The Merman I Picked Up Is Too Delicious - Chapter 30

Luo Qingyan had a long and extraordinary dream, completely different from any she had experienced before.

First, she knew she was dreaming, yet simultaneously understood this dream was incredibly real, so real it felt like she had entered a parallel universe fully prepared, consciously experiencing it all.

Second, in this dream she didn’t engage in any specific activities, yet she was constantly sensing. She experienced a multitude of emotions, joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, the bitter and the sweet, partings and reunions. Each feeling was genuine and profound. But she couldn’t comprehend why she could feel so much without actually experiencing concrete events.

Third, the world in the dream appeared similar to reality but was fundamentally different, or perhaps the way she perceived it was different. Human perception is filtered and organized by the brain, but in this dream, what she saw and felt diverged from the norm. Things seemed vast and distant, yet she felt everything was right beside her.

Moreover, the dream felt exceptionally long. Yet she felt no anxiety about it dragging on endlessly or ending abruptly. Instead, there was an inexplicable sense of security, a clear understanding that she was in a safe world where she could explore and discover at her own pace.

Finally, she felt she wasn’t alone. It seemed someone was accompanying her, or perhaps watching over her, a presence that was both intimate and elusive, difficult to describe precisely. In any case, it wasn’t constraining; it was a strange yet subtle sensation.

When she woke up, she couldn’t recall the specifics of the dream, but the feelings remained vivid and real. It was like basking in warm sunlight, stroking soft fur, or rolling freely among flowers and grass.

An incredible dream!

Wait! Why was everything around her white?

The smell of disinfectant…

She was in a hospital!

Luo Qingyan jolted fully awake, her eyes wide open.

“You’re awake?” The nurse by the bed was putting away the IV drip. “You had food poisoning, but it’s not serious. The fainting and coma might have another cause. We’ll run some tests later. Your family member just stepped out to make a phone call. Wait a moment.”

After speaking, the nurse turned and went out to inform the family that the patient had woken up.

Food poisoning? What had she eaten? Dinner was… Luo Qingyan suddenly recalled the moments before she fainted. She had been at Hefeng Pavilion, and aside from her, the only one there was the little merman. Before losing consciousness, she thought she saw someone approaching her…

Someone approaching? The little merman coming toward her?

No! In her memory, she saw moving legs, not a fishtail!

Could it be that the little merman’s tail had transformed into legs? Just like in fairy tales!

This was all too fantastical! Unbelievable, yet thrilling.

Luo Qingyan sat up, her eyes fixed on the hospital room door. The next moment, someone entered.

Her heart skipped a beat with excitement and anticipation.

She saw clearly who had entered.

It wasn’t the little merman, it was Tao Xingyou. Her memory must have been too hazy, leading to a mistaken impression.

“Sis!” Tao Xingyou rushed to the bedside. “How are you feeling? You scared me to death.”

“I’m fine. I feel really good, like I’ve had a great sleep, exceptionally comfortable.” Luo Qingyan wasn’t lying; she truly felt wonderful, as if the fainting incident had been a dream. A dream? Could it really have been a dream? A long, complete dream!

Tao Xingyou breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good. The doctor said you had food poi…”

“Where did I faint?” Luo Qingyan wanted to know if she was dreaming.

“Hefeng Pavilion, how did you?”

“Did you tell Grandma and Aunt about me being in the hospital?” Luo Qingyan suddenly thought of something more serious.

“Not yet. It was a colleague who called earlier.” Tao Xingyu noticed Luo Qingyan’s anxiety. “I didn’t want to worry Grandma and Mom, so I thought I’d check the situation first. The doctor said it’s not serious, but they still want to run some tests to be sure.”

“I’m perfectly fine now, full of energy.” As she spoke, Luo Qingyan threw off the covers, swung her legs off the bed, and started putting on her shoes.

“Sis, what are you doing?” Tao Xingyu was baffled. “Do you need to use the bathroom?”

“I have something urgent to take care of.” Luo Qingyan finished tying her shoes. She considered pulling Tao Xingyu along but worried she might resist and cause a scene. Instead, she stood up and headed out, confident the other would follow.

“Sis! You still need tests!” Tao Xingyu hurried after her, too flustered by the strange turn of events to remember she should stop her.

“I’ll come back for the tests tomorrow. There’s something urgent today.” Luo Qingyan quickened her pace. She couldn’t risk the tests, they might reveal what she’d been hiding. She didn’t want her family finding out about her illness unprepared.

“Sis, what’s so urgent? Is it that serious?” Tao Xingyu jogged to catch up. “Hey! Why were you at Hefeng Pavilion anyway? Was there something urgent there?”

The question sparked more confusion in Luo Qingyan. She hadn’t actually planned an excuse yet, but now an idea began to form. Still, her priority was to get Tao Xingyu away from the hospital, the place made her uneasy.

“Yes.” Luo Qingyan adopted a serious expression. “Did you drive here? Can you give me a ride?”

“Okay, sure.” Tao Xingyu was convinced by the urgency in her tone and obediently led the way to the parking lot.

Only when the car left the hospital and merged smoothly into traffic did Luo Qingyan finally relax.

Noticing the change in her expression, Tao Xingyu cautiously asked, “Sis, what’s this urgent matter? How did you end up fainting there? If there’s anything I can do to help, you have to tell me!”

“Probably the tapioca dessert I had this afternoon, I ate it too quickly. But I’m fine now. Please don’t mention this to Grandma or Aunt. No need to worry them since I’m okay. I’ll be more careful with what I eat from now on.” Luo Qingyan brushed off the fainting with a simple explanation, avoiding further details.

She suspected her declining health made her more sensitive to certain foods. Lately, she’d felt her condition worsening. No matter how much she pretended everything was normal on the surface, she couldn’t ignore the internal changes. The helplessness and frustration were partly why her moods had been so unstable.

“Okay, I won’t say anything.” Tao Xingyu glanced sideways at the passenger seat. “Sis, do you need my help with anything later?”

Luo Qingyan had already fabricated the “urgent matter” in her mind, so she replied calmly, “No need. Just drop me off at Hefeng Pavilion. I… I suddenly remembered something my mother left me, and I really want to find it now. But, it’s always like this, when you’re looking for something, it just won’t show up, and when you’re not, it appears. Still, if I don’t find it now, I won’t feel at ease. I can’t wait for it to turn up on its own.”

“I understand that feeling. Once you think of it, you have to find it, or it’ll keep nagging at you, making it hard to focus on anything else. It’s really uncomfortable.” Tao Xingyou, afraid of touching on something that might upset Luo Qingyan, didn’t press further and simply went along with it.

“Exactly.” Luo Qingyan gazed out the window at the pitch-black sky and the wet ground. The rain had stopped, but she felt weary and closed her eyes.

Suddenly, she opened them again.

“You! How did you know I was at the hospital? Are you sure the hospital only notified you?” Her grandmother and aunt hadn’t called, so they probably didn’t know, but the thought made her anxious, and the question slipped out.

“Don’t worry, the hospital didn’t notify them. I was informed when the paramedics arrived at your place.” Tao Xingyou remained composed. “The medical staff who called said not to worry, it wasn’t serious, and just asked me to accompany you at the hospital. At first, they even forgot to mention which hospital it was. I didn’t realize until I was in the garage and had to call back. Probably an intern, not too familiar with the procedures.”

As Luo Qingyan listened, something struck her as odd. “Was the person who called you a man or a woman?”

“At first, it was a man, he didn’t sound very professional, definitely an intern. When I called back, a woman answered, much more competent.”

Luo Qingyan had mentioned her cousin Tao Xingyou to the little merman and had told him to contact her cousin first if anything happened, to avoid worrying her grandmother and aunt. Based on her cousin’s description, she was sure the male caller had been the little merman.

Earlier at the hospital, she had thought about the little merman. When she realized he wasn’t the one who had accompanied her, she tried hard to avoid thinking about him.

Now, she couldn’t escape it. She was deeply concerned about him.

She had a strong feeling that when she fainted, the little merman had been by her side, talking to her, touching her, worried about her. Though she couldn’t recall if she had called for an ambulance, she was certain she hadn’t called her cousin. Rather than believing he had used water to take her phone to the bathroom to make the call, she felt he had come to her in person.

Even if he hadn’t been there, the paramedics would have made a lot of noise when they arrived, and the little merman couldn’t have stayed hidden in the bathroom the whole time.

So…

If he had stayed inside the pearl, avoiding everything, that would be fine.

Please, let there be no accidents.

“Sis, are you really okay?” Tao Xingyou, still worried about Luo Qingyan, spoke up again as they neared the neighborhood. “Should I drive in and at least walk you upstairs?”

“Really, I’m fine. Look, I don’t seem like there’s anything wrong, do I?” Luo Qingyan flashed a relaxed smile. “It was mainly the dizziness earlier, ugh… I really shouldn’t have called an ambulance. It felt more like I fell asleep than fainted. Doesn’t mild cassava poisoning cause drowsiness? Oh, by the way, how much was the medical fee? I’ll transfer it to you.”

“Alright, as long as you’re okay.” As they spoke, they arrived at Hefeng Court, and Tao Xingyou parked the car at the entrance of the complex.

Once the car came to a stop at the gate, Luo Qingyan immediately unbuckled her seatbelt. “Remember to send me the amount, and I’ll transfer it to you. I really troubled you today. Let’s have a proper meal together in a few days. You should head home and rest now!”

“Okay.” Tao Xingyou nodded. “Be careful, alright!”

“Got it.” Luo Qingyan waved goodbye to Tao Xingyou, then turned and walked into the complex. She felt she was mostly fine, but she didn’t walk too quickly, she absolutely couldn’t risk anything happening again. She didn’t want to trouble her cousin anymore.

But unconsciously, her pace quickened.

Standing at her doorstep, Luo Qingyan suddenly felt a bit hesitant to open the door. There were too many reasons, and she didn’t want to dwell on them, so she took a few deep breaths.

Then, she quickly unlocked the door and went inside.

After entering, she didn’t call out for the little merman. Instead, she simply turned on the lights and began searching quietly on her own.

First, she checked the living room and dining area. They were visible as soon as she stepped past the entryway, completely empty, with no sign of the little merman. That was normal; he usually didn’t stay in those areas.

Next, she checked the bathroom. When the ambulance had taken her away and the house fell silent again, the little merman should have emerged from the pearl and returned to the bathtub. She hurried into the bathroom, but there was still no trace of him. The bathtub was empty.

Then, she checked her bedroom. When she had previously analyzed possible hiding spots for the little merman, her bedroom seemed like the best option. The paramedics must have made a lot of noise when they arrived, so hiding in the closet would have been the right choice.

Although the little merman could only stay in the pearl for a limited time before, he had recovered quite a bit since then and could surely last longer now. So…

He must be in the closet! Please, let nothing have gone wrong!

Her steps slowed as she approached the bedroom, afraid of what she might find.

However, the moment she entered the bedroom, she was stunned by the sight before her, freezing in place.

The closet door was open, and the little merman was sitting inside, looking at her. He was wearing a set of loungewear.

The little merman’s fish tail had turned into a pair of legs!