Pipa Prefecture
Zhou Chunhe was caught off guard and was startled. When she turned around, she realized that what was resting on her hand was a piece of wood covered in moss.
This wood pulp must have been discarded for a long time; water stains have seeped into every crack on the pulp, but at least it's not broken, and it's still much more handy than that stone.
Zhou Chunhe's gaze followed the wooden paddle downwards and she saw the person who had given her the paddle—the mermaid she had met for the first time.
This time, the merman didn't shy away. Perhaps it was because he saw that they were about to leave, or perhaps after spending a short time together, he realized that the two of them were not bad people, so he let down his guard.
Zhou Chunhe had always wanted to see if she could communicate with the merman, so she naturally wouldn't let this good opportunity pass by. She gestured something to the merman with her hands, but the merman just opened her eyes wide and looked at her with a puzzled expression.
After gesturing for a while, neither the man nor the fish understood what the other was saying, so Zhou Chunhe had no choice but to lower his arms in frustration.
The merman seemed to sense Zhou Chunhe's dejection and could tell that Zhou Chunhe intended to communicate with it in good faith. After thinking for a moment, it suddenly leaped into the water. Zhou Chunhe cried out in alarm, thinking that the merman had left again. But a moment later, the merman emerged again.
This time, it had something in its hand, which it placed next to Zhou Chunhe, silently urging him to put it away with its eyes.
Zhou Chunhe looked closely and saw that it was a spoon-like object. He didn't know what it was made of; it looked like a magnet or ceramic. Anyway, it was heavy, but quite small. Zhou Chunhe hesitated for a moment, then turned around and saw that Fu Huaiyu didn't seem to mind, so he accepted the object without worry.
The merman made strange "ee-yah-yah" sounds at Zhou Chunhe, but unfortunately, Zhou Chunhe couldn't understand a word. The merman then gestured a few more times in a bit of anxiety, and this time Zhou Chunhe finally understood. The merman told her to carry this thing with her. Zhou Chunhe didn't understand the second half of the gesture and guessed at it for a while. It seemed that the merman was telling Zhou Chunhe that by holding this thing, she could know everything she wanted to know.
Zhou Chunhe, still somewhat doubtful, gestured to the merman to confirm, and the merman nodded firmly, confirming that Zhou Chunhe understood correctly. Zhou Chunhe wanted to ask for more information, but unfortunately, their languages were too different. The two of them tried their best to gesture to each other for a long time, but in the end, it was all in vain, and neither of them could understand what the other was saying.
The merman realized that he had already conveyed the most important message to Zhou Chunhe, and that further communication would be pointless, so he didn't waste any more of Zhou Chunhe's time. The merman quickly waved to them, then swam away to avoid their path, indicating that they could leave.
Zhou Chun hesitated for a moment, knowing that some things couldn't be achieved through sheer effort. Like now, even if she tried her best to communicate with the merman, it would be a waste of time. She waved regretfully to the merman and called out loudly, "...Then we're leaving—take care—"
Even though he knew the merfolk wouldn't understand, Zhou Chunhe stubbornly repeated it again.
Unexpectedly, something happened—the merman, who had been simply watching their actions blankly, suddenly seemed to understand Zhou Chunhe's words and mimicked his "bye-bye" gesture. The next second, Zhou Chunhe heard it utter in somewhat broken English: "Take care—"
The merfolk spoke in a nonsensical way, with incorrect emphasis and a rough, torn quality, making it difficult to understand what they meant. Yet, this was the most standard sound a merfolk could produce.
Zhou Chunhe couldn't quite describe her feelings. She never imagined that she would be moved by merfolk who weren't even her own kind. She shouted "Goodbye" to the merfolk again, silently vowing to find out the truth.
Her heart was now completely tipped in favor of the merfolk. She knew there must be more to the story, and she was determined to find the truth hidden in Wang Kuandong's words for these merfolk.
Zhou Chunhe and Fu Huaiyu quickly and steadily sat on the simple boat. One of them used a stone "oar" and the other used a paddle given by the mermaids. They quickly parted the layers of water and rowed forward.
Although Fu Huaiyu gave Zhou Chunhe the best wooden paddle and let him sit in the back where it was relatively easier to paddle, it was Zhou Chunhe's first time paddling, and he found it very difficult at first. Only after he got used to it did he find it easier.
As Zhou Chunhe rowed, he looked back and saw that the merman had disappeared; he didn't know when he had left.
Zhou Chunhe sighed, feeling utterly dejected. But before he could finish his sigh, he suddenly sensed the wooden plank beneath him moving faster—and it seemed to be accelerating even further. This was a speed that the two of them could never achieve.
Zhou Chunhe turned around with a sudden inspiration and saw that the merman had just emerged halfway out of the lake, pushing their small wooden boat forward from underwater, helping them move towards home.
Zhou Chunhe opened his mouth, and soon a second, a third, a fourth... five or six merfolk emerged from the lake like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, crowding the already small wooden plank to the brim. They were like external motors, propelling the small wooden boat forward steadily and quickly.
Zhou Chunhe was stunned, staring at those unfamiliar faces that did not belong to his own clan, and for a moment he did not know what to say.
But it seems there's no need to say anything more, because although they can't communicate, they seem to be able to sense each other's feelings, and some things are left unsaid.
Zhou Chunhe was deeply moved and suddenly felt motivated. She picked up the wooden paddle and began to row forward with all her might.
With the help of the merfolk, the journey that originally took an hour was reduced to less than half an hour. When the shore could be vaguely seen, the merfolk stopped. They no longer went forward, but simply floated in their original positions, quietly watching Zhou Chunhe and Fu Huaiyu leave.
Once Zhou Chunhe successfully reached the shore, they all turned around and leaped into the seabed, disappearing instantly, leaving only ripples spreading outwards.
Zhou Chunhe put the planks away and set them aside. Following the route she remembered, she walked towards Wang Kuandong's residence, anxiously wondering about Zhou Xialian's current situation the whole way.
Arriving at the familiar mansion, Zhou Chunhe knocked on the door, told the doorman he was a former guest, and gave his name. The doorman went inside for a while and then came out again, but he wasn't alone; he was accompanied by two people—Zhou Xialian, who looked haggard, and Xie Sinian, whose seemingly expressionless face betrayed the tension in his eyes.
Upon seeing Zhou Chunhe, Zhou Xialian couldn't hold back her tears any longer. Zhou Chunhe was also overwhelmed with emotions; it had only been two days since they last met, but it felt like an eternity. Seeing Zhou Xialian's gaunt and haggard appearance, so different from her usual self, she too found herself in tears.
Zhou Xialian rushed over and hugged Zhou Chunhe tightly, her strength as if she wanted to meld Zhou Chunhe into her own body: "...Where have you been these past few days? Are you hurt? We've been looking for you for days, we thought...we thought..."
Zhou Xialian was speechless, choked with sobs, and tears soaked Zhou Chunhe's clothes.
Zhou Chunhe could imagine the anxiety and torment Zhou Xialian had been going through. She couldn't hold back her snot and tears, so while she was wailing, she had to be careful not to wipe her snot on Zhou Xialian.
The two sisters hugged for a long time, until Zhou Xialian confirmed that Zhou Chunhe was indeed not seriously injured and looked as lively as before, before she finally breathed a sigh of relief. She slapped Zhou Chunhe, her tone a mixture of love and resentment: "Where have you been these past few days? Since you're alright, why didn't you let us know? You don't know how worried we were these past two days. Xie Sinian didn't sleep for nights on end looking for you, and didn't even eat properly. As soon as he heard about someone missing, he immediately went out to check if it was you..."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Chunhe subconsciously turned his head and saw Xie Sinian standing silently to the side.
Xie Sinian kept looking at her, his eyes revealing a subconscious, almost unconscious, joy at having regained what he had lost. However, when Zhou Chunhe looked over, Xie Sinian immediately looked away, his expression becoming seemingly indifferent again, as if he wasn't the one who had been so anxious he was almost going crazy before.
Zhou Chunhe couldn't help but grumble inwardly, "Why is he hiding? I didn't expect Xie Sinian to be so cowardly. What an awkward little brother." However, although she thought this in her heart, she naturally wouldn't say it aloud. She smiled and said to Xie Sinian, "Thank you, Xie Sinian. I'm sorry to have worried you these past few days, but now that you've seen me, you can rest assured. I'm perfectly fine. Tonight I'll take you to buy some candy as a way of thanking you for thinking of me."
Xie Sinian looked away, avoiding eye contact with Zhou Chunhe, but his tone was defiant, as if he didn't care: "It was just a small favor, nothing at all."
Zhou Chunhe wanted to laugh and was about to say something when Fu Huaiyu smiled and said, "It's getting late, why don't we go inside first? We can tell everyone in detail what has happened these past few days."
Fu Huaiyu's interruption diverted Zhou Chunhe's attention, and she forgot what she was going to say. She and Zhou Xialian both nodded. Zhou Xialian touched Zhou Chunhe's arm with concern and said, "You look so thin. Come in first, you must rest well these next few days."
The group headed towards Zhou Chunhe's residence. Zhou Chunhe looked around and belatedly realized that someone seemed to be missing, so he asked in surprise, "Where is Brother Pei?"
Mentioning Pei Jin, Zhou Xialian's face darkened slightly, then she forced a smile and said, "He... has something to do..."
Seeing Zhou Xialian's expression, Zhou Chunhe's heart skipped a beat—could something have happened while she was away these past few days? No way, no way, could something have happened to the male lead? Zhou Chunhe was extremely panicked. If something happened to the male lead, wouldn't her mission be over too? Wouldn't she be finished along with him?!
She suddenly became anxious and was about to press for further information when she heard Xie Sinian scoff, "Him? He went out shopping with someone early this morning and hasn't come back yet. I don't know if he was really shopping or..."
Zhou Xialian frowned and couldn't help but interrupt Xie Sinian: "Alright! Sinian, stop talking." Her expression turned extremely gloomy again, and it was unclear whether she was talking to Xie Sinian or trying to comfort herself, "...Ah Jin isn't that kind of person."
Xie Sinian crossed his arms and chuckled dismissively, then fell silent.
Looking at the two of them, a guess gradually came to Zhou Chunhe's mind—could it be that the person the male lead is with now is the legendary female supporting character Lu Shuxue?
That would be terrible! Zhou Chunhe had originally hoped to single-handedly prevent Lu Shuxue from seeing Pei Jin, thus turning the tide. But who knew she would end up in a "Zhou Chunhe's Drifting Adventure," struggling to survive on a deserted island with Fu Huaiyu. She was barely able to save herself; how could she possibly care about Lu Shuxue and Pei Jin?
However, she really didn't expect that Lu Shuxue would be able to find a way to see Pei Jin during the two days she was away... Now it seems that Lu Shuxue has fallen for Pei Jin, and Lu Shuxue has also realized that Pei Jin likes Zhou Xialian. She is deliberately trying to provoke Zhou Xialian.
I never expected this Lu Shuxue to be such a cunning and manipulative woman!
I bet that little schemer is lurking somewhere, trying to drive Zhou Xialian and Pei Jin apart... It's infuriating! I don't care who Lu Shuxue likes, but now that Lu Shuxue has set her sights on her mission target, that's just too much to bear.
Zhou Chunhe harbored deep hatred for this stumbling block on her road to success. She secretly vowed that, whether for her sister Zhou Xialian's happiness or for her own mission, she was determined to clash with Lu Shuxue, the female supporting character rumored to be second only to her in evil!
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