Chapter 61

When Wen Yu came down to the first floor, Dr. Mu Rin and the people he had brought were already gone.

Rose and Carl were crouched beside the pool, debating whether they should drain the water and clean it while they were at it.

Thanks to Rose and Carl holding down the fort, Mu Rin's group had only dared to collect the murloc's corpse before hurrying away. Staying a second longer would have meant even more awkwardness.

"Boss?"

Carl was the first to notice Wen Yu's arrival. He looked up, saw that Wen Yu had come alone, and was visibly disappointed that Lansi wasn't with him.

"Where's Lansi?" he asked.

Carl had been looking after Lansi for quite a while now. Seeing him grow legs felt like watching a child take his first steps. Naturally, he wanted to talk with him properly.

Wen Yu glanced at Carl with a strange expression before answering, "He's sleeping."

"Oh."

Carl responded flatly, then added, "So, Boss, now that everything's settled for today… what are we going to do next?"

Hearing this, Rose turned her head to look at Wen Yu seriously. Things had indeed gotten complicated.

First, Lansi had successfully disguised himself as a human.

Second, Dr. Mu Rin had insisted on investigating further, completely disregarding Wen Yu's authority. That move practically meant the two were now in open opposition.

Wen Yu didn't answer immediately. He looked at the swimming pool.

The water had originally been clear, but it was now stained a deep blue from the murloc's blood. Thankfully, the pool's filtration system had been running for a while, and most of the blood had been cleared out.

Wen Yu knew Lansi's cocoon was still resting in the southeast corner of the pool.

With the broad water surface and the artificial sky created by the barrier above, the pool resembled a slice of the open sea—if one could ignore the boundaries of the pool itself.

Wen Yu closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them, he turned to Carl and Rose and said, "Send Lansi back."

"Back? You mean, to the sea?"

Carl couldn't help but raise his voice.

"But Lansi can pretend to be human now. He doesn't need to go back."

From Carl's perspective, it didn't make sense. He knew Wen Yu had feelings for Lansi, and Lansi clearly liked Wen Yu in return. Now that Lansi could pass as a normal person, why couldn't they be together?

Besides, their boss had paid two hundred million for Lansi. Just releasing him back into the ocean now seemed like a huge waste.

Rose, however, understood Wen Yu. As a woman, she also considered the emotional layers of the situation.

"What does Lansi say about it?" she asked.

Wen Yu sighed. "He's always wanted to go back."

During the earlier trials, Lansi had repeatedly hinted that he wanted to return.

Wen Yu had often found himself growing jealous of Lansi's longing for the sea, but once the jealousy passed, there was always a quiet contentment left behind.

What did that say?

It meant that in Lansi's heart, he still belonged to the sea—more precisely, to the black-tailed mermaids.

Rose didn't say anything after that. She turned back to the pool, frowning slightly, as if deep in thought.

"You've all agreed to let him go back?" Carl asked, scratching his head. He clearly didn't like the idea, but if the boss had already decided, he would respect it.

"Then how are you planning to send him back?" he continued. "And… what will you do once he's gone?"

Wen Yu had thought about both questions.

The first one was relatively simple.

Now that Lansi could appear human, they could fabricate a false identity for him, pass the necessary checkpoints, and send him back to the sea.

The only challenge was avoiding any trouble along the way.

If possible, Wen Yu was even prepared to let Lansi go alone.

After all, people like him, Carl, and Rose were already under Mu Rin's watch. If they tried to escort Lansi, they might only draw more attention and create unnecessary risks.

As for the second question...

Wen Yu looked at Carl and Rose, who were still crouched by the pool.

In his plan, once Lansi safely left, he would abandon this identity.

That meant destroying this body.

After all, Wen Yu was only a clone. As long as he erased his consciousness before the body was destroyed, it wouldn't matter.

But that created another problem.

Carl and Rose didn't know the truth. They didn't understand that Wen Yu was Wen Yu, and this clone was just a vessel.

For them, if this body were destroyed, Wen Yu would be gone.

And humans often grieve deeply for the people they care about.

Wen Yu wasn't too worried about Rose, but he had concerns about Carl.

Carl was the type to act with his heart more than his head. Wen Yu was afraid that if he "died," Carl might do something reckless.

As he thought about it, Wen Yu paused.

Wait… was he just worried about a human?

The realization startled him. Was his current behavior being influenced by the original consciousness of this body?

"Boss?"

Carl's voice broke the silence. He was watching Wen Yu with concern.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Wen Yu replied, pulling himself back from his thoughts.

He looked at Carl with a complicated expression, then turned to Rose. After a moment of consideration, he spoke sincerely:

"Carl, spend more time with Rose. Learn from her."

Carl blinked. "Huh?"

Rose also looked up, both surprised and confused.

Wen Yu had never shown any particular warmth toward her before. This sudden advice was unexpected.

Seeing their reactions, Wen Yu didn't elaborate. He simply looked at the pool again and murmured, "Humans…"

…

When Lansi woke up again, it was already nighttime.

Fully awake, he curled up under the blanket, hugging himself tightly.

It was too embarrassing. Truly mortifying.

He held his head and groaned. If time could turn back, he'd strangle his past self to death.

Why had he let things go so far with Wen Yu?

How was he supposed to face him now?

He had wanted to return to the sea—hadn't that been his plan?

But now, after what happened in the bathroom, how was he supposed to explain anything clearly?

"Lansi?"

Wen Yu entered the room and saw the bundle on the bed, quivering with its back to him.

Seeing the scene before him, Wen Yu couldn't help but smile.

It looked like Lansi was tangled up again.

Wen Yu walked over calmly. He stepped forward, patted the blanket, and said, "Come down and eat."

After being nudged like that, Lansi wished he could burrow into the quilt and build a little nest to hide from Wen Yu for a while.

But that was just wishful thinking.

Why could Wen Yu stay so calm?

Lansi felt that if the other person remained composed while he kept floundering, he would seem guilty by comparison.

So, taking a deep breath, Lansi crawled out from under the covers, pretending to be perfectly calm, and said, "Okay."

"These are some clothes I bought online. They should fit you."

Wen Yu stepped closer and patted Lansi's head. He placed a stack of new clothes beside him and said, "Once you're dressed, come down."

Lansi blushed again.

Of course. He had only worn a bathrobe before going to the bathroom, and after coming out, he hadn't put anything on. He was completely naked now.

Right in front of Wen Yu.

Picking up the top garment from the stack, Lansi asked, a little surprised, "How did you know my size?"

Wen Yu gave him a meaningful look and said, "Measured personally."

Lansi: "..."

He went blank for a second, but then the memories came flooding back. Every inch of his body really had been measured by the man in front of him.

An hour later, Lansi was dressed and sitting by the pool, holding a bowl of fish soup while watching Wen Yu move about.

The pool had been drained, leaving everything fully exposed.

Wen Yu had taken off his military uniform and wore only a white shirt on top, his trousers rolled up, standing barefoot in the pool as he cleaned.

Because Lansi's cocoon had been inside, Wen Yu had insisted on cleaning the pool himself.

After draining the water, Wen Yu stood staring at the white cocoon in the southeast corner.

Its outer wall was smooth, likely because the mermaid inside had already emerged. After Lansi left it, the cocoon had taken on a sleek finish, and in the moonlight, it glowed with a soft white light.

It almost looked like a pearl.

The only flaw was the faint blue layer on the outer shell—blood left behind by the murloc.

After a while, Wen Yu began rinsing the cocoon with a hose. Eventually, he managed to wash it completely clean.

Seeing his cocoon looking spotless, Lansi was delighted. After finishing the last bite of soup, he jumped down from the pool's edge and quickly walked over to Wen Yu.

Tugging at Wen Yu's shirt, he said proudly, "This is my cocoon. Isn't it beautiful?"

Wen Yu turned to look at him, amused by the pride in his voice.

"Yes, it's beautiful."

He was honestly curious how such a small Lansi had made such a large cocoon.

Mermaids really were full of mysterious wonders.

Lansi beamed at the compliment, but the joy faded quickly.

He stepped forward and gently touched the cocoon—his own handiwork—and said sadly, "If only it were the sea."

If they were in the ocean, he could leave the cocoon where it was. Later on, he could come back to see it.

But this was a villa in Earl Vale.

For aesthetic and practical reasons, the cocoon would inevitably need to be destroyed.

Lansi knew this. He had only wanted to show it off to Wen Yu.

"We could move it back," Wen Yu suggested, seeing Lansi's reluctance.

Lansi shook his head. "It's not easy to move."

He had made the cocoon himself, after all. He knew its structure inside and out.

To keep it from being swept away by waves during emergence, he had fused it to the pool wall. Removing it now would mean breaking it.

"It's fine," Lansi said, trying to cheer himself up. "I just wanted to show you the whole cocoon. That way it can live on in both our memories."

Even so, as he leaned forward to rest his cheek against the smooth surface, his unwillingness to part with it was clear.

Wen Yu opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't find the words.

Since the moment he had brought Lansi home, he had wanted him to build a nest here.

There were several reasons for not letting Lansi return to the sea to do it.

First, Lansi had been in his human form at the time. It would have been difficult to move around or escape without drawing attention. If someone discovered him, the consequences would be dire.

Second, Wen Yu harbored a bit of possessiveness.

If Lansi built his nest in the sea, someone else might witness it.

Third, he enjoyed the act of raising Lansi, watching him grow and transform. The sense of accomplishment was unparalleled.

That's why Wen Yu wanted to keep this identity, this body, even if it wasn't ideal among humans.

Lansi rested against his cocoon for a while. Eventually, he straightened up and looked at Wen Yu seriously.

"Do you remember what the cocoon looks like?"

Wen Yu hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Good. Then remember it well."

Lansi said, "Because from now on, it'll be gone."

Then, with a determined expression, he gritted his teeth and punched the cocoon.

The once beautiful and round structure immediately shattered into a pile of white fragments.

"This way, there's no evidence left. No one will say anything."

He clapped his hands, trying to seem carefree, but when he turned to speak to Wen Yu, he suddenly found himself wrapped in the man's arms.

Lansi: ??

"You silly little fish."

Wen Yu held him tightly, a mix of heartache and joy in his voice.

"You didn't need to do that for me."

Wen Yu had always been proud and aloof, indifferent to human opinions. He didn't care what others thought, not even when humans insulted or questioned his identity.

If it had really come down to keeping the cocoon, he would have done it.

Wen Yu could abandon this body and slaughter anyone who opposed him, if that's what it took.

But he hadn't expected Lansi to make the choice himself.

This sensible, thoughtful version of Lansi made his heart ache—and made his darker thoughts stir.

Maybe if he kept this identity and made it more miserable, Lansi would feel sympathy. Maybe he would stay and forget the rest of the world.

The only catch was that Wen Yu had played the role of a human for so long.

"Because you're a good person," Lansi said, patting Wen Yu's back, trying to break the mood.

Honestly, why did it feel like he had just earned more affection points?

If this were a dating sim, Lansi was sure Wen Yu's favorability was maxed out.

Now he wasn't sure how he'd reject him in the future.

Lansi was a little worried.

That "good person" label brought Wen Yu back to his senses. He released Lansi and, noticing his slightly downcast face, raised an eyebrow.

What was this silly fish trying to do now?

The next second, Lansi looked up seriously. He wanted to clearly define the relationship between them.

"Wen Yu, we need to sort out this complicated situation between us."

Wen Yu responded by grabbing Lansi's face. "Hmm?"

Lansi tried to stay composed. "I'm really grateful you saved me. And for taking care of me all this time."

Wen Yu raised an eyebrow. But before Lansi could deliver the next line—probably a refusal—he interrupted with a reminder.

"Two billion."

Lansi: "..."

What was he supposed to say to that?

Wen Yu's words completely derailed the conversation. Lansi, who had everything planned out, was thrown off track. He stammered for a long time before blurting out:

"We can't fall in love!"

Then, as if to soften the blow, he added quickly, "You're a good person."

"Why not?" Wen Yu asked. His tone wasn't angry, just calm and curious.

"Because we're too different."

Lansi was so sincere, he even forgot he was a mermaid and not a demon.

"There's no good ending for us. So, for your own good…"

He looked up and asked cautiously, "Can I go back to the sea?"