Mo Bai Was Certain the Crown Prince Had Fallen for His Uncle

Upon learning that the ancient-robed young man was little Mo Bai’s missing
uncle, Kai began investigating.

Mrs. Mo’s maiden name was Li Ruo.

Her younger brother was called Li Chaoci, who had gone missing at the age of
six.

The family had never given up searching for Li Chaoci.

As Kai dug deeper, he quickly uncovered another matter.

“After Mo Xiangtian inherited that trading planet, someone anonymously released
two pieces of evidence proving the Mo family had been framed,” Kai said. “One of
them was traced for its interstellar signal, but nothing was found. The same
went for the other. But the poster left an ID: just ‘LI.’ Could that be the ‘Li’
from Li Chaoci?”

Wen Zhaoyan was silent for a moment, then said, “I had someone release one of
them.”

Kai: “…So one of those people was you, Your Highness?”

Wen Zhaoyan grunted in acknowledgment.

Kai was astonished. “Why would Your Highness want to help the Mo family?”

He recalled that although the Mo family had moved here two years ago, the
relationship between the two households had always been distant.

They had assumed the Mo family didn’t want to get too close to an out-of-favor
prince, so they hadn’t interacted with them.

Then he thought about recent events.

When Mo Xiangtian’s mental energy had acted up last time, His Highness had taken
the initiative to ask Kai to bring Xixi over to treat him.

He’d also occasionally look after little Mo Bai. This wasn’t like His Highness
at all.

And now he was helping the Mo family find evidence—evidence that wasn’t easy to
find!

Wen Zhaoyan’s expression was indifferent. “It was a small effort.”

Besides, that night when his own mental energy had acted up, if it hadn’t been
for that young man, his consciousness sea would continue to worsen.

He disliked owing favors. Consider it repaying a debt of gratitude.

Kai started to say something else, but then thought differently.

If Li Chaoci truly had such a special soothing ability, there was no harm in His
Highness building a good relationship with the family. So he said no more.

As the two of them talked, Xixi the mermaid stayed far away.

Xixi had always been very afraid of Wen Zhaoyan.

So while Kai and Wen Zhaoyan were talking, he hid in a corner, secretly going
online.

He had recently grown very fond of listening to The Great Compassion Mantra.

He also thought that this ‘Mo’ must be a very powerful mermaid.

More powerful than himself. His own special ability only worked when he was in
close contact with a human to have a soothing effect.

But this ‘Mo’ didn’t need that!

“You’ve gotten fat.”

Suddenly, Xixi’s sensitive ears caught a milky little voice coming from outside.

Xixi’s ears twitched. Along with the sound of splashing water, he could also
hear small fish swishing their tails playfully.

Curious, Xixi looked outside.

“You’re already fat.”

The crisp little voice spoke again. “If you get any fatter, you won’t be able to
swim anymore.”

Xixi glanced at Kai, then quietly lifted his tail and moved outside.

In the pool, a cherubic little child was playing in the water with the fish.

The child pointed at the fish’s belly and said, “Look at you here. Anyone who
didn’t know would think you were pregnant.”

The fish grew even more upset. It splashed water with its fins in anger,
spraying Mo Bai in the face.

This fish, which had only recently gained intelligence, didn’t yet know that Mo
Bai was its benefactor. It instinctively felt close to him, but also
instinctively loved praise and hated being criticized!

The child put on a stern little face, his delicate, handsome eyebrows furrowed.
“So fierce. I won’t want you anymore.”

Xixi stopped by the edge of the pool.

He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but when he stood by the pool, his
whole body felt warm. He even wanted to go for a swim.

Mo Bai naturally sensed the little mermaid approaching.

He looked up and put on a smile. “Xixi.”

He remembered this little mermaid’s name.

Xixi blushed, looking very shy.

But remembering that the other was a child, he mustered his courage and said
hesitantly in his halting common language, “H-hello.”

Mo Bai looked at the little mermaid’s shy face.

Then he looked at the sullen, grumpy crucian carp in the pool.

He suddenly sighed.

Xixi couldn’t help moving a little closer to Mo Bai, asking with concern,
“Wh-what’s wrong?”

Mo Bai said wistfully, “I’m thinking of getting a different fish.”

Who said a wishing well had to have koi fish?

Keeping a mermaid also seemed… possible?

The inteligent crucian carp: “?”

Xixi said quietly, “Mm… this fish, it t-tastes good.”

Mo Bai immediately grabbed the crucian carp and presented it with both hands.
“Crucian carp is very nutritious. Please, have some!”

The crucian carp: “…”

Xixi pulled a small dried fish from the little bag he carried and smiled
brightly. “I-I have some!”

The kind-hearted little mermaid even gave one to Mo Bai.

And so, when Kai and Wen Zhaoyan came outside, they saw a mermaid and a child
sitting by the edge of the pool, both holding dried fish in both hands, nibbling
on them like little hamsters.

Xixi had brought out his fish tail, letting it rest in the pool, swishing it
back and forth as he played in the water.

Mo Bai’s feet swayed back and forth at the same rhythm. Beside them, a crucian
carp lay motionless near his feet, playing dead.

The corner of Wen Zhaoyan’s mouth twitched upward almost imperceptibly, then his
expression returned to indifference.

“Can I keep you?” Mo Bai suddenly asked Xixi.

Xixi took a bite of his dried fish and nodded slightly. “Mm-hmm.”

Kai: “!!!”

Kai strode forward and scooped up Xixi.

“Little brat, dream on. Xixi is mine!”

Mo Bai’s gaze slid past Kai’s face and back to Xixi’s, full of hope. “Xixi said
yes.”

But as soon as Kai appeared, Xixi really did hesitate, his eyes darting away.

Mo Bai: Sigh.

Kai snorted. The little brat wanted to poach his mermaid!

Seeing Mo Bai’s disappointment, something occurred to Kai, and he suddenly said,
“Little brat, you want to keep a mermaid?”

Mo Bai asked in return, “Can’t I?”

Kai said, “You can, you can… but you’re still young right now. You can’t keep
one officially. But with a little under-the-table maneuvering, it’s possible. I
can help you with that.”

Mo Bai understood. “Your terms?”

Kai said, “You have an uncle, don’t you?”

Mo Bai thought to himself that this opening line sounded familiar.

Last time, Wen Zhaoyan had started the same way.

He said, “I know. Wen Zhaoyan already told me. He also said my uncle is very
beautiful.”

Not far away, Wen Zhaoyan: “…”

Kai shot Wen Zhaoyan a peculiar look.

His Highness had said something like that?

That was a miracle.

Back in the day before His Highness’s incident, no matter how many beauties were
before his eyes, he would only say: “Didn’t see clearly.”

And now??

Sensing his gaze, Wen Zhaoyan said expressionlessly, “Was I wrong?”

Kai: “…”

Fair enough. With Li Chaoci’s heaven-defying level of beauty, who would dare say
he wasn’t good-looking?

Kai’s eyes darted. “Here’s the thing. We’ve actually been trying to find your
little uncle. If your family can get in touch with him, I’ll help you with that
‘under-the-table maneuvering.'”

Kai believed that since ‘Li Chaoci’ had been able to arrive and help the moment
Mo Xiangtian’s mental energy acted up, he must be able to use that to lure ‘Li
Chaoci’ out. But for that, he would need the Mo family’s help.

But Mo Bai didn’t agree immediately. Instead, he asked calmly, “Why are you
looking for him?”

What if this person was his little uncle’s enemy?

He had to be sure.

Kai assumed that His Highness the Crown Prince’s mental issues were public
knowledge, nothing to hide. “What other reason could there be? For His Highness,
of course.”

But Mo Bai’s mind was currently full of thoughts about keeping a mermaid, and he
had completely forgotten about that.

Mo Bai looked at Kai, then shifted his gaze to Wen Zhaoyan.

Mo Bai and Wen Zhaoyan stared at each other for a moment.

Wen Zhaoyan looked away first, his tone indifferent. “Don’t listen to him.”

“It had been five years since Wen Zhaoyan was exiled to this sanatorium planet.”

“Every year, to show his ‘fatherly love’ for the Crown Prince, the Empire’s
Emperor would schedule a visit to see Wen Zhaoyan during this month.”

“So every year during this month, the butler would run himself ragged, hoping to
make the Empire’s Emperor feel some of that fatherly affection for Wen Zhaoyan
again.”

“Just earlier, the Empire’s Emperor’s spaceship had encountered trouble as soon
as it arrived at the sanatorium planet, something went wrong. The Third Prince
had come in his father’s place to inform him that His Majesty wasn’t coming.”

“The butler felt like crying.”

” ‘How could something happen all of a sudden? His Highness only gets this one
chance each year to see His Majesty… Your Highness! Someone must not want you to
see His Majesty! They’re afraid that after seeing you, His Majesty might take
you back to the Capital Star, so they’re preventing him from coming!’ ”

…

“His Majesty sent this mermaid for you to try keeping.”

“He couldn’t come himself, but he still had to go through the motions. So he
sent a mermaid as a gesture of concern.”

“Mo Bai was speechless. That was so cruel.”

“Everyone knew that Wen Zhaoyan was disliked by mermaids.”

“Even the most human-friendly mermaid, Xixi, didn’t like Wen Zhaoyan.”

“And yet the Emperor was sending a mermaid for Wen Zhaoyan to keep.”

“Was he trying to make sure Wen Zhaoyan wasn’t disappointed enough, and needed
another blow?”

“Sure enough, as Wen Zhaoyan walked toward the transparent tank, the mermaid
inside noticed his approach and let out a terrified shriek.”

“A mermaid’s voice was usually very beautiful, but a scream at that decibel
still pierced the eardrums.”

“The butler’s hopeful eyes dimmed.”

“Wen Zhaoyan wasn’t surprised by the mermaid’s rejection.”

“He didn’t come any closer and said flatly to the butler, ‘Send it away.'”

…

“The old butler couldn’t help wiping his tears, and he ordered the mermaid to be
taken away.”

“A small handkerchief appeared in front of his face.”

“The butler paused, then met Mo Bai’s concerned gaze.”

“A warmth spread through his heart. He took the handkerchief and wiped away his
tears. ‘Thank you, little Mo Bai.'”

“Mo Bai asked him, ‘Why are you crying?'”

“The butler said bitterly, ‘My heart aches for His Highness. His Highness’s
mental state worsens every year. Last time his mental energy surged, it didn’t
get worse, which was a blessing in misfortune. But who knows if he’ll be that
lucky next time? If it worsens again, I’m afraid his consciousness sea will
directly collapse, and he will completely…'”

…

“Thus, Wen Zhaoyan was completely exiled to the sanatorium planet.”

“Five years had passed.”

“The butler could feel that Wen Zhaoyan’s mental state was probably at its
limit.”

“For ordinary people without soothing, if their condition kept worsening, they
could at most live three years.”

“His Highness had lasted five.”

“He didn’t know how His Highness had done it.”

“But it seemed he was nearing the end.”

“Mo Bai said, ‘He will get better.'”

“In his view, mental violence was just like going mad from martial arts
training.”

“And so-called mental collapse was the same. When the body could no longer
withstand all that violent spiritual energy, it would explode and die.”

“Mermaids soothed those with mental violence by singing.”

“Their songs carried a special calming special ability that would quiet the
violent person.”

“So.”

“If he could just prevent the possibility of going mad from the training, then
the violence wouldn’t happen.”

“Mo Bai slowly lifted his head and smiled. His small, shallow dimples were
especially adorable.”

“He knew a way to soothe that didn’t require using divine power.”

” ‘Oh.’ The little brat suddenly had an epiphany.”

“Wen Zhaoyan had said his little uncle was very beautiful.”

“When his father’s mental energy had acted up, Wen Zhaoyan had brought Xixi to
check on him, which was kind to their family.”

“And he had let Mo Bai remodel his swimming pool.”

“This was all to curry favor with his little uncle’s family.”

“Mo Bai understood.”

“He likes my little uncle.”

“Wen Zhaoyan: ‘…??'”

“What was that look in the little brat’s eyes?”