Gu Chen was so excited he wanted to stand up. Qiu Bai was really smart; he could definitely help him out of his predicament.
The mermaid elder beside her pressed down on Gu Chen's shoulder, "Princess, this is your coming-of-age ceremony, please be a little more ladylike."
Gu Chen shuddered, recalling how he had cursed when he first came in, and how the elder had treated him like a dead fish, holding him by the tail and doing exercises with him, causing the scales on his tail to burst open.
"I will."
Then, he quietly imitated the tone of voice used by Sister Lan and the others.
"Elder, where do those black mermaids standing by the door come from?"
The mermaid elder gave Gu Chen a disdainful look. "Princess, you don't have the law. Black mermaids are the lowest-ranking mermaids, responsible for guarding the gate to the Mermaid Secret Realm. They've already cleaned up."
Gu Chen nodded, "Will they present gifts?"
"Of course, all the merfolk need to offer you gifts."
Gu Chen: "Then..."
The elder frowned. "Your Highness, you should shut up."
Gu Chen immediately sat up straight and didn't move. The elder next to him chuckled when he saw Gu Chen do this.
It's a pity Gu Chen didn't see it, otherwise he wouldn't have had to suffer so much.
The coming-of-age banquet was extremely tedious. People would bring things up, and Gu Chen would nod, give a professional fake smile, and so on, over and over again.
Finally, an hour later, the group of black mermaids appeared.
Qiu Bai was disguised as a disabled adult mermaid and mingled at the very back of the group.
"The Blacktail Clan pledges its loyalty to you."
As they spoke, the four adult mermaids presented the pearl oyster to Gu Chen.
Gu Chen, however, looked at Qiu Bai and had no intention of paying attention to the pearl oyster.
"The Blacktail Clan, is that it? May I make a request of you?"
The elders of the Blacktail Clan exchanged glances, unsure whether it was a good or bad thing.
"Of course, Your Highness."
Gu Chen's fish scales burst open again.
I want her!
Gu Chen pointed at Qiu Bai, and the elder of the Black Tail Clan was stunned.
“Your Highness, it is a disabled mermaid. Your Highness is exceptionally noble, this is not appropriate.”
Gu Chen didn't care about any of that. "This is your loyalty to me. I can't even accept a mermaid."
"Of course, you can."
The Blacktail Clan elder shuddered, his heart filled with complex emotions as he thought of the humans inside the pearl oyster.
Qiu Bai stepped forward directly, "You can have it, but the pearl oyster must belong to me."
The merman elder frowned. "How dare you! What right does a mere crippled merman have to spout such nonsense here?"
Qiu Bai stared intently at Gu Chen, "If you don't give it to me, I'll kill myself. That way you won't get my body or my heart."
Gu Chen looked at Qiu Bai, wondering if this was some new plot development.
Seeing that the elder was about to make a move, Gu Chen stopped him, "No, take her and the pearl oyster to my room."
"Your Highness!"
"Am I the prince, or are you the prince?"
The elder reluctantly agreed.
Gu Chen, who was rushing to end the banquet, did not see the elder behind him looking at him with a mixture of infatuation and jealousy.
He returned to his room, dismissed the eunuchs, and closed the door.
"Qiu Bai, Qiu Bai, it's me, Gu Chen. What do we do now?"
"I'm not Qiu Bai, my name is Miao Miao. Can you help me open the pearl oyster?"
"Yes, yes."
Gu Chen was completely baffled. What was this "mysterious" thing?
Inside the pearl oyster lay a little baby who looked somewhat familiar.
"Qiu Bai, who is this?"
“This is my child, named Yao Yao. Her father is a scumbag.”
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