After Encountering My Deceased Wife, I Became the Male Lead's Love Rival - Chapter 55

Chapter 55: Waiting for Death

Fang Ziyue experienced for the first time what it felt like to coax a child. It was, quite simply, a frantic mess.

The two were on completely different wavelengths, their communication a classic case of the “don’t know what the other is saying.” Ling Qiu didn’t want to deal with this stupid human, and Fang Ziyue wondered why her wife had suddenly gone silent.

Listening to the AI’s reminder that the dishes on the table were getting cold, Fang Ziyue gritted her teeth and extended her “evil claws” toward the piteous little mermaid!

Amidst a flurry of splashing in the bathroom, the little mermaid was forcibly held down by Fang Ziyue to have her back scrubbed, clutching the edge of the tub and “woo-woo” crying pearls.

The little mermaid sniffed, feeling deeply wronged; the corners of her eyes were red, and her dark blue eyes were like the sea behind a curtain of rain deep, silent, and desolate. Fang Ziyue felt both heartache and a desire to laugh.

This bratty… no, this bratty wife, her little temper was truly stubborn.

“Stop dropping pearls. I’ll treat you to a meal, alright?” Fang Ziyue picked up the pearls scattered across the floor and put them neatly into a box.

Woo…

The aggrieved little mermaid clutched the lapels of her bathrobe, glaring with dissatisfaction at the barely-repressed smile on Fang Ziyue’s face. This human was not only clumsy but also quite silly. Other humans said that pearls made from mermaid tears could be sold for a lot of money; why didn’t this person sell them? Did she not know how?

The little mermaid hesitated, then pointed to the pearl box again, signaling Fang Ziyue to take it as payment for her “last meal.”

“Hmm? This?” Fang Ziyue was stunned. She had no experience coaxing children, so she couldn’t quite understand her wife’s meaning. She could only guess: “You want this box of pearls?”

Thinking she had figured it out, the woman handed the box back and coaxed with a smile: “Once you have the pearls, be a good girl and eat properly, okay?~”

Okay? Okay my foot!

Ling Qiu was so angry she bit down on Fang Ziyue’s hand, her teeth sharper than a human’s—”viciously” grinding against Fang Ziyue’s knuckles.

I’ll eat you! You stupid human!

The little mermaid angrily shoved the box into Fang Ziyue’s arms and patted the box with her freshly washed, fair hand.

Sell it, get money, buy the last meal.

Fang Ziyue suddenly had a flash of insight and tested: “For me?”

Whew.

Ling Qiu sighed deeply in her heart; this stupid human finally understood. It wasn’t easy.

The little mermaid smoothed her long hair, which had been brushed straight by this stupid human. Her dark blue eyes curved into slight crescents, and her pinkish-white lips tilted up in a pleasant arc. A single sharp fang peeking out was incredibly cute.

Ling Qiu nodded happily at the woman who was covering her mouth, her heart nearly melting from the cuteness. Yes, the pearls are for you. This human is silly; she could cry pearls to support her… well… support her for two days.

The little mermaid estimated her physical condition; she could live for two more days. In these two days, she could cry more pearls as a thank you for this human taking her in and making her a final meal.

The little mermaid, not understanding the true grimness of a “last meal,” happily ran to the dining table after Fang Ziyue accepted the pearls and sat obediently, waiting for the food.

Ling Qiu wore Fang Ziyue’s bathrobe, the slightly long sleeves covering half her palms, leaving only her slender, pale fingertips to restlessly fumble with the bowls and chopsticks.

How can she be this hungry?

Fang Ziyue smiled, nearly dying from her wife’s cuteness. She couldn’t resist reaching out to ruffle the little mermaid’s hair. It was smooth and cool, like high-quality cold jade.

“I don’t know if you eat spicy food. Here, try a little of this first.” Fang Ziyue lifted a lid and served a bit of the spicy dish to the little glutton.

Merfolk love water; they probably couldn’t handle chili, right?

Fang Ziyue watched nervously as Ling Qiu opened her mouth and swallowed the green pepper from her chopsticks. The little mermaid ate it happily, but then paused for two seconds…

Hah! Her tongue was burning! It hurt!

Ling Qiu’s face turned bright red. She opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue, her hand fanning the air so fast it almost left afterimages. The little mermaid, “smoking” from the heat, began to drop pearls pitter-patter.

Fang Ziyue, caught between laughter and tears, handed her a glass of tomato juice. She couldn’t help but hold her forehead and stifle a laugh. “Quick, drink this, pfft… mmm…”

The unrestrained laughter drew a furious glare from the little mermaid. The woman, a head shorter than Fang Ziyue, looked at this stupid and “wicked” human with tears welling in her eyes.

Ling Qiu seriously suspected the other person did it on purpose. The little mermaid was neither crazy nor stupid; she understood everything. This stupid human definitely wanted to see her make a fool of herself!

In retaliation, the little mermaid clumsily used her chopsticks to pick up several pieces of green pepper and brought them to Fang Ziyue’s lips.

The tables had turned. Fang Ziyue’s smile froze on her face. Though she liked spicy food, this kind of retaliation was a bit much. The little mermaid, seeing the other wouldn’t open her mouth, blinked and mischievously touched the green peppers against Fang Ziyue’s lips.

These peppers have been touched by you, so they’re yours. No backing out and throwing them away!

Because her mental energy was exhausted and her body’s protective mechanism had been forcibly activated, Ling Qiu’s thinking process had regressed to a semi-childish stage. Many of her actions were very juvenile, yet like a child, she had a strong ability to imitate. After seeing someone use chopsticks for the first time, she could manage it reasonably well, which gave Fang Ziyue a further understanding of her intelligence and capability.

For this meal, Fang Ziyue had cooked enough for three people; she had overdone it out of excitement. She hadn’t expected her wife to perform a “clean plate action” at the end. Looking at the woman with puffed-out cheeks like a little squirrel, Fang Ziyue couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt.

She covered her eyes with one hand and clenched her fist with the other, condemning herself in pained frustration.

Fang Ziyue, oh Fang Ziyue, your wife currently has the intelligence of a child. Why the hell are you blushing at a child! Hooligan! Lewd!

The self-condemning woman failed to notice that the little mermaid, satisfied after finishing her “last meal,” patted her stomach and wobbled back to the bathroom. She lay down in the empty bathtub, crossed her hands, and “passed away” peacefully.

By the time Fang Ziyue finished her gritted-teeth self-condemnation and looked up, the person was gone.

“Ling Qiu-qiu?”

Fang Ziyue stood up abruptly, looking everywhere for her wife. How did this person walk without making a sound? She didn’t hear a thing.

Splash… The sound of water from the bathroom stopped Fang Ziyue as she headed toward the guest room.

Coming back to her senses from her blind panic, Fang Ziyue strode over, simultaneously slapping her forehead in annoyance. She had been so anxious she forgot: her wife was a mermaid in this life. Merfolk love water; she would naturally run back to the bathroom to soak.

Pushing open the bathroom door, Fang Ziyue almost got a face full of water from a large tail. The dark blue fish tail had lost its original lustrous glow; even soaked in water, it showed an unhealthy, pale film. Like a fish that had been dead for a long time, the scales had lost their luster and were filled with the aura of death and decay.

Beside the “deceased” little mermaid with closed eyes sat the basin Fang Ziyue used for miscellaneous items. The basin was filled with a layer of round pearls—the “cleaning fee” the little mermaid had left for Fang Ziyue.

Because of the long-term overextension of her mental energy, Ling Qiu knew that after she died, she wouldn’t turn into clear sea waves but would instead become a pool of black, stinking liquid. That stench would probably trouble this stupid human.

The little mermaid quietly opened a sliver of an eye and looked apologetically at the woman at the door.

I’m sorry…

Looking at Ling Qiu, who was filled with the aura of death, Fang Ziyue felt as if thousands of needles were piercing her heart. She reached out to stroke Ling Qiu’s fish tail; it was rough and dry. She didn’t know how much her wife had suffered in places she couldn’t see. She didn’t know how many insults she had endured to hide her identity, only to be called a lunatic by everyone without restraint.

But it was alright. She had asked the system. The vegetables and fruits she grew could completely replenish Ling Qiu’s exhausted mental energy and help her recover slowly.

However, the little mermaid, who was focused on eating her last meal and waiting for death, didn’t notice the changes in herself. The ingested energy was like a fine drizzle nourishing a parched, cracked earth, kissing the terrifying fissures but unable to make them whole again instantly.

The little mermaid stared at Fang Ziyue’s movements, her eyes gradually opening from the tiny slits they were before. Her dark blue eyes were misty and lacked vitality; they didn’t even reflect Fang Ziyue’s figure.

In Fang Ziyue’s touch, Ling Qiu felt a trace of sourness. Her heart was tightly squeezed, and a pained, aching sensation spread to her throat. She couldn’t help but move her tail, avoiding Fang Ziyue’s hand, wanting to hide herself and turn into stagnant water quietly and alone.

She pushed the basin of pearls toward Fang Ziyue, wanting her to leave. She didn’t like this woman’s gaze; it was very sad, and it made her uncomfortable.

Sensing that her emotions were affecting Ling Qiu, Fang Ziyue took a deep breath, cast aside her messy thoughts, and scooped up the soaking mermaid. There was a pond beside her vegetable patch, originally intended for planting lotus and getting lotus roots in a few days. Now it seemed there was no need to plant them she’d just use it to raise a “fish.”

Compared to the faint fragrance of vegetables masked by seasonings and dishes that lost a lot of energy through crude cooking, Ling Qiu preferred the vegetables growing in the soil. Staying beside them, even her dry and pained mental sea could calm down, and streams of energy were slowly absorbed by her.

Ling Qiu lay by the pond, squinting comfortably as she inhaled the fresh scent of the vegetables. Her long fish tail also swayed happily, like a cat’s tail that wouldn’t stop wagging.

Soothed by the natural energy, Ling Qiu fell into a daze. Unlike the usual pain and dull ache of forced sleep, this time she was wrapped in soft, warm energy and had a rare good dream.

The woman sitting beside her looked on with pity, carefully stroking Ling Qiu’s scattered long hair. After the system scanned Ling Qiu’s body, Fang Ziyue learned from it that Ling Qiu did not belong to this planet. She had been brought to the Desolate Planet by the elder Liang and turned into a mental energy soothing machine for Liang Xiuyue.

Fortunately, they had met at a critical moment. Fang Ziyue reached out and kissed Ling Qiu’s long hair. From now on, she would be the one to protect this adorable mermaid.

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