Chapter 143 – Love in a Fallen City: You Are My Eternal, Unfading Starlight – A Bunch of Perverts (07)
Mr. Warren led Bai Tang through the chaos, dodging left and right—not only to avoid the indiscriminate attacks of the giant bug but also to keep Bai Tang from being separated from the crowd.
“Tang Tang, look! The male lead is here!” the system exclaimed.
Bai Tang turned his head just in time to see the giant bug crash to the ground. Standing handsomely atop the enormous beast was Turs, holding a small child in his arms.
That scene—so cool~
The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.
Turs gently set the child down while the military began handling the aftermath.
Step by step, he walked toward Bai Tang. As he approached, a refreshing fruity scent from his body became noticeable.
“You’re not hurt, are you, Tang Tang?” Turs asked, pulling Bai Tang closer. “You’ve… transformed…”
Following Turs’ gaze, Bai Tang looked down and realized with embarrassment that his legs were cold—he had only wrapped himself in a jacket.
He shyly squeezed his legs together, his cheeks flushing red. “Mm~”
Turs took off his military coat and wrapped it around Bai Tang’s legs. Once he made sure nothing was exposed, he lifted Bai Tang horizontally into his arms and carried him back to his vehicle.
“Turs…” Bai Tang squirmed uncomfortably in Turs’ embrace.
Turs Walker was a dazzling presence, known across the interstellar alliance. Naturally, him carrying a delicate-looking young man attracted quite a bit of attention.
The black-tinted car windows rose, shielding them from the curious eyes outside. Turs braced one arm on the backseat, leaning over Bai Tang. Their faces were mere millimeters apart.
“Tang Tang, can I kiss you?”
Surrounded by the man’s intoxicating scent, Bai Tang felt his whole body heat up. He averted his gaze and gave a soft nod. “Mm.”
The man captured the boy’s soft, pink lips, savoring them like the finest delicacy—gently exploring, slowly deepening the kiss, dancing with him.
By the time the kiss ended, the boy was panting, gulping in fresh air.
Turs locked eyes with the little mermaid, but his hand began to wander, stroking Bai Tang’s thigh. His voice was low and husky with desire. “You’re of age now, hmm?”
“Mm~” The little mermaid replied shyly, his eyes shimmering with seductive allure.
Knock knock knock—
Turs shielded Bai Tang with his body and lowered the window.
“Reporting, Admiral Walker. The scene has been cleared,” a young officer stated, eyes straight ahead.
“Take everything back.” Facing outsiders, Turs became the composed, commanding leader he was known to be.
“Yes, sir.”
The car window rolled up again. Turs originally planned to take Bai Tang home before returning to the military headquarters, but the boy clung to him tightly, eyes filled with longing.
“Can I come with you to the military base?”
In truth, it wasn’t Bai Tang who wanted to go—it was Qiu’er chattering in his mind about “roasted bugs.”
“Tang Tang, I read that these bugs taste amazing when grilled! I really wanna try it! Get the male lead to take you to the base~~~”
It was rare for Qiu’er to make a request, and since Bai Tang considered himself a good host, of course he wanted to fulfill his little system’s wish.
His round, glimmering eyes still held traces of an unusual color, and his lips—swollen from the kiss—were slightly parted, as if silently inviting.
Turs, who had just barely restrained himself, felt desire surge again. He leaned down and pressed a hard kiss to those tempting lips. “Fine. But you have to stay close to me. No running off.”
“Turs is the best~” Bai Tang cheered softly.
Turs smiled indulgently and helplessly held Bai Tang down, buckling his seatbelt.
He really must be losing his mind. He couldn’t bear to see the little mermaid disappointed, and he wanted nothing more than to offer him the best of everything in the world to choose from.
If this wasn’t madness, why else would he agree to bring Bai Tang into the military base? Part of it, of course, was that he simply wanted to see the boy at all times. Only he knew how torturous those few days apart had been. Even though they video-called daily, his mind constantly wandered—wondering if the boy could fall asleep without a bedtime story, if he kicked off his blanket in the night, if Aunt Li’s cooking suited his tastes, if he snuck snacks…
According to military regulations, civilians weren’t allowed in without authorization. Even family members had to request entry and wait at the gate for the soldier to come out.
But merfolk were a special case.
Everyone knew merfolk were pure and drawn to beautiful things. As such, they didn’t have a favorable impression of frontline soldiers—always fighting, killing, carrying a dangerous aura… and the smell of blood. Merfolk were extremely sensitive to scent, and when choosing a protector, they preferred someone gentle and refined. The rough, brutish soldiers were simply not their type.
That’s why, rather than being restricted, Bai Tang’s visit to the base stirred up a wave of excitement among the soldiers.
With Turs at his side, no one dared to approach Bai Tang openly—but that didn’t mean they couldn’t sneak glances.
Down the hallway of the military compound, countless eyes fell on the boy being carried horizontally in the admiral’s arms—his soft, pale feet especially adorable.
Bang! The door to Admiral Walker’s private office slammed shut.
Aww~ So stingy. No more mermaid to look at.
But that little mermaid really was adorable… Wonder what color his tail is?
“Turs, am I causing you trouble?” Bai Tang asked, curled up on the sofa while Turs crouched beside him, gently wiping his feet.
“Not at all,” Turs replied, switching to clean the other little foot. “Don’t worry about them, Tang Tang. Are you tired? Want to take a nap?”
Turs remembered that merfolk use a lot of energy when shifting forms. He opened the door to an inner room—it was a private resting area. Since Turs had been swamped with official duties lately, he hadn’t been home and had been resting here instead.
Inside was a large white bed. Turs carried the boy over, tucked him in under the covers, and gently said, “Sleep for a bit, Tangtang. Once you wake up, we’ll go home.”
Bai Tang pulled the blanket over half his face. His voice came out muffled beneath the covers as he quietly asked, “Will you go home too, Turs?”
Looking into those clear, watery eyes, Turs felt his heart melt. He finally understood why so many people dreamed of having a mermaid—because in their eyes, there was only you. That feeling of being their whole world was indescribably fulfilling.
He sat on the edge of the bed and gently pulled the blanket down to reveal Bai Tang’s delicate face. “Once I’ve handled things here, we’ll go home together.” He paused. “Tonight. Together.”
A bright smile spread across Bai Tang’s face. “Mm. Let’s go home together.”
“Now get some rest.” Turs leaned down and placed a kiss on the boy’s forehead.
Bai Tang obediently closed his eyes. He really was tired and quickly drifted off to sleep.
The system didn’t bother him either. At the moment, Qiu’er was sitting in its little “black room,” drooling over a complete Zerg recipe guide. It had discovered that almost all the bugs in this world were edible—with the right preparation, they could be a true delicacy. “Hehehe…”
When Bai Tang woke up, Turs was nowhere to be seen, and his legs had transformed back into a fish tail.
“Qiu’er, my legs are gone,” Bai Tang murmured. Still half-asleep, he stared blankly at his reddish-brown fish tail, unsure where his legs had gone. The thought that he might be disabled filled him with sudden sorrow, and tears streamed down his cheeks.
“Tang Tang, remember? This is the merfolk world.”
Qiu’er’s simple reminder snapped Bai Tang out of his daze. Right—he was a mermaid in this world.
“Tang Tang, hurry! The male lead and the others are planning to burn the big bug! Don’t let them waste good food—we have to save it!” The system had been drooling over food pictures for three hours straight. Now that Bai Tang was awake, it urged him to go stop the impending culinary tragedy.
“What?!” Bai Tang exclaimed.
Following the system’s instructions, he put on his merfolk-specific outfit and found the merfolk transport device in the wardrobe.
When he opened the door, the outside world seemed to freeze for a few seconds.
Faced with the many unfamiliar faces in the military base, Bai Tang nervously stepped out of the office.
Look! The little mermaid is out!
A red-brown fish tail!
The little mermaid is so pretty~
A few seconds later, the military base erupted into chaos. People dropped what they were doing and swarmed around Bai Tang.
“Hello, I’m Maddie…”
“I’m George.”
“I’m Jack—hey, don’t push me!”
Bai Tang was startled by the soldiers’ overwhelming enthusiasm. His tail slipped, and he sat down on the back platform of his mobility vehicle. “W-What are you all doing…”
The little mermaid, soft and delicate, stared at them with wide, watery eyes.
Everyone’s thoughts: What an adorable little mermaid~
“What do you think you’re doing? Trying to start a mutiny?”
A voice barked from behind the crowd, which quickly parted to form a path. A burly man with a full beard came striding over, looking spirited and stern.
“Hello, I’m Lieutenant General Ida Sade. You must be Admiral Walker’s mermaid. The admiral is handling official matters at the moment. Why don’t you sit over there for a while? He’ll be back shortly.”
Though Sade’s voice was rough and booming, his beard masked his expression. His tone was neutral and steady, making him seem far more reliable than the excited crowd.
Bai Tang glanced around at the others and timidly said, “I want to see Turs.”
“Understood. I’ll notify Admiral Walker right away.” Lieutenant General Sade pushed the mermaid transport to a spacious hall.
Someone quick-witted had already poured a cup of tea and brought it over.
Bai Tang looked at the teacup and softly murmured, “Thank you~”
Mermaids were known as children of the heavens, naturally gifted with beautiful voices. As Bai Tang sipped his tea in small, delicate gulps, the crowd clutched their hearts and exclaimed, “So well-behaved! So adorable~”
Some even scrambled to secure a spot closest to Bai Tang, sitting upright in a dignified posture that showcased their best soldierly presence. They hoped the little mermaid might look their way—maybe even make eye contact. That alone would be a dream come true.
Bai Tang belonged to Admiral Walker, so none of them dared to pursue him, nor could they hope to compete with the admiral.
Their real target? Bai Tang’s mermaid friends.
After all, mermaids were known to be very affectionate and loyal to their own kind. If Bai Tang went back and spoke kindly about someone, or even just casually mentioned their name, who knows—they might end up with a mermaid partner of their own. The thought alone was enough to make them giddy.
At that moment, Lieutenant General Sade completely dropped his righteous and upright image. He rubbed his hands together and looked at Bai Tang with a touch of shyness. “May I ask, do you have any hobbies?”
“Qiu’er, there’s a pervert here!” Bai Tang was on the verge of tears, watching the previously serious man now come off as a complete creep.
Lieutenant General Sade frantically waved his hands. “No, no! That’s not what I meant. I was asking what you and your friends usually like to do.”
Trying to appear harmless, Sade flashed a standard eight-tooth smile. What he didn’t realize was that a burly man like him doing that was absolutely terrifying. Bai Tang nervously dragged his fish tail back, inching farther away.
Turs , help!