The Merman I Picked Up Is Too Delicious - Chapter 15

Indeed, the water in the steamer had boiled dry. Luo Qingyan quickly turned off the heat, moved the pot away from the hot stove, and placed it on a cool one nearby.

Fortunately, the water had just dried up, the pot wasn’t scorched, and the sweet potatoes hadn’t taken on any burnt flavor.

What was truly impressive was the little merman. It was unclear whether his sense of smell or hearing was more acute, but despite the kitchen and bathroom being some distance apart, he had managed to alert Luo Qingyan to the burnt smell before the situation worsened.

Could it be that he had the ability to foresee things?

If he possessed such a power, that would be absolutely fascinating!

After tidying up the kitchen and preparing chestnut’s dog food, Luo Qingyan headed to the bathroom with breakfast and a heart full of curiosity.

“Breakfast is here.” Luo Qingyan first set the tray on a stool, then carefully placed each bowl onto the table by the bathtub, explaining as he went, “Today’s breakfast includes black rice and red date porridge, boiled eggs, fried sausages, and steamed sweet potatoes. Thankfully, you warned me about the burnt smell in the kitchen, so the sweet potatoes were saved.”

“It was nothing, just a small effort,” the little merman replied, his voice tinged with laughter. “It smells wonderful, you’re really skilled.”

“It’s just boiling and cooking, no special techniques. It’s the natural aroma of the ingredients.” Luo Qingyan sat down on a low stool. “When I turned off the heat, the water had just dried up, and there was no burnt smell yet. How did you sense it?”

“Mermaids have sharper senses than humans. Both the sounds and smells from the kitchen had changed, and since you were outside playing with Chestnut, I guessed you might have forgotten for a moment.”

“I thought it was strange when I saw the bubble! Just one, lingering right in front of me.” Luo Qingyan spoke with great interest about the bubble. “Do mermaids use bubbles to send messages in the sea too? How fast are they? What if they burst midway?”

“Yes, we use bubbles to communicate. It’s different in the sea compared to on land, they’re quite fast and not so easily broken.”

“Let’s eat first, and we can chat while we do.” Luo Qingyan scooped a spoonful of porridge. “So how does the sound get into the bubble? Do you speak while the bubble forms? Like little fish blowing bubbles!”

The little merman speared a sausage with his fork. “Hmm… pretty much.”

“Does the bubble come out of your mouth?”

“No, it’s the water around me that condenses into a bubble.”

“What if there’s no water nearby?”

“On land, there’s water in the soil, plants, and even the air.”

“Wow, a master of water extraction! For the Nth time, I’m amazed, mermaids are truly treasures, with senses sharper than…” Luo Qingyan’s exclamation trailed off as a sudden thought struck him, leaving him frozen in place.

“What’s wrong?” The little merman, about to take the last bite of his sausage, noticed Luo Qingyan’s odd behavior.

Luo Qingyan set his spoon back into the bowl, his face falling. “If you can hear sounds from the kitchen and the yard, does that mean you can also hear what happens on the second floor?”

The little merman thought for a moment, as if pondering whether he should admit it, then nodded honestly. “Yes.”

“Heh heh heh” Luo Qingyan let out a bitter, despairing laugh, shaking his head as he picked up his fork. Gripping it tightly in a clenched fist, he drove it down with force, stabbing a sausage fiercely.

She sings while showering, and last night she was in a particularly good mood, letting herself go even more. Although she studies dance and has a sense of rhythm, her singing is completely off-key, it’s genuinely unpleasant. She’s very self-aware about it. She could only hope her voice wasn’t too loud, and with the sound of running water, perhaps the little merman couldn’t hear her clearly, or if he did, it was only faintly.

Wait, it’s not just that!

Such keen hearing and sense of smell.

It felt like she had no privacy left! How terrifying!

Why didn’t he mention it earlier? Why didn’t I realize sooner?

“Why are you just holding the fork and not eating?” the little merman asked, his tone both innocent and cautious, genuinely curious about Luo Qingyan’s behavior while sensing the strange atmosphere.

“Eating… of course, I’ll eat.” Luo Qingyan picked up the fork and took a bite, devouring half of the sausage in one go.

What’s done is done, no use overthinking it now. Why torment herself unnecessarily?

Besides, Luo Qingyan hadn’t done anything wrong. She had nothing to hide! She hadn’t known the little merman’s senses were so sharp. And this was her home, she could do as she pleased. She hadn’t even held him accountable for eavesdropping on her privacy!

Actually, the little merman’s mindset was quite detached. He understood that humans were diverse, and her behavior, in his eyes, was just normal human conduct. On a broader scale, all creatures were animals, each with their own differences, nothing to fuss about.

He hadn’t looked at her strangely, either. Now that she knew, it wasn’t too late to be more careful in the future.

There were still so many unknowns about the little merman. She needed to learn more, or else she’d feel like she was in the dark while he held all the cards.

After finishing one sausage, Luo Qingyan set down her fork and picked up a sweet potato, starting to peel it. “Just how many amazing abilities do you have that I don’t know about? Do you have to keep them so well hidden? I am your savior, after all!”

The little merman was eating his porridge slowly, one small spoonful at a time. He paused briefly before replying, “There are too many differences between merfolk and humans, many are subtle. I’m not sure what level would be considered ‘amazing.'”

“Not really. It’s just that humans particularly admire strength, so they tend to label things as amazing.”

“But other animals admire strength too, don’t they? Whether it’s choosing a leader or selecting a mate for reproduction, they go for the strong ones, right? So, do merfolk prefer the weak? Then they’d naturally like humans!”

“That’s not what I meant!”

“Then what did you mean?” Luo Qingyan deliberately put on an expression of earnest curiosity.

The little merman opened his mouth to explain but hesitated, holding back.

“Alright, alright, let’s eat.” Luo Qingyan peeled off most of the sweet potato skin and took a small bite. “I need to go to the other house today. If I’m going to live there, I have to prepare in advance, at the very least, I need to check all the functions of the bathtub carefully. Also, I plan to move you there first. After my grandmother and aunt return from their trip, I’ll stay here with my grandmother for a couple of days before moving over. Don’t worry, I’ll prepare enough food, and I’ll come by to check on you in the meantime.”

“Okay, that’s fine with me.” The little merman picked up a sweet potato and began peeling it calmly.

“Good. I’ll head out after breakfast. For lunch, we’ll order takeout again, today, we’re having burgers and Coke! You’ve heard of burgers and Coke, right?”

“Yes, I know of them.” The little merman paused before adding, “Thank you for your trouble.”

Luo Qingyan was about to say “no problem,” but the words caught in her throat as a playful idea struck her. “If you think humans go through so much trouble, just saying ‘thank you’ isn’t enough. You should show some tangible gratitude.”

The little merman pondered for two seconds. “Money?”

Luo Qingyan’s eyes drooped. “For me, money is just enough to get by now. Having too much… would only make me feel miserable thinking about having all that wealth but no life to spend it. I now regard money as dirt. Hey! Do you know the saying, ‘Riches are like dirt; virtue and righteousness are worth a thousand pieces of gold’? Virtue and righteousness, benevolence and justice, you understand, right?”

“I understand. But forming a contract isn’t something I can do just by wanting to.”

“But you have to want it first, don’t you? Do you want to or not?”

“I… I’ll try…”

The little merman had finished peeling the sweet potato and silently lowered his gaze to eat it.

Just then, Chestnut scampered excitedly into the bathroom. Although he had already eaten breakfast, the sight of food still stirred him up, and he began bouncing around.

Luo Qingyan suppressed a smile at the corner of her lips. “Chestnut has already finished his breakfast. Let’s focus on eating ours now!”

“Mm.”

…

After breakfast, Luo Qingyan took a taxi to the home she shared with her parents.

She had stayed there during the Spring Festival earlier this year, so the condition of the house was still fairly decent. She planned to inspect some key details herself, confirm what needed to be purchased, and leave the cleaning to a professional service.

The familiar streets, the unchanged neighborhood, the building lobby she could navigate with her eyes closed. Entering the elevator, pressing the floor button, stepping out, standing at the front door, unlocking it with her fingerprint, opening the door, entering, and closing it behind her.

Once inside, Luo Qingyan first took off the crossbody bag from her shoulder and hung it on the coat rack in the entryway. Then, she changed into slippers and slowly made her way further into the house.

The living room for watching TV, the dining room for meals, the kitchen for cooking, the study for work and learning, the bathroom for washing up, the balcony for sunbathing, the bedroom for sleeping.

Every room was filled with memories of the past, all so familiar.

The house was so quiet, without a single sound.

Of course it was quiet, there was no one else home. But it wasn’t just that kind of quiet; it was…

Luo Qingyan stood at the junction between the living room and the dining room, standing there blankly for a long time.

Suddenly, tears began to fall.