Long Shiyu questioned, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Shen Zhaomu showed him the wanted photo, “…Isn’t this you?”
Long Shiyu scrutinized it, “What’s this? I can’t even tell.”
Shen Zhaomu pointed out the details, “Look. This is your eye, this is your nose, this is your jaw. And though blurry, you can see this red and green object is a slice of watermelon—a slice you’re holding in your mouth.”
Long Shiyu, puzzled, examined it further. “What are you talking about? I can’t see it at all.”
“How can you not? It looks so much like you.”
Long Shiyu swished his tail in annoyance, “How dare you slander me like this.”
“Think hard,” Shen Zhaomu urged, “Didn’t you come here, eat everything in a warehouse, then fall asleep? Only to run when discovered. Let’s see the address…” He pulled up the details, “Warehouse No. 12, over in the southeastern islands.”
Long Shiyu: “…”
Long Shiyu: “Ah.”
Suddenly, Shen Zhaomu grabbed Long Shiyu by his horn, shaking it vigorously. As his head bobbed, Long Shiyu cried out, “Stop shaking! I admit it, I admit it… I was just so hungry.”
Releasing his grip, Shen Zhaomu remarked, “Being so hungry that you eat up someone’s entire warehouse isn’t just ‘hungry’.”
He pointed at the photo, “What’s your plan? It’s a Grade-A warrant. The bounty’s decreased over time since they aren’t sure if you’re alive or dead, but it’s still worth tens of thousands. Should I turn you in for the reward?”
Long Shiyu: “Sob.” QAQ
Long Shiyu whimpered, going into full puppy mode, winding his tail around Shen Zhaomu’s ankle and rubbing affectionately.
Shen Zhaomu mused, “You used to be more refined, even slicing the watermelon before eating. What changed after you met me?”
“It wasn’t me who sliced it,” Long Shiyu explained, “I grabbed it from a stall while on the run.”
Shen Zhaomu: “…”
“Ah! Don’t shake me, don’t shake me!”
Eventually, Long Shiyu cocooned himself in the blanket, hiding his dragon horns, revealing only his cautious eyes, “You won’t tell anyone, right? I might not have any money to compensate them, but I did fend off some monsters that were planning to attack.”
Shen Zhaomu snorted.
“Do I still get a bedtime story tonight?”
“No.”
“Sob.”
“…”
“Sob.”
In the end, Long Shiyu got his way, sitting contentedly next to his princess, awaiting his bedtime tale.
His happiness was built upon Shen Zhaomu’s misery.
After a long pause, Shen Zhaomu finally said, “There are no more stories. I’ll recite an old Earth nursery rhyme for you. It was popular back then.”
“Sounds great.”
Clearing his throat, Shen Zhaomu began, “Let me think… One princess, one mouth, two eyes, four legs. Splash! She jumps into the water. Two princesses, two mouths, four eyes, eight legs. Splash! They jump into the water… Hey, why are you making that face?”
Long Shiyu hesitantly asked, “A princess… with four legs? And sh-she jumped into the water with a splash?” QAQAQAQ.
He was so terrified that he tightly bit down on the tip of his tail.
Seeing that tears were about to form in the dragon’s eyes once more, Shen Zhaomu quickly said, “Wait… just wait a moment.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Qtlif agslcu ab mbwobga Obcu Vtlse, tf yfugevulcuis yfujc jc bcilcf rfjgmt: “Qtja yfvalwf rabglfr vb vgjubcr ilxf?”
Efjilhlcu atf jyregvlas bo tlr rfjgmt, tf atfc mtjcufv la ab “qglcmfrr rabglfr.”
Ktlr alwf, atf gfreiar kfgf wbgf ab tlr ilxlcu: Viffqlcu Dfjeas, Dfjeas jcv atf Dfjra, Ofaaemf Uglcmfrr, jcv Jlcvfgfiij. Lf tegglfvis mtbrf akb ab gfjv bea ibev — jiatbeut tlr abcf rbecvfv ifrr ilxf tf kjr afiilcu ojlgs ajifr jcv wbgf ilxf tf kjr gfqbgalcu bc atf mtjccfi “Ofuji Rfkr Ycilcf.”
However, Long Shiyu didn’t notice the difference. Wrapping himself in a blanket, he finally settled down to listen to the stories. Eventually, with a gentle sway of his tail, he drifted off to sleep.
Shen Zhaomu let out a sigh of relief.
Quietly, he turned off the light. The room was silent, save for the distant sound of waves outside and the faint glow of colorful stars filtering through the curtain. The Damocles Bridge loomed silently amidst the clouds.
Shen Zhaomu closed his eyes.
In his dream, lizard-men with four legs danced around a bonfire with a variety of princesses, holding hands, with smiles on their faces, all the while sobbing and whining cutely.
Shen Zhaomu woke up, feeling emotionally unstable.
He glanced over at the peacefully sleeping Long Shiyu, then closed his eyes once more.
A four-legged lizard man and the princesses appeared again.
He opened his eyes again, then shut them.
This time, he dreamt of Long Shiyu, who was wildly running with a watermelon. His face was blurry, reminiscent of a photograph, and he kept swaying it in front of Shen Zhaomu.
For the third time, Shen Zhaomu opened his eyes.
In the dark, he pondered silently for a few seconds before sitting up to search online: “What to do about recurrent nightmares?”
The next day, Long Shiyu woke up early.
It was rare for Shen Zhaomu to not wake up before him. Long Shiyu tiptoed out of bed and pulled back the curtain slightly.
Outside, the sky was a soft shade of lavender.
Every day, the sky of Bei’en changed colors due to the amount of stardust in the clouds. The romantic and fantastical view made it a popular location for wedding photos and honeymoons. However, since the fall of the Bei’en Dynasty, things had taken a turn for the worse. The new princess, Catherine, was well-liked, but the economic situation was declining. Despite the presence of many interstellar police, the security wasn’t great, and tourists mostly stayed near the main city and old castle.
Sightings of the exotic creature known as a siren originated from this location.
Hearing a noise behind him, Long Shiyu turned to see Shen Zhaomu, who looked exhausted, gazing at him with a complicated expression.
Long Shiyu was taken aback. “Are you sick?”
“No,” Shen Zhaomu replied in a muted tone, “I’m fine, very fine.”
Still concerned, Long Shiyu’s worries were assuaged only after Shen Zhaomu freshened up with some cold water and seemed to regain his energy.
Shen Zhaomu informed him, “Today, we might be splitting up to explore different parts of the city or even different islands.”
“Oh.”
At the outpost center, Song Qianqian and Li Jianchun were already prepared to head to the northern part of the main island. Yang Zhiming and Fang Qing had packed their gear to head south.
Only Lu Shanhuai was left, complaining, “Why do you always pair me up with Shen Zhaomu’s death trap of a vehicle?”
Shen Zhaomu laughed, “Don’t you want to experience the thrill of speed?”
“Not really…” Lu Shanhuai sighed. “Only sis-in-law can handle your driving. It’s terrifying.”
After breakfast, the three of them set off towards the western part of Bei’en’s main island.
The streets became busier as they neared the city center, lined with shops selling souvenirs and local delicacies. Tall Bei’en natives, taller than average humans, called out their wares. The shimmering fabrics which resembled the night sky and the jewelry inspired by marine life, were particularly noteworthy.
As they wandered through the city, the salty scent of the sea filled the air.
Turning into an old winding alley, they came across moss-covered walls and ancient doors that would never open again. Many Bei’en natives had chosen to leave for other planets after the decline of their homeland.
At the end of the alleyway, the imposing silhouette of a massive bridge loomed through the clouds.
In the distance, they could make out the ruins of the former Bei’en royal castle.
After an hour or two of meandering, they finally saw it in its full glory.
The castle stood on the edge of a cliff. The precipice appeared as if it had been abruptly sheared by a sharp blade, and below it lay the menacing rocks and tumultuous waves.
Dark green vines enveloped the outer walls, their leaves swaying in the biting wind, layer upon layer, interweaving to form what looked like a cage or perhaps a seal, proclaiming just how long this place had been isolated from the sea.
Beyond the castle’s perimeter stood various watchtowers, residences, and towering walls, all colored in a blend of deep blue and dark grey. Many were exceptionally weathered, having been designed for the sea, and a good number had collapsed after losing their buoyancy over the years. Plants had sprouted between the shattered tiles and metal.
It was all so ancient, and no matter how closely one examined the continuous ruins, it was hard to imagine its past splendor.
Beyond the highest central watchtower, one could see the distant white icebergs. The scene there was much livelier. Ships of various colors sailed slowly. Some people stood at the bow of their boats cheering for the whales, with the tails of their scarves fluttering in the wind. Meanwhile, the icebreaker “Yelmark” had just shattered a massive floe. The broken ice bobbed with the tides and soon disappeared from view, just like that once grand dynasty.
With nothing better to do, Lu Shanhuai began recounting the history of Bei’en to Long Shiyu, “When the Bei’en dynasty still existed, the sea waters here would often submerge all the land. The castle we’re heading to is built at the planet’s highest point, but it would still be submerged by the tides for seven or eight months of the year.”
“Why isn’t it anymore?” Long Shiyu asked.
“Well, the energy source here was always fragile,” Lu Shanhuai cleared his throat. “A great battle once took place here. Some dragon fought another exotic creature, and in the process, they damaged one of the two sacred relics of the palace in Bei’en, the Sea-Blue Gem. Their identities remain unknown, but ever since then, this planet’s water levels have started to decrease and the humidity changed. But since the ocean covers such a vast area here, it didn’t affect the people of Bei’en much.”
Long Shiyu remarked, “That Sea-Blue Gem… it’s deep blue all over, containing the tides inside, right?”
“Yes, exactly! You know about it?”
Long Shiyu: “…”
So that’s why that casually-thrown gem had been so painful when it hit him in the head back then. Initially, he had started the fight with another exotic creature to compensate for the warehouse incident, but it had inadvertently led to this consequence. He guiltily twiddled his fingers.
The seashore was just a short distance away.
The sound of the waves resounded, the water occasionally tinted by colors dripping from the sky.
By the shore stood a black stone monument, about half a person’s height, deeply engraved with: “In memory of our most graceful voice – Karen Heknar.”
Everyone knew the story of Karen Heknar.
Legend has it that many years ago, the people of Bei’en couldn’t freely walk on land with two feet or breathe at will. One day, when the tide receded, the playful Princess Karen was left stranded on the shore.
Coincidentally, that night was a full moon. A poet from another planet, in search of inspiration, happened to take a midnight stroll by the beach and serendipitously saved the princess.
And so, the princess fell in love with this otherworldly traveler. She sought out a dragon, who gave her an alchemical potion. Bearing immense pain, she transformed her fish tail into human legs and danced with her beloved. However, the side effects of the potion lingered, and years later, as the tide receded under a dazzling dawn, she turned into foam.
This tragic love story touched the Sea God, and the people of Bei’en were then blessed with wind, light, and the solid earth.
Seeing Long Shiyu gaze at the monument, Shen Zhaomu remarked, “Legends are just that, legends. There’s no Sea God, and the people of Bei’en couldn’t have just suddenly come ashore overnight. But Karen Heknar was real, and she had a beautiful voice.”
But Long Shiyu excitedly pointed at the monument, saying, “It’s the princess with a beautiful singing voice! And she’s not the four-legged one you mentioned.”
Lu Shanhuai was baffled, “Huh? What four-legged princess?”
Shen Zhaomu: “…”
Sighing, he hurriedly pulled Long Shiyu away.
The coastline of Bei’en’s main island was extensive. They later rented a car and drove along the coastal road.
After some persuasion bordering on life threats, Lu Shanhuai finally got to drive.
Long Shiyu and Shen Zhaomu were in the back seat. The car, as battered as Orca’s, jolted as it moved. All the windows were down, and the cold wind rushed in. Long Shiyu, curious, poked his head out to look around, his black hair tousled by the wind.
Shen Zhaomu pulled him back, “What are you doing? The wind’s so strong outside.”
“It feels nice,” Long Shiyu said, sticking his head out again.
“I agree with that,” Lu Shanhuai chimed in from the front, “I wish I could do the same.”
“If you stick your head out, tomorrow’s headlines will be about our car crash,” Shen Zhaomu retorted, then pulling Long Shiyu back again, “Be careful, or you’ll catch a cold.”
Long Shiyu obediently sat back for a while.
Though that only lasted a moment. Five minutes later, he stuck his head out again.
Shen Zhaomu: “…”
He pulled Long Shiyu back.
Long Shiyu leaned out again, looking especially delighted in the wind.
At this moment, Shen Zhaomu felt this action was familiar. This feeling was exactly like what he’d felt yesterday. It was an uncomfortable feeling of being stuck in the middle.
He really wanted to understand where this feeling stemmed from.
But soon he did.
Another car approached them head-on. A few of its windows were open, and a big golden retriever stuck its head out, grinning stupidly with its tongue fluttering in the wind.
Shen Zhaomu: “…”
He seemed to have discovered a universal hobby among non-human creatures.
After driving for more than half an hour, they arrived at a seaside market. It was almost noon. Lu Shanhuai parked the car: “Shall we have lunch here?”
“Mm.”
As they walked towards a small roadside restaurant, there were many delicate trinkets along the way. Shen Zhaomu stopped at a stall and bought a soft ash-red scarf. He then waved at Long Shiyu: “Come here.”
The young man approached, a hint of the cold from the wind still clinging to him.
Shen Zhaomu wrapped the scarf around his neck twice.
A few stray strands of hair fell on his forehead, and his black hair was slightly messy. His cheeks must’ve been cold after being exposed to the wind. Shen Zhaomu adjusted the scarf a bit higher, leaving only a pair of beautiful eyes visible.
A scarfed dragon was thus born.
Long Shiyu said, “It’s so warm.” His voice was slightly muffled because of the scarf. In the backlight, the fluffy edges of the scarf became distinct, making his skin look particularly pale. He smiled, his eyes curving up.
“Let’s go, time to eat,” Shen Zhaomu smiled too.
“Do they serve fish here?”
“They only serve fish here.”
“Oh.”
Behind them, in the distance, massive icebergs loomed, with several chunks of floating ice drifting slowly.
From the deep parts of the glaciers, a melodious song echoed.
Ethereal and mesmerizing, as if it came from a fairyland.
The song evoked images of the ocean shimmering under the moonlight, beautiful seashells, gentle reefs and lighthouses, and the sparkling scales of mermaids.
A girl singing sat atop the glacier, her long dress billowing, and her necklace colored the blue of the sea.
By the time another layer of mist sprinkled with stardust drifted past and the Yelmark’s horn sounded in the distance, she was nowhere to be seen.
The author has something to say:
One cutesy sob a day: (3/1)
Today’s chapter features Brother Shen’s battle with the nightmarish nursery rhyme, and the scarfed dragon who is determined to stick his head out of the car window despite not knowing why he wants to do so
Even though Shen Zhaomu has now realized there is something suspicious about his dragon he still missed a bunch of hints this chapter that should have set off alarm bells. Too busy falling in love I guess.
Thanks for th chapter!
Thank you for the chapter! ❤
Thank you so much for the chapter
Hahaha I guess he should just be glad Long Shiyu doesn’t lick the windows 😆. He shouldn’t be surprised about the resemblance though – who’s the one who’s always petting Long Shiyu on the head?