Chapter 83 Mermaid on the Shore 5 "She is my wife."...

083 Mermaid on the Shore 5

Wen Ling saw that Lu Jiu looked unhappy, so he asked carefully, "Are you looking for a sailor with the same name as me?"

He clenched his fist against his chin, closed his eyes and thought hard. After thinking for a long time, he opened his eyes, scratched the back of his head, and said distressedly: "I really don't remember such a person. Are you sure you remember the name correctly? What about his appearance? What does he look like?"

In just half a minute, Lu Jiu's eye color had changed several times.

He pursed his lips tightly, as if he was holding back his breath. He opened his mouth and whispered, "He is very tall, about 1.9 meters tall, with dark grey eyes... He is very handsome..."

"1.9 meters? I can count on one hand the number of people in the nearby towns who are 1.9 meters tall. Why would you be a sailor if you are that tall?"

“…”

"Are you sure that person is in Mermaid Town? He told you in person? Are you sure you remember it correctly?"

“…………”

Lu Jiu began to reminisce again, and the more he reminisced, the darker his face became.

His memory was not so bad. The man told him clearly that day that he was in Mermaid Town, was a sailor, and his name was Wen Ling.

Lu Jiu even remembered the other party's tone at that time - light and flirtatious.

…………He wants to hit someone.

Could it be that the guy cheated him?

Fake? All fake?!

The name is fake, the occupation is fake, and the address is also fake? !

Seeing that Lu Jiu's beautiful eyes were about to spit fire after experiencing confusion, suspicion, and disbelief, Wen Ling shrank his neck and asked awkwardly: "Then, then what are you going to do next?"

what to do?

………………Oh.

Lu Jiu showed Wen Ling a bright smile: "Brother Wen, would it be convenient for you to take me in for a few more days?"

Lu Jiu was really beautiful, with a pair of fox eyes that were just slightly curved enough to make people feel confused, and the two small moles under her left eye and on the bridge of her nose were also charming and sexy.

Wen Ling's mind was immediately stunned by Lu Jiu's laughter. He nodded repeatedly and said foolishly: "Okay, okay, you, you can stay for as many days as you want!"

So Lu Jiu turned around and followed Wen Ling with a bright smile on her face.

——Isn’t your name Wen Ling?

Now that he has found "Wen Ling", of course he will follow "Wen Ling" :)

…………Damn you dog man!!

*

Mermaid Town is very small.

The news of the auction house arson spread throughout the town this morning, and by noon when Wen Ying and his group were taken to prison, everyone knew that the mysterious duke had intervened in the trial.

Everyone was talking about which duke it was.

How could a figure of the Duke's level pay attention to their remote and unknown town?

No one could figure out why.

But that didn't stop them from cheering for the great duke.

You know, the residents of the small town have been displeased with the judge who looks like a pig and the administrator with shifty eyes for a long time.

These people are like borers in a piece of wood. They can't make the wood better, or even keep the wood the same. They just keep drilling deeper and deeper into the wood.

They drilled and drilled until the wood was hollowed out. They were well fed and well-watered, but the homes on which the townspeople depended for their survival were completely destroyed.

At night, everyone was drinking in the tavern, toasting their glasses and sighing, how great it would be if the Duke could also deal with the administrator!

The next day, the development of the situation shocked them -

The Duke actually took care of the administrator.

It was said that the magistrate had been in a state of anxiety since the judge had been taken away the day before.

He knew that a big shot had come to the east of the town, but he didn't know the other party's identity. He sent people to inquire several times, but was always turned away. After that, he didn't dare to disturb him again.

Last night he couldn't bear it anymore and paid a visit in person - he wanted to know if this person had interfered in the trial - but he was still ruthlessly turned away.

The strong premonition made the administrator pale and covered in cold sweat. He sat in the mansion until late at night, and suddenly woke up and said that he wanted to leave the town and go to a farther place to do business.

No one knew what he was going to do. Anyway, the servants immediately packed their luggage. However, as soon as the administrator got on the carriage and the coachman hadn't even mounted the horse, a team of soldiers holding torches surrounded the entire administrator's office!

The leader of the team had evidence of the administrator's corruption over the years since he took office here, and he took everyone in the palace away!

In the morning, on the main street of the town, the vendors had no intention of doing business. They gathered together to listen to the insider's vivid description of the incident.

"So the administrative office is empty now?"

"Yes, it's empty, there's no one!"

"They are all in jail?"

"Yes, all of them!"

"Which duke is this? I really want to thank him!"

"Come on, I don't need your thanks!"

"Great! This is a celebration! This is the best gift God has given us before the Harvest Festival!"

"Yeah, after what happened at the auction yesterday, I thought we wouldn't be able to celebrate the Harvest Festival this year..."

"It's not a gift from God, it's from the Duke!"

"Yes, it's His Excellency the Duke!"

Shouts of gratitude gradually became one after another. For the residents of these small towns, the mysterious Duke had become a benefactor whom they would never forget. Even when they were in their seventies or eighties, they would probably tell this magical and satisfying story to their children.

At that time, Lu Jiu was standing outside the crowd wearing a hat.

He listened absentmindedly, his eyes scanning the faces of these people carefully - but he still couldn't find the man in the crowd.

He turned and left with a dark face.

…

The man who was suspected to be the Duke in the east of the town initially attracted a lot of interest.

Of course, no one had the courage to knock on the door, but curiosity forced them to walk there intentionally or unintentionally, looking into the closed door.

But after two or three days, no one saw this mysterious big man come out.

Others said that if this man was really the Duke, and he had done such a good thing but wanted to keep a low profile, then everyone should not disturb him!

So, on the fourth day, there were no more people coming to the gate of the mansion to inquire about the situation.

From beginning to end, the door of this mansion has never been opened. Some people suspected that the big shot might have already left.

*

Lu Jiu really wanted to call 111 back to complain.

He could only complain to 111.

He never thought that the man would lie to him!

Think about it carefully. If the other party in this world is as powerful as in the previous worlds, then it is normal to be wary of a stranger.

But Lujiu just wasn't well prepared.

...He was a little uncomfortable with the feeling of being on guard against by that man.

He was a little angry and a little depressed, but deep down he still seemed to subconsciously hope that he could find the other person in this small town.

...It would be nice if there was even one true word.

Every morning, he goes out.

He walked from east to west, from south to north. He was to the docks, the casinos, the pubs, and the schools. People of all kinds came into his sight, but not a single figure coincided with the one in his memory.

On the third day after the trial, all the residents of the town came to the execution ground.

They crowded around the empty space, talking in low voices as they watched the people from the auction house being brought up and dragged to the guillotine one by one.

The bloody executions made some people feel uncomfortable, but also made others feel happy.

Lu Jiu watched as the auction house boss's head was chopped off, and right after that was dragged up the "know-it-all" who was disguised as an old man.

The other party begged and cried in panic, but with the horrible sound of the blade smashing down, all his sounds stopped abruptly.

Lu Jiu looked away.

He looked in all directions.

A dense crowd of people, with faces close together.

He scanned each face calmly and carefully.

As the sun began to set and all the bodies on the execution ground were taken away, he turned and left in disappointment.

…

He said goodbye to Wen Ling.

Wen Ling was a little caught off guard: "Ah, are you leaving just like that? Did you find the person you were looking for?"

Lu Jiu was silent for a few seconds, shook his head, and said, "He shouldn't be in this town."

Wen Ling racked his brains to comfort him: "It's also possible that he went out to work! Young people in small towns often have to go out to sell goods and work, maybe he will be back in a few days!"

"I don't know." Lu Jiu looked at the dancing flame in the oil lamp, exhaled after a while, raised his eyes to look at Wen Ling, and said in a relaxed tone, "Let's talk about it later. Anyway, there is no point for me to wait here foolishly. I will talk about it after a few days in the sea."

Since Lu Jiu said so, Wen Ling didn't try to keep him anymore.

"Then I'll take you somewhere farther away?"

Lu Jiu thought about it and realized that it seemed that someone was still searching for mermaids on the coast these days.

He nodded: "Then I'll trouble you, Brother Wen."

As soon as the sun rose the next day, the two of them set out for the dock.

The Wen family’s boat was a very small fishing boat, with fishing gear piled everywhere on the deck.

After getting on the boat, Lu Jiu and Wen Ling rowed together.

The boat broke through the water.

The beach was getting farther and farther behind us, and the people who pretended to be fishermen and kept observing the sea gradually turned into small black dots.

When they were very far away and could only see the sea, Wen Ling said to him, "Then I'll take you here. When you come ashore again, come to our house and play."

"Okay," Lu Jiu smiled, "Maybe I'll be back in a few days. Isn't the town celebrating the Harvest Festival?"

"Yes, it will be very lively then, you must come and see it!" Wen Ling said excitedly.

"Okay," Lu Jiu smiled again, "Then I'll leave, Brother Wen."

He stood up and jumped into the water.

Wen Ling rushed to the side of the boat and stuck his head out to look down.

He saw the young man's nimble figure underwater, his clothes faded away, and a gorgeous fish tail appeared, shining beautifully underwater.

He murmured with a sense of loss: "...I will always welcome you."

*

In fact, there was nothing for Lu Jiu to do when he returned to the sea.

But it's also annoying to stay in Mermaid Town all the time and think about that stinky man.

He swam aimlessly in the sea for a day, and then slept next to a sea turtle on the bottom of the sea. When he woke up, he thought -

Go and have fun!

He turned around and swam to the west.

It is autumn now, and the temperature of the sea water may be a little cool for humans, but it is just right for mermaids whose normal body temperature is low.

Lu Jiu swam happily and soon arrived at the sea area in his memory.

He dived to the bottom of the sea, hid in a coral reef, and quietly observed the even larger coral belt in front of him.

He stared at it without blinking, quietly moving his wrist, until someone came out of the big coral...

Lu Jiu was ejected with a whoosh. Before the man could react, he grabbed the man's neck from behind with lightning speed, and spun around to slam the man onto the coral!

"Ah! Who! Who is it!"

The opponent was hit so hard that he was dizzy, his limbs were flailing, and water was surging.

The three young men who had followed the other party out of the huge coral saw Lu Jiu and immediately screamed in fear: "It's Lu Jiu, Lu Jiu is back!"

"What--"

The person Lu Jiu was holding was his scumbag father.

When the scumbag father turned around in disbelief, Lu Jiu bared his white teeth.

"Dad, long time no see."

His father opened his mouth wide, screamed and struggled madly—

Lu Jiu mercilessly smashed the man onto the coral again. After seven or eight hits, he knocked the man unconscious and then threw him away. He then dived into the coral to chase after his three brothers.

This huge coral is their home, and Lu Jiu knows the structure inside clearly.

"Lu Jiu, how did you wake up? How did you——"

"Don't come to me, it's Dad who said he wants to send you away!"

"Don't come looking for me either!"

Lu Jiu easily caught up with them and beat all three of them black and blue.

When his second brother was stepped on by him, he cried with a nosebleed, "Lu Jiu, you are too much. You don't know how angry the Earl is when he didn't see you. We are already miserable!"

"Oh, what? Do I have to apologize to you?" Lu Jiu bent down, pinched his second brother's chin, and smiled, "Why don't you become the earl's pet and enjoy the wealth and glory?"

“…You, you, ahhhh, I’m going to bite you to death!”

The second brother suddenly raised his head and bit him, but Lu Jiu slapped his face and slammed him back onto the coral!

The second brother screamed and cursed: "I should have been offered to the Duke of Weinanlou! You are the one who should go to the earl, die, die!"

Lu Jiu: “?”

What are you talking about? Is the Duke interested in you?

He ruthlessly hit the man twice, knocking him unconscious.

…

After revenge, Lu Jiu returned to the surface of the sea.

He broke the surface of the water and took a deep breath. The wind blew from behind him, ruffling his wet hair that was sticking to his cheeks.

There was a sound in my ear.

He turned his head casually, but this glance made him stunned.

...A familiar huge white ship arrived here at some point.

The huge ship was sailing slowly on the sea under the clear sky, and soldiers in white uniforms were lined up on the deck.

Lu Jiu watched it coming from the direction of Mermaid Town. He raised his head and watched the huge creature pass in front of him and head forward.

...During the days in Mermaid Town, he looked for the ship but couldn't find it.

He suspected that the ship was anchored somewhere else, but because there were people searching the coastline all the time, he couldn't jump into the sea and transform into a mermaid to look for it, so he could only walk.

But after going to two towns before and after, there was no sign of the ship, and the soles of my feet were bleeding from being rubbed.

Wen Ling said that he did not see such a ship on the nearby coastline on the day he returned, perhaps the ship had sailed far away.

At this moment, Lu Jiu stared in a daze at the ship gradually going away.

…Would that man be on this ship now?

Is that guy going to just...go away?

Lu Jiu tensed up.

Without a word he plunged into the water and began to chase the boat.

He swam hard and desperately, and soon caught up with the stern of the ship.

As he followed, he raised his head and searched the deck for the figure in his heart.

The sea water hit his face during his intense swimming, his eyelashes became wet and his vision became blurred.

He tried hard to identify the appearance of the people on the deck.

No... no... those soldiers looked solemnly into the distance, and none of their faces were correct.

Lu Jiu tried to speed up again. He wanted to cross the ship and look ahead.

But no matter how slowly the boat moves, it is still stronger than a physical body.

No matter how Lu Jiu swam, he could only catch up to the middle of the boat.

He could only see the glass windows on the side of the cabin, and through those high and low glass windows he could see the figures walking back and forth inside, but he could not see those people's faces clearly.

Where?

……Where are you?

…

As night fell, Lu Jiu was completely left behind at an unknown distance.

He is so tired.

He gasped for breath, watching the ship gradually disappear into the night, his body feeling heavy as if it were filled with lead.

My heart sank slowly into the water along with my body.

*

Lu Jiu felt that she might be pregnant.

He could tell from the changes in his body, but for the moment he didn't have the energy or mood to think about it.

He thought about going ashore and buying some herbs to relieve the symptoms.

That day, the people who were searching near the coastline finally disappeared.

Lu Jiu went ashore from the rocky beach.

He had been hiding the clothes given to him by the Wen family at the bottom of the sea, and now he brought them up with him.

He wrung out the water vigorously, put on his still wet and wrinkled clothes, then brushed his wet hair and walked barefoot towards the Mermaid Town.

On the way, he found that the Mermaid Town was eerily quiet tonight.

There were no lights on in every house, as if everyone was asleep, or... no one was at home?

It was not until he arrived at the center of the town, heard laughter coming from afar, and saw the bonfire burning in the middle of the main road that Lu Jiu suddenly remembered that today was the Harvest Festival!

The townspeople were laughing, singing and dancing happily. The lively scene came into view from a distance, and Lu Jiu finally felt a hint of belated warmth.

...Well, let’s go buy some herbs first, then go check out Wen Ling, and then come back to play!

Lu Jiu's pace became lighter.

Just like the last time he went ashore, he brought back a few pearls.

After entering the pharmacy and buying some herbs, Lu Jiu tilted his head back and poured the herbs directly into his mouth. He chewed them and then swallowed them under the admiring look of the boss.

The strange feeling in his body was quickly suppressed, and he turned and walked out of the pharmacy and headed towards the Wen family.

He came to the seashore in the other direction.

There was a fire in the familiar little house in the distance. It was obvious that Wen Ling was at home.

Lu Jiu walked straight over and looked at a luxurious carriage parked on the grass and stone ground with curiosity.

He walked to the door of the Wen family and knocked twice.

It seemed like someone was talking inside, but as soon as there was a knock on the door, the conversation stopped immediately.

A minute later, the door was opened and Wen Ling appeared behind the door. When he saw him, he showed a look of surprise.

"You, you're back?"

"Well, come ashore and play." Lu Jiu's eyes passed him and glanced into the house, but he didn't see anyone inside. "Do you have guests now?"

"Oh, yes." Wen Ling looked annoyed and hesitated.

"It's okay. I just came to ask if you want to go to the celebration together. If it's not convenient for you now, forget it."

"Sorry... Hey, wait a minute," Wen Ling said quickly when she saw his wet clothes, "Wait for me, I'll get you a set of clean clothes."

Before Lu Jiu could stop him, Wen Ling had already run back.

So Lu Jiu could only wait at the door.

During this time, the guests in the house remained silent.

Soon, Wen Ling returned and handed Lu Jiu a set of clean clothes and a pair of shoes, and whispered, "It's not convenient for me to invite you in now. If you accidentally offend the person inside, it might not be good for you... I'll find you on the street after they leave."

"Okay," Lu Jiu asked, "Are you okay?"

"It's okay, they just come to ask some questions, don't worry." Wen Ling stretched out his hand, as if he wanted to touch Lu Jiu's head.

But he seemed to feel that this action was a bit too much, so he stopped immediately and just smiled innocently at Lu Jiu.

Lu Jiu noticed it, just smiled, nodded, and turned away.

He went into the woods, found a secluded corner where no one was, and changed into clean clothes.

…

The other end.

Wen Ling closed the door with a sense of loss. At this moment, his heart had really flown away.

But the person in the room...can't just be left alone like this.

He sighed, turned around, and went back to the living room obediently.

...The handsome man is drinking tea.

He was wearing a noble and gorgeous coat, and his elegant and calm demeanor and manners were out of place in this simple hut.

Two guards stood solemnly on his left and right, exuding an intimidating aura.

Seeing Ling coming back, the man put down the teacup and looked up at him: "Friend?"

"Yes, he came to me to play on the street," Wen Ling touched the back of his head, "Um, Your Excellency the Duke, you just said you wanted to come to me to ask about someone, who is it?"

Wen Ling went from being completely bewildered by the Duke's sudden visit, to suspecting that someone was committing fraud, to having to believe it.

...Only then did he realize that the mysterious duke who intervened in the trial of the auction house arson case was the legendary Duke Wei Nanlou.

But until now, he still didn't know which person he was looking for.

...His friends are all fishermen, right?

Wei Nanlou sat with his legs crossed.

His hands were folded on his knees, his posture was casual and his tone was calm.

"I'm looking for a merman named Lu Jiu. I heard that it was your brother who took him away at the auction that day, but your brother didn't admit it."

The man smiled meaningfully.

"He seems wary of me."

When Wen Ling heard these words, it was as if a bolt of thunder had struck his head.

He opened his mouth in shock.

...Lujiu?

The person the Duke is looking for is actually Lu Jiu...? !

His brain suddenly fell into chaos, and the man in front of him stared at him with a pair of narrow and deep eyes, not missing the slightest change in his expression.

Wei Nanlou's two hands hung down naturally.

At this moment, the index finger of his right hand, hidden in the dark, was slightly bent and tapping the side of his leg from time to time.

He said.

"If you knew him, perhaps he had told you about me."

Wen Ling's breathing became noticeably faster.

Wei Nanlou's eyes were deep and deep, taking everything in.

"After all, I told him that I'm in Mermaid Town now."

“…”

Wen Ling was a little at a loss.

Of course he still remembered that Lu Jiu was looking for a man, a man... He looked at the man in front of him.

How come he didn't notice it just now?

His Excellency the Duke is very tall, must be about 1.9 meters tall.

The candlelight reflected in the pair of deep eyes, which were a pair of dark gray eyes.

This man is, of course, obviously handsome and good-looking.

But how could it be, how could it be...

Wen Ling's throat was a little dry, and his head was buzzing. After a while, he said, "...He, he told me that he was looking for a sailor with the same name as me..."

The index finger that was tapping stopped instantly.

At this moment, it seemed as if even the candle flame had stopped trembling.

Wen Ling subconsciously held his breath.

After a moment of silence, he heard the man slowly say:

"This was a misunderstanding between him and me."

Wen Ling was confused again, his mouth opened and closed: "...I, I...wait, let me think about it, um, can I ask, what is your relationship with him?"

He noticed that the man was just looking at him like that, and his expressionless face made him feel uneasy.

"If, if it's inconvenient, forget it. It's me, it's me who offended--"

The man interrupted him.

"She is my wife."

As soon as these six low and soothing words came out, Wen Ling's head suddenly buzzed.

He didn't notice at all that the two guards on the left and right sides of the man also showed shock on their faces at this moment.

...Lu Jiu and this Duke?! They actually have this kind of relationship...?!

But if that was the case, how could they be separated… Why did Lu Jiu get the name and identity of this man wrong…?

Why--

Many questions intertwined in Wen Ling's mind, and countless contradictions emerged in his heart, but it was all because of the noble status of the man in front of him. The other party's words one after another disrupted his thoughts, and he was unable to calm down and think.

His heart was in turmoil, his mind was in a mess, and a bitter taste gradually rose in his throat.

...Why didn't he ever think of asking Lu Jiu the same question? !

How come he never thought about what kind of person Lu Jiu was so persistent in finding? !

He thought they were just friends! He thought they were just ordinary friends. He subconsciously thought they were just ordinary friends...!

...Wen Ling felt a sense of frustration.

During the time they were together, he seemed to have never thought about anything except Lu Jiu...

And now…now…

Wen Ling's Adam's apple rolled.

He has always lived an upright and honest life, but at this moment he had an urge to lie.

I don’t want to tell the truth, I don’t want the Duke to find out about Lu Jiu, I don’t want to…

All kinds of "don't want to" filled his mind.

Obviously, he had just realized his feelings for Lu Jiu not long ago.

Once this duke finds the landing wine, he will have no chance at all, right...?

Lu Jiu would be taken away, taken to a completely different world. From now on, let alone being friends, they would probably never even see each other again. They...

Wen Ling thought blankly——

But even if he hid it from the Duke and Lu Jiu, what "chance" would he have?

He clearly remembered the look on Lu Jiu's face when he was shrouded in deep loss as he looked at the crowd again and again and lowered his eyelashes again and again.

Lu Jiu came to Mermaid Town in search of this man.

That beautiful mermaid... yes, it is obvious that this is the only man in his heart.

If he can't find this man, he will just return to the sea, and the sea is a place that is beyond the reach of human beings...

He and Lu Jiu never had a chance.

…

The dead silence lasted for three full minutes before Wen Ling finally moved his lips.

In just a short while, his lips became extremely dry, as if all the water in his body had evaporated, and he became like a dehydrated fish that was about to die.

He said in a hoarse voice.

“…The one who knocked on the door just now was him.”