Chapter 46 - The paintbrush

After feeding the young mer, Kui started to eat his own fish. To his surprise, the freshwater carp tasted very fresh and just like the sashimi he had eaten back in his world. This kind of made his bad mood about eating raw fish a bit better.

"Do you want another?" he gazed at the child only to see him sleeping soundly beside him. The water lapped slightly, making the child move to and fro.

In his past, he had never been that interested in children. After all, he was a certified gay artist. He did not have the time or the money to care for a child. So he had obviously distanced himself from little kids. That was until he met this one.

The young mer was defensive, stubborn, and very cute when he pouted. He couldn't help but love him. With a small smile, he pulled the little mer onto his lap and hugged him softly. 

'I really want a child… maybe I should have accepted that mermaid's offer,' but upon deep thought, he rejected such an idea completely. They now lived in a turbulent time. Having a child right then would only put the young child in a lot of danger.

As he was thinking of this, the young mer in his arms wriggled out of his hold. He broke free of his hold and laid on the ground, hugging his own tail. 

'Guess he doesn't like being hugged,' he gently caressed the top of his head. Soft hair brushed his fingertips. He hadn't noticed it before, but the child had very long hair that was braided. But sadly, his braids had come undone at places, making it look very shaggy. 

He gently coaxed the braid open and started to untangle it as softly as he could. 

The young mer's long hair floated around him like a beautiful halo, making him look absolutely cherubic. "Agh, so cute," 

the young mer frowned in his sleep. 

"Sorry…" Without another word, he slowly started to braid the boy's hair. When he was done, he also laid down beside the kid. But sleep evaded him.

Laying still, he watched the water surface move around a bit, creating ripples. It was completely dark outside. Only a small candlelight from the right side illuminated the water. 

"He is still not asleep?" He slowly swam up to the surface and popped his head out. 

The young master who brought them was laying on the table with his eyes closed. 

Kui peered at him intently, checking if he really was asleep. Because he had something he wanted to confirm.

Slowly, he moved to the edge of the bath and waited. Like a hunter, he watched the man unblinking. Even after a long time, the young master did not move much. 

'He is dead asleep,' confirming this, Kui slowly got out of the water without making a sound. 

Stealthily, he walked up to him and stood by his side. 

The young master did not seem to have any bit of vigilance as he slept with his mouth slightly wide open. 

Kui took a careful look at him. The young man looked to be in his twenties. His sharp chin was cleanly shaved, and his long black hair was tied neatly behind his head. When he was asleep, he could clearly see the man's long lashes. 

As an artist, he had a great appreciation for beauty. Over years, he had seen a lot of beautiful people. This man was one of them. Second only to the beautiful mer child. 

'oh my god, what am I thinking! Snap out of it, Kui,' he shook his head slightly and went for his target.

His hands slowly moved to the man's face and landed on his hand. He slowly wiggled the brush out of his hands. "Got it!" He had noticed this brush when the man was painting on his face. It looked weirdly similar to his magic brush. 

Hurriedly, he checked the stem for engravings. Sadly, this one only had a beautiful dragon engraved on it. "It's not the same…" but the model and the brush structure were the same. He was able to see how much effort and time the craftsman had put into the brush. "If I can find the person who made this brush, maybe I can fix my broken one…" 

Suddenly, a hand grabbed his wrist in a tight hold. "A little cat is being sneaky," 

startled, Kui tried to pull his wrist out, but the man's grip was strong and firm.

Guilin gazed at the brush in his hands with a playful grin. "You… were you trying to paint on my face? If you had asked me, I would have allowed it myself," he showed him his cheeks. 

Kui grunted. "Who wants that?" He tried to run off, but that man did not let go of him. "It hurts," he mumbled softly. 

The man instantly let go of him, but he still managed to grab hold of his shirt. "Sit," he dragged him back onto the bench. "Do you know how to read?" 

Kui distractedly gazed at the documents. The language used in this world was the same. So of course, he knew how to read them. Slowly, his friend frowned.

On the table was a map that was spread out, marking the routes that a ship had to take. A few mer signs were drawn on it. "What is this? A trade route?" He gently touched the mer painted on it. 

"Oh, that is confidential," the man quickly rolled up the map and placed it aside. "This is for you," he handed an empty paper and the brush. 

"Write down your name." 

Kui rolled his eyes and refused to comply. 

"If you don't know how to, I might have to reluctantly hold your hand and assist you… oh, I think you want that." 

"No!" Kui leaned forward and slowly wrote down his name. 

"Kui Lang," the man read out softly. "What a beautiful name," his soft gaze fell on him. 

Kui glared at him. 

"I'm Guilin. You can call me Gui." 

"No. I don't want to." Taking the short distraction as a chance, he dashed off to the bath and jumped in. 

Guilin chuckled. "Skittish like a cat…"