He Chose Me Instead

The mermaids agreed to come to the Rosseti Galaxy not because of Kai, Xixi’s former owner, nor because of His Highness’s enticing offer of “any conditions.” It was purely because they knew Little Green was here.

And so, the mermaids, who wanted nothing, decided to send a group to support the Rosseti Galaxy. This led the military high command to wonder: just who was this ‘Little Green’?

They only knew that the Crown Prince had specially recruited him. He hadn’t gone through physical tests or new recruit evaluations—he was assigned directly to the command headquarters. A young man who could single-handedly capture mutated insectoids and rally the mermaid clan—what was his true identity?

Many were curious. Many tried to investigate. But he’d been personally recruited by Wen Zhaoyan, with very little information provided. All anyone knew was that he and Little Blue had graduated from the Imperial First Military Academy. When they checked with the academy, they learned little more than the existence of the names.

For a time, Little Green grew increasingly mysterious.

Many also saw his boundless potential and began trying to get close to him. The new recruits, in particular, considered him a fellow recruit and felt they should have a closer bond.

But when they saw who surrounded Little Green—Wen Zhaoyan, Fang Wenbo, Ying Xiangrong, Kai, and even Zhou Yuexuan—the new recruits gave up. They couldn’t compete.

Among them, Zhou Yuexuan was the most frequent visitor.

Zhou’s surgery had been successful, so the high command had given him a short leave to recover. Officially, it was a “break”—really, they just wanted him rested before the next insectoid tide.

Zhou enjoyed the leisure and became the most relaxed general in the base, often running to the command center.

One day, he brought a book: “Little Green, since you’re so fascinated by Earth’s religious culture, you must know a lot about ancient Earth, right? What are these Bodhisattvas it mentions?”
Another day, he came with questions: “So there are so many different types of gods? Ancient Earth culture is truly astonishing. Could you tell me more? I want to remember so I don’t accidentally offend.”

Everyone observed and concluded: General Zhou’s old heart was blossoming—he had his eyes on Little Green!

But Little Green seemed more compatible with the Crown Prince. After all, there was that unforgettable bridal carry at the new recruit ceremony, witnessed by thousands.

And the elite mech squad who’d been on missions with Wen Zhaoyan declared in the internal base chat:
‘You don’t get it—Little Green is really something!’
‘No! He’s really captivating!’
‘Forget His Highness and General Zhou—even I wouldn’t be able to resist!’
‘Do you know what “hard to get” and “playing hard to catch” mean?’
‘No man can escape that tactic!’

Wen Zhaoyan: “Hmph.”

Everyone saw it was the Crown Prince’s main account and frantically deleted their messages. But it was too late—the Prince had already seen. For the next three days, training intensity tripled. New recruits and veterans alike shed tears of regret.

Kai, the only one who knew the truth, silently mourned for them. ‘You think His Highness tripled the training because you were gossiping in the group? Wrong. He’s just jealous and taking it out on you.’

Wen Zhaoyan wasn’t good with words. He knew Zhou visited the little brat every day, but he couldn’t match Zhou’s eloquence. What could he say?

He opened his terminal and looked at their recent chats.

Morning:
[Wen Zhaoyan: Good morning. Have you eaten?]
[Mo: Yes.]
[Wen Zhaoyan: What did you eat?]
[Mo: Just cafeteria food.]
[Wen Zhaoyan: Mm.]

Afternoon:
[Wen Zhaoyan: Good afternoon, little brat. Want to eat together?]
[Mo: Ah, I’ve already eaten.]
[Wen Zhaoyan: What did you eat?]
[Mo: Still cafeteria food.]
[Wen Zhaoyan: Mm.]

Evening, he messaged early:
[Wen Zhaoyan: Dinner together?]
[Mo: 0.0 Next time. I just promised General Zhou I’d have dinner with him.]
[Wen Zhaoyan: Mm,]

And that was it.

He switched to Zhou’s social feed. Zhou’s posts were popular, with fans commenting wildly.

Zhou Yuexuan V: Met a very cute lifesaver. [Posted 7 days ago]
Zhou Yuexuan V: Ancient Earth culture is fascinating. My lifesaver loves it and knows so much. [Posted 5 days ago]
Zhou Yuexuan V: The base cafeteria food is really terrible. Any good recipe recommendations? I want to cook a meal to thank my lifesaver. [Posted 4 hours ago]

Wen Zhaoyan: “…”

His face grew darker. So Zhou was planning to bring the little brat to his quarters and cook for him? Wen Zhaoyan was furious.

He switched to his alt account and left a snide comment:
[Little brat’s so cute: Is the front line that idle? Wouldn’t that time be better spent studying how to defeat insectoids instead of recipes?]

Unexpectedly, Zhou replied: [I’m on leave.]

Wen Zhaoyan didn’t know how Zhou had spotted his comment among the thousands, but it got pinned, and Zhou’s fans attacked him:
‘Soldiers are human too! Can’t Zhou take a break?’
‘Do you only want them on the battlefield?’
‘Who’s kept the Rosseti Galaxy safe all this time? His Highness! General Zhou! Admiral Kai! All the frontline soldiers! They get tired too! We should encourage them to rest and have some fun!’

Bombarded, Wen Zhaoyan quietly closed the app. He remembered that he himself had approved Zhou’s leave. The mermaids hadn’t arrived yet, so most of the camp was resting, preparing for the insectoid tide in two weeks.

He was furious. ‘I told you to rest, not to flirt with the little brat.’

Kai watched nervously, afraid Wen Zhaoyan might grab a gun and shoot Zhou.

Kai suggested, “Your Highness, maybe you should learn from Old Zhou. Cater to his interests. See what Mr. Mo Li likes and talk about that. All this ‘good morning’ ‘have you eaten’ is not going to keep a conversation going.”

Wen Zhaoyan was silent for a moment. “Got it.”

He then contacted his grandfather, the old Marshal—a passionate ancient Earth historian who would have been an expert if not for his military career. Wen Zhaoyan explained his interest, and the old Marshal happily sent him a pile of materials.

Wen Zhaoyan studied late into the night, treating it like a strategic briefing. The next day, armed with knowledge, he approached Mo Bai.

Wen Zhaoyan: “I’ve recently been learning about ancient Earth culture.”
Mo Bai was surprised: “What brought that on?”
Wen Zhaoyan: “Curious.”
Mo Bai: “Ancient Earth culture is vast. Especially for those of us with Chinese heritage—we really should understand our legacy.”
Wen Zhaoyan: “So I have some questions.”
Mo Bai: “What don’t you understand?”
Wen Zhaoyan: “The texts say gods really existed on ancient Earth.”
Mo Bai: “Yes.”
Wen Zhaoyan: “Could they really move mountains and create worlds?”
Mo Bai: “Of course.”
Wen Zhaoyan: “Then why did Earth still perish?”
Mo Bai: “Uh… well…”
Wen Zhaoyan: “Historical records say environmental neglect caused earthquakes and tsunamis. But if gods could move mountains, they could have prevented it.”
Mo Bai: “Uh…”
Wen Zhaoyan: “That logic seems off, don’t you think?”
Mo Bai: “Uh.”
Wen Zhaoyan: “Why so quiet, little brat?”

Mo Bai: ‘I can’t talk to you.’

Mo Bai: “I have things to do. Gotta go. Bye.”
Wen Zhaoyan: “?”

Back at command, Kai eagerly asked, “Your Highness, how’d it go? Must have been good, right?” He was the only one who knew Wen Zhaoyan had stayed up all night studying.

Wen Zhaoyan looked troubled. “What do I do?”
Kai: “What do you mean?”
Wen Zhaoyan: “I think he hates me even more.”

Kai: ???

Kai: “What did you two talk about?”
Wen Zhaoyan: “Ancient Earth history.”
Kai: “Nothing else?”
Wen Zhaoyan: “No.”
Kai: “Sigh.”

Kai had no answers. He went to Zhou directly. “Old Zhou, be honest—do you like Little Green?”

Zhou admitted openly: “I have a lot of good feelings for Little Green. Is that a problem?”
In over a hundred years, Zhou had never met anyone who made him think, ‘If I were to marry someone, it should be them.’ Until he met Little Green—a seemingly simple name for a remarkable young man.
Elegant, mysterious, with a captivating smile. Zhou didn’t see anything wrong with his feelings.

Kai said flatly, “You don’t even know his real name.”

Zhou paused. “Isn’t it ‘Little Green’?”

Kai: “No.”

Zhou: “Then what is it?”

Kai: “I can’t say. He hasn’t revealed his identity, and I won’t betray his trust. I can only tell you he’s more complex than you think.”

Zhou: “Of course. An ordinary person couldn’t capture insectoids or command the mermaid leader Xixi’s respect…” He trailed off, realization dawning.

He’d once kept a mermaid, now on 1314*. His mermaid Huanhuan had told him the clan adored a mysterious figure—or rather, not so mysterious to them. Few humans knew his true identity. The legendary mermaid king, Mo Li.

Whether he was truly the mermaid king remained unconfirmed. The public believed he was, because the Mermaid Association had said so. But Mo Li himself had never confirmed it.

Zhou: “I think I know who he is. He’s Mo Li, isn’t he?”

Kai: “How did you guess?! You have to keep it secret.”

Zhou: “Of course.” He’d known Little Green was special, but not this special. Mo Li—the one whose Great Compassion Mantra had stunned the interstellar.

Zhou asked, “Is Mo Li actually a mermaid?”

Kai, seeing he already knew, confessed: “He said he isn’t.”

Zhou nodded. Knowing Little Green’s true identity only deepened his admiration. He decided to pursue Mo Li.

Kai said sympathetically, “If you really like him, do you know who your rival is?”

Zhou said calmly, “Someone as excellent as Mo Li would have many admirers.”

Kai: “Yes. One of them is the Crown Prince.”

Zhou: “…Who?”

Kai: “You know His Highness has always had someone in his heart. It’s been over a decade.”

Zhou: “Don’t tell me it’s Mo Li.”

Kai: “Who else? His Highness’s mental energy was cured back at the Sanatorium Planet by none other than Mo Li.”

Zhou was silent for a moment, then said firmly, “Then I’ll compete fairly with His Highness.”

Kai patted his shoulder. “Brave man!”

—

Meanwhile, Little Blue sent Mo Bai screenshots of Zhou’s social posts.
[Little Blue: You’re causing trouble with Little Green’s face.]

Mo Bai protested: [I’m not!]

[Little Blue: Check online—people are saying you and General Zhou make a good couple.]

Confused, Mo Bai looked. Zhou had posted about being saved, and fans urged him to “repay the debt with his body.” Zhou had replied to one comment, “I’ll consider it.”

Fans speculated about Zhou’s savior and whether he’d finally end his century-long bachelorhood. Many assumed no one would reject the second-most eligible bachelor in the Empire and were already asking when the announcement would come.

Mo Bai was exasperated. Zhou was his believer. He’d only answered his questions about ancient Earth culture.

Among the comments, he spotted the most heavily criticized account—’Little brat’s so cute.’ Wen Zhaoyan’s alt. Seeing people attack him for not appreciating frontline soldiers, Mo Bai found it amusing.

He hesitated, then clicked on the account. True to its name, all its posts were shares of Mo Xiangtian’s updates—pictures of Mo Bai (with faces pixelated). Wen Zhaoyan had reposted every single one. His main account only posted front-line reports.

Mo Bai’s feelings were complicated. ‘So that alt’s “little brat” really does mean me…’

After a moment, he quietly followed the alt account.

Just then, an internal call came—from Zhou.

Mo Bai answered. “General Zhou.”

Zhou’s voice was low and steady. “Little Green, I promised to cook for you. You were busy last time. Are you free tonight?”

Mo Bai had canceled before due to a meeting. He’d agreed to reschedule. But after seeing those posts—Zhou saying he’d consider “repaying the debt”—it seemed Zhou was serious about pursuing him.

Mo Bai steeled himself. “Sorry, General Zhou. I can’t make it tonight.”
Having realized Zhou’s intentions, he didn’t want to give the wrong impression. Better to draw a clear line.

Zhou was taken aback. This had been a confirmed plan. He hesitated. “Is there a meeting?”

Mo Bai: “No. I already made plans with someone else.”

Zhou: “May I ask with whom?”

Mo Bai: “The Commander.”

Zhou: “Understood. I won’t disturb you then.”

He hung up and looked at Wen Zhaoyan, who was still in the conference room. They’d just finished a meeting about deploying the mermaids. A few officers lingered, including Wen Zhaoyan.

Zhou had openly called Little Green, wanting to compete fairly with the Crown Prince. His voice carried, and everyone present, with their strong mental energy, overheard.

Hearing Mo Bai’s rejection, Kai was surprised. “Your Highness, you two had plans?”

Wen Zhaoyan shook his head. “No.”

Zhou: “No?” Then why had Little Green said that?

Just then, Wen Zhaoyan’s terminal rang. It was Mo Bai.

Mo Bai: “Have you eaten?”

Wen Zhaoyan sat up straight. “Not yet.”

Mo Bai: “Together?”

Wen Zhaoyan: “Yes!”

The call ended. Wen Zhaoyan, still a bit dazed, processed it. The little brat had invited him! Not Zhou—him!

He lifted his chin and looked at Zhou coolly. “I misremembered—we did have plans.”

Zhou: “…”
‘I had brain surgery, not ear surgery. Am I deaf?’

After Wen Zhaoyan left, Kai patted Zhou’s shoulder sympathetically. “Life’s full of ups and downs… and downs and downs…”

Zhou: “…”

—

The base had no proper restaurants—just the cafeteria.

Mo Bai and Wen Zhaoyan ate there. The food was pre-made, passable at best. Some soldiers preferred nutrition supplements to avoid the bland taste.

Mo Bai didn’t care much about food and took little.

Wen Zhaoyan noticed. “Don’t you like it?”

Mo Bai: “It’s fine. I’m not picky.”

Wen Zhaoyan: “You eat anything?”

Mo Bai: “Yeah. Actually, this is already good. In my previous life… eating human food was complicated. I usually didn’t.”

Wen Zhaoyan remembered Mo Bai’s confession—he wasn’t a child, but an adult soul. But he hadn’t known eating was so difficult.

“Why?”

Mo Bai couldn’t explain that gods couldn’t taste ordinary food; only offerings had flavor. So he said vaguely, “Well, you had to pray before eating. If no one prayed for you, you had to pray to yourself…”

Wen Zhaoyan was silent for a moment, then asked cautiously, “You mean… when you were a ghost?”

Mo Bai: “…”

He set down his chopsticks, his face calm, his eyes still bright. “Can’t you just eat your food?” How could he be a ghost!

Wen Zhaoyan sensed trouble and quickly grabbed Mo Bai’s hand, bowing his head like a scolded wife. “I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong again?”

Mo Bai snapped, “Just eat!”

Wen Zhaoyan dared not say more. But his mind churned: why offer food to spirits? Why only offerings? He’d seen that in ancient Earth texts—it was a way to honor ancestors… But he didn’t dare ask, deciding to consult his grandfather instead.

Seeing Mo Bai stop eating, he asked softly, “Are you full?”

Mo Bai: “Mm.” Actually, he planned to take it to his room, away from Wen Zhaoyan’s frustrating questions.

Wen Zhaoyan looked at the leftovers and, seeing Mo Bai wouldn’t eat more, took them and added them to his own plate.

Mo Bai: “…What are you doing?”

Wen Zhaoyan said gravely, “Can’t waste food.”

Mo Bai stared as Wen Zhaoyan began eating. “I already ate from that!”

Wen Zhaoyan froze. His ears reddened. Did this count as an indirect kiss?

Mo Bai opened his mouth, then closed it. His cheeks felt warm. “Whatever… just eat.”

Wen Zhaoyan grunted and ate, seemingly with more gusto.

—

The mermaids’ departure was taken seriously by the Interstellar Alliance. After the military explained their ability to detect evolved insectoids, the Alliance practically wanted to worship them. But they dared not restrict them.

Learning the mermaids were heading to the Rosseti Galaxy, the Alliance sent an entire escort fleet.

When mermaids only treated mental energy disorders, they were precious enough. Now they were vital against insectoids. Every little mermaid was a national treasure.

They traveled on a luxury ship rivaling a warship, with cutting-edge weapons and defense systems. Even the Alliance Chairperson didn’t travel in such style.

The Alliance had wanted to charter the ship exclusively for the mermaids. But Xixi, imitating Wen Zhaoyan’s tone, said flatly, “No need to waste resources.”

“But…”

Xixi: “One flight consumes ten top-tier energy stones and hundreds of mid-tier. It’s wasteful. Other passengers will disembark at the trading planet; they won’t bother us.”

The Alliance gave up.

The ship had two levels. Mermaids occupied the upper deck, while VIPs were on the lower. Escorts guarded the upper deck, letting no one up. Most passengers never knew who was above.

One curious passenger, a prince from the Giant Tree Civilization, was turned away.

“It’s a very esteemed guest. No visits allowed,” the escort said.

Everyone wondered who was so important.

In a luxurious suite on the lower deck, a tall man sat by the window. He wore a simple white shirt and black trousers, handsome, like a successful human elite. The starry void reflected in his blue fox-like eyes.

A small creature—like an octopus but with eight tentacles—peeked from his pocket. Seeing only the man, it spoke. “Sir, I almost got caught earlier.”

The man snorted: “Your own fault.”

The creature sighed: “I miss our ship. I get itchy if I don’t pilot for a day.”

Li Chaoci said flatly, “You’ll get plenty of chances.”

Alud sighed but knew this was a special time. “Though I used to hate being a monster, I’m starting to appreciate this body.”

Li Chaoci ignored him. Alud changed the subject: “Sir, who do you think is on the upper deck?”

“Don’t care.”

Alud pressed: “I just find it odd. Earlier, a prince of the Giant Tree Civilization wanted to go up, but was blocked. I can’t guess who’s up there.”

Li Chaoci said, “The guards are Interstellar Alliance escorts.”

Alud was surprised: “How do you know?”

Li Chaoci: “You hacked their system and memorized their personnel list—how did you forget?”

Alud wanted to say he didn’t have a freakish memory. Li Chaoci had remembered thousands of names! He only mentioned it because he saw familiar faces, not because he had the whole list.

Alud: “So it’s Alliance people up there?”

Li Chaoci: “Not necessarily. You said the Giant Tree prince was turned away. The Alliance Vice Chair is from the Giant Tree Civilization and usually favors them. If it were Alliance personnel, they wouldn’t have blocked him.”

Alud: “Then who’s guarding them?”

Li Chaoci looked out the window. “Not our concern…” He stopped. If it wasn’t Alliance, but guarded by them, and they’d even snubbed the Giant Tree prince, it could only be one thing.

Mermaids.

The Alliance treasured mermaids.

And Li Chaoci remembered Mo Bai mentioning the evolved insectoid issue. His brow lifted. That little fish brat.

The three-day trip would have been half a day in Alud’s ship. But with the Uruk Civilization searching for them, they took public transport. Boring.

Li Chaoci called the little fish brat.

Upstairs, Xixi was cultivating with the others, hoping to impress Mo Bai. Seeing the caller ID, he shuddered. Why was he calling? He silenced the terminal.

When the ringing stopped, he muttered, “Busy. Can’t answer. I’ll message later apologizing.”

Then it rang again. Same caller. He was mortified—why wouldn’t he give up? He stuffed the terminal under his blanket.

The ringing stopped. Xixi cautiously retrieved it. Maybe he was done?

Instead, a message came.

[Big Monster: Ignoring me?]

Xixi trembled, comforting himself: ‘He’s not here. He can’t see me. I’ll just say I was busy.’

‘Ding.’

[Big Monster: Making up an excuse?]

Xixi felt like he was being watched.

‘Ding.’

[Big Monster: The little fish brat has gotten bolder.]

Xixi acted faster than he thought: he blocked the number.

Li Chaoci, seeing he was blocked, raised an eyebrow and smirked—an unsettling smile. “Blocking me? Bold indeed.”

Alud asked, “Sir, who are you talking to?”

Li Chaoci said lightly, “A little fish with an itch.”

—

After blocking him and receiving no further messages or friend requests, Xixi sighed in relief. He forced himself to focus on cultivation.

Three days later.

Passengers for the trading planet had disembarked. The rest headed to the Rosseti Galaxy. The ship docked at the largest port. Xixi had a message from Mo Bai saying he’d meet him at the VIP exit.

Xixi unblocked Li Chaoci.

[Xixi: Ah! Sorry, I was busy and didn’t see your calls or messages!]
[Xixi: Really sorry! Gotta keep busy! Bye!]

The best way to avoid conversation? Reply days later! If it’s a request for help, they’ve already found someone. If it’s small talk, they’ve lost interest.

But the big monster replied instantly:
[Big Monster: Heh.]

Xixi felt uneasy. He mustered courage to respond: [?]

[Big Monster: Busy with what?]

[Xixi: So many patients at the hospital—I’m swamped! Barely have time to check my terminal!]

[Big Monster: So you’re on 1314*?]

[Xixi: Yes! Super busy!]

[Big Monster: Oh, is that so?]

[Xixi: Mm-hmm!]

[Big Monster: Then why block me?]

[Xixi: Ah, that’s a misunderstanding. Probably someone else playing with my terminal… little mermaids like games.]

[Big Monster: Oh, is that so?]

Xixi felt a chill. He decided to ignore it.

The ship landed. Xixi happily led the mermaids off. Mo Bai had called ahead: “I’m in the VIP exit lounge. You’ll see me as soon as you come out. Wen Zhaoyan is here too.”

Xixi nodded eagerly, reminding the others: “Mr. Mo Li is disguised as Little Green for an important mission. Don’t reveal his identity.”

“We know!”

The mermaids filed out. Xixi spotted Mo Bai and ran toward him. “Mo… Little Green! I’m here!”

Then a hand grabbed his collar, lifting him off the ground. His legs kicked—why was he flying?

A lazy voice came from behind: “On 1314*?”

Xixi froze. That voice…

He turned slowly to meet a pair of blue fox-like eyes.

Xixi: “!!!!”

He nearly fainted.

Li Chaoci held him up like a chicken, smirking. “So busy treating patients you can’t even check your terminal?”

Xixi was about to cry: “I-I-I…” Why was the big monster here?!

Li Chaoci snorted. “Little fish brat, getting bold, huh? Blocking me, trying to trick me?”

Xixi drooped. “No…”

Li Chaoci: “Did you ignore me on purpose?”

Xixi whimpered: “Yes…”

Li Chaoci: “Did you block me on purpose?”

Xixi’s head hung lower: “Yes…” He was doomed. He hoped for a whole corpse.