For Carl and Rose, today had been an especially difficult day.
To begin with, Wen Yu had suddenly insisted they row west. He hadn't explained why, and neither of them knew what he was planning. But they didn't argue. Orders were orders, and Wen Yu's judgment was usually sound. So, the two of them followed without complaint.
Still, his behavior left them puzzled.
Wen Yu strictly forbade them from touching the jerky.
"Why?" Carl asked, clearly frustrated. "Jerky's the best food for energy. Why can't we eat it?"
Wen Yu replied that jerky made people thirsty, and since they had limited fresh water, they needed to avoid anything that would increase water consumption. That was why he banned it entirely.
But surely eating just a little would be fine.
Why not allow even a bite?
Wen Yu gave Carl a flat look and pointed at the two fish lying in the cabin. "Eat those."
Carl pouted and muttered under his breath.
They'd caught those two fish for breakfast. Honestly, the fish tasted fine. But if they were going to eat fish for every meal—and eat it raw—anyone would get tired of it. Once in a while was fine, but three times a day?
They were human, after all. Humans preferred cooked food.
Carl grumbled about Wen Yu's restrictions, but Rose said nothing. She looked at the fish, then glanced at Wen Yu, lips pressed in a thin line.
She had questions she hadn't voiced. If Wen Yu had really caught those two fish himself, why were his clothes completely dry?
Even in hot weather, clothes didn't dry that quickly. And from what she could tell, Wen Yu's clothes lacked any of the telltale salt crusts left by seawater.
He was clearly hiding something.
Like where those fish really came from.
Wen Yu ignored their complaints. After a short rest, he moved to the side of the boat and gazed out at the sea. He stood there silently for a long time before turning back to them.
"If you're rested, let's keep rowing. At our current speed, we should reach an island by tomorrow."
"An island?" Carl sat up instantly, his earlier complaints forgotten. His eyes lit up, and he looked close to tears. "Finally. I'm so sick of floating on this damn ocean."
Even with their enhanced physical strength, the constant rocking of the waves was exhausting.
The rest of the day passed in silence. The three of them rowed toward the direction Wen Yu had indicated.
By nightfall, they were sore and drained. After finishing the last of the fish, Rose and Carl passed out.
Wen Yu, claiming he would keep watch, remained awake.
He waited until both of them were breathing evenly, deep in sleep. Then he moved to the edge of the boat, pulled out a torn plastic bag, and spoke softly toward the sea.
"Little fish?"
With a splash, a white mermaid burst out of the water. He snatched the bag from Wen Yu's hand and swam to the side, happily chewing the jerky inside.
Yes—Lansi had been following the boat all day.
And his main goal was that beef jerky.
This time, he was smarter. He had stayed out of sight during the day, following from a distance to ensure they weren't headed in the wrong direction.
As for the jerky... Lansi felt perfectly justified.
Two fresh fish in exchange for one bag of jerky? Who was really getting the better deal?
He munched on the jerky and considered whether three people needed more than two fish a day.
Maybe he'd bring them an extra fish tomorrow.
Wen Yu hadn't expected Lansi to just snatch the bag from his hand. He stared at his now-empty palm in surprise, then chuckled.
He had intended to hand-feed the little fish, but apparently, the mermaid didn't like being fed.
Lansi quickly finished the jerky, then tossed the empty bag back to Wen Yu.
"Why return this?" Wen Yu laughed as he caught it, then casually tossed it into the sea.
Lansi gave him a look. Then, irritated, he fished the plastic out of the water and threw it into the cabin.
Wen Yu laughed harder.
"After you take us to the island, will you leave?" he asked, gently waving for Lansi to come closer. "I won't hurt you. Stay for a while. Let's talk."
Lansi hesitated, but didn't move.
Wen Yu sighed. He took out another plastic bag, tore it open, and held out a piece of compressed biscuit. "This is a cookie. It tastes good. Want to try it?"
Lansi tilted his head but stayed where he was.
Seeing that the bait hadn't worked, Wen Yu gave a sheepish cough and put the biscuit away. "Then… could you sing for me again? I have a headache. Your singing helps."
Lansi looked at him, suspicious.
Wen Yu's skin was pale, almost bluish under the moonlight. Even after being out in the sun all day, he still looked like he hadn't fully recovered from an illness. And based on what Lansi had seen, Wen Yu barely ate.
He had thought Wen Yu was strong and steady, a man who had kept calm even during the catastrophe in Shanghai—and someone who had somehow caught a mermaid.
But now, Wen Yu's weakness showed through.
And under the glittering stars of the night sky, there was a moment where Lansi thought Wen Yu looked just like that dark mermaid.
Was Winsor doing well?
Lansi found himself staring.
Wen Yu mistook his hesitation for consideration. He extended his hand gently. "Come here, my little fish."
It was still Wen Yu's voice, but in Lansi's eyes, it was the black mermaid calling to him.
"Come."
Lansi's expression wavered. Slowly, he moved closer.
Wen Yu smiled, started humming the melody Lansi had sung the other day, and reached out to take Lansi's webbed hand.
Lansi blushed. Just as their hands touched, he realized—this was Wen Yu.
Should he run?
But Wen Yu was still humming that song.
It had only been a tune Lansi had hummed absentmindedly, yet Wen Yu had remembered it—had held onto it like it was precious.
Lansi's affection for Wen Yu grew.
Maybe, the old tales were right.
Mermaids sang to enchant travelers. But sometimes, the songs of travelers could draw mermaids in.
He nodded slightly.
Their voices rose together in song, spreading across the calm sea.
Above them, stars glowed brightly. The sea mirrored the sky so perfectly it was hard to tell where the heavens ended and the ocean began.
Their little boat drifted through this galaxy of reflections. A white mermaid rested on its side, gazing up at the black-haired youth. His azure eyes shimmered with clarity.
The young man leaned closer, nearing the mermaid's face. Just a little further, and they could kiss.
In The Little Mermaid, the prince had fallen into the sea and lost consciousness. He never knew the mermaid had saved him, and that ignorance led to tragedy.
But here, a mermaid prince had rescued a human prince—and that prince had remembered him, cherishing him always.
His little fish...
Who had enchanted whom?
All Wen Yu could see was Lansi's beautiful face, and he longed to capture this dream—
A gunshot cracked through the air.
Wen Yu's body moved before his mind caught up. He caught the harpoon inches before it struck Lansi's head.
Lansi reeled back. The tip of the harpoon was no more than five centimeters from his eyes.
What the hell?
He turned and saw Rose standing in the cabin, harpoon gun raised, her aim fixed on him.
If Lansi couldn't sense her murderous intent, he was an idiot.
He let out a sharp screech and dove into the water, flipping his tail deliberately to splash her on his way down.
Wen Yu: "…"
As Lansi vanished beneath the surface, Wen Yu stood and turned to Rose.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Rose calmly loaded another harpoon. "Killing that sea monster."
"He's not a sea monster," Wen Yu growled, still gripping the harpoon he'd caught. Anger pulsed through him.
If he hadn't caught that shot in time, the beautiful mermaid might have been lost forever.
Then what would have been the point of all this?
And now, his little fish probably wouldn't trust him ever again.
"There's more to a creature than its appearance," Rose said coldly. "He's dangerous. He deserves to die."
"What about me?" Wen Yu's voice dropped, chilling. "I carry the sea monster gene. Why don't you kill me too?"
He threw the harpoon down. "Kill her."
Rose blinked, confused by his use of "her" instead of "him," and moved to fire again.
She never got the chance.
A sharp pain struck her neck. Darkness overtook her as she crumpled to the floor.
Carl stood behind her, holding the handle of a wrench. "Told you she was bad news, Boss. Why'd we keep her around?"
Wen Yu's expression was cold. "She's Dr. Su's daughter. If she dies, it'll be hard to explain."
"But she's from Mourin," Carl muttered, tying Rose up with a rope. He grabbed her harpoon gun and secured it. "You already repaid Dr. Su's favor. That should be enough."
"There won't be a next time," Wen Yu said, staring at the sea.
Carl followed his gaze. "Was that really a mermaid just now? He was so cute. Just like a fairy tale."
Wen Yu's expression softened. "Yes."
"So... he's the one eating all our jerky?"
"…"
"Boss, if you'd told me earlier, I wouldn't have minded. You're too secretive."
"Shut up."
Wen Yu rubbed his temples. His head was pounding again.
"I just hope... he hasn't given up on us."
He murmured softly to himself.
"I didn't mean any harm. Really. Please... don't leave."
—
Lansi, hidden beneath the boat, heard everything.
It was all so strange.
He was scared, yes—but more confused.
From the way that woman spoke, it was like humans and sea monsters were mortal enemies.
And Wen Yu... what did he mean by having sea monster genes?
Just what kind of person was Wen Yu?
So strange.
Lansi blew a few bubbles in thought.