Chà Chà Novel

The Sea God’s messenger belonged to the sea, too. Now that Lan Tang was awake, would Wen Sheng return to it?

The thought spread through Lan Tang’s mind like new shoots after rain, growing until it filled him with an inexplicable dread.

“Prince Lan Tang…”

Wen Sheng had not expected to find him here. His wrist ached faintly where Lan Tang had gripped it. The pain was slight but uncomfortable. Still, he did not pull away. He merely spoke with a note of surprise.

Hearing his name in Wen Sheng’s voice brought Lan Tang back from his panic. Realizing how discourteous he had been, he quickly released Wen Sheng’s wrist and stepped back.

“Forgive me, Lord Wen Sheng.”

Wen Sheng shook his head. “It’s all right.”

Evening was drawing near. The sun sank quietly, painting the sea with sunset colors. At the far edge of the boundless water, red mingled with deep blue, forming a strange, singular shade that seemed to change every second.

Wen Sheng had not realized he had been at the shore so long.

“Lord Wen Sheng, are you going back beneath the sea?”

Lan Tang saw the hint of longing in Wen Sheng’s gaze as he looked over the water, and his heart tightened. He should not ask where Wen Sheng intended to go. Perhaps he had no right to ask. But he could not control himself.

It seemed that whenever he saw Wen Sheng, he lost that control…

It was strange. They had met only a few times, and Lan Tang had known of him for barely two days. Yet Wen Sheng could affect his every thought and movement.

It was as though an invisible thread were tied around Lan Tang’s heart, its other end held in Wen Sheng’s hand. With a gesture, an expression, or a word, Wen Sheng could tug it and move his heart as he pleased.

Go back beneath the sea?

Wen Sheng paused. At last he understood why Lan Tang had grabbed him earlier and looked so distressed.

Come to think of it, walking farther into the sea must have looked unusual. It was no wonder Lan Tang had drawn that conclusion.

Return to the sea? Wen Sheng probably would not. Lan Tang was here on land, and Wen Sheng intended to stay where he was…

“I’m not going back. There are things I still need to do.”

Falling in love counted as a serious undertaking. Only now did Wen Sheng realize that the way he and Lu Yan had lived together—no, the way he had treated Lu Yan—had been wrong. He had found the problem, and he wanted to use this final world to change it.

He wasn’t going back…

A smile spread across Lan Tang’s face, and his narrow eyes shone. Wen Sheng’s answer had clearly made him happy. His voice brightened.

“Lord Wen Sheng, then stay at the palace.”

He did not need Wen Sheng to do anything for him. Nor did he mean to seek favors from him as the Sea God’s messenger. He simply wanted Wen Sheng to remain at the palace.

He had not even thought about why. The request came straight from his heart, so quickly that he overlooked Wen Sheng’s remark about unfinished business.

Wen Sheng did not answer. He had eaten nothing all day and was beginning to feel hungry. Looking at the smile in Lan Tang’s eyes, he suddenly asked, “I want barbecue. Can you make it?”

“Barbecue? What is that?”

Ah…

Wen Sheng should not have asked. That face made it far too easy to forget which world he was in.

Even setting aside whether Lan Tang knew what barbecue was, he was a prince. He had probably never set foot in a kitchen.

But Wen Sheng wanted it. He suddenly wanted barbecue very badly.

He was not usually driven by his appetite, especially when it came to food that was less than healthy. He rarely craved such things. But once he truly wanted to eat something, he had to have it.

After a moment’s thought, he took Lan Tang’s hand and led him toward a market not far from the shore. He raised an eyebrow, his expression suddenly bright and lively.

“Come on. I’ll show you something delicious today.”

The seaside market sold some ordinary vegetables and fruit as well as seafood, though seafood made up most of its stalls. There were plenty of seasonings, too, even if none were quite what Wen Sheng needed for barbecue. That did not matter. This close to the sea, the ingredients were fresh. He bought a few seasonings and planned to make a sauce.

The fishing families were honest people. They did not raise their prices even for two beautifully dressed strangers. Unfortunately, Wen Sheng had no money. Lan Tang ended up taking a pearl from his person to pay for everything.

There was no grill, but they did have dry wood they could burn.

Lan Tang walked beside Wen Sheng with his arms full of purchases. Wen Sheng carried only a firestone. Looking at all the bags in Lan Tang’s hands, he said helplessly, “I’m not made of cotton. Let me carry some.”

Lan Tang said nothing. When Wen Sheng reached for a bag, he simply turned his body a little to keep it out of reach.

Fine, then…

If Lan Tang wanted to carry it all, Wen Sheng would not insist. He found a quiet patch of open ground and spread a clean cloth over it.

The summer sea breeze was cool and pleasant. Once they lit the fire, the wind made the flames flicker unevenly.

“Hold this over the fire. Give it to me when it’s cooked, and I’ll make the sauce.”

So this was barbecue? Wasn’t it much the same as roasting meat?

Perhaps it was just a different name.

Lan Tang had never cooked anything himself, so he found the whole process novel. He took a squid skewer from Wen Sheng—the squid was larger than his palm—and held the far end of the metal skewer over the flames.

Wen Sheng mixed the sauce in a small bowl. Then he picked up another skewer and sat beside Lan Tang to cook it.

The seafood had been freshly caught and cleaned, ready to go straight onto the fire. They also had prepared beef and vegetables.

Seafood cooked quickly. Before long, a savory aroma rose from the fire.

“Your squid is ready.”

The edges of the squid had begun to curl. Wen Sheng was already a little hungry, and now he felt even hungrier.

“Let me try some.”

He was holding two mantis shrimp skewers, each as long as his forearm, and had no free hand. He gestured for Lan Tang to feed him a bite.

Lan Tang saw nothing unusual about it and asked naturally, “Do you want to dip it in the sauce?”

“No need.”

Something this fresh could hardly taste bad on its own.

Lan Tang held the squid to Wen Sheng’s mouth. Wen Sheng lowered his head, blew on it gently, then took a bite. It was grilled just right, tender and sweet, its fresh flavor bursting across his tongue.

“Pretty good.”

Wen Sheng was a picky eater. “Pretty good” was high praise from him. In the past, he would have eaten something like this at most to fill his stomach; he certainly would not have called it good.

Perhaps he was hungry, or perhaps it was something else, but he really did find it delicious.

Lan Tang set the squid on a plate and handed it to Wen Sheng, then took the two mantis shrimp skewers from him. “I’ll grill these. Eat yours while it’s hot.”

Seafood really was best eaten hot; once it cooled, it could turn fishy.

Wen Sheng preferred mild flavors, so he had put nothing complicated in the sauce, only a little soy sauce and mustard. With the freshly grilled squid, it tasted unexpectedly good.

Wen Sheng had said he would take Lan Tang to eat something delicious. Somehow, though, Wen Sheng ended up eating while Lan Tang did the grilling. Lan Tang did not take a bite until Wen Sheng was full. Seafood was everywhere in his country, and he had eaten it since childhood, so he found nothing particularly special about it.

Wen Sheng had eaten his fill. On the way back to the palace, he walked at an unhurried pace to help settle his meal.

Lan Tang kept pace beside him. The walk should have taken half an hour, yet after forty minutes they had not even gone halfway.

The smile had not left Wen Sheng’s face all evening. Lan Tang turned slightly to look at him and, for some reason, suddenly said, “You’re a completely different person after you drink.”

He regretted it the moment the words left his mouth, but it was too late to take them back.

Oh no. Lord Wen Sheng would surely feel offended. After all, he had clearly been pretending to forget what happened when he was drunk.

Lan Tang had not meant to bring it up. He truly thought Lord Wen Sheng was entirely different after drinking.

Wen Sheng was gentle now, with a certain cool distance about him. Those qualities should have been at odds, yet they suited him strangely well.

He was like the bright moon in the sky, shedding a soft glow while remaining cool to his very core.

But Wen Sheng last night had been different. That coolness was still there, but the distance had fallen away. He had been like a breathtaking spirit of the deep sea, luring his prey with an entrancing expression and drawing them down beneath the waves with him.

Lord Wen Sheng had mistaken him for someone else and kissed him…

Whenever Lan Tang thought of it, an inexplicable displeasure rose alongside a tingling sensation in his heart. He remembered the kiss that had tasted of sweet wine.

“You’ve seen me drink?”

Wen Sheng paused. But he remembered being alone that night…

No. He had blacked out.

“I’m sorry. I can’t hold my liquor, and when I wake up, I forget what happened while I was drinking. So you came to see me that night?”

Now it was Lan Tang’s turn to freeze. He had thought Wen Sheng was pretending not to remember, but he truly had forgotten. Lan Tang considered making up an excuse and letting the matter pass. After hesitating, however, he said quietly, “Yesterday, Lord Wen Sheng mistook me for someone else.”

“Someone else?”

Wen Sheng stopped walking. He already had a fair idea whom Lan Tang meant.

Lan Tang stopped too.

“Yes. You kept calling me A-Yan. Do I look a lot like that person?”

So that was it…

How embarrassing…

How embarrassing…

And it was far more than a resemblance. They were exactly alike, from every strand of hair to every feature on their faces.

Wen Sheng did not know what he had done after getting drunk, but he could make a fair guess. Lu Yan had seen him drink before and had shamelessly remarked that he became especially affectionate afterward. Wen Sheng hardly dared imagine what embarrassing thing he had done last night.

A rare look of awkwardness appeared on his face. “If I did anything improper, I hope Prince Lan Tang won’t take it to heart.”

Lan Tang smiled and shook his head. “I won’t.”

It seemed that the moment Lan Tang mentioned A-Yan, Lord Wen Sheng had known he must have done something improper.

Lan Tang had the distinct feeling that merely hearing that person’s name could make Wen Sheng react in a way entirely unlike his usual self.

Wen Sheng had not even asked whether anything had happened. He had immediately assumed that he must have behaved in a way he normally never would.

The realization left Lan Tang suddenly and deeply unsettled. He spoke without thinking: “Yesterday, Lord Wen Sheng, you mistook me for the A-Yan you kept calling for, and then you kissed me.”

As though that were not enough, he added, “That was the first time I’d ever kissed anyone.”

…

Well, there went his first kiss.

Wen Sheng did not know whether he should explain, or how he possibly could. He really had called Lan Tang by someone else’s name. The point was, they were the same person.

But if he said A-Yan was merely a friend, the kiss would sound even more absurd.

After hesitating, Wen Sheng asked uncertainly, “Then should I… take responsibility?”

What the hell was he saying?

Wen Sheng felt as though seawater must have gotten into his head. What on earth had come over him?

Lan Tang, however, turned toward him at once. His narrow eyes widened slightly, giving him an almost endearingly clueless look in Wen Sheng’s eyes.

“How… how would you take responsibility?” Lan Tang stared at him. He could not tell whether Wen Sheng was joking or serious. It was probably something he had said on impulse, but Lan Tang took it seriously all the same.

How would he take responsibility? Wen Sheng had no idea either.

They had been together for years. Having to take responsibility for a kiss seemed ridiculous.

“How would you like me to?”

Wen Sheng looked at Lan Tang with a serious expression, showing no sign that he was joking. Lan Tang’s heart raced, and warmth crept up to the tips of his ears.

Taking responsibility for a single kiss was a little excessive. Even so, Lan Tang felt this might be an opportunity, a chance to keep Wen Sheng close.

But asking Wen Sheng outright to become his prince consort would be strange too. After some hesitation, he ventured, “I once said I would only kiss my partner.”

Lan Tang was not lying. He had indeed said it, though the word he had used at the time was “consort”: he would only kiss his own consort.

It had happened when a princess from another country asked him for a kiss during a palace banquet. He had said it while turning her down.

And he truly believed it.

Wasn’t kissing something only partners did?

Wen Sheng gave a slight nod. “All right.”

He agreed without giving it much thought. Lan Tang had barely finished speaking and had not even had time to process the answer.

“So… are we lovers now?”

Lan Tang was not sure whether that was what Wen Sheng meant by “all right.” He had to ask plainly, or he would not be able to rest easy.

Wen Sheng nodded again and took Lan Tang’s hand. His gaze was open and calm, his voice gentle.

“That’s right. We’re lovers now, my boyfriend.”