After enduring the scorching midday sun, the sky gradually darkened as the sun dipped toward the west. Yu Chen had left without saying where he was going, locking the courtyard gate behind him. 

Mu Mou sat by the water’s edge, idly teasing the little koi fish in the pond with the tip of his tail. 

Just then, he heard a faint rustling sound near the wall. A small, furry head peeked out from behind it. The moment the pair of wide, astonished eyes landed on Mu Mou, they grew even rounder in shock. 

Mu Mou was equally surprised. 

Why was there a human child here? 

Yu Kai glanced around the courtyard. Seeing no sign of Yu Chen, he called out, “Hey, mermaid! Is Uncle Yu Chen home?” 

He wasn’t expecting a reply and had already begun climbing over the wall, effortlessly swinging himself into the courtyard. 

To his surprise, Mu Mou answered, “Yu Chen just went out. He’s not home right now. If you need him, you’ll have to come back later.” 

Yu Kai’s eyes lit up with excitement. His young face was filled with amazement as he hopped over to Mu Mou’s side. 

“Whoa! You can speak the human language!”

Mu Mou tilted his head. Wasn’t it perfectly normal for him to speak? 

A mermaid’s vocal cords were far more advanced than a human’s, capable of producing sound frequencies that humans couldn’t. Speaking human language was simple for him. 

Yu Kai, completely unafraid, scooted closer to Mu Mou, staring at the shimmering fishtail submerged in the pond, itching to reach out and touch it. 

His eyes sparkled with curiosity as he fired off a barrage of questions. “Can you really live at the bottom of the ocean? How do you breathe? Don’t you choke on water and drown?” 

“Wow, you’re so pretty! Your eyes are green—are you wearing colored contacts? I heard city people love wearing those to look good.” 

“Why are you with Uncle Yu Chen? Are you his fish? Uncle Yu Chen likes raising fish, you know. Look, all the fat ones in this pond—he raised them too!” 

“……”

The child’s thoughts jumped around wildly. Mu Mou patiently, albeit slowly, answered his endless stream of strange questions. 

“…I am a fish. Fish don’t drown in water. Yu Chen kept me because I can help him catch other fish. I am… a fish that can catch fish…” 

Yu Kai: “…Huh?” 

He felt like his brain was about to short-circuit from Mu Mou’s words.

Mu Mou, as a lone fish, was incredibly bored. Yu Kai’s arrival was perfect for passing the time. No matter how absurd the boy’s questions were, Mu Mou always answered them seriously. 

As for any potential danger? Mu Mou glanced at Yu Kai, noting that the boy wasn’t even as tall as his tail was long. A rather mischievous thought crossed his mind—if he wanted to, a single slap of his tail could probably make this little human cry for a long time. 

Yu Kai, unaware that Mu Mou had categorized him as a low-risk human, continued chatting away with great enthusiasm. 

His parents were gone, and his grandparents were always busy making a living, too preoccupied to pay much attention to him. That was why he often ran around causing trouble with other kids. But when his friends were called home by their parents, he was left alone again. 

As the sky darkened, Yu Kai knew it was time to head back. Reluctantly, he leaned against Mu Mou’s arm and asked, “Can I come back to see you tomorrow? Can you talk to Uncle Yu Chen for me and ask him not to kick me out?” 

Suddenly, a cool, steady voice sounded from behind them. 

“What do you want him to tell me?” 

Mu Mou turned around and saw the man standing there. His lips immediately curved into a bright smile. 

“Yu Chen, you’re back.” 

His expression was pure and genuine, his eyes filled with unfiltered joy at seeing the man return—just like a little wife patiently waiting at home for her husband, his entire heart devoted to that one person.

Yu Chen’s gaze darkened slightly. Ignoring Yu Kai’s expression—one of utter shock, as if he had just seen a ghost—he strode over to Mu Mou, bent down, and effortlessly picked him up. Then, he carried him over to a stone bench and sat down. 

Out of the water, Mu Mou’s blue tail was fully revealed. Yu Kai let out a quiet “whoa” in amazement. 

Mu Mou, long accustomed to being carried, instinctively nestled into Yu Chen’s arms and reached toward the table for a teacup. 

Yu Chen wordlessly picked up the cup and placed it in Mu Mou’s hands. Mu Mou sipped at the tea in small mouthfuls, clearly enjoying the refreshing aroma of the tea leaves. 

Yu Chen lifted his eyes slightly and glanced at Yu Kai. “Does your grandfather know you came here without permission?” 

Yu Kai immediately tensed under Yu Chen’s gaze. He nervously clutched his hands together and mumbled, “He doesn’t know. Grandpa went to find housing for those outsiders, and Grandma was napping at home. I… I just wanted to come see Mu Mou.” 

“I’ve never seen a mermaid before.” 

Yu Chen’s gaze shifted between Mu Mou and Yu Kai before he commented in a neutral tone, “You even know his name now. It seems like you two got along quite well this afternoon.”

Mu Mou didn’t pick up on the subtle undertones in Yu Chen’s words. Thinking it was just a casual joke, he proudly lifted his chin. “Mhm! I’m very popular with kids!” 

Yu Chen glanced briefly at Yu Kai before shifting his focus back to Mu Mou. Without a word, he placed a hand lightly on Mu Mou’s lower abdomen. “Is that so? Looks like you’re quite good with children.” 

Mu Mou, oblivious to any underlying danger, assumed Yu Chen was merely envious of his natural charm. After all, Yu Kai seemed far more attached to him than to his own uncle. 

Wanting to be helpful, Mu Mou patted the back of Yu Chen’s hand reassuringly and thoughtfully offered some advice. “You should try smiling every now and then instead of keeping such a stern face all the time. Otherwise, of course, kids will be scared of you! You need to be gentler.” 

Yu Chen still made no move to follow his suggestion. So, Mu Mou took matters into his own hands. 

He set down his teacup and reached for Yu Chen’s face, cupping it with both hands. His thumbs pressed against the corners of Yu Chen’s lips, lifting them upward into a smile. 

A rather unnatural but nonetheless visible smile took shape on Yu Chen’s usually stoic face. 

Mu Mou’s eyes curved into crescent moons as he turned to the stunned Yu Kai and declared proudly, “See? Your uncle looks really handsome when he smiles, doesn’t he?”

Yu Kai’s expression froze. 

There was no denying that Yu Chen was handsome—his aura of cold, untouchable refinement only made him seem even more out of reach. 

But children didn’t like adults like that. Yu Chen’s natural air of authority, the kind that demanded obedience without a single word, had long since become an unforgettable childhood nightmare for Yu Kai. 

And now, watching Yu Chen’s forcibly manufactured smile thanks to Mu Mou’s meddling, Yukai felt even more terrified.

Yet when he met Mu Mou’s expectant gaze, he found himself unable to crush the mermaid’s enthusiasm. Kids didn’t know how to lie, but they also weren’t very good at faking excitement. After a moment of hesitation, he pressed his lips together and muttered, “I—I just heard Grandma calling me for dinner. Uncle, brother Mu Mou, goodbye!” 

Then, without waiting for a response, he bolted straight for the courtyard gate—looking very much like he was being chased by a ghost. 

Just as he reached the exit, Yu Chen’s voice rang out, cool and commanding. 

“Stop.” 

Yu Kai’s body stiffened instantly. He halted at the gate, turning back with obvious unease. 

Meanwhile, Yu Chen had grabbed hold of Mu Mou’s restless hands, pulling them away from his face. Mu Mou’s wrists were so delicate that Yu Chen could easily wrap one hand around both of them.

Yu Chen tapped his fingers on the table and spoke in an unhurried tone. “You addressed him incorrectly. Call him Little Uncle Mu Mou, not brother. Also, don’t mention Mu Mou to anyone. Understood?” 

Yu Kai hadn’t expected Yu Chen to stop him just for that and found it rather amusing. “Got it, Uncle.” 

Mu Mou, on the other hand, genuinely liked Yu Kai. He waved at him. “You’re welcome to come play next time.” 

Then, realizing that this wasn’t his home, he turned to Yu Chen and asked for confirmation. “Is that okay?” 

Yu Chen hesitated for a moment before giving a short reply. “…Mm.” 

Hearing Yu Chen’s approval, Yu Kai beamed with excitement. “Then I’ll come find you tomorrow! See you, Litt—uh, Little Uncle!” 

With that, he happily ran off. 

Mu Mou flicked his tail against Yu Chen’s leg. He had noticed something peculiar—this man seemed to enjoy holding him. It was the same way he clung to his stuffed rabbit when he slept. 

Looking up at the darkening sky, Mu Mou asked, “Yu Chen, aren’t you going to eat dinner?”

Yu Chen asked, “Are you hungry?” 

He had just reached for the knife to draw blood when Mu Mou hurriedly stopped him, panicked. “I’m not hungry! I ate a lot at noon. I don’t need your blood for the next couple of days. Put the knife down!” 

Seeing Yu Chen lower the knife, Mu Mou finally sighed in relief. 

There was a trace of concern in his eyes. “I heard humans need to eat three meals a day. You skipped lunch, so you shouldn’t skip dinner too. It’s bad for your health.” 

Yu Chen paused for a moment. Eating…?

Meeting Mu Mou’s insistent gaze, for the first time, he was reminded that he was human too—that hunger was still something he was meant to experience. 

When Yu Chen remained motionless, Mu Mou reached out and gave him a gentle push. “Wait… do you not know how to cook?” 

His brows furrowed as he thought about it. “Oh no, I don’t really know how to cook either… How about you go eat at Yu Kai’s house?” 

After all, he and his siblings often visited each other’s homes for meals. He himself had been raised under the care of his older brothers, always having food shared with him.

Yu Chen finally stood up, placing Mu Mou back into the water before heading into the house. 

Mu Mou rested his chin on his hands at the edge of the pool, staring at Yu Chen’s retreating figure. 

Just then, 001 suddenly sprang back to life. [Good morning, my dear master!]

Mu Mou stared at the sunset, at a loss for words. […Good morning.]

[Warning—Warning—A high-risk NPC has been detected. Master, please leave immediately. Beep—The NPC is approaching. Distance: 10 meters… 7 meters… 5 meters…]

“What are you spacing out for?” 

Yu Chen returned with a plate of fruit, noticing how Mu Mou was staring blankly into space, his beautiful eyes filled with confusion. 

Mu Mou was still dazed, but he quickly forced himself to lie. “N-nothing, I’m just sleepy.” 

To make it more convincing, he stretched and yawned. “Yu Chen, I’m so tired. I’m going to sleep now.” 

Were merfolk naturally this sleepy?

Yu Chen recalled that Mu Mou had already napped for a long time in the afternoon. And now, he was sleepy again? 

His gaze lingered on the fish sinking into the pool before he casually picked up a slice of apple, chewing it slowly.

【Beep—Beep—High-risk NPC detected, identity confirmed: Yu Chen of Yujia Village】

【Gender: Male】

【Age: ???】

【Race: ???】

【Overall Strength: ???】

【Likes: Weak, soft little fish (suspected), ???】

【Evaluation: RUN!!!】

Mu Mou stared at the long string of question marks, feeling just as confused. Reading through it again, he began to suspect—was the system malfunctioning? 

Yu Chen might be a little cold and sometimes enjoyed scaring people for fun, but overall, he was a good person. During Mu Mou’s time here, Yu Chen had willingly given his blood without complaint, despite the pain. 

Feeling indignant, Mumu puffed up his cheeks and argued, [Yu Chen is a good person. You’ve misunderstood him.]

001 responded lazily: [I don’t even know the guy. How would I know if he’s good or bad? But those basic stats? They’re automatically generated by the copy system. Could be an error, though—this system is pretty dumb most of the time.]

Mu Mou was able to enter the copy thanks to 001’s help. The copy system was the ultimate authority in this game, and since Mu Mou had become an NPC through an abnormal method, he had to complete his assigned tasks and earn points. Otherwise, the system would detect him and forcibly remove him from the instance. 

Mu Mou nodded firmly. [There must be a mistake. Even Yu Chen’s race is marked with question marks—it’s definitely an error.]

001 had just woken up and wasn’t familiar with Yu Chen. Since Mu Mou was so certain, it figured the system must have messed up. [Alright, I’ll go check it out.]

With that, 001 left to investigate the issue. Before disappearing, it informed Mu Mou, [Master, I’ve recovered some energy. To make it easier for you to move, I’ve given you legs. You can switch between a fishtail and human legs at will.]

True to its usual dominant personality, 001 was merely notifying Mu Mou rather than asking for his opinion. It left right after saying that. 

Mu Mou had no objections. With a thought, his fish tail transformed into a pair of long, slender legs. However, there was just one problem… 

He was completely bare. 

A koi fish happened to be swimming over him, its round eyes staring straight at Mu Mou.

His face slowly turned red. Without a word, he changed his legs back into a tail.