LSDWTWHA chapter 20

Chapter 20

“Uh, thank you!” When Su Su saw the food, his unhappiness was instantly eased. He smiled, his eyes curving up in delight, looking both obedient and sweet.

When he caught sight of the young man opposite him, Su Su’s attention briefly shifted from the food. He vaguely felt that the young man in front of him seemed familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before. However, Su Su’s memory was clear; he was certain that he had never encountered such a face.

After a brief moment of thought yielded no results, Su Su decisively abandoned the question and continued to eat heartily.

“How can you be this hungry? Qi Hanyi really doesn’t feed you?” The young man handing Su Su the food was Yan Bai. He rested his chin on one hand, lazily tilting his head as he watched Su Su wolf down the food.

“Uh.” Su Su, hearing Qi Hanyi’s name, choked slightly but recalled what the other had said, so he obediently replied, “Yes, he doesn’t care about my meals. The robots at home sometimes bring me a few fish, and sometimes they don’t.”

Yan Bai looked even happier upon hearing this, and casually served him a bowl of soup, “Slow down, don’t choke. No one is competing with you.”

The servants standing behind him were stunned. It was rare for the young master to treat anyone with this kind of kindness; usually, he didn’t even bully others. Was it possible that the young master was actually some kind of hidden face fanatic, only liking those who looked like him?

Su Su didn’t care who handed him the food; he accepted the soup and drank it all in one go, finally feeling a bit full. He wiped his mouth contentedly and gratefully said to Yan Bai, “You’re really a good person.”

“Poof—” Yan Bai had just taken a sip of tea, and at his words, he choked, revealing a playful smile, “I’m not a good person.”

“But you gave me food.” Su Su’s logic was simple and straightforward.

Yan Bai smiled, “A little food is just a few coins. If the Qi family doesn’t take care of you, you can come to the Yan family for maritime transport; I will take care of you. Eat as much as you want.”

The servants behind them were bewildered. What did the young master mean? Was he openly poaching Qi Hanyi’s territory?

Su Su felt somewhat tempted by the offer, but he remembered that the matter of mermaid marriage had yet to be resolved, so he shook his head, “I can’t leave just yet. Otherwise, the Qi family will blame the Mermaid Kingdom for the marriage issue.”

“That’s true. After all, you came here for a marriage alliance,” Yan Bai seemed to be speaking offhandedly.

At this moment, Zhang Lu was swaying as he walked towards the restroom. He had successfully retaliated against Qi Hanyi today, and feeling happy, he couldn’t help but drink a few more. The alcohol had already gone to his head.

He pushed open the restroom door, humming an off-key tune when suddenly he heard a voice from behind, “What, happy after getting revenge on Qi Hanyi?”

“Of course…” Zhang Lu responded casually on the intoxication of alcohol, turning around to confront Qi Yang, who stood before him. He paused for a moment, then relaxed, “I’m just stating the facts. Why are you here? Are you getting back at me for your cousin? Don’t pretend, you hate him too.”

He knew that several young members of the Qi family disliked Qi Hanyi; after all, he was too outstanding even without the protection of his parents, yet he firmly held the position of the Qi family’s heir.

Qi Yang did not respond to him, instead disdainfully cursing, “Idiot, you’re in big trouble.”

Zhang Lu squinted, “What big trouble? I’m perfectly fine. The one in trouble is Qi Hanyi; he’s going to face the family law tomorrow. Ha, it’s better to beat him to death.”

Zhang Lu laughed at his own words.

Qi Yang looked back and casually locked the door, shoving Zhang Lu against the wall, “Do you really think you’ve done something to Qi Hanyi? It’s just a mermaid. Even if you starve her for a few meals, if Qi Hanyi were to kill her, Grandpa wouldn’t care. Any punishment is just for show to others.”

“On the contrary, you dare use this matter to shame the Qi family, and even mention disrespecting the Emperor. Do you think my grandpa will let you off?”

Hearing Qi Yang’s words, Zhang Lu sobered up considerably; his complexion shifted from red to pale as his eyes darted, “My family has long-standing ties with the Mo family; they… they wouldn’t dare do anything to me.”

“The Mo family? You think the Mo family will help you?” Qi Yang laughed dismissively. “The Mo family is focused on business now. They just obtained the authorization for ‘Star Wars’ and are preparing to cooperate with the military. Now that you’ve offended the Qi family, it’s unlikely the Mo family would protect you; the possibility of severed ties is even higher. By then, if the Qi family and the Mo family both express their stance, who would dare to associate with your family? You might end up isolating the entire Zhang family from the noble circle, and at that point, your family’s decline will only be a matter of my grandpa’s word.”

“What should I do then?” Zhang Lu panicked, “I just wanted to teach Qi Hanyi a lesson; I didn’t mean to offend the entire Qi family. You’re just trying to scare me, right? It can’t be that serious, can it? The old master of the Qi family is an elder; there’s no way he would hold this against me for something so trivial…”

“Expecting the old master’s mercy? Do you know how he came to hold the position of Minister of National Defense?” Qi Yang remarked quietly, “Countless bones buried under one general’s success, the number of people he’s killed may even surpass the meals you’ve had.”

Zhang Lu’s face grew even paler.

Seeing that he had scared Zhang Lu enough, Qi Yang continued, “I can help you with this, but it depends on whether you have the guts to cooperate with me.”

Zhang Lu seemed to have found a lifeline, “How can you help me?”

“When Qi Hanyi shows up with that mermaid, your childhood friend from the Mo family will show great interest,” Qi Yang smiled darkly, “What do you think will happen if everyone sees him and Qi Hanyi’s mermaid rolling around in a bed together? Will the collaboration between the Qi and Mo families continue?”

“This… that can’t happen.” Zhang Lu thought for a moment and replied; after all, the nobles valued face.

Following this plan, Zhang Lu’s thoughts gradually flowed smoothly.

If they couldn’t cooperate, the Mo family wouldn’t target the Zhang family because of the Qi family’s stance; he and his family could still lean against the big tree that was the Mo family! The Qi family would have to tread carefully, leaving him safe for the time being.

But this would only be temporary, wouldn’t it?

What if this matter allowed the Qi family to find out? Wouldn’t he then face an even worse fate?

Zhang Lu hesitated, shrinking back.

“Listen to me, if you do it this way, no one will suspect you…” Qi Yang whispered, carefully explaining his plan.

The more Zhang Lu listened, the more he felt that this could work. His eyes gradually brightened. Yet he still had some hesitation, “You’re also a member of the Qi family; would you really be willing to help me?”

Qi Yang waved his hand, “I’ve disliked Qi Hanyi for quite some time. Seeing him fall would please me. Making him wear a green hat and suffer a big embarrassment, I’d love to see how he maintains his arrogant expression in front of us afterward.”

Zhang Lu nodded, seeming to settle his resolve. He pushed open the restroom door and strode out.

Qi Yang smirked, “You can come out now.”

Three figures in black appeared in the restroom compartment. Their movements were silent, as if they were just dark shadows.

“Fourth Young Master.” The leader spoke, his tone not particularly respectful.

“Shadow Leader,” Qi Yang politely addressed, “I’m counting on you to capture the mermaid; please don’t mess up elsewhere.”

“Fourth Young Master, don’t worry. We can handle one mermaid,” the Shadow Leader assessed Qi Yang and added, “However, does this plan really work against Qi Hanyi?”

“He suffers from severe mental force collapse; once we drive this mermaid away, finding another mermaid who can differentiate for him will not be easy. We’ll help delay it. Once Qi Hanyi falls ill again, he’s as good as dead,” Qi Yang confidently declared.

“The Crown Prince certainly didn’t misjudge you.” The Shadow Leader’s tone included a hint of admiration, “The Crown Prince said that once Qi Hanyi dies, he will surely ensure you become the Qi family’s heir.”

Hearing the promise he wanted, a genuine smile appeared on Qi Yang’s face, “Then I’ll thank His Royal Highness in advance.”

The Shadow Leader gestured to the two behind him, and the three slipped out through a vent in the ceiling, leaving silently.

Su Su, full and happy, was chatting with Yan Bai. Yan Bai had shared some interesting stories from maritime transport, and Su Su was listening intently.

Suddenly, a waiter tapped Su Su gently and whispered, “Miss Yi Qing, General Qi asks you to come over now; it seems to be urgent.”

“Where is he?” Su Su stood up.

The waiter pointed in a direction, “Please follow me.”

Su Su didn’t suspect anything and followed the waiter, but then stopped, turning to wave goodbye to Yan Bai, “You’re really interesting; let’s talk again next time.”

Yan Bai nodded slightly, allowing Su Su to leave with the waiter.

“That waiter’s bow tie is a bit askew; that’s not the kind of mistake a servant of the Mo family should make.” Yan Bai lifted his glass and swirled it, suddenly letting out a light laugh, “It seems someone can’t sit still.”

“What about us?” a servant behind him quietly asked.

Yan Bai raised his hand, leisurely uttering a single word: “Wait.”

Su Su followed the waiter to the fourth floor of the villa, where there was a long corridor lined with numerous rooms. He followed the waiter to the end of the hallway, where the waiter pushed open one of the doors, “General Qi is inside; please go in.”

However, Su Su hesitated. The room was unlit, and the sky had darkened; he couldn’t see anything inside, and his keen sense of smell didn’t detect Qi Hanyi’s scent.

He wanted to turn back to ask the waiter if they made a mistake when suddenly a strong force pushed him inside the room.

The door slammed shut behind him. An assailant followed in and abruptly attacked Su Su.

Su Su reacted quickly; he crouched down, evading the hand strike aimed at the back of his neck.

“Eh?” The attacker voiced his confusion, then said, “What are you waiting for? Come help!”

At that moment, two figures suddenly darted out from the shadows, flanking Su Su from both sides.

Su Su didn’t know how to fight using a human body; relying solely on his sharp instincts and brute force from his survival instincts, he dodged left and right.

The attackers seemed to have some reservations; they weren’t using full force, only attempting to subdue Su Su.

But Su Su refused to yield. Seizing the opportunity, he grabbed one person’s arm and bit down hard.

“Ah ah ah ah ah!” With a piercing scream, Su Su tore a chunk of flesh from the person.

The assailant was enraged, kicking Su Su hard in the chest, “Damn it, this girl is really strong. Leader, we can’t hold her down like this.”

“Got it, I’ll take care of it.” The speaker was the Shadow Leader, who had just pretended to be the waiter behind Su Su.

As the leader, he was indeed much stronger than the other two. Although he had underestimated Su Su on the first attack, when he became serious, Su Su was no match for him. The leader’s strikes were elusive, targeting Su Su’s joints.

Su Su struggled desperately, channeling the ferocity he had used in the ocean to seize prey. However, his elegant long dress was quickly torn apart, and his carefully styled hair became disheveled.

But he couldn’t hold out for long and was pinned down on the ground, his arms and legs aching with no strength left to fight back.

“Where’s the drug? Hurry and give it to him,” the Shadow Leader instructed, pressing Su Su down.

“I’m afraid he’ll bite me,” mumbled the subordinate who had just lost a chunk of flesh, still shaken.

“Don’t dawdle…”

Suddenly footsteps approached from outside, quickly reaching the door.

Su Su felt someone grabbing his chin, forcing something into his mouth, and then the three people holding him down released him and jumped out of the window.

The door burst open, and the light flooded in.

“Are you okay?” A concerned voice rang above Su Su.

“I should be fine. I just fought with them, and they captured me and forced a pill into me that I don’t know what it was. When I heard the footsteps, they all ran away,” Su Su struggled to look up and smiled, “Thanks for coming, Yan Bai.”

Su Su didn’t think much about the drug he had just swallowed. His digestive system was strong; now that he had turned into a human, it seemed he inherited that trait, and regular poisons wouldn’t affect him.

Yan Bai looked at Su Su’s disheveled appearance, paired with a face so similar to his own, and couldn’t help but feel a surge of discomfort, “Weren’t you supposed to be good at fighting? You couldn’t protect yourself for even a few minutes?”

Su Su blinked, “I just differentiated; I’m not used to it yet.”

He really wasn’t quite accustomed to moving in a human body; if it were in the ocean, using his shark body, he definitely wouldn’t have lost.

“Just differentiated? Can mermaid hybrids even differentiate?” Yan Bai seemed unable to contain himself, piercing through Su Su’s lie.

“What, what mermaid hybrid?” Su Su froze, at a loss for words, unsure where he had slipped up.

“My birth mother also has the surname Su. She was a very beautiful mermaid,” Yan Bai spoke without context, “When I was young, she told me she had a very rebellious sister who fell in love with a shark and ran away with him. Later, I heard she even gave birth to a mermaid hybrid shark.”

Su Su opened his mouth, unsure whether to confirm or deny.

Isn’t Yan Bai human?

Yan Bai leaned down, pinching Su Su’s chin with his thumb and forefinger, forcing him to meet his gaze, “I have no other siblings; you’re the only one who looks this much like me. Right, cousin?”

“I’m not…” Su Su didn’t know whether to deny his gender first or to deny being a mermaid hybrid shark. Yan Bai was a good person, but his shark identity was related to Yi Qing and the safety of the Mermaid Kingdom, and he didn’t dare to confess recklessly.

Unexpectedly, Yan Bai leaned in closer, whispering comforting words in his ear, “Don’t be afraid; I won’t betray you. Because, I’m also a mermaid.”

This completely shocked Su Su.

Yan Bai is also a mermaid? But didn’t everyone say he was the young master of the Yan family?

“I differentiated using a special drug and then altered some physical characteristics, which is why I don’t show any signs of being a mermaid normally,” Yan Bai picked Su Su up from the floor.

This room was a guest bedroom, and seeing that Su Su was injured, Yan Bai laid him down on the bed.

“Oh.” Su Su was still in shock from realizing he suddenly had a relative. He had never seen his parents, nor did he have any other family; suddenly gaining a cousin felt quite different.

“Your clothes are torn; you can’t go out like this. Wait a moment; I’ll have someone find you some clothes to change into,” Yan Bai comforted, patting Su Su’s shoulder.

“Oh.” Su Su remained dazed.

Yan Bai strode toward the door, raising his left hand. There was a ring-like personal terminal on his index finger, but it belonged to a human.

Skilled at using the terminal, Yan Bai’s fingers tapped a few times in the air, and a message was quietly sent without Su Su seeing: [Target has been successfully contacted.]

Sender: Mr. Bai.

Author’s Note:

No prize guessing; does anyone remember where Mr. Bai has appeared before?

The next chapter goes into the VIP section; there won’t be an update tomorrow at six o’clock, but a ten-thousand-word chapter will drop at midnight.

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