Chapter 56: A Confession Under the Sea, A Mind in Turmoil

She stared blankly at Xia Xingyan, her mouth agape, unable to utter a single word.

It took her quite some time to stammer incoherently.

“You—you… what nonsense are you spouting?”

“This lady is a girl, and you’re a girl too!”

Xia Xingyan didn’t flinch in the slightest; she met Hua Mu’ai’s gaze directly and calmly countered.

“I know, but does liking someone have anything to do with gender?”

The question instantly flustered Hua Mu’ai, her mind a chaotic mess.

Seizing the moment, Xia Xingyan closed the distance, leaning in to whisper softly into Hua Mu’ai’s ear.

“Regardless of whether Captain is a man or a woman, I will always like them.”

“Stop joking around!” Hua Mu’ai pushed Xia Xingyan away, her face flushing as she shouted, “This lady would never like another girl!”

At this point, it was the only excuse she could use to refuse.

Having said her piece, she turned to flee, eager to get away from this unnerving woman.

However, Xia Xingyan swiftly caught her hand.

The grip wasn’t strong, yet Hua Mu’ai found herself unable to break free.

Hua Mu’ai looked back, her eyes meeting Xia Xingyan’s.

Those eyes, usually so indifferent, now held a vulnerability that bordered on pleading.

“Captain, I’m not joking.”

Xia Xingyan’s voice trembled.

“This is the first and only time I’ve ever said something like this to anyone in my life.”

“Could you… please consider it seriously?”

As Hua Mu’ai gazed at the earnestness in Xia Xingyan’s eyes, Su Wanning’s smiling face suddenly flashed through her mind.

That was a scar in her heart that would never heal.

How could she possibly accept another person’s feelings?

“This lady… cannot agree.” Hua Mu’ai turned her face away as she spoke.

Xia Xingyan’s grip on her wrist suddenly froze, then finally loosened.

“It’s alright.”

She nodded, her voice regaining its usual calm, as if the earlier vulnerability had been nothing more than Hua Mu’ai’s imagination.

“No matter how long it takes, I will work hard until the day Captain acknowledges me.”

****

The remainder of their visit was steeped in an awkward silence.

Hua Mu’ai trailed behind Xia Xingyan, her mind a jumbled mess, replaying their recent conversation.

Especially Xia Xingyan’s words: “Regardless of whether Captain is a man or a woman, I will always like them.”

Neither of them had any appetite left for a meal there, so they simply walked out of the aquarium.

The afternoon sun was somewhat dazzling, causing Hua Mu’ai to instinctively shield her eyes with her hand.

“Captain,” Xia Xingyan suddenly began, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things so abruptly.”

“If I caused you any trouble…”

“No need to apologize.” Hua Mu’ai cut her off, her tone rather sharp, “This lady absolutely detests casual apologies.”

Hua Mu’ai took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for a decision. Still unable to meet Xia Xingyan’s gaze, she fixed her reddened face on her own toes.

“This lady has received your feelings.”

“But I advise you to give up; that idea is simply too unrealistic.”

This was the most indirect refusal she could manage.

Upon hearing her, Xia Xingyan merely chuckled softly.

“It’s alright,” she said. “I didn’t actually expect Captain to agree to me today.”

“Just being able to express my feelings is enough for me.”

Hua Mu’ai grew exasperated.

Why wouldn’t this woman give up already?

She turned her face away, mumbling.

“What’s there to be so smug about? This lady still won’t agree to you in the future.”

****

Late into the night, in a luxurious apartment in Linhai City.

Hua Mu’ai tossed and turned on her soft, spacious bed, unable to find sleep.

Her mind was consumed by the scenes from the aquarium earlier that day.

Every word Xia Xingyan had uttered, even the scorching touch when she had grasped Hua Mu’ai’s wrist…

Everything was excessively vivid.

Recalling every little detail of her interactions with Xia Xingyan, Hua Mu’ai couldn’t help but feel a surge of irritation.

She realized, to her dismay, that she remembered every single action of this woman with such clarity.

She rolled over, burying her flushed cheeks into the soft duvet, letting out a stifled whimper.

“Honestly…”

“What exactly is this lady hoping for…?”

Hua Mu’ai continued to fidget in bed; every time she closed her eyes, the image of Xia Xingyan confessing in the underwater tunnel appeared.

“Regardless of whether Captain is a man or a woman, I will always like them.”

The sentence echoed repeatedly in her mind.

****

In the morning, Hua Mu’ai slowly pushed herself up from the bed, her eyes bloodshot, clearly indicating a sleepless night.

She threw back the covers and stepped onto the cold floor with bare feet, intending to use her transformation time today to visit a bar and clear her head.

However, the moment she pulled open her room door, she came face-to-face with someone in the living room.

Xia Xingyan, dressed in simple loungewear, sat at the dining table with a thick book spread open before her. Hearing the door open, she looked up.

Hua Mu’ai’s heart skipped a beat; her first instinct was to retreat back into her room.

Damn it! Why did she feel so guilty?

Steeling herself, she feigned nonchalance and walked to the refrigerator, pulling out a bottle of iced milk.

“What are you staring at? Haven’t you ever seen a beautiful girl wake up in the morning?” she grumbled irritably, her back to Xia Xingyan.

“Captain, your face is very red.” Xia Xingyan’s calm voice drifted over.

“Cough! Cough, cough!”

Hua Mu’ai nearly choked to death on a mouthful of milk.

Xia Xingyan said nothing more, merely shifting her gaze back to her book.

Yet, Hua Mu’ai could sense that the other woman’s attention wasn’t on the book at all!

Just then, her phone rang.

The caller ID read: Qin Lan.

She swiped to answer, speaking with annoyance, “What’s so important this early in the morning?”

“The CEO of Starshine Entertainment Group is here for another open day today. This is his third application this month; he wants to discuss holding a solo concert with you.”

“A concert?”

Hua Mu’ai frowned, a bright, sun-like smile flashing through her mind.

That had once been Su Wanning’s dream. It was for her that Hua Mu’ai had stepped onto the stage.

“Just tell them I refuse,” she said without a second thought. “From now on, just reject these annoying requests directly. Don’t call me about them anymore.”

“Are you really not going to reconsider?” Qin Lan’s tone held a hint of teasing. “Starshine is an industry giant. If you agree now, a few concerts would ensure you’re set for life.”

“This lady is happy with her choices; what’s it to you? So much pointless chatter!”

With that, she hung up the phone and tossed it onto the sofa.

“Insane!”

She angrily chugged a large gulp of milk, yet her chest still felt tight.

At that moment, an ethereal voice resonated directly in her mind.

[What is a concert?]

It was Yuena.

Hua Mu’ai paused, then irritably responded in her mind, ‘It’s when one person stands on a stage singing and dancing, and a whole bunch of people watch below.’

[Singing… dancing?] Yuena’s voice carried a hint of curiosity. [Is it like our fairy festivals? Where we transmit joyful emotions to every fairy through song and dance?]