PART 06

Note: The King of Wells and Seas oversees the four river deities and is a celestial being dispatched by the Jade Emperor. Therefore, he has no direct relation to the four Dragon Kings. His primary responsibility is to maintain the peace of the four rivers and convey the Dragon King's edicts. The King of Wells and Seas does not have a fixed residence due to the multitude of tasks and the busyness of his duties. He must personally experience the rising and falling of river waters and the irrigation of fields in every location. The four Sea Dragon Kings have granted the King of Wells and Seas special privileges, allowing him to mobilize troops and respond to disturbances occurring in various regions. In the human realm, he also deals with wicked individuals who offend the dignity of the Dragon Palace. Thus, while the official position of the King of Wells and Seas is not high, his authority is significant, overseeing vast maritime territories.

His ability to manipulate water is no less than that of the two guards with their noses in the air, yet it lacks a certain sharpness. The gentle and warm bubbles of water enveloped both him and me, as we floated towards his residence.

The other party smiled gently, their eyes looking at me softly, and they answered me readily: "I am the Sea King of the Four Seas... Ruan Yang! I believe that even with a small shrimp, I still possess some capability!"

I swear I will never make rash vows again; making lobster is better than making a big dragon. This way, tumbling in the clouds, no amount of motion sickness medication will likely save me

I looked at him with an expression of extreme skepticism

I fell into a deep sleep, a dreamless and sweet slumber, until someone gently awakened me

"Can you speak?" His voice became increasingly gentle

As I focused my gaze, I gradually discerned his full appearance. He was a handsome young man, clearly of a gentle and mild disposition. His eyes were soft, his lips were gentle, and even his attire was characterized by a soft and refreshing quality. He wore a light blue long robe, devoid of any adornments at the waist, and his hair was simply tied up with an ordinary hairpin carved from peach wood.

Are you alright? How did you end up here? I heard his voice, which was indeed as warm and gentle as his eyes, and I couldn't help but move my arm, wanting to prop myself up.

He treated me with such tenderness that I couldn't help but feel an indescribable courage arise within me: "Ruan Yang, what do I look like?"

The black dragon was taken aback, released me, and swam around me anxiously: "Xia Mi, what happened to you?"

There is something very familiar about his features, and I stared at him in a daze, always feeling that he looked familiar. Where could I have seen him before

Why is this bed so cold? Is this an underground ice cellar? Do you want to freeze me like quick-frozen shrimp? Is one enough to get stuck between my teeth? The more I think about it, the more terrifying it becomes. I mean, how can there be selfless good people in this world?

He leaned forward, his waist bent low, and the black hair that originally hung over his shoulders all fell down, playfully swaying back and forth, adding a touch of liveliness to his presence

This should be about the definition, after all, it shouldn't be too far off, right? I am starting to console myself

Oh dear, my hand, can it be used now

The boy's face immediately turned bright red, and a pair of shiny black eyes glanced over at me stealthily.

What legs are these? They are just two soft, limp, long stick-like pieces of mud. A snake can still twist, but my two legs can only occasionally twitch and tremble in place

Wait... arms, body

If possible, I would prefer not to describe myself as minced meat, but after much thought, I cannot come up with a better adjective to characterize myself.

"How can I transform into a human form?" I foolishly asked him

He rolled me up, tossing me up and down, leaving me dizzy and on the verge of vomiting my lunch

With tears welling in my eyes, I glance down from the clouds at an altitude of 30,000 feet. The heart that once looked down so easily is no longer as carefree as it was at the beginning of the dream. I want to know if I am truly flying in the sky; surely, I would not be this happy. I think about it, feeling both afraid and helpless, on the verge of shedding tears.

By the evening of the second day, the heat flowing through my body began to soften, as if I were enveloped in a pool of warm water. The powdery beads in my arms were no longer cold, emitting a gentle warmth. I felt as if every limb and bone had been meticulously combed through, and I longed to fall into a deep sleep within this warm current.

Although this piece of land is barren, it is covered with various flowers and grasses, much like on solid ground, with fish replacing birds, swimming back and forth outside the only fence.

Unintentionally, I reached out my hand and grabbed the arm of the boy in black, drawing close to him, our bodies pressed together

Summer honey, let's play together! Someone is calling me from the clouds. I looked up in a daze and was startled by a shadow that suddenly sprang out from the clouds.

Oh, it seems I have remembered that transformation is so simple; one can revert to their previous human form merely by silently reciting it in their heart

Thus, I once again exerted all my strength to turn my head and take a look at my legs. Just a glance was enough to evoke a strong sense of admiration. My goodness, these are truly a pair of legs that could astonish the heavens and weep for the spirits!

You are a shrimp, originally only half a grain of dew would suffice, but now you have used two grains of dew. The scorching fire within is continuously burning away the muscles and bones you have just formed, preventing them from growing normally. Logically, you should have already developed muscles and bones; although they may not yet be solidified, the foundation should have been established long ago. However, in your current state, it is evident that you cannot withstand the scorching fire within your body

Do not cry, for now, placing you on the ice bed can suppress the fiery heat within you, and in no more than two days, you will be able to solidify! He sat down beside the bed and gently wiped away my tears with his thumb

I buried my face in the soil without a word, unwilling to engage with this enthusiastic fellow any longer

I originally thought that in this life, I was destined to drift aimlessly, just a small shrimp unable to defend itself, with the ultimate outcome being nothing more than being swallowed by other fish to fill their bellies. The best result would be to give birth to a belly full of shrimp, surrounded by children and grandchildren. However, in this absurd world, he said to me, "We are home"

Ah, ah, ah... Before I could finish speaking, I suddenly woke up from my dream, my hands raised to wipe the cold sweat from my brow, and I was suddenly stunned

Listening to his voice, he is at most a boy of fifteen or sixteen years old

He let out a sound of acknowledgment, turned his hand to grasp mine, the black headband and my red headband fluttering together, an indescribable warmth

He held me as he walked into the inner room, which was clean and tidy, with only a bamboo table holding a single vase and a white jade bed.

The Inspector of the Four Seas, what rank does that hold? At the very least, one could enjoy a life of ease and indulgence, right? I pulled my face from the soil, gazing at him with eyes full of emotion, as a desire for rebirth reignited within me

He looked at me curiously and asked, "What's wrong, Summer Honey? Aren't you the one who likes Tengyun the most? Why are you taking the initiative to come down to earth?"

The name "Xiaomi" is one that I have pondered and deliberated over; it is both charming and alluring, a homophone for "shrimp," how splendid it is

Silly child, it is always like this when one has just shaped up! He grew increasingly compassionate, reached out his hand, gently brushed aside my hair, sighed, and said: "It cannot be considered anything but fate that you and I could meet in such a remote garden of a thousand flowers... I have not returned here for a long time!"

It is truly embarrassing, as if I have lost face in front of my grandmother's family

Such great ambition, but unfortunately from a modest background, likely similar to the new position bestowed upon that court painter by the Seventh Prince; a title that sounds impressive, yet in reality holds no power or wealth

I stuck out my tongue, gasping for breath with a faint hum

Summer honey, we cannot cry! Shedding tears will bring rain, and private rain must be accounted for! That black dragon panicked and swam over to nuzzle my head

By the way, when you were doing shrimp, do you have a name?

What is the concept of cuteness

However, he is a good person, even picking up someone as useless as me, truly possessing a kind heart that gives back to society

"Is it impossible to control after just being shaped?" He let out a slight sigh, crouched down, and gently draped his light blue outer robe over me

This is actually what I have always wanted to know

He gathered the bubbles, floating down gently to the ground, his dark hair swaying slightly with the water's ripples, falling like black satin. When he lowered his gaze to look at me, his eyes were filled with compassion

I let out a gasp, looked down, and couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath

He seemed to see through my thoughts and humorously lifted my soft, limp hand: "Your situation is somewhat different; it seems that you are not benefiting from nourishment. If you consume too much dew, I fear that if you are not frozen on the ice bed, your muscles and bones may never develop!"

"What is wrong with you?" he asked me anxiously, and in a flash of light, he transformed into a handsome young man, stepping on clouds to touch my face

Oh dear, what is wrong with me

... ...

I let out a big yawn and fell into a deep sleep

Everything is as dreamlike as a myth, and as I groggily open my eyes, the first thing that comes into view is a pair of gentle eyes resembling a hot spring. The color of these eyes is quite peculiar; at first glance, they appear black, but upon closer inspection, a faint hint of purple subtly emerges.

"We are home! Children!" he said

Ruan Yan had a moment of distraction, slightly furrowing his brow, and repeated my name: "Xia Mi?" After that, he revealed a faint smile: "It sounds nice!"

Do not be afraid, it is just you and me here, along with those water algae and coral reefs!" He thought I was scared, holding me as he crossed the fence, pushing open the bamboo door. The small house inside was warm and simple, adorned with a few light ink paintings, all depicting the sea and mountains. At the end of the paintings, in small script, it was noted: "Protect the four seas and ensure peace, monitor the ten thousand miles of sea area.

"Someone like you, lacking both muscle and bone, will initially take on this form. After two days, when your body has developed muscle and bone, you will be extraordinary. Once you have taken shape, you will no longer feel disheartened!" He gently placed me on that white jade bed, smiling as he adjusted the jade pillow on the bed. My entire head rested on it, and my skull felt icy cold, likely causing my whole face to twitch.

Above the four seas, clouds gather in abundance. I float upon the clouds, gazing down from above, where the surface of the sea shimmers with light, merging with the blue sky.

What is your surname? Can you afford to support me? I am quite difficult to feed! I buried my face in despair, feeling a sense of reckless courage as if I had nothing left to lose.

I immediately felt a strange sensation, an impulse to both cry and laugh. It has been so long that I have almost forgotten the term 'home'.

"Summer honey, summer honey, summer honey..." In his glossy longan eyes, there is only me. Seeing me staring blankly at him, he affectionately nudges me with his dragon head, "Why are you in a daze?"

I let out a sound, shook my arms, and they felt like rubbery gummy candy, soft and elastic. With just a casual swing, they could bounce back and hit my forehead with a "PIU" sound.

I am unexpectedly a dragon, my entire body is a vibrant red, with scales shimmering and reflecting a faint red light under the sun. The dragon's tail radiates brilliance, glimmering with golden light amidst the vivid red.

I silently turned my head to look at my own body, then raised my gaze to see the stranger who was still bending over, concerned for me, feeling a sense of awkwardness as if I had dug a hole and burrowed into it

"Follow me, although I roam the world, it is still better than being all alone!" He smiled, pointed at my head with his finger, and I soared from the ground, enveloped in his light blue robe, slowly flying into his embrace like a lump of meat paste

The skin, having shed its layers, felt as if it were being scorched by fire, causing the water flowing throughout my body to bubble and hiss. Fortunately, there was that small, pale pink bead; I rested it on top, and its coolness provided timely relief from my pain

I raised my eyes and looked at him with a sense of gratitude, my whole body trembling, curled up in his embrace, leaving only silence.

I lay in bed, feeling utterly bored. At times, I would stare blankly, and at other times, I would stick out my tongue to entertain myself. After exercising all my facial features, I felt completely exhausted.

Can you go to the field? I asked him with a trembling voice

A flash of red light, and I seemed to have regained my human form. Dressed in red, more radiant than fire, my skirt fluttered in the clouds, as I stood atop the clouds, lost in a daze

When I finally came to my senses, I discovered that it was a small dragon, entirely black, proudly holding its head high, rolling through the clouds. Upon seeing me staring foolishly at it, it seemed to be in a playful mood, flying straight towards me, its dark body wrapping around me completely, entangling us together

The little black dragon and I are entwined together, one red and one black, vividly striking.

I cannot come up with a definition of "cute" no matter how hard I try. In my concept, cute should resemble the beautiful girls from Japanese anime, with large eyes, a youthful face, and a smile that inevitably boasts: "Yosshi, kawaii"

I suppressed my feelings of shame and anger, comforting myself that since my arms are so useless, I must surely have a pair of stunning legs that could astonish the heavens and make the spirits weep

I looked at him anxiously, and saw him silently gazing at me, slowly curving the corners of his mouth: "Hmm, you look very cute!"

I casually waved my hand, and my own face was slapped three or four times.

As he traveled further, the aquatic plants gradually grew denser, and the terrain became increasingly desolate. He had unexpectedly strayed far from the gathering place of the aquatic creatures, and by the time he finally came to a stop, he found himself in a desolate wilderness.

I do not want to be a shrimp with osteogenesis imperfecta, my tears are flowing, and the thought of my hands and feet being like soft candy gives me an impulse to die immediately

I said ... ... '' I trembled in fear

You are shaping here; I will not be at home during the day for the next two days, but I will help you with the shaping when I return in the evening

Since then, for a day and a night, I have been struggling to survive

I answered him without much thought: "My name is Xia Mi!" Even if I am just a shrimp, I am still one in a million, with an identity and a title.

This time he said nothing more, gave me a reassuring smile, closed the door, and walked out

"Huh?" I immediately expressed my confusion

He seemed startled and anxiously reminded me: "The heart moves with intention..."

I feel that the cloud I am standing on is becoming thinner and thinner, both afraid and startled, I finally cried in a disheartened manner: "Oh no, sister, I have acrophobia..."

He paused for a moment and then continued, "If you have nowhere to go, why not come back to my residence with me? Lying here so helplessly, it won't be long before some nefarious creature drags you away for a feast!"