It’s Exciting to Snatch the Supporting Male Lead and Run Away [Quick Wear] - 63

 

IETSTSMLARA | He Wants a Mermaid | 63

It didn't matter who was at the door; regardless, that person knew how to be discreet. However, the gaze Lin Su felt wasn't from the doorway; it was fleeting, so brief that he didn't have time to catch it.

Having System 06 monitor data was fine, but expecting it to analyze a person's gaze and emotions... it would probably only conclude something like "30% indifference, 30% mockery, 40% nonchalance."

But Lin Su never expected System 06 to understand such things anyway. Expecting a machine to truly grasp all human emotions was nothing short of wishful thinking.

Lin Su didn't feed all the fruit on the table to Jiang Tang in front of everyone. Public displays of affection should be moderate; just enough to make others envious, but too much would only breed resentment. However, most of the food on the table still ended up in Jiang Tang's mouth.

Despite eating enough to feed five people, his abdomen remained flat. Lin Su reached out his hand and probed. 

Jiang Tang was initially puzzled until his belly was poked. When the beautiful mermaid said, "Nice figure," Jiang Tang wondered if he was being teased.

Jiang Tang looked at Lin Su.

Lin Su looked up in confusion, his eyes full of questions.

Jiang Tang felt he was overthinking. The mermaid prince from the deep sea was very innocent; how could he understand teasing?

The person discreetly avoiding the entrance of the lab was none other than Qin Yue, who had just finished his official duties and came to see the mermaid. Between the two deep-sea mermaids, Cheng Qi was clearly easier to win over, but Qin Yue preferred the other one.

However, upon his return, he found that Cheng Qi and Ye Jingfan had made obvious progress, with rumors of them going out together flying everywhere. There was nothing about Lin Su, but the scene he witnessed told him he was a step too late.

He had considered the possibility of competitors but had never thought it would be Jiang Tang. It wasn't that Jiang Tang was bad; his contributions to the empire were enormous, and Qin Yue trusted him greatly. It was just that his cold exterior had once scared a mermaid visiting the nursery, and every year, he topped the list of mermaids' least favorite individuals.

There were many reasons: busy with work, reclusive personality, lack of consideration, low emotional intelligence, lack of common sense, and sexual apathy...

Any one of these reasons was enough for the mermaids to avoid this top researcher, let alone all of them combined.

Once inside the research institute, the camera function on their communicators would be automatically disabled to prevent data leaks. This also meant that the scenes between Lin Su and Jiang Tang could probably only be found in the lab's surveillance footage.

"Your Majesty," a personal guard approached, saying, "if this news is released on the interstellar network, it will cause widespread opposition from the citizens of the empire."

"Do you think I'm such a tasteless person?" Qin Yue stopped and asked.

The guard bowed his head and said, "I'm sorry, but I believe that researcher Jiang's temperament is not suitable for taking care of a mermaid."

"If I wanted to use underhanded methods to separate them, there are hundreds of ways to do so," Qin Yue patted the guard's shoulder. "But while you can use tricks to woo a mermaid, you can't do it without any class. Otherwise, if he found out, he would look down on you."

"Thank you for the advice, Your Majesty," the guard followed up. "So what will you do now?"

"Just pursue him," Qin Yue said.

Ever since Lin Su and Cheng Qi appeared, the heated discussions on the interstellar network had never stopped.

Their appearances, hair color, and the color of their tails were praised as unparalleled. In fact, because of their extremely beautiful long hair, people started auctioning off strands of their fallen hair at high prices online, with Cheng Qi's being the most in-demand since he loved to go out.

Lin Su, on the other hand, stayed quietly in the breeding center. Only a few strands of his hair were initially picked up by the pool cleaners, one of which was kept as a collection, while the others were sold. 

After Jiang Tang intervened, Lin Su's hair became a rare commodity, and its price soared.

When Cheng Qi saw it, his expression was complicated. "It's all hair. Why is yours worth so much more than mine?"

Could it be that the big shot has some kind of wealth god buff?

"Scarcity increases value," Lin Su said with a smile. "It's called hunger marketing."

"That's true..." Cheng Qi still felt like he had lost somehow.

No man likes to lose.

"What's the big deal? It's not like you'll ever have to rely on selling hair to make a living," Lin Su remarked casually.

Cheng Qi's eyes lit up, as if he'd discovered a new business opportunity. The next day, when Lin Su checked the interstellar network, it was flooded with thousands of messages selling hair.

Due to the large quantity, the price dropped a notch. Although it quickly rose again, Cheng Qi was visibly deflated. "I'm not cut out for business. Ye Jingfan even asked me if I was short on money. I've never been so embarrassed!!!"

While Cheng Qi was about to scratch the walls in frustration like a Husky, the price of Lin Su's hair, being a rare commodity, doubled again.

And this was just about their appearance. The announcement of the two mermaids' physical conditions truly shocked the entire empire.

Natural mermaids could freely transform their legs and didn't need to stay in water for long periods like artificial mermaids. Their physiques were even slightly stronger than average humans, with some reaching B-level strength.

This physical condition already demonstrated the mermaid princes' health and excellent bloodlines. However, these two deep-sea mermaids were a cut above some of the strongest individuals.

"Babies born with such physiques will definitely be super healthy."

"Even if their physique is strong, the mermaid princes must be well cared for. After all, they are the most innocent and kind-hearted, and without proper care, they could easily be deceived."

"They must have lots of babies. The entire empire will donate to support them, we can support them no matter how many they have."

Well, this was basically how Cheng Qi found out that he could have children.

This was just the issue with their physiques.

The candidate list for protectors sparked even more heated debate online. The Marshal was considered the military god of the empire. Although his personality was a bit stern, he had high emotional intelligence and didn’t treat mermaids as harshly as enemies. The image of a tough guy with a tender side was quite appealing.

The Emperor, despite numerous rumored flings over the years, had never been involved in anything substantial. People believed that with the deep-sea mermaid prince around, he wouldn’t be interested in roadside flowers anymore. A reformed playboy was worth his weight in gold.

The various candidates had their supporters and detractors, but when it came to Jiang Tang, there was a unanimous wave of opposition. Some even argued that he should be removed from the list of candidates altogether.

This intense backlash reached its peak when the list of least popular individuals among mermaids, topped by Jiang Tang, was posted. Someone commented, "Even if he's on the list, the mermaid prince wouldn't choose him unless he's blind."

"You're the one who's blind."

"How can you curse the mermaid prince like that?"

"The mermaid prince's beautiful eyes could never go blind!"

Despite the back-and-forth, everyone felt relieved. Their prince’s eyes were bright and clear; surely he wouldn’t fall for that workaholic who scared mermaids.

Everything seemed fine until Lin Su chose Jiang Tang as his protector.

When this news broke, everyone instinctively rubbed their eyes, thinking they must have read it wrong.

But it was true. They realized their beloved Prince Lin Su seemed to be blind, figuratively speaking.

No, no, the mermaid prince must have been under some undue influence.

"Could it be that staying in the breeding center gave him an unfair advantage?"

"Was it the duck effect?" (imprinting)

"Has our beautiful Prince Lin Su really fallen for Dr. Jiang? This is heartbreaking!"

"Even though Dr. Jiang Tang has made great contributions and we respect him, he really isn't suitable for taking care of a mermaid! What if he uses emotional coldness as a form of violence?"

"Our prince is weak, helpless, and pitiful." 

"I can already imagine the scene: Prince Lin Su, staying alone in a cold, empty house, while his husband doesn't come home for days! So pitiful."

The supposedly weak, helpless, and pitiful Lin Su wasn't surprised when he saw these comments. After all, in the original timeline, there were similar rumors about Jiang Tang being a cold and ruthless doctor, known for his swift and brutal methods.

"Hahaha, I'm laughing my head off!!!" Cheng Qi, upon seeing the messages, snapped out of his sulking mode, reading the comments aloud and splashing water enthusiastically in front of Lin Su. 

This only reinforced Lin Su's decision to send him to his partner as soon as possible. After all, he wasn't responsible for comforting someone else's partner.

"I really want to tell them our big shot is a CEO of an international company. How could he possibly be subjected to Dr. Jiang's emotional coldness? Hahaha..." Cheng Qi was the epitome of a bystander enjoying the drama, always on the front lines of gossip, and even capable of creating his own juicy stories.

"I'm not afraid of him. Are you afraid of him?" Lin Su asked.

Cheng Qi's laughter faltered. He recalled Jiang Tang's chilling demeanor, as if he could freeze people with his gaze, his hands always in his pockets, exuding an icy aura, and he silently stopped laughing. 

A new question arose in his mind: "Brother, do you like the winter?"

His question was subtle, to which Lin Su replied calmly, "If I wasn’t with him, I would have gone after your Marshal."

"No!" Cheng Qi instinctively refused. Realizing it was a joke, he dejectedly slipped into the water, blowing bubbles as he went. 

When he surfaced, he said, "Even though I know I've turned bent, I still need some time to adjust. I can't accept having children yet, sigh..."

"If you don't want to have children, you don't have to. I won't force you." A voice came from the doorway. 

The tall figure standing there exuded a sense of security—it was Ye Jingfan. He looked over and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation. I just happened to hear that part as I approached the door and felt the need to clarify my stance."

If he didn't say it now, it would feel insincere to mention it at any other time. Of course, Ye Jingfan wanted to have a child with his mermaid, but everything had to be based on both parents eagerly anticipating the child's arrival and on Cheng Qi being willing.

Understanding the situation, Lin Su quietly slipped into the water, leaving Cheng Qi and his future partner to discuss their plans. 

It seemed they agreed on a date for Ye Jingfan to come and take Cheng Qi away before Lin Su departed.

"Why didn’t you leave?" Lin Su asked.

Cheng Qi's cheeks turned slightly red, and his voice was softer than before, clearly having fallen in love under Ye Jingfan's intense courtship. "Who knows if he's lying to me? I need to investigate a bit."

System 06 made a sound: 【He's not stupid.】

【He's quite shrewd.】 Lin Su replied with a smile.

Cheng Qi was a chatterbox, but not with everyone. He carefully chose whom to be close to in this world, often using incessant talking to mask his emotional vulnerability and nervousness. 

One should only believe half of what a man says, especially when one is in a weaker position and needs to remain clear-eyed about the world.

"And I need to say goodbye to my friends." Cheng Qi counted on his fingers the people he needed to bid farewell to—caregivers, doctors, and familiar researchers, listing them all. "Even though I won't be gone forever, our chances to meet will decrease. What do you think I should give them as a parting gift?"

Lin Su kindly suggested, "Your hair."

"The Marshal has already ordered me not to mess with my hair anymore," Cheng Qi said, hands on his hips. "Are you trying to anger your lovely brother to death?"

Lin Su nodded without hesitation, "Yes."

It was very cold and unfeeling.

"Forget it, I won't argue with you." Cheng Qi changed the subject, whispering sneakily, "Will you have children with Dr. Jiang in the future?"

He couldn't imagine the scene of the big shot having children, but when he did, it felt... quite thrilling. This thought absolutely couldn't be revealed to the big shot, or he might face a dire consequence; his intuition was spot on.

"Who can say what the future holds?" Lin Su responded noncommittally.

"That's true." Cheng Qi agreed, nodding.

Three days later, after gifting everyone he knew with something not too expensive but thoughtful, Cheng Qi was taken away by Ye Jingfan. The money for the gifts naturally came from selling his hair.

Lin Su held a floating rubber duck in the pool water, smiling as water streamed from its mouth. Cheng Qi had said he was worried about Lin Su feeling lonely after he left, so he sent a few yellow ducks to keep him company.

【Do I go well with this thing?】 Lin Su asked.

【The colors match well.】 System 06 answered honestly after some consideration.

Lin Su playfully slapped the rubber duck with his tail: 【Makes sense.】

The indigo-colored tail splashed the little yellow duck, revealing a childlike innocence. When Jiang Tang entered, he froze at the sight.

If a single sentence could describe it, it would be: ‘It felt like his heart was struck by a cute overload.’

Seeing the mermaid playing with the little yellow duck was incredibly adorable. Why hadn't he thought of getting him toys before?

By the time Jiang Tang realized it, he had already recorded the scene before Lin Su turned his head.

Jiang Tang set down his light brain and said, "Sorry, that scene just now was really worth commemorating. If you find it offensive, I can delete it."

"It's fine. You can even post it online to show off your ownership," Lin Su said, playfully squirting some water in Jiang Tang's direction with a little yellow duck.

"Ownership..." Jiang Tang walked up to him, crouching down. His usually calm eyes showed a hint of unease. "Have you seen the comments online? Although they're not completely true, there's some truth to them."

For instance, his immersion in work might make it hard for him to notice other things, he might not come home often, he might not be good at making mermaids happy, and he might not be good at taking care of others... but he liked the person in front of him.

"Why should I rely on others' words to know the person right in front of me?" Lin Su tilted his head and smiled. "I only believe what I see with my own eyes and what you say."

Jiang Tang had never heard such heartwarming words. He felt like he had a lot to say, but all he managed to say was, "I'll treat you well."

His voice still carried its usual cool tone, but it was very earnest.

"I believe you," Lin Su said, touching his face with a smile. "But will you want me to have children? I might not be able to."

"If you don't want to have children... then we won't have any," Jiang Tang said, stammering slightly.

Although when he first became Lin Su's protector he had immediately thought of names for their potential children and even imagined them growing old together, this vision could exclude having children.

In the original timeline, Cheng Qi initially didn't want to have children but eventually came to love them, having one after another. 

But if Lin Su didn't want children, it was because he genuinely couldn't have them.

With his protector confirmed, Lin Su could now travel with his company. The first thing he set his sights on was securing admission to the Merfolk Academy.

Mermaids are cherished creatures, they didn't need to work, but they were encouraged to cultivate various interests and hobbies. 

One reason was to develop their temperament, the second was to have something to pass the time with when alone, since holistically connecting to the star network consumed mental energy and was limited to three hours a day. 

When the time was up, they were forcibly logged off, similar to a game imposing mandatory breaks without the option to log back in after fifteen minutes.

The third reason was to help them make friends.

The Merfolk Academy offered a wide array of courses, including various musical instruments, flower arrangement, painting, literary appreciation, and more. All activities were primarily static, excluding strenuous exercises. A mermaid could choose a maximum of three subjects to avoid overexertion.

When Jiang Tang presented the course schedule to Lin Su, he asked, "Do you want to go?"

If he were a parent, he would definitely be the indulgent kind.

"I want to go," Lin Su replied nonchalantly. Even if he ended up taking a course on mermaid reproduction, it wouldn’t be a big deal. "But what should I study?"

When a mermaid asks you a question, you must answer seriously. Jiang Tang looked at the various courses listed. String instruments could hurt his fingers, and piano keys required significant finger strength. "Painting and flower arrangement are good choices," he suggested.

They didn't require much effort.

"Then I'll take both," Lin Su said with a smile.

Securing admission wasn't an issue for Lin Su. If he wanted, every mermaid academy on the planet would open its doors for him. He decisively chose the same school as Cheng Qi. 

Although that guy was occasionally chatty, many events revolved around the protagonist in the original timeline.

With his admission settled, Lin Su was preparing for school when he received an unexpected visitor.

The Emperor of the Empire, Qin Yue, whose imperial attire highlighted his tall, lean figure, stood at the door. His two-meter height was imposing. He got straight to the point, "Your Highness, I don't understand where I lost."

He sent many carefully chosen gifts, but each one was returned, and the feeling of rejection was somewhat unpleasant.

After a mermaid choses their protector, other suitors had to get the protector's consent before meeting the mermaid. The marshal was very domineering, and it was almost impossible to get through to Cheng Qi's side, but Jiang Tang had to listen to him.

Lin Su didn't reveal his fish tail. His legs were casually crossed, and he calmly looked at Qin Yue, saying, "Well, he can pique my interest, while Your Majesty cannot. I hope you don't waste your time on me because the result won't be what you hope to see."

This person gets straight to the point, and so does he.

Lin Su sat there, with a slight smile on his lips. Just looking at him now, he didn't seem like a gentle and innocent merman, but more like a powerful figure at the top.

In the earliest historical records, deep-sea mermaids were the top predators in the ocean. They possessed the power to adapt to the sea. It's just that now, the pure and delicate appearance of mermaids makes it hard to imagine such a past.

But it must be said that such mermaids make people want to peek into that past and also excite them.

Conquering and challenging are extremely novel feelings for a man at the top. Qin Yue shrugged and said, "I'm sorry, but the mermaid's protector is just another suitor. Until you have a wedding, I believe I still have the right to pursue you."

"As long as you're happy, but I also have the right to refuse you," Lin Su smiled.

"Of course," Qin Yue also smiled.

He appeared calm on the surface, but inside, he was unusually excited. He hadn't felt this kind of feeling of meeting his match in a long time.

"By the way, I may need your power to help investigate something," Lin Su put on a innocent smile, a request that anyone would find hard to refuse.

Qin Yue's pupils contracted slightly, suddenly realizing that if this mermaid was really interested in him, he might not be this person's match. A man being eaten alive by a mermaid would probably only happen if he was willing: "I'm very willing to serve you."

The meeting was relatively harmonious, if Jiang Tang hadn't broken a test tube for the third time in the experiment, it would have been quite harmonious.

"Dr.  Jiang, as the protector, you have the power to refuse another suitor's meeting with your mermaid," the assistant said helplessly.

"I'm sorry, I need to take a break," Jiang Tang threw the broken test tube into the recycling bin.

He used to immerse himself in work once he entered a state of concentration, but now he couldn't stop being distracted.

But he couldn't help but think about his mermaid's meeting with that emperor who was full of charm.

That person was very eloquent; there were countless records online of him playing foreign journalists in circles. It was so simple to deceive a gentle mermaid. 

Jiang Tang's fingers were in his pockets, his face calm, but his fingers were restless. After standing still for a while, he directly opened the door of the research room and walked out.

The members of the isolated research room behind him instantly became excited.

"To make Dr. Jiang distracted at work, His Royal Highness Lin Su's charm is indeed irresistible."

"Indeed, before the mermaid, he was a workaholic. After having the mermaid, our Dr. Jiang is not as bad as reported online."

"The wife's control has immediately been arranged."

When Lin Su walked out of the reception room, he almost collided with Jiang Tang who was pushing the door in. 

In Qin Yue's eyes, this merman, who had just been so domineering, suddenly seemed harmless.

"Why are you here?" Lin Su asked with a smile.

Jiang Tang and Qin Yue glanced at each other, and that one glance could definitely be counted as a deadly look. Qin Yue had only seen a fighting spirit in this man's work mode before, but he didn't expect that for Lin Su, this man, known as a research fanatic, would abandon even his most beloved work.

Jiang Tang grabbed Lin Su's wrist, and when he turned towards him, his gaze softened significantly. "I'm here to pick you up."

"Are you worried I'll be deceived by someone? Or are you jealous?" Lin Su whispered softly in his ear.

Jiang Tang's ears twitched. "Let's go back," he said.

"Okay," Lin Su didn't shy away from being intimate with him in front of others at all. "The meeting was exhausting. I can't walk anymore."

It would be very comfortable to use a mermaid car at this moment, but Jiang Tang inexplicably bent down and lifted Lin Su up. 

His S-class physique made it effortless for him to carry Lin Su, Lin Su naturally wrapping his arms around his neck, even showing a hint of natural shyness.

Jiang Tang felt a slight tightening in his hands at this intimacy, but he simply nodded briefly at Qin Yue before turning and leaving.

Once the two were far away, Qin Yue leaned against the door frame and made a soft clicking sound. 

Although it's advocated to show one's true self in front of loved ones, a strong person who can set aside pride to pretend to be a cute little bunny basically has everything under control, and the motives must be significant. 

After all, the bunny disguise is just a facade, and once the dust settles, the true face will be revealed. But for some people, even if you know they're pretending, you can't be heartless towards them, you can't refuse them.

Qin Yue felt that he had walked through a sea of ​​flowers without getting a single leaf on him, but this time he was afraid he would really be in trouble.

"I met with him to reject him," Lin Su said, his arm resting on Jiang Tang's shoulder. "Really."

"Such a person will only become more persistent after setbacks, and won't know when to give up," Jiang Tang said as he placed Lin Su in a chair.

He had dealt with Qin Yue many times and didn't need to be as cautious as he was with the mermaids. He also deeply understood the nature of that peach-faced man.

"In that case, I won't meet him again in the future," Lin Su said, leaning closer and propping his chin on his hand. "I'll also block his communications. Without your permission, those people won't be able to approach, okay?"

【Host, you just asked Qin Yue for help,】System 06 reminded.

【For matters beneficial to the country, even without my request, he wouldn't refuse,】 Lin Su said. They were at most providers of information and assistance, a cooperative relationship.

Jiang Tang's Adam's apple moved slightly, highly anticipating such a prospect. "Is it possible?"

His anticipation was too obvious, and Lin Su smiled, "With you asking like that, I think maybe I should reconsider..."

Jiang Tang grasped his wrist. "How long will it take you to reconsider it?"

"It depends on your performance," Lin Su said, reaching out to flick his chin.

This already carried a serious teasing implication. Jiang Tang leaned in slowly, seeming to want to do something, but only kissed Lin Su's forehead before pulling away. "Okay."

He was not good with words, so he reassured him through actions. 

Lin Su's enrollment ceremony was just as grand as Cheng Qi's, with Jiang Tang getting off the car first and then reaching out his hand for Lin Su to help him. It wasn't intentional on his part; it was just a subconscious gesture.

Lin Su didn't feel particularly surprised when he got off the car and saw the red carpet leading to the campus and the reception team, obviously for dignitaries. Unless one lived in this world, they would never know how cherished and protected mermaids were here.

With Jiang Tang by his side, Lin Su greeted the people with a dignified smile. Such scenes were naturally broadcasted on the Stellar Net, aiming to assure the people of the Empire of the care and importance the school placed on mermaids, letting them feel at ease.

It was almost like the whole nation was raising mermaids. But their beauty and gracefulness made it inevitable for them to be loved.

Mermaids were born in the deep sea, known for their delicate appearance, but historical records couldn't compare to the clarity of seeing a real one. 

The mermaid standing in the picture was tall, surpassing the height expectations people had of mermaids, but he was truly beautiful. His indigo-black long hair was not the color of the shallow sea but the true color of the deep sea. Sunlight shining on it seemed to carry the starlight of the night.

His features were different from the ambiguous ones typical of mermaids; they were delicate and masculine. There was no hint of roughness, only elegance in every movement. His graceful smile was enough to make everyone hold their breath.

"When Cheng Qi enrolled, I thought no mermaid could surpass him. But now, it seems I spoke too soon."

"Lord Lin Su, he's so beautiful, so beautiful that I just want to prostrate myself at his feet and beg him to look at me more."

"I feel the same."

"Why did such a beautiful mermaid choose Dr. Jiang?!!"

"We demand a change with the blood of ten thousand people!"

"Believe me, this is just temporary. A protector is not the same as a husband! Our Emperor has yet to make a move."

"What if they get married?"

"I'll cough up three liters of blood and drop dead."

"Although we want a change, Lord Lin Su's taste must be the best, he is absolutely not blind."

"In fact, we can console ourselves by saying that Dr. Jiang is also very good-looking, tall and with long legs. At least, they look good together."

"Yeah, with their height comparison, it's hard to tell who's the mermaid when they stand together."

"Wait a minute, I think I see Dr. Jiang tip-toeing..."

"Agreed, I never knew our doctor could be this cute?"

"Ahhhh! I'm done for."

Jiang Tang did notice the height difference when they stood together. With the entire Stellar Net broadcasting, how could a protector lose to a mermaid?

The difference didn't seem too big, a little tip-toeing should go unnoticed.

Unfortunately, such subtle movements were obvious under the camera, and Lin Su naturally noticed. He discreetly helped support Jiang Tang's arm.

Jiang Tang stiffened for a moment.

The welcoming ceremony didn't last long, as such ceremonies could also be tiring for the mermaids. The dean of the academy was a human, but all the teachers were mermaids, which might be considered shameful for a husband to have their mermaid partner working, but it was different here as the mermaids worked out of passion.

The mermaids were clearly intrigued by Lin Su's arrival. However, when Lin Su stood among them, the group of adorable mermaids looked a bit bewildered, craning their little faces upward.

In theory, they weren't too short, ranging from 1.7 to 1.8 meters in height, but they couldn't compare to Lin Su's towering height.

"You're really handsome," a gentle mermaid tentatively said.

"Yeah, you're as pretty and cute as a lily of the valley," Lin Su replied with a smile.

Of course, reciprocity was necessary for compliments.

The little mermaid's eyes visibly lit up. "Really?! Like a lily of the valley?"

Lin Su confirmed, and the little mermaid introduced herself, "I'm Gan Chun. Lord Lin Su, is the deep sea a fun place?"

When someone extends goodwill, others will follow suit. Although being surrounded by a group of beautiful little mermaids would be a delight for any man, Lin Su already had a sweetheart at home, so there was no need to provoke other admirers outside.

Lin Su chuckled, "It's fun. I once played with a three-meter-long giant octopus. After we had enough fun, I tore off its tentacles one by one and made octopus balls. They tasted really good."

His innocent and beautiful face, coupled with his melodious voice, made the surrounding little mermaids listen with bated breath. Some even paled at his words, looking at Lin Su with horror, and some even had beads of sweat on their foreheads.

Cheng Qi initially stepped back to make way for them when she saw them gathering around, but the expression on his face upon hearing Lin Su's words was truly indescribable. 

Although it was true that he danced with a school of great white sharks and treated them like bunnies, his words made the scene sound even bloodier.

"Don't you like them?" Cheng Qi whispered softly.

Lin Su rested his chin on his hand. "Exactly because I like them, I want to avoid suspicion. You don't seem to get along with them very well."

Although the little mermaids were eager to get close to Cheng Qi, he clearly had an attitude of 'if you dare approach, I'll run away.'

"Yeah, I don't understand the jewelry they talk about," Cheng Qi rubbed his face. "I'm a pure dude. I don't want to wear flowers."

Although he had already been bent, he still inwardly rejected the idea of wearing girly jewelry. Compared to various pearl ornaments, he preferred the holographic games and mecha wars here.

And so, the two deep-sea mermaids consciously chose isolation.

However, the courses here were not difficult for Lin Su. There were no grades, and even taking leave was just a matter of informing in advance. Still no matter how bad the drawing is, it would be encouraged and praised.

Cheng Qi looked at the fierce lilies on his canvas, then glanced at Lin Su's, feeling struck by the buds on his.

"You... can you still paint?!" Cheng Qi exclaimed, her mouth gaping.

Lin Su wielded his brush with ease, not even interrupting his painting process while talking to Cheng Qi. "Learned it before."

Cheng Qi: "..."

A big shot was a big shot indeed. Looking at him paint, even without a multinational company, he could make a living selling art. Damn, he was worthy of being worship.

"Lord Cheng Qi's painting has a distinctive style, reflecting your personal touch. Truly talented and creative," the teacher came over, looked at Cheng Qi's painting, and praised it with a smile.

If Lin Su hadn't been by his side, Cheng Qi might have actually believed he had a unique style. But now he just felt like everyone here was treating him like a child!

After encouraging Cheng Qi, the teacher walked over to Lin Su's back and was stunned by the lifelike lilies on his canvas. Such skill was beyond amateur level, and even he had nothing more to teach.

It wasn't until Lin Su put down his brush that the teacher asked softly, "Lord Lin Su, have you studied painting before?"

He felt silly asking the question, considering that these two lords had clearly arrived from the deep sea not long ago.

Lin Su smiled. "I used to paint with sand and color with coral at the bottom of the sea. Teacher, do you think my painting is good?"

The teacher nodded, and this time the praise was absolutely sincere. "Excellent, this level is completely comparable to that of a professional. Lord Lin Su truly is a child who loves art."

Lin Su was accustomed to being called a child and smiled to express his gratitude.

Meanwhile, Cheng Qi was completely dumbfounded. "..."

The big shot had a knack for lying through his teeth! Where did they ever paint in the sea? But this was the most plausible explanation, after all, the idea of humans turning into mermaids sounded like something out of a fairy tale.

After the painting class ended, Lin Su's painting was sealed and hung on the wall of the classroom. 

Although the little mermaids were somewhat afraid of Lin Su, it didn't stop them from pursuing art. Deep-sea mermaids were the purest and original lineage of mermaids, which unconsciously attracted the little mermaids. 

This resulted in Lin Su constantly scaring them away, causing the little mermaids to be both terrified and fascinated, like a class bully, leaving the teacher with a headache.

However, their attempts to persuade the little mermaids to stay away were met with ruthless rejection.

"There's a very comfortable feeling from both of your Highnesses," one little mermaid tentatively remarked.

Cheng Qi: "..."

At this rate, he was afraid the big shot would train a group of masochistic mermaids.

After completing a painting, the mermaids would take a photo and send it to their husbands/parents/pursuers to receive praise, as recommended by the teacher. 

In this world, no matter how bad the mermaids' paintings were, they would receive validation from their loved ones. This sense of validation would make the mermaids feel even happier.

Cheng Qi still listened to the teacher, so after sending the painting over, he looked at the Marshal's "very creative" praise and felt that even if he sent over a doodle, he would probably receive the same praise.

"Lin Su, your significant other must be very impressed by your artwork," Cheng Qi approached with envy, then watched as Lin Su took a photo of his own painting and sent it to Dr. Jiang. "Why did you send mine?"

"For fun," Lin Su gave him an answer.

Cheng Qi: "..."

How was that fun?

Jiang Tang had just finished an experiment when he received the message. Although he wasn't very tired, his spirits were lifted when he saw who the message was from. 

However, as he opened the message and saw the specific content, his expression turned cold. His first impression was: What an ugly painting, is that a pink chicken claw?

But when he realized that it was Lin Su's final artwork for his painting class, Jiang Tang quickly set aside his initial thoughts and began to ponder how to praise a pink chicken claw without undermining the mermaids' confidence in learning painting.

Beautiful? Lacking sincerity.

Exuding an abstract beauty? It looks like an ugly caricature.

Being able to draw a lily flower into the shape of a chicken claw is quite creative.

When Lin Su saw the hesitant response on the communication device, he just raised an eyebrow. 

On the other hand, Cheng Qi, upon seeing this evaluation, gritted his teeth and muttered, "Is this how men usually placate mermaids?"

"Seems like it," Lin Su pondered for a moment, then sent another message, "Where exactly is the creativity in it?"

Cheng Qi's eyes lit up, learning from Lin Su's example.

Because of this one question, Dr. Jiang and Marshal Ye were both caught in a headache.

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