This meant that after Qing Mo married him and brought him home, she didn’t treat him well, and the husbands from other chambers also targeted him in various ways. It’s understandable. How could a fickle woman who values appearance have much patience for a man who isn’t exceptionally good-looking, no matter how gentle his personality or how good he is at managing the household?

Jiang Yang listened silently from the side, sighing inwardly. Whether in the sea or on land, for men to change their fate, it all depended on giving birth to a daughter.

But what if the child he’s carrying isn’t a daughter, but a son? That would be disastrous.

Jiang Yang stared at his belly. He was already not favored by his wife-master, and the other husbands were all formidable. If this pregnancy doesn’t result in a daughter to help stabilize his position, it will be difficult to be favored and get pregnant again in the future. It’s likely that before long, he would become an invisible person, living as a de facto widower.

“That’s why I say, no matter what race, as long as she treats you well, she’s your good match. Isn’t what we men desire just peace and happiness? I see that the consort is extremely beautiful, even more so than many men in our tribe, and her personality is gentle, not violent like other females. Now she’s even willing to marry into our merfolk tribe for you, she must be deeply in love with you.” Dou Zhu wiped away his tears, trying to find joy in sorrow.

Jiang Yang smiled politely, feeling a bit embarrassed by the praise. How could she be deeply in love with this stupid fish?

But Chi Mei looked at Jiang Yang with tender affection in his eyes: “A’Yang is better than all females.”

“Prince, my wife-master has found many pregnancy-safe medicines. I’ve taken them and found them good. Next time I’ll bring some for you,” Dou Zhu said.

Chi Mei nodded. The two close friends, separated for a long time, chatted about many things before finally parting.

“Why can’t a good man like Dou Zhu get a good wife-master? He’s honest and kind-hearted, how can he compete with the tigers, leopards, and wolves in Qing Mo’s household? No wonder he looks much thinner than before when I saw him this time. He’s pregnant after all… If only he gives birth to a daughter, if only he gives birth to a daughter.”

Chi Mei watched Dou Zhu’s departing figure, feeling sad about his miserable situation, quietly wiping his tears.

Jiang Yang wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes with a handkerchief, wiping them away before they could turn into pearls: “Don’t cry anymore. Wipe your tears. Everyone has their own fate.”

Chi Mei looked at her with tear-filled eyes, awkwardly taking the handkerchief but not wiping his tears. Instead, he held it in his hand, constantly twisting it, letting the tears fall one by one.

Jiang Yang looked down at the pearls rolling to her feet and said, “Didn’t I tell you to wipe away your tears?”

Chi Mei looked at her, his eyes brimming with tears, pouting resentfully: “Don’t you like pearls? You wanted to pick up the pearls Dou Zhu dropped on the ground, why don’t you want my pearls? Are my pearls ugly?”

Jiang Yang pinched his soft face, warm teardrops sliding past her fingertips: “I’ve seen your tears many times. It was the first time seeing other merfolk cry, so I wanted to see if the tears you cry are the same. I didn’t mean anything else. Don’t cry anymore.”

After this explanation, Chi Mei cried even more sorrowfully, his lips quivering with tears: “You’re tired of seeing me cry, so you want to see other men cry, is that it?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Jiang Yang said.

“Prince! I knew she was bullying our prince!” Hearing Chi Mei’s crying, Yue Gui, a merfolk attendant who had been guarding outside, kicked open the door and rushed in angrily, about to part the pearl curtains.

Jiang Yang saw the situation was not good. This guy was clearly sent by the two elders to monitor her. One must bow one’s head under another’s roof. If they found out that she had made their prince cry again, she would surely suffer. After all, she was a married-in wife, without dignity.

Quick as lightning, Jiang Yang leaned close to Chi Mei’s ear and whispered: “It’s not that I’m tired of seeing you cry, it’s that I can’t bear to see you cry.”

After saying this, Jiang Yang got goosebumps all over, disgusted with herself.

Chi Mei suddenly froze on the spot, tears still hanging on his eyelashes, but his crying abruptly stopped.

“You human woman, don’t be too presumptuous. Our prince is noble and precious, it’s your good fortune that he’s willing to be with you. Now you dare to bully our prince like this on our merfolk territory. If you leave here in the future, will our prince be bullied to death by you? I’ll take you to the elders for severe punishment, to teach you the rules!” Yue Gui glared with her beautiful almond eyes, angrily pointing at Jiang Yang.

“Pa—” A pearl was thrown hard at Yue Gui’s face.

Yue Gui looked at Chi Mei in disbelief: “Prince, what are you doing?!”

Chi Mei stood with both hands, his cold brows like icy seawater gathering, his eyes cold with anger: “What am I doing? I want to ask you, what are you doing? What status does A’Yang have? She is my wife-master. What right do you have to point fingers at her! You’re the one who’s not following the rules. I think you’re the one who needs punishment the most!”

This was the first time Jiang Yang had seen Chi Mei in this state. Usually, by her side, he always appeared a bit foolish and not very intelligent. She had never seen such an imposing side of him, like a crushing iceberg, making one shiver without feeling cold.

Yue Gui gritted her teeth, unwillingly saying: “Prince, I was speaking for you! She just bullied you, I heard your crying from outside! How can you still defend her?”

Chi Mei narrowed his eyes: “Who told you I was crying because of A’Yang? I was talking with Dou Zhu and feeling emotional, that’s why I cried. A’Yang was concerned for me, she couldn’t bear to see me shedding tears, so she was comforting me.”

Yue Gui was dumbfounded and looked at Jiang Yang.

Jiang Yang leaned lazily against the bed, smiling lightly as if watching a show.

But in Yue Gui’s eyes, that smile became mockery. He gritted his teeth, saying hatefully: “Even so, the prince shouldn’t indulge this human woman too much. If you indulge her now, she’ll forget her place.”

“Pa—” Chi Mei rushed forward and slapped Yue Gui’s face with a resounding smack.

A vivid red mark immediately appeared on Yue Gui’s delicate face.

“…Prince?” Yue Gui dully covered his face.

Chi Mei was unmoved, his expression even colder than before. The prince’s arrogant air was fully on display as he squeezed out words through gritted teeth: “Who do you think you are, to remind A’Yang of her status?”

Yue Gui looked at Chi Mei in disbelief: “Prince, I was speaking for you.”

Who needs you to speak for me, it’s unnecessary!