Chapter 34: Jealousy

Who doesn’t aspire to occupy the high ground of intelligence? Especially under long-term oppression by humans, the merfolk, regardless of gender or age, all began learning Five-in-a-Row.

A month later, it even reached the Left and Right Elders, and even the merfolk’s Left and Right Elders couldn’t resist the temptation of intelligence.

They set up a small table, drew grids, one holding black pieces, the other holding white pieces, and engaged in a joyful battle of wits.

The result was unsurprising, naturally the calm and experienced Right Elder won. She narrowed her eyes in satisfaction, deep wrinkles appearing at the corners.

“I don’t accept this. Why do I lose again? Am I really no match for you?” The Left Elder angrily said with her hands on her hips.

The Right Elder said with a smile: “Besides thinking, what’s more important in chess is whether you can keep your cool. Old Stone, you still need more practice. Last time you were just…”

Although the Left Elder had a hot temper and was a bit impulsive, she wasn’t a sore loser. She honestly started cleaning up the aftermath, saying: “You’re right, this chess game is really interesting. When you make a move, your brain has to start thinking about the whole situation and how to move next.”

“Yes, I wonder who invented this game. It’s truly educational and entertaining. We two old things, usually bored staying in the sea, and our old bones can’t play the games of the young ones anymore. Chess can help pass the time,” the Right Elder nodded in agreement.

“Darling, come here!” The Left Elder waved to her precious granddaughter who was playing with mud nearby.

The soft little milk fish swam over and said in a milky voice: “Grandma, what do you want me to do?”

The Left Elder held her precious granddaughter lovingly, kissed her chubby little cheek, and asked: “Darling, tell grandma, who invented Five-in-a-Row?”

The little milk fish said: “It’s Jiang Yang, the human wife-master of the Prince.”

“……”

“……”

The two Elders’ previously kind and gentle smiles immediately drooped.

The Left Elder even swept away the chess pieces on the board with her large hand: “What bad luck!”

The little milk fish was startled by the scattered chess pieces, her little body trembling. The Left Elder’s stern gaze immediately turned into that of a benevolent old grandmother: “Oh my, my darling, are you scared?”

“No,” the little milk fish shook her head, sucking her finger.

“Why get angry with that woman?” The Right Elder bent down to pick up the chess pieces. “Isn’t her teaching us Five-in-a-Row a gesture of goodwill?”

“Hmph, is that goodwill? It’s like a weasel paying New Year’s respects to a chicken, with no good intentions. Who knows what evil is hidden behind that sugar-coated shell!” said the Left Elder.

“Regardless, she told us how to play Five-in-a-Row, and in the end, aren’t we the ones benefiting? Besides, we understand the principle that those not of our kind must be of a different heart. Could our people really be bought off by an outsider?” said the Right Elder.

“…You have a point. Our people do hate humans to the bone,” said the Left Elder. “And I specially told Xiao Rong and Yue Gui to give that woman the cold shoulder, target her, ostracize her.”

“How is she doing now?”

The Left Elder said disdainfully: “She’s still enduring it, but that’s just because it hasn’t been long. She’s still putting on an act. Wait until more time passes, I don’t believe she can keep enduring. What woman can bear such treatment? Don’t worry, sooner or later she’ll reveal the brutal nature of humans. By then, the Prince will have had his child, and that woman will have no more use. We can take advantage of the Prince’s disillusionment and immediately arrange a new consort for him, to give birth to a pure-blooded princess.”

The Right Elder smiled slightly, very satisfied with this: “Then let Xiao Rong and Yue Gui put in more effort, make that woman’s life even more miserable.”

The Left Elder nodded, grabbing another handful of chess pieces: “Come on, we must practice more, so we can better fight against that woman in the future. She has many tricks up her sleeve.”

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“Achoo—” Jiang Yang, lying comfortably in the palace, sneezed. She rubbed her nose tip, wondering if she had caught a cold? That shouldn’t be.

With the merman pearl in her body, her temperature was maintained at a constant state, she shouldn’t catch a cold.

“Yue Gui, bring me a cup of hot water,” Jiang Yang said casually, truly treating the merman prince’s attendant as her own servant.

Yue Gui was naturally unwilling, and coincidentally, Chi Mei, who had been sticking to Jiang Yang like glue all the time, had gone to the ancestral hall to pay respects to his parents.

Yue Gui’s courage had also grown, and with a face like Jiang Yang owed him money, he said: “We don’t have that human hot water setup in the sea. Consort, if you want hot water, go ashore and boil it yourself.”

“Who’s the master here? Ah Yang just wanted a cup of hot water, and you’re making all sorts of excuses. With such a big attitude, why don’t I roll up my sleeves and be your servant instead!” Chi Mei suddenly pushed open the door, his eyebrows knitting tightly, his eyes deep and sharp, exuding a cold light.

“It’s fine, Yue Gui is just telling the truth. We can’t boil water at the bottom of the sea, I forgot,” Jiang Yang said with a smile, not angered by Yue Gui’s temper.

Just a little spitfire.

She had seen plenty in the brothels. Over the years of her romantic adventures, she had experienced all types: the charming, the aloof, the pure, the resilient, even the helpless and soft ones, and even white lotuses and green tea boys.

Although she had no intentions towards Yue Gui, she wouldn’t get angry over his prickly words. Otherwise, wouldn’t her years of reputation as a romantic wanderer be for nothing?

“Even so, he shouldn’t treat you like that,” Chi Mei said angrily. “Go out and kneel!”

“Prince?!” Yue Gui looked at Chi Mei in disbelief, probably unable to believe that years of companionship by his side were not worth as much as this human woman who had appeared less than a month ago.

It’s quite heartbreaking, Jiang Yang thought.

Now she seemed more like an ancient evil consort disrupting the court, while Chi Mei was like a cruel and foolish emperor bewitched by beauty, and Yue Gui was undoubtedly the loyal minister risking his life to remonstrate.

The loyal and devoted old minister, just for offending her, this evil consort, was ordered by the tyrant to be dragged out and given thirty heavy strokes. The loyal minister, being dragged out, shouted: “Evil consort! You won’t come to a good end!”

Ah, although, she felt quite pleased inside. Being the villain, the evil woman, was more exciting!

But she only thought about it. Although Yue Gui wasn’t very nice to her, he was still loyal to Chi Mei.

Such a loyal servant shouldn’t be treated like this. It would only make him lose faith in Chi Mei, this fish was already stupid enough.

Over the years, Jiang Yang had experienced all types of men, including pure and kind little white flowers, but she had never seen anyone as pure to the point of absurdity as Chi Mei.

If he ended up alienating everyone because of her in the future, with no one to help him when he falls into hardship, it would be truly miserable.

Jiang Yang held Chi Mei’s hand and persuaded: “It’s alright, he didn’t say much. I don’t blame him, don’t punish him.”

Chi Mei’s eyes blurred for a moment, his fingers slightly tightening to interlock with hers, but this didn’t persuade Chi Mei to forgive Yue Gui. Instead, it stirred up his inexplicable jealousy.

Chi Mei stared intently at Yue Gui’s face, with its slender eyebrows, eyes deep and fine, their tails seemingly smudged with eyeshadow without any makeup, lips red without any rouge, exuding charm mixed with a hint of stubbornness, very much like the soft yet resilient seaweed in the sea.

A heavy shade of jealousy flashed in Chi Mei’s eyes. They were both disrespectful to Ah Yang, but Ah Yang often bantered with Xiao Rong, trading barbs like needle against awl, neither giving an inch. Only when he intervened to mediate did Ah Yang stop quarreling with Xiao Rong.

What right did Yue Gui have?

In terms of attitude, Yue Gui’s was even worse than Xiao Rong’s, even giving Ah Yang the cold shoulder and trying to intimidate her at their first meeting.

But Ah Yang not only didn’t get angry with him, but her reaction was unusually calm.

At first, Chi Mei thought it was because Jiang Yang had just arrived and didn’t want to make a fuss after being bullied. Who knew that after so long, she had verbally disciplined Xiao Rong several times, yet was exceptionally tolerant towards Yue Gui.

This kind of tolerance made Chi Mei’s heart ache with sourness, inexplicably tightening. This was a gentleness that had never been bestowed upon him, more enviable and heart-stirring than the gentle and peaceful seawater. Yet this tolerance wasn’t meant for him. His beloved’s heart, holding his hand, yet speaking words of protection for another man.

Chi Mei’s throat choked painfully, as if tightly bound by thorny vines, the thorns sealing his mouth and tongue, unable to utter even a cry of distress.

“Is it not okay?” Seeing Chi Mei silent for a long time, Jiang Yang tugged at his hand and asked softly again.

Chi Mei’s heartstrings trembled, like a startled bird. He was both fearful of Jiang Yang’s change of heart and afraid that his silence would cause what little affection she had for him to slip away.

“…Alright… Whatever Ah Yang says.” Chi Mei’s gloomy voice was as weak as a dying person.

Jiang Yang sighed in relief and said to Yue Gui: “Alright, your Prince doesn’t blame you anymore. You can go now.”

Yue Gui bowed with lowered eyes and left, but if Chi Mei had observed carefully, he would have noticed that Yue Gui, who had always only bowed to him in the past, this time directed his bow towards Jiang Yang.

But at this moment, nothing could enter Chi Mei’s eyes. He was still immersed in the fear of his love about to wither.

Yue Gui, who had walked out of the palace, could no longer conceal his pale face.

His master, whom he had accompanied since childhood, was about to punish him just because his voice was a little loud, without any regard for his face. Yue Gui felt his heart grow cold.

He looked back at the grand and splendid palace, his hand slowly crawling up to his left cheek. The scar from the slap he had once received had long faded, but that burning pain seemed to have never subsided.

It was already the second time. The Prince he had served for many years was not as kind to him as Jiang Yang… Indeed, men should not hold power. Yue Gui laughed self-mockingly and turned to leave.