There were still minimal traces of oil on the surface of the waterhole. Bai Qingqing called out to Bluepool while she scooped out the oil with a tree branch. Since the bowl had been brought home, she contained the oil using a tree leaf.
Bluepool only floated to the surface after a good while. By then, Bai Qingqing had already finished cleaning up the water surface, save for some remnant traces by the edges.
âYouâre out.â Bai Qingqing expressed her delight at seeing him. âI thought you werenât ever going to talk to me again.â
Bluepool gazed at the water surface and said, âItâs clean enough already. How long are you going to continue scooping?â
âUntil you come out. Iâm here to look for you,â Bai Qingqing said straightforwardly. Her voice turned meek at the sight of Bluepoolâs icy expression. âSorry, I wonât try to hook a red thread between[1] you and someone else again.â
âWhat red thread?â Bluepool looked around with his tail tensed up. âWhat are you up to this time?â
Bai Qingqing hurriedly explained, âNo, no, no. Itâs just an analogy. I mean, I wonât try to matchmake you with a female again.â
Bluepoolâs expression eased slightly. Taking another look at her meek and subservient manner, he suddenly felt glee in his heart, and his anger completely dissipated.
But in order to obtain more benefits, Bluepool maintained his stiff expression. He blew a large bubble in the water and said with a serious countenance, âThen, come in and help me take a look at the nest.â
âYou built a nest in there?â Bai Qingqingâs curiosity was aroused. She turned around and patted her cubs on their little heads. âWait outside. And tell your Daddy when he comes later, lest he worries.â
âMeowââ
Amid the cubsâ reluctant purrs, Bai Qingqing squeezed into the bubble.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
The bubble sank instantly, blocking the cold wind outside. Although she was in the water, it felt much warmer than outside.
The corners of Bluepoolâs mouth twitched involuntarily as he carried the bubble and dived downwards.
This waterhole was much deeper than Bai Qingqing had imaginedâit was like a gigantic well.
It was said that the water in a well was warm in the winter and chilling in the summer. Bai Qingqing placed her hand against the bubble and realized that the water inside was also warm.
âJust like the well in my hometown. It really is warm.â Bai Qingqing found this fascinating and went around touching the bubble. She gazed towards Bluepool through the faint lighting. âYou live comfortably down here, unlike us. Itâs cold and windy out there; the wind is so strong that it can blow someone away.â
Bluepool nodded in agreement. âItâs just a little cramped here. But there wonât be big waves like in the sea, which makes for a safer environment for a female.â
As they spoke, the body of water suddenly became wider. So it turned out there was more to this waterhole than met the eyeâthe top was merely the neck of the bottle, and beneath that was where the water truly was stored.
Bluepool brought Bai Qingqing inside, and the lighting immediately turned even dimmer. There was only one speck of light illuminating the nest inside.
âWah!â Bai Qingqing let out a gasp of surprise as she pointed at the lit-up area. âThatâs your nest? Where did that light come from?â
âYouâre so pretty, yet youâre really not a member of the merfolk tribe.â
Bluepool sent Bai Qingqing into the nest, before entering himself. He picked up the luminous pearl embedded in the center of the nest and said, âStill remember Jeanâs nest?â
âYes, there were many glowing pearls there. But most of them werenât as bright as yours.â
Bluepool was pleased to hear this and slapped his fishtail against the ground in joy.
âEvery merman will find a pearl. After mating with a female, he will leave it in the femaleâs nest as proof. Since I was prepared to take you with me, of course, I must bring along my pearl.â
Bai Qingqingâs train of thought was weirdâthe first thing that struck her was that the number of pearls represented the number of people whom Jean had sexual relations with. And there were about a hundred of those pearls? Alright, at least it wasnât tens of thousands of mermen!
[1] an expression which meant âmatchmakeâ