The Merman I Picked Up Is Too Delicious - Chapter 19

“How can a mermaid fit into such a tiny pearl?”

Around nine in the evening, Luo Qingyan prepared to move the little merman to her parents’ home. The required time interval had passed, allowing the merman to re-enter the pearl, which simplified transportation significantly. Before he entered, Luo Qingyan held the pearl, still marveling at its wonder, and couldn’t help but ask.

“The inside of the pearl is a spacious area,” the little merman explained thoughtfully. “In human terms, everything in the world is matter, and matter can transform. For example, a large block of ice can pass through a small opening once it turns into water.”

“No, this is my pearl. Other mermaids can’t enter it either.”

“Then if we successfully form a contract in the future, can I have my own pearl?” Luo Qingyan grew excited at the thought. “Hey! Would I turn into a mermaid? Could a fishtail suddenly grow? What would it look like?”

As he listened, the little merman’s eyes wavered slightly. He was thinking. He didn’t want to respond with silence as he had before, yet there were some things he truly couldn’t reveal.

Luo Qingyan understood his expression. “Oh, more mermaid secrets, can’t say…”

“Some of it is similar to what you imagine, and some is different.” After speaking, the little merman pressed his lips together. At the very least, he had responded.

Luo Qingyan found his reaction even more endearing than his answer. She chuckled softly. “Alright, alright, I understand. Go into the pearl now. Let’s start moving.”

“Okay.” The little merman nodded. Then, in the moment he stood up, he vanished into the pearl.

It all happened incredibly fast, almost in the blink of an eye. Luo Qingyan didn’t catch how he entered the pearl in her hand. It was like a gust of wind, he disappeared instantly, leaving behind only a few sparkling particles that quickly dissipated.

Luo Qingyan raised her hand, staring in astonishment at the pearl in her palm. “Are you in there?”

“Yes,” the little merman’s voice emerged from the pearl.

“So magical, like a magic trick,” Luo Qingyan couldn’t help but marvel. “Oh! You’re not fully recovered yet, and time is limited! I’ll set off right away!” With that, she headed out, pearl in hand.

The rest of her belongings were already loaded in the car. All she needed was to take the pearl and drive off.

Throughout the journey, Luo Qingyan didn’t chat with the little merman, focusing entirely on driving.

The merman could likely stay in the pearl for about half an hour. Subtracting the twenty minutes on the road, time was also needed to move between the homes and the car, so she drove as fast as safety allowed.

She had chosen to move him at night for two reasons: first, the dim light and fewer people outside made it less likely for others to spot the merman during the short distance between home and car; second, the roads were less crowded at night, usually avoiding traffic jams, and she could drive faster depending on the situation.

The car glided smoothly along the road, the interior quiet and serene. A human drove, a merman rested obediently in the pearl, and outside, besides the swiftly flowing air, streaks of shimmering light and shadow raced past.

The city of G at night had both bustling areas and tranquil spots.

The car moved from quietude toward liveliness.

The journey was smooth all the way.

After parking the car in the underground garage of the residential complex, Luo Qingyan immediately took the pearl upstairs. Though there weren’t many other items, she would come back for them later. She didn’t dare delay even for a moment, she absolutely couldn’t exceed half an hour. The sooner she acted, the safer it would be for the little merman.

While waiting for the elevator, she checked the time. Seven minutes remained, plenty of time, but she couldn’t afford to slack off. As soon as the elevator arrived, she stepped in, pressed the floor button, hit the close button, reached her floor, exited swiftly, unlocked her apartment door, entered, closed the door behind her, and without even changing her shoes, hurried straight to the bathroom.

The bathtub had been filled with water in advance. Holding the pearl carefully in both hands, Luo Qingyan slowly lowered it into the water.

In the blink of an eye, the little merman appeared, accompanied by a shimmering, sparkling dust, as dreamlike as something out of a fairy tale.

The little merman gently flicked his tail, causing the water in the bathtub to surge instantly, splashing droplets onto the floor outside.

Seeing that the little merman could move normally, Luo Qingyan let out a long sigh of relief. “Great, we made it safely.”

While the little merman’s body adjusted to the water in the bathtub, his gaze remained fixed on Luo Qingyan. He gave a slight smile. “Thank you for your hard work.”

“Not at all. The fact that you could enter the pearl made things incredibly convenient, much easier than I ever imagined.” Luo Qingyan looked the little merman over from head to tail. “Take your time getting used to things here. I’ll go downstairs to get the rest of our things from the car.”

“Okay.”

Stepping out of her apartment, Luo Qingyan let out another deep sigh. She stood at the door for several seconds, trying to calm herself down. She didn’t understand why her heart felt so unsettled, even though she had successfully moved the little merman without any issues.

She took several deep breaths, but it didn’t help much. It seemed unlikely she’d be able to calm down anytime soon.

Oh well, better go get the things first.

She retraced her steps with the same urgency, but after retrieving the items and returning home to see the little merman again, her heart felt a bit more at ease.

“You’ll be alone here tonight,” Luo Qingyan said, standing by the bathtub. She had prepared a low stool in the bathroom but didn’t sit down because it was getting late, and it was about time for her to leave.

“Okay,” the little merman nodded obediently. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

“Alright.” Luo Qingyan’s gaze shifted to a nearby cabinet, where two baskets were placed. “One basket has snacks like bread and biscuits, and the other has water. If you get hungry or thirsty, help yourself. There’s plenty there, enough to last you three or four days if something happens on my end.”

“What might happen on your end?” The little merman rested his hand on the edge of the bathtub, leaning slightly toward Luo Qingyan.

“Nothing, really. It’s just a precaution,” Luo Qingyan said lightly. After a pause, she added, “Besides, I’m terminally ill, so if something does happen, it wouldn’t be unexpected.”

The little merman’s expression tightened for a moment, as if he wanted to say something but held back.

“Ah, well! Under normal circumstances, I still have some time left. Anyway, I should get going now.” Luo Qingyan waved her hand.

“Are you leaving right now?” the little merman blurted out.

“It’s almost ten o’clock. If I go back too late, the rumors might get even more…” She searched for the right word and suddenly chuckled, “more outrageous! What, are you going to miss me?”

“I… It’s nothing. Then you should head back early. Be careful on your way.”

“Mm. I’ll bring you breakfast tomorrow morning.”

“I can just have bread for breakfast. You don’t need to go to so much trouble.”

“Oh, are you worried about me?”

The little merman’s gaze drifted away. “You need more rest.”

Luo Qingyan’s eyes flickered thoughtfully. After a moment’s consideration, she said, “Since you put it that way, alright! I actually have a package arriving tomorrow morning anyway. I’ll come back after picking it up and have lunch here.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll be going then. See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.”

Luo Qingyan left the bathroom. The little merman’s eyes remained fixed on the door until all sounds from outside had faded away.

…

On the drive back, Luo Qingyan drove much slower than usual.

She rolled down the window to feel the breeze. The cool wind carried natural scents, grass, soil, river. When the city grew quiet, nature quietly seeped in.

She couldn’t remember where she’d read it, but someone once said that when humans feel lost or troubled, they can find answers in nature.

When she first learned she only had a few months left to live, Luo Qingyan had considered traveling. She’d even started choosing destinations when suddenly she received a concerned call from her grandmother. She changed her mind then, deciding to return to G City first to spend some time with her grandmother, putting travel plans on hold.

Unexpectedly, after returning to G City, the little merman had become a new variable in her life.

Should she still travel?

Going to the seaside would be nice too.

She’d just go with the flow.

She arrived back at her grandmother’s house after a leisurely drive, her mood still quite pleasant. Unfortunately, as she got out of the car, a gossipy neighbor happened to be passing by.

“Oh, coming back so late! Well, young people just love to have fun.” The neighbor didn’t dare stop to talk to Luo Qingyan directly, but shot several glances her way while making the comment.

“Maybe young people see how some older folks want to have fun but can’t manage it anymore, how pitiful, and don’t want to end up like that, so they make the most of their time now!” Luo Qingyan hated having her good mood interrupted and retorted directly, “Otherwise, all they can do when they’re old is gossip in front of young people.”

“Who are you calling old?” The neighbor stopped walking and glared angrily at Luo Qingyan.

“Yeah, right, exactly. I’ve met people like that too, so pitiful and pathetic.” Luo Qingyan ignored the other person. She had already placed her phone to her ear when she started speaking and now continued pretending to be on a call, walking toward the door. “Sigh! People who aren’t happy with their own lives tend to find pleasure in putting others down. Just pity them and don’t bother with it.”

Seeing that Luo Qingyan was on the phone, the neighbor paused for a second, but their anger didn’t subside. They muttered, “Hmph! Some people look respectable on the surface, but in reality, they’re messy, engaging in disgraceful behavior, simply…”

Luo Qingyan opened the gate and entered the courtyard, leaving the neighbor’s words behind as she closed the gate.

Walking toward the house while putting away her phone, she heard Chestnut’s welcoming barks before even entering. Once inside, she immediately picked up Chestnut and planted a kiss on the top of his head.

She was a bit tired today, better go to bed early.

Going to bed early doesn’t necessarily mean waking up early.

The next day, Luo Qingyan was awakened by Chestnut’s barking. Checking the time, she was surprised to find it was almost ten o’clock. She sat up, remained dazedly on the bed for another minute, then finally got up.

After getting up, she hurried to feed Chestnut, but after feeding him, she returned to the sofa and sat there blankly.

She knew she should eat breakfast soon, eating on time was better for her health, but she felt inexplicably lazy, didn’t want to move, just wanted to lie down.

It seemed that when the little merman was around, she could be much more motivated.

Primarily, she was a responsible person, when helping someone, she saw it through to the end. Since the other person was recuperating, they needed to eat on time. They were eating the same things, so when preparing a meal for him, she naturally made her own portion as well.

Yes, that was it. Just that.

So, rescuing the little merman did come with some subtle, unnoticed benefits.

Enough thinking! Time for breakfast! Hurry up and eat! For lunch, she’d be heading over to share a meal with the little merman, so she needed to leave a bit earlier.

Taking a deep breath, she rose from the sofa and walked straight to the kitchen.

Luo Qingyan had a simple bowl of noodles for breakfast. While washing the dishes, a delivery arrived. After receiving the package, she drove over to the little merman’s place.

“Xiaomei, what did you have for breakfast?” Luo Qingyan entered the bathroom carrying the delivery box, her eyes quickly scanning the room.

“Biscuits and milk,” the little merman replied, his gaze fixed on Luo Qingyan. “And you?”

Luo Qingyan was about to set the box down when his question gave her pause. She had asked because she was worried he hadn’t eaten well, after all, only dry rations were available here. She hadn’t expected him to ask about her in return.

“Noodles,” she answered casually, placing all the delivery boxes on the floor before sitting on a low stool. “How did you rest last night? Are you settling in, okay?”

“Not bad,” the little merman said, glancing at the boxes before turning his attention back to Luo Qingyan. “And you?”

“Hah!” Luo Qingyan chuckled, pausing her preparations to open the packages. “Why is it that every question I ask you today, you turn around and ask me the same thing?”

The little merman blinked, wanting to say something but unsure how to respond.

Luo Qingyan found his shy, innocent demeanor utterly endearing and couldn’t resist teasing him a little. “You’re not missing me after just one night apart, are you?”

The little merman’s eyes flickered. He lowered his head slightly before looking up again. “Maybe…”

This time, it was Luo Qingyan who was left speechless.