Chapter 20: Lord of the Sea Abyss x Researcher (20)

Ji Qingzhuo could imagine what kind of "friendly communication" it would be. She thought that Shen Rongyu would kill An Kun, but he didn't. Ji Qingzhuo knew he was dangerous, but now he disguised himself as harmless. When would he remove his disguise? Ji Qingzhuo pondered over this question.

Lost in thought, she was thinking about her own affairs when Shen Rongyu propped his chin on his hand and quietly watched her, asking, "Qingzhuo, are you not working anymore?"

"Ah..." Ji Qingzhuo remembered. The last time she collected a sample of Shen Rongyu's scales and later tested it with her rudimentary equipment, she found nothing special except for the blue energy that had a special connection with the Night Ripple Sea. The DNA analysis showed that the species matching some segments of his DNA were various animals such as snakes, fish, lions, eagles, and deer.

Ji Qingzhuo was shocked at first, but then she finally came to her senses. In the myths and stories that had been handed down, didn't the dragon's form take inspiration from these animals?

So... it really exists? She felt that she would never be able to solve this question in her lifetime.

She stared at Shen Rongyu and cautiously asked, "Are you really a dragon?"

"Didn't I already tell you?" Shen Rongyu blinked at her.

To be precise, he could only be considered half a dragon because he was actually bound by chains and forcibly connected to the ocean after being submerged in the deep sea. He became the master of this ocean and gained abilities he had never possessed before – a different kind of power that was more righteous but vastly different from his original power. He also had to bear the responsibility that came with it.

After merging with the Night Ripple Sea, he also gained the form of a dragon.

Ji Qingzhuo didn't realize what kind of monster he originally was, but she deduced the origin of this form. In the research report she shared with Shen Rongyu, she clearly explained the sudden appearance of the dragon tail.

"So it really exists. Do other oceans have it too?" Ji Qingzhuo sat cross-legged on the corridor near the sea, her notebook spread open on her lap.

"Perhaps." Shen Rongyu's voice was faint.

When An Kun hunted whales, Shen Rongyu himself felt this change. He didn't completely rely on this ocean for survival, so he could ignore this intrusion. However, for other oceans, if the embodiment of that ocean felt the infringement and pollution, the harm would directly affect them.

While Shen Rongyu himself was asleep, the Night Ripple Sea had been more or less invaded during that time. Therefore, when his dragon tail woke up, a part of it had already decayed and only the bones remained.

"When the sea disappears, they also die." Shen Rongyu thought for a moment and answered Ji Qingzhuo.

Even though she had already anticipated this, Ji Qingzhuo still let out a sigh.

Shen Rongyu was able to survive because he was an exception. He already possessed extremely strong power, and even when he was sealed and asleep, he subconsciously protected this ocean.

Ji Qingzhuo lowered her eyelashes, having obtained the answer she wanted, but she still felt a bit desolate.

"When I went to the central city area, I also heard some news. Were you the one protecting this place before?" Shen Rongyu suddenly became interested and asked Ji Qingzhuo.

"I was just using my authority to protect this ocean to the greatest extent." Ji Qingzhuo nodded. At that time, she was still the chief researcher of the Night Ripple Sea Company.

The Night Ripple Sea Company was not poor at all. The Night Ripple Sea was the largest industry under the company's name. When she first arrived, the company's top management was still discussing how to develop the Night Ripple Sea and fully exploit the resources buried here.

She spent a few months devising another plan to help the Night Ripple Sea Company generate income, mainly focusing on the tertiary industry. The company's projects were shifted to these more environmentally friendly and profitable industries.

The Night Ripple Sea eventually became the smallest source of income for the Night Ripple Sea Company, primarily used for research purposes. 

After Ji Qingzhuo joined the company, the company underwent a transformation into industries such as service consulting, logistics trading, and resource integration, which required channels and business connections for support. 

After An Kun Group took an interest in the Night Ripple Sea, they quickly bought the companies that had dealings with the Night Ripple Sea Company, cutting off the company's business channels. This led to the company's near bankruptcy. Unfortunately, when Ji Qingzhuo provided the transformation plan for the company, the development rights for the Night Ripple Sea had already been written into the cooperation contract, and without Ji Qingzhuo's permission, the company couldn't actively develop the Night Ripple Sea. 

Since the Night Ripple Sea accounted for a very small portion of the company's industries, when An Kun acquired the Night Ripple Sea Company, the department responsible for liquidating assets overlooked this ocean. 

Ji Qingzhuo had heard rumors early on, and she knew what An Kun wanted. She used a small technique to allow An Kun to buy her not-so-bad old employer at a high price while allowing herself to leave the company with the Night Ripple Sea.

It can be said that since she joined the company, Ji Qingzhuo had controlled the entire direction of the Night Ripple Sea Company in her hands. However, she clearly had the ability to do so, and the only thing she wanted to do was to protect this ocean. 

"I really like the Night Ripple Sea. I grew up here since I was little," Ji Qingzhuo looked at the ocean in front of her and said softly, "I grew up in the survival cabin of the Independent City, where new populations are born. Later, due to a mistake in the birthing center, the batch of survival cabins I was in was exposed to radiation. The other children all died, but I survived with the radiation, and it actually promoted the development of my brain."

"Many people say I'm smart, and my smart brain comes from that accident," Ji Qingzhuo didn't hide her background. Everything about her past was clearly written in her files, even her failing grades in physical education were vividly remembered.

Shen Rongyu had secretly used his abilities to look into it. He even knew that she had failed physical education from a young age to adulthood.

So, Shen Rongyu chuckled lightly.

Ji Qingzhuo was still immersed in her melancholic mood that she shouldn't have had. She asked, "What are you laughing at?"

Shen Rongyu certainly wouldn't say that he was laughing at Ji Qingzhuo's physical education grades. He changed the subject, "So, when can we take the sample today?"

"There's no need for a sample anymore," Ji Qingzhuo closed her notebook, "The research is almost finished, and your existence is just an exception. The experience of protecting the ocean cannot be applied elsewhere... and it seems that there are no clean places left to apply this plan."

She thought as long as the Night Ripple Sea could be preserved, it would be enough. 

"Qingzhuo, are you no longer interested in me?" Shen Rongyu asked, sighing lightly, seemingly disappointed.

"You do deserve to be studied, but I have already researched your lower half... extensively," Ji Qingzhuo said leisurely.

When she mentioned the "lower half," Shen Rongyu lightly coughed and turned his head, his face slightly red. He clearly misunderstood the meaning.

"Not that lower half," Ji Qingzhuo also realized that her words were very ambiguous. She became flustered and explained, stuttering, "I meant the half of the dragon tail."

"Mm," Shen Rongyu smiled slightly at her.

"But you..." Ji Qingzhuo tilted her head and looked at him, "Your other half, your current self... I'm very curious."

"You're not the embodiment of the ocean," she said softly to him. She knew everything. 

"If you're curious, you can continue researching," Shen Rongyu propped himself up and sat next to Ji Qingzhuo. 

His whole body seemed to say, "I'm super mysterious, come and study me!"

"I don't have experience in that area," Ji Qingzhuo knew that studying non-human creatures and mundane data was fine for her, but the human aspect – the part of Shen Rongyu that resembled humans – was a completely unfamiliar field to her.

"Perhaps, the process of studying someone has another name." Shen Rongyu slowly approached her, using his melodious voice to say.

"What is it?" Ji Qingzhu gradually realized that Shen Rongyu was more familiar with human society than she was.

Shen Rongyu lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "Of course, it's love."

"Yes." Ji Qingzhu nodded, Shen Rongyu's words reminded her of this matter again.

"I was going to tell you about breaking up before..." Ji Qingzhu said.

Shen Rongyu lowered his head and sealed her lips again, his tongue gently gliding over her lips.

"What did Qingzhu want to say?" He blinked innocently at her, asking.

Ji Qingzhu's lips trembled slightly, and she had a strong willpower: "It's about breaking..."

Shen Rongyu bit her lip again, "What kind of break? Break what?"

"Break... hands." Ji Qingzhu couldn't say the two words.

She said one word, and Shen Rongyu cupped her face and kissed her.

In the end, she couldn't catch her breath and didn't say anything, just leaning against his forehead and breathing gently.

"Can we assume that this is Qingzhu's trick to ask for a kiss from me?" Shen Rongyu's fingers caressed her cheek.

"No..." Ji Qingzhu answered honestly, lowering her eyelashes, and she found that her hand was already resting on Shen Rongyu's shoulder without her realizing it.

Her palms were sweating, and there was a hot warmth emanating from her palm.

"You promised not to break up and be responsible for me." Shen Rongyu said.

"You obviously understand human society better than I do, you don't need my guidance." Ji Qingzhu said, her voice low.

"But in the aspect of love, I really have no experience. Don't you need to guide me?" Shen Rongyu asked.

"But..." Ji Qingzhu took a deep breath, "Your kissing skills have already improved too much, you can almost graduate."

"There's still something else... that I haven't learned." He sighed lightly, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe.

Almost involuntarily, he bit her earlobe.

Ji Qingzhu didn't feel any pain, just a tickling sensation. She instinctively shrunk her neck.

She knew what he was talking about... the third scene she had imagined before in her mind.

Was this what she was supposed to teach him?

This despicable, cunning dragon!

Shen Rongyu lightly pecked her flushed cheek again, "This requires your consent, doesn't it?"

Ji Qingzhu lowered her head, saying, "You are my research subject, and I think the affection you have for me now is not fair to you."

"There will be more interesting people in the Independent City." She said calmly.

She knew that Shen Rongyu had superior conditions and didn't need to stay by her side all the time.

"Qingzhu, you are the most interesting." Shen Rongyu chuckled softly.

"Let our love continue until I graduate, okay?" He asked.