Chapter 678

After returning from Shan Shan's full-moon banquet, I was filled with worries.

I understand what A Cheng said.

His meaning is that the reason I unexpectedly became pregnant with this child is related to that deep sea area.

But the key is that, among those who died in that deep sea, there were not only merpeople, but also the Chieftain and Shi Yin…

And I had barely managed to reach three months with a stable fetal state, yet that sea is so deep and the water pressure so strong…

I began to feel extremely anxious, unable to make up my mind to go there again.

Jin Wuya, however, advised me: "A Cheng's words must have his reasoning, Shi Rou; if heaven does not allow us to have a child, then we can only follow heaven's will, and I will always be by your side."

I hesitated and said: "Can't I wait until after I give birth to go?"

Even if only a shell remains, after I give birth, can I go help him search for his soul?

Jin Wuya pondered for a moment, then said: "But... if it truly is the Chieftain..."

"Go!"

I finally made up my mind; I need to go see for myself.

If it truly is the Chieftain's soul lingering in that sea, wanting to be reborn by borrowing my womb, I would rather cut off every possibility at the source!

I began preparing to go underwater, but unexpectedly Jin Wuya secretly went to plead with Zhong Shushu, asking her to help take me down.

Zhong Shushu is truly very kind, and she immediately agreed.

With Zhong Shushu's help, I smoothly dove to the deepest part of that sea area.

As soon as I reached that sea area, I felt, as if in the dark, an invisible force was calling me.

I followed that force, swimming forward continuously, while Zhong Shushu stayed by my side guarding me.

She set up a barrier around our bodies; within it I felt no water pressure at all.

I never expected that, in the deep underwater, I would see again that golden-thread nanmu coffin.

At that moment, the coffin's lid was intact, quietly enduring the sea's scouring; up close one could still smell a faint fragrance.

More importantly, I heard from inside the golden-thread nanmu coffin that familiar heartbeat sound.

Zhong Shushu obviously heard it too, and she said: "Shall I open the coffin?"

I shook my head: "Whether blessing or disaster, if disaster cannot be avoided, I'll open it myself."

I placed both hands on the lid and pushed forward with force.

At the moment the lid fell, I saw the scene inside.

Inside the large coffin lay the small coffin that had once been buried in the clan's ancestral tomb.

The heartbeat sound came from within the small coffin.

I lifted the small coffin out of the large one with both hands, opened its lid, and saw inside—indeed a merperson's pearl!

However, this pearl looked immature, transparent; one could see its center, as if a tiny heart were beating inside.

I couldn't resist reaching out to touch it; as soon as my fingertip contacted the pearl's exterior, it exploded without warning and vanished instantly.

I don't know if it was my imagination, but at the moment the pearl disappeared, my belly seemed to gurgle once, like fetal movement, yet I dared not be certain.

Zhong Shushu brought me back to the surface, and on the way back she said: "Shi Rou, this pregnancy of yours should be the Fire Seed left by the merpeople for their clan; you may need to prepare yourself mentally."

I understand.

From the moment my finger touched that pearl, I understood.

This child will likely return to that sea area in the future, right?

I gently stroked my still-not-showing belly and said: "No matter what, she is my child; I only worry about one thing—if she truly must live in that sea area, she alone..."

Zhong Shushu thought for a moment and asked: "If that's the case, then this little one would be a member of our ocean clan; Shi Rou, I would like to be her foster mother, is that alright?"

My eyes lit up instantly: "Of course, certainly!"

With this connection to Zhong Shushu, what is there to fear about the little one being bullied?

Even after Jin Wuya and I are gone a hundred years later, the little one will still have someone protecting and loving her.

Since returning that day, I have never had that strange dream again.

Days passed one by one, my belly grew ever larger, the little one was very active, and in late pregnancy she often kicked so much I couldn't sleep.

Ten months pregnant, one morning of delivery, Bái Sōnglán personally came to assist with my birth.

That day, I suffered pain for over ten hours.

In the latter half of the night, lightning flashed and thunder roared, the wind and rain raged.

At three o'clock in the morning, I successfully gave birth to a child... with a human body and a fish tail.

When Bái Sōnglán placed her in my arms, she opened her mouth as if wanting to say something comforting, but I smiled at her, indicating I didn't mind.

Outside, A Cheng's voice suddenly rang out: "Take the baby out, quickly!"

I didn't understand why, but Bái Sōnglán swiftly took the baby out.

I struggled to get up, but they pressed me back down, fearing that if I became agitated I might suffer postpartum hemorrhage.

After all, I am an elderly parturient.

Later I heard from Jin Wuya that after the baby was taken out, A Cheng directly had them place the child in the rain to be thoroughly drenched by a downpour.

Strangely, the little one had been wailing loudly, but after being placed in the rain, she stopped crying.

Then, like a tiny loach, she rolled in the rainwater; soon her fish tail began to differentiate, eventually becoming two chubby little legs.

When she was brought back again, she was hardly distinguishable from a normal child.

She was a plump little girl.

Jin Wuya's late-in-life daughter—how precious; he wished he could personally pluck the stars for her to fill in.

I also grew to love this little one dearly; although she is said to be the merpeople's descendant left via my womb, I always feel she is my first lost child returning to find me.

She is truly my daughter, irreplaceable.

I gave her the name Shi Jiao Ning; Jiao, same as the mermaid; I hope she will have a peaceful life.

Before age three, Jiao Ning was quite well-behaved; she would softly call me Mama, act cute with Jin Wuya, and everyone who saw her liked her.

But all of this was shattered in the year she turned four.

I remember that day there was also a heavy rain; I took the chance while she was napping to make a phone call, and after hanging up I went to check on her and found the bed empty.

I almost turned the house upside down, pulled up the surveillance, yet found not a trace.

My legs went weak from fright; I clung to Jin Wuya, desperate to cry.

Four whole hours passed with no word.

Just when I felt the sky was about to collapse, I received a call from Zhong Xuxu, who said Jiao Ning was with her.

Four hours, the four-year-old Little Guy went from Southridge to River City alone?

This is absolutely fantastical!

Zhong Xuxu also said: "Jiao Ning seems to have swum over along the sea; when she first arrived at Rising Sea, she was in a human-fish tail state; upon entering the Dragon Palace she turned into legs; the Little Guy now seems able to freely switch her bodily state; she is currently playing with her brother; Shan Shan will also come over soon; don't worry."