PART 10

Ruan Yang, I almost burned to death! I turned away, tears streaming down my face and snot running from my nose, burrowing into his embrace. My tiny shrimp tail swept back and forth in the crook of his arm, my large head buried deep in his chest, crying incessantly.

The Ninth Prince lazily stood at the corridor entrance, looking over in our direction. Upon seeing me transform back from the shrimp form, he let out a soft chuckle, and then immediately fell into a contemplative state, his cold and translucent eyes fixed on me without a hint of movement

I saw his thin and well-shaped lips drawing closer, somewhat at a loss for words

I smiled foolishly at him again. What is there to mind? I inherently have a creative appearance, so why hide it in the face of reality

The Ninth Prince's eyes glanced over at me, and upon seeing Ruan Yang giving me a haircut, he smiled slightly with a hint of mockery and said, "Uncle, I had no idea you were such a loving father!"

Ruan Yang observed his actions, quietly standing up, gently taking my hand. His hand was so warm that the warmth seemed to transmit through my palm to my limbs and bones, gradually calming my heart.

Oh... I quietly withdrew from the coral thicket and stood dazed on the path of the flowerbed. The round-faced little maid, seeing me obediently step back, bowed slightly and hurriedly walked past me with her head down

As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw him walking on the waves, his black hair flowing, his face as solemn as water, his entire being resembling that of a deity. With a flick of his fingers, the cluster of flames suddenly brightened by a factor of two, then abruptly turned a corner and directly struck that guard.

I almost shed tears, what is this? A large head atop a small shrimp body, it looks terrifying no matter how you look at it

Hmm, Xia Mi's eyes are beautiful! She will be a light beauty in the future!" I don't know when, but Ruan Yang strolled to my side, leaned over to take a glance at the reflection in the basin, and smiled faintly with pursed lips

This is a kiss filled with warmth, devoid of any ambiguity

I let out a sound, cupping water in my hands, gently wiping my face. The wrinkles on my face have smoothed considerably over the past two days. Although they remain red and wrinkled, they no longer have the deep trench-like appearance they once did

I pondered for a moment, my heart stirred, and with a sudden bang, I transformed back into a small shrimp, wishing to quietly swim back.

I nodded at him, slid down from the white jade chair, and whispered to Ruan Yang while pointing to a small courtyard behind the partition a little further away: "If I can stroll over there, I will go take a look, no need for a maid, just a short walk. If you all are enjoying your conversation, feel free to come find me"

The guard let out a cry, but upon catching a faint glance from Ruan Yang, he immediately swallowed his howl.

The gauze was gradually lifted, and I saw a kind of emotion that could be described as a mix of embarrassment and anger gradually igniting on the pale face of the Ninth Prince.

My scream startled the guards, led by one of the two arrogant personal guards. It seems that the two of them take turns in the residence, with one always staying by the side of the Ninth Prince while the other patrols around.

I turned my face away and saw a round-faced maid with a light blue shell bag urgently calling out. When she noticed that I had paused my actions, she seemed to let out a huge sigh of relief

If no man truly likes you, then stay by my side, I will protect you He gently touched my head and patted my back, doing his utmost to comfort me

The round-faced maid's eyes fell upon the hem of my skirt, and upon seeing the light blue dragon pattern embroidered there, she was immediately startled and, trembling with fear, apologized to me: "Miss, I, I am usually quite unrestrained in my speech, please do not take offense at what I just said!"

Huh? I raised my tear-filled eyes, expressing my confusion

When Ruan Yang heard me mention the words "mating," a faint blush of peach pink appeared on her face. She lightly cleared her throat, and with a mix of amusement and embarrassment, she patted my head and said, "Xia Mi, I thought you were strong enough on the inside!"

This honest remark immediately froze my smile on my face. I silently scratched my head, turned my back, and pointed to my own back with my finger, saying to her: "Then you need not look at my face; you can just talk to my back instead!"

Ruan Yang was not annoyed; he gestured for me to go ahead and then gracefully turned back to sit down.

I do not know whether it is due to a lack of magical power or if I am simply too impatient, but during the transformation, that head could not revert back, leaving only the shrimp body, with the tail twisting and turning.

Sister has accepted it, with this face, disfigurement is equivalent to cosmetic surgery

The red coral, exceptionally vibrant, reminded me of that dream as I stood among the coral clusters. Instinctively, I crouched down and reached out to touch the delightfully red small coral

"Summer Honey, there must be many people who like you!" He comforted me softly, and then gently and cautiously pressed his lips against my forehead

Ruan Yang gently wrapped his arm around my shoulder, embracing me softly as we walked outside. When we passed by the Ninth Prince, he suddenly reached out to stop us.

The tiny shrimp tail is simply unable to support such a large head, appearing soft and powerless.

However, I have made progress; I now actually blush shyly!

Then, with an extremely careful gaze fixed on my eyes, as if trying to discern something from within them

I am the only one left here, spinning around aimlessly. Stealthily, I walked out through the small round door, wanting to return to the back garden to search for Ruan Yang

I quietly scrutinized my face in the basin of water, gently smoothing out the wrinkles with my fingers. When my fingers touched the tender skin, there was a slight sting. After pulling my skin taut, I could vaguely see that I was not originally unattractive. In the basin, I saw a pair of bright and lively eyes; even in my current appearance, these eyes were still remarkably distinct in their black and white.

Summer honey? How dare you! His gaze fixed on my face, followed by two or three cold snorts, his hand swung down heavily, the purple gauze fluttering down like a butterfly with broken wings

The Ninth Prince looked into my eyes and suddenly gritted his teeth, saying: "However, Your Highness, such lowly creatures gathering together surely pollutes the vision of the aquatic beings!"

I remained silent, pulling a bundle of seaweed from my bosom to cover my head, then mustering the courage to look up and grin foolishly. Although Ruan Yang helped me comb my hair, the sparse hair on top could not be concealed in any way. Even when submerged in the deep sea, I often experienced a sensation as if a cool breeze were blowing over my head.

I was so frightened that I didn't even dare to call out, hiding everywhere while shaking my big head

Ruan Yang made a sound of acknowledgment, and did not persuade me to put on a hat; he simply stood up and gently tucked my disheveled hair behind my ears.

I will help you ask Seventh Brother for the holy water, but I cannot guarantee whether he will give it to me or not" The Ninth Prince spoke, his eyes never leaving my face

"Let the performance begin!" I heard the turtle butler instructing from behind me, as the graceful dancer once again took to the stage, swirling her flowing sleeves in vibrant hues of purple and red. The rich fragrance masked a faint fishy odor, coming in waves, and I gritted my teeth to endure it.

I foolishly turned my head to look at Ruan Yang, and before I could dry my tears, they flowed down again: "Should I really not be shaping myself?"

"Miss, you, your smile is even more peculiar!" The round-faced little maid, with an air of innocence and cheerfulness, began to speak without restraint again upon seeing my smiling face

I suddenly felt extremely innocent

The flame brushed against my shrimp tail and flew past, startling me into jumping on the spot

I cried out loudly, twisting my shrimp tail even harder, calling out in distress: "Ruan Yang, Ruan Yang, come save me!"

Do not touch! The red coral must not be touched at all

Ruan Yang let out a sigh, saying nothing, only pulling me into his embrace. Then, to my astonishment, he slowly bent down.

She walked over, scrutinizing me closely. When I looked up, she seemed startled and took a step back with a gasp

Upon hearing this, he restrained his laughter, shook his head with a slight smile, cast a glance at me with his dark, bright, and warm eyes, silently walked out, and closed the door behind him.

I should just be a little shrimp, regularly mating and regularly spawning little shrimps, that way, no one would laugh at me! I complained with tears streaming down my face

"Which demon dares to cause chaos at the residence of the Ninth Prince, looking so hideous, I presume your cultivation is quite shallow as well!" He looked at me with a gaze full of disdain, and a second flame ignited at his fingertips

Upon seeing me, he gasped sharply, a bright flame igniting in the palm of his hand, and in an instant, it shot towards me.

My heart skipped a beat twice, and I don't know what happened, but my face turned red

The Ninth Prince made a sound of acknowledgment

The Ninth Prince's anger pressed down in an instant, and I thought he would take some action. However, he merely stood there, silently glaring at me for a while, surprisingly saying nothing at all, before lazily walking back to the crystal chair and sitting down again in a languid manner

The maidens by the roadside are often frightened into continuous screams by me, and some bold ones directly strike my head with their trays, resulting in four or five swollen bumps quickly appearing on my poor bald head

Ruan Yang gently shook his head, slightly tightening his grip on my shoulder. He held me as we walked outside, and I cried in frustration, saying, "Ruan Yang, I really should just be a shrimp!"

I received his kiss, and my tears gradually ceased.

I stared unblinkingly into the eyes of the Ninth Prince, showing not the slightest sign of retreat.

But now I can’t even transform my shrimp body, I can only push through the crowd, waving my shrimp tail as I float back.

Ruan Yang was taken aback for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter. This was the first time the gentle and refined King Jinghai laughed so freely in front of me

I stood up in a daze, my hands hanging down, feeling somewhat at a loss as I watched him come closer.

You have just undergone shaping, and your muscles and bones are still unstable; do not casually reveal your true form! His gentle tone clearly carried a sense of reproach.

Summer honey? Summer honey..." He seemed to be sighing, afraid to breathe loudly, extending a hand to slowly lift my veil

Hmm? Ruan Yang responded to me gently, extending his hand to form a barrier

I closed my eyes and simply waited for the flames to scorch my face.

I was taken aback, accidentally knocking over the water with one hand, turning my head away in a fit of anger and desperately pinching my own wrinkles with my hand, making a face at him.

On the way back, I was speechless all the way until I reached the cabin. I remained in a state of self-doubt. In fact, for a seasoned old girl, shyness is indeed possible. My old face flushed, which is quite a technical challenge.

Crying while using Ruanyang's sleeve to wipe the nose

I am still sobbing in a conditioned reflex, and the tears have not stopped, continuously flowing out.

I have never felt such shame before. I pulled off my hat and raised my head with a proud posture, thumping my chest and declaring emphatically: "My name is Xia Mi, what is so noble about the name Xia Mi?" Ruan Yang's hand was tightly clasped, his thumb gently caressing my palm in a soothing manner.

Just like a wronged child, the first person I thought of seeking refuge from was Ruan Yang, but the more I did so, the more anxious I became

Ruan Yang saw me crying so hard that I could hardly catch my breath. He gently patted my back and, noticing that I could not stop my tears, turned to the Ninth Prince and said, "Mi'er has been frightened; it seems we should return early today"

"The way you laugh is nothing like you!" I watched him laugh freely, somewhat astonished. When he laughed, his brows and eyes curved into arcs, and his laughter had an infectious quality that made one feel joyfully uplifted.

Does this guy think that I did that for everyone's entertainment?

The cobblestone path is uneven, and as I tread upon it, the soles of my feet ache. My muscles and bones have just begun to solidify, and after walking for a while, there is a slight soreness.

"Xia Mi, it's time to wash your face and look at the picture book, your face is all wet with tears!" Ruan Yang rolled up his sleeves, prepared some fresh water, checked the temperature with his hand, and pulled me over, "Once your appearance is ready with the holy water, it will be no problem!"

I received his gesture and hurried towards the small flowerbed behind the wall, which was covered with red corals. I had no desire to continue watching the performance with the cleanliness-obsessed Ninth Prince; it was utterly meaningless.

"Summer Honey!" is the voice of Ruan Yang

I was pierced by his words, and I completely forgot to sob; my tears immediately ceased. I could only stare blankly with wide eyes at the Ninth Prince.

He must have something to discuss with the Ninth Prince. I feel out of place sitting here, so it would be better to walk around for a while. Once he finishes his matters, he will surely come to fetch me.

Especially those eyes, they are truly infuriating! The Ninth Prince suddenly became enraged, forcefully turning his face away, waving his sleeve, and turning to leave

Ruan Yang, both laughing and crying, patted my back. With a flicker of blue light from his fingers, he transformed my shrimp tail back into a human form. Only then did he let out a sigh, gave my head a light tap, and scolded me with a smile, saying, "You naughty one!" Then, with a serious expression, he asked me, "Why are you being mischievous and pretending to be scary?"

Why do you look so strange

I wiped my tears, crying and complaining: "Even if my heart is strong, I am often ridiculed by others. Even if my heart is like iron, I will still shed tears. Moreover, I know that I am not attractive!" I pouted, sobbing as I complained with the last sentence: "In this way, no man will like me! Even a little shrimp is a luxury!"

Ruan Yang sat there gracefully, sipping wine lightly, with a faint smile on her face. Seeing me twisting and turning my head down on the white jade chair, she couldn't help but chuckle and whispered softly to me, "If you are feeling bored, let the maid take you for a walk. There are many rare and exotic flowers and plants in the Ninth Prince's residence; you can take a look around."

A large head was so massive that it completely hindered the movement of the shrimp tail. When the second cluster of flames shot over, I could only watch helplessly as the flames came crashing towards my face.

I am sobbing and struggling to catch my breath

It is likely that my tone lacked any hostility, which gave her much more courage. She mustered her bravery to remind me: "Miss, the coral grove here is off-limits to others by the Ninth Prince! You are someone brought by His Highness the King of the Well Sea, so he certainly will not punish you, but the sisters in this garden will all be punished afterwards!"