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The sea temperature has a significant impact on the reproduction of native mermen. Native mermen exhibit reproductive migration behavior, and this trait is inherited by mermen artificially bred through the genes of native mermen.
During the season when the seawater warms up in early summer, native mermen migrate from the deep sea where they live to a specific shallow sea breeding ground.
In the breeding ground, male mermen will display their bodies to the females they are interested in, giving rise to the origin of the mating dance.
Currently, there are no traces of native mermen, and the Federation has confirmed that there are no surviving native mermen. However, the ritual of human-merman couples performing the mating dance has been passed down among humans.
Mermen have a lower level of acceptance for human partners who have not performed the mating dance for them and are unwilling to bear children for them.
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The Federal Population Planning Office is troubled by the consistently low fertility rate of mixed-blood individuals being below the red line every year.
After several discussions, the federal government decided to take matters into their own hands and organize a “honeymoon trip”.
“Come on, all of you, jump into the sea and perform the mating dance.”
The island where the mermaid dance party was held was not far from the merman pavilion. There was still half a month until the dance banquet began, and Colonel Gu entered a restless state.
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Jun Ye was once again awakened by Gu Jiaoxiu from his sleep.
Seeing Gu Jiaoxiu, with bloodshot eyes and a fierce expression, staring at him, asking the same question that had been asked at least ten times – “If I don’t perform the mating dance, will you still be with me?”
Jun Ye flicked his tail, directly pulling Gu Jiaoxiu off the bed.
The next day, when he woke up, Gu Jiaoxiu was nowhere to be seen.
Jun Ye sat down at the breakfast table, which was already set, and a virtual screen popped up.
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“Wife, by the time you see this letter, I’m already on my way to order the dance costume. When I come back, you must continue to get along with me! — Gu Jiaoxiu”
Jun Ye: “…”
The first half of this feels like a tragic story of Wind Blowing in the Willows and the Easy Water Being Cold1those two are novel titles. The latter half…
Well, let’s just say that having clothes means you can go underwater.
For the next half month, Jun Ye didn’t see Gu Jiaoxiu’s dance costume. Every time he brought it up, the other party would avoid the topic.
There must be something fishy going on.
On the day the mermaid dance party began, when Jun Ye woke up, the person who was entangled with his tail last night was gone.
He thought, could the other party have run away on the last day?
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Wouldn’t that be transitioning to a runaway bride plot?
After washing up, when he opened the door, there was Colonel Gu standing outside in a neatly tailored military uniform, raising a smile at Jun Ye. “Good morning, my wife~”
Jun Ye assessed the “runaway bride” who had come back and noticed that the person was wearing a blue and white shirt under the sharp military dress, and the material was somewhat similar to those waterproof mermaid skirts he had. The water-blue dye, adorned with scattered diamonds, could be imagined for its splendid beauty, even though only the collar part was visible.
Ah, the dressed-up bride.
Jun Ye’s gaze circled around Gu Jiaoxiu’s neckline, sighing, “Time to dance, huh.”
Gu Jiaoxiu’s smile faded, his gaze somewhat distracted, murmuring, “Time to dance…”
“Not going to cling to me again, right?” Jun Ye teased.
“No.” Gu Jiaoxiu forced a smile.
Upon hearing this, Jun Ye’s eyebrows raised slightly.
Oh, quite spirited.
The sun had just risen from the sea surface, and there were already many people gathering on the beach where the mermaid dance banquet was held.
Gu Jiaoxiu and the others were considered late.
Jun Ye leaned against the window of the flying vehicle, able to see through the glass that many humans were dressed in flamboyant outfits, vying for positions in the sea area. The mermaids lay on floating mermaid cars, mostly looking like they hadn’t fully woken up.
He had no interest in the fishtails, scanning them hastily and ignoring the sleeping beauties on each mermaid car. His gaze moved to the human males who were competing for territory in performance costumes.
Performance costumes were made of a very close-fitting material, somewhat similar to the figure-skating costumes in his original world, but…
Jun Ye’s gaze passed over one of the men whose abdomen was bulging.
Indeed, it was a performance costume designed for performing the mating dance, showcasing the capital of the males’ display.
Just as Jun Ye was thinking about it, he caught sight of Colonel Gu flipping over from the front seat, regardless of his image.
Colonel Gu pursed his lips, his eyes widening, looking somewhat puffed up.
Gu Jiaoxiu lifted his legs and straddled Jun Ye’s tail, firmly squeezing it. At the same time, he leaned forward abruptly, questioning, “Who are you looking at?!”
“Uh…” Jun Ye looked over everyone on his body, then met Gu Jiaoxiu’s eyes, which had widened with anger. He smiled and said, “I’m looking at you, of course.”
“Hmph!” Gu Jiaoxiu puffed.
Jun Ye helplessly reached out to embrace Gu Jiaoxiu’s waist, saying, “If you let me say it, why don’t you take off your clothes and let me see more clearly?”
—Isn’t the lower part the same as the people outside, clearly outlined by the fabric of the performance costume?
Gu Jiaoxiu blushed, pushed Jun Ye’s arm away, averted his gaze, looked out the window, then turned his head and said, “We’ve reached the hotel on the island. Go up, and I’ll undress for you to see.”
“Sure,” Jun Ye smiled and agreed, watching the person in front of him with pinkish cheeks. He couldn’t resist leaning over and giving a peck.
Gu Jiaoxiu stared at Jun Ye in disbelief.
In the past month, “Luo Sha” hadn’t let him sleep, and their physical contact hadn’t progressed much. This was the first time the other party had taken the initiative to kiss him.
Although it was just a brief touch, it left Gu Jiaoxiu at a loss.
When was the last time the mermaid kissed him? Or was there even a previous time?
It seemed like there was one on the night when he fainted by C2you know…”arriving” in the water bed.
That night, when his back touched the water bed, there seemed to be faint and fragmented kisses on the corner of his eyes.
Upon reconsideration, it seems like nothing more than a self-fabricated dream.
Guided by Jun Ye, Gu Jiaoxiu entered the pre-booked hotel room with a somewhat trance-like demeanor.
As the door closed behind him, the enchanting blue eyes of the mermaid fixed upon him, causing Gu Jiaoxiu’s breath to momentarily hitch.
Tilting his head slightly, he locked eyes with the mermaid, his fingers unfastening the first button of his formal military attire.
With a gentle movement, one button after another was undone, revealing the custom-made performance suit designed for the courtship dance underneath.
The blue and white performance suit, matching the color of the mermaid’s tail scales, featured ruffled edges resembling the fins of a mermaid at the neckline and cuffs. Tiny diamonds scattered across the chest and upper arms, resembling glistening scales reflecting light.
A subtle sensation of wearing couple outfits with the mermaid lingered in the air…
Taking off Gu Jiaoxiu’s coat, Jun Ye’s gaze fell to the belt around his waist, prompting him to inquire, “Where are the pants?”
Biting his lip, Gu Jiaoxiu placed his hand on the metallic buckle…
The pants descended, and Jun Ye observed Gu Jiaoxiu’s lower abdomen, raising an eyebrow.
This ensemble chosen by Gu Jiaoxiu was a bit more delicate than what Jun Ye had anticipated, with a fin-like ruffled skirt falling from the sides of the waist to the lower abdomen, precisely covering the essentials.
While theoretically, the fabric could be lifted or blown away by the wind without hindering hand access, its practicality still needed confirmation.
Stepping forward, Jun Ye reached out, wrapping from bottom to top, enclosing.
Hmm, it indeed didn’t impede hand access and could be easily grasped.
…
As the sun reached its zenith, a smiling Jun Ye, accompanied by the levitating Gu Zhongxiao, exited the hotel, heading towards the beach.
In the shallow water area on the beach, numerous humans and mermaids had gathered. Human males, adorned in various expressive or modest performance suits, showcased their robust bodies through dance to their mermaid partners.
Not a single person among them displayed any excess flesh; their robust muscles, accentuated by the performance suits, exuded a powerful and aesthetic allure.
This place was truly a paradise for the gay community.
“Who are you staring at again?” Gu Jiaoxiu gritted his teeth, deeply aware of his partner’s heartless flirtations.
Jun Ye swiftly turned his head, “Watching you. Want to dance?”
Gu Jiaoxiu’s face paled, neglecting to scrutinize Jun Ye’s inconsistent words and actions. He discreetly hooked his fingers around Jun Ye’s, whispering softly, “I’m not feeling well today. How about dancing tomorrow?”
This cursed mermaid dance banquet, lasting a whole three months. The Federation had never granted him such a leisurely vacation, and Gu Jiaoxiu felt compelled to return immediately to repay the upper echelons for their cultivation.
“Not feeling well? Weren’t you quite energetic just now?” Jun Ye’s face stiffened, impervious to Gu Jiaoxiu’s attempts to tickle his palm.
At this moment, Gu Jiaoxiu noticed several people had turned their attention to their direction.
Most of these individuals have attended several matchmaking banquets without being chosen by mermaids. Despite still qualifying for the mermaid dance, they resort to all means to break up newly formed couples or those with shallow connections, creating opportunities for themselves.
Observing their direction, those individuals must think that he and “Luo Sha” are not affectionate enough and are attempting to flirt with his partner!
Gu Jiaoxiu dared not confront “Luo Sha” about his loyalty.
Although “Luo Sha” loved him enough to actively push an inflatable jellyfish towards him as a “show of affection,” he also harbored a keen interest in the bodies of other males. If, for a moment, his partner got captivated and engaged in a purely physical interaction with those tempting individuals…
If such a situation were to occur, Gu Jiaoxiu felt he might rush into the sea in frustration.
Rather than having his partner abducted and thrown into the sea, he might as well…
Gu Jiaoxiu’s gaze fell to the sea surface pushed by gentle waves. With determination, he said, “I’ll dance!”
Hooking fingers with Jun Ye, Gu Jiaoxiu proceeded towards the sea.
With the first step into the seawater, Gu Jiaoxiu’s expression remained composed.
The second step into the seawater, Gu Jiaoxiu’s footsteps were steady.
…
As the seawater reached his thighs, Gu Jiaoxiu’s legs shivered.
Quivering, Gu Jiaoxiu leaned closer to Jun Ye, lowering his voice, “Dar-ling, can I dance here?”
In Gu Jiaoxiu’s experience, as long as he called his partner ‘darling,’ the response would always be affirmative.
To his surprise, this time, “Luo Sha,” after glancing at the deep-water area where human males were flaunting their bodies, cruelly shook his head.
Gu Jiaoxiu was left dumbfounded, using his eyes to curse those individuals who tempted his partner multiple times. He continued walking with heavy steps towards deeper waters.
With each step, Gu Jiaoxiu drew closer to Jun Ye.
By the time the seawater reached his chest, Gu Jiaoxiu pressed against Jun Ye’s body.
If it weren’t for other individuals in this area, he would undoubtedly cling to Jun Ye, climbing higher than the last time they copulated in the pool.
Just as Gu Jiaoxiu, pushed off balance by the waves, was on the verge of mental collapse, a tension on his waist pulled him back.
Tears of happiness filled Gu Jiaoxiu’s eyes as he looked at Jun Ye.
Was “Luo Sha” finally coming to his rescue?
However, in the next moment, the mermaid leaned over, directly plunging him into the water.
Water submerged his neck, and Gu Jiaoxiu exclaimed in shock, his eyes losing focus in an instant…
Was… this the end?
After an unknown duration, Gu Jiaoxiu, regaining his ability to think, realized he wasn’t entirely submerged. The seawater surged around his shoulders and neck, and a mermaid held him, swimming towards deeper oceanic regions.
In the moment of awakening, Gu Jiaoxiu shed all pretenses, wrapping his arms around the mermaid’s neck and his legs around its waist.
Resting his chin on the mermaid’s shoulder, he gasped for breath, surviving this post-disaster.
Unsure of where he was being taken, Gu Jiaoxiu dared not ask.
In his thoughts, if “Luo Sha” wanted to witness his courtship dance in the real depths of the sea, could he manage it?
If “Luo Sha” was dissatisfied and abandoned him… would he still survive? The heartache might be fatal.
With these thoughts, as the mermaid’s speed slowed down, Gu Jiaoxiu felt the impending moment.
And then, he felt his back touch something firm. Gu Jiaoxiu instinctively turned his head.
Was this… a reef?
“Why are you still dawdling? Get up there,” Jun Ye looked at the dazed person in his arms with a wry smile.
Gu Jiaoxiu, without questioning the reason, driven by the instinct to survive, turned around, clutching onto the rock and climbing up.
The surface of this rock was smooth, somewhat like a slightly inclined stone bed. Around this rock, there were many uneven reefs.
Gu Jiaoxiu knelt on the rock, watching Jun Ye, who was floating halfway above the water. Anxiously, he clutched the rock’s surface, asking in a trembling voice, “Are you… asking me to dance a courtship dance here?”
“Of course not,” Jun Ye chuckled helplessly. Seeing Gu Jiaoxiu becoming even more nervous, he had to explain, “A courtship dance is performed by male mermaids for females. Since you called me your husband, how could I let you dance?”
I’m a bit confused about this place being “a paradise for the gay community” since I’m pretty sure there was a mention of a girl mermaid at the start of this arc and there was even a paragraph about Jun Ye saying it had been a long time since he saw a “woman” after being on the Zerg planet…. I’m not sure if the author forgot about there being female mermaids or if they have another banquet????
1those two are novel titles2you know…”arriving”