This chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
[Challenge Goal 2 :
Mission: Reach 7 reviews for this novel on NovelUpdates.
Reward: One additional chapter.
Progress: 4/7.]
NovelUpdate Link: Here
If you have any question or doubt about this novel you can ask me in the iNoveltranslation Discord Server in the dedicated channel of the novel-discussion section
"Wow, that fish looks so dazed. It's so cute! Quick, take a picture!"
The next second.
"Is it still cute? It just ate its colleague."
Unbearable. Truly unbearable.
Lu Xing had actually wanted to play along with his senior sister.
But who would have guessed that the manta ray, which looked so adorable one second, would swallow its little fish companion the next?
Seeing her fall silent, Lu Xing patted her shoulder with a heavy heart.
"This is workplace bullying, eating someone without even spitting out the bones!"
"Sigh, the other small fish clearly skipped their education. If they were university students, they'd at least be guaranteed a spot in grad school by now."
Liu Qingqing turned her head toward Lu Xing, her movements stiff. She looked so frightened she was on the verge of tears.
Lu Xing laughed wildly on the inside.
But his face remained dead serious as he asked, quite sternly:
"And were you just taking a picture?"
Liu Qingqing grew anxious, her eyes blinking rapidly and her heart pounding. She was terrified, thinking she had accidentally committed some major taboo.
"Is... is it not allowed?"
Lu Xing’s face stayed stern. He didn't speak for a long time. Only when he realized she was about to cry from sheer terror did he suddenly crack a smile.
"Of course it's allowed."
Liu Qingqing: ???
"Then why did you say all that just now?"
"...I was just scaring you!"
Lu Xing finally burst into laughter and immediately bolted.
"Lu Xing!"
Liu Qingqing was furious, but because she looked so soft and cute, she had zero intimidating power. She could only chase after him in a huff.
'Despicable, despicable, despicable! You stinking Lu Xing, you're bullying me again!'
Thump!
While chasing him, she suddenly slammed into his back.
She rubbed her forehead and grumbled, "Why did you stop running..."
"Shh."
Liu Qingqing followed his gaze.
Inside the massive, transparent aquarium, a sculpture of the Sea God held a trident. Schools of small fish formed a shimmering planetary ring, circling and passing through the display.
In the deep blue landscape, several massive whale sharks glided through the water past them.
The whale shark, known as the gentlest shark in the world is enormous and looks intimidating, but its temperament is docile.
It feeds mainly on small fish, shrimp, plankton, and algae, rarely attacking anything outside its diet.
Liu Qingqing suddenly thought: Isn't this just like Lu Xing?
He looked cold and indifferent, even a bit scary, but in reality, he was just a childish brat.
Especially now, in order to get her to stop chasing him, he had clumsily changed the subject to make her focus on the fish.
'Fine.'
Liu Qingqing moved closer to him, and the two of them leaned against the glass like primary school students on a field trip.
"Ah!"
A frightened child’s cry caught their attention. They looked back.
A beluga whale had nonchalantly swum up to a little boy and then suddenly opened its mouth wide!
The child was so scared he sat right down on the floor with a plop.
His mother’s face was filled with worry for her son, yet the corners of her mouth were twitching toward her temples in a suppressed smile.
The beluga didn't leave. Like a culprit returning to the scene of the crime to admire their handiwork, its expression seemed to say:
'Hehe, scared another one!'
Damn it. Even the beluga whales here were "abstract."
The air was filled with a happy atmosphere.
The beluga gracefully swam up to Lu Xing, as if pondering whether this person could be spooked.
Lu Xing placed his hand on the glass. The beluga pressed its head against the glass in return.
Through dozens of centimeters of thickness... Lu Xing felt as if he were actually petting it.
Ha—
Lu Xing let out a breath and fogged a small heart onto the glass.
Seeing him happy, the corners of Liu Qingqing’s mouth lifted unconsciously, her dimples showing.
After Lu Xing had looked his fill, he stood up and checked the time.
"The Ocean Theater is about to start. Want to go see the show?"
"Of course."
Liu Qingqing smiled sweetly and said mysteriously, "Want a gift?"
Lu Xing raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the glass. "Are there terms and conditions?"
"Promise me one wish."
Lu Xing snorted, instantly wary. "NO!"
"Aiya, I don't want your payment password!"
"Oh. Then fine."
Liu Qingqing was speechless. She was truly defeated by his money-grubbing nature.
"You have to let me see if the gift is worth it first. I'll only grant the wish if I like it."
Lu Xing always followed the principle of inspecting the goods first.
"Ta-da!"
Liu Qingqing pulled out a photo from somewhere.
Lu Xing took it.
In the photo, his head was pressed against the glass, staring blankly at the beluga. The blue light illuminated his face, highlighting his sparkling eyes.
So full of life.
Lu Xing hadn't realized he was capable of such an innocent gaze.
He unzipped his jacket and tucked the photo into the inner pocket closest to his heart, smiling.
"It's a great shot."
"Then you owe me a wish." Liu Qingqing looked at him expectantly.
Lu Xing smirked. "It's a great shot, but I never said I liked it."
Liu Qingqing froze. "You're cheating! Give it back!"
"Oh." Lu Xing spread his hands nonchalantly. "Then come and get it."
Liu Qingqing glanced at where the photo was, tucked inside his clothes. How could she possibly reach in there!
Lu Xing flashed a roguish smile.
"Remember this; it's the first lesson I'm teaching you. The human heart is hard to predict."
Liu Qingqing clenched her fists in annoyance.
'Despicable, despicable! You evil Lu Xing! Sooner or later, I'll pin you down—I mean, knock you down!'
"Let's go."
Lu Xing turned leisurely, heading toward the performance.
Liu Qingqing looked back at the spot where he had drawn the heart. It had already faded away.
"I know."
After a moment, she ran to catch up with him.
On that same piece of glass, two small hearts pierced by Cupid’s arrow had been drawn.
A few seconds later, they too completely disappeared.
...
Inside the Ocean Theater.
Lu Xing chose not to sit in the front rows, opting for seats further back.
First, he didn't want a face full of water. Second, he didn't know if his senior sister’s makeup was waterproof today; he was afraid she’d start crying again.
He truly had a trauma regarding her makeup.
He glanced sideways. She looked nervous and excited, clutching her phone with the camera open.
"Why are you still using your phone to film?"
She clenched her fist and said seriously, "I don't really know how to use a real camera yet. I only have my Polaroid. When we go out more and I learn how to film properly, I'll buy a camera."
Lu Xing smiled. She's already booking future outings?
Her face was pink, and her words seemed to have a "cute filter" on them. She made a serious wish:
"I hope I can take my 'life's photo' before I'm thirty! Preferably one where I don't get shot(?)!"
Pfft!
Lu Xing laughed out loud.
Liu Qingqing said embarrassedly, "Don't laugh at me! If you let me practice on you more, I'll definitely get better at it!"
The performance began.
Liu Qingqing was a bit disappointed she hadn't heard an answer from Lu Xing. But thankfully, the show was exciting enough to distract her.
All sorts of animals appeared, leaving the audience gasping in amazement.
After seeing a walrus spray water at the crowd, she excitedly grabbed Lu Xing’s sleeve.
"Junior brother, thank goodness you chose these seats!"
If her makeup were ruined, she really would cry.
It's just... did Lu Xing consider her when choosing the seats? Was it intentional or just a lucky accident?
While she was pondering this, the show reached the "KissCam" segment.
Lu Xing was confused.
'Wait, why does a marine animal show have a KissCam? Are they trying to be trendy?'
Only after the host explained did he understand: it was a segment to invite audience members up to interact with the animals.
Oh, fine. Lu Xing was a little disappointed.
If it were a real KissCam, he was hoping to "eat some melon" (watch some drama). After all, in a venue like this, it wasn't guaranteed that every couple was actually 'official'.
Hearing the host announce they would pick four people, Liu Qingqing said expectantly:
"I hope I get chosen. I really want to touch a dolphin! Are they slippery?"
Lu Xing sighed as well.
"I hope I get chosen. I really want a dolphin to carry me so I can charge forward bravely!"
Liu Qingqing: ???
As the host warmed up the crowd, the camera panned across the audience.
The next second, the entire crowd gasped, and the room went silent.
On the giant screen, a black-haired, pale-skinned girl sat quietly in the very last row.
She was expressionless, yet her beauty was so arresting people couldn't look away, like a cold flower on a high mountain, making people hesitant to approach.
Lu Xing’s scalp tingled.
Why is Wei Qingyu here? Is she looking for her own kind among the fish?
...
...