Becoming the Keeper of an Alluring Merfolk - Chapter 13

Chapter 13: My Love For You Is Not Something to Hide

“Alright, I won’t tease you anymore.” Song Xiu finally released her hand. She picked up a towel and gently wrapped the damp Jiao-person.

Shui Se nestled softly in Song Xiu’s arms, allowing her to dry every single scale. Song Xiu’s movements were very light, especially when touching the sensitive mating scales near her lower back. When drying her hair, she set the hairdryer to the lowest warm setting. “Even if you’re a Jiao-person, your hair needs to be dried.“

Shui Se obediently turned around.

After finishing, Song Xiu turned off the hairdryer and casually pinched the tip of Shui Se’s reddened ear fin. “Go change. Let’s go out for some fresh air.“

Shui Se’s eyes lit up. “Can we go to the platform?“

“Of course.” Song Xiu took a light blue dress from the wardrobe. “We’ll wear this.“

She had bought it for Shui Se last week. The cotton and linen material was light and breathable, perfect for watching the sunset.

“Pretty!” Shui Se changed and turned to get Xiao Mi’s cage.

There was a small viewing platform on the west side of the institute. The wooden deck extended to the cliff edge, and in the middle were two rattan swings.

Song Xiu carried Shui Se onto one swing, and Xiao Mi’s cage was placed on the other. The hamster curiously clung to the cage, its black bean-like eyes full of novelty.

“Hold on tight,” Song Xiu gently pushed off the ground, and the swing slowly began to move.

Shui Se tightly wrapped her arms around Song Xiu’s neck, letting out a small gasp. As the swing went higher, she became happier, having never imagined she could fly.

“Higher!” Shui Se shouted excitedly.

Song Xiu pushed hard, and the swing was nearly parallel to the ground. The moon hung at the junction of the sea and sky, its missing part looking as if a gigantic beast had taken a bite.

Shui Se suddenly quieted down, leaning her head on Song Xiu’s shoulder. “When will the moon become round?”

Song Xiu followed her gaze. “It never will. A mermaid’s tail shattered part of it.”

“What a pity. It would look even more beautiful viewed from beneath the sea.”

Song Xiu tightened her arms around her. “We’ll go see it together then.”

Shui Se looked up at her, the moonlight rippling in her light brown eyes. “Humans can’t go that deep.”

“There’s always a way.”

Xiao Mi squeaked twice in its cage. Shui Se smiled and gently swayed the adjacent swing, and the little hamster immediately ran excitedly on its wheel.

The night breeze grew chilly, and Song Xiu felt Shui Se’s body slightly trembling.

“Cold?”

Shui Se shook her head but burrowed deeper into her arms.

“Is it the effect of the full moon period?” Song Xiu immediately stopped the swing.

Shui Se bit her lower lip and nodded. “It’s a little uncomfortable. But it’s okay, not very serious.”

Song Xiu picked her up and grabbed Xiao Mi’s cage. “Let’s go back.”

Just as she turned, her footsteps suddenly halted. At the entrance to the platform, a figure stood silently.

“How touching. Is this a romantic relationship? Is this considered a relationship between colleagues, or between a feeder and a…” Jian Xu’s distorted voice drifted on the night wind.

“Yes, we are in a relationship.”

Song Xiu felt Shui Se in her arms instantly tense up, the edges of her scales slightly raising and grazing against her arm.

Jian Xu’s expression froze on her face. The moonlight shone on her suddenly pale face, and her lips trembled a few times before she managed to speak. “You… do you know what you’re saying?”

“I’m very clear.” Song Xiu tightened her embrace around Shui Se. The Jiao-person’s cold fingertips were desperately clutching her collar. “Shui Se and I are dating.”

Shui Se’s ear fins were pressed completely flat against her hair, her light brown eyes wide with disbelief. She hadn’t expected Song Xiu to admit it so openly.

Jian Xu’s bending gaze darted back and forth between Song Xiu and Shui Se, finally settling on the cyan fish tail peeking out from beneath Shui Se’s skirt.

Jian Xu’s voice suddenly became sharp. “It really can transform its legs?”

“No comment.”

Jian Xu suddenly laughed. “Song Xiu, you’ve been bewitched. These animals are masters at charming people.”

“Enough,” Song Xiu cut her off.

She strode forward with Shui Se in her arms. The moment she brushed past Jian Xu, the other woman suddenly grabbed her arm.

“I have leverage on you now.”

Song Xiu shook off her hand and walked toward the dormitory area without looking back. Shui Se was trembling in her arms, silent pearl-tears rolling down her cheeks.

Only after closing the dormitory door did Song Xiu let out a long breath. She gently placed Shui Se on the bed and saw that the Jiao-person had bitten her lips until there were blood marks.

“Does it hurt?” Song Xiu used her thumb to wipe away the glaring red.

Shui Se suddenly grabbed her hand. Her voice was trembling beyond recognition. “Why did you admit it? You’ll lose your job.”

Song Xiu knelt down, looking directly into Shui Se’s tear-streaked eyes. “Because I’m tired of sneaking around. I love you, and we are together. This is nothing to be ashamed of.”

Shui Se’s pearl tears fell even more fiercely, mixed with both emotion and fear. Xiao Mi was anxiously running in circles in its cage, squeaking.

Shui Se’s ear fins fluttered helplessly.

The next morning, when Song Xiu walked into the canteen with Shui Se in her arms, the entire restaurant instantly fell silent. Two dozen pairs of eyes stared fixedly at them. The sound of a spoon dropping into a soup bowl was particularly crisp.

“Good morning,” Shui Se raised a hand to greet them.

“Two bowls of fish fillet congee, one plate of shredded chicken.”

The canteen staff’s eyes were wide as saucers, their gaze sweeping back and forth over Shui Se’s pink long hair and faintly visible cyan scales. Just as the atmosphere solidified to the extreme, she suddenly grinned. “I knew it! It would be strange if Xiao Xiu didn’t like such a pretty girl! Looking at her, the Jiao-person isn’t as scary as Researcher Jian made her out to be.”

The staff member quickly served the food. “The Director, the old lady, specifically instructed this morning that Miss Shui Se’s meals should be at the researcher standard.”

This shocked Song Xiu so much that she nearly dropped the tray. “The Director?”

“Yes, Researcher Jian submitted a report last night, didn’t she? The result was the Director saying that the Jiao-person is as beautiful as a painting, and it would be abnormal for Song Xiu not to be smitten.”

Shui Se’s ear fins slowly spread out, clearly pleased.

“Oh, she’s really pretty!” The canteen staff smiled broadly.

The atmosphere in the restaurant suddenly became lively. Several usually stern-faced colleagues came over, curiously examining Shui Se.

“Can she really talk?”

“Do your scales change color in the sun?”

“I heard you love sweets?”

Shui Se nestled closely in Song Xiu’s arms, looking overwhelmed.

Song Xiu protected Shui Se as they navigated the crowd, finding a corner table to sit down. Shui Se’s congee bowl had several extra shrimps in it, clearly a special treat from the canteen staff.

“They don’t hate me?” Shui Se stirred her congee, asking quietly.

Song Xiu gave her a shrimp. “They clearly like you even more than they like me.”

Shui Se’s ear fins instantly turned crimson. She lowered her head and sipped the congee. Song Xiu noticed the tip of her tail gently swaying under the chair, a sign of the Jiao-person’s good mood.

After breakfast, they passed the Jiao-person section. Little Coco was lying by the edge of the pool, bored and blowing bubbles. Seeing Shui Se, the little merperson immediately clapped the water excitedly.

“Sister!” Her pronunciation was nearly perfect.

Shui Se went up the stairs and into the pool, quickly swimming over. The two girls touched foreheads. Song Xiu leaned against the glass wall, patiently watching Shui Se teach Little Coco more words.

“Feeder Song.” A low voice came from behind.

Song Xiu turned around and saw the Director standing not far away. The sixty-something marine biologist had gray hair pinned up at the back of her head, but the gaze behind her glasses was as sharp as an eagle’s.

“Good morning, Director.”

“Relax. I just came to tell you that Jian Xu has been temporarily transferred to the archives. After all, her attitude toward marine life is not professional enough.”

In the pool, Shui Se suddenly pressed her face against the glass. The Director’s gaze softened. “What a beautiful girl. No wonder you fell for her.”

Song Xiu’s ears were burning. “Director, I…”

“No need to explain. Since you’re together, don’t mistreat her. It was my oversight before, trusting Jian Xu too much.”

“I want to ask you something.”

“Go ahead.”

“Do you know about Xiao Hen?”

The Director paused. “I do. But she can’t come back for now.”

“Why?”

The Director hesitated, wondering whether she should speak. “Actually, we discovered the existence of Jiao-people six months ago. It was just simple contact. During that time, Xiao Hen developed a liking for Jian Xu. Jian Xu was probably very resistant, or rather, disgusted by it. After the moon was hit, Xiao Hen brought Shui Se here voluntarily to seek refuge…”

“So, Xiao Hen wanted to see Jian Xu, right? But Jian Xu hated her and took her somewhere?”

“Yes. Don’t worry, I will definitely give you an explanation for this matter. I can guarantee that Xiao Hen is alive now, not sick, and not being dissected.”

“That’s good. Thank you, Director, I really appreciate it.”

“Not at all. Goodbye.”

After returning to the dormitory after work, Song Xiu told Shui Se everything she knew.

Only then did Shui Se understand why Xiao Hen had been acting so strangely. It turned out she deliberately separated from the clan and brought her here.

“Xiao Hen…”

Song Xiu gently stroked Shui Se’s hair. “I need to go to the city center tomorrow. Do you want to come with me?”

“The city center! Yes! Can I bring Xiao Mi?”

“Xiao Mi can’t come; she might get lost.”

“She won’t.”

Shui Se opened the cage, took Xiao Mi out, and performed a demonstration of letting herself be kneaded without running away, being extremely obedient.

“No, if she’s not fed water in time, she’ll be uncomfortable.”

Shui Se reluctantly put Xiao Mi back, then angrily rolled back and forth on the bed.

Now that she knew Xiao Hen was fine, she wouldn’t worry anymore. She was also looking forward to having a proper relationship with Song Xiu.

Jian Xu, however, suddenly messaged Song Xiu through the work group: “My time out coincides with yours. Let’s hang out together.”