Mermaids Weep (21)
As a child, Han Chengyu longed for the outside world, but his family kept a close watch on him and didn't give him many opportunities. Back then, he could only stay in his room, flipping through various books in the mansion and constantly fantasizing about what it would be like to roam the world freely.
Among all the books he had read, there was one that recorded the geography and landscape of the Secret Sea. It said that there was a place near the sea called "Treasure Basin," where unexpected treasures would be brought by the waves at high tide. Young Han Chengyu estimated that the place was not far from his home; he could walk there. So he planned a nighttime adventure, with this "Treasure Basin" as his destination.
However, the adults all said that the Secret Sea was extremely dangerous at night, so out of caution, he brought along a life-saving magical artifact. It was this artifact that allowed him to save Yao Yao, who was on the verge of death.
When Han Chengyu first saw Yao Yao, her body was covered in bloody wounds, as if she had been gnawed by sharp teeth. Han Chengyu had never seen anything like it and was so frightened that he stood frozen in place, too afraid to approach. Just then, Yao Yao let out a weak cry for help. Han Chengyu hesitated for a moment, then mustered his courage and approached to check on her. He realized that this merman was probably not long for this world, and without thinking, he used his magical artifact on her.
Fortunately, the magical artifact was effective against merfolk, and Yao Yao was saved. The two met and became each other's secret partners.
His favorite time was when he would run to the Treasure Basin every full moon and see Yao Yao secretly hiding behind a rock, peeking out half her head to look for him. The feeling of being cared for by a special person was delightful.
"Don't you have a good relationship with your family?" Yao Yao asked him when she was little. "Why do you always seem unhappy when you talk about your family?"
"It's not that it's bad, it's just that everyone is too busy and doesn't have time to spend with me," Han Chengyu replied as a child. "My mother died in childbirth when she gave birth to my younger brother, and he was prone to illness, so my father took extra care of him, and even the servants in the house revolved around him..."
"Hmph, that just means he doesn't care about you. They're both his children, how can he be biased?" Yao Yao said, standing up for him.
"No! My dad is very good to me too. He buys me delicious food and takes me to see acrobatics. I just don't want them to worry about me..."
Yao Yao blinked at him, thinking he was a bit awkward, but not a bad person, so she comforted him, "It's okay, I'll play with you from now on. When I'm an adult, I'll come find you on the shore!"
"Really!" Han Chengyu's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he excitedly leaned closer to Yao Yao and said, "Then I'll wait for you!"
As Han Chengyu grew older and his studies became more demanding, he still insisted on meeting with Yao Yao. His father saw everything but did not expose his clumsy lies about going out.
During this time, Han Chengjin became increasingly clingy, following him around like a shadow wherever he went. Han Chengjin didn't dislike his younger brother; on the contrary, he somewhat enjoyed being relied upon. But he absolutely had to see Yaoyao, so to get rid of this little tagalong, Han Chengjin sent him to the study to read, and stuffed all the books he had previously read into his hands.
Those days were the happiest time of Han Chengyu's life. He lived a stable and carefree life, with a harmonious family and close friends. Everything was satisfying—until his father entered the Golden Core stage.
Young Han Chengyu had no idea what the Golden Core stage meant, but from the day the news spread, his life underwent tremendous changes. First, the number of strangers visiting his mansion suddenly increased, forcing him, as his father's eldest son, to show his face and entertain the guests. Second, rumors of disappearances frequently surfaced in the Secret Sea, leading to an increase in the number of guards around him, and his freedom to enter and leave the mansion day and night became less.
He used to envy his younger brother for being able to capture most of their father's attention, but now that that attention is on him, he finds it hard to cope.
Soon, he was no longer allowed to go out at night and had to complete even more demanding schoolwork under his father's supervision. He was very unhappy about this and protested to his father several times, but the responses he received left him feeling powerless.
“Cheng Yu, I turned a blind eye to things in the past because I wanted you to have a happy and free childhood. But now you’ve grown up, and soon I will be leaving you to go into seclusion for cultivation. At that time, this family will depend on you to protect it.”
It was only then that Han Chengyu realized that although his father loved them, he cared more about his own path to immortality.
This matter was not unreasonable. Han Yaocheng was a rare cultivation prodigy in the Secret Sea. Before him, the Secret Sea had not produced a Golden Core cultivator for nearly a hundred years. If Father could maintain this momentum, he might really be able to ascend to the Upper Realm. Then, the Han family would also join the ranks of prestigious families, which would be a great blessing for the family.
Faced with the fate of his family on one side and personal feelings on the other, Han Chengyu's upbringing taught him to choose the former.
Therefore, he decided to keep his encounter with the merman in his heart and take on the responsibility of the eldest son as the successor, even if it would mean losing a close friend forever.
He thought he could be heartless and unmoved, but when he saw the glittering pearl around Han Chengjin's neck, a crack appeared in his heart.
Why Han Chengjin of all people? Han Chengyu asked himself this question countless times, but when he recalled the scene of sending his younger brother to read books, he realized that it was all the result of his own actions.
The night remained deep, the candlelight inside casting flickering shadows on the walls as the figures of the two were illuminated. Han Chengyu and Yao Yao gazed at each other; she awaited his answer, but he could no longer provide the response she desired.
Han Chengyu finally let out a sigh of relief and said to Yao Yao, "Pei Yao, our identities have changed, and our positions are different now. Some things can no longer be done as recklessly as before..."
Seeing Han Chengyu like this, Yao Yao couldn't hold back any longer. She interrupted Han Chengyu's long speech and said bluntly, "Han Chengyu, if you're scared, just say so. There's no need to hide it like this."
Looking at the stunned Han Chengyu, she knew she was right; he was avoiding facing her. So she continued, "You've shouldered a lot of responsibility, but so have I! I really did apologize to you for not arriving at our agreed meeting place on time, but I went there many times afterward, hoping to explain and try to get your forgiveness. And what about you?!"
As Yao Yao spoke, she became more and more excited, and her voice gradually grew louder, attracting the attention of the people outside.
"I hope there's some noise going on inside?" Ye Yingying exclaimed in surprise.
Han Chengjin hesitated whether to go over and listen to what was going on inside, but Yun Yanqiu interrupted him: "Let them be. It's better to talk things out than to keep it bottled up."
Han Chengjin thought about it and felt that it made sense, but the anxiety in her heart could not be dispelled, and her body unconsciously leaned forward.
Suddenly, Ye Yingying called his name and asked, "Brother Cheng Jin, how many girls do you know?"
"Huh?" Han Chengjin replied blankly, "Not many..."
"Besides me and Yao Yao?"
"Do the servants in the manor count?..."
“Hmm…” Ye Yingying pondered for a moment, “I understand.”
What do you mean? Han Chengjin was a little confused. He waited quietly for Ye Yingying to continue, but Ye Yingying remained silent.
Suddenly, Senior Yun spoke up, "Why don't you ask me?"
"Hmm?" Ye Yingying's heart skipped a beat, and she smiled somewhat awkwardly. "So, Senior Yun, how many do you know?"
“Not much.” After saying that, Yun Yanqiu fell silent.
"Not much, how much?" Ye Yingying's curiosity was piqued, but Yun Yanqiu remained silent, and it would seem inappropriate for her to press the matter. Ye Yingying bit her lip inwardly and could only let her imagination run wild.
Inside the room, Han Chengyu was surprised by Yao Yao's emotional state and her persistence. He panicked and quickly comforted her, "You did nothing wrong! It was me who didn't keep the appointment."
"What?" Yao Yao stared at him in disbelief, her eyes wide.
"I broke the agreement first, I chose to run away," Han Chengyu confessed. "I was afraid that if I treated you the same way as before, it would cause you trouble."
"I'm sorry, but for me, this is the best solution I can think of."
Han Chengyu lowered his head more and more as he spoke, feeling increasingly embarrassed. He didn't even dare to look Yao Yao in the eye anymore.
At that moment, Yao Yao suddenly felt a sense of familiarity. The Han Chengyu bowing his head in apology, the honest and sincere Han Chengyu, the Han Chengyu who thought of others—the figure before her gradually overlapped with the one in her memory. This was the gentle Han Chengyu she knew.
"Now that I'm in jail, I'm worried they might harm you if they find out you exist."
I don't want you to get hurt because of me.
Han Chengyu revealed his truest thoughts word by word. He mustered his courage and looked up again, seeing Yao Yao staring at him in a daze. In an instant, it was as if the two of them had returned to the time when they were children and could talk about anything by the sea.
Yao Yao looked into his eyes, then suddenly moved her lips and whispered, "I still want to continue being good friends with you."
Han Chengyu paused for a moment, then a faint smile appeared on his lips, as gentle as a spring breeze: "Me too."
The room gradually quieted down. Several people stood guard at the door, all except Ye Yingying staring intently at the closed door. Suddenly, the door was opened, and Yao Yao walked out with a normal expression, followed closely by Han Chengyu. The atmosphere between the two subtly changed.
"You guys..." Han Chengjin hesitated, but ultimately didn't ask.
At that moment, Yao Yao announced loudly, "Our problem is solved! We can go rescue people tomorrow without any worries!"
Seeing that Yao Yao was in high spirits, the group put their doubts to rest.
"Then hurry back and rest," Yun Yanqiu reminded them, and prepared to leave with Ye Yingying and Yao Yao.
"Cheng Jin, you should get some rest too." Han Chengyu silently said goodbye to everyone behind him and then walked away.
Han Chengjin was left standing there, her mind still in turmoil.
That's it? That was so sudden! What should he do now? This can't go on!
Han Chengjin gritted his teeth and went to the guest courtyard to find Yao Yao.
When Yun Yanqiu saw Han Chengjin arrive, he was speechless and impatient. He looked at Han Chengjin's determined gaze, then at Yao Yao's innocent eyes, and finally all he could say was a helpless sigh: "Don't talk too late."
"Let the young people be." Yun Yanqiu escorted Ye Yingying to her bedroom, then returned to his room, closed the door, and ignored what was happening outside.
"Well, I just wanted to tell you..." Han Chengjin looked at Yao Yao solemnly and got straight to the point, "I used to be very curious about you, but I was more afraid of you. But now that I really understand you, I don't think you're scary at all."
Yao Yao blinked blankly, a little confused about what he was trying to say.
"Well... I mean, even though there are a lot of misunderstandings between us, and you probably don't know me very well, I still want to be friends with you." Han Chengjin finally mustered up his courage and said what was on his mind. He had never said such things so seriously before. He glanced at Yao Yao nervously and shyly, and asked weakly, "Is that okay?"
Yao Yao was taken aback by his question, then laughed and cried at the same time: "You two brothers are really strange."
Han Chengjin scratched his head awkwardly: "So, is it okay or not?"
"Of course!" Yao Yao readily agreed. "I've considered you a good friend for a long time!"
As she spoke, she pointed to the pearl around Han Chengjin's neck and winked mischievously, "This is our token, I hope you don't mind."
"How could that be!" Han Chengjin quickly emphasized, "I have always cherished it, both before and in the future."
As they chatted and laughed, a few rays of moonlight pierced through the thick clouds and fell to the ground. The two looked into each other's eyes, which were bright and clear.
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