Do you believe in mer people COMPLETE

Chapter 3: It's the thief!

Few days had passed and Yibo heard nothing about that strange person. Soon, life went back to normal and everyone let down their vigilance. In the early hours of the morning, Yibo went out for a run like he usually did. He had on his headphones and was almost completely oblivious of his surrounding, save for the view in front of him. He had barely been running for 4 minutes when he caught sight of someone lying on the sea side at a distance but paid no attention to it. The residents here usually came out a little later but it was normal to see one or two persons out at this hour.

As Yibo approached, he noticed the familiar long hair. This person was obviously not a woman. No woman, in fact, no sane person would lie in the cold... naked! He was naked. It was the thief. Yibo approached carefully, afraid to startle the person. He was relieved that this person was indeed alive, he hadn't drowned as Yibo had secretly feared.

Yibo sat beside him when he found out he was fast asleep. Looking at his face, he was really handsome. He looked innocent and slept peacefully, unaffected by his surroundings. 'How could such a person be a thief? Looks can be really deceiving'. Yibo secretly admired his perfect set of abs, fighting against the urge to feel them up.

He tried to avoid looking down but as his mind said one thing, his eyes had other plans. Yibo sneaked a look at his member. It looked... very much like his own. Just a little paler in color. Yibo had never seen another man's member, he was grateful this person was asleep and didn't notice how red his ears had turned. By the way, why was he naked? He hoped this person was sane.

Almost an hour later, the sleeping beauty stirred awake. He immediately noticed the person seated next to him and with a yelp, he jumped up trying to run away. Yibo smiled at him, hoping to ease his tension, who would have thought this smile made Yibo look even more creepy. He tried to run away and darted towards the sea but Yibo was faster this time. Watching him from behind, Yibo finally got to look at his backside. He had seen a lot of people and in terms of looks, Yibo was confident that he himself was one of the most handsome people he knew but this young man, Yibo had to admit he had never seen anyone as beautifully sculpted. His backside was perfectly shaped and looked firm. They jiggled slightly as he ran, making him look cute and silly at the same time. In no time, this person had run a certain distance and Yibo snapped out of it when he noticed this person was getting away. This person didn't seem very fast on his feet but in the water, he was like a fish. It was best not to let him get into the water.

Soon, Yibo caught up with him, holding him firmly by the elbow. "Why are you running? I don't bite people. I just want to talk to you". The person struggled to free himself and caught sight of Yibo's face. He couldn't tell why but he seemed to realize Yibo had no intention to harm him. He stopped struggling and stood still.

"Errm, aren't you cold?", Yibo was embarrassed to mention his nakedness. The person shook his head.

"Here, take this", Yibo handed him a towel. He intended to use it to wipe his sweat but this person had to cover up. If he remained like this, Yibo wasn't sure he could keep a straight face.

"Thank you", the thief finally spoke. His voice was soft, it gave Yibo a familiar homely feeling, a feeling he longed for since he was away. He suddenly felt much more comfortable with this person.

"Let's go somewhere to sit. It's a bit cold here and I'm worried about you. I've seen you twice and each time, you were... you didn't have any clothes on". The person kept staring at Yibo. Yibo felt there was something on his face and lifted his hands to touch it subconsciously. He figured this person wasn't going to speak except he asked direct questions.

"My name is Wang Yibo, what is your name?"

"My name is Zhan, Xiao Zhan", his voice was almost inaudible as if he didn't want Yibo to hear him.

"Ha Xiao Zhan, I can finally put a name to the face and stop referring to you as 'Thief'".

"Thief? Why would you call me a thief, isn't that disrespectful in your wo... in your family?", Xiao Zhan looked calm but deep down, he didn't appreciate being called a thief.

Yibo chuckled, this thief.. no. Xiao Zhan. Xiao Zhan was a little interesting to talk to. His face had turned red yet he sounded offended. "You should be happy I'm not handing you over to the authorities. You came to our boats and destroyed our nets. I'm sure you were going to steal something if I didn't stop you. You should be thanking me". Yibo had a smug look on his face as he teased.

"You're mistaken. Your nets stole my items. I was only trying to get them back. Besides, I paid back with some pearls. Aren't they enough to cover the damages?", Xiao Zhan had some experience with 'authorities' and he could boldly say they were nothing but trouble. He never wanted to encounter them except he was the one reporting someone.

'He indeed put those pearls there. He had so much jewelry to give away, why couldn't he get clothes?'. Yibo's thoughts were not reflected in the words he said next. He wanted to continue teasing Xiao Zhan, he liked the sight of him in mild distress. "Pearls? What pearls?"

"Wang Yibo! So dishonest", Xiao Zhan hissed. "I watched you pick those pearls up and take them away", he pointed in the direction Yibo went to.

"Oh, so you were watching? Where were you hiding?", Yibo took a step closer to him, raising his eyebrows as he spoke.

"There were many boats there. I was behind one of them".

There were indeed a lot of boats. Why didn't it occur to him to check the boats? Even though the person entered the water, he could have turned around while he was below the surface. Yibo was slightly relieved, this person didn't have supernatural skills like... a merman. He laughed at his own silly thoughts, blaming himself for letting his mum's words get into his head.

"okay, okay. So, why aren't you wearing clothes?"

"Don't need them", he waved in dismissal. His reply was so casual, Yibo flinched for a bit. Why did this person make him feel relaxed.

"Huh? Is there a person who doesn't need clothes? How come your skin is so pale if you don't protect it from the sun?"

"Who said I don't protect my skin from the sun? I'm hardly in direct contact with the sun unlike you. That's why you're like this", he poked Yibo's arm when he said that sentence.

"Ha, okay. Xiao Zhan, do you mind me asking where you live?"

"I live not so far away, over there", he pointed to the sea.

"You live in the sea? Hahaha. You should meet my mum. She believes in merpeople. With your looks, we can play a trick on her". Yibo was getting well acquainted with Xiao Zhan. For a tiny moment, he thought he saw a light go dim in Xiao Zhan's eyes.

"Stop talking trash. I live on an island that way, I don't live in the sea".

"An island? How come no one has ever seen it? We've been here for years and we usually take our boats far into the sea".

"Well, I grew up there and I never noticed this place until a few weeks ago. Maybe you haven't looked well enough"

Concluding that his words were fair enough, Yibo took a mental note of the direction he pointed to and resolved to go looking in that area some time. Both men remained quiet for some time until Xiao Zhan spoke.

"Why did you return?"

Yibo was startled. Who exactly was this person and how did he know he returned not too long ago. Did this person know him from before? He probably has been watching longer than he admitted. Maybe that was why they hit it off almost immediately. Yibo's mind was all over the place but his face revealed no emotions.

"How? How did you know that I came back? How did you know...?"

"Well, I've been hanging around here for some time and I know every adult that lives close to the sea. I only started seeing you recently. No one ever comes here to stay, only a few vehicles that come to pick up items. I figured you used to live here and decided to return".

Oh so that was it. Yibo was relieved. This person made him more and more comfortable. Since he got divorced and returned, he tried not to think about his life back in k city. If not for the degree he came with, he would have convinced himself that his life back there was just an illusion.

"Well, how do I put this... I got divorced".

"..."