Scrambled eggs with tomatoes

Bai Ling slept through the journey and felt much better by the time they returned to the sleeping quarters. Of course, this was mostly thanks to Yu Chen’s soothing pheromones.

Bai Ling found the small household robot, bent down to eye level, and asked, “Are there tomatoes in the kitchen?”

The robot led the way enthusiastically. “There are fresh ones in the greenhouse. I’ll take you to pick them.”

Bai Ling was slightly surprised. “There are actually vegetables in the greenhouse?”

The robot said solemnly, “Speaking of which, growing vegetables and raising birds is an old tradition for merfolk after they retire.”

While finding it strange, Bai Ling asked with a smile, “Merfolk are a sea-dwelling race; why do they have an obsession with farming?”

The robot shook its little hands, the emoticons on its screen saying ‘You wouldn’t understand’. It replied as a matter of course:

“Merfolk grow kelp! During the ancient Earth period, merfolk held a ‘Super Kelp Competition’ every year to see who could grow the widest and longest kelp. Once a winner was crowned, that merperson would hang the kelp on a passing pirate ship and tow the ship in circles to show off, becoming the most dazzling ‘Kelp King’ of that sea!”

Pirate Ship: You swim fast, you’re amazing.

Bai Ling rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “If I buy a big ship, will there be a merperson dragging kelp to pull me along?”

The little robot replied, “You’d have to hoist a pirate flag first.”

Bai Ling: “Deal. I’ll paint one myself.”

Sitting in his study, Yu Chen heard the entire conversation clearly and couldn’t help but look helpless.

The child’s new goal seems a bit too… ambitious.

The real question was, where on earth could he find kelp strong enough to pull a ship?

While the little bird and the robot joked around, they filled a basket with clusters of tomatoes.

These tomatoes were deep purple with flame-like patterns on the skin, a variety Bai Ling had never seen before. According to the robot, these were an endangered species from Ancient Earth. Their purple hue came from a high concentration of anthocyanins, which helped protect the eyes and brain.

Bai Ling’s hand paused while picking. He asked quietly, “These… are probably very expensive, right?”

The robot answered cleverly, “Not at all, not at all! The Master grows these mostly to cultivate his mind; he couldn’t possibly eat them all himself. Last harvest season, he even said, ‘Better to let the birds in to peck the fruit away than to let them rot in the soil.’ Little Mechanical Bird, pick as many as you like. If you can’t finish them, you can take them with you.”

Bai Ling nodded, stuffing a large handful into his pocket to bring back for his Little Night Hen.

Thanks to General Sava’s obsession with persimmons, the only dish Bai Ling knew how to cook across two lifetimes was tomato and fried eggs.

He sliced the cherry tomatoes in half and added a bit of olive oil. The deep red pulp and golden seeds melted into a delicious juice at the bottom of the pan. A natural sweet-and-sour aroma, distinct from artificial flavorings, wafted up, making his mouth water involuntarily.

Seeing the tomatoes were nearly cooked, Bai Ling glanced left and right. Once he was sure no one was looking, he pulled an egg from his pocket and tapped it against the edge of the pan—

“How come I don’t remember eggs being on the kitchen’s shopping list this week?” Someone leaned against the doorframe with folded arms, letting out a soft, low chuckle.

Hearing that voice was like meeting his nemesis. The feathers on Bai Ling’s forehead stood on end. His wrist gave a startled jerk, and the egg went splat, shell and all, into the pan.

My egg…!

Bai Ling hurriedly used the spatula to fish out the shell fragments.

The merman strolled over, reached out to turn off the electromagnetic stove, and led him away from the pan.

Yu Chen lifted his gaze, his green eyes deep and serene. His eyes seemed fixed on him, but his voice remained tender: “Tell me the truth. Where is this egg from?”

“…Found it.” Facing that face at such close range, Bai Ling couldn’t help but feel his heart race.

“Where?”

“On the cockpit seat.” Bai Ling pursed his lips and lowered his eyes.

Yu Chen let out a soft sigh, a mix of helplessness and endearment. Caught red-handed, yet he’s still being stubborn.

No wonder he had hidden in the cockpit for so long earlier; it turns out he had encountered his first-ever white egg. Thank goodness his bird got plenty of exercise, so the egg wasn’t stuck.

However, this habit of hiding things from his guardian must be nipped in the bud.

“I really should give you a few private lessons on omega physiological health,” Yu Chen remarked with a sigh.

Bai Ling glanced at the egg frying in the pan, then at the merman’s calm face. A wave of grievance rose from nowhere, though he maintained a fierce front. “What for? To teach me to add more salt when I fry eggs?”

He paused, gritting his teeth. “…Tell me the truth, do you just not want to eat my egg? I’m telling you, you’re eating it today whether you like it or not, otherwise I’ll—”

Before he could finish, Yu Chen pulled him into a firm embrace and smoothed down the hair on his head. He laughed, “Otherwise you’ll what? Extort me?”

Bai Ling kept his icy face and nodded coldly. “That’s right. That’s how we Interstellar Pirates do things.”

Yu Chen said playfully, “Captain, you dropped your hat.”

Confused, Bai Ling fell for the trick and instinctively looked down. “Where?”

He didn’t find a hat, because the merman gently rested his chin on the top of his head. He affectionately rubbed the back of the child’s neck and kissed his temple:

“My baby laid an egg all by himself. So brave.”

Bai Ling was momentarily stunned. Eh… why didn’t he use his ‘Great Patriarch’ authority to scold me today?

Instead, he praised him.

“However, I hope that in the future, if you have growing pains like this, you can tell me in advance. Perhaps I can help,” Yu Chen said in a consultative tone.

Bai Ling opened his mouth, but his throat felt tight, leaving him speechless.

It felt as if a corner of his heart had been lifted, and someone was pouring warm water into his empty chest. Just a few heartbeats made his chest feel hot and rippling.

My baby is so brave…

I want to help…

In all the years of his growth, no one had ever said such things to him. No one told him he could cry loudly if he fell, that he could dive into a guardian’s arms if he was embarrassed, or that he would be comforted and told “it’s okay” even if he made a mistake.

After missing his growth period twice, the merman gently bowed down to patiently encourage and guide him through such a small matter.

Being his little bird really, really…

Will make you very happy.

“Does your reproductive cavity still hurt?” Yu Chen didn’t care about the egg; he only cared about Bai Ling’s body.

“It doesn’t,” Bai Ling habitually denied.

Yu Chen lowered his voice, gently coaxing him: “Darling, you can tell me the truth. It’s okay.”

Bai Ling picked at his palm for a moment, his eyes darting around, before he finally lunged into the merman’s arms, burying his head in the man’s chest. “…Fine. Actually, it’s a bit achy and sore inside. But after I shower and get into bed, if you rub it for a while, it’ll definitely be fine.”

Yu Chen’s gaze flickered, a smile spreading across his lips. “Very well.”

His adorable little bird has already planned everything out perfectly.

Author’s Note:

Little Bird: (Pondering) What kind of egg would a merman and I produce?

AI: You might want to search for— Fish Eggs?

Little Bird: (Claps hands) That’s it! Sounds very nutritious. If I get hungry during a war, I can have a snack!

Old Merman: (Carries away the extremist bird) (Soothes and smooths feathers) Fish eggs aren’t something you can just eat whenever you want.

Translator’s note:
they’re so doting!!!!!!! after some knives all the next scenes are coated with sugar~~
btw i’ve finished translating my omegaverse novel, Transmigrating Into An Omegaverse Novel To Save The Paranoid Green Tea Beauty! Please check it out and here’s the synopsis~~