Chapter 148 – Love in a Fallen City: You Are My Eternal, Unfading Starlight – The Parents Found Out… (11)
The netizens clearly heard what Turs said to Bai Tang—if he didn’t drink water, he would turn back into a mermaid. That meant the cute young man following Admiral Walker was actually a mermaid.
Oh my god, some time ago there were rumors that Admiral Walker had selected a mermaid. Turns out it wasn’t gossip—it was true!
To confirm that their national hero really had a partner, many of Turs Walker’s secret admirers reached out to the mermaid base for verification, and they received an official response—from Mr. Eddie himself.
“Yes, Admiral Turs Walker completed the mermaid’s household registration transfer procedures seven days ago,” said Mr. Eddie.
For mermaids, household registration procedures are only needed for birth, death, or marriage-related transfers.
Many netizens were already captivated by the sweet videos of Bai Tang and Turs, and once Bai Tang’s identity as a mermaid was confirmed, they excitedly demanded more sweet content.
Who could remember the edited video of Le Mengqi and Turs from the day before? No matter how well it was made, it was still fake. But the videos of Bai Tang and Turs? Those were real—real, official sugar.
After all, everyone loves mermaids, and the real deal is much more interesting than the fake. Bai Tang and Turs didn’t know it yet, but on the very first day of their honeymoon, they had already taken the entire interstellar community by storm.
This result was something the system hadn’t anticipated. Originally, it just wanted to make the female lead uncomfortable, but didn’t expect things to turn out this way. When it hacked into the surveillance at the mermaid base and saw Le Mengqi’s dejected expression, “satisfying” wasn’t enough to describe the feeling.
At 7 a.m., Aida Sade arrived at the mermaid base to request a meeting with Le Mengqi—not because he still had feelings for her, but to retrieve the gifts he had previously given her. Since they were cutting ties, it was better to make a clean break.
Le Mengqi had been angry all night and was still asleep at the time.
The mermaid rooms were close together, so the noise from Le Mengqi’s room naturally disturbed the other mermaids. The kind and caring mermaids were worried that one of their own was being bullied and gathered at the door to check.
Le Mengqi was woken up by the staff at the mermaid base and was very grumpy. Ida Sade didn’t want to speak with her at all—he simply took the items and left.
It wasn’t anything particularly valuable—just some necklaces and other jewelry.
Vice Admiral Sade left in a hurry, so he didn’t notice a mermaid coming around the corner after finishing breakfast.
“Ah—!” A male mermaid with a pale purple tail was knocked over.
“My apologies,” Vice Admiral Sade said as he helped the mermaid up.
“You should watch where you’re going,” the mermaid said with mild annoyance. “I’m big and clumsy, so it’s no big deal if you bump into me. But if you ran into a young mermaid, you could seriously hurt them.”
As the saying goes, comparison makes all the difference. This mermaid had a similarly gentle nature, but compared to Le Mengqi’s fake sweetness, he was much more pleasant—and much cuter.
Being “scolded” like this by the mermaid actually made Vice Admiral Sade feel a little better.
“Then let me apologize properly,” he said, and handed over the jewelry he had just retrieved from Le Mengqi.
“Wow, it’s so pretty~” Most mermaids liked things like pearls, but Meg Carter was different—he liked anything sparkly.
“Is this for me?” Meg asked as he held the jewelry up to his neck and admired it.
Seeing the mermaid’s pure and joyful expression, eyes twinkling like stars, Vice Admiral Sade suddenly felt a pang of regret. He shouldn’t have given this mermaid something Le Mengqi had already worn. How could he give a mermaid second-hand jewelry?
But looking at how much Meg loved it, he just couldn’t bring himself to take it back.
“If you’re being so sincere, I’ll forgive you,” Meg said cheerfully. “I’m Meg Carter. What’s your name?”
“Aida Sade.”
Suddenly, Aida Sade’s communicator buzzed. He gave Meg an apologetic look and said, “I’ve got something to take care of. I’ll have to leave now.”
“Alright then…” Meg, who had just been thrilled with his new jewelry, now looked a bit disappointed. “Okay, but if you come to the mermaid base again, be sure to come find me!”
“I will.”
As he watched Vice Admiral Sade stride off, Meg began to daydream.
I wonder if Aida Sade has chosen a mermaid yet… Probably not, right? Otherwise, he wouldn’t be all alone. He should’ve had a mermaid by his side…
He gave me a gift—does that mean he might like me a little?
Ah! What was he even thinking? They had just met for the first time~
Meg touched the necklace around his neck. It still seemed to hold the lingering warmth from when Vice Admiral Sade had personally put it on him.
Ah, why was his face feeling so hot? Was he coming down with something?
…
Mount Liwada – Summit
In the early morning, the air was crisp and cool. Dew from the chilly mist clung to the green leaves, and even their breath turned to visible white vapor in the air.
Turs, strong and sturdy, was only slightly winded after climbing more than 3,000 meters. Out of concern for Bai Tang, he had even deliberately slowed his pace.
The boy had fallen asleep halfway up the mountain, and on the steep path, it was only Turs carrying his beloved in his arms as he climbed alone.
Even the system watching couldn’t help but feel a bit moved.
Fine, it thought, let’s give the male lead some bonus points. This world won’t make things so hard for him anymore.
Turs poured hot water onto a towel and gently wiped Bai Tang’s face.
“Time to wake up, little lazy pig. We’ve reached the summit, and the sun’s about to rise.”
“Mmm~ Not a lazy pig… I’m a little squirrel~” Bai Tang mumbled, eyes still closed, instinctively protesting Turs’s nickname.
“Then the diligent little squirrel needs to get up.”
Bai Tang squirmed a bit in Turs’s arms, reluctantly opening his eyes.
From a distant mountaintop, an orange glow began to rise. Bai Tang immediately woke up, leaping from Turs’s arms.
“Turs, look! The sunrise!”
An orange-tinged oval rose slowly from behind the mountains, and the morning glow painted the bluish-gray sky in brilliant shades of red and gold.
The breathtaking scene was broadcast across the network through the system’s camera. The excited boy pointed at the sunrise, saying something to Turs, who affectionately patted his head. Bai Tang rose on tiptoe, wrapped his arms around Turs’s neck, and pulled him close for a kiss—a quick, butterfly-light peck before pulling away.
But how could Turs let him off so easily? He wrapped his arms around the boy’s waist, caught his lips again, and deepened the kiss—claiming a little reward for a hard night’s climb.
Netizens’ hearts exploded with romantic glee:
[So romantic~ I want to watch the sunrise with my partner too! Now here’s the real question—where do I find someone like Admiral Walker? Someone who’d carry me up a mountain for 3,000 meters!]
User ‘Not Available Today’ replied: [+1 to the comment above. I’m ready—when is the alliance assigning partners?]
Mermaid superfan: [Having a boyfriend like Admiral Walker is just as hard as owning a mermaid…]
I Have Wine but Won’t Share With You: [The Alliance owes me a man’s body…]
The head of the Walker family and his wife were on a trip when they suddenly saw their son trending all over the internet—and were completely baffled.
But once they clicked on the video and watched the whole thing, the elderly couple couldn’t help but burst into tears of joy.
Their only son had finally bloomed like a late-blooming tree—it wasn’t easy. The Walker family was finally going to have an heir!
God knows how much they had worried about Turs’s marriage. He didn’t like noble ladies, and he refused to choose a mermaid. He always made excuses and delayed.
The couple had almost given up, thinking, Let the child live his own life. If he’s unwilling, we can’t force him.
To be fair, the two of them weren’t even that old. Given the average human lifespan of 300 years, their eighty-something age still counted as their prime. With some effort, they might even manage a second child—give Turs a little brother and ensure the family line continued.
Madam Walker dialed her son’s video call. It rang for a long time, but no one answered. Not willing to give up, she tried again. After several rings, the call finally connected.
To her surprise, the voice that came through wasn’t her son’s.
“Hello~”
A soft, sweet, and adorable voice came from the other end. Just hearing it made Madam Walker instantly like the speaker.
It was the same voice as that cheerful and well-behaved boy in the video. So it was true—they were living together.
“Hello, I’m Lisa Beth Walker. I’m looking for Turs,” Madam Walker said kindly.
“Good day, Madam Walker. But you’ll have to wait a bit—Turs is in the shower right now. You can call back a little later,” Bai Tang replied, glancing at the figure in the bathroom. He had completely forgotten that Turs’s surname was “Walker”—which meant the woman on the other end of the line was his mother-in-law.
Madam Walker, afraid Bai Tang would hang up, quickly said, “Wait, child, don’t hang up! Turs should be out soon. May I talk with you for a bit?”
Mr. Walker insisted that he no longer cared about Turs—whether he casually settled down with someone or spent his life alone, it was none of his concern. But deep down, he was still thinking about his son’s lifelong happiness. At that very moment, he was sitting beside Madam Walker, ears perked up, eavesdropping on the conversation between his wife and their soon-to-be daughter-in-law.
“What’s your name, child?”
“Bai Tang? What a lovely name! Then I’ll call you Tang Tang.”
“How old are you, Tang Tang? What do you like to do in your free time?”
“Oh no, mermaids shouldn’t be in the kitchen—it’s dangerous with all the hot oil! Let Turs do the cooking…”
Madam Walker was trying to keep the conversation going with small talk. Meanwhile, Bai Tang—having just been alerted by the system about who she really was—grew increasingly nervous. His responses became more formal and proper, but in doing so, he revealed quite a bit about himself. Within just a few minutes, Madam Walker had learned a lot about her mermaid daughter-in-law and was already quite pleased.
Their Tang Tang had a sweet temperament, a simple social circle, and didn’t mess around outside. He was nothing like that Le Mengqi girl, who had once tried to pair herself with Turs online. What Turs needed was someone sincere like this, not a schemer like Le Mengqi who was full of tricks and hidden motives.
Madam Walker couldn’t stop smiling. She was just about to continue bonding with her daughter-in-law when Turs came out of the bathroom.
“Mom, did you need something?” Turs asked, bare-chested, water still dripping from his damp hair, the droplets sliding down his shoulders and along his V-line, disappearing into the towel wrapped around his waist.
Bai Tang stared directly at the beautiful sight in front of him, his mind involuntarily recalling a few steamy memories.
“You little rascal! You went and found yourself a spouse without even telling me or your father? I wasn’t even trying to talk to you—I was talking to my daughter-in-law!” Madam Walker huffed, glaring at Turs, clearly displeased that he had snatched the phone.
“Tang Tang? Tang Tang, are you still there?” she called out loudly, her voice coming through clearly from the phone.
“Ah, I’m here, I’m here!” Bai Tang quickly replied.
He took the phone and heard Madam Walker say warmly, “Tang Tang, make sure you stay safe while you’re out. When will you come home and meet Mom in person…?”
Bai Tang hesitated, unsure how to respond. “Madam Walker, I…”
“You’re still calling me Madam? You’re already married to Turs. Come on, let me hear you call me Mom.”
Bai Tang glanced at Turs, who gave him a reassuring nod. Only then did he shyly and sweetly say, “Mom~”
“Ay~” Madam Walker’s heart melted. Her daughter-in-law was so obedient—completely unlike her rascal of a son. That one word “Mom” was sweet enough to reach the bottom of her heart.
“And me—don’t forget I’m here too,” Mr. Walker chimed in, finally unable to resist. He had been itching to speak but held back to maintain the dignity of the family patriarch.
Then he heard Bai Tang softly call, “Dad~”
“Ay, such a good daughter-in-law.” Mr. Walker was thoroughly satisfied.
It reminded him of when Turs had just learned to walk—that wonderful feeling of being needed. But once Turs became independent, he stopped being so adorable.
“Mom, Dad—Tang Tang just got back from hiking and is tired. Let’s talk more next time,” Turs said.
“Alright, alright. But give the phone back to Tang Tang—I want to say one last thing to my daughter-in-law,” Madam Walker insisted, brushing Turs off.
“Tang Tang, make sure to rest well and enjoy yourself. If Turs ever treats you badly, just remember it—and come home. Mom will stand up for you.”
“Dad will stand up for you too,” Mr. Walker added from the side.
“Okay! But Turs won’t bully me. Bye-bye, Mom, Dad.” Bai Tang handed the phone back to Turs, patting his chest in relief. The enthusiasm of the in-laws was a little overwhelming.
Author’s Note:
A reader once suggested that the rough-and-tough guy should be paired with an adorable male mermaid. Well, here he is—your cute little mermaid has arrived!
Tang Tang is now winning over his husband’s parents’ hearts, and ah, Le Mengqi’s little fantasy has officially crumbled.