QWAPMP Chapter 81

Chapter 81: The Merman Lands Ashore

Their expressions, which had softened somewhat upon hearing Song Qiu Yi’s words, turned stern again. Song Qiu Yi pressed his advantage, taking out the potion. “Also, you said you were researching the merman, so where did you get this potion?”

He had thought about it all night and still didn’t believe the nonsense Tan Fei had spouted about his teacher.

With the prohibited potion reappearing, the faces of these leaders became even uglier. Back then, because this substance had leaked out, the entire research institute had been sealed off for a period. Its reappearance now made it hard not to recall the past.

“I, I… this is…”

“Enough,” one of the leaders rapped his cane, making the decision. “Since Professor Tan cannot explain, he will rest at home for a period.”

His words seemed to put Tan Fei under house arrest, preventing him from interfering with the merman research again.

The other leaders whispered a few words to each other, then nodded, indicating they all agreed.

Song Qiu Yi was dissatisfied with this result. He was about to say something more when the leader who made the decision waved his hand, said he was tired, and led the way out.

Only the ashen-faced Tan Fei and the very dissatisfied Song Qiu Yi remained in the conference room.

“Professor Song, aren’t you afraid I’ll expose your teacher?” Tan Fei was having a hard time, and he wanted Song Qiu Yi to feel bad too.

Song Qiu Yi looked towards the door, his hand on the back of the chair, and lowered his head in thought for a moment. “I’ve said it before, the person who gave you the potion is definitely not the teacher.”

Tan Fei propped his hands on the table, gritting his teeth. “Why?”

Song Qiu Yi raised his head, his eyes filled with disdain. “The teacher looked down on you ten years ago, do you think he’d look favorably on you ten years later? Even if he really came back, would he not look for me, but instead look for a guy like you who he couldn’t stand back then?”

What’s called ‘killing the heart’ was exactly what Song Qiu Yi said. These words trampled Tan Fei’s fragile self-esteem, making him furiously grab a water cup and hurl it at Song Qiu Yi.

Song Qiu Yi tilted his body to the side and could have dodged, but for some reason, he suddenly raised his hand to block it. The cup hit his wrist, the hot water inside immediately scalded his skin red, and the cup cut a gash.

It wasn’t deep, but a trickle of blood slowly seeped out.

Seeing the cup hit Song Qiu Yi, Tan Fei felt a bit of satisfaction. “Don’t be too smug. I’m just being told to rest for a few days. My qualification for merman research is still there. There will be a day when I come back.”

A sarcastic smile tugged at Song Qiu Yi’s lips. “You will never in your life be qualified to touch it. It belongs to me alone.”

The arrogant words, coupled with his cold face, made people start to doubt if what he said was true.

With a bang, Tan Fei slammed the conference room door shut forcefully, venting the anger Song Qiu Yi had stirred up with this impotent action.

A slight smile formed at the corner of Song Qiu Yi’s mouth. He glanced at his wrist, then left the conference room and headed towards the laboratory.

At noon, when Song Qiu Yi was feeding Yan Ye, Yan Ye noticed the wound on his wrist and the patch of scalded skin. Song Qiu Yi’s little thoughts couldn’t be hidden from him.

Yan Ye lifted his eyelids, took hold of his hand, and under Song Qiu Yi’s faintly expectant gaze, he suddenly smiled and licked the injured spot, holding it in his mouth.

The area touched by his tongue tingled, and the swollen, hot skin healed instantly.

Song Qiu Yi stared at Yan Ye’s actions, momentarily losing himself.

Yan Ye let go of his hand voluntarily. “Okay, it’s fine now.”

Song Qiu Yi reluctantly put down his hand, not in a hurry to leave. He sat by the water tank and told him what had happened in the morning, as well as the leaders’ attitude towards Tan Fei…

Song Qiu Yi propped his chin on his hand, his eyes behind his glasses glinting. “If it’s not my teacher behind this, who else could it be?”

Yan Ye sat with him through the glass, his eyes turning profound in just two minutes. From Song Qiu Yi’s description of the leaders’ attitude towards Tan Fei’s punishment, he felt that what happened last night was related to those leaders.

Yan Ye tilted his head slightly to look at the young man lost in thought, and suddenly found the situation becoming interesting. If Song Qiu Yi figured out that Tan Fei might have been acting on the leaders’ instructions, what would he do?

Song Qiu Yi thought for half an hour, but in the end, he didn’t tell Yan Ye if he had figured anything out.

In the evening, Song Qiu Yi came over to feed Yan Ye as usual. Yan Ye saw that he was holding the familiar Merman Observation Diary again.

In the days since he had been brought to the laboratory, Yan Ye hadn’t seen Song Qiu Yi take it out. Why was he taking it out again today?

“Yan Ye, what happens if a merman stays out of water for too long?” Song Qiu Yi suddenly asked, curiosity written in his eyes. He held a pen, ready to jot down Yan Ye’s answer.

Based on the information provided by his merman identity, Yan Ye thought for a moment before slowly saying, “Death.” He knew what information Song Qiu Yi really wanted and added a section. “If we mermen leave the water, we can only live for a maximum of three hours. After three hours, our skin and scales will undergo significant changes, such as shedding and dehydration. If we don’t replenish water in time, we can only wait agonizingly for death.”

Song Qiu Yi listened very carefully, copying it down without missing a word. When he reached the part about scales shedding, he lifted his gaze, looked at Yan Ye’s tail, and pursed his lips tightly.

He wouldn’t let that happen.

In the following days, Song Qiu Yi was very busy. As soon as he finished his work at the laboratory, he would go out, and then rush back at night to sleep with Yan Ye.

Because he was worried about the Tan Fei incident happening again, no matter how tired Song Qiu Yi was, he would rush back to the laboratory covered in dust and say goodnight to Yan Ye before going to sleep.

Yan Ye would always watch him return, then examine him carefully, and once he confirmed the person was fine, he would swim back into the water tank.

He was waiting, waiting for Song Qiu Yi to tell him personally, “Let’s go, let’s leave this place.”

Song Qiu Yi had been very busy these past few days. Yan Ye could vaguely guess what he was planning. Now, he just needed to cooperate and pretend he didn’t know anything.

Within a few days, someone from higher up asked Song Qiu Yi for the progress of the merman research again. Since Song Qiu Yi couldn’t submit any progress, someone used the excuse that Song Qiu Yi was researching too slowly by himself and demanded that Tan Fei be called back first.

Song Qiu Yi stared at the phone message with gloomy eyes, a cold smile slightly curving his lips. What he had said before, that he would never give Tan Fei a chance to touch Yan Ye again in this lifetime, was not just empty talk.

Since they were so impatient, there was no need for him to wait a few more days. He had almost mastered the technique of piloting a boat, and it was time to check the results.

Twelve o’clock at night was when the security personnel at the research institute changed shifts, and also the most suitable time to leave.

At midnight, the potion Song Qiu Yi had set up was released. The water in the tank turned light green. This was a bit too sudden. Before Yan Ye could blame Song Qiu Yi for not telling him in advance, he fell into a deep sleep.