IBFV CHAPTER 68

It was night, and the moon was awash with light.

Luo Xunyu sat on the window sill, watching the boundless ocean outside the window. Bai Zhi hurried back after wrapping up matters and saw the slightly lonely silhouette of the silver-haired mermaid.

“Xunyu?”

He called: “I’m back.”

Hearing this, Luo Xunyu turned his head back: “Finishing dealing with it?”

Bai Zhi nodded: “I plan on sending you away tomorrow, Qu Lianqiang will cover you. I’ve also finished arranging your identity on land, here are the related documents.”

Bai Zhi reached out and handed him a file holder: “You are my distant relative who wants to find a job here. Once you’re on land, there will be people I’ve arranged to send you to my house. After a week, after this research project ends, I will return and see you.”

Yet Luo Xunyu didn’t take it: “This is your method?”

“This is a stopgap measure.” Bai Zhi hurriedly said: “I won’t let you live your whole life in fear! Let’s just hide it for now, I will quit this job, and then…

“Take you back to the ocean.”

“What did you say?” Hearing this, Luo Xunyu was startled.

“I won’t let you leave your homeland.” Bai Zhi said seriously.

Luo Xunyu turned his head embarrassedly, and his heart beat unconsciously quickened. This area of the ocean had long become unsafe, and he had long sensed it through the everyday changes.

Whether it was the beluga whales trapped in fishing nets and unable to move, or the wandering dolphins carrying their relatives’ corpses, he no longer saw those swarms of small fish, and it had been too long since he last heard his companions sing.

Translated by moss || mosstranslations.wordpress.com

He had thought of leaning, yet time and time again he couldn’t.

He painfully despised humans, yet he clearly knew that being caught by them was only a matter of time.

More and more human signs had appeared in this area of the ocean. Their technology kept pace with time, and he was long. Ultimately, he would grow old and tired one day, would become weaker and weaker.

He didn’t have any companions anymore.

Up until the day this person appeared in front of him.

It wasn’t that Luo Xunyu hadn’t met people who said they wanted to save him. Those well-equipped researchers had very kindly extended their hands towards him, yet upon discovering the existence of mermaid tears, they had instantly changed faces.

Mermaids had the ability to sense human emotions, so those researchers had all died.

Luo Xunyu remembered the bloody scene that day. His hand unconsciously clenched; he lowered his head, yet was suddenly hugged by someone.

Bai Zhi’s head rested on Luo Xunyu’s shoulder, his arms encircling him tightly: “I also have the ability to sense Xunyu’s emotions! Xunyu, are you unhappy?”

The voice that churned his emotions rang in his ear. That person even hugged him tighter without knowing it. Luo Xunyu couldn’t bear it:

“You are the first person to try and murder me by hugging.”

“I’m not!” Bai Zhi instantly loosened his arms, holding his cheeks with both hands: “I’m not, I just saw you were unhappy.”

“No way am I unhappy because of humans.” Luo Xunyu coughed, and said: “What time do I leave tomorrow?”

“You agreed!” Bai Zhi was overjoyed: “Then let’s leave tomorrow night! I already contacted people to wait for us on shore. Xunyu, you just need to hide in my room for one more night.”

Luo Xunyu en’d in reply, and after a moment, he spoke again: “You said you would take me back to the ocean…” His voice became smaller and smaller: “What did that mean?”

“It means what it sounds like.” Bai Zhi tilted his head: “Mermaids are born and grow up in the ocean. If in the future you can’t see the ocean, you’ll definitely miss home a lot.”

“How will you do it?” Luo Xunyu had several worries: “Even if you are able to do it, what about you? How will you survive in the ocean? Won’t you miss home?”

Luo Xunyu spoke faster and faster. Even he himself didn’t realize the emotions within his voice. He knew that Bai Zhi hadn’t lied to him, but he didn’t think that Bai Zhi was able to accomplish something on this scale.

Saving a mermaid already required paying a high price, it was already enough. Why did other considerations have to be taken into account? Luo Xunyu could sense that Bai Zhi liked him, but since Bai Zhi liked him, then why did he have to personally send him back to the ocean that was unfamiliar to humans? Just so that Luo Xunyu wouldn’t miss home? Luo Xunyu’s voice became loud:

“You fool, haven’t you thought of yourself? You want to separate from me–”

Bai Zhi’s eyes grew brighter and brighter. Luo Xunyu suddenly stopped his speech, and an uneasy feeling stained his heart. Sure enough, the next second, a certain little demon’s cheers rang in his ears:

“Xunyu! The future you envisioned has me!” Bai Zhi grinned from ear to ear: “Tell me quickly, do you already like me!”

“Not at all!” Bai Zhi shook his head like a rattle: “I already knew, your personality is just as the book said – what your words don’t say, your body will.”

Luo Xunyu saw that he couldn’t convince him, so he directly turned his head away angrily and stopped looking at Bai Zhi.

Only now did Bai Zhi panic, he hurriedly went over and hugged the mermaid, tugging his arms back and forth: “Are you going to ignore me, look at me….”

Luo Xunyu was talked at for half a day. He finally couldn’t bear it anymore, he turned back and knocked this dumb demon on the head:

“Who’s ignoring you! Let go of my arm!”

“Wuwuwu stinky mermaid is hitting me!” Bai Zhi covered his head pitifully.

“I– didn’t I just lightly knock it? It hurt you?” Luo Xunyu saw Bai Zhi’s almost crying expression and was somewhat panicked: “Let me see.”

“No!” Bai Zhi pouted as if he were wronged: “You even hit me, and I like you so much…”

“I was wrong, I was wrong.” Luo Xunyu gentled his voice: “Let me see if you got injured?”

“If I’m injured, will you feel sorry for me?” Bai Zhi was suddenly serious.

Luo Xunyu’s heart tightened: “I will.”

“But I wasn’t injured.” Bai Zhi suddenly revealed his head that was covered by his hands: “I just wanted you to feel sorry for me.”

“You—”

The room was noisy and loud, yet it was especially quiet outside. Qu Lianqiang was somewhat irritated from the recent events, so he simply came out for some fresh air. He hadn’t even enjoyed it for a while before he heard hurried footsteps; he looked back, but the noise had already disappeared around a corner.

“Strange, this late at night, who would wander around instead of sleeping?”

After thinking for a while, he couldn’t come up with an answer. Qu Lianqiang didn’t want to go looking for trouble, so after stretching lazily, he walked towards his room:

“I should rest earlier, tomorrow will be busy as well.”

Translated by moss | mosstranslations(.)wordpress(.)com

A few hours later, light from sunrise shone on the ship. Bai Zhi finished washing up, pretended to check the progress of research, and then started directing students according to the original owner’s memories. Making arrangements and dealing with matters kept him busy until noon. Only then did he rest for a while.

“Qu Lianqiang will help us cover for a while. Once the sky darkens, plan to set off.” Bai Zhi pulled out a folded wheelchair from who knows where: “Try the mount you’ll be using in a bit?”

Luo Xunyu furrowed his brow: “I don’t need to sit in this, I can walk.”

“For mermaids, walking on legs they conjure is like walking on knives.” Bai Zhi said: “You must sit! I already finished writing your character, a sickly ill-behaved youth with a tragic past, what do you think?”

“I’m not that weak.” Luo Xunyu disagreed.

“Luo Xunyu, if you listen to me obediently, I’ll kiss you.” Bai Zhi tilted his head up.

“You’re treating me like a child?”

“Okay.” Bai Zhi was very disheartened by the rejection. He simply sat on the wheelchair himself: “I get it, you’re just annoyed by my kisses, you just think I’m annoying. Then after the task this time is over, after taking you to a safe area of the ocean, I’ll just obediently stay far away from you, won’t annoy you anymore.”

“That’s not what I meant!” Luo Xunyu panicked, he instantly picked Bai Zhi up and sat on the wheelchair himself: “I’m good!”

“Luo Xunyu, you are so good to me!” Bai Zhi was so happy, he kissed him: “You are the best-behaved mermaid in the whole world!”

“Don’t talk to me using those words used to coax children.” Luo Xunyu felt uncomfortable all over. The place kissed by Bai Zhi just now was hot, and he felt somewhat restless: “Is there anything else that needs to be done just tell me everything.”

“Yes.” Bai Zhi moved a stool and sat in front of him, his tone serious: “Look at me a few more times while you still have the chance. After this, you won’t be able to see the me that you like for seven whole days.”

Being stared at this directly by someone, Luo Xunyu felt his face heat up. He took a deep breath and was about to say something to change the subject when he heard the innocent question of a little demon:

“Luo Xunyu, why aren’t you looking at me?”

Luo Xunyu lowered his head and didn’t say anything.

After a while, Bai Zhi spoke again, his voice carrying an obvious desolation: “If you don’t look at me, at least let me look at you. Being apart for this long, you won’t miss me, but I will miss you.”

“Who said I won’t miss you?” Luo Xunyu looked up: “I just…”

Bai Zhi’s eyes instantly brightened: “Just what!”

Luo Xunyu looked at the little demon whose eyes were full of expectation, and finally couldn’t help saying the truth: “I just feel that if I keep looking, I really will go back on the words I said before.”

“What words!”

“I won’t like you.”

Luo Xunyu paused: “Human, it seems like you can affect my emotions.”

Bai Zhi was instantly excited: “You finally acknowledged you like me! Hurry and say it! You already like me!”

“I–”

A series of sudden knocks interrupted Luo Xunyu’s words. Qu Lianqiang entered like a cat: “Teacher! It’s exactly seven o’clock, isn’t my timing good?”

The little demon who was disturbed silently clenched his fist: “Your timing really is too good.”

“That’s to be expected of a student.” Qu Lianqiang flicked his hair confidently: “Teacher, the person picking up your wife is already waiting, I have also sent the other students away.”

“Good.” Bai Zhi stood up, both hands resting on the wheelchair: “Let’s go.”

Bai Zhi walked very quickly, and before long, they arrived at the agreed place. Qu Lianqiang took over Bai Zhi’s position and entered the ship’s warehouse pushing Luo Xunyu:

“Teacher, don’t worry, I will definitely send him back to shore safely.”

“You’ve worked hard.” Bai Zhi patted his shoulder, and then looked at Luo Xunyu again: “Xunyu, once you arrive on shore, go home. Since your health isn’t good, don’t run around everywhere. You must wait for me to return.”

“I understand.” Luo Xunyu nodded, and was pushed inside directly. The door closed. Bai Zhi suddenly had several worries in his heart.

He stepped forward, and saw Luo Xunyu smile at him through the glass. His mouth opened, and from the shape of his lips he could clearly read:

Translated by moss || mosstranslations.wordpress.com

“I will wait for you.”