MTL - The Little Merman - Chapter 29

“Commander Lu, there are rumors that we are sleeping together, we have a fling!”

Pinning her tall body against the hard wall, he looked into her beautiful emerald green eyes as he spoke in a deep voice, "I have two options for you," his body came closer to hers as he continued, "Be my girlfriend. Or," his lips turned into a sly smile as he whispered close to her ear, "Be my boyfriend." He even dared to wink right before her as his dark orbs glinted amusingly.

Kyros was no hero—nor was he a villain. A pragmatist to the core, he turned Earth into a chessboard of chaos, bending nations and empires to his will before meeting his end. But death was only the beginning. The Devil intervened, pulling Kyros into Hell with an irresistible proposition: a second chance at life in a world far removed from Earth—a world named Neva.In this fantastical realm of knights, nobility, magic, and divine power, Kyros becomes the key piece in a wager between God and the Devil. Reborn as Rasmus Blackheart, a disgraced young noble, his task is clear: unleash chaos and topple the order of Neva, just as he did on Earth. But the Devil has added a twist to the game—he’ll serve as Rasmus’s companion, not as a guide but as a mischievous, manipulative force, more likely to hinder than help.Navigating a world brimming with intrigue and divine interference, Rasmus must survive, scheme, and rise from ruin to reshape Neva in his image. Will his cunning be enough to outwit his foes—and his so-called ally—or will this chaotic partnership lead to his downfall?

The story begins as our female lead wakes up in a strange room and an unfamiliar body. She realizes that she has travelled back in time and her twenty-two year old spirit is now trapped in the body of a six year old girl. This girl child is the third daughter of Ning Guo’s Prime Minister Li and his seventh wife. Her name is Li Qing Luo and because her mother was originally from an entertainment house, Prime Minister Li and his other six wives treated them badly.

Her first day in that world, the whole family gathers to test the talent of the three daughters. Qing Lei, the eldest, is talented at playing the zither while Qing Fei’s calligraphy is incomparable. Everyone anticipates A’Luo’s failure as she had not exhibited any talent before, but that six year old child recites a famous Tang poem. The entire family is surprised that Qing Luo is able to write such a profound poem and her mother later tells her that Prime Minister Li is so harsh on his daughters because he needs to rely on them marrying well to secure his future. Qing Luo begins to study qin, qi, shu, hua (zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting) but hides her skill because she does not want to be sold in marriage to some prince or court official.

Six years later, A’Luo is now twelve and leaves the estate for the first time to participate at a flower viewing banquet. This is a special banquet because the Five Most Eligible Bachlors of Feng Cheng will be in attendance (there’s actually a more elegant name for them). These young men are: Crown Prince Liu Jian, Fourth Prince Liu Fei, the young An Qing Wang Liu Jue, the son of Prime Minister Gu Gu Tian Xiang, and the top scorer of the Imperial Examinations Cheng Si Yue. A’Luo sneaks off and almost falls into a river, but is saved by a handsome young man. Because he glanced at her bare legs a moment too long, A’Luo calls him a pervert, tries to push him into the river and runs off. The young man only laughs and vows to find her again.

- Description from Novelupdates