Chapter 139 – Love in a Fallen City: You Are My Eternal, Unfading Starlight – Tang’s Jealousy (03)
Bai Tang waited with longing in his eyes and finally saw Turs arrive.
Just as Turs had imagined, he stretched out his arms, wanting a loving hug.
“Good day, Admiral Walker.” Mr. Eddie paused to greet the arriving Turs Walker, letting go of the cart handle in the process.
Le Mengqi looked in the direction of the voice and caught sight of the man’s strong, masculine profile and upright posture—an image that made hearts flutter.
Since merfolk areas naturally involved water, the floor was splashed and wet from their play. As Le Mengqi leaned forward to look at the admiral, the cart shifted forward under the influence of her weight.
“Ah—!”
With a high-pitched scream, Le Mengqi shot toward the pool, heading straight for Bai Tang, who was directly in the path of the cart.
Turs reacted swiftly and stopped the cart in time, but Le Mengqi, propelled by inertia, flew forward.
The pain she expected didn’t come. Le Mengqi opened her eyes to see Turs’s stern face. He had caught her in his arms, keeping her from falling to the ground.
Le Mengqi, who had never been so physically close to a man before, blushed bright red in an instant. She could smell the pleasant scent of his cologne, and her heart pounded wildly.
Bai Tang, who had witnessed everything, slowly withdrew his outstretched hands. His eyes reddened with sorrow.
The male lead was holding another mermaid. He had fallen for someone else.
The little mermaid turned away, his shoulders trembling as he sobbed—it was a pitiful sight.
Merfolk were generally innocent and pure-hearted. Seeing their companion cry, they swam over with concern.
“Don’t cry—are you feeling unwell?”
“He looks like he just reached adulthood. It’s probably the discomfort from his heat cycle…”
“There’s no rush to find a protector just because you’re newly adult. Why don’t we have Mr. Eddie take you back to rest? It’s fine to wait until things settle down.”
Bai Tang shook his head without a word. It was true—heat cycles during adulthood were tough. He had rarely felt well, but he forced himself to stay alert while waiting for Turs, only for this to be the scene that greeted him. His heart was shattered.
Merfolk in heat were already weak, and Bai Tang’s crying made him lightheaded from lack of oxygen. He suddenly collapsed into the water. A nearby merfolk caught him just in time, preventing him from sinking.
“Mr. Eddie, a mermaid just fainted,” one of the merfolk swam to the shore and called out.
Mr. Eddie didn’t have time to comfort the frightened Le Mengqi and hurried to the edge of the pool. The merfolk had already brought Bai Tang up onto the shore, their faces filled with visible concern.
Merfolk were loving by nature. They didn’t get jealous just because a companion had feelings for the same protector they liked. When something happened to one of their own, they were more anxious than anyone else.
“Mr. Eddie, the little mermaid is burning up…”
Bai Tang had not been in this world for long. His soul was still fusing with his body, and combined with the heat cycle of a maturing mermaid, the fever had become more severe than ever before.
As soon as Bai Tang lowered his arms, Turs had let go of Le Mengqi. He pushed through the crowd, his heart twisting painfully at the sight of the pale-faced little mermaid.
“Tang Tang.” He scooped the little mermaid into his arms—he was burning hot to the touch.
“Hurry, take him to the emergency room,” Eddie urged. He didn’t dare delay—every mermaid was a priceless treasure to humanity.
Turs carried Bai Tang toward the emergency room, while Mr. Eddie gave brief instructions to his subordinates and followed closely behind the admiral.
Bai Tang was placed into diagnostic equipment, while Turs was stopped outside by the doctors.
Nurse A advised, “This won’t do, his temperature is too high. We should give him an antipyretic injection.”
Nurse B objected, “But that could lower a mermaid’s fertility rate. We should avoid it if possible.”
“Go report to Mr. Eddie,” the doctor said helplessly, sending a junior nurse to get permission for the medication.
The young nurse ran out anxiously. “Mr. Eddie, the little mermaid’s fever still hasn’t gone down. The doctor is requesting approval for the injection.”
There were side effects to the medication—if a mermaid became infertile, it would be unlikely anyone would choose them.
Mr. Eddie relayed the potential side effects to Turs. “We sincerely apologize for this unexpected incident. As compensation, Admiral Walker may choose another mermaid.”
“Administer the medicine.” Turs was filled with anxiety, wanting nothing more than to rush in and stay by the little mermaid’s side. But he was used to keeping a stoic face. Mr. Eddie and the others could only see his expression as cold as still water, unable to tell whether he was angry or not.
Even without Turs saying anything, Eddie had already decided to administer the fever-reducing medication. Merfolk were precious—low fertility or not, they were still merfolk. However, few would willingly provide lifelong care for a mermaid deemed “useless.” If Admiral Turs Walker requested a replacement, it would be perfectly understandable.
The injection took effect quickly. Within half an hour, Bai Tang’s fever had subsided.
The system had no way of helping the host avoid complications from soul-body fusion. Seeing Bai Tang’s temperature return to normal, it finally relaxed.
Turs followed the medical staff back to Bai Tang’s room. The light blue room felt a little cold and sterile.
“Tang Tang, you’re awake! Are you still feeling uncomfortable? Want some candied strawberries to get rid of the bitter taste?” the system offered sweet strawberry skewers.
The antipyretic had affected Bai Tang’s whole body—his mouth was bitter.
“Water, please~” The little mermaid’s voice was slightly hoarse. Fevers drained moisture from the body, and for merfolk, dehydration was particularly dangerous.
“Here, drink slowly.” Turs poured a glass of water and helped Bai Tang sit up.
Once the glass was empty, Bai Tang clutched Turs’s sleeve and asked timidly, “Do you… still want me?”
Even while unconscious, he hadn’t been completely unaware. He’d heard the doctors and nurses expressing regret about his condition. With the system’s explanations, Bai Tang feared that Turs would abandon him—maybe choose another mermaid, like the one he had held earlier.
“That was the female lead,” the system said through gritted teeth.
Female leads were practically kryptonite to sweet, innocent supporting characters. If not for her, this world might have ended with Bai Tang snuggled up as a soft, fluffy little squirrel baby—and maybe the system could’ve taken his soul along when they left. How perfect that would’ve been. D*mn it. Now the dream was shattered.
The male and female leads always end up drawn to each other. Now that Turs and Le Mengqi had encountered each other, was the original plotline about to resume?
Turs was almost suffocating from the sight of the little mermaid looking so fragile and helpless. He still remembered Eddie’s warning: merfolk in unstable adulthood couldn’t endure any intense stimulation. He forcibly held back the urge to gently kiss away Bai Tang’s tears.
“You can only be my little mermaid. We’re going home now,” Turs said softly, stroking Bai Tang’s hair to comfort him.
Just then, Mr. Eddie walked in holding a form.
“Admiral Walker, this is the form for selecting a new mermaid. Please sign here, and you’ll be able to enter the merfolk activity zone to choose the one you like,” he said, holding a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other.
Instinctively, Bai Tang let go of Turs’s sleeve. His eyes filled with tears as he stared at the form in Eddie’s hands—utterly hopeless, yet heartbreakingly beautiful.
“I don’t need it,” Turs said, tearing up the form. “I only want Bai Tang.”
Mr. Eddie’s smile didn’t falter. Always prepared, he pulled out another document. “Then please sign this mermaid adoption form, Admiral Walker. You’ll be able to take your little mermaid home today. A staff member will also provide a care manual—please read it carefully.”
Turs signed his name. “Thank you.”
Turning to check Bai Tang’s forehead, he asked gently, “Are you still feeling unwell? Do you want to rest a bit more before we go home?”
Go home. What a beautiful phrase.
Bai Tang bit his lower lip and shook his head. “I want to go home.” Back to the home with you.
Turs wrapped Bai Tang’s tail in a temperature-regulated mermaid robe and carried him in his arms. “Let’s go home.”
Suddenly, the base alarm blared—“viwu viwu”—the shrill sound making everyone’s head throb.
The merfolk panicked, unsure of what was happening.
Turs held the little mermaid tightly against his chest, whispering reassurance. “Don’t be scared~”
There was no real danger in this world, so Bai Tang naturally wasn’t afraid. He leaned into his beloved’s arms, breathing in the fresh, fruity scent on him.
“The female lead escaped,” the system muttered after checking the plot. This was exactly the point in the story where her breakout was supposed to happen.
Once the mermaid base calmed down, Turs drove Bai Tang home.
The admiral had a personal driver, so Turs didn’t need to drive himself. He sat in the backseat, half-embracing Bai Tang as he spoke gently.
“Tang Tang, are you still feeling unwell anywhere…?”
“Is there anything you want to eat…?”
“We’ve prepared some supplies for merfolk at home—I’m not sure if you’ll like them. If anything’s missing, we’ll go buy it…”
The driver in the front seat, who had worked for the admiral for many years, was silently amazed. He had never seen the famously cold-faced Admiral Turs talk so much.
A glance in the rearview mirror showed the legendary “God of War” looking tense and nervous, cradling a little mermaid carefully in his arms.
And the little mermaid really was adorable—gentle, soft, and sweet, lying quietly in the admiral’s embrace while playing with the buttons on his uniform. Unlike the other merfolk he’d seen, who were wildly curious and often acted recklessly, this one was calm and obedient.
So good, so good~ Even the system, which had followed Bai Tang through several worlds, couldn’t help but melt a little.
Bai Tang’s tail was beautiful—occasionally flicking with a healthy, lively motion. It seemed like the fusion had gone quite well. But… there likely wouldn’t be a fluffy squirrel baby this time. Regret!
Screech—
A sharp braking sound jolted everyone in the car forward with the force of inertia. Turs quickly extended his arm to shield Bai Tang, preventing his forehead from slamming into the seatback. But even so, Bai Tang suddenly retched and vomited with a soft cry, filling the car with a faint sour smell.
“I’m sorry…” the little mermaid said in a small, embarrassed voice. He hadn’t eaten anything that morning, so all that came out was stomach acid—but still, he felt terrible for dirtying Turs’s car.
Turs anxiously supported Bai Tang and gently wiped his mouth. “Are you feverish again? Does your stomach hurt?”
“I just felt like throwing up for a moment…”
There was a commotion up ahead. The driver rolled down the window, and a flustered pedestrian—who had almost been hit when they suddenly dashed into the road—hurried over to apologize.
Then the man caught sight of the rank insignia on Turs Walker’s shoulder and quickly explained, “There was a mermaid ahead that suddenly transformed.”
“Transformed” referred to a mermaid’s tail changing into legs, or vice versa.
As an admiral of the allied forces, Turs naturally couldn’t just ignore it.
The car slowly pulled up near the crowd. Someone shouted, “The admiral is here!” and the onlookers instinctively parted, opening a path that allowed a clear view into the center of the commotion.
“It’s Le Mengqi,” the system reported.
Bai Tang looked at Le Mengqi collapsed on the ground, and his hands unconsciously clenched tightly in his lap.
Turs gave a few quick instructions to the driver, who got out of the car. But Turs himself didn’t move—he simply rolled up the window, shutting out the probing gazes from outside.
“Aren’t you going over there?” Bai Tang asked.
“Valen can handle it,”Turs replied.
He turned on the car’s air purification system to circulate the air and clear out the sour smell.
“One little mermaid is enough for me. I don’t need any others,” Turs said, gently stroking Bai Tang’s softly swaying tail.
Before they left the mermaid base, Eddie had repeatedly emphasized how fragile and insecure merfolk were—that only when they felt safe and reassured could their bodies remain healthy.
“Actually, the male lead isn’t so bad,” the system encouraged. “Tang Tang, you’ve got to believe in your own charm—just win him over in one go!”
Squirrels, after all, are naturally anxious creatures. That’s why they love to hoard food—only when their cheek pouches are full and their stores are plentiful do they feel at ease.
Bai Tang lay against Turs’s chest, listening to the thunderous beating of his heart, and whispered softly, “Okay.”
Author’s Note:
The female lead just showed up for a brief cameo. Tang Tang and Turs are still sweet and lovey-dovey.