As clouds follow the dragon, so the wind follows the tiger.

Xie Qingfa walked away with the box in his hands, deeply moved. Pearls of such size from the sea were now rare, and he had only mentioned it once in passing, yet Ningzhao had taken it to heart. He would certainly stand by his sister Ningzhao’s side and keep this secret for her, come what may.

After Xie Qingfa left, the little dragon, still huffing, slithered out from Ningzhao’s sleeve and coiled itself tightly around her finger. Ningzhao glanced down at it, rubbing its head. The little dragon found her fingers soft, and the gentle kneading soothed it completely; in a moment, it had forgotten why it was angry and lifted its head to let her continue.

Just as Ningzhao sat back down at the tea table, ready to resume her tea, her phone rang—it was the Special Division. The little dragon knew that Ningzhao disliked being disturbed when she spoke to this strange box, so it obediently slid onto the table and used its claws to open a large velvet case lying nearby.

Inside the velvet case was a handful of pearls as large as the one just given to Xie Qingfa, mixed with a few red and blue gemstones. A dragon’s love for all things that glimmer is etched into its very being. If this were the complete form of Ying Chongyun, perhaps he could restrain himself, but this was only a splinter of Ying Chongyun’s soul, lacking full sentience.

So the little dragon made no attempt to hide its delight. It burrowed in, coiled around the largest ruby, and settled in for a nap.

The Special Division’s call was not about the matter at Yuying High School, but about something the captain of Team One had asked her when she last visited to request some documents. To be frank, the people at the Special Division dared not trouble Ningzhao often, but they were out of options. That ancient being refused all communication with humans except for Ningzhao, and yet lately, for reasons unknown, had been haunting the harbor. Many staff and fishermen had even managed to capture photos.

The division responsible for managing public opinion had been working overtime, deleting posts in shifts around the clock. With so much chaos lately, and the little dragon’s sudden appearance, Ningzhao had all but forgotten the issue.

Listening to the team captain’s cautious request on the phone, Ningzhao sighed for what felt like the hundredth time in days. “I understand. It’s all right. Leave it to me—I know why it’s happening.”

The captain expressed his deep gratitude and assured her that the No. 2 harbor would be cleared for her that night, so she need not worry.

Ningzhao sat for a while longer. Seeing that night was fast approaching, she changed her clothes and prepared to go out.

After changing and coming downstairs, the little dragon, who had just been happily coiled around its sparkling treasures, immediately poked up its head and in the next moment appeared on Ningzhao’s shoulder. “I have some errands to run. Will you stay home and rest?” Ningzhao stroked the little dragon, but it slipped into her collar, clearly determined to accompany her.

Bringing the little dragon along wasn’t much trouble. She reminded it not to come out when there were people around, then stepped out with it in tow.

The harbor was on the far side of Hang City, and she would have to cross the entire city to get there, so for once she drove. She had obtained her license after awakening; intelligent as always, she learned quickly, even if she had never encountered such things before.

She hit the evening rush as she entered the city, so by the time she reached the harbor, it was already after eight. As promised, No. 2 Harbor was completely deserted—no ships, no people, only the glow of incandescent lights stretching her shadow long and thin.

Sensing no trace of humans nearby, the little dragon wriggled out from her collar and nuzzled her affectionately.

The lights onshore did not reach the surface of the sea. With the harbor cleared, the few lit ships were anchored far away. The sea at night, untouched by light, was pitch black. All around was silent, save for the waves crashing against the rocks, with any human voices distant and faint.

When one knows the waters ahead are unfathomably deep and all is hidden in darkness, a peculiar oppression rises from the unknown. Yet Ningzhao was long accustomed to this, and the little dragon, being what it was, could never fear the water.

Clouds follow the dragon, winds follow the tiger. Dragons are born to command the winds and rain, to rule over all the rivers, lakes, and seas of the world.

No matter how deep or fearsome these waters might seem to mortals, they were nothing to her.

Ningzhao sat quietly at the end of the pier for a spell, then tossed the small, tightly wrapped bundle in her hand and jumped in after it without hesitation.

A small splash broke the surface, and the harbor returned to tranquil emptiness.

Letting her body sink deeper and deeper into the sea, Ningzhao’s hair fanned out in the water like a lotus in full bloom.

Scales reappeared at her throat, allowing her to breathe freely underwater. Through the sea, she gazed up at the faint patch of light receding above.

At such times, a strange peace would settle in her heart. With Ying Chongyun’s dragon scales on her, she too had come to feel at home in the sea, just as he once did.

The little dragon swam circles around her, keeping all other creatures at bay.

As they descended into the depths where only the little dragon’s golden eyes glimmered in the darkness, Ningzhao heard the water nearby churn.

It was the sound of something immense, swift, and powerful. The little dragon instantly became alert, circling Ningzhao and loosing a piercing shriek—inaudible to humans, but echoing far through the sea—a warning to whatever approached.

The turbulent water stilled for a moment, as if the intruder was uncertain.

But Ningzhao smiled gently, soothed the little dragon, and tucked it back into her sleeve.

Soon, she saw it: a fish tail, over four meters long, shimmering white with hints of blue and violet, dazzling in the black water.

Only a true apex predator could afford such beauty and brilliance in the deep sea.

The tail was as translucent and supple as the finest silk, yet the body bristled with a row of razor-sharp spines.

And where the tail met the waist, the form abruptly shifted—a human torso emerged.

The creature—a merfolk, not merely a fish—rushed toward Ningzhao, and with the soft underside of its tail, coiled gently around her, drawing her down into the deeper ocean below.