Stop Thinking Chapter 37: Love You Very Much

Chapter 37: Love You Very Much

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

In the days following the end of mating season, Ruan Yu showed a keen interest in his own belly. From time to time, he would lift his shirt and stare at it intently, or absentmindedly pinch the soft white flesh.

To prevent Ruan Yu from conceiving, Gu Xiuhan had taken medication to reduce cell activity beforehand, so there would be no signs of pregnancy afterwards. Gu Xiuhan believed Ruan Yu was still too young for the responsibility of bearing offspring. He himself was still naive, so welcoming a new life seemed premature. Besides, Ruan Yu had four more years of carefree university life ahead of him. Ruan Yu understood these reasons well, so he wasn’t anxious or disappointed. He was merely curious and hopeful about the future, tinged with remnants of instinct from the mating season, leading him to occasionally indulge in fantasies about what might come. If their future offspring looked like him, they would undoubtedly be adorable beyond measure. But if they resembled Gu Xiuhan, with his cool and composed demeanor, it would also be quite amusing.

Lost in thought, Ruan Yu gently sighed with a mix of happiness and complexity.

After successfully passing through mating season, curiosity about the matter that Ruan Yu had pushed to the back of his mind resurfaced. It was supposed to be a surprise, but Ruan Yu felt Gu Xiuhan wouldn’t go for anything overly extravagant, like secretly arranging a proposal scene elsewhere. It just didn’t seem to fit Gu Xiuhan’s style. Gu Xiuhan’s response to the question was quite direct—to pack a suitcase and take Ruan Yu into the mecha cockpit.

With a decisive military style, they set off without delay. This mecha had been with Gu Xiuhan for over a decade, unchanged since his enlistment. After the end of battles, it was only occasionally used as a transport, so it remained in excellent condition, almost appearing brand new. Only upon close inspection could one see some minor, irreparable scars from years past.

In the mecha squadron, each mecha, besides its official designation, was given a nickname by its pilot for easier identification during operations. This particular mecha was called “Xinghan,” borrowing a line from an ancient Earth poet, matched with its deep blue alloy shell and cold blue plasma sword, giving it a coordinated style.

The bond with this mecha was not only with Gu Xiuhan but also with Ruan Yu. During Ruan Yu’s baby days, he was too fragile and vulnerable to be taken out like other children his age. He could only shuttle between the military base and the Gu residence, tightly guarded. For a mermaid who once lived in the vast ocean, this kind of life was somewhat stifling. Despite the artificial lake being vast, it was nothing compared to the vastness of the ocean covering entire planets, akin to a large fish tank. And the more intelligent the being, the more obvious the negative effects of confinement. Yet, Ruan Yu was obedient to a fault, never making unrealistic demands like wanting to live in the sea, even if he felt stifled.

Therefore, Gu Xiuhan would occasionally take him out for some fresh air. Regular public places were off-limits due to the risks involved; no one wanted to be responsible for any mishaps. For a mecha special forces soldier like Gu Xiuhan, especially since becoming the top-ranked fighter after enlisting, anywhere he could operate the mecha was considered safe. Even alien leaders couldn’t defeat him when he piloted the mecha. Staying within the jurisdiction of the capital star ensured 100% safety. 

In the mecha cockpit, to prevent little Ruan Yu from accidentally touching the control system, Gu Xiuhan securely wrapped the small baby in a blanket and placed him on his lap. Only Ruan Yu’s curious round face and a mischievous tip of his tail were visible from above and below the blanket, resembling a breaded fish ball.

Only when the conditions for automatic cruising were met would Gu Xiuhan take this little fish ball to the spacious and empty spherical viewing cabin, adjust the appropriate microgravity mode, and let Ruan Yu play.

The glass of the viewing cabin was so transparent that it seemed nonexistent. Outside the cabin, countless stars gathered into an infinite ocean of light, millions of light-years away, reflecting the eternal silence of the dark sky.

Little fish baby appeared chubby, but it was only in comparison to his small frame. In reality, he was so small that Gu Xiuhan could lift him up with both hands, like picking up a kitten. Ruan Yu’s silver-pink chubby tail floated like it was in water as he swam away from Gu Xiuhan’s hands, wiggling towards the twinkling sea of stars. His tail fin reflected the glow of the stars, his eyes filled with galaxies, and his round face was full of wonder and joy.

The two-year-old baby Ruan Yu, speaking in his plastic empire language, couldn’t describe the delicate and awe-inspiring feelings in his heart. He only knew that compared to the vast cosmic ocean, the oceans covering entire planets seemed like small water bubbles.

He had seen the magnificent face of the universe from a very young age. Despite appearing as a cool young man, Gu Xiuhan spared no effort to care for the child behind the scenes.

In conclusion, this mecha was as familiar and welcoming to Ruan Yu as a childhood playground. This towering steel giant of over a hundred meters had all the facilities inside, as comfortable as home, suitable for long interstellar journeys. Some small starships couldn’t even compare in size to this mecha.

Perhaps it was intuition at work. Once Ruan Yu boarded the mecha, an exaggerated and unrealistic speculation began to emerge in his mind, even more unrealistic than “Gu Xiuhan secretly arranging a marriage proposal scene.” Knowing that they hadn’t reached their destination, Gu Xiuhan wouldn’t say anything, so Ruan Yu could only hold back. Moreover, the medication to alleviate transition syndrome made him drowsy, leaving him with little energy to think too much.

As the journey progressed, a series of coordinates on the star map began to shine, making that speculation clearer and clearer.

Three days later, according to the capital star’s time, the approaching planet confirmed Ruan Yu’s “most unrealistic” speculation — it was an ocean planet similar to ancient Earth. The water enveloping the entire planet ranged between blue and green, with a clear and shallow rainwater hue, like a tear of a deity, rotating silently and mournfully in the cold universe.

Sixteen years ago, when Ruan Yu was taken away from his home planet by Gu Xiuhan, it wasn’t like this. The alien legion would ecologically transform newly conquered planets into massive “nurseries” at a planetary level for the Empress to breed offspring. At that time, the planet had been ravaged beyond recognition. The secretion of the alien legion, a pus-like substance used for transformation, was a stubborn chronic toxin for most life forms on the planet. It would take one or two hundred years or even longer for natural metabolism to degrade it. Ruan Yu vaguely remembered the foul-smelling liquid that stung fish gills, permeating the waters of his home planet, with noticeable changes in water color in many areas, and the marine ecosystem being fragmented and persecuted.

Those aliens were like locusts, devouring everything beautiful. Later, although Ruan Yu’s home planet was included in the Empire’s territory, the planetary-level severe pollution and mass extinction events turned it into an abandoned planet in a remote area, with zero development value. The Minister of Finance would not invest even a single star coin in rebuilding this planet. Moreover, to artificially accelerate the environmental restoration of a planet, what’s needed is not only astronomical levels of investment but also energy and time.

Fortunately, Gu Xiuhan lacked none of these.

This once devastated turquoise planet had become his private planet many years ago. It was long before Ruan Yu was too young for Gu Xiuhan to harbor any improper thoughts towards him. So, it wasn’t about having ulterior motives towards Ruan Yu that drove him to please him.

During the day, the lively and cheerful little merman would swim to the shore at night when there was no one around, lean his chubby arms on a large rock, and secretly cry while looking towards his home planet, missing his hometown and parents. Those who witnessed this heartbreaking scene weren’t just Gu Rong, but also Gu Xiuhan. But he didn’t know how to comfort him. Even if it was just in his heart, he didn’t know how to comfort him because any language seemed too trivial and meaningless. Fortunately, not long after that, Gu Rong returned with a starship filled with surviving marine life from Ruan Yu’s home planet. With the companionship of these familiar creatures, little Ruan Yu’s condition visibly improved.

So… what could he do for Ruan Yu?

During that period, this question lingered in Gu Xiuhan’s mind like a stubborn bone.

Until one day when he went on a mission to a remote star system, not too far from Ruan Yu’s home planet, he secretly made a trip there. The ocean was polluted like a grotesque and vulgar painting, with the external environment monitoring lights of the mecha flashing wildly, warning the driver of severe pollution, strictly prohibiting them from exiting the cabin. Gu Rong and the guards didn’t know how long they had to fish with their noses pinched before they could find a starship of unpolluted marine life.

The steel giant standing in the ocean bent down and slowly scooped up a handful of dirty seawater. It was from that moment that Gu Xiuhan figured out what he could do for Ruan Yu in the future.

The ecological destruction here was so thorough that even the terminal had difficulty accurately deducing every step of this long and massive project. How long it would take, whether it could be fully restored with manpower in a short period… everything was unknown. Gu Xiuhan didn’t want Ruan Yu to see his desolate and silent home planet, nor did he want him to be disappointed. He had been remotely supervising the restoration project, trying to polish this battered planet slowly, restore it to its original state, and then return it to Ruan Yu.

Ruan Yu never thought his home planet could be restored to its former glory within just sixteen years. At most, it was something he dreamt about.

Ancient Earth had a tacky and clichéd saying to describe unconditional love for a cherished one — even if it meant plucking the stars from the sky for them. Most of the time, it was just an exaggeration. But Gu Xiuhan was different; he was genuine. He wouldn’t say a bunch of pretty words beforehand, make promises to make people anxious, and then try to fulfill them. He was reserved and steady; he would work silently first, and when things were actually done, he would suddenly say, “I’ve done it.” He truly wasn’t talkative, but he was reliable.

A private planet transfer contract appeared on the light screen connected to Gu Xiuhan’s terminal. As the last mermaid royalty in the universe, this planet theoretically belonged to Ruan Yu.

“According to the law, the official document can only use the word ‘gift,'” Gu Xiuhan corrected the wording with a straight face, “but in reality, it’s just returning it to you.”

Returning the stars to his little prince.

The influx of information overwhelmed Ruan Yu. He stood in front of the large glass canopy of the cockpit, stunned for a while, as if frozen. Then suddenly, his eyes reddened, tears streaming down, even his lips trembling.

Mermaids generally didn’t have the same level of reasoning, calculation, and learning abilities as humans, so they sometimes seemed a bit “dense,” but they also had their own racial advantages — mermaids’ linguistic talent and memory far surpassed that of humans. Therefore, Ruan Yu’s home planet held extraordinary significance for him. It not only represented important but abstract concepts like hometown, race, and belonging but was also the home where he truly lived with his important relatives, carrying many precious memories.

At this moment, no words were needed. Ruan Yu buried himself in Gu Xiuhan’s arms, letting the overwhelming emotions engulf him. His mind was completely overwhelmed, knowing nothing but to press his wet face against Gu Xiuhan’s neck, rubbing against him like a clingy kitten.

“Ruan Ruan,” Gu Xiuhan rubbed the small round head in his arms, “let’s go home.”

“Ok…” Ruan Yu nodded vigorously, his eyelashes wet and sticking together, his eyes watery as he looked outside. By now, the mecha had officially landed on the sea surface, and the external environment monitoring lights maintained a soft light green color. Everything here had been restored to its original state.

A few days ago, Gu Xiuhan had already personally experienced being unprotected outside the cabin. As the cabin opened, Ruan Yu was cradled in the palm of the steel giant’s hand and gently lowered down. The familiar salty sea breeze tousled his silver hair. Ruan Yu took a deep breath and moved to the edge of the giant’s palm, tentatively dangling his fishtail into the water. The cool wave tip brushed against his sensitive tail fin, causing Ruan Yu to shiver. The seawater was so beautiful, almost unbelievably so, with full and soft colors, like melted liquid jade, yet clear enough to see through, with even the sand and seaweed on the shore clearly visible. There was no mistake; this was the sea of his homeland, just like this.

Ruan Yu couldn’t wait any longer; he wiggled his fish tail and plunged into the water. The underwater ecological environment was no different from his memories. Long, green-gold seaweed spread like a velvety blanket between the underwater hills and valleys, a familiar scene of green and gold. Countless tiny bubbles, like silver sand, gathered on the leaves of the seaweed before drifting to the surface. Where the current passed, the seaweed bowed low, revealing countless coral flowers like those in Gu Xiuhan’s desolate spiritual world, where he had filled the barren planet with corals. 

Ruan Yu reached out to touch a cluster of gem-like red coral, remembering that it was his mother’s favorite coral, which she liked to use to decorate her hair. As his fingertips touched the coral, a shy sea bunny peeked out from inside. It was supposed to run away, but influenced by Ruan Yu’s mental fluctuation, it hesitated for a moment. Instead of fleeing, it gently rubbed against Ruan Yu’s palm, and a group of beautiful little fish in bright yellow and blue swam out from the hiding sand and rocks, circling Ruan Yu, shaking their heads and swimming in circles. There were even some naive clams, opening and closing their shells like clapping hands, paddling towards the mysterious presence that made the marine creatures feel supreme joy and warmth.

He had just come down, and he attracted so many small animals. This ocean had already returned to its lively state. This was partly thanks to Gu Rong. Many of the creatures in the sea now were descendants of the marine life Gu Rong had rescued to make his son happy.

Unintentionally, that starship had become like Noah’s Ark. Perhaps in the future, the survivors and descendants of the mermaid clan would return to the oceans of their homeland like these little creatures. It was no longer an unreachable hometown.

The waves gently and rhythmically surged, like the breath of a deity. It was around noon on this planet, with thin clouds above the sea, and the sky was as blue as it could be. The star’s light poured onto the ocean without obstruction. The sea was warmed by the sun, and when Ruan Yu floated to the surface, he felt like he was covered in a thick blanket. The steel giant stood on the sea, like an indestructible guardian, its smooth alloy shell reflecting bright flashes. It aimed the head of the mecha at the water below, watching the small fish swimming back and forth.

Suddenly, Ruan Yu waved at Gu Xiuhan, signaling him to release the mecha’s hand. The steel giant lowered its body, slowly hovering its huge palm over the sea surface. Ruan Yu swam lightly over, lifted his arms, and hugged the tip of one of the mecha’s fingers, pressing his cheek against it affectionately, then gently kissed the giant’s fingertip. The two scenes, separated by sixteen years, seemed to overlap in this moment: the turquoise sea, the brilliant light of the star, the tiny mermaid and the steel giant… In his palm, the little mermaid would no longer turn into sea foam at sunrise. He was the pearl that would forever rest in his heart.

“I love you very much,” Ruan Yu said, his voice trembling.

Gu Xiuhan’s eyes lowered, and he smiled naturally. “I love you too.”

The little mermaid nodded satisfactorily, wagging his tail happily, creating countless white waves. Apart from this sentence, there were countless tender words. Like fluffy snowflakes, they filled his chest so full that even the most eloquent mouth couldn’t say them all. Fortunately, Ruan Yu could hear them all, and fortunately, their lifetime was so long, enough for him to repeat them slowly, one by one, to him.

 

 

 

 

 

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