Chapter 41 - In exchange

Kui gently hugged the little mer close to his embrace.

The young men seemed to be moving very little. it was worrying.

Only his lively face gave the impression that the mer was healthy.

"Why is he so weak though…" The mer he had met was lively and swimming around so much. Yet, this mer was barely moving. "Does he have a fractured tail or something?" He reached out and gently touched the top of his tail.

The kid glared up at him subtly.

"Whoa, you can really glare, huh." Without reserve, Kui touched his tail. "Tell me when you feel any pain."

The hard scales were cool to touch and had a slightly slimy feel to them. His fingers gently glided all across the tail, but suddenly, he noticed a small find below. He went to touch it.

The kid instantly grabbed a hold of his hand weakly. "No."

"Okay..." Kui raised his hand to prove he was harmless. "Is that where you poop?"

The boy looked at him flabbergasted. "H-how could you ask that?"

"Well, I'm curious."

Kui had seen fishes in aquariums; they seemed to poo from there. But mer anatomy could be different. After all, they have a human torso.

The kid tsked and weakly let go of his hand again.

"Does it hurt? Your tail?" He keenly noticed that the kid did not show any signs of pain when he touched him, yet he wanted to confirm it.

The mer shook his head.

"Then why aren't you able to swim?" He thought to himself out loud. Suddenly, it came to him, "Wait a minute! Are you a baby? Like a newborn?" Kui gaped down at him.

The mer did not reply to his question. Silently, he closed his eyes and tiredly leaned into his chest.

"You are a baby. Goodness sake, those kidnappers kidnapped a newborn!" He pulled him even closer, tightly protecting him in his embrace.

Some creatures in nature can walk and hunt the moment they are born, but there are some who need the constant care of their mothers to live. He had no clue which category the mers fell into. But seeing the young mer, he guessed it was the latter.

If it were any normal times, the young mer would have been tended to by his mother, hugged in her embrace, and cared for.

Kui gritted his teeth. 'How could they be so cruel…' He gently touched the top of his head. "Don't worry. I'm here for you."

The young mer simply peered into his eyes with her piercing blue pupils wide open.

For a second, Kui froze.

Those eyes seemed so familiar.

It looked so similar to those haunting eyes of that mer from his nightmare.

The young mer blinked, and that dangerous vibe just disappeared.

Kui slightly shook his head. 'Tsk, this is a child. How could it be him? That guy was terrifying, but this one is super cute.' He gently nuzzled against his soft, long hair. Maternal instincts just burst out of him. His heart started to worry about the child's future.

"What do babies eat? Do they eat shellfish? Stone fish?" Currently, they were in a bath with no fish around. 'How do I feed him… my last stash of dried fish was eaten clean… what to do…' As if on cue, the child's small stomach slightly growled.

"Can you eat fish?" Kui gently cupped the child's face only to see him flush red.

The young mer looked so embarrassed by this.

"Don't be embarrassed. It happens to everyone. I get hungry too." He patted his tummy and stood up in the shallow waters. "I'll find some food for you."

These captors even had a bath prepared for them. It was likely that they won't starve them.

Kui glanced up at the figure that was vaguely visible above the surface. 'I need to tolerate that bastard to get some food for the kid… it's okay… it's not so bad… after all, I have training in dealing with shitty bastards…' He straightened up and swam up to the surface.

Han Guilin watched him with interest. "Blink, darling, you're making my heart pound with that look in your eyes."

Kui blushed slightly at his provocative words. 'Fuck, this bastard!'

"You look even better with your face flushed like that," the man still in his wet clothes walked close and gently touched his chin.

Kui pushed his hand away. "We need food."

The man raised a brow. "What do you need, your majesty?" He playfully tugged at his clothes. "Finest of fishes?"

Kui pushed his intrusive hand away. "Just some fish. You bought us. You must have been prepared to feed us."

Han Guilin chuckled. This mer was audacious, yet cute. He moved a bit closer. "No, in fact, I have not prepared anything."

Kui glared at him. "Do you plan to starve us to death?"

"Will mers starve to death?"

"Yes! We are also living creatures like you!"

"Ah, you are…" The man gently cupped his face. "You see, the thing is, I do not like to give anything for free. If you want food, what can you exchange for it?"

Kui gritted his teeth and touched his pant pocket. His money pouch had been stolen. He had nothing with him.

"I don't like money," the man's finger glided over his lips.

Kui froze. It was very clear what the man was insinuating.

He wanted sex.