The Merman I Picked Up Is Too Delicious - Chapter 12

“Do you have a plan?” The little merman could tell from Luo Qingyan’s expression that she had thought of something.

Luo Qingyan leisurely sat down on the low stool beside the bathtub and stared at the little merman. “When I returned to G City this time, I originally planned to stay at my grandmother’s house and spend more time with her. But because of you, I definitely can’t stay here the whole time. Sigh… I’m a bit sad.”

“Your expression doesn’t look sad,” the little merman said matter-of-factly.

“My heart aches! True emotions aren’t shown on the face! Don’t you understand?” Luo Qingyan’s demeanor completely contradicted her words, but she remained unapologetic. “What I mean is, I’ve sacrificed a lot for you, this unpredictable variable. Don’t take advantage of my kindness and act ungrateful!”

“I can give you valuable things. Isn’t that what humans like?”

“Money and possessions are external things. You don’t bring them with you when you’re born, and you can’t take them with you when you die. Since I’m going to die soon, valuable things are worthless to me.”

“Then you can find a way for us to truly fall in love.”

“Isn’t that what I’m trying to do?”

“Hmm.”

“Hmm? You say ‘hmm’ so lightly! I’ve been so good to you, and all you give me is a ‘hmm’! Can’t you feel my love for you? If it were someone else, they might have sold you off long ago. Even as a purifier, you’d be worth a lot of money, let alone the fact that every part of you is a treasure!”

“Didn’t you say you’re going to die soon, so money is worthless?”

“You just tell me what your plan is. What if?”

“What, you don’t trust me? Are you going to say, ‘What if it doesn’t work’, right?”

The little merman pursed his lips, looking serious. “There’s always a ‘what if’ in everything.”

“Hah! Let me tell you, my parents and I have a home in G City. The bathroom there has a bathtub too, so you don’t have to worry about not having water to keep you alive.” Luo Qingyan wore a disdainful expression but didn’t stop talking. “However, there are still things to worry about. For example, how to safely move you there, or what to do if someone comes to the house and we need to hide you, I’ll consider all kinds of situations because there’s always a ‘what if’ in everything!”

The little merman could sense Luo Qingyan’s irritation. He smiled slightly and said, “Then let’s tackle each worry one by one!”

“Not now.” Luo Qingyan snorted coldly. “I’m taking Chestnut out for a walk. We didn’t go out yesterday.”

“Oh.” The little merman remained calm. “Then you two go for a walk first, and I’ll try to think of a solution?”

“Fine, you try to think of a solution!” Luo Qingyan’s tone was indifferent. After saying this, she left the bathroom.

Soon, Luo Qingyan took Chestnut out for a walk. However, her mind was filled with thoughts about the little merman.

At first, when she saw how quickly the little merman was recovering, she thought he would fully recover before her grandmother and aunt returned, so she didn’t think too much about it.

But now, upon reflection, if the little merman really recovered that quickly, how would she be able to build a relationship with him?

It was a good thing that the little merman could stay for a while longer, but moving him to another home was a huge hassle. Although the two places were only a twenty-minute drive apart, that was by car. She had sold her car in S City, and now she didn’t have a car in G City.

Taking a taxi was definitely not feasible. The little merman was so big, and there was no container that could hold him. It might even be mistaken for disposing of a body.

Borrowing a car seemed more feasible, but she couldn’t borrow from someone she knew—otherwise, she’d face endless questions. She’d have to weave countless lies, and if any of them had flaws, things could take a turn for the worse. Plus, she couldn’t leave any traces behind, like scales or strands of hair from the little merman.

What about hiring a moving company to transport him, like shipping fish?

But, how big would a container need to be to hold the little merman? And how long could he survive out of water? Would the container need to be filled with water? That would be a massive undertaking, way too conspicuous!

So difficult…

Even the first step of transportation was this challenging! What a headache!

During her walk, Luo Qingyan kept pondering. When she reached the park’s lake, her attention was drawn to the water.

Would it be better to release the little merman into the lake, which was countless times larger than the bathtub? After all, he used to live in the vast ocean, cramped in a bathtub must feel suffocating. All she could provide was food, with no means of treatment, while the lake had fish, the merman’s natural diet. No worries about food, and freedom too, it seemed like an ideal place. Once he fully recovered, he could…

Wait! The pearl! That’s right, the pearl!

Could a broken pearl be repaired? If it could, everything would become much easier!

Luo Qingyan had so many things she wanted to discuss with the little merman. She couldn’t wait to get home. She quickened her pace, leading Chestnut in a light jog to finish the walk quickly before heading back.

…

The moment she stepped through the door, Luo Qingyan suddenly felt she needed to calm down. Otherwise, the little merman always seemed so composed while she was the one rushing around. Even though she was the one actively pursuing his affection, she still needed to keep the upper hand firmly in her hands.

She slowed her steps, first unclipping Chestnut’s leash, then went to the kitchen to wash her hands and brew a cup of jasmine tea before leisurely making her way to the bathroom.

There had been noise when she returned home, and shortly after, Chestnut had run off to play with the little merman in the bathroom, so the merman definitely knew she was back, he just hadn’t greeted her immediately.

Entering the bathroom, she saw the little merman playing with a chew toy with Chestnut. Only when his gaze turned toward her did she speak: “Have you thought of a way?”

The little merman withdrew his hand from outside the bathtub where he’d been playing with Chestnut and shook his head.

“Really haven’t thought of anything?” Luo Qingyan’s tone carried disbelief, with a hint of teasing.

The little merman’s eyebrows twitched slightly, and the hand resting on the edge of the bathtub shifted position: “I… I could leave.”

“How would you leave?”

Silence.

Luo Qingyan smiled almost imperceptibly: “Can your pearl be repaired? You came to my house inside that pearl. If it can be fixed, everything would be much easier.”

“I don’t know either.” the little merman sighed helplessly. “The pearl is connected to my physical condition. For now, it can’t be healed.”

“Can you leave the water? How long can you stay out?”

“Not for too long at the moment. In a few more days, half an hour should be fine.”

“Half an hour should be enough.” A sudden sense of relief washed over Luo Qingyan. “My grandmother and aunt are returning on Sunday. On Saturday, I’ll rent a car and take you to the other house.”

“Okay.” The little merman nodded with a smile.

“So, what do you think? You still need me, right?” Luo Qingyan raised an eyebrow slightly. “What would you have done if you hadn’t met me?”

“Thank you,” the little merman replied with genuine sincerity. “Are there any other concerns we need to address?”

“Alright, I have some time now.” Luo Qingyan placed her teacup on the stool and settled into the low chair. “The place over there isn’t as spacious as this one. If someone comes over, it’ll be awkward to keep saying the bathroom is broken. Especially if my sister or uncle visit, if the bathroom acts up again, it’ll just feel weird.”

“I can hide inside a closet or something like that,” the little merman suggested thoughtfully.

“That’ll have to do for now. But the time you can spend out of water is too short. I’ll do my best to keep visitors away and try to meet them outside if anything comes up.”

“Once I recover a bit more, I’ll be able to stay out of water longer.”

“Mm. It just occurred to me, my aunt has a key to my grandmother’s place. If someone shows up while I’m not home, locking the bathroom door won’t work. So later, I’ll leave a large blanket here. If anyone comes, cover your tail with it and tell them to wait for me. Until I return, you have the right to remain silent.”

“They won’t really try to look at my…” The little merman glanced down at his tail, his expression uneasy.

“Anyone who can enter my home when I’m not around is family. They’re reasonable people. At worst… even if your tail is discovered, just tell them it’s fake, something I’m into. Hah! Just call it adult roleplay, perfectly legal.”

“Oh.”

“Mm, I know humans wear clothes.”

“Then I’ll leave some clothes and the blanket in the bathroom. Use them as needed.”

“Okay.”

“Hey, about clothes you can wear, I’ll try to find something of mine for you to make do with for now. Later, I’ll order a few pieces online for you. Since you know humans wear clothes, do you have any preferred styles?”

“I can wear anything. I’ll leave it up to you.”

“Alright, I’ll handle it.” Luo Qingyan smiled softly. “With your figure, you’d look good in anything. Oh! By the way, no one’s likely to visit on weekdays from Monday to Friday, but on Saturday, if you’re feeling well enough, shall we move over on Friday?”

“Mm.”

“Ah, should I get you a phone? Having one would make things so much easier.”

Before Luo Qingyan could finish her sentence, her phone rang, a video call from her best friend. She stood up and said to the little merman, “I’ll step out to take this call.”

“Okay,” the little merman replied obediently.

“Luo Qingyan! The last time we video-called was the day you got back, right? Don’t you miss me? You never reach out!” Her friend Xu Gaodi, dressed in colorful clothes and holding a vibrant ice cream, looked especially cheerful.

Xu Gaodi was Luo Qingyan’s college classmate. The two had always gotten along well and stayed in touch even after graduation.

Her friend’s name wasn’t because one parent was surnamed Xu and the other Gao, but because her parents adored Gaudí’s architecture. The first time they met, her friend introduced herself this way, which Luo Qingyan found incredibly amusing. Now, it seemed the name suited her perfectly.

However, despite their close relationship, Luo Qingyan didn’t tell the other person about her illness. She didn’t know how to bring it up, even though the other person was optimistic, learning such news would surely upset them.

“Ah, my bad,” Luo Qingyan drawled, “I just got back to G City and have been swamped with things to do. It slipped my mind!”

On the other end of the screen, Xu Gaodi tilted his head as if his brain had short-circuited, then blinked and asked, “Are you in love?”