The Little Mermaid and the Merman Hooked Up - Chapter 1

On the vast, endless horizon of the sea, a curve of scattered reefs protruded from the water a sanctuary Deng Xi had recently discovered. The rocks here lacked sharp edges that could scratch him, and there were no large predatory fish nearby, only gentle little ones.

Deng Xi was safe here.

He lay prone on a reef, his wet golden hair draped smoothly over his pale, clean back. His tail was a shade of blue close to the sky—pale at the base and transitioning into a deep navy at the fins, blending seamlessly with the dark blue ocean.

Swishing his tail against the seawater, Deng Xi whispered with curved, smiling eyes, “I saw a pile of beautiful little stones on the seabed yesterday. How about I take you to see them later?”

No one answered him. Deng Xi was speaking to a small fish that had swum up to his hand; it seemed to like him and had been lingering nearby for a long time.

Deng Xi continued his monologue: “Once you’re done looking at the stones with me, I’ll turn you into my dinner for today.”

The small fish: “…”

Unable to understand, the fish simply blew a bubble. Deng Xi rolled over, falling back into the ocean, and blew a bubble in return.

This planet had no land, only sea. And in this sea, he was the only mermaid. He was fragile and could not defeat the large fish, so he usually survived by catching these small ones. However, being so weak, he often couldn’t even outswim the little fish. Deng Xi frequently went hungry, often relegated to eating seaweed. If he managed to eat meat, it was considered a grand feast!

The small fish swam above him, affectionately nudging the tip of his nose. Its fluttering tail popped the bubbles Deng Xi had just blown.

Deng Xi, whose only joy in his boredom was blowing bubbles, puffed out his cheeks. “I’m definitely eating you later.”

The fish nudged his cheek again. The “fierce” little mermaid awkwardly turned his face away and rubbed his stomach.

He was so hungry.

Gentle fish were scarce in this area and never stayed long. Deng Xi usually had to seize the chance to catch a few to fill his belly before watching the rest swim away. This particular fish was a bit of a “dummy”—it had lost its school and stubbornly stuck to Deng Xi’s side.

Clearly unaware of Deng Xi’s intentions, the fish blew another bubble, which popped against Deng Xi’s nose.

Deng Xi impatiently waved it away, muttering with a stern face, “Leave while I haven’t changed my mind…”

The fish was waved off, only to swim right back.

Deng Xi: “…”

His stomach began to growl again. Fine. If it wouldn’t leave, it would be his emergency rations.

“Don’t think I’ll be too soft-hearted to eat—” Before he could finish, a sudden, deafening BOOM echoed from the distance.

Startled, a dazed Deng Xi swam to the surface to look toward the sound. He guessed it might be a large fish leaping out of the water, but he hoped he was wrong. Those predators had mouths so large and teeth so sharp they could swallow three of him in one gulp! He usually fled the moment he spotted them from afar.

But finding a new home was exhausting, and he was reluctant to leave this reef. He peeked over, seeing nothing but rolling waves.

Deng Xi breathed a sigh of relief. Then he remembered—his dinner!

He dove back down immediately. That “dummy” fish turned out to be quite clever; while Deng Xi was still stunned, it had already made a run for it. He could only see its tiny silhouette swimming away at high speed.

Deng Xi: “?”

Regretting his hesitation, he gave chase. The frightened fish swam twice as fast as usual. Deng Xi was panting with exhaustion but couldn’t catch up. Compared to other marine life, a fragile mermaid was at the bottom of the food chain.

The vast, empty seabed held only a dejected little mermaid with a blue tail. His gills, used for breathing underwater, opened and closed in frustration. Deng Xi rubbed his eyes, which were rimmed with red. That was his last chance for dinner. He hadn’t eaten all day, and his stomach was screaming.

He sniffled. If only he weren’t the only mermaid in the sea. If only he had a clansman to help him catch fish.

After resting for a moment, he turned back around, swimming toward the source of the noise with renewed annoyance. He wanted to see exactly what had scared off his dinner! Did they have any idea how much effort it took a fragile mermaid to catch a fish?

He would turn that thing into his new dinner instead.

The sound had come from a larger cluster of reefs. To be safe, Deng Xi dove deep and crept up behind the rocks to peek. The surface was calm, but as he swam deeper, a sudden, inexplicable chill washed over him. He felt as if a dangerous creature was lurking in the depths.

He looked around warily. Below, the light grew dim and the water pressure increased. The seabed was littered with dark shadows of rocks and swaying dark green seaweed. Any one of those shadows could hide a monster.

Deng Xi began to regret coming. It was just one fish, after all. He turned his tail, preparing to swim back to the surface.

He didn’t notice that seconds after he turned away, a shadow moved. It crawled upward slowly, following his path, its tail silently creating a thin current in its wake.

Where is this smell of blood coming from? Deng Xi wondered. I’m not hurt.

He swam faster, but the metallic scent followed him. Once he broke the surface, he immediately hid behind a large rock and stared at the spot where he had just emerged.

Was someone following him?

The sun was covered by clouds, and the sea turned a somber gray. Deng Xi held his breath.

Then, he saw it—a Silver Mermaid.

A pale hand gripped the reef tightly, veins bulging as the stranger’s fingers turned white with the effort of dragging his body out of the water. Long, wet, platinum-gold hair clung to a scarred back. His skin was deathly pale, with blue veins visible beneath thin muscles that rose and fell with shallow breaths.

As he pulled himself further up, his lower half was revealed. It was a tail nearly two meters long, with silver-white fins that shimmered like gossamer wings. However, the sight was marred by a tragic, sickly pallor, and his wounds had turned white from being submerged.

Now that the seawater was no longer washing him clean, the numerous gashes across his body began to leak fresh, crimson blood again. Droplets of blood mixed with seawater slid down his tensed muscles, leaving vivid red streaks against his skin.

Deng Xi was stunned. Is… is this a clansman?

He had lived alone for years and had long accepted that he was the only mermaid. He couldn’t believe his eyes. The stranger’s tail was so much longer than his own—and silver! Deng Xi looked at his own blue tail and then back at the silver one with pure envy. If he had a tail that long, he could have caught that fish easily!

He looks hurt. Was he bullied by a big fish? How pitiful.

Deng Xi clung to the rock, watching secretly. He wondered if the loud noise earlier was caused by this silver mermaid. He realized the stranger hadn’t been following him intentionally; they had simply both headed for the surface at the same time.

The silver-tailed man lowered his head, then seemed to sense something. He braced himself, his shoulder blades forming a powerful arc, and turned his face toward Deng Xi’s hiding spot.

His face was shadowed by his hair, leaving only his eyes visible—silver vertical pupils. They were cold, devoid of emotion, and bloodshot.

In that instant of eye contact, Deng Xi’s hair stood on end. He felt like a prey animal locked in the sights of a hungry beast. He didn’t dare move until the silver mermaid turned back, seemingly finding nothing.

Deng Xi immediately ducked back behind the reef, clutching his face and panting in small, controlled breaths. So scary.

He no longer thought the stranger was “pitiful.” His survival instincts were screaming that this man was far more terrifying than any large fish. Curiosity really does kill the mermaid.

However, the silver mermaid’s injuries were severe. He looked like he was on the verge of death. Deng Xi watched as the man used only his arm strength to haul his massive tail onto the reef. His wounds tore further, bleeding profusely, but he didn’t make a sound.

Once on the rock, the silver mermaid collapsed, his breathing becoming dangerously light. He closed those beast-like eyes.

Did he faint?

Deng Xi pouted. Even if his clansman was pitiful and dying, Deng Xi couldn’t even feed himself, let alone a second person. They would probably just starve together.

Quietly, he turned to leave. Sorry…

But a moment later, he swam back. He moved close to the unconscious mermaid, unable to take his eyes off that shimmering tail.

Deng Xi whispered, “If you let me touch it—just once!—I’ll save you, okay?”

He poked the silver fin with his fingertip. Then, avoiding the wounds, he gently stroked the silver scales. Again and again.

Absorbed in the sensation, Deng Xi didn’t notice the silver mermaid’s eyelids quiver.

A Jiao-ren’s tail is a lethal weapon, but it is also the most sensitive part of their body an “inverse scale” that no one is allowed to touch. If the silver mermaid hadn’t been so gravely injured, Deng Xi would have been killed by an instinctive counterattack.

In his stupor, Si Jisheng felt an undeniable numbness spreading from his tail like a weak but persistent electric current, pulling his consciousness out of the dark void.

His fingers twitched slightly as he faintly heard two words: “So well-behaved.”