TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 34

“Sir, this is the proposed guest list for the banquet. Would you like to go over it again?”

As he spoke, Uncle He handed over the household tablet.

“It’s basically all the upper-class families in Haicheng. Considering Mr. Yu’s personality, I invited mostly younger people, though there are also a few important business partners.”

Chi Yanxing understood what the butler meant. Most of the guests would be second-generation heirs, but that was fine. Young people were more easygoing, and with the banquet being held at the hillside villa, Yu Su would be able to relax a little more.

“Is he still in the pool?” Chi Yanxing asked as he looked through the list.

Uncle He shook his head. “No. Mr. Yu seems to have gone upstairs. He should be in the large fish tank up there.”

Yu Su had been particularly fixated these past two days. During the day, he slept in the swimming pool, and at night, he slept in the fish tank, trying to recreate one of his childhood dreams. But every time he fell asleep, he would start muttering about dishes on a menu. Over the past four nights, Chi Yanxing had heard the names of more than a dozen dishes. He had no idea what kind of bizarre things this silly fish was dreaming about.

“Has all the seawater I ordered arrived?”

“It has. We’ve completely replaced the water in the swimming pool, and even the small pool upstairs has been filled.”

Chi Yanxing nodded in satisfaction.

That fish was extremely delicate. In freshwater, he barely moved at all.

“Then, sir, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head out first.”

Chi Yanxing nodded. “Mm.”

Only after Butler He left did Chi Yanxing pick up the stylus and cross out a few names on the list. He scrolled down slightly and saw the names on the Jian family’s invitation list.

There were two people.

The tip of Chi Yanxing’s stylus paused slightly. Seeing those two names gave him an inexplicable feeling that they were coming with ulterior motives.

Yu Miao… Jian Rao Kong… Yu Miao.

A connection had already been planted in the alpha’s mind: the possibility that the Jian family and Yu Su were related by blood. Then, thinking about Jian Rao Kong’s age, he couldn’t help coming up with an absurdly premature hypothesis.

Chi Yanxing immediately put down the tablet and left the study. Before long, he appeared on the third-floor balcony.

His mermaid was sunbathing in the fish tank.

“Yu Su.”

Yu Su blew a few bubbles, indicating that Chi Yanxing could speak.

Boss Chi had long since gotten used to Yu Su sometimes acting even more like a boss than he did. He got straight to the point.

“I’ve never asked before. What is your father’s name?”

Yu Su flicked the tip of his tail. “Why are you suddenly asking? Even if you want to meet my parents now, it won’t help. My father took my mother away for some private time together. Unless they decide to come back themselves, there’s no way you’ll find them for half a year or a year.”

Chi Yanxing: “…”

“I’m not trying to meet your parents. I’m just asking. Can you tell me?”

There was nothing particularly secret about it, so Yu Su casually answered, “My father’s name is Yu Yan.”

Chi Yanxing instinctively repeated, “Yu Yan? The ‘Yan’ with three fire radicals??”

Yu Su nodded in confusion. “Yeah. Isn’t it majestic? Let me tell you, my father is practically the ultimate example of mermaid evolution. He’s the perfect combination of beauty and strength from head to toe. His scales are this deep, dignified blue, and they’re absolutely perfect. My mother is gorgeous too. She has a moon-white tail and golden hair just like mine.”

Chi Yanxing: “…”

The alpha struggled to steer the conversation back on course.

“Yu Su, does your father have any relatives who are particularly close to him in age and family relationship?”

Yu Su froze for a moment, then shook his head. “No. I’ve never heard my father mention anyone like that. My mother’s side does have relatives, though. I have several uncles, and they’re all big, strong, fierce fish.”

In their family, aside from him, the weak little fish, every single elder in the family was the kind of terrifying powerhouse who could stand in a row and make their combat prowess skyrocket. They had teeth, claws, everything. And although his father had no brothers or sisters, he had plenty of friends in the northern waters. Those were all ultimate-evolution creatures capable of punching straight through a human cruise ship with one hand!

Chi Yanxing: “…………”

Talk about making things even worse.

“Forget it.”

Yu Su watched as Chi Yanxing hurried upstairs, his expression complicated, only to leave again shortly afterward. He had no idea what strange thing this alpha had thought of now.

He withdrew his gaze and counted the days on his fingers at the bottom of the tank. It seemed like he could give Chi Yanxing another memory regression soon…

But that complicated banquet was tomorrow evening. Would Chi Yanxing have enough time to recover?

He got his answer that night.

“It’s fine,” Chi Yanxing said. “Sing to me. Let me know in advance.”

The current situation was already very unfavorable. It was better than being one step too late tomorrow. The alpha had already calculated everything clearly in his mind.

Besides, if Jian Rao Kong’s father really was a mermaid like Yu Su, then he would certainly have a way to identify whether Yu Su was a mermaid. Otherwise, given the Jian family’s indifferent attitude toward other people’s affairs, he absolutely wouldn’t have come forward on his own.

When the time came, this seemingly complicated web of relationships wouldn’t withstand a face-to-face confrontation at all.

And taking one step further, if everything really was as he suspected, and Yu Miao was very closely related by blood to Yu Su’s father… then regardless of whether Yu Su knew Yu Miao’s identity, he would reveal his hand within three sentences.

So Chi Yanxing might as well stand at the highest vantage point, patch up the holes in his own understanding first, and deal with everything else afterward.

One fewer problem meant one more bit of confidence… when facing Yu Su’s army of terrifyingly powerful mermaid relatives.

Chi Yanxing lay on his side, facing Yu Su, who had finally crawled into bed because he was going to sing for him.

“I’ll remember this time. I’ll definitely see everything clearly.”

Before everyone else, and before everything else.

Yu Su felt a little nervous inside. On the one hand, he increasingly suspected that he really was that lucky little fish. On the other hand, when he thought about how Chi Yanxing had only gone to the beach once in thirteen years, taken the large pearl, and then disappeared, he couldn’t help feeling a wave of sadness.

He had no idea which big fish had erased Chi Yanxing’s memories… They must have been incredibly angry to make Chi Yanxing forget so completely that even one round of singing couldn’t bring his memories back. He had to sing it in installments…

Chi Yanxing slowly closed his eyes, looking as though he was ready.

Yu Su’s heart was a tangled mess of emotions. After thinking for a moment, he secretly reached out from under the covers and took Chi Yanxing’s hand. Then he scooted his whole body a little closer to the alpha and whispered, “You’ve got to stand up for yourself, Papa Chi. If you can remember, I’ll let bygones be bygones about the things you said before.”

“What did I say?”

Yu Su sounded a little annoyed. He slowly drew out each word: “That little fish was sneaky, cunning, and faaaat.”

Chi Yanxing: “…Let me apologize first. I’ll do my absolute best to remember.”

Yu Su moved over beside the man’s pillow and reached out to cover his eyes. “All right, I was just teasing you. Go to sleep properly and have a good dream. Little Fish will be waiting for you in your dreams.”

The man’s throat bobbed, and he gave a very serious hum in response.

Yu Su adjusted his breathing and softly hummed beside Chi Yanxing’s ear. This time, the song from his regression was sung only for the person he loved.

–

Dinner time.

Chi Yanxing finished his meal in less than five minutes. With a click, he set his spoon down on the plate.

Chi Bing frowned at his son. “Mind your table manners.”

Chi’s mother scolded him playfully, “Why are you making such a fuss? We’re at home—why be so particular? Yanxing, don’t mind your father. The most important thing about coming out on vacation is having fun! Mommy’s noticed that you’ve been going to the beach a lot lately, and you can even catch fish and bring them home. That’s pretty impressive!”

Chi Yanxing was silent for a moment before standing up. “Mom, I’m going out this evening. There have been a lot of little fish around the beach lately, so I’m going to see if I can catch a few more to have as an extra dish.”

Chi Bing’s expression was complicated. “…That’s enough already. You’re a high-level alpha. Are you seriously turning yourself into a fishing net?”

Uncle He happened to come out carrying the freshly made fish soup. He smiled and tried to smooth things over. “The young master is just having fun, Chairman. Don’t be angry. That’s what a seaside vacation is for—looking at the ocean and catching a few fish.”

Chi Bing snorted but didn’t criticize or argue any further.

Chi Yanxing picked up his bucket and followed Uncle He into the kitchen.

“Young master, you’ve brought back far too many fish these past few days. We can’t finish them even eating three meals a day. I’ve noticed you sometimes get hungry at night, so I put the leftovers in the refrigerator. Remember to eat them if you get hungry,” Uncle He reminded him.

Chi Yanxing nodded. “Got it, Uncle He. Thanks for your hard work.”

Uncle He smiled and waved his hand, picked up two soup bowls, and left the kitchen.

Chi Yanxing set the bucket down by his feet and opened the refrigerator.

“Fried dried fish… He said yesterday that he wanted some fried dried fish… Ah! Found them!”

The young man pulled open a refrigerator drawer and took out all the little fish that had gone through the human residence and changed form.

“He still won’t let me touch his tail… Counting today’s food, surely that should be enough for him to let me touch it once, right? It’s almost time for school to start…”

Speaking softly, Chi Yanxing carefully placed the dried fish into a clean basket before putting the basket into the bucket.

Uncle He was outside arranging the soup. When he saw Chi Yanxing come out, he added, “Young master, come back early! You still have things to pack!”

Chi Yanxing hummed in acknowledgment, said goodbye to his parents, and carried the bucket out the door.

The sunset by the sea was beautiful no matter when you looked at it. Especially with the clear weather these past few days, the setting sun was now filling the sky with countless shades of rosy light, turning the surface of the sea into shimmering gold.

As Chi Yanxing walked, he looked around, wondering where his little merperson would pop out from today.

Or perhaps the little guy would secretly follow him along the ocean floor again, only to suddenly pop out from behind a reef and scare him.

There was a smile on the alpha’s lips that he didn’t even realize was there. His eyes were filled with anticipation and happiness. He thought that tonight he would have to properly comfort his clingy little fish, and then promise him that he would definitely come back to the beach to see him again next weekend.

Chi Yanxing walked all the way to the familiar cove and set the bucket down behind him. Before he could even say anything, a plump tail suddenly broke through the nearby water.

Golden—more dazzling than the setting sun.

“You came again today?” a sweet, childish voice called out.

Chi Yanxing nodded. Then he reached into the bucket behind him, took out the little basket, and showed the dried fish inside to Yu Su.

“I came… to feed the fish. The kitchen just made some fried dried fish. They’re fresh, crispy, and tender.”

Yu Su pouted. “How many times have I told you? How can I be like those ugly guys? You should call me Little Fish! Little—Fish!”

“…Feed Little Fish,” the young alpha said, a little sheepishly.

“That’s more like it!” Yu Su said. “Quick, quick, quick! Throw one over here. It smells sooo good!”

The alpha had long since grown accustomed to this uniquely styled method of feeding. He walked a few steps forward, took a fish from the basket, and tossed it accurately toward Yu Su.

Yu Su leaped out of the water and caught it with his hand before plunging back down, shattering the entire golden-red surface of the sea.

“Mmm! So good, so good! Human food is really delicious!”

Chi Yanxing pressed his lips together to hide a smile. Although the young man looked aloof on the outside, there was actually a trace of deeply buried shyness inside him.

Unfortunately, the only one who had ever encountered this side of him was a little merperson who knew nothing but eating and playing.

Yu Su was completely oblivious.

The fried fish was crispy on the outside and tender inside, with the fish skin still intact, browned and delightfully crunchy.

Only after finishing the entire fish did he say, “Brother Yanxing, I forgot to ask you before—do you live by the sea?”

“I don’t live here. I’m just here on vacation.”

The mermaid let out a small “Ah,” his voice tinged with disappointment. “Then… are you leaving soon?”

Chi Yanxing said, “My family doesn’t live here, but we live in Haicheng, which is very close by. Even if I have to leave for something, I can still come visit you often.”

Yu Su was still gloomy. He used his tail to nudge the fish bones lying in the shallow water and said, “But I… I don’t know if I’ll have another chance to come to shore and find you in the future.”

The young man frowned slightly when he heard this. “Why wouldn’t you be able to come find me? Don’t you live in this part of the sea?”

Yu Su nodded his little head. “Yeah, but my father is coming back soon, and he doesn’t really like humans. And there’s A-Ning, too. No matter what, he refuses to come anywhere near the shore. I haven’t let him come with me these past few days. I’ve been sneaking out all by myself.”

Chi Yanxing knew about A-Ning. He was Little Fish’s friend, and most likely a merperson as well.

“Maybe I can try getting along with them. Think about it—you were pretty wary when you first met me too, weren’t you? It hasn’t even been half a month, and we’ve already become good friends.”

Yu Su splashed a little water with his short arms. “That’s only because you’re handsome and smell good, and you fulfilled all my fantasies about humans… But maybe I can act cute and plead with my father. I’m his favorite, after all! Maybe he’ll agree to let me come to shore again!”

The alpha nodded. “Don’t worry. This entire area belongs to my family. I won’t let anyone find out about you… about you all.”

Yu Su was naturally optimistic. His worries had barely begun to surface before they were interrupted by the beautiful future he had imagined.

“I trust you, Brother Yanxing! Hurry and throw me another fish. This tastes so good!”

But this time, Chi Yanxing didn’t throw one. Instead, he walked a few steps closer and said, “Little Fish, come here. Don’t stay too far away. I can’t reach you.”

Yu Su hesitated, then swam a little closer. “Brother Yanxing, do you want to touch Little Fish’s tail?”

Chi Yanxing paused, then simply admitted it. “I do. Can I?”

Yu Su thought for a few seconds. “Fine, I’ll let you. But only once! In case you leave and don’t come back, you can save the rest for later!”

Of course, Chi Yanxing nodded. How could he not come back? This chubby little fish wasn’t afraid of him at all and was even very affectionate toward him. He liked the little guy more than he could say. On top of that, he had only just differentiated into an alpha, and his possessiveness had increased several times over. Chi Yanxing almost wished he could live on the beach from now on.

That way, he could see his little fish before going to sleep and see his little fish again when he woke up.

Yu Su curled his plump tail forward. “Here, go ahead and touch it.”

Chi Yanxing slowly reached out and placed his palm against the tip of Yu Su’s tail.

It was cool and smooth. The white fin membrane curled around his hand, and the sensation was wonderfully comfortable.

Chi Yanxing looked again at Yu Su’s soft, pale little back right in front of him and said, “What did Little Fish eat growing up to become so cute?”

A chubby little face and big blue eyes.

He had never seen such a beautiful natural-born youngling before.

“I just eat whatever! I’m really easy to take care of! Don’t let my small size fool you. The day I met you, I was actually thinking about eating shark meat!”

Chi Yanxing’s hand paused. In the end, he still boldly sneaked in one more touch.

Yu Su flicked his tail and splashed backward. “All right, no more touching!”

Chi Yanxing stared at the little merperson for a long while before suddenly saying, “I really am leaving soon. Probably tomorrow. I have to go back to school. But I have a break next weekend, so I’ll definitely come back to see you then.”

Yu Su had known that if he was getting this many good things today, there had to be something he wouldn’t like. And sure enough, there was.

“…Then it’s a promise, okay? I won’t wander off anywhere else these next few days. I’ll stay in this part of the sea and wait for you… Ah! Right!” As Yu Su spoke, he flicked his tail and sank beneath the surface.

Then there was no sign of him for several minutes.

Chi Yanxing instinctively took two steps forward and called softly, “Little Fish? Are you still there?”

The setting sun had fallen to the horizon, leaving only a thin golden line. Darkness gradually spread across the sky, and the golden points of light disappeared as well, leaving only the sound of waves washing over the beach.

“Little Fish? Yu Su? Are you still there?” The young man’s voice gradually grew anxious.

“I’m here, I’m here!” With a splash, Yu Su emerged from the water in the distance, holding a large pearl in both hands.

It was the largest pearl Chi Yanxing had ever seen, almost as big as the little merperson’s palm. It rose above the sea alongside the moon hanging on the horizon, fortunately catching a halo of silvery moonlight.

“What is that?”

“This is Fishy’s big pearl! It’s Fishy’s favorite thing!”

Chi Yanxing praised it. “It’s beautiful.”

Yu Su proudly lifted his little chin. “Of course! When I was born, my father dredged it up for me from the deepest trench in the sea. Of course it’s precious and beautiful!”

“Then why did you bring it out?” Chi Yanxing asked. “So I could look at it?”

“Of course not. Brother Yanxing, get ready to catch it!”

Chi Yanxing instinctively reached out, and sure enough, the large pearl was tossed toward him. With a thump, it landed perfectly in the palm of his hand.

“This is…”

“I’m giving it to you! Once you take this pearl, you’re the human I chose, so you’re not allowed to play with any other mermaids!”

Chi Yanxing was delighted. “You’re really giving it to me? This looks very precious. To you—”

Yu Su interrupted, “It’s fine. A pearl goes perfectly with a handsome guy!”

Chi Yanxing didn’t quite understand what he meant by “perfectly,” but that didn’t stop the strange, wonderful emotions welling up inside him.

This was truly the best gift he had ever received.

Especially at a time when he had just developed his natural pheromones.

Without a doubt.

“I’ll keep it safe.” The young man was filled with an indescribable rush of emotion and wonder.

His fish-feeding hadn’t been in vain!

“All right, all right, that’s all I wanted to do. I’m going back now. I told Mother I was coming out for a walk to help digest my dinner, and the moon is already up.” Yu Su waved at Chi Yanxing. “I come to play at the White Coral Reef every day when I have time. When you come, you only need to release a little of your pheromones and I’ll know you’re here. And remember to bring me something tasty!”

Chi Yanxing nodded, clutching the pearl, and gave a heartfelt hum of agreement.

The golden, chubby fish tail slipped beneath the water without even making much of a splash. Every time Yu Su disappeared, Chi Yanxing’s heart would instinctively clench.

The ocean was vast and boundless. If his little fish didn’t take the initiative, then no matter how capable he was, he wouldn’t be able to fish a mermaid out of the sea.

Fortunately, this little fish liked him very much. As long as he had that affection and attachment between them, Chi Yanxing had nothing to fear.

Holding the large pearl, he stood reluctantly by the sea, trying to catch sight of a fish tail breaking the surface somewhere in the distance.

…But there was nothing.

His chubby little fish was probably hurrying home as fast as he could, afraid that his mother would give him a spanking.

The corners of Chi Yanxing’s lips lifted into a helpless smile. He tucked the large pearl into his clothes, bent down, picked up the bucket of sand, and was about to head back.

But before he had taken even two steps, a much louder splash sounded behind him.

The alpha stopped dead.

The brilliant sunset had long since faded, leaving only the dark seawater reflecting the cold, pale moonlight.

All was silent.

Chi Yanxing slowly turned around and stood still. Before him was a larger, full-grown male merperson.

“Humans shouldn’t be here.”

The merman’s voice seemed to carry an enchanting, soul-stirring echo of its own, making Chi Yanxing’s ears buzz.

Yu Yan continued in a deep voice, “And they certainly shouldn’t have met my youngling.”

The inexperienced young man had no idea that affection and attachment built upon so much uncertainty could not withstand even a casually sung melody.

His feet seemed frozen to the ground. He stood there in a daze, then became completely immersed in a feast for the ears.

But Chi Yanxing knew perfectly well that this might not be good luck. Perhaps all his luck had already been spent on meeting Yu Su, and now this dreamlike encounter seemed destined to come to an abrupt end.

All the colors faded into black and white. The fragmented black and white was then buried deep within his mind, impossible to touch or dig out, leaving behind only one vague, uncertain thought—

He might not be able to come back next weekend.

His chubby little fish might be desperately crying because he couldn’t get any tasty food.

A fierce sea wind swept over him and struck the young man’s face, jolting him awake.

The alpha, whose pheromones were in an unusually agitated state, turned around again and walked toward the seaside villa like a lost soul. The large pearl, carefully tucked into his inner pocket, rolled from side to side as he walked. Chi Yanxing slowly reached in and took it out, then frowned hesitantly and irritably.

“Did I pick this up?”

–

Yu Su watched as daylight flooded the room. The clock beside the bed already showed ten in the morning, yet Chi Yanxing still hadn’t woken up. His brows were tightly furrowed, as though he were trapped in some deep nightmare.

Yu Su didn’t dare call the butler. Instead, he hurried over to the table, poured a glass of water for Chi Yanxing, and by the time he returned, the man on the bed had already sat up, his eyelids half-open.

“Chi Yanxing? You’re awake! I just poured you some water. The sun is practically shining on your butt already!” Yu Su didn’t dare ask whether Chi Yanxing had remembered anything, so he could only pretend to chat casually as he normally would.

The alpha didn’t react, as though he hadn’t fully awakened yet.

Yu Su had accidentally used a little too much force last night. By the time he stopped singing, it had already been nearly midnight, so he couldn’t be sure whether Chi Yanxing would recover quickly.

But he had already done his best to minimize the interference with the human brain.

“Chi Yanxing? Why aren’t you saying anything? You need to get up! I heard Uncle He already started setting up downstairs. There are so many servers here—it’s really lively!”

As he spoke, Yu Su walked over, placed the glass of water on the bedside table, then knelt on one knee beside the bed and, imitating a human gesture, reached out to feel the man’s forehead.

Chi Yanxing suddenly grabbed Yu Su’s slender wrist. His dark eyes slowly turned toward him.

“Little Fish.”

Yu Su let out a small “Ah,” then pressed his lips together. “What’s wrong?”

“I remember now. You, me, all of us. I remember everything.”

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