PART 08

I have hands and feet, and all my facial features are complete, so what is there to feel inferior about

"Xia Mi, things are not that bad!" Ruan Yang, with a look of helplessness on his face, leaned against the window, cautiously extending his body to advise me, "Xia Mi, your current condition is merely due to excessive internal heat during the shaping process, which has depleted the moisture in your skin and damaged the hair roots, resulting in this situation..."

I took it in, putting on a brave face while hiding my own insecurities.

Ruan Yang turned his head to look at me, let out a slight sigh, and said, "Do you think everyone has freedom?" After saying this, he took my hand and fell silent.

Once again, it is the Dragon Mother and the South China Sea; it all sounds like a distant matter.

"Xia Mi, why must you be angry with them?" Ruan Yang's voice was warm and gentle as he handed over a hat adorned with light purple gauze from behind.

I curiously peeked through the gap in the veil into the pavilion, and that person happened to look at me as well, suddenly breaking into a wide smile, which startled me.

He was momentarily taken aback by my question

I removed my hat so that I could observe him more carefully

"At noon, it's the fifth child of the old Long family!" That person who had previously criticized my appearance suddenly grabbed their head and introduced themselves to me, "Xia Mi, your personality is refreshing, I like it!"

Ruan Yang did not know how to comfort me, thinking that I was dissatisfied with the water mirror not being clear enough, and repeatedly tried to make the water mirror clearer.

Ruan Yang seemed to let out a sigh of relief, nodded at me, and revealed a gentle smile: "Xia Mi, you should thank Ting Wu..."

Ruan Yang pulled me over and showed him my scalp and forehead lines: "These must be the good deeds of your Ninth Brother. Two drops of dew almost cost the little shrimp its life! If it weren't for the fate between her and me, she would have perished in the Wanhua Garden! The Eight-Treasure Glazed Cup is used to accompany the holy water..."

His criticisms and praises were rather hasty, and I silently glanced at him, ignoring his words

Ha? The Sea Water Sacred Treasure is truly the king of shampoos in the water. I hesitantly stood up, with a head full of seaweed, and asked with a pout: "So where can I find this sacred shell?"

The face is full of frown lines, the hair is sparse and hanging down, and the slightly red scalp can be seen among the thin strands of hair

Although I do not possess the aesthetic of the shrimp tribe, I have always held a concept in my heart that I am, in essence, beautiful

Do not doubt, I have some acquaintance with him. If he possesses this holy water, he will certainly lend his full support! Ruan Yang comforted me, his voice gentle and imbued with a peculiar soothing quality, instantly dispelling my doubts

I looked him in the eye frankly and openly

After a long while, he sighed and said: "Xia Mi has a pair of beautiful eyes, clear and bright, that make it impossible to refuse any of her requests when one looks into them"

Ruan Yang remained silent, offering a faint smile

"You see, Xia Mi, as long as I don't look at your head, you are absolutely flawless!" Ruan Yang's gentle admiration was sincere in tone

One can only stare at him with a pair of eyes

The pebble path stretches endlessly; after walking for a while, the soles of my feet began to ache painfully

I won't leave! I stubbornly squatted down, and Ruan Yang, both amused and exasperated, sighed and pulled me several times, but I resolutely remained seated.

He focused his gaze on me and said, "You, like her, have a pair of beautiful eyes"

After I took a few more looks in the mirror, the symptoms of menopause also appeared earlier. Upon seeing Ruan Yang, I would run away in a frenzy without saying a word.

Tingwu squinted his eyes and mocked Ruan Yang: "So you mean that someone like me can only be friends with little shrimp born in the same half-year?"

If I cannot find the holy water, then I will still live happily with this appearance

I retreated to the corner again, covering myself with seaweed and drawing circles on the ground

The fish swimming back and forth at the entrance all opened their mouths, seemingly mocking me. In a fit of anger, I tore off the seaweed from my head and threw it directly at them.

Xia Mi?" Ruan Yang was startled by me and quickly grabbed my hand, seemingly trying to find the right words to comfort me. The person who had mocked me was also taken aback, their eyes filled with suspicion.

I opened my mouth, but before I had a chance to speak, Tingwu hurriedly interrupted me, placing the eight-treasure glazed cup directly into my hand, and said with a smile, "It is only right that what belongs to Xia Mi should be given to Xia Mi!"

How is this? Compared to the little shrimp covered in red cinnabar from before, I wonder how much better my appearance is than that

"Do not speak carelessly, she is just a lovely child!" Ruan Yang was not at all angry, responding to him in a calm and unhurried manner, while also tightening her grip on my hand, as if to comfort me.

The King of the Well Sea certainly has a good interest; when will you have the time to come here and enjoy the scenery? The speaker's voice was somewhat hoarse, and the tone carried a hint of sarcasm

When I was a shrimp, in the clan, every shrimp that swam over would praise me: Oh, little Xia Mi's figure is petite and exquisite, little Xia Mi's appearance is truly beautiful...

Ruan Yang did not force me; with a slight smile, she changed the color of her dress, opting for a light purple set. She then gently raised her hand, and only then did I walk over, reluctantly accepting the clothes.

Ruan Yang pondered for a moment and reassured me, saying: "There is no rush. I have heard that the Seventh Prince has always had a deep bond with the Grand Prince of the South Sea. We can first visit the Seventh Prince, Ri Xi, and inquire whether he has any holy water that has been infused with the pearls of the sea"

Ruan Yang reached out and silently touched my sparse hair, no longer urging me to wear a hat. A flash of light appeared between his hands, and he took the light purple hat away.

I began to feel excited, finally taking the initiative to stand up, facing Ruan Yang directly across the window: "What are we waiting for? Let's go now!"

I felt both angry and ashamed, recalling my hair and the lines on my forehead, as well as my entire face flushed with a faint rosy hue, and I immediately lowered my head in a state of dejection

Ruan Yang pushed the door open again, holding something that shimmered with fluorescence in his hand, a mass that resembled water yet was not water. The moment I saw this scene, I immediately let out a cry, covered my head, and leaped out of the small room's window.

At noon, Tingwu looked at me with a mixture of belief and doubt

I thought he was mocking me, yet he behaved with remarkable sincerity. His apology disarmed me, and I lost my aggressive demeanor.

Ruan Yang smiled as he handed the hat back to me, but I pushed it away, unwilling to put it on again. No matter what, I am who I am, unique and irreplaceable; why should I limit myself by my appearance

The clothes fit very well; as soon as I put them on, my figure became apparent, graceful and delicate, with a youthful aura suddenly revealed. I lowered my head to look at my body, and a sense of pride surged within me

I am already familiar with all these things, why would I need him to point them out to me? I am simply curious about where we are now

Now that I have transformed into a human, I have instead lost my hope. This body, though petite and exquisite, charming and lovely, brings me sorrow with its face.

Seventh Prince, regarding this prince who has always built his happiness on the suffering of others, I have serious doubts about whether he would extend a helping hand

Summer Honey, I have heard that the Mother of Dragons once saved a holy shell in the South China Sea, only requesting a sea pearl from the holy shell. Soaking in seawater, with the seawater replenishing moisture, you can restore your complexion, rejuvenate your skin, and regenerate your hair

Then, with a somewhat awkward smile, he fell silent for a moment before suddenly bowing without any warning and apologizing to me: "I am sorry, it is my fault. I have always been careless with my words. You are absolutely right; no one has the right to arbitrarily judge others in any way!"

His facial features are very three-dimensional, with thick eyebrows and large eyes. He is tall, has broad shoulders, and a narrow waist. He is wearing a light brown long robe, and his hair is messy, casually tied with a strip of fabric in the same color.

What does it mean to do this, just fly directly to the human world and see for yourself! I muttered to myself

He had no way out, laughed out loud, his brows and eyes curved as he was about to say something to me, when suddenly, a figure appeared out of thin air in the small pavilion over the creek by the roadside

Ruan Yang ignored him, simply bending down to gently press my shoulder, soothingly comforting me in a soft tone: "Xia Mi, don't pay attention to him; he has always been indiscreet with his words"

Follow me! He took my hand and pulled me into the large circle

Ruan Yang smiled, extending his palm, a flash of golden light, and I saw a pomegranate-red dress resting on his palm. He slightly raised his palm, signaling me to change into the dress.

but it shattered all my confidence in an instant

"I am just a shrimp, so why can't I be called Summer Honey?" I retorted him fiercely before Ruan Yang could, saying, "Who decided that looking like me cannot be considered cute? Or can one simply judge my entire being as unattractive based solely on appearance?"

However, it was not long before I raised my head again and pulled off my hat.

The other party let out a cold snort, crossed their arms and laughed: "Ruan Yang, you are still so hypocritical. Ugly is ugly, and beautiful is beautiful. Why bother to hide it!"

then slowly shook his head

I pouted my lips and immediately covered my head with the veil

Oh, Ruan Yang, I only just heard what you called her! Are you out of your mind, letting her call herself Xia Mi?!" He had a playful expression, but his tone was very serious

Ruan Yang smiled faintly, holding my hand, walking neither too fast nor too slow, yet she simply would not answer me: "Xia Mi, look, this is the scenery of the human world. Although it is not as colorful as that in our deep sea, it excels in its delicacy. Look at this, it is a butterfly..."

At noon, Tingwu immediately glared angrily and warily looked at Ruan Yang: "Why are you bringing up my treasure again?"

I stubbornly hide in the corner, covering my head with a large mass of seaweed. Ever since I discovered that I have the Mediterranean phenomenon, I have become adept at seeking out dense, elongated objects. After finding them, whether they are dead or alive, I enjoy placing them on my bald head.

This individual is likely of the obsessive-compulsive personality type, not only striving for perfection himself but also compelling others to achieve perfection alongside him. Every time he finishes polishing the water mirror, he eagerly pushes the door open, insisting that I accept his goodwill.

With a slight grin, revealing a mouthful of snow-white and neatly arranged teeth, the person appears utterly devoid of any ulterior motives

He took out an oiled paper package from his pocket, peeling it layer by layer. When he reached the final layer, a radiant glow burst forth, and the soft, colorful halo spread out gently.

"Ah? Have we reached the coast?" I asked Ruan Yang

I stared at him in shock, and the consequence of the prank was that I was frightened, and he was definitely frightened as well, speechless as he pointed at me and asked Ruan Yang: "Where, where is it cute?"

Within the great circle lies another world. Upon entering the circle, I could not help but exclaim in wonder. Inside the circle, flowers of various colors bloom to their fullest, filling the air with their fragrance. Butterflies and bees flit about, playfully dancing around the flowers. A winding path paved with cobblestones leads off to an unknown destination. Pavilions and terraces reflect in the flowing water beneath the small bridge. No matter how one looks at it, it resembles a scene from the water towns of Jiangnan.

This is the second time he has praised me today

I immediately became very unlovable

What a lovely child! I must take a look! He laughed heartily, jumped out from the pavilion, and playfully stopped right in front of me, suddenly blowing my veil away with a whoosh.

I have become a reality-escaping shrimp

The pebbles here are all brought from the human world, carefully laid out, and all the flowers, insects, and birds are captured from the human world...

In the midst of the colorful halo, there stands a transparent small cup the size of a thumb

Come with me, you have just strengthened your muscles and bones, and you need to exercise more! He smiled slightly, extending his hand to slowly draw a large circle in the air, within which there was a shimmering glow, faintly revealing a path paved with cobblestones.

I followed behind him, and after walking a short distance through the scenery, I would feel a moment of melancholy in my heart

I glanced at that dress, and for some reason, it reminded me of the dragon maiden in red from my dreams, instantly provoking a sense of aversion: "I don't like red..."

The shaping was successful, but I am not happy at all. I am unwilling to change clothes, holding onto Ruan Yang's clothes, I casually pulled a strip of cloth and just sat on the bed like this

This is a mental illness

I foolishly looked up, and indeed, this place was still beneath the sea, only separated by the seawater, existing within an enormous bubble

These landscapes, once so ordinary to me, could be found in any park in any city in China. Unfortunately, after the journey through time, these sights have become a rare phenomenon not seen in a century

Ruan Yang, however, replied to me in a gentle and warm manner at noon: "Summer honey is still the half-year-old shrimp, knowing nothing at all, and it is certain that their speech is straightforward!"

He walked over, pointing things out to me along the way

Oh, is there also a light beauty accompanying? Has the Sea Well King been moved?

Tingwu, you are quite straightforward! Without waiting for Tingwu to think, he continued: Tingwu, lend me the Eight Treasures Glazed Cup for a use!

Summer honey, listen to me...

Eight Treasure Glazed Cup? I looked up at Ruan Yang