“Wow, this is the Blue Abyss Aquarium? It’s huge.”
Outside the crowded aquarium, Li Meng slightly lifted her sun hat and looked up at the massive signboard at the entrance, letting out a sigh of admiration.
She was wearing a thin sunscreen shirt over a white silk dress with teal floral patterns. Paired with her long gray hair and cute face, she gave off the vibe of a sweet girl next door.
Li Meng turned around to look at Qiu Qiqian. Her pretty skirt swayed and flared with the motion.
Qiu Qiqian had also changed out of her usual trench coat for once. She wore a white long-sleeve top paired with dark high-waisted pants. Her light brown hair still flowed loosely behind her, shining brightly under the sunlight.
“Xiao Qian changed her outfit~”
Li Meng teased.
“Well, we’re out shopping and coming to a crowded place like an aquarium. Wearing that old outfit would probably draw too much attention…”
Qiu Qiqian muttered softly. In truth, she really liked that look—it gave off a cool and sharp feeling.
“Hmm… Now that I think about it, Xiao Qian seems to really like clothes that cinch at the waist with a belt. That trench coat was the same way.”
“Because… I think that style looks fashionable.”
As she spoke, Qiu Qiqian deliberately flipped her hair.
“Don’t you think so?”
“Well, as long as Xiao Qian thinks it looks good, that’s what matters~ Oh, right—lower your head a little.”
Li Meng waved her over, signaling her to crouch down slightly.
“What for? You’re not going to suddenly attack me again, are you?”
Qiu Qiqian immediately remembered the time Li Meng had suddenly kissed her on the cheek.
It wasn’t that she disliked it, but it gave her a… flirty feeling.
“No, silly~ What are you thinking? Your hair accessory is crooked. Come here, I’ll fix it for you.”
“Really? Okay then.”
Qiu Qiqian didn’t suspect anything. She still trusted this girl—or at least, Li Meng probably wasn’t clever enough to trick her like that.
What if she got kissed again? Well… then she’d just get kissed. She couldn’t beat her anyway, and there was no real loss.
Qiu Qiqian leaned down slightly. Li Meng reached up and adjusted the small colorful accessory on the side of her hair, tilting it to a more balanced angle.
“There~ Much better now~ Let’s go. Time to get our tickets checked.”
After finishing, Li Meng nodded in satisfaction and grabbed Qiu Qiqian’s hand, pulling her toward the ticket gate before she could react.
However… there were way too many people. Even though the aquarium had multiple entrances, all the ticket lines were packed with visitors.
“There are so many people waiting… How long is this going to take?”
Qiu Qiqian frowned, unable to hide her impatience. She was seriously considering switching to her Spiritual State and flying in.
“Hmm… Yeah, it is crowded. Hey! We can use that one! The VIP lane!”
Li Meng pointed at a nearly empty channel nearby.
“You’re a VIP?”
“Nope, but this ticket might be~”
Li Meng winked playfully and waved the limited ticket with its shimmering holographic edges.
“Hello, please provide your phone number’s last four digits and ID number so we can verify your VIP status,”
the VIP lane attendant said in a professional tone.
“Um… I didn’t sign up for VIP, but I have this ticket. Could you check it for me?”
Li Meng carefully handed the ticket through the window. The attendant first confirmed it wasn’t a regular ticket. When she saw the holographic edge, her eyes widened slightly.
She immediately took the ticket, held it up to the light, inspected it from multiple angles, and even ran it through a machine similar to a bill validator. After confirming it wasn’t fake, she took a deep breath to stay calm.
“Hello, the information on this ticket shows it is an exclusive ticket for Miss Li Meng.”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Understood. Please face the camera to verify your identity. And the person behind you is…”
“Ah, she’s with me.”
“Great. There’s a one-time QR code on the back of the ticket. You can redeem it at the gift exchange counter inside for a large snack gift pack and two souvenirs. Enjoy your visit.”
Click.
With the gate opening, Qiu Qiqian and Li Meng naturally passed through without issue.
“I didn’t expect your ticket to be this valuable.”
“Hehe… It’s alright~ I didn’t know it would be this useful either. Anyway, Xiao Qian, look at the map on the ticket. Let’s go check out the jellyfish exhibit first—it’s the closest!”
…………
“Wow… Xiao Qian, Xiao Qian! Come look at this jellyfish.”
Inside a dimly lit hall, Li Meng pressed herself against one of the glowing tanks, staring at the small creatures inside with an excited voice.
Qiu Qiqian walked over. Inside the tank floated several jellyfish whose bells looked a bit like dumplings. She had seen these on TV before. They were called…
“Portuguese man o’ war? They actually display these in an aquarium?”
After all, they were highly venomous and had strict water quality requirements. In her old world, it would have been impossible to see them in an aquarium.
Guess it really is a world difference.
“Portuguese man o’ war? But the sign says it’s called a Buddha’s hat jellyfish. Mildly venomous and commonly found in shallow seas.”
“Huh?”
Qiu Qiqian leaned in for a closer look. Sure enough, it said mildly venomous.
So that’s where the world difference lies…
While Qiu Qiqian was still puzzled by this, Li Meng’s attention had already shifted to another tank.
This one contained jellyfish glowing with a soft blue light. Their bells were uniquely square-shaped, like a box missing one side. Long, slender tentacles drifted below like fine silk.
“Xiao Qian, Xiao Qian! Look at this one too!”
“Coming, coming. Don’t shout like a little kid.”
Qiu Qiqian followed helplessly, feeling more like a mother bringing her daughter along…
Hiss… But I wasn’t even a girl before I reincarnated… Is this okay?
Qiu Qiqian shook her head to clear her thoughts. It had already been half a month. There was no point dwelling on that anymore. Better to focus on the present.
“This one, I think, is a box jellyfish. Those are supposed to be highly venomous.”
Qiu Qiqian observed the jellyfish based on documentaries she remembered, then glanced at the information plaque beside the tank.
Box jellyfish…
Non-venomous.
“…”
Alright. I think I’ll stop trying to guess these animals from now on.
“Xiao Qian knows so much. It’s just… you seem to get the names a tiny bit wrong every time,”
Li Meng said with a light laugh, reaching over to gently pat Qiu Qiqian’s back.
“But don’t get upset~ We’re here to enjoy ourselves, right?”
Qiu Qiqian turned her head. Even in the dim lighting, Li Meng’s gray eyes sparkled with pure, innocent light as she looked at her.
Qiu Qiqian paused for a moment, then cleared her throat.
“Cough. Why would I get angry over something like that? Let’s finish this hall and move on to the next one.”
“Yeah! I just saw another jellyfish that apparently produces secretions like jam!”
***
A few more hours passed. Qiu Qiqian and Li Meng had explored most of the exhibits and redeemed their gifts. The large snack pack was quite heavy and was now being carried by Qiu Qiqian. The two souvenirs were simply custom coins printed with the “Blue Abyss” logo—nothing particularly rare.
They were now in the aquarium’s most iconic hall, or rather, its most signature water tank.
“Wow, Xiao Qian, look!”
On the elevator in the bottom viewing area, Li Meng tugged at Qiu Qiqian’s clothes, her eyes sparkling as she stared up at the curved glass overhead.
Fish of all sizes swam past above them. Not just overhead—glass panels on both sides of the elevator also revealed schools of fish swimming around.
That’s right. This entire hall was built at the bottom of an enormous water tank. No matter which direction you looked, you could see fish swimming by, along with massive aquatic creatures.
With some luck, you might even witness the “colleagues, you smell delicious” scene.
But the animals seemed well-fed. By the time Qiu Qiqian and Li Meng stepped off the elevator, they hadn’t seen any feeding frenzies.
The environment at the bottom was almost dreamlike.
Looking up, you could see all kinds of fish gliding through the water. Floor lights embedded in the ground provided a soft, hazy illumination, giving the illusion of actually living in an underwater world.
The tank’s ecosystem was almost self-contained, with specially planted aquatic grass, artificial coral, rockery, and small fish and shrimp at the bottom layer.
Li Meng pressed against one glass panel and looked down at the sand, spotting two fish digging nests and spitting sand at each other in an amusing display.
“Wow…”
Li Meng touched the glass with one hand and let out another sigh of admiration. Qiu Qiqian had already lost count of how many times she had done that during their visit.
Qiu Qiqian stood behind Li Meng. While she didn’t exclaim as often, her golden eyes reflected the blue space before her as she quietly immersed herself in the artificial ocean world.
“Wooooooo—————”
A long, penetrating, ethereal sound suddenly slammed into Qiu Qiqian’s mind, instantly pulling her back to reality.
That was… a whale song? Does this aquarium even have whales?
Qiu Qiqian looked around, searching for any sign of a whale.
Although she had never seen one in person, the documentaries she watched often featured whales with extremely powerful, penetrating calls.
That sound just now was definitely a whale song.
But after scanning the entire hall, she didn’t see any whales—only a few cookiecutter sharks.
No one else reacted. It seemed like only she had heard it.
Was it an auditory hallucination? Could a Guiyi even have hallucinations? That shouldn’t be possible…
Gurgle…
Just then, Li Meng’s stomach made a sound.
“Hungry?”
Qiu Qiqian turned and lifted the snack pack they had redeemed just fifteen minutes earlier.
“Ehehe… We’ve been walking for so long and used up a lot of energy. Yeah, I’m a little hungry.”
“There are tables and chairs over there for resting. Let’s go eat something.”
Li Meng nodded obediently and followed Qiu Qiqian to the nearest seating area. They sat down and began enjoying the snacks.
However, Qiu Qiqian remained somewhat distracted, occasionally glancing at the fish behind the glass.
Where on earth did that whale song come from…?
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