My Marriage Partner is a Crazy Mermaid - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Midnight

Back in the bedroom, Meng Ke sat on the bed. She felt as though she had seen that woman somewhere before. It wasn’t until she smelled that familiar perfume at the bathroom door that it clicked—she was the woman at the airport, the one traveling with such grand style in the silver-white wheelchair.

Meng Ke didn’t have a deep impression of the woman herself, but the fragrance had triggered the memory.

The front desk called back quickly. First came a very sincere apology. To compensate her, they waived all charges for her stay and gifted her a one-year Black Gold VIP membership. Then, they explained that the person who had accidentally collapsed outside her room was the heiress of the Xie family, Xie Yuhan.

The Xie family said they were sending people over immediately and asked her to look after Xie Yuhan, promising a separate reward for her trouble.

Xie Yuhan?!

No wonder she traveled in a wheelchair. No wonder she was flanked by bodyguards. Given her reputation and style, the people who couldn’t stand her probably filled a whole truck; traveling without protection would indeed be dangerous.

But how did she end up collapsed outside Meng Ke’s door?!

Hanging up the phone, Meng Ke felt conflicted. Her current status relative to Xie Yuhan was delicate—the person Xie Yuhan was supposed to marry was Meng Ke’s sister. Her sister didn’t want to marry and wanted Meng Ke to take her place.

Though Meng Ke deemed it impossible, Xie Yuhan was technically her potential marriage partner.

Ten minutes later, a rhythmic knocking sounded. Meng Ke rose to open the door.

A different group of bodyguards had arrived. A line of men in black stood outside the door; the man at the front pushed an empty wheelchair. His voice was mechanical, with a hint of coldness. “Hello. Apologies for the intrusion. I am here to pick someone up.”

Meng Ke was momentarily startled by their imposing aura, then stepped aside. “Come in.”

Two men entered the room. The wheelchair’s specialized wheels made a muffled, heavy sound against the floor.

“She’s in the bathroom.”

When she said this, the two bodyguards looked at each other. Meng Ke caught a flicker of something unusual on their otherwise expressionless faces.

Midnight. A hotel. A bathroom. A woman in pajamas.

Please don’t overthink this, thanks.

“I’ll go get her.”

Meng Ke lowered her head and hurried toward the bathroom. Standing before the frosted glass door, she pressed her body closer. There was no sound from within. She raised her hand and knocked.

“Someone is here to pick you up.”

Inside, Xie Yuhan watched as the scales on her body receded one by one. The ice-blue fishtail slowly transformed back into long human legs, but they remained weak. The sudden onset of her “weakness period” meant she couldn’t maintain her human form. Following her instincts to find the scent of the sea, she hadn’t expected to break into a human’s room.

“Come in first!”

Meng Ke didn’t hesitate for long. She gently turned the handle, opened a crack in the door, and slipped inside.

Even though they were both women, Meng Ke had never seen another woman bathe. Her eyes darted around, trying her best not to look at the bathtub across from her, making her look quite suspicious.

Xie Yuhan rested her hand on the edge of the tub, lightly sniffing the air. This human smelled very good. She took in all of Meng Ke’s small, nervous movements.

“Their people are here for you. How is your body?” Meng Ke kept her eyes fixed on a spot on the floor.

The sudden weakness had disrupted all of Xie Yuhan’s plans. She had disappeared for roughly twenty-four hours without a word, and the Xie family was likely in a state of chaos. Yet, she wasn’t in a hurry, watching the human before her with leisurely interest.

“I have no clothes.”

Her voice was cold and sharp, but she spoke with total entitlement.

“Wait a moment, I’ll get them for you.”

Throughout the exchange, Meng Ke never looked up. As she turned to leave, her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of Xie Yuhan. The woman was half-leaning against the edge of the tub, her wet hair draped down, revealing a shoulder as white as a pearl. Her eyes were damp and cold, devoid of warmth. She looked like a siren who had just broken the surface of the water.

Having just arrived at the hotel, Meng Ke didn’t have many supplies. She grabbed a pair of spare pajamas from her suitcase and hurried back.

“Should I leave them here?” Meng Ke clutched the clothes, pointing to a low stool nearby.

“Help me put them on.”

Xie Yuhan wasn’t human and saw nothing wrong with this request.

Meng Ke wondered if there was a communication error or if she had misheard. She wanted her to help her dress?!

“Do you need help with everything?” Meng Ke asked tentatively.

“Not the top.” Xie Yuhan poked her own legs. “The bottom part.”

Meng Ke: “…”

She had forgotten for a moment that Xie Yuhan was disabled. Her thoughts had gone the wrong way. Meng Ke handed over the top. “Change into the top first.”

Xie Yuhan looked at the woman’s dodging eyes and curled her lips slightly. Shallow humans, only liking beautiful bodies.

Their fingertips brushed. The touch was icy. Meng Ke reflexively pulled her fingers back. For some reason, the woman’s body temperature was incredibly low—an abnormal, haunting cold.

Once the clothes were handed over, Meng Ke quickly turned around. The sound of rustling fabric was exceptionally clear in the enclosed bathroom. Hearing the sounds, Meng Ke’s mind involuntarily began to imagine what Xie Yuhan was doing. Wiping the water away, changing clothes, brushing back her hair… the more she thought, the redder her face became.

“Done.”

Only after receiving permission did Meng Ke dare to turn back. Xie Yuhan was propping herself up on the edge of the tub, her wet hair clinging to her shoulders in strands. The water had been drained, and a pair of straight legs lay limply inside the tub.

Without realizing it, Meng Ke secretly swallowed.

“The tub is awkward. Should I carry you out?” Meng Ke asked.

Xie Yuhan did not object.

Meng Ke slid her hands around the woman’s waist and lifted her from the tub, placing her on the nearby stool. The legs hung softly, touching the floor. She was wearing white safety shorts that clung to her skin, faintly tracing the outline of her underwear. Meng Ke hurriedly looked away.

“Change into these yourself.” Meng Ke handed her the underwear.

Xie Yuhan took them. “You… turn around.”

Meng Ke obeyed and turned back. She hadn’t intended to look anyway, but why did the woman’s voice carry such a natural sense of command? More rustling followed. Meng Ke wished she knew a vanishing spell so she could disappear on the spot.

“Okay.”

Meng Ke turned back with the pajama pants. Fortunately, she had done volunteer work abroad and had experience caring for people. However, putting pants on someone her own age still required significant mental preparation.

Xie Yuhan’s legs were very white and felt smooth to the touch. The muscles didn’t look problematic; they looked exactly like those of a healthy person.

“Is there… no way for your legs?” Meng Ke felt it was a pity.

After a silence, a voice came from above.

“You talk too much.” Xie Yuhan pinched her chin and tilted it up slightly. “Though you saved me today… that doesn’t mean you can ask whatever you want. Understand?”

She wasn’t going to be grateful to this human.

Meng Ke could clearly feel her anger. Her brain must have been muddled by the late hour; how could she forget that this was the story’s biggest villain? Xie Yuhan was never soft-hearted. Meng Ke felt like crying—how could she be so stupid as to step exactly on the villain’s biggest trigger?

“Sorry.”

“How do I get out?”

Meng Ke looked down at her. Because of her legs, the woman sat obediently on the stool, but her eyes were like a turbulent sea, hiding many secrets.

“Pardon me.”

Meng Ke leaned down and picked her up, turning to walk toward the living room. The woman was quite light, and Meng Ke carried her with ease.

When the two bodyguards saw her, their cold faces finally showed some expression. They rolled the wheelchair forward. “Miss, we are here to take you back.”

“Mhm,” Xie Yuhan said flatly. “Did you find out what happened?”

As Meng Ke placed her in the wheelchair, one bodyguard immediately stepped forward to cover her with a blanket, while the other continued the report.

“The situation is complicated. The Young Master requested to speak with you personally.”

“Understood.”

With that, they moved toward the door. At the entryway, Xie Yuhan operated her wheelchair to a stop. “Woman. Don’t mention that you saw me tonight.”

“Okay.”

One guard pushed the wheelchair out, while the other handed a check to Meng Ke. “Apologies, Miss. Thank you for the trouble today. As a token of gratitude, this is from our boss.”

Meng Ke glanced at it and was nearly blinded by the number of zeros. After closing the door, she pressed the check against the wall and counted: three million.

Meng Ke was no longer the penniless girl the Meng family had sent abroad three years ago, but her craving for money was etched into her bones.

The men in black disappeared grandly down the hallway.

Meng Ke went back for a second sleep. She thought she would have insomnia after the commotion, but she slept remarkably well until Luo Miao’s call came in the next day. She reached for her phone and placed it by her pillow.

“We agreed to meet at the tea house. Where are you? I can drink wine alone, but not tea.”

“What time is it?”

“Sister, it’s eleven. Don’t tell me you aren’t up yet?”

“Last night… forget it, I’ll tell you when we meet.”

Luo Miao would definitely know the local gossip. If Meng Ke mentioned seeing Xie Yuhan, Luo Miao would pester her with endless questions.

After hanging up, Meng Ke washed up and headed out with her laptop. When Luo Miao saw her outside the tea house, her expression froze. “You’re being this casual with me now? Not even a touch of makeup?”

Meng Ke wore a black shirt, her hair tied up casually with a shark clip with a few strands framing her face. Paired with rimless glasses, she had a vibe of effortless laziness.

“Look at your status, then look at mine.” Meng Ke held her laptop and didn’t even give her a look.

They found a quiet corner booth. While the laptop booted up, Luo Miao picked two types of tea and began brewing. The room was soon filled with fragrance. Neither of them knew much about tea; they just liked the quiet for talking.

Once the computer was on, Meng Ke first searched for the Xie family. Their conglomerate, “Lingyue,” was already strong three years ago, but their industry focus had shifted. They had moved from real estate to electronic information and were now dedicated to chips for precision instruments. They were currently involved in two major sectors: medical and automotive.

As Meng Ke searched, even she had to admit that Xie Yuhan had serious skill and vision.

“Has Xie Yuhan been the decision-maker for these three years?” Meng Ke asked curiously.

“Yeah.” Luo Miao gulped down a cup of tea and smacked her lips. “But Xie Jiaming is the one who usually makes public appearances. Xie Yuhan seems to hate being in crowded places.”

After the Lu family was swallowed by the Xies, Luo Miao had been dying to know who this Xie Yuhan was and what she looked like. She had attended several banquets and dinners with her father but never saw her once. Only once, by chance, did she see her at an aquarium. Xie Yuhan had paid to rent out the whole place and “invited” everyone else out. In that brief glimpse, her face was icy, especially when looking at people. Siyi joked that she had “misanthropy.”

Having finished looking at the corporate info, Meng Ke asked, “Did she not have someone she liked before? Why the need for a marriage alliance?”

“When Xie Yuhan’s mother was still alive, she set an arranged childhood marriage with the Meng family. Plus, with Xie Yuhan’s disability and strange temper, who would dare bring up romance?”

Strange temper?

Meng Ke thought about the woman she met last night. She certainly had a personality—unpredictable and tinged with oddity. That abnormal body temperature, her commanding tone, and that seeming lack of boundaries…

An image of helping her dress flashed unbidden into Meng Ke’s mind—those legs were straight and silky. Meng Ke shook her head to clear the stray thoughts.

“Hey, Keke, why do I feel like you’re acting a bit weird?”

Could she have noticed I’m not the original host? Meng Ke’s heart tightened. “How am I weird?”

“Ever since you came back, you’ve been off.”

“Maybe I’m just not used to the environment yet.”

Of course I’m weird. I transmigrated into a book! The original host was abandoned abroad for a year with no money, working odd jobs to stay in school until her body broke down. She had died the day before her scheduled return.

“Oh, by the way, I heard that cheap stepmother and sister of yours are asking around for your number.”

Meng Ke wasn’t surprised. Ruan Yalan was meticulous and always scheming for her daughter. “Ask them for some money, then give them my number.”

Luo Miao silently gave a thumbs up, stunned by the move. “You’re even making money off your own ‘family’?”

“Charge whatever you think is right. Give me half.”