The Merman I Picked Up Is Too Delicious - Chapter 31

Luo Qingyan stared in astonishment at the little merman in her wardrobe, frozen for a full minute, while he silently watched her in return.

The little merman was seated in the largest hanging section of the wardrobe. Though it didn’t contain many clothes, it still appeared quite full. Initially, Luo Qingyan had thought that since he needed to hide, he would require clothing for cover, so she had hung only long dresses and coats in that area.

Sitting amidst the clothes, the little merman seemed cramped and confined. It was easy to imagine how much more constrained he must have felt when the wardrobe door was closed, his long legs unable to stretch out, forced to curl up, his hands unable to move freely for fear of brushing against the clothes. Perhaps he kept them resting on his abdomen or wrapped around his knees.

Pitiful yet endearing.

“You! You… your tail turned into legs?” Luo Qingyan blurted out, each word dripping with disbelief.

The little merman remained relatively calm, glancing down at his legs. “Mm.”

“Are you completely healed? Your tail actually turned into legs!” Luo Qingyan couldn’t contain her amazement. “Can… can you change back?”

The little merman tilted his head slightly, his eyes glimmering. “Yes.”

“You can switch back and forth at will? That’s incredible. Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Is this another merman secret?”

“Yes, it’s a secret. Don’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t say anything. But don’t worry, humans already know that mermaid tails can turn into legs, it’s in all kinds of stories and media. You must have seen some, right?”

The little merman pressed his lips together and said nothing, merely nodding.

Luo Qingyan reached out a hand toward him. “Come out first. It can’t be comfortable sitting in the wardrobe.”

“Okay… I…” A faint look of unease crossed the little merman’s face.

“Are you not used to having legs instead of a tail?” Luo Qingyan noticed he seemed a bit weak. “Then change back to your tail! Do you want to go back into the pearl, or should I get the wheeled chair to move you?”

The little merman lowered his gaze, his expression serious, as if deep in thought.

“Oh, right, you used the pearl when the paramedics came, didn’t you? Then I’ll go get the wheeled.” Luo Qingyan remembered there was a cooldown period for him to enter the pearl, but something felt off. “Wait! Your legs, you walked over to me, didn’t you? I think I saw it vaguely when I was half-conscious. So, you didn’t use the pearl, then…”

The more Luo Qingyan thought about it, the more confused she became. Suddenly, she realized the situation wasn’t as simple as it seemed. She looked at the little merman without speaking, but her eyes were filled with curiosity.

The little merman pondered seriously for several seconds, his brow slightly furrowed. “I can’t return to the pearl for now, and I can’t change back into my tail either.”

Earlier, when Luo Qingyan resolutely left the bathroom, the little merman had genuinely felt a stir of emotion. So, when he later heard the sound of a glass shattering in the kitchen, he grew extremely anxious. He could sense that something was wrong with Luo Qingyan.

He tried calling out to her, attempted to communicate through bubbles, and even used water to reach her. That was when he discovered she had not only fallen to the floor but was also barely conscious.

He knew that in the human world, the right thing to do in such a situation was to call for an ambulance using a phone. Before the paramedics arrived, he could use water to open the door and then hide himself, waiting for other humans to come and help Luo Qingyan.

Yet, he did not do that. For reasons unknown to him, in that fleeting moment, he made a different choice, an irrational one.

His fishtail transformed into legs, and he walked to the kitchen to check on Luo Qingyan. Using his abilities, he detoxified most of the poison in her system, easing her discomfort.

The sudden transformation left him weak. Uncertain whether he could fully neutralize the poison, he still dialed for emergency assistance.

He also called Tao Xingyou, but only when the ambulance had arrived downstairs. He knew many details would be difficult for him to explain, so he gave a brief account, expecting that if further clarification was needed, the call would be returned and professionals could provide the answers.

After making the calls, he hid in the bedroom closet, quietly listening to the sounds outside. Only when he confirmed that Luo Qingyan had been taken away by the medical staff did he breathe a sigh of relief. Still, he wasn’t entirely at ease. Worried and physically drained, he remained in the closet until Luo Qingyan returned.

He didn’t want to deceive her. Besides, since his fishtail had already transformed into legs, he decided to tell her the truth.

…

After hearing the merman’s explanation, Luo Qingyan was momentarily at a loss for words. Her heart raced, beating heavily in her chest. Her mind went blank, yet she felt she ought to say something: “Uh… I just remember vaguely seeing someone approach and feeling someone by my side. So, it really was you. I thought… I thought I was losing my mind earlier!”

The merman had been leaning against the closet wall. He shifted slightly, unsure how to respond.

“Mermaids actually have healing abilities? That’s incredible, another power humans would envy,” Luo Qingyan said, grasping for words while trying to process everything. “That transforming a fishtail into legs must be a big deal for mermaids, right? It can’t be as simple as you make it sound.”

The merman replied, “Mm.”

“Can you tell me more?” Luo Qingyan asked cautiously. “Or is there anything I can do to help? You look so weak, how can you recover? I’m worried! Did helping me detoxify make you this weak? Ah… You already transformed your tail because of me… because you wanted to help. I feel like there’s more to this, and it’s making me uneasy.”

The merman glanced at Luo Qingyan’s eyes before looking away. He let out a soft sigh. “Every mermaid has one chance to come ashore. If they choose to, their fishtail can transform into legs, allowing them to live on land as humans.”

“I’m not sure about the specifics. There are specialized mermaids who manage these matters.”

“What about appearance after transformation? Mermaids can live for thousands of years, while humans have much shorter lifespans. You can’t just keep an ageless face forever, right? With the internet and surveillance so advanced these days, it must be hard to hide. Or do you only stay for a few years? Hey! What about household registration? In this digital age, you can’t get by without proper documentation, can you?”

Faced with a barrage of questions, the little merman didn’t panic and answered them one by one, slowly: “After we come ashore, we live out our lives as humans. Just like humans, we gradually age, and after our human identity dies, we return to the sea and revert to our mermaid form. The number of mermaids coming ashore isn’t small, it’s a continuous flow, so there are specialized organizations on land that manage and handle mermaid affairs here.”

Indeed, not only had the little merman’s tail transformed into legs, but the scales on his face had also disappeared, and his ears were now those of a normal human.

The little merman’s gaze drifted away: “Under normal circumstances, they’re gone.”

“So, there are abnormal circumstances?” Luo Qingyan seized the key point. “Are you in an abnormal situation right now?”

The little merman didn’t answer, silently confirming it.

“Why?” Luo Qingyan was genuinely curious. “Oh, right! Earlier, you used your abilities to help me detoxify. Are you… Is there some special reason? Ah! It can’t really be like what I initially said, that you got caught up in some sea god battle, accidentally got injured, came ashore, and are a prince in distress?” Luo Qingyan laughed at her own words as she spoke.

“Something like that…”

“Something like that? So, it’s true? I picked up a prince in distress?”

“Not exactly… no!” The little merman was startled by Luo Qingyan’s surprise and quickly denied it, adding an explanation. “It’s just somewhat similar… It wasn’t really a war, just… an accident… with some special circumstances…” His voice grew softer and softer, as if he wanted to explain but felt there were things he couldn’t reveal.

“Hey! If it’s hard to talk about, then don’t say it! Although I’m very curious, I… I don’t force people.” Luo Qingyan waved her hand. “But your tail has turned into legs. Does that mean you’re going to start living as a human for the rest of your life? Or, in this regard, are you also special?”

The little merman paused for a moment before nodding: “Yes, special.”

“Oh.” Luo Qingyan’s tone instantly cooled considerably. “So, once you’ve recovered, you’ll leave?”

“I could stay a bit longer.”

A hint of a smile tugged at Luo Qingyan’s lips, and she quickly spoke: “Could… That sounds like an alternative, as if you’re reluctant?”

“Do you want me to leave sooner?” the little merman instinctively retorted, then quickly explained, “You… you said you wanted to travel.”

“Do you want to stay?”

“Yes.”

Neither of them expected the conversation to take such a direct turn, so a silence fell between them.

After the silence, Luo Qingyan let out a long sigh and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Alright, you can stay if you want. But my time is running out.”

The little merman’s eyes dimmed slightly. He thought for a moment before speaking: “I… I didn’t receive any training before coming ashore, so I might seem a bit strange to humans. I… I will go for training. If you notice anything I’m doing wrong, you can tell me directly.”

“Training? What kind of training?”

“At the mermaid management organization on land. They will help me.”

“When will you go?”

“In a few days, once I’ve regained my strength and adjusted to having legs.”

“I can’t go, right?”

“No.”

“Ah…” Luo Qingyan let out another long sigh, placing her hands on either side of her to support herself on the bed and leaning back.

“I’m sorry.” The little merman sensed Luo Qingyan’s sadness and quickly apologized.

“No need to apologize, it’s not because of you.” Luo Qingyan looked at the little merman, his expression still heavy. “I suddenly remembered what happened at the hospital today and thought actually, this is a great opportunity. I’ve never known how to tell my family about my illness. It might be better to take this chance, pretend I know nothing, get a check-up, and my family will naturally find out. Ah… what a pity I didn’t think of it earlier! Hiding and hiding… it’s so exhausting…”

The little merman thought for a moment and said seriously, “Life and death are both inevitable. No matter what, we have to accept them. If you’re afraid, you can imagine that there might be a more beautiful world after death.”

“Huh?” Luo Qingyan’s mouth hung open in disbelief.

“Did I not comfort you?” The little merman sounded unsure. “I know humans fear death, but you can just avoid thinking about it. Focus on the present moment until death arrives.”

Luo Qingyan smiled wryly. “Your way of comforting is quite interesting. Thank you.”

“You’re not happy.”

“Of course not. I’m just an ordinary person, how could I be happy about dying?” Luo Qingyan’s face fell, his tone hardening. “Hey! Could you use your special ability to eliminate a few cancer cells every day and cure my cancer?”

The little merman blinked and shook his head.

“Ah… what was I thinking? I’m such a fool!” Luo Qingyan raised his voice, venting his frustration.

He looked up at the ceiling, wanting to say more to release his pent-up emotions, but he couldn’t find the words. Instead, he let out two loud shouts.

When he looked down again at the little merman, he found the other watching him quietly.

In that moment, he realized the little merman had borne the brunt of all his mood swings.

When someone falls ill, especially with a terminal disease, their psychology inevitably changes. Sentimentality, irritability, and moodiness become the norm. Even if they try to hide it for their family’s sake, some emotions inevitably leak out.

Disappointment, anxiety, disagreements, unease, sorrow, anger, resentment, arguments, none of it is avoidable. Perhaps the family says nothing to spare the patient’s feelings, but those negative emotions linger and hurt them nonetheless.

So, in a way, the little merman had helped him. By absorbing his negative emotions, he allowed Luo Qingyan to remain calm around his family, sparing him further guilt and the vicious cycle of worsening mood swings and misery.

Strangely, Luo Qingyan felt no guilt toward the little merman. After all, he had saved him, and the little merman’s sometimes non-human behavior could be irritating, so it all seemed justified.

But should he feel a little remorse?

“What can I do to make you happy?” The little merman suddenly spoke after a long silence, his tone full of sincerity.

Luo Qingyan snapped out of his thoughts, his mood suddenly lifting. He smiled faintly. “I don’t know for now. But let’s have a good meal first! We haven’t had dinner yet!”

Seeing Luo Qingyan smile, the little merman brightened. “Okay!”