Chapter 151- Love in a Fallen City: You Are My Eternal, Unfading Starlight – Surprise and Shock (14)
The book said, when your beloved gets angry, don’t panic. Don’t fight back; instead, be even more gentle, kind, and thick-skinned.
Early in the morning, Turs pulled a terrifying smile and called Tang Tang to wake up while carrying breakfast.
Bai Tang: ???
System: !!! Has the male lead been possessed by a ghost today?!
They watched Turs keep that stiff smile while doing things for Tang Tang.
Putting on shoes, I’ll do it. Getting dressed, I’ll do it. Eating breakfast, open your mouth, I’ll feed you…
Even if they hadn’t argued, Turs would have been used to doing these things. He usually didn’t smile much; at best, he’d curl his lips slightly when happy. But today, paired with that creepy grin, it made the system’s hair stand on end.
Bai Tang reached out to check his forehead — the temperature was normal, no fever. So why was he acting so strange today?
After breakfast, Bai Tang and the stiff-faced Turs headed to nearby Betty Forest.
To protect the environment, only the outskirts of Betty Forest have been developed. Further inside lies the untouched primeval forest, and most visitors only roam the edges.
Bai Tang wasn’t afraid — he was determined to enter the forest and show off his mermaid’s willfulness. Turs couldn’t stop him.
The system diligently recorded and posted videos, naturally capturing the couple’s quarrel as well.
Everyone was dumbfounded by General Walker’s stupidity — how could he not get it? Are military people really all so straightforward?
Someone mentioned Le Mengqi in the comments.
[Do you guys know Le Mengqi? The one who looks like she’s perfect for General Walker, the number one mermaid, got into trouble…]
[??? Upstairs, who exactly do you mean looks perfect for General Walker? Speak responsibly. General Walker is married to another mermaid. What you said insults the general’s mermaid.]
[Brother, I don’t blame you for being naive. Le Mengqi is indeed pretty, but definitely not the number one mermaid.]
[If you mention Le Mengqi under Tang Tang’s video, are you trying to start a fight?]
…
That person had originally been following Le Mengqi’s PR team’s instructions to spread news under various trending topics, but unexpectedly hit a big wall here. Instead of caring about gossip or Le Mengqi’s issues, everyone focused their fire on him.
Bad luck—he was assigned to steer comments under Turs and Bai Tang’s trending topic. What connection do Le Mengqi and Turs have?
Recently, a video claiming they were forming an allied couple was released, but it got slapped down in less than half a day. Now, with leaked photos, scandals are flying everywhere.
People watch Tang Tang’s videos for sweetness, just quietly enjoying their own world. But Le Mengqi’s fans insist on barging in. What kind of nonsense is this? If they don’t criticize him, then who?
Le Mengqi was promptly discovered by the staff and taken to the medical room for emergency treatment. However, before pretending to commit suic*de, she had already edited all the news. Even if Mr. Eddie wanted to suppress it, the paparazzi—like cats smelling blood—quickly gathered outside the mermaid base.
The mermaid base requires permission to enter; otherwise, with so many mermaids inside, anyone could just walk in, which would scare the shy and timid mermaids.
Reporters weren’t allowed inside, but they never lacked patience. They camped outside the entrance and surrounded any staff member who came out, almost shoving microphones in their faces.
“Mr. Eddie, Mr. Eddie, could you please tell us about Le Mengqi’s situation?”
“Did she really try to kill herself?”
“Are the photos circulating online real or fake…?”
Mr. Eddie didn’t want to answer, and he couldn’t. No matter what he said, Le Mengqi had already ruined the mermaids’ reputation. If the public labeled mermaids as reckless or lacking self-respect, the protectors would think all mermaids were promiscuous and might start treating them with contempt—possibly even abuse. How could the fragile mermaids withstand that? The future of mermaids would be over, and so would the future of the Interstellar Alliance.
Without mermaids, in the Alliance where human birth rates were low, it would take at most a few hundred years—without even an insectoid invasion—for humanity to collapse on its own.
At this moment, the usually good-natured Mr. Eddie felt unprecedented anger toward Le Mengqi. He had known she craved fame and played tricks, and had turned a blind eye. But now she had dragged down all the mermaids, and that was unbearable.
Mermaids have a difficult existence and more fragile lives than ordinary people, so they need careful protection. Mr. Eddie’s greatest fear was the world branding mermaids as promiscuous, leading the protectors to treat them carelessly. Mermaids couldn’t endure such turmoil and would die off. Then, it wouldn’t just be a question of the mermaid species surviving or not—without mermaids and humans reproducing, in the low birthrate Interstellar Alliance, there would be only a few hundred years left before the Alliance itself was devoured by the insectoids due to lack of young adults.
It wasn’t that Mr. Eddie was overthinking or being overly pessimistic; he had to consider the worst outcome to find ways to reverse the situation.
Although he disliked Le Mengqi, he really had no choice but to defend her now. It was a frustrating feeling.
At the same time, because of Le Mengqi’s suic*de attempt, she suddenly became a victim. Coupled with the PR team’s efforts, many began to suspect she might have been coerced. The entertainment industry is chaotic by nature, and it’s not surprising that a rare mermaid with no background would be targeted by some malicious people.
Marlon Bruce, the wealthy man with unusual tastes who threatened Le Mengqi, saw the trending topic online and remained completely unperturbed. He knew Le Mengqi’s background well. Previously, there was Aida Sade helping her, so Marlon could only watch without acting. Later, however, Lieutenant General Sade chose another mermaid, withdrawing all previous support from Le Mengqi, clearly drawing a line. Marlon knew very well that she no longer had any power or backing.
Currently, two voices are emerging online. One sympathizes with Le Mengqi, believing she was coerced — after all, didn’t she try to kill herself? She was clearly wronged with no place to complain and no one willing to help, so death seemed like the only way out.
The other side, echoing Mr. Eddie’s worst fears, thinks this was just a fallout after Le Mengqi’s dispute with her benefactor was exposed, and that her suic*de attempt was simply a ploy to clear her name.
Ordinary people have little chance to encounter mermaids; what they know about them mostly comes from the mermaid base’s publicity. Who really knows what mermaids are truly like? For a while, these two opposing views clashed loudly online, escalating the issue from Le Mengqi’s incident to a broader mermaid controversy.
It’s well known that families who select mermaids are followed by reporters around the clock. Interviewing mermaids who are already married is much easier than interviewing those still at the mermaid base.
Lieutenant General Sade agreed to go out with Meg because, after the exposure of Le Mengqi’s incident, he had been cooped up inside for several days. Fortunately, he could sit still and didn’t mind staying in, but the feeling of being forcibly restricted was really unpleasant.
“Aida, when will the people outside leave?” Meg kept switching TV channels, almost all showing reports about the mermaid incident.
He didn’t understand why it had escalated into a mermaid problem. Mr. Eddie had even called specifically to tell them not to go out.
“Meg, are you bored? Let’s play Ludo.” Aida tried everything to cheer Meg up, even bringing out old toys they had played with as kids, now covered in dust.
Mermaids tend to be childlike, and Meg had never played Ludo before. So, he put aside the TV and started playing with Lieutenant General Sade.
Compared to Meg and Sade just being a bit bored, things weren’t so good on Bai Tang and Turs’s side.
They were traveling and rarely checked gossip news, so they still didn’t know about Le Mengqi’s situation.
As for the well-known mermaid couple, General Walker and his husband, the paparazzi certainly wouldn’t let them off easy. They went to the location shown in the latest video and quickly found Bai Tang and Turs. The two didn’t seem as harmonious in real life as they did in the video, which further supported the opposition’s point of view.
To avoid alerting them, the paparazzi decided to follow the two closely, determined to capture the most authentic moments of the mermaids.
Although the system knew about the online rumors, seeing Bai Tang in a bad mood, it decided not to bother him. Just as Bai Tang said, Le Mengqi’s mess had nothing to do with him.
It was normal to have people in the tourist area, and the paparazzi disguised themselves as tourists to blend in. The system never expected they would be tracked.
Coincidentally, Bai Tang and Turs were having a “cold war,” and the paparazzi captured everything.
Turs was focused on creating a romantic surprise to win back his wife. He had arranged a setup in Betty Forest, waiting to take Bai Tang there for a romantic proposal.
At the outskirts of Betty Forest:
“Hello.” A stranger approached Bai Tang and handed him a chestnut.
Bai Tang was puzzled. The chestnut’s shell felt rough, and when he looked down, he saw words written on it: [Tang Tang, I’m sorry. I was wrong — Turs.]
A few seconds later, another person stepped forward. “Forgive him.”
Another chestnut was handed to Bai Tang. On it was written: [Yesterday was romantic. You are beautiful — Turs.]
Then a third person came forward. “If anyone bullies you, hit them back hard.”
The third chestnut read: [Sticks, knives, iron pans — choose your punishment — Turs.]
By now, if Bai Tang couldn’t tell that Turs was apologizing, he’d have to be pretty dense. He glanced back at Turs, who immediately forced a stiff smile.
Bai Tang chuckled and finally stopped being angry. Truly, military guys like him were usually focused on defending the country and didn’t have time for romance — so it was normal to be unromantic.
More people came forward, each giving Bai Tang a chestnut. With every one he received, his heart softened a little more.
Those who handed him chestnuts stood aside waiting. The ninety-ninth chestnut read: [I love you, Bai Tang. Can you marry Turs Walker?]
Bai Tang’s smile grew wider. He turned to answer yes, but before he could speak, the ninety-nine people suddenly surrounded them.
Suddenly, a man took advantage of the crowd and rushed past, grabbing Bai Tang and pushing him into the forest.
Bai Tang thought it was part of Turs’s romantic plan and didn’t struggle, following willingly.
The crowd was arranged by Turs to help with the proposal, but unexpectedly, Bai Tang was taken away right under his nose. Turs hadn’t planned this and hurriedly pushed through the crowd, but with so many people, by the time he got out, Bai Tang had already been taken away.
The person who took Bai Tang away was none other than the paparazzi following him. Taking advantage of the chaotic crowd, he abducted Bai Tang, hoping to get an exclusive interview.
He ran all the way until the noise of the crowd faded away before stopping.
As a mermaid, Bai Tang’s stamina was naturally poor; by this point, he was half-dragged along. He leaned against a nearby tree, breathing heavily.
The paparazzi turned around and saw the boy’s face flushed from exertion, lips slightly parted as he breathed, shimmering beads of sweat sliding down his smooth skin — quite a tempting sight.
His throat involuntarily tightened. Being part of the opposition, he didn’t believe mermaids were the pure and innocent beings the mermaid base claimed them to be. Remembering that Turs and General Walker’s relationship was strained, he glanced around — no one was nearby.
Since General Walker hadn’t chased after them for so long, he probably didn’t care much about this mermaid anyway. After all, mermaids were promiscuous; if he had a chance with this one… he’d probably jump at it.
With that thought, he suddenly lunged, pinning Bai Tang to the ground.
“What are you doing? Let me go…” Bai Tang was exhausted from running and had no strength left to struggle; his punches were weak and soft.
“Stop pretending. Isn’t this exactly what you mermaids like?” The paparazzi completely ignored Bai Tang’s struggles, grabbing the boy’s wrists with one hand while reaching to undo his shirt with the other.
The system anxiously spun in circles — it couldn’t directly harm humans. Even if it wanted to use tools from the store, it needed to know the attacker’s name first.
“Turs, save me, Turs…” A tear slipped from the corner of the boy’s eye.
Deep in the forest, Turs suddenly tensed, changing direction to the right as he searched.
Bai Tang closed his eyes in despair. Suddenly, the weight on him vanished, and a man’s anguished roar filled his ears.
“Ah—”
Before the paparazzi could get up, a fierce pain hit his “third leg.” He opened his eyes and saw Turs, eyes blazing red, looking like a demon risen from hell.
“General Walker… ah…”
Turs didn’t give him a chance to explain or speak. He cut off the dirty hands that had touched Bai Tang and broke the paparazzi’s leg.
Bai Tang felt himself fall into an embrace. He struggled desperately, “Let me go, let me go… no, no…”
“Tang Tang, it’s me.”
Bai Tang opened his eyes and saw Turs. He burst into tears.
“Turs, I’m scared… I’m so scared…” Bai Tang sobbed uncontrollably. His shirt buttons had just been undone, but luckily Turs arrived in time; he had almost been forced.
“I’m here, I’m here. I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Turs kept kissing Bai Tang, unsure if he was comforting him or himself.
Thankfully, he came just in time. Thankfully…
“Waaah…” Bai Tang cried uncontrollably, tightly holding onto Turs, letting him shower endless kisses on his face and shoulders, washing away the disgusting feeling left by the paparazzi.
Luckily, the male lead came just in time. Seeing Bai Tang protected by the male lead, the system glared fiercely at the paparazzi’s pitiful whimpering nearby on the ground. How could anyone harm Bai Tang right under its watch? Absolutely unforgivable!
The next day, a major headline in Ritterly City: Reporter Wooden Dulu was brutally murdered in Betty Forest. When found, his eyeballs had been gouged out, his hands and feet hacked off… a horrifying and gruesome scene.
For the first time, the system showed no smile. A faint gray mist swirled on its white orb. It had identified Wooden Dulu’s name and, after Turs killed him, spent almost all its points extracting his soul and imprisoning it in the “Refining Bottle.”
The so-called Refining Bottle, short for Purgatory Bottle, contained a scene far worse than the legendary Eighteen Levels of Hell — 108 tortures waiting for him to slowly endure.’
Author’s Note
Bai Tang is fine, Bai Tang is fine, Bai Tang is fine, Bai Tang is fine, Bai Tang is fine, don’t you dare hit me.
I know I was wrong, please don’t hit me (;′Д`)
The next chapter is sweet, sweet, trust me, trust me!