The ugly Butterfly Koi

Hearing her call him Uncle in that sweet little voice left Fu Yunting thoroughly pleased. Naturally, he agreed.

The flower and bird market mainly sold all sorts of ornamental plants and animals suitable for keeping as pets.

"What would you like?"

Qin Yan gripped the fabric at his shoulder and gave it a gentle tug, whispering, "Let me down, Uncle."

"All right."

Although he put her down, he still held her hand.

Fu Yunting lowered his eyes for a look.

His hand was large, his skin a normal, healthy shade of fair.

Qin Yan's little hand was several shades fairer than his, forming a stark contrast as it rested in his palm.

It was soft, too. He gave it a squeeze. Were all children's hands this soft? Why did even her bones feel soft?

Qin Yan walked slowly beside her uncle.

Her legs were short, so she couldn't walk fast.

To match her pace, Fu Yunting had to slow down, too.

Eventually, she stopped in front of a flower shop.

Her eyes fixed on the brilliantly blooming moss roses.

The owner was a young woman, who hurried outside when she saw them.

"Do you like these moss roses, little one?"

Qin Yan nodded, then shook her head.

Under the shop assistant's puzzled gaze, Qin Yan tightened her grip on her uncle's fingers.

As though mustering a great deal of courage, she said to the assistant,

"Like these. With seeds."

Fu Yunting understood what she meant.

"You want sunflowers that grow sunflower seeds?"

Qin Yan nodded.

"Can I?"

She was a little nervous. "I have money."

Her grandfather had given it to her.

Wait, I don't think I brought any money.

Qin Yan was just about to say she would come back another time when Fu Yunting spoke.

"Do you have sunflowers?"

The young assistant gave an awkward smile. "Well, this is a flower shop."

They had no sunflowers.

Qin Yan said, "Seeds."

What she wanted was seeds. She wanted to grow sunflowers herself.

They didn't have them here, but somewhere else surely would.

So Fu Yunting took her to another shop that sold seeds and bought sunflower seeds.

They also sold other vegetable seeds and fruit seedlings here.

In the end, Qin Yan took a packet of sunflower seeds, three pots of strawberry plants, and a packet of peanut seeds.

There was nothing else she wanted to buy.

Finally, they went for a look around the pet section.

"This fish of yours is almost dead. It looks so ugly and scary."

"Never mind people-even the other fish in the tank are scared. Look how far away they're keeping."

Inside a fish shop, several customers were pointing at a fish in a tank and commenting on it.

The owner was busy, but he came over for a look when he heard them.

"Oh, you're right. Sorry about that, man. I didn't notice."

Qin Yan looked over, too.

The tank stood in the most conspicuous spot by the shop entrance. Inside were ornamental fish called Butterfly Koi.

They were still juveniles, small but very pretty.

Butterfly Koi had especially beautiful tails and grew to an impressive size, making them a fairly popular ornamental fish.

One Butterfly Koi was so ugly that it looked completely out of place among the others.

More than half its scales had fallen off, and its tail looked as though something had corroded it away. Its remaining scales were an ashen white. Only its mouth still moved faintly, as though it were struggling to survive.

The shopkeeper scooped the fish out.

"Strange, really. I checked everything carefully when I opened today, but I honestly didn't notice one was dying."

"What a shame. I can only throw it away."

"I don't know what's been going on lately. Lots of ornamental fish around here have died. I wonder if there's some infectious disease."

"No, I'd better buy some treatment to disinfect this tank."

Qin Yan tightened her grip on her uncle's hand, her eyes fixed on the Butterfly Koi.

"What, you want it?"

"That one's dying. If you like them, I'll buy you a healthy one."

Qin Yan shook her head.

"That one."

"Uncle."

She had no money, so she could only have her uncle buy it for her.

Asking for a favor, Qin Yan softened her voice even further. A pleading look entered her pretty eyes, enough to soften anyone's heart.

"What am I going to do with you?"

Tsk. Were all children this good at acting cute?

He walked over with Qin Yan.

The owner was just about to throw the fish away when Fu Yunting stopped him.

He handed the owner fifty yuan.

"I'll take that fish."

The owner: ???

"Sir, this fish is already dead. I was just going to throw it away."

Fu Yunting said, "I'll take it."

The owner glanced at him and accepted the money. "Sure thing. Shall I find something to put it in?"

He looks tall, strapping, and smart. Who knew he was an idiot?

"Use a tank."

He pointed at a small fish tank.

"You think I'm paying this much for the fish? Is that fish worth this much?"

The owner: ...

He had thought he'd found a fool, but he'd let his guard down.

This man looks rich, but he's actually poor.

"All right."

He took a small fish tank and put the fish inside.

Qin Yan took it.

The tank was just the right size for her to hold.

Only, the fish inside had already turned belly-up.

They didn't continue browsing after that. With the slime Tuantuan on her head, Qin Yan carried the tank and walked back beside her eldest uncle.

"Isn't that heavy? Let me carry it."

Qin Yan shook her head. "It's not heavy."

She held the tank all the way to the car and even poked the belly-up fish with her finger.

"Oh, it's still alive. Quite a tenacious little thing."

Fu Yunting took a closer look. Not only was the fish still alive, but its mouth seemed to be moving faster, and it even flicked its tail.

It really was ugly, though.

The fish looked like an ugly little doll.

After they returned to the Fu home,

Qin Yan immediately began carrying things into her room like a little hamster.

First, she carried the fish upstairs.

Then came the strawberries.

Her room had a balcony, a fairly large one.

She put the strawberries, pots and all, out on the balcony.

As for the sunflower and peanut seeds, those could wait until tomorrow.

Now, Qin Yan touched the fish, which had regained a tiny bit of vitality, with her finger again.

The next second, an information panel appeared before her eyes.

[This is a Butterfly Koi fighting against pollutants. If it fails, it will die. If it succeeds, it will transform. Perhaps helping it will bring a surprise.]

This information had appeared in the car earlier, but with her eldest uncle beside her, Qin Yan had been too nervous to properly take it in.

"How do I help?"

Her little brow furrowed. Naturally, Qin Yan hoped this fish would successfully transform.

Before she could take her hand out, the dying fish suddenly caught her finger in its mouth.

The fish had no teeth, so it didn't hurt.

But it seemed to be sucking on something.

Just as Qin Yan was at a loss over what to do, the energy inside her, which she still couldn't control, began moving in response to her strong desire.

Qin Yan felt a warm current flow through her body, finally traveling down her arm to the finger held in the Butterfly Koi's mouth.

As though it had tasted something delicious, the Butterfly Koi moved its mouth even faster.

Its ugly tail, which looked as though something had corroded it away, began to flick gently, too.

Qin Yan's eyes widened slightly. Wh... what was going on?