Raising a Merfolk

Li Jiyue is the emperor's most beloved youngest son, and with a powerful maternal clan behind him, he will never want for food or clothing.

He is beautiful, with skin like polished jade, so lovely that anyone would feel for him. His admirers stretch from the imperial capital to the borderlands. If he calls any of them "dear brother," every one would gladly die for him.

But he is frail and sickly. Though brilliant, he is destined never to inherit the throne, and fated to die young.

People say merfolk are seductive, sinister, and cunning, but every part of them can be used as medicine.

His devoted admirers gave their lives trying to capture merfolk for him. He didn't care, at most pretending to shed a couple of tears.

This heartless beauty never felt he owed anyone an apology, yet again and again he encountered the ghosts of those who had died for him. They wandered through his bedchamber and climbed into his bed as if they owned the place.

When he jolted awake, he drew back the gauze curtains and saw a youthful-looking man with taut, pale skin in a wooden tub. He let out a sigh of relief.

White hair spilled down, and a glistening, wet fish tail shimmered. With a smile in his pale blue eyes, the man stammered, imitating human speech: "Dear... bro...ther..."

But later, the fish tail soaked him, and the crane-white hair coiled around him. The merfolk demon looked peculiar as he asked, "So anyone who gives you merfolk blood is a dear brother?"

2025.6.8

Cover art thanks to artist Weilou

Theme: Resilience