My Marriage Partner is a Crazy Mermaid - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Forgotten

When Xie Yuhan opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Meng Ke’s face, magnified and inches away. In that instant of her waking, Meng Ke forgot to react, and their lips remained pressed together.

Coming to her senses, Meng Ke took a step back. Xie Yuhan, quick as a flash, raised her hand and delivered a sharp slap.

A burning pain radiated from the side of Meng Ke’s face down to her chin. A few seconds later, tiny beads of blood began to seep out.

Xie Yuhan froze as she looked at that face, then immediately looked down at her own palm. At the tips of her fingers, the sharp points of a few scales were visible.

Xie Yuhan: “…”

Usually, during the brief moments she automatically transformed into a mermaid on a Tide Night, Xie Yuhan could control herself—or rather, she remained conscious in her mermaid form. This kind of situation had never happened before. She had been with Meng Ke for several minutes and hadn’t even noticed.

Meng Ke raised her hand to touch the spot where the pain was sharpest. Her middle finger came away with a trace of blood. Looking at the scales protruding from Xie Yuhan’s body, Meng Ke chose to forgive her.

“What is wrong with you?” Meng Ke endured the pain on her face. “I help you, and you hit me?”

Xie Yuhan pursed her lips. It was impossible to explain, and she was too lazy to try. If anyone else had been unconscious for half a day and woke up to find someone kissing and hugging them, wouldn’t their reaction be similar to hers?

Meng Ke didn’t view her as a normal person anyway. Seeing that she was awake, Meng Ke leaned against the wall and sat down, her legs stretched out. Her neck ached from the angle of the kiss.

“What’s going on with you?” Meng Ke pointed at the sharp points of scales emerging all over her, yet she was still in a human body—like a fish, but not entirely. There were many animals with scales. “You’re not human?”

“A mermaid?”

“A Jiaoren?”

“What species are you, exactly?”

Starting a conversation about animals triggered Meng Ke’s professional instincts; if she knew the species, she could research a treatment or rescue plan.

Xie Yuhan didn’t answer. She lifted her arms and stretched her limbs, finding that her body was fine and the pain had vanished. Her body felt refreshed, as if it had been rinsed with the purest seawater.

As dense as she might be, she knew this was Meng Ke’s doing. But why? It seemed to be physical contact. Xie Yuhan had always believed it was the “scent of nature” on Meng Ke—being of the same origin, that had a soothing effect. In truth, Meng Ke, who could emit such a scent, was herself a form of “nourishment.”

During their previous encounters, they hadn’t been entirely without physical contact—holding hands… hugging… and now, kissing.

Xie Yuhan: “…”

Regardless, the fact that she was a mermaid could not be known by others. Xie Yuhan wanted to buy time. She glanced at Meng Ke; the girl’s clothes were soaked in large patches, her figure faintly visible. Xie Yuhan shifted her gaze and looked down at herself. She was in an even more exaggerated state; her clothes clung to her skin, sticky and extremely uncomfortable. And because of her physiological changes, her body curves were exceptionally… what humans called an “S-shaped” figure.

“Are you sure we want to discuss what I am like this?”

Xie Yuhan pointed at herself, and then at Meng Ke.

“I have spare clothes here. Change, then come to my bedroom.”

What she was didn’t matter much to Meng Ke; she just wanted to figure out what was happening. It was likely an accident, just like her own travel into this book.

Xie Yuhan pulled open a closet door and picked out two sets of clothes, one for each of them.

“Do you need help?” Meng Ke asked.

“No. Just go out.”

Having just kissed, the atmosphere in the bathroom was bubbling with pink bubbles. Facing Xie Yuhan’s command, Meng Ke didn’t have the brainpower to think and simply gave a mechanical answer.

Meng Ke picked up the clothes and went out. By the time they met in the living room after changing, the scales on Xie Yuhan’s face had completely vanished. Her ice-blue eyelashes had returned to black. She looked no different from the version of her seen during the day or in normal times.

“Didn’t you want to ask? Come over here.” Xie Yuhan patted the bed in the bedroom.

Meng Ke felt something was slightly off—Xie Yuhan was too calm, but she didn’t have time to think and sat down directly.

As soon as she sat next to her, Xie Yuhan suddenly grabbed her wrist and stared into her eyes. “I never trust humans.”

Hearing this, Meng Ke knew Xie Yuhan was about to move against her. She hurriedly explained, “Xie Yuhan, listen to me. I won’t tell anyone. Actually, I have secrets too. Believe me this once.”

Meng Ke struggled as she spoke, but her wrist was held in a iron grip; she couldn’t budge. She hadn’t realized Xie Yuhan’s strength was so great—oh wait, she wasn’t exactly a normal person.

Xie Yuhan didn’t intend to listen to any defense. Before her consciousness faded, Meng Ke saw Xie Yuhan open her mouth, followed by a beautiful melody. The song was winding and melodious, making one fall uncontrollably deep into it. A heart-bewitching song? Is Xie Yuhan a Jiaoren?

She couldn’t forget. She didn’t want to forget.

Meng Ke’s eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Finally, her consciousness slipped away, and she fell asleep.

Xie Yuhan changed her clothes and tidied the bathroom. When she pushed the door open, Xie Jiaming was waiting outside, looking anxious. Meng Ke had been in there so long with no news. Any longer, and he would have forced his way in.

“Yuhan, you’re okay?”

“Where is Miss Meng?”

“Stop crowding me. I’m fine now. Go back to the company and take a look. If there’s any chaos and they need me, say I’m preparing for the wedding with Meng Ke.”

“Use this time to let your body recover.” This excuse would buy her enough time for her physical state to stabilize.

Xie Jiaming nodded.

Meng Ke didn’t know how long she slept. When she woke up the next day, she was covered in a silk quilt that felt incredibly smooth. She turned her gaze to the side.

Xie Yuhan was by the bed staring at her—no, not just looking, but staring. On that fair, tender face, two wounds were marked by dark red blood scabs.

“Slept enough?” Xie Yuhan said. “If you’ve slept enough, then get out.”

How did I fall asleep?

She remembered Xie Jiaming “kidnapping” her to see Xie Yuhan, but why couldn’t she remember what happened afterward? How did she end up asleep?

Xie Yuhan watched the expression on her face. Meng Ke was also looking at her. Having just woken up, she was a bit lethargic, her fox-like eyes narrowed like a dozing fox. For some reason, she felt that Xie Yuhan was angry.

“What happened yesterday? Why don’t I remember?”

Meng Ke’s presence had a suppressive effect on her mermaid transformation. Xie Yuhan was worried her “Song of Forgetting” wouldn’t work, but currently, the effect seemed good.

“I was bathing. You came in, slipped on the water, hit the floor, and blacked out.”

Meng Ke: “…”

“The family doctor has already checked you. There are no problems.”

“Then…”

“What is it?” Xie Yuhan was afraid of being too far from Meng Ke, lest it lose its effect. When the mermaid form appeared, she wouldn’t have the energy to sing the song again.

“Yesterday your brother said something happened to you. It looks like you’ve mostly recovered now.”

“Xie Yuhan, can we talk? We agreed on a partnership marriage where you’d only come to me on the 1st and 15th of the lunar month. What does this mean now? Am I supposed to be on call 24/7? I have my own life and my own work.”

Xie Yuhan was too lazy to explain it was an accident, and the purpose of her marriage was precisely because of Meng Ke’s special constitution.

“Xie Jiaming has already released the official news. We are officially allied in marriage. You will see me every night from now on.”

Meng Ke: “…”

“Didn’t you say there wouldn’t be a wedding?” Everything was supposed to be simple.

“I changed my mind. Doesn’t Miss Meng want a grand wedding?”

Meng Ke: “…”

“Then I’ll go back and prepare first.”

“Your clothes are at the head of the bed.”

Xie Yuhan turned her wheelchair and headed out. After tossing and turning all night, she was exhausted; mermaids needed rest too.

According to the original plan, Xie Yuhan indeed only wanted to see her twice a month. But times had changed. Simply being in the same space was no longer working; she needed more intimate contact. Besides, regarding last night, even though she was sure Meng Ke forgot, it was safest to keep her under her own nose.

Although news had been leaking out, no one had taken it seriously until the Xie family spoke up. Once the announcement was made, Tan City erupted like boiling water. The powerless “fake heiress” of the Meng family was actually marrying the richest person in Tan City, Xie Yuhan.

“Who knows what dirty tricks she used? Xie Yuhan sits in a wheelchair year-round; she hasn’t seen much of the world’s temptations.”

“If you’re so jealous, why don’t you try?”

The heat of the discussion online grew more intense. There were those praising Meng Ke and many insulting her; most people were just gossiping with red eyes of envy. They were going mad with jealousy.

Yet, no one mentioned the flaw in this marriage that others used to avoid: the fact that Xie Yuhan was disabled.

On the way home, Meng Ke ignored the bombardment of phone calls and immersed herself in her own thoughts. She felt she had forgotten something, something very important. She even opened the memo app on her phone but found no important schedule recorded.

Xie Jiaming hadn’t intended to release the statement so early—marriage was a matter between two people, after all. He wanted to wait for Meng Ke to wake up and ask for her opinion. For a family as prominent as theirs, a statement once released was hard to change.

Meng Ke had never longed for a wedding. she believed that human affection was just a fleeting sentiment. She only wanted to make money, but ended up traveling into this “cannon fodder” novel. And now she was marrying the big villain.

Tsk. Wait, no, why say “marrying into”?

Messages chimed incessantly on her phone. Meng Ke ignored them all. She thought carefully the whole way but still couldn’t remember what she had forgotten. Perhaps it was because she had been running around these last few days and was mentally drained. Or maybe she really did damage her brain in the fall?

“How is the company?”

“Some news leaked. Stocks started to dip. Finance and the Project Department are all looking for you to make a decision.”

“After the statement was released, stocks stabilized a lot.”

“Can you find out who’s behind it?”

“No.”

“Wait until I go to the office.”

“Is your body up for it? If you’re uncomfortable, rest more. I can hold the fort for a few days.”

“No, I’ll go. If they see I’m not injured at all, they won’t make any moves for a while.”

Xie Jiaming sent a PPT of the wedding preparations to Meng Ke, saying that if she wanted to do it herself to have a sense of participation, she could; otherwise, she could just be a “hands-off boss” and he would arrange everything. Meng Ke didn’t want to deal with it and let Xie Jiaming make all the decisions—preferably the kind where the wedding could happen even if she wasn’t there.

“By the way, I heard the Meng family’s company has had some trouble these past two days,” Xie Jiaming said. “I know you didn’t have a good time at the Meng house, but this time you might have to endure some grievance—we need to help them.”

“…”

He had released the statement in time, so the people behind the scenes hadn’t made any big moves. He hadn’t gathered many useful clues, only that the recent problems facing the Meng family were more or less related to the Xie family.

“Fine.” Meng Ke ground her teeth. She could only say the Meng family was lucky. “When?”

“Stall it for a bit.” She wanted to use the Meng family as bait.

“If Miss Meng has nothing to do, I’ll take her home.”

“I want to go to a hotel first—my friend’s hotel. Just for ten minutes.”

“Sure.”

If she didn’t see Luo Miao soon, Luo Miao would likely go crazy. Meng Ke greeted the front desk manager and went straight to Luo Miao’s collection room. Luo Miao’s brother wouldn’t let her display her “shiny things” at home, so Luo Miao had renovated a room in the hotel specifically for her “useless things.”

The two had an appointment. Luo Miao hadn’t even locked the door; hearing footsteps, she ran to the entrance to meet her. “I knew it was you. Come and see.”

Since Qingcheng was close, couriers usually arrived within a day. Meng Ke looked at the blue scale in the glass case. Only the edges were slightly blue with a fine shimmer, but she couldn’t see how it differed from a seashell left on a beach.

“This one just isn’t as bright as it was that day. That day, the blue was sparkling; I fell in love with it at first sight.”

Meng Ke followed her finger and stared at the palm-sized scale. It was indeed quite beautiful. Suddenly, a memory fragment flashed through her mind: she was kissing Xie Yuhan. Then the fragment vanished.

“Then keep it.” Meng Ke quickly shook her head. How could such a memory suddenly appear?!

“Is the thing between you and Xie Yuhan settled?”

“Mm.” Meng Ke couldn’t quite describe her feelings. “The wedding is next month.”

“So fast?” Luo Miao was surprised.

“Yeah.”

They chatted for about ten minutes. “Xie Jiaming is waiting for me. I’ll head out. See you next time.”

Xie Jiaming was waiting obediently in the car, providing attentive service. “Brother Jiaming, next time just send a bodyguard. You don’t have to pick me up personally.”

“I feel more at ease doing it myself.” Someone was targeting Xie Yuhan; there was no guarantee they wouldn’t strike at Meng Ke.

“At this hour, she’s in the study.”

Following the general direction Xie Jiaming pointed, Meng Ke walked to the study and knocked. A voice from inside said “Come in.”

Meng Ke entered.

“Tonight is the 15th. I might not come over starting tomorrow; I need to keep an eye on the new project.”

“Fine, okay,” Xie Yuhan agreed briskly.

Meng Ke had thought she wouldn’t agree and had prepared a whole mental script that now went unused. Xie Yuhan was looking down, writing something, not even glancing at her.

Looking past the computer, Meng Ke saw half of Xie Yuhan’s face. Her mind uncontrollably visualized the scene of the two of them kissing. The image was very clear enough that she could feel what Xie Yuhan’s lips felt like. It didn’t feel like a dream, but why couldn’t she remember when they had kissed?

Kissing Xie Yuhan—surely I wouldn’t forget that?!

After talking with Xie Yuhan, Meng Ke went to wash up. As she did, she scrolled through her phone. Tan City was still in an uproar over her marriage.

“There is news about your parents.”