The Little Shark Reaches the Pinnacle of Life by Acting Cute

My upcoming story, The Happy Life of a 21st-Century Panda Ruling the Ancient World, is described at the very bottom. Please add it to your favorites! O(∩_∩)O

An adorable, soft, playful little shark bottom x a silver-tailed merman top who is absurdly powerful, dotes on his wife, and is trying hard to be steady and reliable

Luoxi is a black-and-white little shark who has just reached adulthood and has had one run of bad luck after another. He's a big eater and a poor hunter, and has never managed to fill his belly.

He heard that powerful male mermen were the rulers of the sea, and that if you married one, you would be provided for.

Recently, rumors spread that a fierce and ruthless male merman had appeared in Berlin Sea. He was a newly adult powerhouse who had single-handedly defeated a whole group of Ling Sha Mermen and committed every kind of evil.

"Fierce and ruthless" meant he could catch lots of big fish to eat, right? Luoxi waited in eager anticipation, slung a bundle over his back, and hurried off to Berlin Sea to confess to his future merman husband.

By chance, he came across Shi Jiujin in the midst of his coming-of-age period. After a misunderstanding, Shi Jiujin woke up beside a beautiful young man and guessed that he must be the obedient, adorable merman of his dreams.

Luoxi woke up aching all over and still unable to turn back into his original form. Looking at his handsome merman husband, he blinked shyly. "Hubby, hungry. Want food."

Unfortunately, a sudden tsunami separated them.

The little shark could finally eat his fill from then on, except...

Scene One

The little shark clapped excitedly.

Shi Jiujin picked the perfect moment to charge at a pod of dolphins, but an inexplicable force interfered with his straight-line sprint. With a bang, his tail smashed a rock, and the dolphins scattered at the sound.

Shi Jiujin: ...

The unlucky little shark: "Sorry, it's all my fault."

Shi Jiujin: "I don't mind a little trouble."

Scene Two

The little shark: "Wow, hubby, our daughter is amazing!"

Their little shark daughter proudly puffed out her chest as she returned triumphantly with another delicious big fish. But... her merman brother, whose eyes were brimming with tears, was still hanging from her tail.

Shi Jiujin: ...

Why is our merman son, who is clearly the older brother, so much weaker than his little sister? What on earth went wrong with my genes?

Version Two

Shi Jiujin needed to become a powerful merman, so when he was ten, his parents sent him into the ocean to survive on his own.

He should have returned to land before his heat arrived, but because of... he delayed coming ashore.

During a tsunami, Shi Jiujin rescued a black-and-white little shark who looked completely unlike other sharks.

He's so spoiled! He wants me to scrape off the scales and pick out the bones whenever he eats a fish. He bumped into a rock once and lost some scales... I worry about him all day long.

--- Upcoming: The Happy Life of a 21st-Century Panda Ruling the Ancient World ---

Xiuzhu is a panda cub who has just turned six months old. Lately, he's been obsessed with chewing bamboo.

Panda cubs are usually lively and active, and Xiuzhu is no exception.

One day, he dragged a bamboo stalk around while playing and wrestling with the neighboring panda cub. But he accidentally fell into a puddle, and then... well, next thing he knew, he had transmigrated.

As soon as he arrived, Xiuzhu saw two enormous pandas beating up some kind of creature. Every punch they threw struck like a bolt of thunder.

Terrified, Xiuzhu nervously bit down on his paw and trembled.

The two chiefs of the Panda Tribe recently found a precious panda cub while out hunting. From then on, their poor yet noble tribe became a tribe of three bears.

This panda was shorter than them, which meant he was still a cub. The rounder ancient panda, Weida, and the more muscular ancient panda, Mengshou, decided to cherish him and raise him well.

They took Xiuzhu to gaze at the stars: camping in the wilderness.

They took Xiuzhu to enjoy life: beating up dinosaurs.

They took Xiuzhu to experience everyday life: instructing the Ant Tribe to plant crops.

Looking at the two chubby pandas on either side of him, who were cubs just like him, Xiuzhu breathed a huge sigh of relief.

He followed Weida and Mengshou home without a care in the world.

A year later, Weida painstakingly taught Xiuzhu how to grow bigger.

"Xiuxiu, growing giant is one of the strongest weapons our panda clan has for ruling the ancient world. You have to learn it," Weida said solemnly, his paws clasped behind his back.

Xiuzhu clasped his paws together and nodded adorably.

"Good. I'll demonstrate it for you." With that, Weida transformed into a giant panda.

Looking down at Xiuzhu, he asked, "Did you understand?"

Xiuzhu honestly shook his head.

"...Maybe I need to explain the theory, too," Weida thought after a moment of silence.

He returned to normal panda size. "You just have to really want to become a giant panda. Got it?"

Xiuzhu: "..."

Theme: Life isn't only about the struggles right in front of us. There's also poetry and distant horizons.