"Alright, enough embarrassment. Everyone, go back to sleep," Mu Qingyun said with a sigh. She glanced at Fan Xuanye, then gestured for the others to disperse.
Everyone exchanged a look and quietly turned to leave.
In a flash, only Mu Qingyun and Kazel remained.
"Had your fun?" she asked coldly, her expression calm. "Now, tell me—what is your real purpose?"
"Hmm?" Kazel raised a brow, feigning confusion.
"You think I don't see through you?" she sat down, facing him eye to eye. "It hasn't been that long. Do you really take me for a fool?"
Was she suspicious of the timing?
Kazel lowered his gaze and smiled faintly. "Have you never heard of love at first sight? Or… do you not believe in it?"
"I do believe in it," she replied, rubbing her temple. Strangely, the moment she heard that phrase, the name Su Qiluo popped into her mind.
There was something about his name—and the legends surrounding him—that intrigued her deeply.
"But from your eyes, I see no trace of love," she continued coldly. "True affection—even when unspoken—always shows in the eyes."
"Oh?" Kazel's interest was piqued. "So you've had a lot of lovers before? Enough to recognize love in someone's eyes?"
Lovers? Well… if her one-hundred-plus palace concubines counted, then yes, she had.
Some women looked at her with complete indifference—likely forced into the palace by their families. But others gazed at her with genuine affection.
She had seen enough to know the difference.
"Love is not some intangible thing. Perhaps you cannot see it because you don't truly believe in it," she said seriously, locking eyes with him.
"Then… can you help me believe?" Kazel's smile deepened, the amusement in his violet eyes tinged with challenge.
"I do not have that ability. You will have to find it within yourself," she said coldly. Whether it was because mermen were naturally aloof, or because of something in his past, she could not say.
But she would not be the one to fix it.
"You said you liked my tail, didn't you?" Kazel swayed his shimmering fishtail. Bathed in moonlight, it glowed even more brilliantly.
"I forgot to mention—merfolk tails are very sensitive. Touching one implies… you wish to mate," he said, his voice playful, seductive.
Mu Qingyun remained silent. She had suspected the tail might have special meaning, so despite her curiosity, she had never touched it.
"I never touched it. Don't accuse me," she said, frowning and instinctively backing away.
At that moment, an inappropriate melody rang in Kazel's head—'Did you really mean it when you took half a step back?'
"How could you say that?" he said with a hurt expression, looking utterly wronged. "You dare to touch but not to take responsibility?"
Responsibility?
Heaven help her—she had done nothing!
"I—"
Knock knock—
Suddenly, someone tapped lightly on the wall.
She quickly slid open the partition. Standing outside was Su, smiling gently.
"I'm a little thirsty, but I'm out of drinkable water. Could you boil some for me?"
Seeing her hesitant expression, Su lowered his gaze slightly. "Please? Just teach me tonight, and I won't bother you again."
"That's simple enough. Can't you just use the fire-gun to boil water three times?" Kazel narrowed his eyes, irritation flickering within. Had this man been eavesdropping all along?
If Su knew what Kazel was thinking, he would have scoffed.
He had no interest in eavesdropping. He had simply remembered that he had a Gu Yuan Pill on him, something that could help Mu Qingyun recover faster. As he approached, he overheard their talk about responsibility and decided to step in.
What on earth had they been doing to bring up such a topic?
"It's alright. I'll go," Mu Qingyun said quickly, grateful for the interruption. She had no idea how to respond to Kazel's nonsense, and Su's arrival felt like a lifeline.
"Let's go. I'll boil some water for you," she smiled at Su, her eyes glinting with appreciation.
"Alright." Su nodded and followed her outside.
Tch. How annoying.
Kazel watched them leave, gritting his teeth. He knew the night was a bust. With a cold snort, he transformed his tail back into legs.
"I'll show you." She took the fire-gun from Su and placed the purified water into a pot.
"See the small droplets forming on top? That's what we want." She pointed as she explained. "After distilling it three times, only use those droplets. Then it's safe to drink."
As she watched the boiling water, she knew Su had only come to help her. She appreciated it, but there was no need to make a big deal of it.
"I just remembered—I have some Gu Yuan Pills on me," he said, pulling out a small box from his storage pouch.
He had not realized it earlier because he did not organize the pouch himself. Only before bed had he discovered the pill inside.
"What is that?" Mu Qingyun asked. The name was unfamiliar to both her and the memories of her original self.
"It can help your body recover a bit faster." He opened the box and held up a black pill to her lips. "Open your mouth."
She hesitated briefly, then obeyed.
As she took in the pill, Su's fingers accidentally brushed against the corner of her lips.
His cool fingertips grazed her warm skin. For some reason, it felt like fire searing his hand. He quickly pulled away, heart thundering uncontrollably.
Trying to steady himself, he took a deep breath, forcing down the inexplicable chaos inside.
"Thank you." She chewed the pill. To her surprise, it was not bitter. Her mouth filled with a sweet, red date flavor that only intensified the more she chewed.
"This is a medicine?" she asked, bewildered by the taste. It was nothing like what she had expected.