The Merman I Picked Up Is Too Delicious - Chapter 13

“Are you in love?” The words from his friend Xu Gaodi came through the screen like an arrow without a tip, hitting Luo Qingyan right between the eyebrows, a perfect bullseye. But since it lacked a sharp point, it didn’t cause any real damage, serving more as a pointed observation.

“Huh? What?” Luo Qingyan’s first reaction was genuine confusion, not feigned in the slightest.

“Are you in love?” Xu Gaodi repeated, holding his colorful ice cream up to the screen.

“No,” Luo Qingyan shook his head. “Why would you suddenly think I’m in love?”

Xu Gaodi put on a serious face: “Your expression, your demeanor, your overall vibe, everything tells me you’re in love.”

Luo Qingyan made a disgusted face: “No! Who would I even be in love with?”

“Haha, you’re definitely in love!” Xu Gaodi took a bite of his ice cream. “At first, it was just a sixth sense telling me you might be, so I blurted it out without thinking. But your reaction, it feels like you really are! You’ve only been back for a few days, right? So fast? Is it someone you liked before? Or have you been keeping in touch all along?”

Luo Qingyan was genuinely surprised and puzzled: “Huh?”

Xu Gaodi took another bite of ice cream: “Because your reaction isn’t like your usual self. It’s a bit, how should I put it? Hmm… Oh! Bashful! Yeah, that’s it, bashful, with a hint of embarrassment.”

Luo Qingyan let out a light snort: “Ugh! Fine, I admit I’m pursuing someone. In short, there’s someone I’m interested in, but we’re definitely not in a relationship yet.”

“Wow, Luo Qingyan!” Xu Gaodi’s face broke into a wide grin. “Tell me about him! What’s he like?”

“Well… It’s hard to describe in just a few words, but he’s quite cute.”

“Oho, look at that happy smile on your face! Is he an old friend or someone you just met?”

“Someone new.”

“Wow! So fast? You’ve only been back for, a little over a week, right? Was it love at first sight?”

“Not exactly love at first sight, but he really is very my type.”

“Then he must be a total hottie! How did you meet him? Are there even single handsome guys around these days? They’re practically rare creatures.”

“Now that you mention it…” Luo Qingyan suddenly grew serious, pinching his chin thoughtfully. “You’re right, what if he already has a girlfriend back home or someone he likes? Then no matter how hard I try, it’d be useless!”

“What! You didn’t even check if he’s single? And he’s not from City G? Don’t tell me some hot guy was just visiting City G, and you? You’re not just messing around, are you?”

“Of course not! I’m serious! It’s just that he just turned eighteen, so I didn’t think that far…”

“Just! Turned! Eighteen! Luo Qingyan, isn’t that a bit much? You’re thirty! Wait, let me calculate the age difference, thirty minus eighteen is… twelve! A whole twelve years! Not that… I’m not saying thirty is old, it’s just that eighteen is so young. If he were twenty-three, then… twenty-three plus twelve equals thirty-five, and I’d say that’s totally fine. But eighteen! Just an adult! We’re decent people, even if you look young and pretty, still…” Xu Gaodi trailed off, unsure how to finish. His mouth felt dry from all the talking, so he took two more bites of ice cream.

“Have you calmed down now?” Luo Qingyan smiled helplessly. “Actually, he’s not exactly just of age, I misspoke. He’s more like… just entered society. Ah, that’s not accurate either. He’s quite, innocent, I suppose, but he also understands many interesting philosophies.”

“Your description… Don’t be fooled by those pretending to be innocent. In this day and age, genuinely innocent guys are as rare as phoenix feathers. Unless he’s from the Land of Peach Blossoms… But even if someone came from there, it’s hard to stay pure after seeing this dazzling world. Human nature is just like that! So don’t let yourself be deceived just when you’ve reached a mature age.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll think things through carefully.”

“I’m afraid you might be swept off your feet by a handsome face, worried you’ll be taken advantage of! Come on, let’s sort this out step by step.” Xu Gaodi maintained a serious expression. “First, how did you two meet?”

“Um… you could say we met while taking a walk.” Though it was difficult to answer, Luo Qingyan tried her best to respond obediently.

“Did he approach you first, or did you?”

“Well… uh… Chestnut made the first move!”

“Ah?” Xu Gaodi knew Luo Qingyan had adopted a puppy named Chestnut, she’d even seen him during their video call over the New Year. “Oh! How’s Chestnut? I haven’t seen him in so long!”

“He’s… sleeping!”

“Alright, let’s not disturb him then. Back to the topic, how exactly did you two meet?”

“This… well…” Luo Qingyan truly didn’t know how to explain at that moment. She didn’t want to make up a random lie.

“Are you actually feeling shy?” Xu Gaodi widened her eyes in surprise. “Luo Qingyan, you’ve never been like this before! You’re a stunning beauty, what kind of handsome guy haven’t you seen? Have you been put under some kind of spell?”

“Ah, I am a little embarrassed because the process is a bit complicated. It’s hard to explain clearly. It just sort of happened.”

Xu Gaodi took several big bites of her ice cream, partly out of frustration but mainly because it would melt if she ate too slowly. “Where is he from? Is he in City G for travel or work?”

Watching Xu Gaodi devour her ice cream, Luo Qingyan remembered that the little merman had mentioned knowing about ice cream, and she had promised to treat him to some today. So much had happened today that she’d nearly forgotten.

She could still buy ice cream from the supermarket if she went out now. But since this would be the little merman’s first time trying ice cream, she wanted to find a proper ice cream shop. It wasn’t too late yet, delivery should still be available.

“Huh?” Luo Qingyan snapped back to reality. “Oh, he… he’s staying in City G for a while.”

“I thought you might not even know that much before chasing after him!” Xu Gaodi pursed her lips. “What do you like about him? Why are you suddenly so determined to pursue him?”

“I like that… he’s handsome!” Luo Qingyan struggled to hold back her laughter, her lips twitching uncontrollably. Seeing her friend’s exasperated expression on the screen, she added, “Alright, I’m just kidding. Actually… being with him feels very comfortable. Some of the things he says… I wouldn’t call it eye-opening, but they do make me feel much more at ease. Right now, I really need that kind of feeling.”

“Hmm, you used to work too hard and push yourself too much. It’s time to slow down.” Xu Gaodi sighed with emotion. “It’s good that you’ve met someone you like, but you must keep your eyes open and not get lost in temporary emotions.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Xu Gaodi let out a heavy sigh. “To be honest, I really don’t believe a handsome guy could be both innocent and single. The odds are about the same as winning the lottery jackpot. I’m afraid you might be too close to see things clearly. Why not let your family help you evaluate him?”

“I understand your concern, but the situation is quite complicated, so it’s really hard to explain.” Luo Qingyan tried her best to keep her expression serious and sincere. “By the way, you weren’t this cautious before. Weren’t you the type to live in the moment?”

Xu Gaodi frowned deeply and took a deep breath. “Alright, I’ll be blunt. Although I know you’re genuinely tired and it’s because of a project… I can’t help but feel a bit… inexplicably worried about your decision to return to your hometown this time. I’ve never felt this way before, which makes me even more…”

This was the perfect moment to tell her friend about her condition, and Luo Qingyan wavered. But she couldn’t act impulsively, especially with the little merman around. What if there was still room for things to turn around? So, she smiled slightly. “It seems you really care about me, and I care about you too. Even if we’re far apart, we’ll still be good friends. With transportation being so convenient these days, meeting up won’t be difficult.”

“Yeah!” Xu Gaodi’s face instantly brightened with a smile. “Come to think of it, the world is vast and full of wonders. Even though the dazzling world can be misleading, there must still be men who are both talented and virtuous. Someone as excellent and kind as you deserves to meet one!”

“Exactly, the world is vast and full of wonders! Do you believe mermaids exist?”

The smile on Xu Gaodi’s face instantly cracked. “Are you under that much pressure?”

“Hahaha, just kidding!” Luo Qingyan laughed. “Let’s call it a day for now. I just remembered I have something to do. Let’s talk again next time?”

“Sure, I’m about to take a shower too!”

“Feel free to visit me when you have time. I mean it.”

“Okay! I get tired too. When that happens, I’ll come find you so we can rest together!”

“Mm!”

…

After ending the video call, Luo Qingyan immediately opened a food delivery app to browse ice cream options.

Her grandmother’s house was quite far from the commercial district, so there weren’t many shops to choose from. Fortunately, an Italian artisanal gelato shop was still open. She had tried it before and remembered it being quite good, so she quickly placed an order.

After buying the ice cream, she didn’t return to the bathroom right away but stayed on the sofa to continue looking up car rental information.

The little merman’s tail was large and long, so an ordinary sedan might not be comfortable enough, they’d probably need to rent an SUV. It would be best if the tail didn’t directly touch the seat, so they’d need something waterproof to wrap it in to avoid leaving any traces. The sliding chair was only suitable for use at home, so they’d also need a trailer to transport it.

Many things had to be prepared in advance so they wouldn’t be caught off guard if anything unexpected happened.

Luo Qingyan sat on the sofa, thinking and planning, and time flew by until a delivery call interrupted her thoughts.

The optimal time to enjoy ice cream waits for no one, she had to get it and start eating right away!

“Xiao Mei! We agreed yesterday we’d have ice cream today, and here it is!” Luo Qingyan took the ice cream out of the delivery bag, holding one in each hand. “We have chocolate and vanilla. The chocolate is sweet with a hint of bitterness, very unique. The vanilla has a plant-like fragrance and a rich creamy taste. Which one would you like?”

The little merman looked at the two ice creams, pondered for a moment, then turned to Luo Qingyan in the middle: “Which one do you think tastes better?”

Luo Qingyan shifted his gaze between the ice creams in his hands: “Hmm… I think both are good, but if I had to choose, vanilla!”

“Then you have the vanilla, and I’ll have the chocolate.”