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墨書 Inktalez
Jiang Ming trembled as he said, "Just hold on a little longer."
Hearing the quiver in Jiang Ming's voice, Yan Qing felt a sense of helplessness. "Is the wound that frightening? Maybe we should leave first."
Yan Qing tried to turn over, swishing his tail, but Jiang Ming noticed and pressed him down firmly.
"I'm not afraid."
Jiang Ming stuffed the remaining piece of Yan Qing's shirt that wasn't soaked in blood into his mouth. "Bite down on this. Just endure for a bit; it will be over soon."
Yan Qing clenched his teeth around the fabric, lying flat against the rocks with his head buried in his arms. His gums were tightly clenched, his face taut, and a thin sheen of sweat formed on his forehead. He furrowed his brows and closed his eyes, enduring the pain.
Fortunately, Jiang Ming worked quickly. After applying disinfectant to the wound, he pulled the now limp Yan Qing into his arms and carefully wrapped bandages around him.
"Are you okay?" Jiang Ming asked softly, his voice gentle and low.
Yan Qing whimpered in pain, "I... I'm fine." His voice was weak, barely above a whisper.
Jiang Ming looked down at Yan Qing, who lay vulnerably in his embrace, completely exposed and fragile.
At that moment, Yan Qing's already pale skin appeared almost translucent, and his once vibrant lips were now colorless and cracked from dehydration.
Then Yan Qing fainted.
Having gone without food or water for ten long hours and dragging such a deep wound for so far, Yan Qing's body had long reached its limits. It was only thanks to the injected medication that he had managed to hold on this long.
Jiang Ming gently wiped the thin layer of sweat from Yan Qing's forehead and brought out a bottle of purified water, placing it by Yan Qing's lips to moisten them.
The water flowed slowly from the bottle's opening and dripped onto Yan Qing's mouth. He instinctively began to suck eagerly, quickly relieving the dryness in his throat.
When he opened his eyes and saw slender fingers holding the water bottle for him, Yan Qing was momentarily taken aback but soon finished every last drop.
Wiping his mouth and swallowing the last of the water, Yan Qing looked up at Jiang Ming, revealing a faint yet fragile smile. "Thank you."
Jiang Ming raised his hand and offered the nutritional supplement to Yan Qing again. "Have some more; you haven't eaten in a long time."
Yan Qing accepted without hesitation, gulping down the supplement until he felt full. "Let's go."
This time, Jiang Ming nodded. He carefully avoided Yan Qing's back injury with his left hand while placing his right hand on the mermaid tail, gently lifting it out of the water. The shimmering tail fin emerged, radiant and beautiful.
Jiang Ming glanced down. "Your tail is really beautiful." There was a hint of awe in his eyes.
Yan Qing's pale face broke into a slight smile. "This is a fighting fish; I chose a light blue one." He swayed his tail playfully. "Isn't it lovely?"
"Very lovely," Jiang Ming replied with a smile.
Feeling the cold wind from the sea at dawn, Jiang Ming took off his coat and draped it over Yan Qing. Instantly, the fragile Yan Qing was enveloped in it, leaving only the stunning light blue tail exposed.
On the way back, Yan Qing was genuinely exhausted. Several times, his arm that had been draped over Jiang Ming's neck slipped off.
He slid down but quickly woke up again when Jiang Ming jostled him, tightening his grip around Jiang Ming.
This cycle of drowsiness and waking continued until they reached the skies above Pacific Division Base, where Yan Qing finally fell into a peaceful sleep.
After assessing Yan Qing's condition, the medical staff performed a simple treatment before allowing Jiang Ming to take him away. Fortunately, the injuries were minor; there was just a lot of bleeding, and he needed some time to rest—a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.
After returning Yan Qing to his dormitory, Jiang Ming didn't stray far but transformed back into his original form and lay beside Yan Qing on the bed. The soft and fluffy fur of Silver Gradient glimmered faintly in the darkness.
A few hours later, Jiang Ming heard Yan Qing's pained groans. He touched Yan Qing's forehead and realized it was burning hot.
Jiang Ming sprang up in alarm, panic filling his eyes.
When he pulled back the covers, he was further shocked to see that Yan Qing's abdomen had completely split open along the scales of his tail. In his frantic state, Jiang Ming remembered that Yan Qing was still a mermaid.
Jiang Ming picked up Yan Qing, dragging his long fish tail across the floor before placing him gently into the bathtub and starting to fill it with water.
But then he remembered the wound on Yan Qing's back. In a flurry, Jiang Ming glanced at Yan Qing's back to ensure it wasn't getting wet. Satisfied, he quietly turned Yan Qing onto his stomach so he could rest in the tub.
After a while, the flush on Yan Qing's face began to fade slowly.
A thin layer of sweat formed on Yan Qing's fair forehead as he lay weakly against the side of the bathtub.
To observe the wound on Yan Qing's back, Jiang Ming decided not to dress him but instead wrapped his entire upper body in bandages. With each faint breath from Yan Qing, Jiang Ming could see the delicate butterfly bones gently quivering from his vantage point.
Jiang Ming stared at Yan Qing, leaning against the wall for a long moment before sliding down to sit beside him. He gently brushed away the beads of water and murmured, "So fragile."
When Yan Qing finally woke up, Jiang Ming was still resting beside the bathtub. As soon as Yan Qing opened his eyes, he was greeted by a view filled with soft white fur. Unable to resist, he reached out to touch it.
"What are you doing?" Jiang Ming's lazy voice suddenly broke the silence.
Yan Qing opened his mouth to respond but found himself unable to make a sound; his dry throat felt as if it were about to catch fire.
"Don't speak just yet." Noticing something was off with Yan Qing, Jiang Ming quickly changed his demeanor. He pulled down a towel from nearby and wrapped it around his waist, leaving the bathroom barefoot.
When he returned, Jiang Ming was dressed and holding a cup of water.
He brought the water to Yan Qing and said, "Take a couple of sips to soothe your throat."
Yan Qing reached out to take it but was startled to see that his fingers were webbed with a transparent membrane. He froze for a moment.
Seeing Yan Qing's dazed expression, Jiang Ming squatted down and gently nudged the cup toward Yan Qing's lips.
Only then did Yan Qing snap back to reality. He took the cup with his right hand and began sipping slowly.
As he drank, curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn't help but stare at the webbing between his other fingers.
Yan Qing was puzzled, unable to speak as he looked at Jiang Ming with an expression full of curiosity, seeking answers.
Jiang Ming glanced at the dazed fish in the bathtub, smiled slightly, and said, “A medical team came by. They said this is a normal situation and it will disappear soon.”
Not receiving the answer he wanted, Yan Qing shook his hand at Jiang Ming, showcasing his large hand with its transparent webbing between the fingers.
Jiang Ming raised an eyebrow. “They said this is due to the external shock causing the drug's effects to prolong. In addition, under excessive blood loss, the derivative of the injected drug can trigger a self-protection mechanism that results in random conditions. There’s no harm in it; you can rest assured.”
Yan Qing put down the cup of water and continued to stare at his shiny webbing, hoarsely saying, “So… it’s like a passive effect of a protective mechanism.”
“Yeah, that’s about the gist of it.”
After examining his hand long enough, Yan Qing finally turned his gaze back to Jiang Ming.
At that moment, Jiang Ming had not had a proper rest for two days and nights. Dark circles had formed under his eyes, making him look haggard and somewhat defeated.
Yan Qing felt a surge of emotions that were hard to articulate. From the moment Jiang Ming found him in the vast ocean and took care of him throughout the day, he had been touched.
From being carried over the endless sea to now being served tea with such care, Yan Qing couldn’t deny that he felt a deep sense of gratitude.
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