My Marriage Partner is a Crazy Mermaid - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Eye Contact

After half an hour, the hand on her waist showed no intention of moving. Xie Yuhan lowered her eyes to glance at her; Meng Ke’s messy hair covered half her face, and she was breathing evenly, sleeping very peacefully.

In the three years she had lived in the human world, Xie Yuhan had loathed every human she met. Besides her inherent misanthropy, another major reason was that humans carried a scent of decay. She lived in a deep, clean, clear sea—a place of coral, aquatic plants, and reefs, with countless species of flora and fauna, and a scent devoid of any impurities.

Humans were different; the scents they emitted were strange and varied. Aside from Xie Jiaming, there was only Meng Ke—the scent on her always reminded Xie Yuhan of the deep sea.

Xie Yuhan reached out to brush away Meng Ke’s hair, revealing a high bridge of the nose and rosy thin lips that were slightly dry in deep sleep. Xie Yuhan touched her own lips. The feeling of being kissed by a human was soft, like aquatic plants brushing against the body—very special.

She placed her book gently on the nightstand and lay down beside Meng Ke.

Sleeping until she woke up naturally, Meng Ke rubbed her eyes. Out of habit, she reached for her phone upon waking, but her hand suddenly touched something soft. Feeling something was wrong, Meng Ke snapped her eyes open.

Xie Yuhan’s eyes were fixed on her, devoid of any sleepiness, with a simmering anger that looked ready to incinerate someone.

Meng Ke lowered her gaze and realized her hand was resting right on Xie Yuhan’s chest—and it seemed she had even given it a little squeeze just now.

“Do you not want that hand anymore?”

“No.” Meng Ke immediately lifted her hand. “Sorry.”

She hadn’t slept away from home in a long time; her brain hadn’t fully come online yet. Flustered, Meng Ke flipped to the other side like a loach, slid off the bed, and scrambled back onto her own.

Her phone was lying lonely by the pillow.

Meng Ke grabbed her phone, thinking about what Xie Yuhan had said regarding their wedding. She wondered if the original agreement about the 1st and 15th of the month still held.

“I’m going to my friend’s place today for some business.”

“Whatever.”

Xie Yuhan’s attitude toward her was the same as before—tepid. It was hard to tell why she had agreed to the alliance and even insisted on a grand wedding. But then, who could guess Xie Yuhan’s thoughts?

“Young Lady!”

“Young Lady, are you up? I’m coming in!”

The voice sounded familiar. Meng Ke’s brain did two laps before she remembered it was the energetic little assistant she had met at the hospital.

Xie Yuhan propped herself up and said, “Enter.”

Ye Xiaotong pushed the door open, carrying a bag of clothes. Meng Ke glanced at the brand; it looked familiar.

“Oh.” Ye Xiaotong saw the other person in the room. Recalling Mr. Xie’s reminder this morning that Xie Yuhan’s marriage partner was present, she immediately greeted, “Good morning, Madam.”

Meng Ke blinked, unsure how to respond. Although her alliance with Xie Yuhan was a settled matter, it was still undecided who was “marrying” whom. Did she look like a “0”? This “Madam” title felt a bit awkward.

“Is something wrong?”

“The Master only said for you to go to the office.”

Xie Yuhan’s face darkened for an instant, then she replied indifferently, “Understood.”

“I’ll leave the clothes here for you.” Ye Xiaotong placed the clothes on the cabinet next to the nightstand and hurried out.

Meng Ke had already changed. Just as she was about to leave, she watched the little assistant’s routine. She had thought the assistant was like a caregiver who helped with daily life, but she didn’t even help with changing? Recalling the somewhat clumsy experience of getting into bed yesterday, Meng Ke paused.

She tilted her head and asked, “Need help?”

Xie Yuhan was looking down at her phone. Without even raising her head, she said tersely and sharply, “Get out.”

Suit yourself.

Meng Ke withdrew her neck sheepishly and left the bedroom. The assistant-cum-housekeeper was setting the breakfast table. Seeing her come out, she beamed. “Madam, please have breakfast.”

“Auntie Sun’s cooking is amazing, try it.” After saying that, Ye Xiaotong unconsciously licked her lips. She didn’t look very old, and all her thoughts were written on her face.

“I’ve even asked Auntie Sun to teach me how to cook,” Ye Xiaotong chattered on.

Meng Ke sat at the table. The assistant quickly laid out the utensils. Meng Ke looked at her, curious. “How old are you?”

“I’m twenty-three this year, just graduated from university,” Ye Xiaotong smiled. “Please enjoy your breakfast, Madam. I’ll be going now.”

A high-energy person.

Meng Ke began her breakfast. Her phone chimed with messages; she didn’t have to guess to know it was that chatterbox Luo Miao. She wondered what gossip was brewing about the hotel’s new event.

Meng Ke swiped to unlock her phone while stuffing a pancake into her mouth. Ye Xiaotong wasn’t exaggerating; Auntie Sun’s cooking was indeed excellent. Even Meng Ke, who didn’t usually like breakfast, finished an extra bowl of porridge.

After finishing, Meng Ke glanced toward the bedroom. Xie Yuhan hadn’t come out yet. She wondered if it was inconvenient for her to dress or how she managed to get into the wheelchair. For reasons she couldn’t explain, Meng Ke stood up, said goodbye to Auntie Sun, and walked toward the bedroom.

Afraid it might be inconvenient for Xie Yuhan, Meng Ke knocked. There was no response. Looking at the closed door, bad images flashed through Meng Ke’s mind.

Did she fall while dressing? Did she fall getting into the wheelchair? Did she slip while washing up?

Setting aside her identity, Xie Yuhan was still part of a vulnerable group. With the bodyguards and Xie Jiaming away today, Meng Ke didn’t think twice and twisted the doorknob.

At first glance, she didn’t see anyone. Meng Ke walked further in and saw Xie Yuhan in the washroom. She was sitting in her wheelchair and turned to look at her as she heard the noise. She gave her a look usually reserved for trash—though Meng Ke didn’t think of herself as such.

“Something wrong?” Xie Yuhan was holding mascara, about to apply it.

“I have to go out in a bit and won’t be back for a few days. Do you… need any help with anything?” To prevent Xie Yuhan from being too embarrassed to ask, Meng Ke left plenty of room in her words.

“Finish the rest of my makeup for me.” Xie Yuhan flicked her wrist and tossed the mascara wand onto the counter. She leaned back against the wheelchair like a bit of a rogue.

Meng Ke’s eyes widened slightly. What did she want her to do? Makeup?

She wasn’t exactly high-maintenance; relying on her face, she went bare-faced every day. Luo Miao often complained about her, resenting that Nüwa wasn’t fair enough. If she barely did her own makeup, let alone someone else’s.

Still, even if she hadn’t “eaten pork,” she had “seen the pig run.”

Meng Ke leaned down slightly to look at Xie Yuhan’s face. Most of the makeup was done, leaving only the eyes and lipstick. Her wheelchair had many functions, but its flaw was a lack of maneuverability; positioned like a giant at the vanity, she couldn’t reach the mirror well, making it laborious to apply.

Meng Ke picked up the mascara wand and leaned in close. “Close your eyes.”

Xie Yuhan obediently closed them. The brush moved gently over her lashes; Xie Yuhan’s lashes were so fine and long that the mascara almost felt redundant. Meng Ke picked up the eyeshadow brush to touch up the shadow, then chose a dusty rose lipstick.

As Meng Ke dabbed on the lipstick—Xie Yuhan’s lips were thin and naturally dark, so pale colors didn’t suit her, while bold ones were too flashy—images inexplicably flashed through her mind. She saw herself grabbing Xie Yuhan’s collar and kissing her.

What is going on?! What am I thinking about!

As Meng Ke hesitated, Xie Yuhan slowly opened her eyes, looking impatient. “What are you thinking about? Can I still make it to the company meeting?”

“Sorry, almost done.”

Meng Ke pushed aside her chaotic thoughts and finished evening out the lipstick. Xie Yuhan said a few words and was now staring at her. Meng Ke’s heart rate involuntarily quickened. The lipstick was very moisturizing, and the shade suited her perfectly.

Looking at the made-up Xie Yuhan, Meng Ke finally empathized with Luo Miao. Xie Yuhan’s features were exquisite; every angle presented a golden ratio. The flaws could be ignored.

Xie Yuhan operated her wheelchair and left the bedroom. Meng Ke briefly tidied the vanity. When she came out, Xie Yuhan was gone. Through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, the scenery outside was visible. A black Maybach appeared in view, turned the corner, and vanished.

“Auntie Sun, doesn’t Xie Yuhan eat breakfast?” Meng Ke asked the person clearing the table.

Auntie Sun explained, “No, the Young Lady never eats breakfast. At first, I thought it was my cooking, but after trying several styles, she didn’t like any of them. If you hadn’t been here today, Madam, we wouldn’t have come this morning.”

No wonder Ye Xiaotong had come and gone in such a hurry.

“Thank you, Auntie Sun. Your cooking is great.”

“Thank you, Madam.”

“I’ll be heading out now.”

“Goodbye, Madam.”

Leaving the house, Meng Ke saw the time was right. She was about to message Wu Siyi when her screen was flooded with WeChat notifications. It had been chiming with Luo Miao’s messages all morning.

Meng Ke stopped by the roadside to “climb the stairs” (scroll through the history).

“Weibo Topic: #FilmQueen #Child”

“#WuSiyiSecretCrushOnFilmQueenQiao”

“#WuSiyiPublicConfession”

Early to Bed, Early to Rise Healthy Mutual Help Group.

WealthFollowsWealth: Sisi, what’s up with the trending search? Since when did we not know you had a child?

FilmQueenCandidate: Don’t mention it, it’s my cousin’s. It’s hard to explain in a few words. Crying.jpg

FilmQueenCandidate: Ke Ke, I can’t go over the documents with you today. Go to my place yourself.

kk: No rush.

WealthFollowsWealth: Then I’ll head over.

Wu Siyi hadn’t chosen to inherit the family business, opting for the entertainment industry instead, for only one reason: she had a secret crush on Meng Ran (stage name: Meng Qiuchi). Because she was a “nugu” before, Wu Siyi often made public confessions that no one cared about. As she became more successful, she grew timid, fearing she would affect Meng Qiuchi. For some reason, it had been leaked now.

Following the address Wu Siyi gave, Meng Ke arrived at one of her apartments in Tan City. Due to the trending search, Luo Miao had pushed back two or three meetings and arrived even earlier than Meng Ke.

Before leaving, Wu Siyi had placed all the documents in the study. The two sat opposite each other and began flipping through them. Meng Ke was very focused, scrutinizing the spreadsheet—the mother’s age, birth history, and brief family background—analyzing them one by one.

“Ke Ke, you can actually focus on this?” Luo Miao peered out from behind the papers. “Aren’t you curious about Sisi’s situation?”

“Curious about what?” Meng Ke put down the spreadsheet. “The child definitely isn’t hers. Her liking someone named Meng isn’t a secret. We don’t understand the entertainment industry’s ways. On the way here, I transferred three million to her; it should be enough to suppress or buy trending searches.”

Hearing the amount, Luo Miao silently gave a thumbs-up.

“If we won’t gossip about her, gossip about you is fine, right? Honestly, I was only on a business trip for a week—how did Xie Yuhan agree to a wedding?” Luo Miao raised an eyebrow. “Did you two… already make the rice into congee?”

Meng Ke narrowed her eyes, her face full of exasperation. “Do I look that hungry? Hungry enough to be a beast? With her like that, how would we ‘make congee’?”

Meng Ke should have said this righteously, but there was a faint hint of guilt in her voice because the image of kissing Xie Yuhan had surfaced in her mind this afternoon.

“I really can’t imagine a person like Xie Yuhan going back on her word to hold a wedding,” Luo Miao said. “She doesn’t seem like someone who likes formalities; she rejects all trouble. But for you… tsk.”

“You really have a wild imagination,” Meng Ke sneered and continued looking at the spreadsheet. As she looked, her vision began to lose focus. Meng Ke slumped onto the table in defeat. “Miao Miao, tell me, why would images of kissing Xie Yuhan appear in my head? Is that right?”

It was nine-tenths wrong.

“And last time when Xie Jiaming took me to her house, I inexplicably blacked out and forgot what happened that day.” Meng Ke’s imagination ran wild. “Could I have amnesia?”

Luo Miao raised a hand to stop her. “Stop, stop, stop. I think you really are hungry. Kissing Xie Yuhan—you really have some imagination.”

Meng Ke also found it unbelievable, but that feeling didn’t seem like a delusion. What exactly had she forgotten that day?

“Hey, isn’t this the sister of the Lu family’s head?” Luo Miao pointed at the information Meng Ke had circled.

The Lu family? Wasn’t that the Lu family that was swallowed up by Xie Yuhan two years ago and eventually disappeared from Tan City?!