Chapter 93: I Love Slacking Off
“We’re about to jump, why do you still look unhappy?”
A voice sounded beside her. Tao Ning shifted her gaze from the porthole, landing on the reflection beside her.
It was Song Fangzhou.
She had also been chosen by Song Man for the transfer. Initially, she had been quite reluctant, wanting to stay and fight, thinking that even if she didn’t get a chance to participate, observing would be exciting.
But after seeing Zang Yuzhu, she changed her mind and came over immediately.
Tao Ning looked away, shaking her head slightly: “I’m not unhappy.”
Song Fangzhou crossed her arms: “Alright then, what were you thinking about just now?”
Since she was speaking politely, Tao Ning didn’t mind engaging in conversation. Perhaps Song Man’s niece knew more than the other students.
Tao Ning said, “I was just thinking, the last energy resupply was two days ago, at the outer rim supply station of the Seventh Star System.”
Hearing her serious tone, Song Fangzhou also became serious: “Yes, that’s correct.”
Tao Ning’s eyes reflected the galaxy outside the porthole: “But in less than two days, someone caught up. Don’t you think the information leak was too fast, too accurate? And could there be another traitor among us?”
The scenery outside changed slowly. The ship seemed to be moving at a constant speed, but it was actually very fast. Traveling light was always faster than with a large fleet.
In half an hour, the ship would approach the jump point codenamed “Oasis.” For a safe landing and to accommodate the crew’s psychic thresholds, the speed would be adjusted in advance.
This conjecture was a bit far-fetched. Song Fangzhou said, “Everyone on this ship is one of us, how could there be another traitor?”
If that were truly the case, how could the incident where Gu Yuan was injured protecting the Mermaid have happened?
Tao Ning: “I hope so too.”
Thinking about the time, Callista should have settled in by now. She imagined the ocean-loving Mermaid wouldn’t be comfortable in the temporary quarters, which were dozens of times smaller.
To her, it was no different from a fish tank, too cramped, and she might even be angry.
Should she bring something to appease her?
Thinking this, Tao Ning turned and walked towards the Mermaid’s temporary quarters, her steps light.
Song Fangzhou instinctively called out, “Wait, where are you going?”
They were just talking, why was she leaving?
Tao Ning didn’t stop, waving her hand behind her back: “To fulfill my duties, to take care of the Mermaid. Maybe I can even switch majors and join the Research Institute after we return.”
Song Fangzhou followed her: “Taking care of the Mermaid isn’t that urgent. We missed breakfast to board the ship, why don’t we go eat together?”
She didn’t understand why this righteous young lady suddenly changed her attitude towards her, displaying a tsundere-like “I tease you because I like you” vibe.
This awkwardness felt too youthful. She felt old, unable to appreciate such unripe fruit, nor did she have any intention to.
Tao Ning said, “You reminded me, it’s breakfast time. I should prepare breakfast for the Mermaid.”
Clapping her hands together, she changed the subject: “We don’t have enough fruit left, and we can’t easily stop for resupply. I have to find a way for her to eat something else. She can’t be any lighter than when she boarded the ship.”
She had invited Zang Yuzhu to breakfast, how did the conversation shift to the Mermaid’s diet?
At this moment, Song Fangzhou really wished this delicate rose wasn’t so dedicated.
Song Fangzhou hurriedly asked, “Aren’t you going to eat?”
Unable to shake off this little tail, Tao Ning could only say as she walked towards the room, “I can eat later. I have to do what I need to do.”
Song Fangzhou: “…” This wasn’t like Zang Yuzhu at all.
But Song Fangzhou begrudgingly admitted that her nonchalant attitude was even more intriguing.
As they spoke, they arrived near the Mermaid’s quarters.
The door suddenly opened, and Gu Yuan’s guards came out first, followed by his hatless adjutant, and finally Gu Yuan himself.
Without exception, they were all soaking wet, especially Gu Yuan, whose clothes looked like they could be wrung out.
This sorry sight made Song Fangzhou laugh, then she remembered his rank and quickly composed herself.
“Good day, Major General Gu, Adjutant Zheng.”
Gu Yuan’s face darkened slightly, giving a perfunctory nod, clearly displeased by his recent experience.
Tao Ning keenly noticed the stiffness in one of his shoulders, her lips curving upwards for a fleeting moment before returning to normal.
Her expression turned to concern as she glanced at the water-streaked room before asking, “What happened? Why are you all soaking wet? Cousin, are you hurt?”
The group, who had intended to leave quickly, stopped because of Tao Ning’s words.
The guards all looked at Gu Yuan, who had been at the front, closest to the water tank.
No one expected the Mermaid’s temper to be so fierce. Without a word, she suddenly surfaced and threw a large rock, hitting Gu Yuan squarely on the shoulder, as he was too close to dodge.
The rock hit him hard, making a loud thud as it landed on the floor.
If Gu Yuan hadn’t reacted quickly, his foot would have also been hit, resulting in a fracture.
Adjutant Zheng was stunned, as was everyone else.
They looked towards the water tank, finally realizing where the weapon came from.
They hadn’t noticed before, but now they were even more speechless.
Whose brilliant idea was it to decorate the temporary tank with a beach theme, placing various-sized pebbles at the bottom, some almost as big as a human head?
They should be thankful the Mermaid wasn’t strong enough to throw one of those larger rocks, or Gu Yuan would have emerged with a bloody head.
That would have been truly embarrassing.
Gu Yuan said, “It’s nothing, just that the Mermaid is wild and untamed. Be careful when approaching her.”
He thought to himself that he would have to suppress this wildness after they returned, otherwise it would hinder his plans.
Gu Yuan’s path was blocked, and he couldn’t directly tell her to move, so he asked patiently, “Who arranged the fish tank like this?”
Tao Ning smiled brightly and cheerfully: “Me.”
Gu Yuan: “…”
Everyone: “…”
Gu Yuan’s lips moved, and after a long while, he managed to utter a single word: “You?”
Tao Ning nodded, still cheerful: “Yes, the Mermaid said she missed the beach, having been on land for too long. For her mental well-being, I requested the tank be decorated like this.”
Gu Yuan: “…” This was ridiculous. He had to have it removed.
That relentless voice sounded again, Zang Yuzhu’s voice: “Major General Song also approved the request. To maintain the Mermaid’s health, as long as it doesn’t violate any rules, we should follow her requests.”
Gu Yuan silently swallowed his words.
In terms of rank, they were equal, but in terms of seniority, Song Man’s words carried much more weight. She was his senior.
Gu Yuan was currently basking in glory, but only he knew the true situation. The military officials praised him for his youth and talent, but behind his back, they called him a greenhorn, their tone dismissive.
Zang Yuzhu’s voice continued to ask, “Is there a problem with that?”
For the first time, he found this gentle and pleasant voice so annoying. Gu Yuan, in his soaking wet uniform, had to suppress his tone in front of Song Fangzhou.
He suspected Song Man deliberately sent Song Fangzhou over to keep an eye on him.
This was Gu Yuan projecting his own thoughts. Song Man hadn’t considered this at all. She simply thought her niece was reliable and could inform her of any situation.
Gu Yuan said, “No problem, I’ll go change my clothes.” The words were practically squeezed through gritted teeth.
Finally unable to bear it any longer, he brushed past Tao Ning and left the room, his steps hurried.
Song Fangzhou, watching them leave wet footprints with every step, couldn’t help but find it amusing, and she actually laughed out loud.
“He cares too much about what others think.” A voice sounded, and Song Fangzhou turned her head.
Zang Yuzhu, who had been standing by the door, was gone, now standing by the water tank, making Song Fangzhou think she had imagined the voice.
In front of the shimmering water tank stood a young woman with her hair tied up, looking up.
As if sensing the gaze from outside, the hidden figure in the tank gradually appeared, platinum blonde hair spreading in the water like a dream.
A hand pressed against the glass. Following the arm upwards, one could see a breathtakingly beautiful face with an alluring smile.
The scene was undeniably captivating, and even Song Fangzhou was momentarily stunned, stepping forward.
She noticed the rock lying nearby and stopped: “Why…why did she suddenly throw that at someone?”
Tao Ning said, “Perhaps the other party said something she didn’t like.”
Song Fangzhou was incredulous: “But doesn’t the Mermaid not understand what we’re saying?”
Tao Ning’s smiling eyes met the deep blue eyes behind the glass: “That was before, things are different now.”
Song Fangzhou: “Ah? She can understand us now? Who taught her?”
This was the right question to ask.
Then Song Fangzhou heard an unexpected answer. Tao Ning said, “Me. I learned Mermaid language and taught her human language in return. She’s not very fluent yet, but understanding isn’t a problem.”
Song Fangzhou: “…”
She stood there, silently digesting this information, then exclaimed in shock, “You learned Mermaid language? When did this happen?”
Tao Ning turned around, asking in confusion, “Is Mermaid language difficult to learn?”
Song Fangzhou: “…?” Wasn’t Mermaid language difficult?
Looking at her for a moment, Song Fangzhou realized the confusion in Zang Yuzhu’s eyes was genuine. She truly believed learning Mermaid language wasn’t difficult.
At that moment, Song Fangzhou felt as if she could hear the collective wails of Mermaid language students and the sound of veteran translators coughing up blood at the Research Institute.
How could Mermaid language not be difficult?
Her older sister, who hadn’t joined the military, was a Mermaid language translator. She still remembered seeing her quiet sister wailing in the middle of the night because of translation problems when they were younger.
No wonder Zang Yuzhu was terrible at analyzing enemy situations, scouting terrain, and coordinating tactics, to an infuriating degree. So this was her true talent!
Not only had she learned Mermaid language in just a few days, but she had also taught the Mermaid human language.
A thought popped into Song Fangzhou’s mind: Could she really be a Mermaid language genius?
“Knock, knock, knock.” A light tapping sound brought Song Fangzhou back to reality. The Mermaid behind the glass, impatient with the silence, had tapped on the glass in front of Song Fangzhou with her knuckles.
Seeing that she had Song Fangzhou’s attention, she smiled.
This smile was more beautiful than any movie star Song Fangzhou had ever seen. She felt they couldn’t even be compared.
Remembering that even Gu Yuan hadn’t escaped the Mermaid’s rock attack, Song Fangzhou couldn’t feel any attraction to this smile, feeling more like an ancient human facing a predator.
She couldn’t describe the feeling, and the Mermaid’s smile seemed to be directed at a cute little animal.
Song Fangzhou suddenly looked at Zang Yuzhu beside her, stammering, “Wh-what does she mean?”
Tao Ning said, “She’s greeting you.”
“…” Song Fangzhou looked at Tao Ning, then at the Mermaid, feeling it wasn’t quite like that.
But since Zang Yuzhu had said so, Song Fangzhou had to believe it. She raised her hand and waved: “Hello?”
The Mermaid behind the glass smiled even wider. She looked at Tao Ning and pointed upwards.
The glass was made of bulletproof material, which even Callista would need some time to break, so the sound from inside couldn’t be heard outside.
After all, humans didn’t have the sensitive hearing of Mermaids.
Following her gesture, Tao Ning pulled over a stepladder and, under Song Fangzhou’s hesitant gaze, climbed up.
Song Fangzhou hadn’t forgotten the soaking wet Gu Yuan and was worried the unruly Mermaid would cause more trouble, so she secretly prepared herself below.
If Zang Yuzhu fell, she wouldn’t ignore her.
As Tao Ning climbed the ladder, Callista swam to the surface, her first words being, “Did you know he just asked me for the pearl in my hand?”
It sounded like complaining, but her voice was much softer than usual, with a touch of sweetness.
“He even asked if I still remembered him.”
In Song Fangzhou’s eyes, the Mermaid simply said something in her mysterious, melodious voice, then opened her palm, revealing a few perfect pearls.
Tao Ning snatched the pearls, saying fiercely, “Look here, I’m the one taking care of you, you can’t give pearls to others!”
These words were spoken in human language, understood by everyone present, and they could hear the possessiveness in her tone.
Callista: “…” A flicker of surprise seemed to flash in her eyes.
Tao Ning lowered her head and pocketed the pearls, truly not returning them.
Mermaids had plenty of these, so it didn’t matter if she gave them away. Callista didn’t mind.
Callista looked at the pearls that had been taken, then pulled out a fist-sized pearl, dazzling and bright.
She offered it to Tao Ning, saying, “Do you like pearls that much? Then this is for you too.”
A large pearl was presented before Tao Ning’s eyes. Even Tao Ning, the evil pearl hoarder, fell silent. She looked up at Callista.
Callista couldn’t understand the look in her eyes and tapped her wrist with her other hand, urging, “Don’t you like it? Take it.”
520 also saw the enticing large pearl and couldn’t help but think: How big of a tear would it take to form such a large pearl?
“…” Tao Ning took the large pearl. Looking at herself, none of her pockets could hold the fist-sized pearl, so she could only hold it in her hand.
Seeing this, Song Fangzhou’s slight jealousy was replaced by intense confusion.
She finally couldn’t hold back and looked Callista up and down.
She looked like a sleek Mermaid, her gossamer shawl flowing, with no apparent place to hide anything. So where did she pull out the large pearl from?
This was also Tao Ning’s question, which she voiced: “Where did you get such a large pearl?”
Callista said nonchalantly, “You mean this? I got it after defeating the previous leader. He also lost a bet and had to cry me a fist-sized pearl. It took him quite a while to produce it.”
Tao Ning: “…”
520 felt a pang of sympathy: [Unexpectedly, this large pearl carries such a tragic history! So sad!]
Callista continued, “He hated my father, then he hated me, and he wouldn’t let the others protect me.”
Tao Ning gave her a thumbs-up, praising her, “Well done, a single pearl is too lenient for him.”
Callista was pleased. She suddenly looked past Tao Ning, downwards, and said, “You’re always ignoring her, that person left.”
Tao Ning remembered there should be someone standing below and turned to look. Indeed, it was empty.
A cool sensation brushed against her arm as Callista, floating on the surface, leaned closer, her face seemingly touching Tao Ning’s.
Callista said, “Did you know? That person was looking at me just now.”
Tao Ning’s eyes flickered, meeting the Mermaid’s gaze. Callista smiled, a smile that held no apology for the stolen kiss.
Callista’s eyes were like water: “She seems to like you.”
Tao Ning: “Perhaps.”
She didn’t care about other people’s feelings and had no interest in exploring why their attitudes had suddenly changed.
Callista’s fingertip touched Tao Ning’s lips, their color still too pale, lacking blood.
For some reason, she suddenly recalled the day she pulled Tao Ning into the pool, her lips rubbed to a rare, alluring red.
Thinking about it now, she felt a pang of longing.
Because Tao Ning, like that, was indeed even more beautiful, even more captivating.
She gently pressed on the soft, warm lips, rubbing them to a light red, but it wasn’t the same as the redness caused by a bite. Callista felt this shade was off.
Tao Ning stood there, letting her do as she pleased, unusually docile.
Callista’s breath was warm against her skin, her eyes tender: “Aren’t you going to respond to her feelings? She looked very sad when she left.”
Tao Ning’s long eyelashes lowered, concealing her expression: “Obviously, it has nothing to do with me.”
This single sentence answered two questions.
Callista, having achieved a rare success, her heart stirred slightly, asked the next question: “Why?”
Tao Ning kept her eyes lowered, unusually obedient. Her lips moved slightly: “No reason.”
Callista’s voice was like water: “Then I understand. You like me.”
Tao Ning didn’t deny it: “Obviously.”
Silence followed. Callista didn’t speak for a long time.
Because in this question, she hadn’t used her psychic power in her voice. Logically, this was an answer given without external influence.
Tao Ning raised her eyes, looking directly at her.
Her dark eyes were clear, without the dazed look Callista had expected.
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