Becoming the Keeper of an Alluring Merfolk - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Swear You Love Me

Song Xiu’s fingertips lingered on the mating scale, sometimes gently stroking, sometimes drawing circles.

Shui Se’s ear fins flapped wildly, like two small pink fans.

“No more… Song Xiu…” Shui Se’s voice was tearful, and pearl tears rolled onto the pillow, “It’s too… too weird, wuwuwu…”

Song Xiu chuckled, leaning in to kiss away the tear drops from the corner of her eye: “Sleep, my little merman.”

When the morning light filtered through the curtains, Shui Se was still curled up in Song Xiu’s arms.

The merman’s pink long hair was spread all over the bed. Song Xiu gently pushed aside the stray hairs on her forehead and suddenly had an idea.

“Don’t move.” She sat up and began to braid Shui Se’s hair.

Her slender fingers wove through the pink strands, quickly creating two half-braids on either side, which were then brought together at the back to form one whole braid.

The remaining long hair cascaded down like a waterfall. Shui Se curiously touched the braid, her ear fins trembling with delight: “I can’t see it. Does it look good?”

Song Xiu handed her a small mirror: “Of course. My Shui Se is the most beautiful.”

When Song Xiu carried Shui Se to the Merman Enclosure, Xiao Ye Guo poked her head out of the pool. Seeing Shui Se’s new hairstyle, her eyes immediately lit up: “Older sister is pretty… I… want it too!”

Shui Se volunteered: “I’ll help you do it!”

A merman’s hands were clearly not suited for such a complex task. Ten minutes later, Xiao Ye Guo’s hair was a tangled mess, the green strands knotted together. The little mermaid pouted, tears welling up in her eyes.

Plop.

A transparent bead fell into the pool, instantly becoming invisible.

Song Xiu was surprised and scrutinized the second bead carefully.

Shui Se explained: “Merfolk cry pearls, mermaids cry crystals.”

Song Xiu reached out and caught one. Indeed, it was completely different from Shui Se’s pearls, like a piece of crystal.

During lunch, Song Xiu was placing Shui Se’s favorite sweet and sour pork onto her plate when a sharp scream suddenly came from the direction of the Merman Enclosure. It was clearly Xiao Ye Guo’s voice!

She threw down her tray and raced back. Jian Xu was directing two researchers who were tightly netting Xiao Ye Guo with a fishing net. The little mermaid was struggling frantically, and transparent tear crystals were shattering all over the floor.

The adult merfolk, who had been calm for a long time, became wildly agitated. Xiao Ye Guo was the youngest of their clan, and they couldn’t stand seeing her being bullied like this right in front of them.

“Stop it!” Song Xiu, furious, rushed forward. “What are you doing?”

Jian Xu recorded the data without raising her head: “Routine physical examination. This mermaid is developmentally delayed and requires special testing.”

“You can’t do it like this!” Shui Se swam from the other end of the pool, her ear fins flared in anger. “She said she doesn’t want to!”

“What right does an animal have to say no?” Jian Xu scoffed.

She reminded Song Xiu: “Don’t get too emotionally invested in them. Legend says merfolk are the best at bewitching people with their beauty and singing. By the time you realize you’ve been deceived, it will be too late.”

Song Xiu looked back at Shui Se. Shui Se guiltily submerged her face underwater.

On the way back to the dorm, Shui Se clearly sensed Song Xiu was in a bad mood.

To comfort her, Shui Se clung to her, demanding a hug.

Song Xiu entered the room without making eye contact, opened the small fridge, and uncorked a can of beer for herself.

Shui Se was very upset: “Song Xiu, don’t ignore me.”

“I still can’t quite believe you chose me. You lied when you agreed to date me, didn’t you?”

To prove she wasn’t “lying,” Shui Se said: “I can let you touch that scale. That way, you won’t be unhappy, right?”

Shui Se’s words struck Song Xiu’s heart like a bolt of lightning. The beer can was crushed with a crack in her hand, and foam splashed everywhere.

“You know what that means,” Song Xiu’s voice was hoarse. “You don’t need to prove it this way.”

She trembled, grabbing Song Xiu’s hand and guiding it toward that hidden scale: “You can.”

The moment her fingertip touched it, Song Xiu felt a burning heat for the first time.

But she still withdrew her hand. She didn’t want Shui Se to experience any pain, even though she knew Shui Se might not firmly choose her.

When Xiao Ye Guo returned, several scales had fallen off her tail, and she was listlessly huddled in the corner of the pool. Shui Se immediately swam over and hugged her. The little mermaid buried her face in her sister’s shoulder, her body still trembling slightly.

“Did you see Xiao Hen?” Shui Se asked softly.

Xiao Ye Guo shook her head, her ear fins drooping weakly.

Song Xiu squatted by the pool, also speaking gently: “Why aren’t you talking? Open your mouth and let me see.”

The little mermaid hesitantly opened her mouth. Deep inside her oral cavity was a ghastly wound, as if it had been torn open when a metal instrument forcibly pried it open. Song Xiu’s face hardened, and she immediately got up: “I’m going to the infirmary for medicine.”

In the infirmary, the male doctor on duty glanced at the expressionless Song Xiu: “Buying medicine for yourself?”

“For the mermaid,” Song Xiu corrected him.

The doctor’s expression immediately changed: “Veterinary anti-inflammatory medicine is in the cabinet next door, the cheap kind will do.”

Song Xiu frowned and shook her head: “I want the human-grade one.”

“That’s imported medicine, it’s very expensive.”

“Any price is fine.”

The doctor shrugged and handed her a small tube of transparent gel: “It will sting when applied, but the effect is good.”

Returning to the Merman Enclosure, Song Xiu carefully applied the medicine to Xiao Ye Guo. The little mermaid shed tear crystals from the pain but constantly held back from crying out loud.

“Thank you… Older Sister.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m your keeper.”

Xiao Ye Guo sniffled and returned to the group of merfolk, saying something to them through the isolation net.

“Did Xiao Ye Guo’s teeth scratch you?” Shui Se sat by the pool, asking Song Xiu worriedly.

Song Xiu hadn’t even noticed: “You’re so observant. You even saw that.”

“I’ll take care of it for you.”

Shui Se took the ointment from her hand and applied it to her tiny wounds.

Song Xiu’s hands were beautiful. Shui Se’s hands were too soft, the knuckles not clearly defined.

After applying the medicine, Shui Se wanted to hold their hands palm-to-palm to compare sizes, but suddenly remembered the previous night’s events and shyly withdrew her hand.

Song Xiu sensed the reason.

“Shui Se, I love you.”

The words were too heavy for Shui Se. She was stunned, blinking her eyes, unsure how to react.

Song Xiu raised an eyebrow, waiting for her answer.

“I… I…”

“It’s okay. But I really can’t enter a relationship that… has no future.”

“I love you,” Shui Se said, immediately lowering her head.

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Dare you swear it by the moon?”

Shui Se’s breath caught again. Song Xiu was making things too difficult.

“I… I swear…”

Song Xiu interrupted her in time: “Then I’ll trust you for now. I hope, Shui Se, you won’t disappoint me. I may not be a mature partner, but I want to give you the best.”

“Okay,” Shui Se nodded gently.

Xiao Ye Guo not far away was clearly aware of Shui Se’s true intentions. If they continued to torment each other like this, both of them would get hurt.