Quick Transmigration: The Sweetheart Everyone Loves Is Stuck in Romantic Chaos Every Day - Chapter 23

“Holy crap, those golden eyes and silver hair—that’s a pureblood mer from the noble Leng clan!”

“Even if the Leng family’s fallen from grace, their bloodline is still packed with spiritual power. Who the hell managed to capture one of their mers?”

Guests whispered among themselves, eyes darting to the mermaid and then to the tall, refined young man following behind the cage. Murmurs of awe rippled through the crowd.

“Ohhh, it’s Young Master Lu—Lu Chengzhou from the Lu family! Talk about promising talent.”

“Exactly! He inherited the Lu family’s legacy in his early twenties and already rivals the Ruan family in business. Word is, Old Man Ruan is thinking about marrying Ruan Tang off to him as a political match.”

Ruan Xiong stroked his chin with approval as he took in the so-called “gift.”

This kid—he really knows how to impress.

“Tangtang, take a look at—wait, slow down, sweetheart! Watch your step!”

Ruan Tang lifted her layered gown and, high heels clicking against the marble floor, rushed toward Lu Chengzhou.

Under the glittering chandeliers, she looked like a blossoming rose racing toward him, her cheeks flushed, eyes bright. Lu Chengzhou’s heart skipped another beat.

She stopped short in front of him, breathing a little heavily, her peach blossom eyes locked onto his with urgent intensity.

For once, the silver-tongued Lu Chengzhou found himself tongue-tied.

“Ahem… Miss Ruan, this is—”

He didn’t get the chance to finish.

“Give—it—to me…” Her tone was breathless, eager.

Lu Chengzhou’s ears reddened slightly. He didn’t move, frozen in place like a fool.

It wasn’t until she reached out her delicate, snow-white hand and insisted again—

“The key. Give me the key.”

—That he finally understood. His expression faltered, and with a slightly embarrassed smile, he handed over the key to the cage.

Ruan Tang grabbed it and immediately dropped to her knees at the cage, hurriedly working on the lock.

Her fingers trembled with urgency. It took her several tries before the key found the slot and—

Click.

The cage swung open.

The mer inside slumped forward like a puppet with its strings cut, limp and boneless, toppling straight into her arms.

Startled, Ruan Tang caught them—but she forgot she was wearing heels.

Thud!

They both crashed to the floor, the mer’s entire weight landing right on top of her. Cool lips brushed the edge of her own.

“Mmmf…”

She let out a quiet grunt. This mer was heavy—bigger than she’d expected, with a solid frame.

As for the accidental kiss… well, the mer was a girl, right? It didn’t really bother her.

But just because she wasn’t bothered didn’t mean everyone else shared the sentiment.

“Miss Ruan!!”

Lu Chengzhou’s face darkened. He stormed forward, yanking at the mer with a scowl.

“What are you all standing around for?! Get this damned fish back in the cage—now!”

Before anyone could react, a soft yet unmistakably firm voice stopped them cold.

“Don’t touch her!”

Everyone froze.

Ruan Tang struggled to lift the mer’s limp body. Up close, the mer’s beauty was even more dazzling—an ethereal, otherworldly elegance, like a creature stepped out of a fairytale.

At the same time, “Leng Li” opened his eyes and met hers.

His brows pinched ever so slightly.

He hadn’t forgotten the feel of her lips—soft, warm, unbearably gentle. But those lips belonged to the kind of human he despised most.

He wanted to shove her away. Desperately.

But he was too injured, too weak. He couldn’t even lift a hand.

The girl’s strength was so slight she struggled just to sit him up against the cage wall. She knelt in front of him, eyes wide and glassy with concern, her soft voice trembling:

“I’m sorry. Are you hurt?”

I’m sorry?

That was the first time he’d heard those words from a human.

A human. Apologizing. To him, a mer.

This had to be some kind of trick.

He closed his eyes, refusing to look at her, refusing to speak.

Then—

Drip.

A hot tear landed on his hand.

Drip. Drip.

More followed, falling fast and unrelenting.

“Leng Li” opened his eyes again and saw her crying—really crying, like her heart was breaking.

Ruan Tang was genuinely devastated.

Her entire mission in this world revolved around protecting the female lead.

Who would’ve guessed she’d find the girl already caged, bloodied, and on the verge of death?

She wasn’t even talking anymore. Her eyes were closed, her breathing shallow. If she died now… Ruan Tang’s mission would fail again.

Tears welled up as panic surged in her chest.

Why was she always this unlucky?

The more she thought about it, the harder it was to stop crying.

Seeing her cry like that—for him—something cracked inside “Leng Li’s” chest. The centuries-old ice around his heart started to melt, bit by bit.

He slowly raised a long, pale finger and gently wiped away one of her tears.

It was warm.

Human tears. The tears of a race he loathed.

And yet, they felt… comforting.

Without thinking, he rasped, voice hoarse:

“Don’t cry.”

Watching the scene unfold, Lu Chengzhou’s temper reached a breaking point.

He could take no more. He grabbed the mer by the arm and yanked him up from the floor.

“Don’t think being a female mer means I’ll tolerate your insolence—!”

He stopped mid-sentence.

The mer’s robe slipped slightly, revealing a muscular, defined arm.

Broad shoulders. Long legs. Height nearly matching his own.

Lu Chengzhou’s eyes went wide.

“You—?!”

This wasn’t Leng Li.

This was—Leng Li’s twin brother.

Lu Chengzhou had spent a fortune importing two pureblood siblings from Europe: the brother, Leng Li, and the sister, Leng Li (t/n: Chinese uses different characters for homophones, but the pronunciation can be the same). He’d fully intended to gift the female mer to Ruan Tang.

So how the hell had it turned into the brother?

Just then, one of his subordinates crept up and whispered, “Young Master… the other mer… she, um… escaped…”

Lu Chengzhou nearly exploded.

Clearly, the brother had pulled a fast one—used some trick to switch places with his sister and let her get away.

He’d been careless, thinking the male mer too injured to cause trouble.

Big mistake.

Leng Li didn’t spare Lu Chengzhou a glance. His pale gold eyes remained fixed on Ruan Tang, flickering with complex emotions.

Lu Chengzhou felt a surge of jealous rage.

What the hell are you looking at?! She’s mine!

With a scowl, he shoved the mer back into the cage.

“—Someone lock him up and take him away!”

In this society, noble families kept mers as exotic pets. Though many viewed them as mere playthings, their unmatched beauty made them popular among highborn sons and daughters alike.

He already had plenty of romantic rivals. No way was he handing Ruan Tang a male mer who looked like that.

Ruan Tang panicked and grabbed his arm.

“Didn’t you say you were giving him to me?!”