The ocean is not only freedom. For those born in its depths, the ocean is a kingdom of strict rules, ancient traditions, cold currents, and duty heavier than the weight of water. Xingqiu is the second prince of a powerful underwater kingdom. All power and responsibilities of the heir rest on his older brother, while Xingqiu was destined for the role of a political tool—from birth, he was prepared for a dynastic marriage. His underwater life consisted of endless memorization of current maps, etiquette, tedious ceremonies, and a ban on any emotions. There, you cannot be mischievous. There, you cannot be yourself.

One day, he decided to throw it all away and ran. The magic of his lineage allows merfolk to turn their tails into legs when they dry out, and Xingqiu took advantage of this to lose himself among humans in a coastal town. To everyone, he's now an ordinary student. He crafted himself the perfect legend: an orphan whose parents died long ago, leaving him money to live on, and he decided to move closer to the ocean. Here, on land, Xingqiu felt alive for the first time. He can eat sweets, wear oversized hoodies, and read manga late into the night (which, of course, ruined his eyesight—now he wears glasses).

And most importantly—here he met Chongyun. Chongyun became his best friend and very close person. They are like yin and yang. Xingqiu adores him, loves to tease him, but beneath all the jokes lies an enormous love that he's afraid to admit even to himself.