Author Notes: Hello again, everyone! Three more people get to know about Princess Shellfish. Enjoy :)

Beta & Co-author: jeangirlmy

- Chapter Start -

"Stop fretting! She's eating well."

"Good to know."

"Tianzhen. You do know by that, I mean she's eating us out of house and home, don't you?"

"Good to know."

There's a loud snort at the other end of the phone which just makes Wu Xie grin even wider.

"Ow, stop pulling my hair! I'll go bald, how will I patronise PiaoPiao's hair salon then? Tianzhen, scold her."

"Behave, princess," Wu Xie says sternly only to chuckle at the exaggerated sigh of relief. "Alright, I have to go now. Text me if there's anything."

"I will. You text me if there're any antiques for PiaoPiao to sell. You know she needs money for Xiao Mei's operation."

"I will. Bye." Wu Xie hangs up and slips his phone back in his pocket.

"Who's 'princess'?"

Swinging around, Wu Xie sees Bai HaoTian standing at the door of the outer corridor. Her large round eyes are bright with curiosity.

"Xiao Bai! Oh, a... pet I got recently." Wu Xie hopes she doesn't ask anymore. "My shift is starting soon. I have to go."

But she just falls into step with him.

"What kind of pet? A dog? Cat? Hamster?"

Wu Xie turns to her, prepared to say yes to one of the above. But he can't. He can't lie to her, especially when she turns the full force of those eyes on him.

"None of the above."

"Then what? A bird? Fish? Gecko?"

Wu Xie sighs.

"A shellfish."

When Bai HaoTian blinks in surprise, Wu Xie resumes walking at a noticeably faster clip, hoping to outwalk her. Hah - she's a diver with a good set of lungs while his are giving out. Of course she catches up.

"What kind? A crab? Shrimp? Lobster?"

Hands on hips, Wu Xie gives her his best 'Really?' look.

"A pink, hand-shaped shellfish who eats anything and especially likes crawling all over people. Scary, right?"

"I want to meet her!" Bai HaoTian declares without missing a beat.

Wu Xie stares at her. Right. He should've known better.

"Fine," he says and turns to start walking again.

"When?"

"One day," he calls over his shoulder.

"When's that?"

Wu Xie doesn't answer. He shouldn't have satisfied her curiosity in the first place because he seems to have made it worse.

- o -

"Then I saw that Princess had caught the garlic cloves. Both of them!"

"Oh, she's clever and she sounds so cute, Pang-shu!" Xiao Mei declares, smiling.

"She does indeed," PiaoPiao agrees, smiling while maintaining a white knuckled grip on the straps of her handbag.

It doesn't take a genius to know she's keeping up a brave front for her daughter. The three of them are at the hospital, waiting to see the doctor after Xiao Mei collapsed in school, bleeding from the nose.

"Princess also loves coffee. You won't believe how fast she moves after drinking just a spoonful!"

"I want to meet her!" Xiao Mei declares.

Pang Zi blinks. Oops. Perhaps he should've toned down the shellfish's daily adventures, but he was trying to cheer Xiao Mei up.

"Wait. I, uh, may have exaggerated things a bit," he admits, scratching his head. "She's actually uhm... quite scary looking."

"But she sounds adorable."

"Where did Wu Xie get her from? A pet shop?" PiaoPiao asks.

Pang Zi stares at both of them in dismay. He can't tell them that Princess came from an underground tomb and was hiding inside the three thousand year old leather statue of a mute girl from a legend. That would open up a whole can of worms including the fact that he and Wu Xie are tomb raiders.

"You don't have to tell us if it's a secret," PiaoPiao says, letting him off the hook.

Pang Zi realises he's been staring at her like an idiot and quickly pastes a smile on his face.

"Ah, it's just that she doesn't look like a - a conventional shellfish."

He wants to facepalm himself for sounding like an idiot as well. What does that even mean?!

"Well, whatever she looks like, we'd love to meet her," PiaoPiao glosses over it with a kind smile, proving she's a goddess.

"Can we, Pang-shu?" Xiao Mei wheedles with a winning smile, proving she's an angel.

Pang Zi wonders if he looks as wide eyed as he feels.

"You could bring her to my salon," PiaoPiao offers. "I'll cook dinner. Bring Wu Xie too, I'd like to meet him."

"Me too! Please, Pang-shu?"

Pang Zi sighs and dips his head in defeat.

"I'll check with Tianzhen, but it's probably better if you two come over to our place," he suggests. "Don't want princess making a mess of your hair products."

It's hopeless. He's too soft for these two. He shouldn't have satisfied their curiosity in the first place because he seems to have made it worse.

- o -

"Wait. You invited them for dinner?"

Pang Zi nods, chopping the meat with such vigour that Princess actually goes a little airborne above the countertop with each whack of the cleaver. She likes it, scuttling as close to the chopping board as Wu Xie's guarding hand allows.

"Just because they want to meet her?"

Pang Zi nods again.

"I can't be hard for PiaoPiao, alright?" He says and shakes his head. "I just can't."

"If you say so." Wu Xie continues peeling the garlic with intense concentration, not even looking up.

Pang Zi squints at him and then he turns bright red.

"No, wait! I meant I can't be hard on her. I meant my heart is too soft for her! That's what I meant!"

"I know what you meant," Wu Xie says and gives him a very solemn nod. Too solemn.

"Don't give me that look!" Pang Zi scolds him, face now hot enough to fry an egg. "I'm a decent man!"

Wu Xie starts laughing so hard that he drops the garlic clove which the shellfish catches on one nail tipped finger.

- o -

The knock at the door sounds as Pang Zi is getting dressed after a hurried shower. He's just grabbed a clean T-shirt and his hair is still dripping water.

"I'll get it," Wu Xie calls out from the living room.

"No! I will!" Pang Zi tells him, yanking the T-shirt over his head. Too late, he hears the bolt drawn back and the door opening.

"Sao-zi! And this must be Xiao Mei!"

It's six large steps from the cupboard in their shared bedroom to the front door. Pang Zi covers the distance in two panicked heartbeats, almost careening into the Princess Mute statue.

"Don't call her sister-in-law!" He scolds Wu Xie and pushes him aside before beaming at a flustered PiaoPiao and a giggling Xiao Mei. "PiaoPiao, just ignore him."

"I'm sorry, we're early-"

"No, you're not! I'm the one who's late. Here, let me introduce you two properly." The words come out in a rush as Pang Zi tugs a grinning Wu Xie forward. "PiaoPiao, this is sao-zi - ah! I mean, this is Wu Xie, my best friend and brother in all but blood. Tianzhen, this is Ye PiaoPiao and her daughter, Xiao Mei."

"Pleased to meet you two at last." Wu Xie shakes their hands with a charming smile. "Pang Zi just won't shut up about both of you."

Pang Zi hits him in the stomach with the back of his hand.

"Oof!"

"Tianzhen," Pang Zi bites out through gritted teeth, "go check on the soup."

"Oh, Pang-ge talks about you all the time too," PiaoPiao assures Wu Xie.

"Pang Zi!" Wu Xie's look of mock outrage sets Xiao Mei giggling again.

Pang Zi decides that now would be the perfect time to sink right through the floor in embarrassment.

"Wait, where did that statue go?" Xiao Mei asks suddenly. "She was standing here just a second ago."

Pang Zi exchanges a look with Wu Xie who smiles and turns to the bedroom.

"I'll go get Princess."

- o -

A few hours later...

Dinner is over and their guests have left after effusive thanks and promises to meet again soon. Wu Xie is pretty sure that Pang Zi means tomorrow.

"I knew Princess would love PiaoPiao and Xiao Mei," Pang Zi declares as he starts carrying dirty dishes to the kitchen. "They love her too."

"Sao-zi was nervous about touching Princess," Wu Xie disagrees, following him with more dishes in his hands.

"Don't call her that... yet," Pang Zi says, turning red again.

"And Princess only let PiaoPiao pat her because of the BBQ pork buns she brought."

When Pang Zi opens his mouth to argue, Wu Xie nods at the coffee table. The shellfish is practically draped over one of the mini buns, seeing as her mouth is located under her.

"Fine," Pang Zi concedes, "but she loved Xiao Mei from the moment she saw her."

Wu Xie wants to argue that Princess only let the teen pick her up after she applauded at how the Princess Mute statue could move without being seen, but decides not to.

"Anyway, I'm glad they've met at last," Pang Zi continues. "I'm exhausted, preparing a hot pot dinner is hard work!"

Wu Xie wipes down the coffee table and decides that that's his share of the work done. As soon as he sits down on the sofa, the shellfish makes her way to him at a waddle rather than her usual scuttle. He watches in amusement as she begins the laborious climb up his arm with more effort than speed.

"You'll give yourself indigestion, overeating like that," he chides, plucking her off his sleeve and placing her on his shoulder. She immediately flops over it, fingers hanging straight down, and gives a loud belch.

"Aiya!" Wu Xie snatches her off his shoulder, half expecting to see something brought up. Nothing. His grey shirt remains pristine.

Princess glares at him out of one baleful eye, still held between thumb and index finger.

"Sorry." Wu Xie places her back on his shoulder and offers an apologetic pat, wincing when she burps again.

- Chapter End -

A/N: Thank you for reading! More action to come. Please leave a comment if you enjoyed this chapter :)