Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Shen Yangge escapes while carrying the unconscious System 615, then reaches a river and discovers he can breathe in the water.
• He finds that 615 has been transformed into a koi as punishment. The fish seems to have lost its memory and now behaves like an ordinary, carefree koi.
• Shen Yangge’s own transformation begins: his legs become a shimmering, golden-flecked fish tail, and his hair turns silver-white. The pain is intense, though he is fascinated by the tail’s soft, silky feel.
• Remembering that the transformation will last fifteen days, Shen Yangge worries about surviving—and about protecting 615, who can no longer help him.
• A night patrol hears noise nearby. Shen Yangge hides underwater, but one soldier spots his white hair and mistakes him for a ghost.
• The soldiers return to investigate. A lantern is dropped onto 615, startling the koi into hiding in Shen Yangge’s hair. The patrol leader approaches the pond with his sword, convinced someone may be hiding there.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge shifts from escapee to an unwilling caretaker, anxious about both his new merfolk body and 615’s vulnerability. His initial wonder at his beautiful tail gives way to alarm as discovery becomes likely.
• System 615 is reduced to a playful, apparently forgetful koi, leaving Shen Yangge without his usual support.
• The patrol leader shows more skepticism and resolve than his frightened subordinates, deciding to confront the suspected intruder.

Character interactions

• Shen Yangge tries to call to 615, but the koi responds only by swimming and playing with his tail.
• Shen Yangge’s movements produce glowing golden flecks that captivate 615.
• The patrol soldiers argue over whether their comrade truly saw a ghost; their fear and reluctance lead them to send him back to the pond.
• After the lantern strikes 615, the fish hides in Shen Yangge’s hair, further complicating his attempt to remain concealed.

Significant themes

• Transformation and vulnerability: Shen Yangge and 615’s changed forms strip away their former abilities and leave them exposed.
• Care and responsibility: Shen Yangge must protect 615 despite being in danger himself.
• Appearance and misinterpretation: Shen Yangge’s unusual appearance causes the soldiers to mistake him for a ghost, turning secrecy into a threat.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Yangge is discovered hiding in an estate pond by a patrol. His revealed merman form—silver hair, a fish tail, and glowing pale-blue eyes—leaves the soldiers terrified, then captivated.
• He claims he is not a monster and realizes that staring into someone’s eyes for several seconds can weaken their guard. He uses this ability to draw the patrol leader close, seize him, and take his sword.
• Holding the leader at knifepoint, Shen Yangge orders the soldiers to bring a large water-filled wooden tub and move him somewhere secluded. He wants to avoid attracting Ruthis’s attention before he can kill him.
• Elsewhere, Chu Xuanzhen wakes from a troubled dream featuring a white fish tail, a bloodied blade, and guarded pale-blue eyes. He murmurs the name “Shen Zhuanxie.”

Character developments

• Shen Yangge adapts quickly to his unfamiliar merman abilities, shifting from concealment and bluffing to calculated coercion. He remains focused on his plan to kill Ruthis, while recognizing that discovery could endanger that goal.
• The patrol leader stays more composed than his men and notices Shen Yangge’s influence over their minds. Despite his caution, he too is drawn in and becomes Shen Yangge’s hostage.
• Chu Xuanzhen is unsettled by a vivid dream that suggests Shen Yangge is occupying his thoughts or memories.

Significant themes

• Beauty as power and danger: Shen Yangge’s appearance inspires reverence and desire, making the soldiers vulnerable even before he acts.
• Control and manipulation: His new eye-contact ability subtly erodes resistance, while physical threats secure the soldiers’ obedience.
• Concealment and survival: Shen Yangge chooses a temporary hiding place to protect his larger, dangerous mission.
• Uncertain identity: The soldiers struggle to label Shen Yangge, whose appearance seems sacred even as his actions are ruthless.

Character interactions

• Shen Yangge alternates between coaxing and threatening the patrol, using charm, eye contact, and a blade to control the situation.
• The leader resists panic and recognizes Shen Yangge’s influence, but ultimately complies under threat; the other soldiers are more thoroughly affected and follow orders.
• Chu Xuanzhen’s dream links him to Shen Yangge through striking images and the name “Shen Zhuanxie.”

Key plot points and events

• An earthquake shakes the capital and palace. Chu Xuanzhen is caught in a painful, frightening episode as his eyes turn black; he clutches a golden dragon scale, which seems to steady or comfort him.
• The earthquake ends quickly, but panic lingers. Rumors spread that the late emperor’s resentment caused the disaster. Officials try to suppress the talk, while palace consorts spread counter-rumors to protect themselves from the possibility of being buried with the emperor.
• Chu Xuanzhen learns that Consort Xue has taken the Eleventh Prince to her palace, but chooses not to intervene. His attention is fixed on news from the Northern States.
• A secret letter reports that Lord Shen—whom Chu calls “Little Liar”—is missing. Chu destroys the letter and, after wavering between trusting him and having him seized, decides to go capture him himself.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Xuanzhen appears outwardly composed but is physically and emotionally unstable. The dragon scale offers him comfort, and his longing for Lord Shen exposes how deeply attached—and possessive—he has become. He wants Shen to return willingly, yet fears he will never come back and resolves to force him to stay.
• The eunuch serves as messenger and caretaker, first pulling Chu to safety during the earthquake, then reporting palace developments and delivering the secret letter. Chu’s final demeanor frightens him into silence.
• The consorts react to the rumors with fear and self-preservation, using their servants and valuables to counter the story.
• Chu’s bond with Lord Shen shapes the chapter despite Shen’s absence: Chu remembers Shen’s promise to return and struggles to respect his freedom.

Significant themes

• Fear and instability: The earthquake unsettles both the city and Chu’s already fragile state.
• Rumor and political survival: Competing stories about the late emperor reveal how quickly public belief becomes a threat to the palace.
• Love, trust, and possession: Chu’s hope that Shen will return clashes with his urge to control and imprison him.
• Powerlessness and fate: Chu senses an unseen force separating them, making his attempts to hold on feel desperate and doomed.

• Key events: After being moved to a quieter place, Shen Yangge keeps the patrol soldiers at bay by holding their handsome leader at swordpoint. He claims to be the River God—a white fish spirit whose past intervention saved villagers from a flood and punished corrupt merchants. A soldier’s memories and others’ recollections lend the story credibility, and most of the group begins to believe him. Shen Yangge accidentally knocks System 615, now a Koi, unconscious; after checking that it is unharmed, he tucks it into his hair for comfort. The leader remains skeptical and demands proof. Shen turns the challenge around, asking what proves he is not the River God, then unveils his glowing tail and solemnly declares, “I am the River God!”
• Character developments: Shen Yangge shows himself to be quick-witted and theatrical, using bluff, confidence, and his unusual appearance to control the situation. His concern for the frightened Koi reveals a gentler, protective side. The leader stays composed and questioning despite the soldiers’ growing belief, while the soldiers shift from suspicion to reverence and fear of angering a deity.
• Character interactions: Shen Yangge manipulates the soldiers’ assumptions and uses one soldier’s personal memory to strengthen his tale. He engages the leader in a battle of skepticism, while the leader’s authority remains a potential obstacle. His care for System 615 briefly interrupts the standoff.
• Significant themes: The scene explores how belief can be shaped by storytelling, shared memory, and spectacle; the tension between authority and persuasion; and the line between genuine identity and convincing performance. It also contrasts Shen Yangge’s grand divine persona with his impulsive, caring behavior toward the Koi.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Yangge convinces the island patrol that he is a river god by making water droplets glow gold and hang in the air. He claims the estate’s master abducted him, drugged him, and intends a terrible scheme involving the islanders.
• The patrol leader and his men are impressed and increasingly believe Shen’s story. Their suspicion grows when they discover that one of the estate’s ponds has filled with shimmering golden sand, and the master orders the news suppressed.
• While the patrol discusses how to return Shen to the sea, Shen tries unsuccessfully to contact System 615, which has been left without a voice or independent thoughts by its punishment. He eventually falls asleep in his tub.
• The narrative shifts to the capital. On the day Crown Prince Chu Xuanzhen is due to leave, officials’ memorials focus largely on a recent earthquake rather than urging him to take the throne. He summons Liang Wenjin and announces that he will be away from the capital.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge shows his talent for improvisation and manipulation, using supernatural-looking effects and a sympathetic story to turn the patrol against the estate’s master. He also feels some guilt for System 615’s punishment, though he recognizes he can do little to help.
• The patrol leader is cautious but becomes more receptive to the river-god explanation. A subordinate—a former charlatan—argues that Shen’s feats are genuine and cannot be ordinary tricks.
• The patrol soldiers respond with reverence, treating Shen as a divine protector and discussing how to free him.
• Chu Xuanzhen is introduced as controlled and cool in his exchange with Liang Wenjin. Liang greets him formally, then asks where he plans to go, signaling unease about his role in the palace.
• System 615 remains incapacitated, unable to communicate or think independently.

Significant themes

• Belief and evidence: Shen’s performance, the soldiers’ prior experiences, and the golden pond turn suspicion into conviction.
• Manipulation and power: Shen shapes the patrol’s understanding of events, while the estate’s master tries to control information.
• Compassion and complicity: Shen frames his actions as concern for the islanders and feels sympathy for the system that followed his orders.
• Political uncertainty: The Crown Prince’s departure, set against earthquake-related memorials and palace tensions, signals a shift toward the court storyline.

Plot points and events

• Liang Wenjin, who is impersonating someone, anxiously questions Crown Prince Chu Xuanzhen about the danger involved. Xuanzhen shuts him down with a veiled threat, and Liang quickly apologizes.
• Xuanzhen summons trusted aides, gives them instructions, and secretly leaves the capital.
• Chu Tianyin receives a report about Xuanzhen’s movements. He refuses to visit his imprisoned brother, Chu Xuanzhi, despite a message that Chu Xuanzhi’s foot hurts. Tianyin admits he is waiting for the right moment to kill him.
• Chu Xuanzhi taunts Tianyin through the subordinate, recalling their former closeness and suggesting Tianyin once loved him. Chained up, he doubts the restraint will hold and hints that he may escape.
• Two days later, Shen Yangge is smuggled out of the city hidden in a water barrel. The convoy passes the gate, but another carriage crashes into it, overturning some barrels—fortunately, not the one containing Shen.
• The other carriage belongs to a young lady from the City Lord’s Residence. Her maid, Cuizi, berates the soldiers and tries to inspect the barrels. The young lady first restrains her, then insists on a further inspection in the name of public safety. The soldiers refuse, and she presses them.

Character developments and interactions

• Liang Wenjin’s fear of exposure makes him careless, revealing how vulnerable he is under Xuanzhen’s authority.
• Xuanzhen is controlled but intimidating, and his departure suggests a secret operation is underway.
• Tianyin is consumed by ambition and resentment, yet hesitates to harm Chu Xuanzhi until his larger plan is ready.
• Chu Xuanzhi remains defiant and manipulative despite imprisonment, using memories of their past relationship to unsettle Tianyin.
• Shen Yangge trusts his rescuers, enduring the cramped concealment without protest.
• Cuizi acts arrogantly toward the soldiers, while her veiled mistress presents herself as courteous but assertive. Her demand to inspect the barrels puts Shen’s escape at risk.

Significant themes

• Deception and concealed identities: Liang’s impersonation and Shen’s hidden escape make discovery a constant threat.
• Power and coercion: Xuanzhen’s authority silences Liang, while the City Lord’s household can intimidate the soldiers.
• Ambition versus attachment: Tianyin’s plans to kill Chu Xuanzhi conflict with his lingering inability to act.
• Trust and betrayal: Shen relies on his rescuers, while the brothers’ troubled history shapes their hostile exchange.

Key plot points and events

• A young lady, Miss Cao, confronts Lu Manor guards transporting water barrels out of the city. Once she learns they serve Manor Lord Lu, she lets them pass, though she later spots flecks of golden sand escaping from one barrel.
• Suspecting something is hidden in the barrels, Miss Cao sends people to investigate. They report that a silver-haired, blue-eyed man was concealed inside one. Her agents are caught and beaten, but she decides not to tell her father yet and continues investigating.
• Chu Xuanzhen reaches the Northern States’ seaside pier after days of desperate travel, accompanied by Xue Qian and trusted retainers. He appears exhausted and carries a formidable, murderous presence.
• On the ship, a scrawny young commoner is attacked by a group of rough men he accuses of bullying others. He claims they may soon face consequences for mistreating a beautiful young man who seemed to be of noble birth.
• Chu Xuanzhen’s group intervenes and rescues the commoner. When Chu asks about the young man, the commoner describes him, and Chu’s expression darkens—suggesting he may have come searching for that person.

Character developments and interactions

• Miss Cao shifts from confrontation to courtesy once she recognizes the guards’ connection to Manor Lord Lu, but remains observant and discreet. She chooses to investigate independently rather than involve her father.
• Yue Hanshan, a Lu Manor patrol guard, identifies himself while escorting the barrels; the soldiers suspect Miss Cao may be personally interested in him.
• Chu Xuanzhen is revealed as exhausted but single-minded, having pushed himself and his party to reach the island. His reaction to the rescued commoner’s description suggests the hidden young man is important to him.
• Xue Qian endures the journey despite his gu poison and the weakening effect of Shen Yangge’s blood, underscoring the strain of following Chu.
• The scrawny commoner risks provoking his attackers by speaking out, then gains hope when Chu’s group saves him. The thugs’ bullying and his rescue establish a sharp contrast between cruelty and authority.

Significant themes

• Hidden identities and secrets: The concealed passenger and the traces in the barrels hint at a larger mystery.
• Retribution and consequences: The commoner predicts that the thugs’ abuse will catch up with them; Chu’s arrival makes that prospect feel immediate.
• Power, injustice, and courage: The thugs exploit weaker people, while the commoner speaks despite the danger and Chu’s group intervenes.
• Suspicion and restraint: Miss Cao gathers information quietly, keeping her discovery from her father until she knows more.

Key plot points and events

• A scrawny passenger tells Xue Qian that a group of burly men mistreated a boy aboard the ship. The men deny it, but their panic and evasions undermine their claims.
• Xue Qian forces one man to confess at swordpoint. Other passengers then come forward with accusations that the group has repeatedly bullied people and preyed on women.
• When the men realize they cannot escape blame, they attack. Xue Qian quickly defeats them, while Chu Xuanzhen joins the fight and carries out a brutal execution.
• The soldiers sent to intervene recognize a powerful token carried by one of the newcomers and kneel before the handsome young man, revealing the group’s high status.
• Xue Qian keeps one burly man alive for questioning about Lord Shen; Chu Xuanzhen kills the others.

Character developments

• Xue Qian is fiercely protective of Lord Shen, whom he reveres. He is young but decisive and experienced at recognizing deception, and he restrains his violence only because a prisoner is needed for questioning.
• Chu Xuanzhen shifts from still, handsome observer to merciless executioner. His cold brutality shocks even Xue Qian and the passengers.
• The burly men go from swaggering denial to frightened pleading once confronted with evidence and superior force.
• The passengers move from watching silently to supporting the accusation, emboldened by the newcomers’ authority.

Significant themes

• Justice and punishment: The men’s long history of abuse is exposed, and the newcomers punish them without mercy.
• Power and authority: The soldiers’ deference to the token makes clear that the newcomers hold exceptional status.
• Appearance versus reality: Chu Xuanzhen’s refined beauty contrasts sharply with his savage violence.
• Fear and intimidation: The spectacle of the killings silences the crowd and leaves even bystanders afraid.

Character interactions

• Xue Qian interrogates and threatens the burly men, while the accuser backs him with what he witnessed.
• The passengers reinforce the accusation with their own complaints.
• The soldiers try to intervene but kneel once they see the token.
• Xue Qian and Chu Xuanzhen act together, though Xue Qian’s attempt to preserve one prisoner highlights the difference between his practical restraint and Chu Xuanzhen’s unhesitating cruelty.

Plot points and events

• After the ship docks, the battered survivors disembark past the bodies of the security soldiers they saw killed. Their fear and eagerness to leave the island are palpable.
• One injured young man laughs and cries as he recalls that, had help arrived sooner, a girl named A-Nan might have been spared a horrific death. Chu Xuanzhen briefly shows grief and anger, then masks them as the passengers go ashore.
• Shen Yangge searches the sea for the missing System 615, now in the form of a little koi. While swimming, he is pursued by a huge dark shape.
• The pursuer turns out to be an orca. Shen Yangge fears it will eat him, but discovers it is merely fascinated by the golden flecks released when he moves his tail.
• The playful orca repeatedly nudges Shen Yangge onward. It pushes him toward the dock just as he hears a horn, despite his attempt to turn back.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Xuanzhen reveals suppressed sorrow and anger at the survivors’ suffering, but quickly regains his controlled, impassive demeanor.
• The young victim expresses grief over A-Nan’s fate; another survivor comforts him, showing the shared understanding among those who have suffered.
• Shen Yangge shifts from panic to relief and amused exasperation once he realizes the orca is curious rather than predatory.
• The orca behaves like a mischievous, inquisitive companion, pushing Shen Yangge along to watch his shimmering tail rather than trying to harm him.

Significant themes

• The survivors’ trauma and the human cost of violence.
• The contrast between outward composure and inner grief.
• Misjudgment and fear: the orca seems dangerous, but its pursuit is playful.
• Wonder and humor amid hardship, embodied by Shen Yangge’s golden trail and the orca’s antics.

Plot points and events

• Shen Yangge, still in his fish-tailed form, tries to stop a playful orca from pushing him toward a ship crowded with civilians and soldiers. He fears being discovered and hunted, which would put him in greater danger.
• On shore, Chu Xuanzhen arrives with Xue Qian. The island lord welcomes them lavishly, but Xue explains that they are visiting mainly to search for something. The island lord, suspecting they are important visitors from the capital, treats them with caution and respect.
• Just as the visitors are about to be escorted into town, a boy spots a figure with a fish tail racing across the water. The crowd sees only a fleeting glimpse—silver-white hair, a gray top, and possibly blue eyes—before the figure vanishes beneath the sea.
• Xue Qian wonders whether the “sea monster” might be Lord Shen, but dismisses the idea because he assumes Chu Xuanzhen would have reacted if it were true.
• Xue realizes Chu Xuanzhen has disappeared and finds him on the ship’s highest point, staring out to sea.
• Meanwhile, Xue is pickpocketed and then knocked into the water. Unable to swim, he begins to panic and loses consciousness.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge is anxious and focused on staying hidden until he can return to human form and pursue Ruthis. His struggle with the orca highlights his vulnerability despite his dangerous circumstances.
• Chu Xuanzhen remains imposing and aloof during the formal welcome, but his sudden move to the ship’s deck suggests the sighting has caught his attention.
• Xue Qian is wary and observant. His suspicion that the sea figure may be Lord Shen briefly connects the mysterious sighting to the group’s private concerns.
• The orca behaves playfully and insistently, unintentionally putting Shen at risk.
• The island lord balances hospitality with self-preservation, adjusting his behavior once he suspects the visitors’ importance.
• Xue’s misfortunes—being pickpocketed and then pushed overboard—shift the scene from mystery and spectacle to immediate danger.

Significant themes

• Exposure and concealment: Shen must hide his unusual form in a world likely to fear or pursue him.
• Appearance and myth: The crowd struggles to decide whether the fleeting figure is human or a sea monster.
• Power and social deference: The island lord and townspeople react strongly to Chu Xuanzhen’s status and presence.
• Danger beneath appearances: A public spectacle quickly gives way to Xue’s desperate, very human peril.

Key plot points

• An orca rescues Xue Qian from drowning and carries him toward shore. When people throw things at it and shout, it turns away—but then deliberately flings Xue Qian onto land and splashes the crowd before swimming off.
• Xue Qian confronts the short man who knocked him into the sea. Before the man can explain who ordered him, an unseen archer kills him with an arrow.
• Xue Qian realizes the dead man did not steal his money pouch. He suspects a larger plot and wonders who on the island has enough power to act beyond the city lord’s control.
• Worried that Chu Xuanzhen may have fallen into the sea, Xue Qian rushes back to the ship and finds him watching the water. Chu asks whether Xue Qian saw Shen Yangge; he did not.
• Shen Yangge has escaped into deeper water, having avoided surfacing while Chu was nearby. He is found by the approaching orca, which is carrying Chu Xuanzhen.

Character developments and interactions

• Xue Qian survives the fall, responds forcefully to the man who pushed him, and quickly shifts from anger to suspicion when the man is assassinated. His concern for Chu also shows his loyalty.
• Chu Xuanzhen remains silent and intensely focused on finding Shen. His anxious vigil makes his attachment to Shen apparent to Xue Qian.
• Shen Yangge avoids Chu out of fear of being discovered, but his attempt to hide is undermined by his conspicuous silver-white hair. He is about to meet Chu again.
• The orca acts playfully and seems drawn to Shen, while Chu watches it with hostility. Xue Qian and the people on shore, meanwhile, react very differently to the animal: he recognizes it as his rescuer, while the crowd treats it as a monster.
• The man who pushed Xue Qian appears to be following orders, but his death prevents him from revealing whose orders they were.

Significant themes

• Hidden danger and conspiracy: The attempted drowning and the assassin’s arrow suggest that someone powerful is targeting Xue Qian.
• Misunderstanding and fear: The crowd’s attack on the orca contrasts with its lifesaving actions.
• Attachment and separation: Chu’s quiet search for Shen and Shen’s efforts to evade him create tension around their relationship.
• Comic contrast: The orca’s mischievous behavior and Xue Qian’s “husband-watching stone” comparison lighten an otherwise threatening sequence.

Key events

• Shen Yangge spots Chu Xuanzhen pursuing him and tries to escape into the deep sea. A trail of glowing golden specks shed by his tail makes him easy to track, while his human nature leaves him slower than a real mermaid.
• He realizes Chu Xuanzhen is still following, but then hears a splash: Chu has fallen from the orca’s back and is missing from its surface. The orca circles uncertainly instead of rescuing him.
• Fearing for Chu’s safety, Shen turns back and swims to him. He finds Chu calmly waiting underwater, having apparently used the apparent danger to make Shen return.
• Shen pulls Chu toward the surface, intending to scold him. Instead, Chu kisses him fiercely and demands to know what Shen could not tell him, reminding him that Shen promised to stay by his side.
• Held tightly by Chu and pushed along by the excited orca, Shen challenges him in turn, pointing out that he left a letter promising to return and angrily asking why Chu risked his life in the sea.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen shifts from fear and flight to concern and anger: despite wanting to escape, he cannot abandon Chu when he believes he is in danger. He then uses his anger to confront Chu rather than simply submit to his embrace.
• Chu’s pursuit and staged fall reveal how desperate he is to keep Shen close. His forceful kiss and words convey anger and hurt, but also deep tenderness.
• The orca innocently tracks Shen by his glowing trail and enjoys pushing the two together, unaware of the emotional tension between them. System 615 is knocked loose during Shen’s rush back.

Significant themes

• Love and fear of abandonment: Both men’s actions show how strongly they fear losing each other.
• Risk and responsibility: Chu’s dangerous tactic provokes Shen’s concern and exposes the recklessness behind his attempt to stop him.
• Freedom versus attachment: Shen tries to flee, yet turns back out of care, while Chu’s embrace expresses both affection and possessiveness.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Yangge insists his reddened eyes are from something in the water, not from anger or tears, while Chu Xuanzhen gently wipes them.
• Concerned about the danger of remaining at sea, Shen Yangge checks that the shore is empty, then brings Chu Xuanzhen safely to land.
• Chu Xuanzhen asks what Shen Yangge has experienced in recent days. Their tender conversation turns into another kiss, which he ends before it goes further.
• Frustrated and flustered, Shen Yangge splashes Chu Xuanzhen with his tail. When Chu begins removing his wet clothes, Shen Yangge protests and throws his robe back over him, claiming it would be improper for someone of his status to be seen exposed.
• A crab pinches Shen Yangge’s tail. After tossing it away, he looks up to find Chu Xuanzhen still undressing.
• Chu sits at the water’s edge and beckons Shen Yangge closer, ending the chapter as Shen Yangge’s tail carries him toward him despite his misgivings.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge tries to maintain his composure and hide his vulnerability, but his embarrassment, irritation, and attraction repeatedly show through. He also reveals concern for Chu Xuanzhen’s safety and reputation.
• Chu Xuanzhen is openly attentive and affectionate, gently tending to Shen Yangge and seeking to understand what he has endured. Beneath his controlled manner, he appears strongly attracted to him.

Significant themes

• Vulnerability and concealment: Shen Yangge denies his tears and struggles to hide how physically and emotionally affected he is.
• Affection expressed through teasing: Their pranks and protests coexist with tenderness and concern.
• Desire versus restraint: Chu’s kisses and beckoning intensify the intimacy, while the characters’ setting and hesitation keep it unresolved.
• Trust and care: Despite their banter, Shen Yangge takes responsibility for getting Chu safely ashore, and Chu responds with gentle attention.

Character interactions

Their exchange is playful and charged: Chu tends to Shen Yangge’s eyes and kisses him; Shen retaliates with a splash; then he tries to stop Chu from undressing in public. Chu’s calm, intimate invitation contrasts with Shen Yangge’s flustered resistance—and involuntary approach.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Yangge and Chu Xuanzhen meet in the sea. Shen tries to declare them even over his sneaking away and Chu Xuanzhen’s earlier leap into the water, insisting neither should hold the incident against the other.
• Chu ignores Shen’s attempts to pull free, strokes his neck, kisses him, and carries him out of the water. Shen protests and worries about his dignity, but is also flustered by the closeness.
• On shore, Chu playfully handles Shen’s hair and remarks that it smells of the sea. Shen notices Chu seems unusually gentle and flirtatious—and less openly demanding than before.
• Shen accidentally admits that he keeps lying and trying to escape while Chu keeps indulging him. Chu’s mood turns cold: he says Shen has always tried to leave and that he will settle their accounts one by one.
• Chu kisses Shen again, then calls his insolence “high treason,” leaving Shen’s heart racing. Shen also remembers the missing koi, System 615, and worries about its safety.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge remains defiant and quick to complain, but his protests mask embarrassment and attraction. His instincts betray his fear and attachment: he clings to Chu, wraps his tail around his leg, and is affected by his kisses.
• Chu Xuanzhen shifts from tender and playful to possessive and intimidating when Shen acknowledges his repeated attempts to escape. His indulgence has limits, and he intends to hold Shen accountable.

Significant themes

• Freedom versus possession: Shen wants his attempts to leave dismissed, while Chu refuses to let the pattern go.
• Teasing and power: Their arguments, physical closeness, and kisses blur the line between playful affection and control.
• Confession and consequence: Shen’s unguarded remark exposes the truth of their relationship and triggers Chu’s renewed insistence on settling the score.

Character interactions

Their exchange is a contest of resistance and intimacy: Shen argues, pushes, and curses, while Chu restrains, carries, and kisses him. Shen tries to bargain for equality, but Chu’s response makes clear that he does not consider the matter settled.

Plot points and events

• Shen Yangge becomes dangerously hot, then develops severe itching and pain after entering the sea. His tail scales turn red, and Chu Xuanzhen notices that his eyes are reddening.
• Shen Yangge realizes the symptoms began after he entered the saltwater. He suspects he—and System 615, currently in koi form—are reacting badly to the sea, despite neither being an ordinary fish. He concludes he may be allergic to seawater.
• Chu Xuanzhen takes his suffering seriously, tells him to wait, and leaves to get help. Shen Yangge stays put, worried that fleeing would only provoke Chu Xuanzhen into searching the whole sea for him.
• System 615 returns, pursued by an orca. The orca playfully launches Shen Yangge out of the water and chases the glowing specks from his tail. System 615 warns him that the orca has brought an entire pod.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge shifts from bargaining and hiding his discomfort to admitting he is genuinely unwell. He also recognizes that his earlier assumptions about saltwater and the koi’s safety were mistaken.
• Chu Xuanzhen remains stern and controlling, but his actions show concern: he checks Shen Yangge’s fever, comforts him, and leaves to find help once convinced the pain is real.
• System 615 displays a strong survival instinct by fleeing the seawater, then returns—only to arrive with a new danger on its tail.

Character interactions

• Shen Yangge tries to negotiate with Chu Xuanzhen, but Chu focuses on his worsening symptoms. Their exchange blends his evasive, coaxing manner with Chu’s watchful authority and genuine care.
• The orca treats Shen Yangge like a toy, while Shen dodges its attempts to toss him and System 615 hides in his hair.
• System 615’s warning ends the chapter on an imminent threat: the orca is not alone.

Significant themes

• Vulnerability and trust: Shen Yangge must acknowledge his condition, and Chu’s care becomes clearer once he believes him.
• Comic misunderstandings: Shen Yangge misjudges the danger of saltwater and the reason System 615 fled.
• Control versus dependence: Shen fears Chu’s possessiveness but also depends on him for help.
• Escalating danger amid humor: The supernatural illness is interrupted by the orca’s playful antics, which turn ominous with the arrival of its pod.

Plot points

• Shen Yangge flees a pod of playful orcas, reaching shore to avoid being tossed around like a toy. The whales crowd the waterline, and one splashes him.
• A man lurking nearby throws a sack over Shen Yangge and tries to abduct him, claiming he will take the “little fish demon” home and protect him.
• Chu Xuanzhen returns before the kidnapper can escape, knocks him down, and rescues Shen Yangge.
• Trapped in the sack and struggling to breathe, Shen Yangge calls for Chu Xuanzhen. Chu puts water in the container, frees him, and asks where the man touched him.
• Shen Yangge says the man touched him while bagging him, but otherwise only through the sack. Chu draws his sword as the terrified kidnapper threatens him with his status as the City Lord’s adopted son.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge is frightened and physically vulnerable, but still sharp-tongued and defiant. He weighs the danger of provoking a powerful local family and suggests the kidnapper receive a severe punishment rather than necessarily be killed.
• Chu Xuanzhen returns swiftly and acts protectively, tending to Shen Yangge and reacting with immediate anger to the abduction. His question about where Shen Yangge was touched hints at possessiveness and concern.
• The kidnapper is both cowardly and entitled: desire overcomes his usual timidity, and he assumes his family’s power will shield him. His confidence collapses when Chu appears.
• The orcas treat Shen Yangge as a plaything, creating comic danger before the human threat takes over. Shen can sense their general feelings, though he cannot understand their words.

Significant themes

• Vulnerability and protection: Shen Yangge is repeatedly at the mercy of stronger beings, while Chu’s return restores a sense of safety.
• Power and entitlement: The kidnapper believes rank gives him the right to take Shen Yangge—and immunity from consequences.
• Comic peril: Shen’s fear of being launched by orcas contrasts with the more serious danger of being abducted.
• Possessiveness and attachment: Chu’s urgency and protective attention suggest a deepening bond, while the kidnapper’s claim that Shen should belong to him frames that bond in stark contrast.

Key plot points and events

• The city lord’s adopted son tries to save himself by claiming status, then switches to pleading and offers secrecy, obedience, and a residence with a freshwater pond for Shen Yangge.
• Chu Xuanzhen rejects the man’s manipulation and punishes him for threatening him and touching what he considers his. He cuts off five of the man’s fingers but spares his life after hearing about the pond.
• Shen Yangge, soaking in freshwater, finds that his pain and itching ease and falls asleep. He wakes later in a quiet pond, away from Chu Xuanzhen.
• System 615 confirms they are no longer near Chu Xuanzhen. Shen Yangge questions why the system’s punishments can affect other people when its special privileges supposedly cannot; the system can only speculate that the punishment was triggered to restrain Shen Yangge.
• Shen Yangge realizes the system may have blurred his memories about his blood’s ability to suppress Chu Xuanzhen’s illness. Though he appears to relax and play in the pond, he remains consumed by his desire to kill Ruthis and help Chu Xuanzhen ascend the throne. The chapter ends when a pebble lands in the water.

Character developments

• Chu Xuanzhen is shown as ruthless and possessive, unwilling to tolerate threats or interference with what he regards as his own.
• The adopted son is exposed as a practiced flatterer whose confidence depends on acting and status; facing real danger, he becomes terrified and bargains desperately.
• Shen Yangge gains some physical relief and a moment of calm, but his underlying urgency and frustration remain. He also begins to understand how the system may have manipulated his memories and constrained him.
• System 615 offers an uncertain explanation of the system’s rules and appears less interested in Shen Yangge’s golden lights than before.

Significant themes

• Power, fear, and survival: The adopted son’s social authority collapses when confronted with genuine force.
• Possession and retaliation: Chu Xuanzhen treats contact with what belongs to him as an offense that must be punished.
• Control and manipulation: The system’s interventions and memory-blurring shape Shen Yangge’s choices and understanding.
• Appearance versus reality: Shen Yangge’s playful behavior masks his intense desire to change the political outcome.

Character interactions

• The adopted son tries to negotiate with Chu Xuanzhen through threats, flattery, and offers; Chu Xuanzhen responds with violence and ultimately accepts the pond as a practical benefit.
• Chu Xuanzhen orders his subordinate to remove the wounded man, whose cries had disturbed Shen Yangge’s sleep.
• Shen Yangge questions System 615 about its rules and the punishment inflicted on Chu Xuanzhen; the system provides only a tentative explanation.

Plot points and events

• A new servant, Xia Zao, introduces himself as someone Lord Chu sent to attend Shen Yangge. He admits he threw stones into the pool because he feared Shen might be a monster and was trying to check whether what he saw was real.
• Though terrified of being eaten, Xia Zao stays because his family depends on his wages—and he hopes the job may pay especially well.
• Shen asks where Chu Xuanzhen is. Xia says Chu left on business and asks whether Shen wants something to eat. Shen agrees, meaning ordinary food, but Xia assumes he is offering himself as a meal.
• Xia jumps into the pool and declares that Shen may eat him. Chu unexpectedly returns and witnesses the scene.
• Shen, irritated by Xia’s misunderstanding, knocks him off balance with his tail. Xia grabs the tail while trying to save himself, startling Shen with the sensation of another man’s touch. Shen flings him out of the pool.
• Chu silently looks from Xia to Shen with an accusatory expression, as if he thinks Shen was making advances while he was away. Shen privately insists he is innocent.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge is amused by how easily he can mislead Xia, but becomes uncomfortable when Xia touches his tail. He recognizes that only Chu’s touch feels acceptable to him. He also reveals a stubborn, defiant streak toward Chu when he feels pushed too far.
• Xia Zao is frightened but practical: concern for his family and the promise of wages outweigh his fear. His awe at Shen’s beauty quickly gives way to panic when he thinks he may be eaten.
• Chu Xuanzhen appears unexpectedly and says nothing, but his fixed, suspicious stare suggests jealousy.

Character interactions

• Xia approaches Shen with fearful deference, while Shen casually questions and teases him.
• Xia’s misguided offer to become Shen’s “meal” creates an embarrassing misunderstanding.
• Xia’s accidental touch of Shen’s tail provokes a strong reaction; Shen throws him from the pool.
• Chu’s sudden arrival turns the incident into a potential jealousy dispute, while Shen can only protest inwardly.

Significant themes

• Fear and misinterpretation: Xia’s assumptions about Shen’s nature turn an ordinary offer of food into a dramatic misunderstanding.
• Power and dependence: Xia’s need to support his family keeps him in a dangerous situation despite his terror.
• Jealousy and possessiveness: Chu’s reaction—and Shen’s thought that Chu would be jealous—underscores the tension in their relationship.
• Trust and intimacy: Shen’s discomfort with Xia’s touch, contrasted with his acceptance of Chu’s, hints at a special bond between them.

Key events

• Shen Yangge insists that Xia Zao jumped into the pond himself and that he never intended to eat him. Xia Zao realizes he misread the situation and begs forgiveness.
• Chu Xuanzhen remains unconvinced. Shen, expecting that further explanation will be useless, tries to retreat into the pond.
• Chu grabs Shen’s wrists, restrains him, and kisses him in front of the kneeling servant. Xia Zao is shocked and fears he has witnessed something he should not have seen.
• Shen breaks free and swims away, still protesting inwardly that he has been blamed unfairly. Chu settles beside the pond and calls him back.
• As Shen watches Chu, he is struck by how handsome he looks in crimson, despite his wariness. Chu ends by asking whether Shen is defying an imperial decree.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge is indignant at being suspected, but also visibly affected by Chu’s closeness and appearance. He tries to resist the kisses and avoid taking blame for something he did not do.
• Chu Xuanzhen is stubborn and difficult to persuade, yet his actions reveal possessiveness and attraction: he restrains and kisses Shen rather than simply questioning him.
• Xia Zao shifts from panic and mistaken assumptions to embarrassment and fear after witnessing the intimate exchange.
• The scene’s tension moves between accusation, physical intimacy, and Shen’s attempts to escape Chu’s control.

Significant themes

• Misunderstanding and stubborn judgment: Shen expects Chu to cling to his initial conclusion rather than listen.
• Desire and power: Chu’s forceful kisses blur the line between affection and control, while Shen resists.
• Public intimacy and secrecy: Xia Zao’s presence turns the encounter into an awkward, potentially compromising spectacle.
• Duty versus personal feeling: Chu’s closing reference to an imperial decree abruptly introduces a question of obedience, leaving the immediate conflict unresolved.

Plot points and events

• Shen Yangge refuses Chu Xuanzhen’s attempts to coax him out of the pond, disappearing completely beneath the water. Xia Zao, left beside Chu, feels an unexplained chill.
• Chu reveals a sword and appears to threaten Xia Zao, but the act is a ruse to draw out masked attackers who have surrounded them.
• Chu fights the attackers while Xia Zao hides. When the pond’s surface ripples, water crashes down on several enemies, giving Chu an opening to kill them.
• The surviving attackers realize someone is in the pond and dive in to kill Shen. Xia Zao warns Chu and is then attacked himself. He escapes beneath the corridor boards, though he is wounded in the arm.
• Chu—or someone fighting beside him—kills the attacker pursuing Xia Zao. After crawling out, Xia sees that Shen has slaughtered the men who entered the pond; the water is red with blood.
• Xia kneels before Chu and asks what to do. As Chu gives him a threatening look, a voice calls, “Chu Xuanzhen,” interrupting the moment.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge remains defiant toward Chu, but still protects him when danger strikes. His fierce response to the attackers shows he is far from the helpless figure Xia imagines.
• Chu Xuanzhen uses Xia’s fear and the apparent threat of violence to lure out the assassins, then fights ruthlessly. His actions suggest he is protecting Shen as well as himself.
• Xia Zao is terrified and repeatedly misreads events: he thinks Shen is vulnerable, yet witnesses him decisively defeat the attackers. Despite his fear, Xia warns Chu when Shen is in danger.
• The conflict between Shen and Chu is complicated by their apparent loyalty to each other: Shen is angry enough to hide, yet intervenes when Chu is threatened.

Significant themes

• Defiance and control: Shen resists Chu’s authority rather than surrendering his independence.
• Hidden strength and mistaken impressions: Xia’s assumptions about Shen are overturned by the mermaid’s deadly capability.
• Loyalty amid conflict: Shen’s aid to Chu suggests their bond persists even when they are at odds.
• Fear and survival: Xia’s frantic efforts to escape show how vulnerable ordinary bystanders are amid the characters’ violence and intrigue.