Stop Thinking Chapter 48: Extra 11: What If… [Mermaid X Little Prince] 5 [END]

Chapter 48: Extra 11: What If… [Mermaid X Little Prince] 5 (It’s Another Year’s Good Season [END]

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Ruan Yu was in a daze for several days, and when he woke up again, the first thing he saw was not the stalactites on the ceiling of the sea-eroded cave, but the familiar light gauze canopy in his bedroom.

Feeling as though his eyelids weighed a thousand pounds and tasting the bitter residue of herbs in his mouth, Ruan Yu struggled to open his eyes and groped around his side with his hand.

What his fingertips touched was not the crude but warm little nest made of various old clothes by the merman, but delicate brocade with golden silk patterns. Ruan Yu knew it with just one touch.

There was emptiness beside him. Every time he fell asleep, he was afraid that the merman who had always held him carefully would be gone. It was as if everything he had experienced in the cave was just a dream. Or perhaps, the things before his eyes were the illusions caused by his confusion.

His mind was muddled. Ruan Yu blinked slowly, and in his daze, a cry from his mother suddenly came from above, “You’re finally awake…”

As if a ray of light pierced through the chaos in his mind, Ruan Yu sat up abruptly and saw the Queen’s tearful face.

Because his body was too weak, Ruan Yu felt dizzy as soon as he sat up, almost falling back onto the pillow. He propped himself up on the bed and tried to steady himself. With a twitch of his lips, he buried his head in the Queen’s embrace, and the two of them burst into tears.

It was time for the morning court. The Emperor, Ruan Yu’s father, was not there. Only the Queen and the Third Prince were with him. The Third Prince, who originally wanted to say something to comfort his brother, was silenced by their crying and wore a look of wanting to speak but not daring to. He glanced at the door, then at Ruan Yu.

“Mother, I’m fine. I was rescued as soon as I fell into the water, and I didn’t suffer much,” Ruan Yu said after crying for a while. He wiped his slightly swollen eyelids and subconsciously lifted his clothes to show his mother and elder brother, who had been worried about him for months, his plump belly. “Look, I’ve gained weight these past few months…”

Having been asleep for several days due to illness and wanting to quickly reassure his mother and elder brother, Ruan Yu’s mind was not clear enough to even ask how he had returned.

“He…” Ruan Yu was eager to get off the bed, his face turning pale, tears that had just been held back burst out again, and his voice trembled as he asked, “Where is he?”

Actually, there was no need to ask. It must be the merman who, fearing for his safety when he was not recovering from a high fever, reluctantly sent him back. But how exactly did he send him back? Were there many guards patrolling the sea? If they encountered the merman, would they mistake him for a monster, hurt him, or…

“You mean that merman?” The Third Prince was a clever person. With a glance at his fifth brother’s face, he saw through his thoughts. His lips twitched slightly, and he pointed to the koi pond in the courtyard outside Ruan Yu’s bedroom. “He’s right there in that pond. Don’t worry, we…”

But they couldn’t defeat him!

According to the guards who found Ruan Yu, they were searching the area as usual when suddenly the merman appeared out of nowhere and handed over the feverish Fifth Prince. The merman showed no hostility, but the guards, who had never seen a merman before, mistook him for a sea monster and were on high alert, aiming their bows and arrows at him in case of an attack.

The captain of the guards personally rowed over, trembling, and took the unconscious Fifth Prince from the merman’s hands, brought him back to the cabin, and settled him down. Then he hurriedly ordered his men to set sail. The merman followed behind at a distance. The guards shouted and threatened with their arrows. After sailing for a sea mile, the captain couldn’t bear it anymore. Afraid of letting the monster follow the Fifth Prince back to the palace without explanation, and afraid of making an enemy out of this unknown creature, he ordered his men to shoot arrows near the merman, not to harm him, but to drive him away.

Unexpectedly, the merman either didn’t understand the captain’s intentions or was impervious to arrows with his steel-like body, and he showed aggression instead.

As a result, the ship was nearly overturned by the merman’s brute force…

If it weren’t for the merman sparing them because of the Fifth Prince’s presence in the cabin, whether the guards could come back alive would be a question.

After learning their lesson, no one dared to provoke the merman again. The guards could only grit their teeth and let him follow.

And then…

The captain of the guards discovered that the merman could actually speak human language, although it was awkward and unclear. However, with patience and repeated listening, one could understand. According to the merman, he was the one who rescued the Fifth Prince when he fell into the water and took care of him for several months.

Learning that the Fifth Prince, who had been missing for so long, had been found and was safe, albeit with a cold, the Emperor and the Queen were so relieved that they almost fainted. Naturally, they didn’t dare to neglect the merman who claimed to have saved the Fifth Prince’s life. They ordered a dozen strong sedan bearers to carry the merman back to the palace, where he was temporarily well-fed and taken care of, awaiting Ruan Yu’s awakening to explain the whole situation.

And then… 

Several imperial physicians, without prior agreement, diagnosed from the Fifth Prince’s pulse that he might be expecting. The reason was unknown, but since the cold was severe, they couldn’t afford to delay. They had to temporarily set aside the matter of the expected child and first treat the cold.

Upon hearing that the son they had raised for eighteen years, who was truly a boy, was “expecting,” the Emperor and the Queen first doubted their own lives, then almost fainted together.

…

Before the Third Prince could speak, Ruan Yu had already leaped up, rushed out the door without even putting on his shoes. Despite his weakness, he staggered with each step, yet somehow, he moved faster than a rabbit.

The Third Prince hurriedly picked up the shoes from the ground and followed, shouting, “Fifth Brother! Be careful not to catch a cold! He’s fine!…”

But the rest of his words got stuck in his throat—

By the koi pond in the courtyard, Ruan Yu was already embracing the merman tearfully.

The osmanthus trees in the courtyard were in full bloom, swaying in the wind. The bright golden flowers fell like rain into the pond, attracting several plump koi to feed on them, stirring up layers of clear ripples on the surface.

His little, fair-skinned Fifth Brother was being held, and it seemed he was about to be engulfed by the merman’s bronze-like robust body.

The merman’s bones were unexpectedly large, especially his skilled hunting hands. With just one hand, he could hold Ruan Yu securely. Yet, as if afraid of not holding him tightly enough, he interlocked both arms and earnestly embraced Ruan Yu. His back was slightly bent, and he rubbed his cheek against Ruan Yu’s shoulder affectionately, using his peculiar tone to murmur, “Ruan Ruan, Ruan Ruan…”

“I was almost scared to death just now. I thought you…” Ruan Yu choked up and couldn’t continue. His voice was sticky, full of coquettishness.

As clever as the Third Prince was, he had already guessed that the relationship between this merman and his Fifth Brother was unusual.

This merman, unafraid of the numerous soldiers, followed the patrol boats ashore stubbornly and affectionately. After coming ashore, despite the much larger imperial garden pond available, he insisted on slipping into the small koi pond in Ruan Yu’s courtyard… And those several priceless black pearls were probably tokens of affection from him to Ruan Yu. Even Ruan Yu’s unusually protruding belly was likely related to the merman, especially since the rumors about mermaids laying eggs through borrowed bellies were widespread among the common folk. It was hard for the Third Prince not to know.

Afraid that the Emperor and the Queen would be frightened, the Third Prince had hinted at them these past few days.

But the merman was uncivilized, disregarding etiquette, and ignoring the presence of the Third Prince beside them. Not seeing each other for several days, he was fixated on Ruan Yu’s face, eagerly kissing and hugging him like a dog reunited with its master after a long time. He made Ruan Yu’s cheeks glisten with water.

Ruan Yu, on the other hand, timidly protested verbally, but in action, he obediently tilted his little blushing face and let the merman kiss him, leaving him all wet.

“You, you two… Fifth Brother…”

It was unbearable to look at!

The Third Prince’s hand hesitated in mid-air, wanting to quickly pull these two apart but feeling too embarrassed to do so.

How could this merman, who couldn’t even speak human language properly, captivate his Fifth Brother like this?!

What a silly child!

The Third Prince couldn’t help but beat his chest and stamp his feet.

Just then, several palace maids behind them suddenly shouted anxiously, “Someone, quickly summon the imperial physician! Her Majesty the Queen is feeling dizzy again!…”

The Third Prince, “…”

It was too late.

When Ruan Yu was summoned to the study for a conversation, the merman also wanted to follow. Ruan Yu wanted him to look more dignified, so he had someone find some robes for the merman to wear. But no matter how the merman wore them, it looked odd. It was stretched tightly like an adult forcing on a child’s clothes. Even the largest size was stretched to the point of bursting by the merman’s muscular physique, making it even more unsightly. Ruan Yu had no choice but to give up and ordered him to stay in the koi pond and not come out.

Otherwise, if the merman exposed his chest in front of the Queen or even worse, kept staring at him with infatuation in the public eye, and if he hugged him again halfway through the conversation… Ruan Yu didn’t even dare to think about it.

No matter how eloquent he was, he would ruin the conversation.

Ruan Yu’s confrontation with the Emperor and the Queen went smoothly.

First, these two spoiled their youngest son without any regard for reason. Even with the weighty matter at hand, Ruan Yu could just shed a few tears and half of the issue would be overlooked. Moreover, considering it was their son who was lost and then found again, they wouldn’t dare deny Ruan Yu anything. Secondly, Ruan Yu confirmed the truth of what the merpeople had said. If it weren’t for the merpeople’s rescue that day, he wouldn’t have even left a complete corpse, let alone returned to the palace alive and well. Given the debt of gratitude for saving his life, isn’t it reasonable to offer himself in return? Moreover, during the time spent in the cave, the merpeople took great care of his daily needs, providing him with everything they could. In that desolate place where one could hardly obtain anything, Ruan Yu ended up fairer and plumper, clearly showing how carefully the merpeople nurtured him.

Of course, these arguments only slightly eased the frowns on the Emperor and Empress’s brows. Even with all the merpeople’s virtues, they still found it difficult to accept them immediately. Even if… it was a female mermaid? That would be much better. Naturally, all of this was within Ruan Yu’s expectations. Such significant matters would inevitably require a gradual softening of his father and mother’s attitudes. He mentioned the inexplicable familiarity and warmth he felt when he first saw the merpeople, as well as the dreams he had every night, where he seemed to spend another lifetime with them.

“…I feel like our meeting wasn’t accidental,” Ruan Yu’s voice was soft but firm. “It was a reunion after a long separation.”

Even without the shipwreck, they would have met at some other time, sooner or later, drawn together by some unseen thread of fate. The eternal love spoken of in dramas, the destined match made in heaven, it must be something like this…

The negotiation dragged on for several days. Unsurprisingly, Ruan Yu managed to persuade the Emperor and Empress. His belly was becoming increasingly prominent, and they couldn’t delay any longer; they had to come to a decision. According to tradition, whoever married Ruan Yu, whether male or female, would be titled as a royal consort. Through this… this merman, recorded in history as “Gu Xiuhan,” was over ten feet tall, handsome and robust, impervious to weapons, capable of fighting hundreds single-handedly… still, they could only be, and had to be, a royal consort.

A mansion outside the palace had already been under construction for Ruan Yu. In a short while, he would be able to move there with the merpeople. Before leaving the palace, one of Ruan Yu’s major tasks was to help the merpeople adapt to life on land. As a foundation for communication, literacy and language were paramount. The merperson had been learning before, and now, they were making faster progress in this area. Soon, they could speak fluently, with a melodic accent that was even more pleasant than that of ordinary people.

In addition to language, Ruan Yu also had to teach the merman some basic knowledge, which covered a wide range of topics. In a haphazard manner, Ruan Yu taught whatever came to mind. Once, the Third Prince came to visit Ruan Yu, and Ruan Yu pointed to the Third Prince, saying to the merperson, “Xiuhán, my third brother will also be your third brother in the future. You should also call him ‘Third Brother’.” The merman nodded slightly, then sat up, their fishtail propping them as they approached the Third Prince. The shadow cast by the backlight enveloped the slender Third Prince entirely in deep darkness, as the merperson said in a deep voice, “Third Brother.” The Third Prince gasped, almost dropping the snacks in his hand, and replied tremulously, “…Ah.”

Knowing that the pregnant mermaid was fragile, the merman dared not touch them recklessly. However, some things couldn’t be contained, and as a result, the merman became much clingier. Unable to do much else, kissing was surely fine. For the past few months of Ruan Yu’s pregnancy, he couldn’t even look the merman in the eye, because whenever their eyes met, the merman would swim over as if triggered by some switch, affectionately nuzzling and kissing him, leaving his lips red and swollen, unfit to be seen by others.

To ease his discomfort, Ruan Yu didn’t allow the merman into his bedchamber at night. Instead, he made the merman sleep in the koi pond outside. Every time, the merman fervently agreed, only to sneak into the bedchamber in the dead of night.

In the late hours, with palace lamps flickering, shadows dancing, Ruan Yu often glimpsed the huge merman sneaking around the chamber…

He felt if the merman encountered someone timid, they would have been frightened out of their wits long ago.

When Ruan Yu soaked in medicinal baths, the merman always disregarded any rules and squeezed into the bath with him, hugging the swollen and slippery pregnant mermaid, causing chaos in the warm water.

“The herbs in this pool are for stabilizing pregnancies… You can’t soak! Get out!” Ruan Yu would always tearfully chase the merman away halfway through the bath.

Naturally, the pregnancy herbs had no effect on the robust merman. It was Ruan Yu who, nurtured by them, gained rosy cheeks, abundant energy, and even seemed stronger when fighting. With the mermaid eggs growing inside him, his belly became so heavy that he could hardly bear it.

According to an ancient book hidden away in the imperial medical library, mermaid eggs should be the size of goose eggs with soft shells. There should be no obvious pain during birth, and no mention of amniotic fluid. Although they could be seen when carried in a person’s belly, it wouldn’t be as obvious as with ordinary pregnant women. However, Ruan Yu had been pampered too carefully, so the mermaid eggs grew larger than usual, making his belly unbearably swollen.

As the end of the pregnancy approached, a month before the mermaid eggs were due to be born, Ruan Yu simply lay in bed all day, ordering the merman around.

…

The little mermaids hatched in the spring of the second year. There were three in total, one female and two males. They were born chubby and adorable, looking smarter than ordinary children. Shortly after birth, one of them, with a pink scale, started to mumble “daddy,” though it sounded more like “dada”…

Unlike their merman father, these three half-human, half-mermaid babies had human-like lower limbs when they hatched, with only subtle soft scales near the tips of their toes and ankles. They could walk on two feet like normal people and only transformed into fishtails when in water. One merchild had ink-blue scales, another had golden-red scales, and the third had silver-pink scales, all of which seemed oddly familiar to Ruan Yu.

In the courtyard of Ruan Yu’s mansion outside the palace, there was a specially dug large pool for the four merfolk to enjoy. In late spring, with the weather turning warm, the merman played with their three merchildren in the pool, lifting them high, tossing them up, and catching them, eliciting laughter and joyful cries that sounded like baby chicks.

Unaware observers might mistake them for three little chicks.

Ruan Yu sat on a rock by the edge of the pool, barefoot, watching the four merfolk in the water while playfully stirring the water with his toes. Suddenly, the three merchildren swam over, giggling mischievously, trying to pull their “little daddy” into the water to play. However, they were too weak, and Ruan Yu easily broke free from their grasp. The merchildren paused, then turned their heads, calling out for their merman daddy in unison.

“Ruan Ruan…” The merman emerged from the emerald-blue water, grabbing Ruan Yu’s slender ankle playfully.

“What are you doing?” Ruan Yu pouted, complaining but with a smile in his tone, not retracting his foot even as the merman held onto it.

“Come down, join us,” the merman smiled slightly, applying some force and pulling Ruan Yu into the water with a splash.

The little merchildren laughed uproariously, all piling on to play with their “little daddy.” As the sunlight and clouds danced with the blossoms in the courtyard, mingling with the sounds of laughter, it was another beautiful season.

【End】

 

 

 

 

 

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