The Merman I Picked Up Is Too Delicious - Chapter 21

“But, this place is nice too.”

The little merman’s words could be interpreted in many ways.

It could mean the ocean is beautiful, and the land is beautiful too; it could mean he misses his hometown and the sea, but staying here isn’t bad for now; or it could mean he’s discovered something wonderful here, holding it close to his heart, and so on.

Luo Qingyan was naturally pleased to hear this. After all, she was the one who had saved the little merman, so she deserved at least some credit. If the reason he found this place nice was largely because of her, that would be even better, she needed that kind of emotional connection.

She had never shied away from expressing this, so she immediately asked in a lighthearted tone, “Why is it nice? If you have romantic feelings for me, you should tell me directly. I’d be happier that way, and our progress could speed up. After all, true love isn’t easy to come by!”

The little merman’s hand stopped moving in the water, and his body seemed to stiffen.

After a moment, he relaxed slightly and replied, “Okay.”

“The small toys are all taken apart. Later, you can play with the iPad by yourself. I need to return the rented car,” Luo Qingyan said as she stood up. “Dinner depends on when I get back. If the timing works out, I’ll grab something tasty while I’m out. If not, we’ll order takeout again. Let’s try to eat early today for two reasons: first, I have to video call my grandma and aunt tonight, they’ve been especially worried about me lately. Second, after feeding Chestnut, I can take him out for a longer walk. I haven’t spent much time with him these past couple of days, and I feel bad for him.”

“Can’t Chestnut come over here?” The little merman tilted his head further back.

“You miss Chestnut, don’t you?” Luo Qingyan paused on her way out. “He really likes you too. But he’s used to staying over there. He has all his things, and it’s not easy to move him. Besides, Grandma will be back this weekend. It’s too much hassle to move him back and forth.”

“Oh…” Disappointment flickered in the little merman’s eyes. He thought for a moment and asked, “Then, will I not be able to see Chestnut in the future?”

“Not at all,” Luo Qingyan chuckled. “No need to make it sound like a farewell. It’s only a twenty-minute drive between the two places. Even though it’s not convenient for Chestnut to stay here, he can still come over to play! How about I bring him over tomorrow?”

“Great!”

“Your affection for Chestnut is definitely genuine, heartfelt and impossible to hide!” Luo Qingyan crossed her arms. “Why don’t you feel that way about me? It seems like both humans and mermaids can develop love for pets, mutual affection that’s sincere and lasting. So why is it so difficult when it comes to human-to-human or human-to-mermaid relationships? Over time, not only do feelings fade, but they can even turn into hatred. It’s truly baffling.”

“Mermaids are different,” the little merman said with firm conviction. Noticing the change in Luo Qingyan’s expression, he added, “At least, a mermaid’s true love is different. Perhaps, human social relationships are too complex, constantly changing, so… so the emotions expressed are equally complicated.”

“Maybe…” Luo Qingyan shrugged. “Society is indeed complicated, driven by interests and human nature. Sigh… There’s so much to do in this society. For example, I have to return the car now, or I’ll have to pay a late fee. Anyway, that’s enough chatting. I’m heading out. Bye!”

“Mm, be careful on the road.” The little merman waved gently.

Returning the car went smoothly, and it was just past three when she finished her errands.

Luo Qingyan took a taxi home. As she reached the entrance of her residential complex, a few children passed by, laughing and chatting cheerfully. Her gaze was drawn to them, and she noticed each one holding a cup of milk tea.

Milk tea! The kind that lifts your spirits!

She hadn’t let the little merman try milk tea yet!

Last time, when she brewed him floral tea, an unexpected interruption had led to a disagreement, and she never got the chance to ask if he liked it. But from what she remembered, he seemed to enjoy it quite a bit, so he probably did like tea. Since he enjoyed both sweets and tea, milk tea was bound to be a hit.

Coincidentally, there was a milk tea shop near the complex. Why wait for another day? Today was the day to make it happen.

…

Half an hour later, Luo Qingyan returned home carrying two cups of milk tea.

“Xiaomei, I bought milk tea! Pearl milk tea!” Luo Qingyan walked into the bathroom, shaking the bag in her hand at the little merman. “Milk tea is a mix of fresh milk and tea, with some chewy toppings added.”

The little merman had been eagerly watching the door, and his eyes lit up with a smile as soon as he saw Luo Qingyan return.

“I bought two flavors this time. You have to choose the one that interests you, and I’ll introduce them to you.” Luo Qingyan sat down on a low stool, opened the bag, and showed the milk teas to the little merman.

“This one is black tea with fresh milk. Besides pearls, it has a cheese foam topping and crushed Oreo bits. The black tea has a relatively mild flavor, sweet and with a pleasant aftertaste. The pearls aren’t actual pearls from the sea, they’re these little black, round things made from tapioca starch, and they’re very chewy. The other black, powdery flakes are crushed Oreo cookies. The cheese foam is this white layer on top, made from cheese, milk, and other ingredients. It’s rich, fragrant, and silky smooth.”

“This other one is black tea with milk, along with roasted brown sugar pearls and milk foam. Compared to fresh milk, this milk has a richer, creamier texture and a slightly salty taste. The roasted brown sugar pearls are a bit firmer than regular pearls, with more chewiness, and they release a sweet flavor when you bite into them. The milk foam here is lighter than the cheese foam and melts in your mouth.”

“Which one would you like to try?”

The little merman listened carefully to Luo Qingyan’s explanations, but he still hesitated as he looked at the two cups. “Which one do you think I’d like?”

“Throwing the question back at me again?” Luo Qingyan smiled helplessly. “Alright, let me describe it another way, using stereotypes, one leans more toward a child’s taste, and the other is more for adults.”

The little merman’s lips curved into a smile. “Then I’ll have the one for children.”

“Okay.” Luo Qingyan was especially happy that he had made a choice. She handed him one of the cups and taught him how to use the straw to drink the milk tea.

The little merman held the cup, took a few sips, and his eyes sparkled. Then he started chewing the pearls, and the light in his eyes grew even brighter. “It’s delicious, tasty, and fun.”

“You really are like a child,” Luo Qingyan remarked suddenly. “And I don’t mean that in a bad way. It’s just that you’re so unaffected by societal norms, pure, adorable, and kind. It’s really wonderful.”

“You’re wonderful too.”

They fell back into their usual rhythm of eating, drinking, and chatting together. Days like these were truly comfortable.

The little merman always did things at a leisurely pace, and drinking milk tea was no exception. Luo Qingyan finished her cup first and then went to the other bathroom.

The little merman continued to drink his milk tea alone in the bathtub. By the time he finished, only a few tapioca pearls remained at the bottom. He thought the pearls were delicious and naturally wanted to eat them all, but without any liquid left, the sticky pearls were hard to suck up, requiring some extra effort.

However, with that extra effort, one of the pearls shot straight into his airway.

Luo Qingyan happened to return just then, and as she entered, she saw the milk tea cup overturned on the floor and the little merman leaning over the edge of the bathtub, coughing violently. She instantly realized he might be choking on a pearl, as she had once had a similar close call herself. She rushed over to help immediately.

“Are you choking on a pearl? You need to spit it out!” Luo Qingyan first patted the little merman’s back, but after a while with no result, she quickly propped him up a bit, wrapped her arms around him from behind, and performed the Heimlich maneuver to help dislodge the obstruction.

Luo Qingyan wasn’t sure if it would work, given the anatomical differences between humans and mermaids. She held the little merman tightly, pressing firmly on his abdomen several times. Fortunately, the pearl eventually fell out of his mouth.

It was exhausting, holding a merman was exhausting. So this was the weight behind those eight-pack abs. That magnificent, large tail must be even heavier. Thankfully, the little merman had been able to enter the pearl yesterday; otherwise, she might not have been able to move him at all.

“Are you okay?” The little merman, having stopped coughing, looked at Luo Qingyan with concern.

“I’m fine, it’s alright.” Luo Qingyan slowly raised her hand and waved it dismissively. The floor was too cold to sit on, and a lot of water had splashed out of the bathtub while she was rescuing him. As she regained her composure, she pushed herself up from the floor to stand.

Suddenly, she noticed that her clothes were soaked through, revealing the color of her skin beneath. Panic-stricken, she quickly turned her back, scrambled to her feet using both hands and feet, and hurried out without a word.

“What’s wrong?” The little merman’s worried voice was left behind as she rushed away.

Her flustered figure dashed back to her room, where she half-closed the door, hastily grabbed a towel to wrap around herself, and then, instead of immediately looking for a change of clothes, sat down on the armchair by the window to calm her nerves.

She wasn’t someone who easily got embarrassed, nor was she particularly conservative about her clothing.

Her figure fit the societal definition of “good,” and she enjoyed wearing all sorts of beautiful outfits, including many that were quite revealing. In S City, where people from all over the world gathered, the level of acceptance was high. Everyone was used to dressing freely, without any shyness, only a pursuit of what looked good.

But just now…

She had to admit, she had felt shy.

Even though she knew the little merman was accustomed to being naked and wouldn’t pay any mind to such things—his calm demeanor confirmed that he truly thought like a fish, viewing humans as ordinary animals without any concept of bodily or clothing-related sensuality, she still couldn’t help feeling bothered. She couldn’t convince herself otherwise.

After all, it was just her outer clothes getting a bit see-through from the water. At summer music festivals with water sprays, she’d gotten much wetter. At swimming pools or the beach, the swimsuits she wore revealed far more skin…

And the little merman’s gaze could be said to be as innocent as a chestnut.

Sigh, she understood all the reasoning, but…

She didn’t want to feel shy; there was no need to feel shy.

So why did she still feel shy?

The answer was obvious.

She seemed to have genuinely developed feelings.

No! It was just a momentary impulse! Occasional heart flutters are completely normal, like brushing past a handsome guy in a crowd, locking eyes with one under fireworks, or going to buy coffee when you’re exhausted and finding the barista is a handsome guy. Any of these could make your heart skip a beat.

With the little merman’s near-perfect face, anyone would feel their heart flutter! Who doesn’t like handsome guys?

Right, that’s all it is. Just that. No need to overthink it.

She tightened the towel wrapped around her.

Suddenly, a bubble squeezed through the slightly ajar door and floated right in front of her.

It was undoubtedly the little merman’s bubble, but at that moment, she wanted to avoid it. Even if it wasn’t the little merman himself appearing before her, just a bubble, she still felt the urge to retreat.

True love and forming a contract represented hope for survival. Striving toward that goal was one thing, but genuinely developing feelings was entirely another. Because she knew the chances of actually achieving that best possible outcome was slim to none.

Humans could hardly comprehend a merman’s true love, yet mermen understood humans all too well.

Unfair.

The bubble hovered right before her eyes. Even if she didn’t pop it, if the little merman truly wanted to speak with her, wouldn’t it burst on its own?

What should she do? Deliberately avoiding a bubble would be too…

It seemed there was no way to avoid it.

Unexpectedly, as time ticked by, the bubble never burst on its own. It simply lingered in front of her, as if patiently waiting.

Had the little merman sensed her emotions?

To have such a sense of boundaries?

A fish could actually be this considerate of boundaries!

Oh no. Now her heart was fluttering even more.