Maybe the king of Mu Continent simply doesn’t think highly of the Crown Prince of Atlantis? Si Mingjing inwardly grumbled.
Si Mingjing asked curiously, "Does Mu Continent use the dragon as its totem?"
Ye Shen was surprised. "How did you know?"
A dark glint flashed in Si Mingjing’s eyes.
She said with a smile, "It’s mentioned in fairy tale books."
What frustrated Ye Shen the most was this. "If Mu Continent worshipped Mermaids as the Sea God, just like Atlantis does, that would be great," he lamented. "Sadly, they believe in dragons. Miss Si, you have to tell me, why is my brother so angry?"
Si Mingjing suggested, "I recommend you ask your brother."
Ye Shen was speechless for a moment. Then he burst out, "Miss Si, that’s even more shameful than catfishing!"
He continued to wail, "Miss Si, if I’m gone, who else will be there to protect you?"
That was indeed true; if Ye Shen were gone, her situation would likely become much more difficult.
Si Mingjing offered Ye Shen a life-saving remedy. "You can look for something that you have, but your brother does not—something related to your sister-in-law, and give it to your brother."
A decade of separation by life and death, a boundless sorrow. Even without conscious thought, she remains unforgettable. Mo Yinhe’s longing for his deceased wife had become an obsession, to the point he’d mistaken me, a complete stranger, for his ’baby.’ Such deep love... it had driven him to madness!
Ye Shen said dejectedly, "Is this the solution you’re suggesting? I ran out of my sister-in-law’s things long ago. I used to have some, but I gave them all to my brother over time, like they were Shangfang Swords. Where am I supposed to find anything of hers now?"
"You don’t have a single thing left?" Si Mingjing asked.
In that case, Si Mingjing couldn’t help him.
Ye Shen confirmed, his face bitter, "Not a single one. Am I destined to become a hostage? Throughout history, hostages were just bargaining chips. And I, such a unique merman, am I going to become a mere hostage fish? How is that any different from being a salted fish?"
Si Mingjing’s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at Ye Shen, who was on the brink of becoming a salted fish. She decided she still had to find a way to save him.
After pondering for a moment, Si Mingjing bluffed, "I remember Xiaobao has something. He gave it to me the other day like it was a precious treasure. Wait here a moment; I’ll go to my bedroom and get it for you."
Ye Shen was incredulous. "How could Xiaobai have a relic from my sister-in-law? Xiaobai wasn’t even born when she passed away!"
Si Mingjing made up a reason on the spot. "Maybe a kind-hearted person gave it to him as a memento because he had no mother."
Si Mingjing left the Sunlight Room and returned to her bedroom. Opening her suitcase, she took a pendant made of several strung-together dragon scales from a storage box.
Those dragon scales had fallen from her body when she was injured. She had used tree sap to glue them into the shape of a pentagram, threaded them onto a thin black cord, and worn it around her neck—it looked quite pretty. She hadn’t wanted to give it away, but now, to secure an ally within the Ye Family, Si Mingjing reluctantly parted with her treasure.
A few minutes later, Si Mingjing returned to the Sunlight Room and handed the Pentagram Dragon Scale Pendant to Ye Shen.
"Wow! This really is something from my sister-in-law!"
Ye Shen stared at the shimmering luminescence of the dragon scales, his eyes instantly brightening. "This is fantastic! This kind of thing can’t be given away casually; it’s only for one’s beloved! This must have been a gift from my sister-in-law to my brother. Then my brother gave it to Xiaobai, Xiaobai gave it to you, and you’ve given it to me. After all this passing around, it’s clear: only my brother is worthy of possessing my sister-in-law’s dragon scales."
"What?" Si Mingjing bit her lip, puzzled. "Dragon scales can only be given to a beloved?"