LSDWTWHA chapter 16
by VolareDo mermaids like humans?
Qi Hanyi stared deeply at Su, who appeared innocent and naive.
Qi Hanyi thought: Perhaps it’s because Su is a mermaid hybrid who understands nothing that he can boldly speak such words. If he knew of the many issues between mermaids and humans, he might end up just like that woman…
Disgusted, hateful, and evasive, viewing even the children born from himself and humans as mistakes and shame.
The rising emotions were quickly suppressed by Qi Hanyi. None of this was related to Su. He had not participated in the conflicts between humans and mermaids, and liking humans was not a fault. Perhaps it was just the strange aesthetics of the shark, akin to how some humans find cats and dogs adorable.
Thinking this way, Qi Hanyi heard Su say, “Human culture is fascinating, with various kinds of knowledge, all kinds of quirky and fun inventions. Your food is delicious too. Before coming to the human world, I never knew food could be more than just a way to fill my stomach.”
“You don’t have wings, yet you can fly higher than birds and go to faraway places. You can even build a star.”
Build a star? Qi Hanyi was momentarily stunned, coming back from the gloomy mindset he just had.
He quickly realized that Su was talking about the White Zaque flagship.
Because it is massive and relatively close to the planet, the White Zaque can be seen from the ground.
That is the main ship of the Imperial Star Expeditionary Force, on which Qi Hanyi had nearly lived for the past decade.
However, opinions about the White Zaque among humans were varied.
Some viewed it as humanity’s salvation, gazing up at it as if it were a deity, while others feared its power, seeing it as a calamity. Some complained about its excessive military costs, branding it a gold-guzzler, while others tried to use it to fulfill their ambitions.
Build a star? That was the first time he had heard such a statement.
Su continued to talk about his plans: “I’ve always thought it would be great to transform into a human to live on land. Once the medicine takes effect, I’ll succeed. I can be a pet to humans, no longer struggling to catch fish in the sea.”
Qi Hanyi could not agree with Su’s idle dreams of being a salty fish, but he could hear that Su indeed yearned for the human world. He was filled with anticipation about altering his genes to become human.
However, Qi Hanyi did not believe that this matter would go smoothly.
The medicine had a good effect; although it had some side effects, they didn’t seem fatal. If it were that easy to succeed, it would have been widely known among mermaids. The mermaid hybrids seen on land could not switch between forms, indicating they preferred to settle for a less effective medicine rather than trying the kind of medicine Su mentioned.
Qi Hanyi reasonably doubted that the success rate of this medicine was low, perhaps nearly impossible.
Perhaps the high priest just wanted to use Su as a substitute for the mermaid princess originally intended for marriage. After all, he already held disdain for mermaids; this marriage proposal was orchestrated by his grandfather. If the bride turned out to be the mermaid princess Yi Qing, it would easily offend both sides.
Moreover, although few knew about the incident where he was saved by the shark, those who were determined could still find out.
Whether Su would eventually succeed in becoming human or not, with this medicine, he could temporarily transform into a human or mermaid to handle certain emergencies. As long as he could stall for a few months regarding the arguments with his grandfather, a resolution could be reached.
There might even be other motives: for example, disrupting the plans on Freedom Island.
Thinking of Freedom Island, Qi Hanyi remembered the plan he had thought of last night.
Using Su as bait, he could lure the mermaids from Freedom Island to investigate any connections they might have with the insect tribe.
Just in time, his grandfather had proposed that he bring a mermaid partner to a banquet.
Qi Hanyi seized the opportunity to mention, “The day after tomorrow, there will be a banquet at the Mo family. You will come with me.”
Su raised his head to look at him: “Banquet?”
Qi Hanyi nodded and added, “Almost everyone in the noble circles of the Empire will be present. You need to wear women’s clothes, and I will introduce you to them as my lady… If you don’t want to go, you can refuse. I can find a substitute. After all, you plan to live in the human world in the future; it might have an impact.”
He shouldn’t have said that last part. If Su transformed into a human and accompanied him, it would be more stable than finding someone else to play the role. It would ensure that his grandfather felt at ease while simultaneously relaxing the surveillance on him in a short period. It would also be easier to draw out those trying to impersonate a princess for marriage and confirm whether they were truly involved with the insect tribe’s secrets.
This presented the most advantageous situation for him. Su had leverage in his hands, after all, and he could only cooperate.
However, upon recalling Su’s yearning tone for the human world, Qi Hanyi suddenly felt a bit soft-hearted.
That face bound as the Admiral’s lady meant that once Su left the Qi family, he would be targeted by many. This practically cut off Su’s chances of living freely in the human world afterward.
But unexpectedly, Su’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he quickly nodded, “I want to go!”
Disguised as anyone, doing anything, and meeting anyone, Su did not care at all. He only had one thought in his mind: the legendary banquet of humans is filled with delicious food, and he could eat as much as he wanted.
Strange, he had just finished eating, yet he felt a bit hungry again.
Hearing Su’s response, Qi Hanyi took a rare moment of silence before standing up: “Then it’s settled. Tomorrow I’ll take you to prepare.”
Allowing the other party to refuse and explaining the pros and cons was already a concession made by Qi Hanyi. Now that the other side agreed, he naturally wouldn’t urge further.
At worst, if Su left afterward, he could simply tell his subordinates to watch over him a bit more.
He was preparing to leave when he walked behind Su and picked up the military coat that Su had just worn, which was hanging over the back of the chair.
Just as he was about to leave, he felt the other end of the coat being tugged.
Su was a little reluctant to part with the jacket. He thought it looked great, smelled nice, and most importantly, it was worn by Qi Hanyi.
Instinctively wanting to keep the clothing, he loosened his grip when Qi Hanyi glanced over. Qi Hanyi provided for him and already treated him well, so he felt he had no place to demand someone else’s belongings.
However, he didn’t speak, but his eyes conveyed his reluctance and desire. Qi Hanyi understood at a glance.
But the military coat held special significance, and he naturally could not give it to a mermaid.
“This won’t do.” Qi Hanyi maintained his usual cold demeanor and strode out of Su’s room.
The banquet was the day after tomorrow, and becoming human was only the first step. Normal activities like walking, sitting, dressing, and eating customs had to be taught. Plus, new dresses tailored for the occasion would have to be arranged—Qi Hanyi was pressed for time.
Fortunately, Su was quite clever. In just a day, he had learned to emulate the necessary behaviors pretty well.
However, the side effect of being hungry was a bit too severe; Su had eaten six meals throughout the day, which was about the equivalent of what fifty people would normally consume.
The night before the banquet, a gown customized according to Su’s body data was delivered. At the same time, Qi Hanyi also ordered the tailor to prepare a complete set of casual clothes for Su, suitable for all seasons. The majority were dresses, but there were also some convenient pants. Among them was one that was similar in style to the military uniform, adorned with a decorative badge on the chest.
But Su showed little interest in it, feeling it was not as cool as the one Qi Hanyi had on and lacked the pleasant scent.
The banquet was scheduled for the next evening.
In the afternoon, Su followed Qi Hanyi out of their residence and boarded a shuttle headed for the banquet.
This was Su’s first genuine entry into the human world.
Although a shuttle and a hovercraft sounded similar, they were completely different; a shuttle didn’t require tracks and relied entirely on smart networks to calculate routes and realize automatic driving.
The imperial city was the most prosperous place on land, with skyscrapers lining the skyline and highways crisscrossing, layered upon each other among the buildings. The shuttle used magnetic levitation to glide rapidly across bridges, with speeds reaching over a thousand kilometers per hour.
Su’s eyes sparkled with excitement, pressing against the car door, shouting like a little child.
“Wow, this is so fast! Are we flying in the sky?”
“Looking down from here, it looks like those human ruins from the sea.”
“These ruins were once like this! So beautiful.”
“We just flew past so many white birds below. Are they doves? This is the first time I’ve seen doves in real life!”
Qi Hanyi was surprised. Most of the mermaids he knew were delicate and timid. Even if they didn’t throw up due to motion sickness on their first ride, they typically turned pale from fear. It was the first time he had seen someone as excited as Su.
Could it be because sharks were extraordinary?
Even when getting off the vehicle, Su was reluctant, looking back over and over again, like a child in an amusement park who hadn’t played enough.
“Do you like it?” Su’s steps were nearly crawling at a centimeter per move, forcing Qi Hanyi to halt.
“Yeah!” Su nodded vigorously, his eyes sparkling with fragmented light.
The explicit anticipation in those eyes was too overwhelming for Qi Hanyi, causing him to divert his gaze: “Cooperate well tonight, and tomorrow I’ll let you enjoy yourself.”
“You’re the best, husband!” Su exclaimed excitedly, wrapping his arms around Qi Hanyi and rubbing his face against Qi Hanyi’s body.
Hey, seizing the chance for some intimate contact, he caught a whiff of that pleasant scent again.
“Ugh, no hugging, no embracing, and no shouting,” Qi Hanyi straightened his back, though his movements were slightly stiffened compared to usual.
“I know, I know, I’ll call your name.” Satisfied, Su released his hold and softly called into Qi Hanyi’s ear, “Qi—Hanyi.”
It felt like an electric current pierced through his ear, coursing through his blood, and sending shivers down to his heart.
Qi Hanyi awkwardly quickened his pace.
For the first time, he realized that sometimes saying a name could be more impactful than calling ‘husband.’