Chapter 91: I Love Slacking Off
Tao Ning nodded. “It’s beautiful.”
Callista became even more smug, swimming closer to the edge: “It’s just a scale. I have even more beautiful things. Do you want to see them?”
Seemingly intrigued, Tao Ning put down what she was doing and walked over: “What is it?”
Callista extended her arm, opening her palm towards Tao Ning. In her palm lay a shimmering gemstone, even more dazzling than the shed scale.
Tao Ning had to admit, the first glance made her eyes sparkle.
She had thought this Mermaid leader came ashore with nothing, but she had quite a few valuable possessions.
Especially the gemstone in her hand. If it were put up for auction in the First Star System, it would fetch a sky-high price, enough to settle down in the central district and live a life of luxury.
She had underestimated this wealthy Mermaid.
Callista raised her hand slightly: “This is even more beautiful than the scale. Since you like it so much, I’ll give this to you too.”
Tao Ning only touched it lightly with her finger before retracting her hand: “That’s not appropriate.”
Callista: “What’s not appropriate? I have many of these. This is just one of them.”
What Callista didn’t say was that she indeed had many such gems, practically filling her nest, using them as a bed.
But this was her favorite, the one she had kept the longest, so precious that she brought it with her even when venturing out.
She had been a bit reluctant, but seeing Tao Ning’s attitude, Callista’s stubbornness surfaced.
She wouldn’t allow anyone to refuse her. Callista said, “You can’t refuse my gift.”
Tao Ning hesitated: “But…among humans, giving precious gifts is a way of expressing love.”
Callista’s expression went blank: “…” What are you talking about?
Tao Ning continued: “For example, we give rings when proposing, as a token of love, to bind our fates together for life.”
520 silently complained: [There’s no such rule! You’re just taking advantage of the Mermaid’s lack of internet access and tricking her.]
It didn’t dare say it out loud, only to itself.
Callista’s expression remained blank.
Tao Ning said with a solemn expression, “If that’s the case, then my answer is yes.”
As she said that, she reached out to take the gem, but the open palm retreated slightly.
Tao Ning’s outstretched hand paused. She looked up at Callista, her beautiful eyes full of confusion: “What’s wrong?”
Callista: “…” How could she refuse such a look?
But Mermaids never broke their promises. She would eventually return to the ocean; land wasn’t a place for her to stay permanently. No matter what she did, it seemed to put her in a difficult position.
But the clever leader, Callista, wouldn’t fall for this trick. Frowning in thought for a long time, she muttered softly, “You humans have so many rules.”
Tao Ning: “What did you say?”
Callista’s expression turned serious: “Then don’t take it that way, consider it an ordinary gift.”
As she said that, she reached out and grabbed Tao Ning’s wrist, placing the gemstone in her hand, avoiding the trouble of back-and-forth refusal.
A mere scale was nothing; she wouldn’t give such a shabby gift.
Tao Ning looked reluctant: “But we’re not related, and you’re giving me such a valuable gift. I feel unworthy.”
Judging by her expression, if Callista couldn’t come up with a convincing reason, the gift would be returned.
The dignified Mermaid leader, accustomed to having her every command obeyed, whose every gift was a blessing, how could she accept having it returned?
Callista: “…” What to do?
Callista, her thoughts derailed, furrowed her brows, thinking hard. Suddenly, inspiration struck, and she slapped the edge of the pool, exclaiming, “You tricked me!”
520 was startled, thinking the host’s lies had been exposed.
Tao Ning looked surprised: “How did I trick you?”
Her face was full of confusion, as if she genuinely didn’t understand what was happening.
Callista’s tail swished irritably in the water: “Why does everyone call you Zang Yuzhu, but you told me your name is Tao Ning?”
Tao Ning: “Because they’re both my names. Only you know the latter, and only you can call me that.”
The Mermaid, who was about to explode, calmed down instantly. She blinked and asked, “Only I can call you that name, no one else?”
Tao Ning said innocently, “Of course, have you seen me tell anyone else?”
Callista felt something was off: “Why do you have two names?”
The Mermaid was only occasionally slow-witted; most of the time, she was quite sharp. She wanted to see what explanation Tao Ning would give.
Tao Ning offered proof: “You also have two names, Callista and Lita. They’re both your names.”
Callista: “…” That seems to be true.
Tao Ning nodded in agreement: “Right? You think so too, don’t you?”
520 shook its head silently: [See, no wonder they’re a match, two hopeless romantics.]
Having resolved the name issue, Tao Ning served Callista her first meal of the day. When lunchtime arrived, Tao Ning, refusing to eat nutrient solution, went to the cafeteria.
Today, Tao Ning wasn’t wearing a high-collared shirt, just a simple top, revealing her long, slender, and pale neck, simple yet elegant.
Therefore, almost everyone who saw her noticed the scale necklace, perfectly placed at the base of her throat.
It actually looked quite nice.
Although everyone avoided Zang Yuzhu, considering her a burdensome flower vase, she honestly lived up to the term “flower vase.”
Many believed that God had opened a door for her but closed a window, giving her beauty and a terrible personality.
A classmate passing by glanced at her neck and asked curiously, “Zang Yuzhu, your necklace is so unique, where did you buy it? I want one too.”
Tao Ning touched the scale with her fingertip, warming it slightly, and smiled: “Someone gave it to me, I didn’t buy it.”
The classmate looked disappointed: “Oh, well, I didn’t think it was something you could buy in stores.”
Zang Yuzhu, after recovering from her serious injury, was like a polished gem, even more eye-catching. Many people looked her way.
That gentle smile captivated quite a few people.
Including An He, who was about to invite Zang Yuzhu to lunch, but someone beat her to it.
That person was Song Fangzhou.
“I thought… where is she?” Tina, who had been talking to her, turned around and found her gone. She looked up and called out to the figure ahead, “Where are you going?”
Song Fangzhou walked a bit too quickly. She wanted to grab the shoulder of the person in front, but she suddenly remembered what happened the last time Tina grabbed Zang Yuzhu’s shoulder.
Tina had said it hurt for days, although there were no visible bruises. She quickly retracted her hand.
Tao Ning turned around before she could touch her, looking at her quizzically: “Something wrong?”
Song Fangzhou pretended nothing happened, putting her hands behind her back, glancing at Tao Ning’s neck, and asking awkwardly, “What’s that?”
Tao Ning answered truthfully, “It’s a scale the Mermaid gave me.”
The Mermaid gave it to her?
Looking closely at the color, it was indeed the color of a Mermaid’s tail, a clear, icy blue.
But why would the Mermaid give her something? And why did she smile so…beautifully when asked about the scale?
Song Fangzhou: “Didn’t the Mermaid make you slip into the water and get a fever last time? She’s still giving you gifts?”
Not only did she give her gifts, but quite a few.
But Tao Ning didn’t think it was necessary to tell her, just smiling and getting in line for food.
Song Fangzhou stopped her: “You haven’t answered my question.”
Tao Ning said, “She wanted to give it to me, is there something wrong with that?”
For some reason, Song Fangzhou felt uncomfortable looking at the scale and reached out to touch it.
Tao Ning quickly took a step back, making Song Fangzhou miss.
Song Fangzhou felt annoyed, but being young, she pretended not to care: “It’s just a scale, is it really that precious to you?”
Tao Ning started to regret not eating at a different time. She said, “Anything I like is precious to me, even if it’s just a rock.”
Song Fangzhou was slightly taken aback: “…”
Standing close, she could clearly see Zang Yuzhu’s expression and didn’t miss the fleeting gentleness in her eyes.
It felt as if something was ending before it even began.
Song Fangzhou, proud and competitive, instinctively felt she should say something to salvage the situation.
Song Fangzhou said dismissively, “It seems the Gu family didn’t raise you well, treasuring a mere scale like this. My uncle’s auction house will be opening after we land. I’ll give you an invitation, so you can broaden your horizons.”
The words were out before she could stop herself, and Song Fangzhou immediately regretted them.
Tao Ning: “We’ll talk about it then.”
With that, she turned and left, not giving Song Fangzhou another chance to speak.
There was nothing left for her here. It was better to go back and enjoy Lita’s apples.
Song Fangzhou instinctively wanted to say something to salvage the situation, but she couldn’t think of anything appropriate, only watching as Tao Ning left.
Tina walked over, nudging her with her shoulder: “Hey, snap out of it. What did you say to her? Why do you look so dejected?”
Song Fangzhou: “…Nothing.”
Not far away, An He turned her back, carrying her tray and silently walking past.
She couldn’t let Song Fangzhou see her, afraid that the smile on her face would betray her.
520 was stunned by this sudden turn of events, taking a while to process it.
No way, could this also be…?
Remembering Tao Ning’s words, 520 exclaimed: [Zang Yuzhu, you’re a heartbreaker!]
This time, however, 520 was wrong. The heartbreaker wasn’t Zang Yuzhu.
The Mermaid’s pool was usually cleaned and refilled every two days, and today was the day. The operation wasn’t difficult; they just needed to get the Mermaid out, and the central control center would handle the rest.
But getting the Mermaid out was usually a difficult task. They couldn’t communicate, and draining the water abruptly would frighten her.
With Zang Yuzhu, who could communicate with the Mermaid, things became much easier.
Callista was in a good mood today, resting her chin on her hands. Seeing Tao Ning approach, she asked, “Why haven’t you worn the gemstone I gave you?”
She thought the color of the gemstone suited Tao Ning, a deep blue like the ocean, mysterious and profound. She had carried it with her, hidden among her scales, often taking it out to admire.
And such a color would look frivolous on a young person, or be overshadowed by the gem’s brilliance, due to their lack of experience.
Perhaps Tao Ning would be an exception.
With this thought, Callista was looking forward to seeing Tao Ning wearing it, but after she went out and came back, she was still only wearing the scale necklace.
Tao Ning didn’t know the Mermaid’s complicated thoughts. She said truthfully, “The gift you gave me is too precious and would be seen by many people. I want to admire it in private for a while.”
So it wasn’t that she didn’t want to wear it. Callista nodded generously: “Alright, then you must keep it safe.”
“Of course I will,” Tao Ning walked over and extended her hand towards Callista, “Come on, it’s time to change the water.”
Callista placed her hand in Tao Ning’s and sat on the edge of the pool, saying, “I don’t want to stay in the small tank you prepared. It’s too small, I can’t stretch my tail.”
Tao Ning knew she had another idea and asked, “Then where do you want to stay? Just sitting by the edge might not work, as the pool needs to be cleaned.”
Callista’s eyes fixed on the lounge chair Tao Ning had brought. She said, “I want to stay there.”
She had been eyeing it since yesterday, finally finding the opportunity to ask.
Raising her long arms, the stunning Mermaid said, “Carry me over there.”
Leave a Reply