Into The Sea

Plop.

A pearl fell, landing in the wooden basin Yu Shanye was holding. Testing the weight, she gently shook it. A soft rustling sound echoed. “I think this is enough,” she declared.

“I don’t think so,” Lan Wu countered.

She held a halved onion close to her eyes. Moments later—

Plop, plop, plop.

The mermaid’s eyelashes were damp, the corners of her eyes already flushed red. Translucent tears cascaded down, transforming into pristine, round pearls that fell into the basin like they were worthless.

Yu Shanye stared in shock, unable to help but suck in a sharp breath. “You’re really going to cry yourself blind.” She glanced at the growing pile of gleaming pearls. “Huh? This one’s pretty big.”

Lan Wu immediately looked down. “Which one?”

“This one.”

“This one? Hmm… it’s alright, I guess. I think I can cry out an even bigger one.”

“I’m saying, even if you’re not afraid of going blind, think about me! I’ve been sitting here watching you cry for two hours now…”

Just then, a voice called from outside the door, “Lan Wu?”

Footsteps approached quickly. Ji Lingyue pushed open the door, her brow furrowing as she saw Yu Shanye alone in the room. “Have you seen Lan Wu?”

Yu Shanye hesitated, then shook her head. “Nope.”

Ji Lingyue eyed her suspiciously. “What are you doing here all by yourself?”

The woman hesitated, then picked up a porcelain cup from the table. “Just… enjoying some tea.”

“…” Ji Lingyue pursed her lips and scanned the room. “Lan Wu really didn’t come to see you?”

“Haha, why would she come looking for me? Isn’t she busy making a coral crown?”

“Well, you are her troublemaking friend.”

“Are you talking about me?” Another voice chimed in as a strikingly beautiful woman leaned against the doorframe, grinning. “I think I heard someone mention troublemaking friend.”

Ji Lingyue said flatly, “You misheard.”

Yao Zhu hummed, then added, “Oh? Well, someone from the sea sent a message. Lan Yuan is looking for you and wants you to hurry over.”

“Looking for me? Not Lan Wu?”

“Just you.”

“Alright,” Ji Lingyue turned to leave. As she reached the door, she turned back. “If you see…”

“I know, I know,” Yu Shanye interrupted. “If I see Lan Wu, I’ll be sure to tell her you’re looking for her.”

Ji Lingyue nodded and left the courtyard, heading toward the nearby coast. Once she was out of sight, Yu Shanye let out a relieved sigh and carefully looked into her cup. Curious, Yao Zhu leaned over and saw a fist-sized fish curled up inside, blowing bubbles.

She tilted her head, utterly confused. “What are you two doing?”

A gentle breeze swept through the room. The woman in the light-blue dress reappeared. Yao Zhu gasped as she saw her face. “Did someone beat you up?”

Lan Wu snapped, “You’re the one who got beat up.”

She bent down, pulled a wooden basin from under the bed, and shoved it into Yu Shanye’s arms. “Keep going.”

Yu Shanye looked pained and tried to reason with her. “I think you should listen to Ji Lingyue and use natural pearls for the crown. Look at you, it’s supposed to be a happy occasion, but you’re crying nonstop. It’s not good for your health.”

“No,” Lan Wu scoffed. “I came to you because I knew she would stop me. Aren’t you my best friend?”

Yao Zhu understood what was going on and sat down on another chair, chiming in, “Well done, I support you.”

Yu Shanye was stunned. “What?”

Lan Wu was greatly encouraged. “See? I’ve already decided to make the most unique coral crown for Ah Yue. How can I use ordinary pearls? No matter what they say, I’m going to give her the best.”

Yao Zhu nodded thoughtfully. “No wonder that little demon is so attached to you. If I made a scarf out of my finest tail fur and gave it to Xuan Yu, do you think she would be so moved that she would cling to me too?”

Yu Shanye frowned. “Huh?”

Lan Wu was also taken aback. “Uh… I’m not sure about that.”

However, Yao Zhu had already made up her mind. She jumped up and left excitedly. The two watched her go, exchanging glances. After a moment, Yu Shanye shook her head. “Truly, a troublemaking friend.”

Late at night, the two returned from the city. At the fork in the road, they agreed to meet the next day and went their separate ways.

However, Lan Wu found her door locked.

Lan Wu paused. Taking a few steps back, she noticed that the courtyard’s barrier hadn’t been activated. She lightly soared over the wall, landing silently on the terrace by the pond. Looking back, all the rooms were shrouded in darkness and silence.

Lan Wu quietly returned to her room. As she was about to pour herself a glass of water, a voice echoed, “Where have you been?”

Startled, she instinctively stumbled backward, bumping into a chair. A rustling sound came from the darkness. Then, a figure rose from the bed and slowly approached her.

Thanks to the mermaid’s excellent night vision, even in complete darkness, Lan Wu could see Ji Lingyue clearly.

The woman seemed to have just bathed. Her thick, slightly damp black hair cascaded down her back, and her loosely tied robe revealed a fair expanse of skin. She stopped a short distance from Lan Wu, crossed her arms, and gave her a knowing smile. “Well?”

Lan Wu rarely felt guilty around her, but now she couldn’t meet her gaze. She pretended to look around casually. “I didn’t do anything, just…” Her words trailed off as she noticed Ji Lingyue’s bare feet. Concerned, she stepped forward and picked her up. “You can’t just walk on the floor like that. It’s too cold. You’re not like me…”

Ji Lingyue touched Lan Wu’s clothes, finding them icy cold. It was obvious she had just come back from outside, and there was another scent lingering on her.

She frowned, asking again, “Where did you go?”

Lan Wu set her down on the bed and replied innocently. “I went for a walk by the sea.”

“But I haven’t seen you all day. Were you walking the whole time?”

“You went to the sea too, didn’t you? Of course, you didn’t see me,” Lan Wu said, then curiously added, “What did my sister want with you?”

“Just to take my measurements for a wedding dress… Don’t change the subject. Where were you today? Why do you smell so strongly of the city?”

Seeing that she couldn’t fool her this time, Lan Wu bit her lip in frustration. “I went… um, I went to the city with Shanye to eat.”

Ji Lingyue tilted her head, staring at her. “Eat?”

Lan Wu affirmed, “Yes, eat. I swear, if I’m lying, I’ll turn into a dog.”

“No,” Ji Lingyue shook her finger. “If you’re lying, all the scales on your tail will fall off.”

“…” After a long pause, Lan Wu’s eyes widened. “H-how could you say that? Losing all my scales would be so cruel.”

Ji Lingyue smirked. “It’s because you keep lying to me. Turning into a dog isn’t a punishment for you. I won’t fall for that again.”

Before Lan Wu could continue her excuses, Ji Lingyue snorted, grabbed her shoulders, and flipped her over, straddling her waist. “When I went to the sea today, besides getting fitted for clothes, I also heard something interesting. Do you want to know what it was?”

Lan Wu instinctively asked, “What?”

“A few mermaids heard you were looking for the best pearls for the crown, so they gave me some.”

“Gave them to you?” Lan Wu was puzzled. “Well, that’s kind of them, but I wouldn’t use someone else’s pearls.”

“I know,” Ji Lingyue smiled. “So the pearls they gave me were all yours.”

Lan Wu was stunned. “How would they have my pearls?”

“I thought it was strange too, so I asked.” Ji Lingyue gently stroked her cheek, her voice soft. “Guess what they said? They all said that you gave them to them when you were little.”

Lan Wu blinked blankly. “Really?”

“And they all said almost the same thing.” Ji Lingyue recalled, “Something like, ‘The Third Princess was so sweet when she was little, she said I was the prettiest sister, so she wanted to give me the most beautiful pearl.'”

“…” Lan Wu closed her eyes, speechless. After a moment, she tried to explain, “Children say things without thinking.”

Ji Lingyue chuckled. “Before this afternoon, I thought ordinary pearls would be fine, but now… I also think we should use your pearls.”

Lan Wu quickly opened her eyes. “I told you…”

Ji Lingyue interrupted her. “But I don’t like your method of making pearls.” She lowered her head, gently kissing the corner of the woman’s lips, her voice soft. “We have a much better method, don’t we?”