as if trying to make up for the regret of not seeing clearly last night.

Yu Su, unaware of the gaze on him, had tucked his beloved big tail loosely into his arms, curled up and sleeping at the bottom of the pool.

Time flowed quietly. While Chi Yanxing enjoyed the view from his prime spot, the little things in the fish tank decided to rebel.

Splash!

The sound startled both the watcher above and the sleeper below.

Chi Yanxing turned to see that one of the fish had jumped out of the tank—without so much as a backward glance—plunging straight into the pool below.

The splash jolted Yu Su awake from his underwater nap.

Where there’s one, there’s another—soon the rest of the fish discovered the escape route, all the energy they’d been holding in overnight now unleashed. Splash, splash—the sound was endless.

Chi Yanxing: “…”

These fish were a lost cause.

In the pool below, Yu Su had just released his tail from his arms when he spotted a bizarre-looking clownfish swimming toward him.

Yu Su: “!!!”

Chi Yanxing watched as Yu Su suddenly flicked his tail, instinctively smacking the fish away like a bouncing ball.

Alpha: “…………”

So… a mermaid’s tail could be used like that.

It actually seemed pretty flexible, with good range of motion too.

A faint smile flashed in Chi Yanxing’s eyes. Outside, Uncle He knocked on the door. “Sir, the thing you wanted is ready.”

Chi Yanxing finally withdrew his gaze and went inside before Yu Su could notice.

When he reappeared, he was carrying a plate piled high with fried dried fish. Uncle He, with a serious expression, said, “All fresh ingredients, sir. You can do it—Mr. Yu is sure to like it!”

Chi Yanxing didn’t bring up the idea of mutual benefit again. He simply glanced at the butler. “Thanks, Uncle He.”

Uncle He’s conviction deepened—he silently cheered Chi Yanxing on from behind: Go chase him! Today you feed the fish, tomorrow you feed the kids!

But before Chi Yanxing, holding the “fish food,” could even reach the pool, he saw splashes of water on the surrounding tiles. As he came closer, Yu Su suddenly surfaced from the water.

“Good morning,” Chi Yanxing greeted naturally.

Yu Su glanced at Chi Yanxing, then at the wild little fish in the pool, and decided to focus on the more pleasant view—Chi Yanxing.

He twisted his wet hair, shook off the water clinging to him, and sniffed the air slightly. “What are you holding?”

Chi Yanxing placed the plate at the edge of the pool, then pulled a spare towel from a nearby lounge chair. “Your breakfast.”

Yu Su turned to look and found freshly fried fish from the kitchen.

Just as he was about to take it, a hand stopped him. Before he could ask why, a white towel was dropped over his head.

His vision went dark, and he reached up to pull it away—only for a low voice to come from behind him.

“Don’t move.”

The words had barely fallen when Yu Su felt a large hand press gently on his head. The hand moved clumsily through his hair, occasionally snagging on it—clearly not very skilled.

Yu Su was so stunned he couldn’t speak.

What on earth was Chi Yanxing doing?

Was he… drying his hair??

Yu Su remembered that on the night he’d first arrived here, Chi Yanxing had simply tossed him a towel and walked away without another word. Compared to that, this sudden change left Yu Su feeling inexplicably uneasy.

“…Chi Yanxing.”

A muffled voice came from under the towel.

The man gave a low “mm.”

“Tell me the truth—has your condition gotten worse again?”

The alpha, still clumsily trying to figure out this whole dating thing: “…”

When Yu Su didn’t get an answer, his unease grew. His voice became urgent: “If you’re sick, you need treatment. Why don’t you go see Dr. Wen again? In your current state, I don’t think just biting me will cure you—”

Chi Yanxing suddenly cut him off. “You’re right.”

Yu Su froze.

Right about what, exactly?

Right about seeing a doctor, or right about biting being useless?

Chi Yanxing pulled the towel down and draped it over Yu Su’s slender, pale back. “It’s definitely not as simple as one bite anymore. But you don’t need to worry about any of this—I’ll keep a close eye on it.”

Then he pushed the plate toward Yu Su. “Eat. Fresh, crisp, and tender—I had Uncle He make it just for you.”

Yu Su had been half-skeptical as he reached for the plate, but hearing that, he looked up at Chi Yanxing.

Seeing the little frown on his face, Chi Yanxing asked, “What’s wrong? You don’t like it?”

Yu Su shook his head. “It’s just… your description sounds strangely familiar.”

Chi Yanxing looked at him. “Didn’t you dream about me the other day? You probably heard it in the dream.”

Yu Su: “Oh… maybe.”

He picked up a piece of fried fish and bit into it with a crunch.

By the time the plate was nearly empty, Yu Su was still licking his fingers in satisfaction—only to have a tissue suddenly appear in front of him.

“Don’t lick. It’s not clean.”

Yu Su took the tissue and muttered softly, “Clean freak. I’ve licked you before and you didn’t say it was dirty then.”

Chi Yanxing looked at Yu Su’s delicate profile. “Next time, we’ll change where you lick.”

Yu Su flicked the tip of his tail, treating the nonsense of a “sick man” as nothing but background noise.

“After sleeping in the water all night, I realized being a fish is still more comfortable. But now there’s a little problem.”

Chi Yanxing’s eyes signaled for him to go on.

“This pool was mine first. If you don’t get a net and scoop out these little wild fish of yours, don’t blame me for driving them all out.” Yu Su tapped the water with his fingertip.

Chi Yanxing’s gaze followed, and he saw the fat fish happily chasing each other beneath Yu Su’s translucent fins.

He let his eyes drift over Yu Su’s beautiful, flexible tail, his fingers rubbing lightly. “Alright, I’ll catch them right away.”

Not being an omega anymore was bliss—like living the life of an immortal. If only the pool were bigger and deeper, it would be perfect.

Yu Su’s cover was completely blown by now, but luckily there weren’t many people in the villa, and lately Uncle He had just let him do as he pleased.

Chi Yanxing, on the other hand—when he was working, he’d vanish; but when he wasn’t, he was guaranteed to be here watching over Yu Su.

And now, all three of Yu Su’s daily meals were personally delivered by Chi Yanxing, which really did feel a bit like “keeping” a fish—only with far more attention than the fish in his tank.

Yu Su floated on his back at the water’s surface, occasionally flicking his tail to make splashes.

He had thought revealing his identity in the human world would be terrifying, but now it didn’t seem like such a big deal.

The reason was simple—Chi Yanxing was just too good to him.

So good that after all this time, Yu Su felt he was drifting dangerously close to becoming a plump, lazy salted fish.

He was in the middle of these idle thoughts when the sound of a door opening came from the balcony facing the pool. A few seconds later, Chi Yanxing appeared in his line of sight with a glass of water in hand.

“Good afternoon, Daddy Chi. What are we eating later?”

The glass in Chi Yanxing’s hand wobbled slightly, but he managed to reply steadily, “Uncle He made roast duck. Want some?”

Yu Su drawled lazily, “Of course—if it’s meat, I’ll eat it.”

“A whole duck, or sliced?”

Yu Su suddenly said, “Chi Yanxing, you’re not…”

Chi Yanxing’s heart tightened, thinking Yu Su had figured something out.

“…you’re not actually raising me like a fish, are you?”

Chi Yanxing: “…”

“Well? How does it feel to keep a mermaid? Different, isn’t it? Easy on the eyes, and I even keep watch over your place for you.”

The alpha finally lost patience. “Yu Su, can’t you use that brain of yours for something normal?”

Yu Su pouted. “When you make me mad, I’m just ‘little fish,’ but when I’m being agreeable, it’s ‘Yu Su, Yu Su’ again. Hmph.”

…Dating was hard. Harder than any contract he’d ever negotiated.

But Chi Yanxing had always liked a challenge. Placing the glass on the small balcony table, he asked, “Enjoying being a fish lately? Has it made up for the discomfort you felt in a wheelchair?”

Yu Su smacked his lips. “It’s fine, just not enough space. I can barely swim two laps before I have to turn around.”

Chi Yanxing leaned on the balcony railing. “If you’re so happy, then I guess I was right to have Uncle He clear out the side bedroom.”

Yu Su jolted. “What??!”

“The side bedroom,” Chi Yanxing gestured toward the balcony next door, “the one you used to stay in. Since you’ve been in mermaid form this whole time, Uncle He put away your usual things.”

Yu Su panicked. “Huh?? But if I turn back, where am I supposed to stay??”

“You’re not being an omega anymore, right?”

Yu Su, unable to follow the alpha around everywhere: “…”

“Your pool is too small! Morning to night, I’m just going back and forth in this tiny space. In the morning when you leave, I’m at the west side; by the time you come back at night, I’m thirty meters away at the east! Try living like that for half a month and see how you like it!”

The corners of Chi Yanxing’s mouth curved slightly—but Yu Su didn’t notice.

“Do you want to change back? If you change back, I’ll take you out to play.”

Sure enough, Yu Su started seriously thinking about the question.

He glanced at Chi Yanxing with a complicated expression and, after stalling for quite a while, finally said, “Let me think about it carefully. Recently, I’ve almost finished working out the melody for memory regression. Once I have it completely smoothed out, I’ll sing it for you to try. If you can remember that little mermaid from back then, I might be able to help you find him. If you still can’t remember…”

Chi Yanxing asked, “If I still can’t remember, what will you do?”

Yu Su’s expression was tangled, as if he were having a major internal struggle. “If you still can’t remember, then put that pearl away for good. At that time, I’ll give you something even more precious and beautiful than that.”

Yu Su didn’t know why he said that, but he just wanted to. Chi Yanxing, to him, was not only the first human he had ever met, but also a friend, a companion, and…

What was it exactly? Yu Su couldn’t define it. But he’d always acted according to his feelings—if he couldn’t figure something out, he’d stop thinking about it. One day, he’d understand.

“Anyway, remember this—no matter what, don’t ever lie to me. Otherwise, I’ll make you forget me too. By then, you won’t have either, and you can just go cry in secret.” Yu Su’s voice carried a threat.

Chi Yanxing’s expression changed, as expected.

Yu Su lifted his chin smugly. “Scared, huh?”

Unexpectedly, Chi Yanxing nodded, his voice low. “Scared.”

Yu Su felt that scaring humans too much wasn’t good, so he softened his tone. “…You don’t have to be too nervous.”

Chi Yanxing looked down at him and said, “You’ve successfully threatened me, so to soothe my wounded spirit, I’ve decided to eat half of your roast duck to calm my nerves.”

Yu Su: “…”

Fighting over food with a fish—are you even human?

Chi Yanxing was not “human” in that sense—he was a domineering, strong-willed alpha. So he really did have Uncle He cut the roast duck in half, then brought one half to the poolside to find his little pet fish.

“Yu Su, come out to eat.”

Yu Su stayed underwater, blowing bubbles angrily.

Chi Yanxing clearly had plenty of experience with uncooperative domesticated mermaids. He set the plate aside, picked up his half, sat down, and started eating.

He even commented while eating:

“The meat is firm and tender, the duck skin crisp and golden, especially the leg—full of juice, one bite and—”

Yu Su’s eyes popped up from the water with a splash, cheeks puffed as he continued to blow bubbles beneath the surface.

Chi Yanxing wasn’t wrong—Uncle He’s cooking skills were simply excellent. After just two glances, Yu Su couldn’t resist anymore. And that duck, already not very big, had been cut in half!

“…Where’s my portion?”

Chi Yanxing, well-practiced, pulled out a plate from behind him. “Here.”

Yu Su swished his tail forward a bit, but didn’t climb out— the clean poolside was his dining table.

“Not too excessive, I guess.”

Chi Yanxing ate quickly. In no time, he had finished his half of the duck. Looking at Yu Su lying at the pool’s edge, he said, “You can sing for me anytime you like—I’m looking forward to your voice. But if you don’t sing, that’s fine too. If I can’t remember at all, I’ll look forward even more to the gift you’ll prepare for me.”

Yu Su’s chewing stopped.

“The pool really is too small, and it’s not saltwater—you can’t stay in it too often,” Chi Yanxing said seriously. “So, Yu Su, if you’ve calmed down, come out.”

Yu Su was silent for quite a while before saying, “How is it that you, a human, are even better at bewitching minds than a mermaid?”

Chi Yanxing: “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Yu Su really was a bit bored of staying in the pool. He thought for a moment and replied, “I could, but where would I stay after I come out? I can’t possibly live with you, right?”

Chi Yanxing said nothing.

Yu Su tore off a bite of roast duck, and still, Chi Yanxing said nothing.

Yu Su was shocked.

“No way—Chi Yanxing, do you really mean I’m going to live with you??”

“What’s wrong with that?” Chi Yanxing asked calmly. “Given our relationship and compatibility, we should’ve been living together from the start. Now we’re just making up for something we didn’t do before.”

Yu Su swallowed hard, suddenly remembering how he’d been pinned to the bed and kissed without being able to resist.

“You… you suddenly changing your mind—you’re not up to something bad, are you?”

Chi Yanxing left his sentence half-finished: “I remembered what you said about singing. If we sleep in the same bed, it’s convenient for you to sing and convenient for me to listen. Isn’t that so?”

Yu Su thought it over—it kind of made sense.

“…Alright then, I’ll reluctantly accept your invitation.” Yu Su crunched down on a small piece of duck bone. “And I’ll also accept your not-very-beautiful bedroom.”

Chi Yanxing said nothing, just watched Yu Su eat faster and faster.

A greedy fish.

When he was in a good mood, he always ate quickly—Chi Yanxing had long since noticed.

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