Chapter 140 – Love in a Fallen City: You Are My Eternal, Unfading Starlight – The Male Lead Is Popular (04)
The atmosphere inside the car was warm and cozy, while outside it was bustling with noise.
Since the situation involved a mermaid, personnel from the Mermaid Base quickly arrived at the scene, dispersing the crowd and comforting Le Mengqi.
Mr. Eddie knocked on the car window and greeted Turs, who responded with a nod. Seeing that Bai Tang seemed to be in good condition—currently being held by General Walker and playing with his buttons—Eddie thought to himself that General Walker was quite a capable protector. At least for now, he seemed to be.
As the medical staff carried Le Mengqi away, she unintentionally caught a glimpse of the two people inside the car. The reddish-brown fishtail was hard to miss, and the little mermaid’s face was lightly flushed as he smiled and reached for the badge on Turs’ shoulder.
The cheerful scene felt like a slap in the face to Le Mengqi. She had clearly met that man first. If she hadn’t run away, would she have been the one chosen instead?
Perhaps because her gaze was too intense, both Turs and Bai Tang looked toward the window at the same time, just as Le Mengqi was being carried past them.
He’s looking at me. He still remembers me!
The moment the fantasy took root, it lodged firmly in Le Mengqi’s heart. But the reddish-brown-tailed mermaid beside him—no matter how she looked at him, she found him unbearable.
Le Mengqi was carried into a vehicle belonging to the Mermaid Base, and Mr. Eddie took his leave from Turs Walker.
Unlike in the original plot, Turs did not personally get out of the car to carry the mermaid back to the base. He didn’t even know Le Mengqi’s name. He simply had the driver inform the Mermaid Base to send someone to retrieve her.
Turs’ complete deviation from the original storyline gave Bai Tang great confidence. Just like Ball had said, since he traveled through worlds to complete tasks—and the male lead followed him into each world—he should have a little more faith in him.
When they returned home, everything inside had changed dramatically.
To Turs, this had just been a place to rest—a residence. But once he knew Bai Tang would be living here, he spent an entire day redecorating, making the space warm and comfortable, perfectly suited for a mermaid. It was even better than Bai Tang’s old room at the Mermaid Base.
What made Bai Tang happiest was the large squirrel plush sitting on the silk sofa. Though its color was a bit grayer than his original body, it was still very cute.
Seeing the little mermaid clutching the squirrel plush with such fondness, Turs felt he had truly bought the right thing. On their way back yesterday, he had glimpsed the plush toy in a store window and had an inexplicable urge to buy it. Sure enough, it was something the little mermaid loved.
“Can I hold it while I play?” Bai Tang asked. He couldn’t transform into a squirrel in either world, so even just looking at a squirrel plush helped satisfy that craving.
“Of course. I got all of this for you—I was just worried you wouldn’t like it.”
“I do! I really like it! You’re so nice, Turs.” Bai Tang beamed, eyes curved in joy, clutching the plush and refusing to let go.
“Tang Tang, let me show you around our new home,” Turs said as he pushed the mermaid stroller around the house.
“This is the kitchen—it’s a dangerous place, and you’re absolutely not allowed to go in. This is the elevator—if you want to go upstairs or downstairs, you can control it from here…”
Turs gave Bai Tang a full tour of the house. The most impressive part was the mermaid pool on the second floor. The backyard had also been renovated to look like a forest, with another mermaid pool in the center, designed to resemble a natural pond in the woods. It even had a built-in temperature control system to ensure the water stayed suitable for mermaids year-round. Under a large banyan tree nearby was a big swing styled like a rocking chair, designed so that a mermaid could sit and play on it without their tail dragging on the ground. There were countless other thoughtful touches as well.
Other mermaids might prefer an ocean-themed design, but the forest aesthetic was exactly Bai Tang’s favorite. It was like a playground tailor-made for him—a true paradise in this world.
“Ah! I want to sit on that~” Bai Tang pointed excitedly at the swing, already bouncing with anticipation.
“Alright.”
Turs picked Bai Tang up and carried him over to the swing. Once Bai Tang was seated, Turs gently pushed from behind.
The gentle swaying in the breeze reminded Bai Tang of the sensation of leaping through treetops. Thrilled, he shouted, “Higher! Turs, push me higher~”
Turs responded with a reminder, “Then hold on tight—I’m going to push!”
“Hahaha, this is so fun! Hahaha…”
The backyard echoed with the joyful laughter of the little mermaid and the man.
…
At the Mermaid Base—
After being brought back to the Mermaid Base, Le Mengqi was not punished. Mermaids were naturally curious, and having lived in the base for so long, it was normal for them to long for the outside world. What surprised the staff was just how bold and clever she was—she had managed to escape all on her own. They assumed she had simply been playing around. So they only gave her a stern talk, warning her of the dangers outside, especially for rare mermaids who should never wander off so casually.
Le Mengqi received a light scolding for leaving the base without permission, and the matter was let go.
She then asked the medical staff doing her check-up about the man who had made her heart flutter earlier.
“That was General Turs Walker,” the nurse replied dreamily. “Not long ago, he achieved a major victory against the Zerg. He’s the youngest, most promising, handsome, and wealthy general in the Interstellar Federation…”
The nurse looked completely starstruck. “Bai Tang is really lucky. Just the other day, General Walker visited the Mermaid Base and took a liking to Bai Tang. That little mermaid only just came of age today! And because of his maturity fever, he even got a fever-reducing shot today…”
The nurse had shared a lot of information, but Le Mengqi caught the key points.
He received a fever-reducing injection—which meant that reddish-brown mermaid was infertile.
From what she remembered, mermaids were all beauty without brains—naive, simple-minded, and always speaking their thoughts directly. If they didn’t understand something, they would just ask, often leading to laughable or awkward situations.
Silently, Le Mengqi began calculating. With her intelligence, there was no need to worry about attracting Turs Walker.
Besides, he had only just established a protector bond with that mermaid. How deep could their relationship be?
And even before that, General Walker had refused several times before reluctantly coming to the Mermaid Base to select a mermaid. He had clearly picked one at random without putting much thought into it—otherwise, why would he have chosen an underage mermaid just two days ago?
Having made up her mind, she first confessed to Mr. Eddie that it had been a mistake to leave the Mermaid Base without permission. Mr. Eddie was pleased by her attitude, and she immediately followed up by expressing her desire to personally thank General Turs Walker. After all, if he hadn’t notified the base in time, she might have ended up in real danger.
Le Mengqi spoke very sincerely, but Mr. Eddie hesitated.
He stared at her beautiful face for a long moment before finally saying, “Visiting a general requires authorization. I’ll need to request permission first. Whether or not you’ll be able to thank General Walker personally depends on his schedule.”
“Then I’ll leave it to you, Mr. Eddie,” Le Mengqi replied with a gentle smile, seeing him off.
After leaving her room, Mr. Eddie walked into the mermaid common area and watched the mermaids play. Yet the strange feeling in his heart lingered.
He couldn’t shake the sense that Le Mengqi had somehow changed, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on what was different.
The visit request was quickly denied: General Walker would not see her—he had no time.
Mr. Eddie looked at the rejection. As expected, it had been refused.
When Le Mengqi heard the result, she grew even more resentful. She thought back to the day she had been humiliatingly carried onto the mermaid cart, while Bai Tang had sat comfortably in the car, receiving attentive care.
After a full day of silent brooding, she submitted another request—this time not to thank General Turs Walker, but under the pretense of visiting Bai Tang.
Mermaids tend to get along well with other mermaids. First of all, mermaids living with their protectors often feel lonely, whereas mermaids are known for their camaraderie, and having companions around greatly lifts their spirits.
Le Mengqi capitalized on this, and her request was quickly approved.
Although Mr. Eddie tried to block the application, the Mermaid Base wasn’t solely under his control. The higher-ups, motivated by their care for the mermaids, swiftly approved Le Mengqi’s request, leaving Mr. Eddie powerless to stop it.
It was then that Mr. Eddie finally realized something strange about Le Mengqi—she was too shrewd, far too clever for a mermaid.
It wasn’t that mermaids couldn’t be smart—many mermaids were, in fact, intelligent—but they didn’t usually scheme or plot. Yet Le Mengqi clearly seemed to have plans, possibly intending to use her visit to the general’s house for something. As for her goal, it was still unclear.
A few days later, after Le Mengqi’s health had stabilized, she, accompanied by Mr. Eddie and several staff members from the Mermaid Base, arrived at General Walker’s residence.
“Ding dong—”
Bai Tang was sitting on the sofa, watching cartoons when he heard the cheerful doorbell ring. He hopped onto the mermaid cart and headed toward the kitchen.
“Turs~”
Bai Tang playfully jumped onto Turs’ back. As he did, a sizzling sound came from the pan, and hot oil splattered slightly.
“Tang Tang, how did you get in here? The kitchen is dangerous! Quickly, go out!” Turs hurriedly set the pot lid down and turned off the heat, worried that the hot oil might burn the little mermaid.
“Someone’s here, so I came to get you.” Bai Tang was playing with Turs’ hair and giggling.
“You’re such a troublemaker.” Turs sighed in resignation, carrying Bai Tang out and placing him on the sofa. “I told you, no going into the kitchen. What if you get burned?”
Turs gave a stern lecture, trying to warn the little mermaid that the kitchen was a high-risk area, and he had to be strict to avoid any accidents next time.
He believed he was being very serious in the conversation, but Bai Tang wasn’t the least bit scared.
Bai Tang cuddled his squirrel plush, flashing his round eyes. “I’m sorry~”
It was obvious he wasn’t truly repentant. Turs sighed, thinking, “The mermaid I chose, I’ll spoil him no matter what…”
Turs ruffled Bai Tang’s hair, making it messy. “You…”
“Ah~ No more head pats! I won’t grow tall!” The little mermaid pouted in dissatisfaction.
While the visitors outside grew impatient, Turs finally made his way to the door and opened it for them.
The general didn’t like anyone interrupting his time bonding with the little mermaid, so he had given the staff the day off.
Mr. Eddie and his group were utterly bewildered, staring at the strange sight of General Walker, who was wearing an apron.
Just as they were about to exchange a few pleasantries, Turs emotionlessly called for them to come in.
The group obediently followed Turs, and the scenery along the way was so breathtaking that it was hard to take it all in.
It was just too beautiful. The plants on either side were vibrant and lush, flowers were in full bloom, and butterflies flitted about. This was completely contrary to General Walker’s usual no-nonsense style.
Once inside, the sound of a cartoon could be heard from the living room. As they passed through the hallway, they saw a red-brown little mermaid yawning on the sofa, hugging a squirrel plush that was half his size.
The little mermaid’s life seemed so comfortable. Mr. Eddie felt quite pleased.
Le Mengqi’s eyes were full of jealousy. It’s just luck to enjoy such a good life. When it comes to having children, any mermaid is better than Bai Tang.
Author’s Note
I’m adding one more chapter today, so no more requests for updates! I won’t post another update after midnight, so go to bed early. The next update will be tomorrow! (I’m mad now, come and cheer me up!)