Stop Eyeing My Pretty Caretaker - Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The moment Jian Chen finished the kiss, he snapped wide awake.

Regret flooded him instantly.

He experienced that specific feeling of knowing exactly what he just did, yet being unable to believe it was actually him who did it.

He… he had actually kissed Ye Siting.

Under circumstances where both were sober, Ye Siting hadn’t brought up marital obligations, and they weren’t even at a wedding venue.

Perhaps it was related to the conversation he’d had with Ye Siting that morning.

Back then, Ye Siting had asked him if he kissed the faces of everyone he liked, and Jian Chen’s answer was that he only did so with Dundun.

Maybe he had sensed the man’s disappointment and displeasure.

Still, that shouldn’t have been a reason to kiss Ye Siting just now.

Jian Chen felt like he might have gone mad.

There was only one explanation: his actions were likely driven by a fear that the man was in danger, and upon seeing Ye Siting safe and sound, he was triggered into a sort of “survivor’s bonding” warmth.

Like the protagonists in a disaster movie after a successful escape, the male lead can’t help but kiss the female lead’s forehead as they watch the island magnificently sink together.

Besides, he and Ye Siting were a legal couple. A modest kiss wasn’t overstepping any boundaries.

Right.

Jian Chen successfully consoled himself with that logic.

He looked up, intending to check on Ye Siting.

But Jian Chen froze.

His eyes widened slightly.

He saw that within the man’s indifferent, sharp pupils, there were lingering traces of shock.

Then, his gaze traveled from Ye Siting’s thin, indifferent lips pressed into a straight line, further up to that handsome face—usually expressionless and cold enough to intimidate—which was now slowly flushing with color.

Ye Siting was actually blushing.

Because he had been kissed.

Slowly processing this reality, Jian Chen was astonished for a few seconds, and then his own face turned deep red.

Actually, it wasn’t that obvious on Ye Siting. His skin was cool-toned and stern, rarely showing the changes ordinary people did. Jian Chen only noticed because he was standing so close.

Jian Chen’s own situation, however, was much worse.

His constitution was very “reactive.” When he was nervous or lying, once the redness hit his face, it immediately spread to the back of his neck and the tips of his ears.

It was obvious at a single glance. It was so embarrassing.

Faced with this atmosphere, Jian Chen had no idea how to respond.

Ye Siting stood rooted to the spot. Feeling awkward and gripped by an urge to bolt, Jian Chen pointed incoherently toward the stairs: “…I-I’m going to change my clothes. Wait for me in the car, I’ll be quick.”

Aside from the blushing, the man’s overall reaction remained very calm—undisturbed and composed as always.

On the contrary, it was the one who initiated the kiss who felt more embarrassed than the one who received it.

Ye Siting pursed his lips and said nothing.

Jian Chen took it as a silent agreement.

Just as he turned to leave, his wrist was caught.

The hand holding him was broad and warm, with long fingers—in a sense, it could even be described as scalding.

Jian Chen felt as if the patch of skin being held was about to catch fire.

“…Jian Chen.”

Ye Siting spoke, his voice slightly husky, making Jian Chen’s ears tingle.

His heart thudded against his chest. Jian Chen felt that something momentous was about to happen next.

“Director, this way please!”

“Watch your step. The parking lot is quite cold; please put this on!”

“You’re too kind, Chief. Are the stun guns and anesthetic equipment all ready?”

“Ready!”

“Good. You’re all good comrades.”

“Not at all. Even though it’s SSS-class, the fact that you came to the scene in person is truly a testament to your dedication!”

…

A group of professors, surrounding the Director like stars around a moon, suddenly appeared in the parking lot.

Their lively conversation grew closer.

Jian Chen: “…”

What a bunch of moodkillers.

It was like a bloated balloon suddenly losing its air.

Ye Siting’s brow furrowed, his expression darkening noticeably as he let go of Jian Chen.

The two awkwardly went their separate ways—one into the car, the other toward the research institute’s locker room.

Jian Chen took off his lab coat and grabbed his down jacket from the rack. To be honest, if they hadn’t been abruptly interrupted, he was actually a bit curious about what Ye Siting had been about to do.

Would he have kissed his cheek in return?

Haha, just a guess.

Jian Chen thought that scene seemed quite nice. Setting aside all agreements and matching ratios, they felt like an elderly couple who treated each other with mutual respect.

On the way home, the interior of the car was silent as a grave.

Ye Siting didn’t say a word, as if the person who had just blushed after being kissed by his wife wasn’t Ye Siting Cole.

In the passenger seat, Jian Chen couldn’t resist checking his watch to watch short videos of the little red panda he hadn’t seen all day and missed dearly.

Since both Papa and Little Papa weren’t home, Dundun’s daily life consisted of sleeping, waking up, calling for Little Papa, whimpering, eating, sleeping, calling for Little Papa, eating.

Fortunately, the little robot had been keeping him company these past two days.

When he first saw the little robot, Dundun had completely collapsed in shock.

To cheer Dundun up, the robot often changed its facial expressions, but with every change, the panda would be startled into a flight, letting out continuous yelps.

This left the little robot quite confused.

So, Jian Chen thought of a solution.

He tied a little rubber duck to the robot’s bowtie. If Dundun wanted to reunite with his duck, he had to get close to the robot first!

Dundun: How cruel.

To build his cub’s courage, Little Papa had gone to great lengths.

Like father, like son; just like that, another robot friend was added to Dundun’s somewhat sparse social circle.

The next day, Jian Chen headed to the research institute as usual.

The man still drove him.

Silence all the way. But Jian Chen declared he wasn’t awkward at all.

Was the watch not fun or the little panda not cute? Who cared if their husband was a man of few words?

It was enough for Ye Siting to just be handsome.

Upon entering the institute, Jian Chen didn’t rush to the new species area today, even though many animals were waiting for his visit.

This was because the animal Jian Chen was visiting today was quite special. Not only was it a key research subject of the Academy of Sciences, but rumors about its existence were a subject of much debate in Huaguo. It was an animal, yet could also be referred to asSir/Madam.

It was a species that often appeared in movies and novels—the Merfolk.

There were two in Jian Chen’s research institute.

Rather than two, they were actually a mother and son: the beautiful merman Vians and her four-month-old cub, Javier.

Jian Chen first went to the Life Monitoring Hall to check Vians’ health status and medication frequency for the week.

After reading, a look of worry appeared on Jian Chen’s face.

Vians’ physical functions were very weak, and she was refusing to eat. Simple medication couldn’t satisfy the body’s needs; this mermaid was on the brink of extinction.

Merfolk are sensitive creatures and have their own reservoir in the new species area. Finding this mother and son in their habitat was no easy task.

But Jian Chen decided to try his luck anyway.

He dragged Chen Qiu along to the Merfolk area.

Chen Qiu followed Jian Chen sluggishly with a long face: “Teacher, I plucked up the courage to go a few days ago. Vians has a very bad temper. For someone so beautiful, she’s scarier than my ex-girlfriend when she’s angry a total beast.”

“The day before yesterday, I brought her a pile of fish, and she just picked one up and slapped it across my face.”

Chen Qiu recalled with lingering fear; the fish had been alive and kicking, even squirming into his clothes. It was a disaster.

Jian Chen’s attention wasn’t there; instead, he asked, “And in the end? How many of those fish did she eat?”

Chen Qiu shook his head: “Probably none, or very few. At least the previous batch of fish is still swimming in the reservoir.”

Jian Chen fell into deep worry.

At least before he left, although Vians was in poor condition, she had been eating.

When a species loses its desire for food, unless there’s a digestive problem, it is a harbinger of the end of life.

If Vians died, leaving only that lonely cub behind, Jian Chen was determined to let Javier grow up healthy, but the Academy of Sciences and the military would certainly not let the matter rest.

Jian Chen was deeply concerned for the future of the two merfolk.

Jian Chen swiped his card, and the first door to the Merfolk area slowly opened.

The first thing that met the eye was fine, exquisite artificial sand—a resting spot for the merfolk after inhabiting the reservoir. Keepers would occasionally pour fresh fish here.

Because of Vians’ physical condition, she was no longer able to chase and hunt in the water.

Jian Chen bypassed the beach and walked along the staff passage to the front of the massive reservoir.

The glass windows of the reservoir circled overhead, enveloping Jian Chen and Chen Qiu in deep, dense blue light.

At the end of this corridor was the reservoir hatch.

Chen Qiu was wearing a tight turtleneck sweater today, following behind Jian Chen and looking left and right, trying to find Vians.

It seemed the fish-slapping had really traumatized him.

Jian Chen patted Chen Qiu’s shoulder in consolation. Then, he pulled out a special thick iron key, inserted it into the lock, and turned it.

A jarring creak rang out.

Chen Qiu took a step back, looking nervous.

Vians wasn’t an ordinary fish; she wouldn’t come when called and go when dismissed. Moreover, even the lowliest little fish knew to stay away from invaders.

So, the two sat on the ground, quietly waiting for the merman to come ashore.

This process was entirely dependent on the merman’s mood; sometimes it took minutes, sometimes hours.

Well, it was also possible she wouldn’t come ashore all day.

In short, it tested patience more than fishing.

The hands of the watch moved slowly; time felt as if it were being washed away and infinitely stretched by the dark currents.

Suddenly, there was a splash on the water’s surface.

Nothing came ashore.

Jian Chen suddenly stood up, took two steps forward, stopped, and crouched down.

Chen Qiu tilted his head, not daring to move. After pondering for a moment, he realized that Teacher Jian was lowering his presence.

He was afraid of startling whatever was about to come ashore.

The merman had actually appeared.

Chen Qiu felt a secret admiration. Vians’ tail was injured, and her swimming was very slow. If there wasn’t a special reason, she wouldn’t appear rashly, nor would she exacerbate her already fragile health.

After all, for any living creature, seeking benefit and avoiding harm is an instinct.

Then, unexpectedly, at the spot where the small splash had appeared

A little head popped out.

Wet blonde hair, a round yet exquisite face, fair skin, and long, slightly upturned eyelashes.

Water droplets slid down his hair and lashes as he blinked.

His pupils were watery blue.

It was a merman cub.

Jian Chen: “?” Chen Qiu: “?”

It wasn’t Vians?

He hadn’t attracted the mermaid, but had summoned her cub instead??

So this must be Javier.

What a truly beautiful male merman.

Although Jian Chen was a professor at the institute, he and little Javier had almost no interaction in the four months since his birth.

It wasn’t because the little merman was shy, but because of Javier’s mother.

In the general consciousness of the Merfolk race, their protective instincts for their young are extremely strong.

Even if she had a good relationship with Jian Chen, Vians, as a mother, would not allow any non-merman species to be intimate with or even touch her cub.

So, most of the time during his interactions with Vians, Jian Chen would only occasionally see that little merman behind the mermaid, peeking his head out and watching him seriously.

Faced with this situation, Jian Chen didn’t rashly attempt any communication with the little merman.

He knew that if the little merman went missing, Vians would appear quickly.

Sure enough, two minutes later.

A surge of current, much more turbulent than before, rushed toward the edge of the reservoir. Accompanied by gurgling undercurrents, a graceful figure emerged.

With a spray of water, a wave was kicked up.

It was Vians.

Chen Qiu’s expression changed, and he turned his head away, trying his best not to make eye contact with this species that didn’t respect him.

Jian Chen waved: “Long time no see, Vians!”

Vians froze for a moment, and her slender hand followed with a wave.

Jian Chen was stunned. The fact that the merman could communicate and give feedback like this made it increasingly difficult not to view them as another species; for example, in Jian Chen’s eyes, they were more like… humans trapped in water.

It was a very strange feeling.

Jian Chen shook his head, pushing the thought aside. Since the merman had appeared, he needed to cherish this opportunity.

“Vians, do you not like the taste of the fish?”

Jian Chen pulled a cold insulation box from his backpack and placed it on the ground in front of him. “I found a few more types this time.”

“Just point to whichever fish you like, and I’ll bring more next time.”

Hearing Jian Chen’s voice, Vians slowly swam from the water to the shore.

As Vians left the water, Jian Chen realized that this mermaid’s tail was missing a third at the end, and the stump was ulcerated and bleeding. Having lost the key part relied upon for swimming, the mermaid couldn’t swim over immediately after the cub disappeared.

Refusing food, a severed tail, and slow swimming—these were all signs of a merman’s impending death.

And on Earth, there was no cure.

Jian Chen felt his heart tighten.

He didn’t show it, instead speaking to the mermaid in a relaxed and enthusiastic tone: “Vians, see if there are any fish you’re interested in. You have to eat, right? ‘Man is iron, food is steel.'”

Vians seemed to understand Jian Chen’s meaning. She lowered her head and looked at the feast Jian Chen had prepared for her.

Then, she lost her eyes among the wide variety and neatly arranged small fish.

He could have opened a stall with all these.

Vians fell into silence.

Jian Chen: “None you like?”

Vians shook her head, then quickly took an orange fish with her fingers and put it in her mouth.

Halfway through eating, she held the remains of the fish in her hand to show Jian Chen.

The language expressed by that gesture seemed to explain to this human: “I am eating.”

Chen Qiu: You weren’t like this when I brought you fish.

Do you merfolk all have two faces?

Ah, this is too much bullying!

After eating a few, Vians stopped.

It was clear Vians didn’t have much of an appetite. Her face looked fragile and haggard. Jian Chen wasn’t sure if Vians wanted him to leave as soon as possible; after all, their arrival more or less disturbed the merfolk’s peace.

Jian Chen put down the cold box, hoisted his bag, and said goodbye to the merman: “Vians, make sure to eat well. I’m leaving now.”

Even if Vians didn’t eat the fish he left, her little merman needed nutrition. Having more varieties might allow Javier to have a good feast.

At that moment, Vians let out a cry.

To be precise, her mouth made a few syllables—very light, very weak—a tone akin to anxiety or a plea for him to stay.

Jian Chen: “?”

What did Vians want to say?

Knock, knock, knock…

Anxious knocking suddenly sounded from outside the door.

Jian Chen’s attention was diverted.

This also startled the mermaid by the hatch, and she quickly jumped back into the reservoir, kicking up waves. She pulled her cub away from the shore, leaving only their heads above the water.

Turning around, Chen Qiu let the person outside in. Yu Lili appeared at the other end of the corridor, waving at Jian Chen with an anxious expression: “Teacher Jian, people from the military are here!”

The military?

Jian Chen thought he’d misheard.

He asked in surprise, “Why would the military be here?”

“They say they’re taking the merfolk back for research at the Academy of Sciences,” Yu Lili said. “My brother is in the Second District of the military. Their leaders and officers are already on the way!”

Jian Chen turned back to look at Vians. Her pupils were trembling. Jian Chen suddenly had an illusion.

The merman might… be able to understand what they were saying.

Chen Qiu was stunned and asked, “Didn’t the institute reject the Academy of Sciences? The approval hasn’t come down either. They have no right to do this!”

Yu Lili cried out, “That’s why the military came! The Academy of Sciences failed last time, so the military is stepping in to resolve it this time. They won’t care about approvals! They’re already on the way, and their coordinates are very close. Hurry and hide the little one!”

The three people present knew very well what it meant to take the merfolk back for research.

A merman’s saliva and blood both have healing properties.

Not only can they repair necrotic tissue, but they can also quickly stop bleeding and cover damaged organs. This value in war was immeasurable.

Naturally, accordingly, the wounds on a merman’s body can heal themselves during their juvenile and prime years.

However, if Vians and Javier were taken back to the research institute, the inhuman torture and endless physical research they were about to endure were equally unimaginable.

Time was of the essence.

Jian Chen decided to let Vians and her cub leave first.

But how to communicate with Vians was a problem.

Once the two merfolk swam into the reservoir due to fright and returned to the dark blue abyss, search and capture efforts would be extremely difficult.

Anesthetics were the best choice.

But.

Jian Chen was in a bit of a dilemma.

If he did that, Vians would lose trust in him forever.

At the same time, Vians’ physical condition was terrible; Jian Chen wasn’t sure if a tube of anesthetic would cause even more severe damage to her state.

Jian Chen walked forward with some difficulty and crouched by the shore.

The two merfolk watched him in unison.

“Vians…”

Jian Chen thought about how to speak.

“You and Javier need to leave this place quickly.”

Fearing the mermaid wouldn’t understand, Jian Chen even extended two fingers toward the direction of the hatch behind him, making a walking gesture with a little figure.

Vians blinked.

Suddenly, she turned around and slowly, gently rubbed the little merman’s head.

Javier: “?”

Then, she led the little merman and swam to the shore.

Right in front of Jian Chen.

Jian Chen thought the merman understood him; after all, Vians usually only communicated with him alone, without the cub.

Then, he watched as this exquisite and beautiful mermaid slowly leaned her body forward, pressing close to Jian Chen’s ear.

“Mr. Jian Chen, please help me take care of this child.”

It took Jian Chen several seconds to react.

The merman was speaking.

It was Vians speaking for the first time.

Soft, firm, and even quite melodious, with pronunciation barely different from a human’s.

Until now, there had been no clear experimental or observational data on Earth proving that merfolk had the ability to communicate and use language.

Humans had always thought merfolk couldn’t speak, or even make vocal sounds.

In other words, Vians had been fooling them all along.

While Jian Chen was still dazed, Vians had already begun to act.

She scooped the cub out of the water. In the next second, the little merman was placed into Jian Chen’s arms.

Where Jian Chen’s palms touched was a sensation extremely similar to a human’s—cool and slippery. The scales of the fish tail brushed against Jian Chen’s arm. Since the cub was still small, these scales were very soft, not enough to make Jian Chen unable to hold him.

Vians looked at them deeply.

She seemed to mouth the word “Thank you.”

Then, she flicked her tail, and her agile body dove into the deep pool.

Chen Qiu and Yu Lili were both stunned and ran over unsteadily. Chen Qiu said in shock, “What what is she doing?”

Yu Lili urged, “Forget it! Teacher, take Javier and go now. There’s no time!”

Jian Chen nodded.

the little merman was still too small; he couldn’t leave the water for too long.

Jian Chen had Chen Qiu bring a bath towel, which he soaked thoroughly in the pool water until it was dripping and became exceptionally heavy. Jian Chen draped it over Javier and then picked up the little merman.

While running in the corridor, Jian Chen and the other two suddenly heard a song.

The sound seemed to drift into their ears across the quiet, deep water.

It could no longer be called “pleasant.”

It was an ethereal, beautiful sound, as if all the dreamlike conceptions of nature had been turned into a tangible entity.

In reality, it couldn’t be seen or touched, but it had permeated every cell and embraced all senses.

After the sound faded, only a strong sense of shock remained.

Jian Chen realized

That was Vians’ song.

The final swan song of a merman.

The back of Chen Qiu and Yu Lili’s necks went numb as they listened; they couldn’t even walk. Their eyes were fixed on the dark reservoir, unable to look away.

Then, no one knew exactly what happened in the reservoir.

All the small fish that had been released earlier as food for the merfolk suddenly seemed to receive a unanimous order. As if possessed, they swam frantically in one direction.

That direction was where Vians was.

Then, the group saw Vians being bitten by the school of small fish, a sensation of rupture as if being torn apart. Moments later, blue blood spread around the merman.

The song stopped.

In just a few seconds, Vians vanished.

Yu Lili said slowly and in shock, “Could it be that she… didn’t want to be sent for experiments, so”

Chen Qiu touched his heart, which was beating exceptionally hard. “She was even this ruthless to herself.”

“…”

Jian Chen covered the little merman’s eyes and held him a little tighter.

The little merman didn’t make a sound, only shed tears pitter-patter.

The gaps between Jian Chen’s fingers were wet.

After some thought, Jian Chen decided to take the little merman back to his home to stay for a few days, and return Javier once it was safe.

Although he didn’t know if the man would mind.

But time was too pressing right now; the emergency didn’t give Jian Chen much time to think.

Getting into a taxi, the little merman’s tail was wrapped very tightly. So to an ordinary person, Javier looked like a human cub.

It was still freezing outside. Jian Chen took off his own down jacket and wrapped the little merman up tightly.

The driver glanced at the little merman in Jian Chen’s arms and couldn’t help but praise, “Your child is so handsome—blonde hair and blue eyes. He’ll probably be a model when he grows up!”

Jian Chen was still immersed in the shock from earlier and had no heart to correct the driver. He just paused and said softly:

“It’s enough if he can be safe and sound and do what he likes.”

the little merman’s eyelashes trembled, and he slowly closed his eyes tightly.

Only when the taxi stopped in front of the house he shared with Ye Siting did Jian Chen truly breathe a sigh of relief.

No matter how much the military searched, they surely wouldn’t come to his house.

The little merman’s situation was temporarily safe.

Jian Chen thought about it and decided to put the little merman in the bathtub first. There was a swimming pool in the villa’s backyard, but since it was winter, there was no water in the pool.

After facial recognition, Jian Chen opened the front door.

The moment the door opened, Jian Chen suddenly remembered that there was another “little ancestor” at home.

Dundun should… not mind, right?

Sensing the owner’s return, the little robot quickly came downstairs to take the clothes and welcome the owner back.

But at the same time, the little robot was very sensible and pushed the red panda along with the square incubator down as well.

After all, the first thing the owner would want to see upon returning was Dundun.

“…”

But Jian Chen didn’t want that this time.

He really didn’t.

Sensing Little Papa’s aura, Dundun began to whimper and soon clung to the edge of the incubator, trying to see Jian Chen quickly.

But in his vision, something seemed slightly wrong.

It seemed Little Papa hadn’t come back alone.

He seemed to be holding something in his arms.

Dundun let out a soft snort with his nose, his eyes blinking in confusion.

But as the little robot pushed closer, he gradually saw clearly what Little Papa was holding in his arms…

“??!!”

Someone else’s cub!

In this situation, the entire red panda stood up!

Seeing his cub learn to stand under these circumstances, Jian Chen suddenly felt his blood pressure rise.

Confused and shocked eyes peered out from the black circles.

Jian Chen deeply suspected that if Dundun weren’t a cub right now and his front paws were strong enough, he would definitely stand up and…

Put his paws on his hips.

If he could talk, Jian Chen would definitely hear the Bear’s Interrogation:

Who is this??