"Do you know that she has become the embodiment of the devil?"

"I know."

“Wang could lose her mind at any moment; she might kill you. I won’t.”

Qi Qi accused him: "That's still better than you. You didn't even give me water on the island, and you tied me up. I almost died of thirst. What if I had run into bad guys?"

"You're bad too, aren't you? You just want to use me to make Mother lose her mind and get everyone to gang up on her, right?"

Lan was speechless for a moment, realizing that his words had indeed come true: "It is the best way."

He said, "I didn't intend to kill you, I just wanted to lock you up temporarily."

Qi Qi shook his head: "I won't listen! I'm not going to watch you go!"

Lan's brows furrowed deeper, her expression sharp: "You're simply unreasonable. If you had any sense, you would know that I'm doing this for your own good."

Qi Qi: "You're the one who's being unreasonable! You're trying to harm people without even thinking of a solution!"

I'm getting angry.

"...She almost killed me!"

Qi Qi: "But she didn't do it on purpose! She had no choice..."

Lan: "Then why don't you come and apologize to me?"

Qi Qi paused for two seconds, then said loudly, "...I'm sorry!"

Lan's anger was suddenly quenched. He clenched his fists, thinking that this shouldn't be the case. He should be very angry and determined to avenge himself, punish the king's evil deeds, and stop the strange black gem on the king's body.

"If a shark doesn't act for its own benefit, it will be condemned by heaven and earth. What wrong has he done? If the king hadn't dealt with him so severely, how could he have had such thoughts?"

But seeing Qi's wide, glaring eyes droop and her apologetic with a somber tone, he somehow felt his anger subside.

Lan took a deep breath, trying to calm her emotions that were being controlled.

It wasn't like this before...

Is it because I've reached adulthood?

"It's useless,"

Lan's face was tense, like a cold-blooded killer in the dark.

"Even if I forgive the Queen, if she were to have a fit of rage and kill the entire clan, including you, would you still be able to say you want to forgive her then?"

After he finished speaking, the atmosphere fell silent for a moment.

Qi Qi knew that Lan was in the right, and if you changed the perspective, it was the two of them who went to the island together. It was not up to him to decide who was right and who was wrong. He was only trying to stop Lan because he was on the side of the Mermaid King.

He waited for a while but Lan still hadn't beaten him up, and he was very puzzled.

Why hasn't he made a move yet? I've already bought my protective shield; I wonder if it will last for half an hour. It should be enough for me to swim to shore, and then I can fool a few more humans...

Qi Qi had made up his mind, but Lan still didn't make a move. She just stood there with an imposing aura, silently staring intently at him.

In that instant, Qi Qifu felt a surge of happiness.

Is Lan... not yet at the point of wanting to kill the King? But why? Could it be that my analysis was wrong? Then why did he do that? Why poison him?

Qi Qi was stunned.

But he treated me so badly... What's going on? I can't seem to wrap my head around it.

System: [You told me yesterday that you were going to deal with him badly.]

Qi Qi: [Are all animals with "human" in their name complicated? Unless he makes a move now, otherwise...]

System: [Otherwise what?]

Otherwise... since he's not targeting me, then to me he can't be considered particularly, particularly bad.

"Uncle Lan..."

Qi Qi tentatively called his name in a small voice.

Lan was surprised that he still called her that, and the anxiety in her heart instantly dissipated: "You're not going to call me bad guy anymore?"

His expression was anything but friendly; he remained stern.

Qi Qi cautiously observed his expression: "We've all been together for so long, can't we talk things out properly... Look, Mother is still fine, she hasn't had an attack, right?"

"She was just being controlled, that's why she did the wrong thing. She knows she was wrong... We still have time. Let's think of a way to remove the black gem, okay?"

Lan sneered, "You have a way? What way do you have? I could take on ten of you with one hand. If the king goes crazy, you'll be the first to die."

Qi Qi: "..."

There's no need to be so blunt; it's true he can't beat Lan.

But! He has everything!

With Tongtong there, Qi Qi straightened his back instantly again!

"I'm not afraid!"

Lan misheard Qi as saying he wasn't afraid of the king.

He snorted coldly, and then, without letting the coldness subside.

Qi Qi grasped his arms with both hands: "Uncle Lan..."

Lan's pupils dilated, surprised that she hadn't noticed when he had gotten so close to her.

The result of his sudden loss of vigilance was that the touch from his fingertips was imprinted on his strong arm, and Qi Qi stopped calling him uncle.

What is he doing? Is he being affectionate?

Lan had never seen him like this before. He had seen Qi throw tantrums and yell at the sharks many times. Qi was quite cute when he was young, but his temper got worse and worse as he grew up. He was okay with the king, but with others... He never expected that when he was being affectionate, he was gentler and softer than usual, like a little jellyfish in the sea, soft and fluffy, and would bounce back if you poked him.

“I know you’ve always been the best… Actually, you didn’t want to do this either, you were also raised by your mother…”

"We'll keep an eye on Mother, she'll be alright, there must be a way to avoid hurting each other, right?"

Lan: "...Let go."

Qi Qi simply grabbed his arm: "Uncle Lan..."

System silence: [You've got guts.]

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