Chapter 247: "Instead of Looking for Him, Look for Me.

The Mermaid Youth’s presence drew near. Yu Zhizhi clutched the blanket with both hands as she watched him move the chair from the desk over to her.

Yusen sat down.

The dim light enveloped his body, softening the contours of his silhouette in the shadows. His skin was a cool white, his jawline sharp and clean, and the mole on the tip of his nose was barely visible. He lowered his gaze, his long, curled lashes accentuating the refined shape of his eyes.

"Let’s talk."

The youth’s faint, detached tone made Yu Zhizhi inexplicably nervous.

She slowly sat up, gazing blankly at the person before her.

Yusen’s gaze fell upon her face. The little rabbit looked as if she had just been crying, the corners of her eyes tinged red. Her eyes were wet, her lashes clumped together. Her black hair cascaded down, enveloping her petite frame. Her nervousness was palpable as her fingers gripped the edge of the bed.

"Shen He is the person I mentioned to you before."

Yusen began to speak slowly:

"Back on Zero Star Street."

Yu Zhizhi immediately recalled it. That night, Yusen had taken the initiative to talk about himself. That was also when she learned he had a brother from the Shark Clan.

She lowered her head and said nothing.

Thinking about what happened in Shen He’s room tonight made her uneasy.

’Did Sensen...’

’...hear that?’

Yusen continued, "He’s a calculating and ruthless person. He repeatedly sent assassins after you before to sow discord between the Moon Rising Empire and the Valoran Empire. Now he’s suddenly changed his attitude, and though I don’t know what he’s planning..."

"For your own safety, it’s better for you to stay away from him."

The youth’s tone was calm and slightly slow, as if he didn’t want to frighten the startled little rabbit any further, but rather to ensure she heard every single word he said clearly.

"Of course..." Yusen’s gaze shifted away from her face. "If you like him, then just pretend I never said any of this."

Yu Zhizhi froze for a moment, then quickly said, "I don’t like him."

’Sharks...’

’They’re so fierce.’

’I don’t like them.’

"Is that so?" Yusen fiddled with the silver chain on his wrist, the prominent knuckles of his fingers stark and cold. "I’ve seen you seeking him out. I heard you two got along quite well on the sea."

He had heard that Shen He had taken the little rabbit from the South Shore of Puro Bay.

A sea journey of nearly a month.

He couldn’t be more familiar with that route.

It was a route he had planned in his mind countless times—what places they would pass along the way, and where he could take her to have fun once they reached the first Sea City in the Deep Sea Domain.

"I... had some things I needed his help with..."

Yu Zhizhi lowered her head.

Yusen watched the rabbit ears in front of him slowly droop. He hadn’t wanted to "meddle," but he just couldn’t bear to see the little rabbit looking so pitiful.

After all, they had once been so close.

Even if they had separated, if he saw she was in trouble, he should still help if he could.

Yusen said slowly, "This isn’t Zero Star Street, and I’m not the person I used to be."

Yu Zhizhi remained silent.

She just felt a damp, stuffy feeling in her heart.

’Is Sensen trying to say that things might be the same, but the people have changed...?’

"I won’t cause you any trouble..." she murmured.

Yusen’s ice blue eyes flickered. "What I mean is, this is the Deep Sea Empire, and I am the one chosen by the Undersea Kingdom. Whatever you need, instead of going to him, you should come to me."

He was no longer the mermaid slave who needed the little rabbit to trade her own freedom to protect his safe departure from an enemy empire.

’Maybe I can rely on him a little more.’

Yu Zhizhi’s voice was slightly choked. "But... but... last time you said we should have a clean break."

Yusen’s fingertips paused. He ignored the tightness in his chest. "Even if we’ve broken up, we can still be friends."

Yu Zhizhi was stunned. "We’re... still friends?"

Yusen: "You don’t want to be?"

"I do..."

"Mm."

Yusen was also trying to convince himself.

After all, their relationship had been so good; he couldn’t just stand by and watch her suffer.

But the little rabbit seemed a bit afraid of him and never dared to ask for anything, except for that one time she asked about the Mermaid Baby.

Yu Zhizhi had been terrified by the shark tonight. Even if she had ten times the courage, she wouldn’t dare go looking for that shark again.

’Since Sensen has said so...’

She said softly:

"I want to leave the Royal Palace and walk around outside."

Yusen hadn’t expected such a simple request.

"There’s a lot of official business at the Royal Palace recently. Once things stabilize, I’ll take you out. It might take another week."

Hearing Yusen’s reply was like seeing a ray of hope. Yu Zhizhi shot her head up, an irrepressible smile on her face.

Seeing the little rabbit’s clear, sweet eyes, as if filled with sugar water, a sour feeling welled up in Yusen’s heart—

’It was such a simple request. Didn’t even Shen He agree to it?’

Back in Moonrise, she was cared for meticulously by Paradise’s Guard Team, living freely and without restraint. Here in the Deep Sea, she was all alone. Just as she had said that day, ’You’re the only one I know...’

’But what about me?’

He had thrown out "let’s have a clean break" and had been cold to her ever since.

If she hadn’t been left with no other choice, why would the little rabbit have sought out that shark?

Yusen suddenly stood up.

Yu Zhizhi quickly grabbed his sleeve. She looked up, gazing pitifully at the Mermaid Youth. "When I wake up tomorrow, will you still be here?"

Yusen gazed at her for a long time before slowly looking away.

"I’ll be here."

The mermaid went to the bathroom.

He always preferred to sleep in water anyway.

After he closed the door, Yusen’s relatively gentle ice blue eyes gradually grew cold. He leaned his back against the wall and, thinking of the commotion in Shen He’s room, slowly clenched his fists.

A burgeoning chill emanated from the Mermaid Youth. Starting from the soles of his feet, the entire bathroom began to show signs of freezing over.

In front of the little rabbit, he had been constantly suppressing his darker side.

His brow furrowed tightly. He pressed a hand to his forehead as a sharp pain pierced his heart. Slowly, he let out a few low laughs.

—’This is probably a side effect of the breakup.’

’When will I finally stop caring about her?’

’When will I finally be able to forget her?’

’Maybe one day, time will heal everything.’

’Being friends might make the wound heal very slowly...’

’But, this little bit of pain... ’

’I can endure it.’

’I can still endure it.’

After Yu Zhizhi saw the bathroom door close, the smile on her face grew even wider. She hugged the blanket, flopped onto the bed, and all the gloom in her heart dissipated.

She turned her head to look at the chair Yusen had sat in.

’Sensen took the initiative to talk to me.’

’And he said so, so, so much.’

’For a moment, I thought the old Sensen was back. His tone was a little flat, but he was willing to talk to me, and that makes me so happy!’

「The next day.」

Buli could clearly sense Miss Rabbit’s cheerful mood. He thought it was because Lord Shen He had said something to her last night when she delivered the sobering tea.

’Could it be that he agreed to her request for soldiers from the Shark Clan?’

They were talking in the courtyard.

Suddenly, the door to Lord Shen He’s room swung open.

And Buli saw Miss Rabbit, who had been standing in front of him just a moment ago, disappear in a flash, like a mouse that had just seen a cat.

Shen He’s peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the little rabbit hastily fleeing. He recalled her reddened eyes from last night, her small, pearly-white rabbit teeth biting his clothes, allowing him to toy with her...

His throat tightened.