Sheng Jiu gently stroked his back, his voice trembling uncontrollably. "Wanwan, don't be afraid. It's okay. I'll protect you. Don't be afraid."
Wanwan lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes covering the dullness in his eyes.
Sheng Jiu wasn't sure if he was comforting Wanwan or himself.
"Sheng Jiu."
He suddenly spoke, his voice soft and faint. "Sheng Jiu, do you think I'll die?"
Sheng Jiu suddenly looked up at him and quickly comforted him. "No, you won't. I once read in a book about same - sex love that the first time two men have sex, it may not go smoothly. Don't be afraid. You definitely won't..."
"If I die, will you let me leave here? Will you send my body back to my hometown?"
Wanwan gently interrupted him, his eyes showing determination. For a moment, Sheng Jiu felt as if his heart had died. When facing possible death, the first thing Wanwan thought of was leaving here. He tightly squeezed the blood on his fingertips and placed one hand on the back of Wanwan's head. He stared straight into his eyes and said word by word, "Wanwan, I'm telling you that even if you die, I won't let you go. I'll bury your bones with mine. I'll make sure you can't escape from me in your next life. I know you don't love me. Whether you hate me or not doesn't matter to me anymore. Anyway, I'll tie you to me."
"Why are you thinking about dying? If you have the guts, live well. If you live, there's a chance to leave me. But if you die, I'll cut off Sheng Jue's head and let his body be exposed in the wilderness for wild dogs to eat until there's not a single bone left."
Wanwan gently hooked the corner of his lips and smiled, looking somewhat sarcastic. He slowly raised his eyes and said in a low voice, "Sheng Jiu, do you only know how to threaten me with him? Do you think there's anything I still care about now? You two brothers have really worn out all my patience."
The strength seemed to drain out of Sheng Jiu's body. He leaned his back against the stone wall. He didn't know what else he could use to threaten Wanwan if he didn't use Sheng Jue. After all, in his perception, it seemed that Wanwan only cared about Sheng Jue.
Sheng Jiu turned around as if to escape and said in a low voice, "I'll go and call the imperial physician for you."
"Call the imperial physician?"
Wanwan's soft laugh stopped him in his tracks. Sheng Jiu rolled his Adam's apple and remained silent. Wanwan said calmly, "Sheng Jiu, as far as I know, you should be very afraid of others knowing about my existence, right? You've hidden me and don't want me to go out because you're afraid others will find out... that you have a monster hidden in the palace. You're afraid others will know that you, the great emperor, are a pervert who likes mermen."
Sheng Jiu stood there stiffly. The words Wanwan said were like thousands of needles hidden in the water. Those needles pierced into his body densely along with the water. The pain made it hard for him to catch his breath for a moment. He bit his lower lip, trying to keep himself awake.
A long and suffocating silence ensued between the two of them. Sheng Jiu tried his best to make his voice sound steady.
"Wanwan, I'm not like that. I don't have any of those thoughts you just mentioned. I'm not afraid. I don't want others to know because I don't want others to hurt you. Although I'm an emperor, my power is limited. I just don't want you to get hurt. That's all."
He slowly turned around, his expression serious.
"Moreover, Wanwan, I don't think you're a monster."
"Then let me go."
He completely ignored Sheng Jiu's last words and straightforwardly said, "If I leave here, the things you're worried about won't exist anymore."
Sheng Jiu reached out and stroked his cheek gently and carefully, as if he was holding a fragile item in his hand.
"Wanwan, I'll ask you one last time. Do you really want to leave me so much? Won't you regret it?"
"Yes, I want to leave you. I really, really do. I'll never regret it."
Wanwan's expression was more serious and determined than ever before. This made Sheng Jiu wonder if Wanwan had never had any feelings for him. All the things he had done seemed unimportant to Wanwan. His sincere heart was like a rotten stone in the river or a weed on the shore in Wanwan's eyes, not worth mentioning at all.
Sheng Jiu's thumb brushed across his lips, his voice showing restrained madness.
"It's impossible. Give up this thought. I'll never let you go. Even if you die, I want you to die by my side."
Wanwan looked calm, as if he had long expected that Sheng Jiu wouldn't let him go. Endless entanglement was probably the pre - destined path for the two of them in this life.
Sheng Jiu withdrew his hand and said softly, "I'll go and call the imperial physician. Wait for me here obediently."
Sheng Jiu got out of the water, changed into dry clothes, and then left the bedroom.
Wanwan lowered his eyes and said nothing, just quietly watching the water slowly turn red.
It would be great if he could leave here someday.
He closed his eyes and thought.
When the imperial physician came, Wanwan was drowsy. When he opened his eyes, he saw the water was scarlet. He was stunned for a moment and then slowly felt the pain in his tail. Sheng Jiu rushed in with the imperial physician. The imperial physician didn't even have time to be surprised when he saw Wanwan before Sheng Jiu kicked him into the water.
"If you can't cure him, stay in this water forever."
The imperial physician wiped the water off his face and said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, in my twenty years of medical experience, I've never treated such a..." He quietly glanced at the fish tail in the water and lowered his voice. "Such... strange patient."
Sheng Jiu squatted on the shore, grabbed his collar, and gritted his teeth. "Don't talk so much nonsense to me. I've said that if you can't cure him today, I'll cut off your head and send your whole family into slavery."
The imperial physician shivered and looked at the merman. He said with a trembling voice, "Sir, would it be convenient for me to check your wound?"
Wanwan's eyelashes trembled slightly. He pursed his lips and said, "My fish tail. Some of the scales have cracked."
The imperial physician frowned and squatted in the water with difficulty. He reached out and stroked his fish tail, finding the wound he mentioned. But then he was in a dilemma. How could he bandage the wound in the water? And he didn't know if human medicine would work on him. The imperial physician turned to Sheng Jiu and asked softly, "Your Majesty, I wonder if this young merman can get out of the water?"
Sheng Jiu frowned slightly and looked at Wanwan, who remained silent.