[Ahhh! The way those two got so close just now—I cannot handle it! I love it so much, my goodness!]
[A tragic romance between a merman and a human? Oh my god, I'm dying over here.]
[Ship what? Ship who? I swear, Mu-ge is just one person, yet you lot have already paired him with half the cast. This is absurd.]
[Are CP fans going to start fighting each other? I'm watching this drama unfold with popcorn in hand.]
"You, ugly one, what is your name?" Kazel raised an eyebrow, giving Mu Qingyun a long, assessing look. But as his gaze met hers, his eyes suddenly froze in slight surprise.
"One should give their own name before asking for someone else's," Mu Qingyun said coolly, lifting her head to meet his eyes.
"Kazel."
"Mu Qingyun."
Kazel's lips curled into a smirk, and he let out a playful "Oh?" as if he had found something intriguing. "I know who you are. You're the one opposing the princess, right? Bai Feifei and Deng Yijie curse your name in front of me every single day."
"…I figured as much," Mu Qingyun said, her eyes briefly flashing with a chill, though her expression remained indifferent. She was used to this kind of behavior and did not care much for gossip that was not said to her face. People who talked behind others' backs would eventually choke on their own tongues.
"But compared to that, I've found something far more interesting," Kazel said, narrowing his eyes. His pupils shimmered, turning into a translucent shade of violet, and in the next instant, his legs transformed into a long, glittering fishtail.
It was Mu Qingyun's first time seeing a merfolk in person. Under the sunlight, Kazel's tail shimmered like water touched with diamonds, mesmerizing in its beauty.
Though the sudden transformation was somewhat jarring, her attention was quickly stolen by the tail's sheer elegance, and she had no time to think too deeply about it.
"Just as I thought," Kazel's voice drifted down from above. In a blink, his fishtail morphed back into long, slender legs. "Turn off your livestream device."
Mu Qingyun: …?
[Wait, what? They only exchanged a few words and now he wants her to shut down the stream?]
[Are these two moving a bit too fast? My goodness, Kazel is way too forward!]
[Welp, here comes the new CP—Team Kazel all the way! I'm fully backing Ze-Mu! Let's gooo!]
[Ahhhhh noooo! Don't end the stream! I need to know what happens next!]
[Hold on. Wasn't Kazel super loyal to the princess? How did he fall for someone else so quickly—and a guy at that?]
"What are you planning to do?" Mu Qingyun frowned but did not turn off the livestream. She had no idea what this merman was up to.
"I'm about to reveal a secret about you. So it's in your best interest to shut it off," Kazel said with a slight tilt of his head. His shimmering violet eyes returned to a more mundane black.
A secret?
Instinctively, Mu Qingyun clenched her left hand. Could he have seen her using her plant-based abilities before?
That should not be possible. Every time she had investigated traces of vegetation, she had been extremely cautious. By all rights, no one should have seen her.
Still, to be safe, she reached up and turned off the livestream.
"What do you want to say?" she asked, eyes narrowing, her body tensing with guarded suspicion.
Seeing her so wary, Kazel chuckled lightly. "No need to be so nervous. I'm not going to tell anyone."
"Merfolk are born with a special ability: we can see a person's age and biological sex just by looking into their eyes."
A sharp thud echoed in Mu Qingyun's heart as she looked down quickly. She remembered reading about merfolk in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, but there had been no mention of such an ability.
"I don't understand what you're talking about," she said coldly, lifting her eyes with feigned calm. Her expression remained unmoved, as if she had not been shaken in the slightest.
"Still pretending?" Kazel sneered. "What do you think I transformed into a merman just now for? Girl dressed as a boy, surname Mu, obvious hostility toward the princess… Let me guess—you're not some hidden imperial heir, are you? Or... perhaps a girl?"
Mu Qingyun gave him a sidelong glance. "You've got quite the imagination."
But inside, she was startled. The merman's instincts were frighteningly accurate. Aside from the 'hidden heir' part, he had hit upon the truth.
Kazel looked at her with a mysterious grin. "Ugly one, are you dressing like a man because your female appearance is even uglier?"
Mu Qingyun: …
Why do I suddenly have the urge to stab him with a trident?
She said nothing. Kazel raised a brow and smugly lifted his chin. "So I was right?"
"Right my foot. What did you grow up eating to end up with a mouth like that? You think being handsome gives you the right to talk like this?"
Mu Qingyun frowned. Back in her past life, she had been the most sought-after gentleman in the capital—charming and renowned. People might have called her a pretty boy or whispered behind her back, but no one had ever dared to call her ugly.
"I've heard you're quite skilled. You knocked Deng Yijie unconscious with a single move," Kazel said, his eyes narrowing with a hint of admiration. "Not bad."
Mu Qingyun glanced at him, then took a moment to observe their surroundings. There were only three spots that bore signs of regular rest. "You don't usually stay here?"
"I live in the sea," Kazel replied indifferently. "I rarely come ashore. Honestly, I wouldn't have bothered showing up at all if the academy hadn't suddenly changed the rules. The worse the place, the more trouble it brings."
Worse?
Mu Qingyun frowned. Everyone participating in the academy's trials held deep respect for the institution. Yet here he was, dismissing it with contempt. If he held such disdain, then why had he come in the first place?
"Do whatever you came here to do." Kazel pointed toward the three resting spots, raising a brow. "You wouldn't be lingering here if you didn't have something planned."
"How curious," Mu Qingyun murmured, her gaze settling on him again. "Weren't you supposed to be loyal to Mu Xueyao?"
"That was just for show." Kazel's eyes narrowed slightly. "Hurry up. Place it discreetly. Once you turn the stream back on, I'll go with you."
Mu Qingyun's gaze darkened. She held the charcoal-like object she had received earlier in her hand. But she did not act right away.
She could not help but wonder—why was Kazel helping her? They were strangers, and technically speaking, they should have been enemies. He was on Mu Xueyao's team and had no reason to aid her.
"Stop overthinking it. You won't get any answers from me. Just use the time wisely and plant the thing. That's your priority."
Kazel turned and walked behind the rock pile where Mu Qingyun had hidden earlier. Once there, he stopped and waited silently.
Mu Qingyun hesitated briefly, then ground the charcoal object into fine powder and scattered it across the area where the three people slept.
Poetic justice—let them reap the consequences of their own actions.
"Are you done?" Kazel's voice called out.
She gave a quiet nod and casually reactivated her livestream.