Winner Takes All

Chapter 102 – Sea Monster (Extra 8, Chapter 2) 

Title: 谁把谁当真 (Winner Takes All)

Author：水千丞 (ShuiQianCheng)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists ：黎朔 (Li Shuo), 赵锦辛 (Zhao Jinxin)

*Please read at knoxt.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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Faced with such a spectacle, Li Shuo forgot to breathe—in fact, he really couldn’t breathe—When he came to his senses, he couldn’t hold his breath anymore for staying underwater for too long. The sea water poured into his nose and he struggled to swim up in embarrassment.

As soon as the merman flicked his tail, he gracefully swam to his side. The lingering and silky golden long curly hair fluttered with the water waves. It was like flowing golden sand. He spread his slender and vigorous arms as he hugged Li Shuo into his broad chest. The muscles were row upon row. They were looking firm and powerful. Li Shuo could feel his vigorous strength almost instantly.

In the next moment, Li Shuo was resurfaced. He breathed in the moist air greedily, until the dizziness in his head was relieved. Then, he tremblingly and nervously looked at the nearby dazzling face in front of him with a trace of fear.

“You…” Li Shuo stammered, “I…”

The merman stared at Li Shuo intently. His eyes were full of innocent curiosity. He blinked occasionally, but he refused to look away.

“Your Excellency… Do you understand what I’m saying?” Judging from his body shape, this is a merman. He has never hugged a man like this before. It is really awkward. He secretly wants to break free.

But the merman was hugging him tightly. He even stretched out a hand to touch his dark, wet hair. He then traced Li Shuo’s facial features with his fingertips along the hair. It was as if he came across some novel thing and couldn’t put it down.

Li Shuo hadn’t recovered from the shock and was at a loss for a moment. He even suspected that he had actually died in a shipwreck and what happened right now was just a fantasy world after death.

The merman approached his face again. He pressed his nose against Li Shuo’s skin vaguely, sniffing something lightly. His long wet hair wrapped around Li Shuo’s shoulders, like a net with magic power, making Li Shuo unable to move.

The merman seemed to be happy. He held onto Li Shuo’s waist and circled around the water. The colourful fish tail reflected the dazzling brilliance at the bottom of the water. Li Shuo was dizzy from being spinned by him. He could only pat him on the shoulder and said: “I…I want to go ashore. Please take me to the shore.”

The merman stopped moving. He grabbed Li Shuo’s thin waist and lifted him up to let him sit on the bank.

Li Shuo said: “Your Excellency can understand me.”

The merman folded his forearm on Li Shuo’s thigh and tilted his head slightly. He looked up at Li Shuo, showing a pure and charming smile.

Li Shuo stared at him blankly. His heart was throbbing. He was at a loss for a moment as he smoothed the wet hair that fell on his forehead with his hands. He then said hesitantly: “I…my name is Li Shuo. Shuo as in the character for the new moon. It’s Li Shuo.”

The merman opened his mouth and said with some difficulty: “Li… Shuo…”

Li Shuo’s eyes widened in surprise: “You…you can talk.”

The merman blinked his innocent eyes and murmured repeatedly: “Li…Shuo…”

“Yes, it’s Li Shuo. What about you? What’s your name?”

The merman suddenly turned around and jumped into the water. With a flick of his long tail, he disappeared.

“Hey…” Li Shuo couldn’t hold back. He stared blankly at the calm water surface, unable to hide his disappointment. He began to suspect that what he saw just now was just an illusion.

But soon, there were circles of undercurrents in the clear water and then a magnificent figure flashed past. The merman resurfaced in the water. This time, he held a whitebait fish in his mouth that was still shaking its body. He looked at Li Shuo expectantly.

“…”

The merman came over and pushed the fish towards Li Shuo.

“Li Shuo.” The merman looked at him with sparkling eyes.

“Ah. Thank you…” The fish was too slippery. It quickly jumped out of Li Shuo’s hands and jumped back into the water with a plop.

The merman turned around and was about to go into the water again. But Li Shuo grabbed him quickly. With sharp eyes, he said: “No need. I’m not hungry now.”

The merman blinked: “Li Shuo.”

Li Shuo was a little disappointed: “You can only call my name. What about your name? What should I call you?”

A series of graceful syllables came out of the merman’s mouth. But Li Shuo couldn’t understand. So he could only pick out syllables similar to his own language, “Your name is too long. I call you…I call you Jin… Xin…… Is that okay? Jinxin.”

The merman whispered: “Jinxin. Li Shuo.”

Li Shuo smiled and said, “Hello, Jinxin.”

Jinxin seemed very happy. He put his arms around Li Shuo’s waist and his huge tail swayed in the water.

“You…have you always lived there? Under the sea?”

Jinxin shook his head but then nodded.

“Lambert is a kingdom of the sea. Since we were children, we grew up listening to the legend of the merpeople.” Li Shuo smiled softly, “I never thought that one day I would really see a merman…”

Jinxin was still staring at him intently.

“Did you save me?” Li Shuo suddenly remembered something, “What happened to my ship? Are my sailors still alive?”

Jinxin shook his head.

Although he had expected it, Li Shuo still couldn’t hide his disappointment and sadness. He said softly, “Thank you for saving me.”

Jinxin stretched out her hand and stroked Li Shuo’s fair, handsome face. He comforted him silently.

Li Shuo gently grabbed his hand: “Thank you.”

Jinxin showed him an innocent smile again: “Li Shuo.”

Li Shuo asked again: “Where is this place? Which area of the sea is this? Is it far from Lambert?”

Jinxin just looked at him and didn’t say anything.

Li Shuo sighed: “I’m a little thirsty. Do you still have fresh water?”

Jinxin paused. He then suddenly supported the bank with both hands. Half of his body floated up to the surface of the water and he kissed Li Shuo’s lips without warning.

When the soft and moist lips were pressed against Li Shuo’s, Li Shuo’s eyes widened in surprise. He was about to push Jinxin away but he was pushed to the ground by Jinxin.

Jinxin is very strong. The gap between the two of them is definitely not that between individuals. But it was between species. He kissed him deeply and full of focus. Li Shuo felt a trace of cool and sweet fresh water flowing into his throat.

Li Shuo’s scalp went numb for a while and he struggled violently. Finally, Jinxin felt his resistance and he was pushed into the water.

After Jinxin fell into the water, he swam to the other side in an instant. He cowered with his shoulders raised slightly. He looked at Li Shuo with aggrieved and puzzled eyes.

“What are you doing?!” Li Shuo shouted, “Humans… don’t do this!”

Jinxin looked at Li Shuo without blinking. His blue eyes were moist. It was as if he was about to cry. He looked very pitiful.

Li Shuo stared at him blankly. He thought to himself that, after all…Jinxin is not a human being. He recalled the water that flowed into his mouth and hesitated: “Are you feeding me water?”

Jinxin pushed back his long hair around his ear. The pointed ear was connected to a row of slightly flapping gills behind it.

Li Shuo guessed that the body of a merman might be able to filter seawater. He immediately felt guilty: “I’m sorry.”

Jinxin pursed his lips and looked at him.

Li Shuo stood up and walked around to Jinxin from the bank. He sat down again. He then said sincerely and apologetically, “I’m sorry.”

Jinxin propped up his body again and leaned closer to Li Shuo’s face. He looked at Li Shuo’s soft and bright red lips quietly.

Li Shuo was nailed to the spot in embarrassment. He could neither hide nor face him. But he suddenly remembered the shell. He pointed to the shell and said: “Maybe, you can… um…”

Jinxin blocked his lips again. He kissed him tenderly and passionately. He sucked Li Shuo’s lips and wrapped the tip of his tongue around Li Shuo’s tongue. Just when Li Shuo couldn’t bear such intimacy, he released sweet fresh water into his mouth.

Li Shuo knew that this was very awkward. But he couldn’t refuse it. To him, as a human, this was a kiss. But to the merman, it was just a feeding. His refusal might seem to be unreasonable. He couldn’t forget Jinxin’s aggrieved eyes.

But it was still a kiss.

Such a gentle kiss… Li Shuo recalled the vague memory when he fell into the sea. So, it turned out to be true…

While enjoying the refreshment of fresh water moistening his throat, he couldn’t restrain his heartbeat beating loudly from this kiss. He didn’t know what was wrong with him. The one who kissed him was not a princess, a daughter or a girl of his own background. This is a man and he’s not even human!

The two kissed lingeringly for a long time until Li Shuo’s brain was dizzy and he was out of breath. He had drunk enough water. Only then that they reluctantly parted.

Their eyes met. Li Shuo’s bright eyes were twinkling and it was hard to hide his guilty conscience. But Jinxin’s eyes were smiling while his gorgeous tail was swaying happily in the water.

“Thank you…” Li Shuo was a little embarrassed.

Jinxin buried his face in Li Shuo’s arms and rubbed against his chest affectionately.

Li Shuo couldn’t help but raise the corner of his mouth: “Are all merpeople like you? Do you have a family?”

Jinxin nodded.

“Where is your home? Under the sea?”

Jinxin nodded again.

“Then, you…have you ever seen land?”

Jinxin raised his face and looked at Li Shuo blankly.

“I can’t stay here forever. Since I’m alive, I have to find a way to go back home. Do you know where the land is?” Li Shuo gestured with his hands. But he didn’t know how to describe ‘land’ to him.

Jinxin shook his head.

Li Shuo sighed. He looked at the misty sea outside the cave. He felt full of despair and powerlessness.

The sun went down quickly and it was getting colder in the cave. There was nothing there to light a fire. Li Shuo’s clothes were torn and still wet. When the sea breeze blew, he shivered.

Jinxin sat on the bank, only the tip of his tail was submerged in the water. He hugged Li Shuo into his arms, trying to warm him with his body temperature. But his body temperature was lower than that of humans so the effect was not that good. Fortunately, it is summer now. So it was barely tolerable.

Li Shuo curled up in Jinxin’s arms and seemed to be talking to himself: “I went to the sea to fight against pirates. They are a bunch of bastards who do all kinds of evil. Even if I die, I want to defeat them. I will not let the expectations of the people from Lambert Kingdom down.”

Jinxin’s fingertips ran through Li Shuo’s short black hair. He was stroking it gently.

“What about you? Why did you come here? Maybe you were just wandering around and you saved me.”

“Li Shuo.” Jinxin said softly.

“I have heard many legends about merpeople. But the legends are not even one-tenth of the truth.” Li Shuo smiled, “Your tail is so beautiful. It seems to gather all the colours in the world. It is more dazzling than any gem.”

Jinxin took Li Shuo’s hand and put it on his scales.

The scales are cool, smooth, and it felt amazing to the touch.

“Your hair is beautiful too. It is the purest blond hair I’ve ever seen.”

Jinxin rubbed Li Shuo’s cheek.

“And your eyes. I used to think that Lambert’s seawater had the most perfect blue in the world. But the most perfect blue is clearly your eyes.” Li Shuo quietly stared at Jinxin’s eyes. The bright moonlight was reflected in those eyes. They are extremely beautiful.

Jinxin’s chest heaved violently a few times. He then lowered his head and kissed Li Shuo’s lips again.

A flash of surprise flashed in Li Shuo’s eyes. He hesitated for a moment and missed the chance to make the most suitable judgement for this action. He just hesitantly accepted the kiss.

It was a soft kiss.

When the two separated, Li Shuo whispered, “You didn’t feed me water this time.”

Jinxin looked at him quietly.

“Does doing this have any meaning to you other than for feeding?”

Jinxin still didn’t speak.

Li Shuo sighed softly. He then smiled slightly: “Forget it. You don’t get me anyway… I’m sleepy. Let’s go to sleep.” He closed his eyes, forcing himself to put all distracting thoughts out of his mind.

Those distracting thoughts that shouldn’t be there lingered.

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*Translator’s Note: It’s so cute picturing Jinxin like that. Lol. -K

Fanart from Weibo

Next update: 2023.07.14

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