The merperson sent by the Lan Hai Kingdom to marry into the Qing Kingdom... hatched from his egg under heavy guard and escaped alone.
The palace was so vast that Mu Xiaoxiao lost his way. To protect himself, he blended in with a group of newly recruited palace eunuchs.
All he wanted was to leave the palace as soon as possible. His instincts told him to return to the deep sea...
When he learned that serving the deposed crown prince would let him leave the palace too, his heart leapt with joy.
Mu Xiaoxiao's eyes darted about. He gathered all his savings and went to see the chief eunuch.
A few days later, Mu Xiaoxiao stood in the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, vaguely feeling that something wasn't quite right...
The new crown prince, Zhao Mingchen, was moody and unpredictable. He wore a constant smile that made people feel as if they were basking in a spring breeze, but his heart was cold to the core.
A servant did something so well that it pleased him too much, and he had the servant killed.
A servant did something that displeased him, and he had that servant killed too.
Before long, everyone serving in the Eastern Palace was walking on eggshells every day. They knew the crown prince hated nonhumans most of all, so no one dared mention the merperson sent as a bride.
When Mu Xiaoxiao heard this, he clutched his little tail tightly, terrified that one day Crown Prince Zhao Mingchen would discover his identity.
But before long, Mu Xiaoxiao noticed that his meals kept coming with extra seaweed or buckwheat-noodle-like sea worms.
Furious, Mu Xiaoxiao threw down his chopsticks. "Who is it? Who's playing a prank on me?!"
Zhao Mingchen, sitting on a beam, guiltily rubbed the tip of his nose. "I thought you'd like them."
Zhao Mingchen leapt down and wrapped one hand around Mu Xiaoxiao's slender waist.
"Don't fish like these things?"
Mu Xiaoxiao: ...Has he figured me out?!
Mu Xiaoxiao packed his little bundle and fled the palace in the middle of the night without looking back...
At the shore of the Eastern Sea, he stared at the surging waves and threw himself straight into... Zhao Mingchen's arms.
Zhao Mingchen's face was pale and his eyes bloodshot. A hint of madness curled his lips into a smile. "Little thing, are you going to run again?"
P.S.:
1. This is a fictional setting, so there's no need to nitpick historical details! The ancient setting doesn't follow modern rules!
2. Nobody is perfect. The characters aren't meant to be flawless!
3. If you're dropping the story, please don't tell me. No writing advice, thanks!
4. We're all here to enjoy a fictional story, so don't ruin everyone's mood. Comments that stir up trouble, distort the plot, use profanity, steal the story, or make personal attacks will be deleted. The author has a fiery temper and will clap back when pushed.
5. The author has two hands suited only for writing fluffy, sugary romances. If that's not your thing, click "x" and go read another author's work. No need to leave a trace...
Synopsis uploaded on August 2, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. Screenshot saved to the archive. This obscure author has fragile bones and won't tolerate anyone picking a fight.
Theme: Be true to yourself
