Gu Liang meant what she said.
After vowing to find a soulmate more handsome than Fox Lian, she set her sights on the elegant and mysterious merman clan. When the clan opened their oceanic classes to outsiders for water magic training, Gu Liang was among the first to sign up.
"Emma! Come with me!" Gu Liang clung to Emma's arm, her dragon tail thumping the ground anxiously. "I heard the merman prince this year is gorgeous! Way hotter than that fox! You have to help me judge!"
Emma wanted to refuse. She wasn't interested in aquatic magic—and… she instinctively touched the silver tail strand Fox Lian had secretly wrapped around her wrist, feeling hesitant. But seeing Gu Liang's hopeful, slightly pleading eyes (and knowing she still owed her after the "stealing the crush" incident), Emma relented.
"Just once," she warned.
"Yes!" Gu Liang cheered.
The oceanic class was held in a massive coral palace on the eastern shore. Through the transparent barrier, glowing jellyfish and vibrant fish drifted past—an underwater dreamscape.
The class began with a lecture from a merman elder. But everyone's attention, especially Gu Liang's, was fixed on the figure standing silently beside him—the merman prince.
He had long, seaweed-like dark green hair, loosely flowing behind him, dotted with tiny pearls. His upper body was strong and graceful, with sun-kissed skin. His lower half was a massive tail covered in emerald scales, shimmering in the water like a living jewel. His features were sharp and refined, and his aquamarine eyes held the depth of the purest ocean—calm and mysterious.
He was… stunning. A wild, oceanic elegance completely different from Fox Lian's ethereal charm.
Even Emma had to admit—this prince was a masterpiece. She glanced at him a few times, purely out of aesthetic appreciation.
But that scene, viewed through the barrier by a certain fox who had rushed over after hearing Emma was dragged to the oceanic class… looked very different.
Fox Lian saw his goddess staring—staring—at a shirtless, fish-tailed stranger. The eyes that usually lingered on his ears and tail were now clearly focused on someone else.
His violet gaze darkened. The air around him turned cold. His usually cheerful silver tail hung stiffly behind him, fur bristling.
She… was looking at someone else?
And not even someone fluffy—but a slippery fish tail?
A sharp, unfamiliar jealousy surged through him, threatening to drown him. He'd never felt this before. Even when Emma avoided him in the past, it was disappointment—not this raw, possessive panic.
During the break, Gu Liang excitedly dragged Emma closer to the prince. Emma sighed and followed.
The merman prince, used to attention, remained calm and distant. His gaze passed over Gu Liang, but paused slightly on Emma. Her pure aura and composed demeanor stood out from the crowd.
"And this is…?" His voice was deep and smooth, like ocean currents.
Gu Liang jumped in. "She's Emma of the divine clan! My best friend!"
Emma nodded politely. "Your Highness."
Just as the prince was about to respond, a cold voice cut in.
"Emma."
Fox Lian had somehow crossed the barrier and appeared beside her. Dressed in moon-white robes, silver hair and violet eyes, he looked completely out of place in the aquatic setting—but no less dazzling. Without hesitation, he wrapped an arm around Emma's waist, pulling her into his embrace with unmistakable possessiveness. His gaze locked onto the prince, voice icy:
"Break's over. Time to go."
Emma blinked, startled by his sudden appearance and bold gesture. She looked up at his tense jawline and stormy eyes—and understood instantly.
He's jealous.
She felt a mix of amusement… and unexpected sweetness.
The merman prince watched the scene unfold, a flicker of understanding in his eyes before returning to his usual calm. "Then I won't keep you."
Fox Lian said nothing more. He turned and walked off with Emma, his tail tightly wrapped around her wrist, grip firm—like he feared she might slip away.
Gu Liang watched the blatant possessiveness and Emma's complete lack of resistance. She stomped her foot (sending a splash across the coral floor), gave the prince an awkward smile, and hurried after them.
On the way back, Fox Lian didn't speak. He held Emma's hand tightly, tail still wrapped around her, radiating such intense pressure that even passing sea creatures swam away.
Emma glanced at his tense profile and couldn't hold back. She tugged gently on his tail and whispered:
"Hey… are you mad?"
Fox Lian stopped. He turned, violet eyes heavy with emotion.
"Is he… good-looking?"
Emma blinked, then teased, "Mm-hmm. Pretty handsome."
His pupils contracted. His arm around her waist tightened. "More than my tail?"
Emma looked at his jealous, sulking expression—comparing tails like a child—and burst out laughing.
She reached up, cupped his cheek, and gently stroked his drooping fox ears. Her voice was soft, soothing:
"Silly fox."
"His tail's covered in scales. Hard. Scratchy."
"Yours…" Her fingers slid down to the warm, fluffy tail wrapped around her, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"…is soft and warm. Once I'm holding it, I never want to let go."
The icy tension around Fox Lian melted instantly. His violet eyes lit up with joy and disbelief. He pulled her into a tight hug, tail wagging happily, brushing against her neck and making her giggle.
"Say it again," he mumbled into her shoulder, voice muffled but smug.
Emma laughed and hugged him back. "I love your tail the most, okay?"
Behind a coral cluster, Gu Liang rolled her eyes and took a savage bite of her seaweed snack.
Damn that stinky love aura. And that petty fox.