The Merman I Picked Up Is Too Delicious - Chapter 33

The little merman sensed Luo Qingyan’s deep melancholy but had no idea how to comfort her. After a moment’s thought, he asked softly, “Do you really like snow?”

Luo Qingyan, who had been lost in sorrow, couldn’t help but laugh at the seemingly off-topic question. Strangely enough, her sadness eased a little after laughing. “Yes, I love snow. I grew up in the south, where heavy snowfall was rare. Later, when I went to university in the north, I loved watching the snow every winter, the flakes drifting from the sky, the thick blankets of snow on the ground, it was all so beautiful.”

“Then why not go to the north to see the snow?”

“My current health is better suited to warmer places.”

“What if you recover from your illness?”

“Unless I form a contract with you, there’s no chance of a sudden recovery.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Really?” Luo Qingyan was taken aback for a moment before a smile tugged at her lips. “How exactly will you do your best?”

“I…” The little merman faltered, unsure how to explain such a thing.

“It’s alright. Just hearing you say that is enough!” Luo Qingyan turned her attention to the ice cream. “Let’s eat the ice cream. Even though it’s not a hot day, it’ll still melt.”

After that, the two finished their ice cream in silence and continued strolling through the park.

However, after a while, Luo Qingyan began to feel increasingly cold and suggested they head to a shopping mall. There was a nice dessert shop in a nearby mall where they could warm up with something hot.

The little merman naturally deferred to Luo Qingyan, and they immediately changed their plans.

This time, Luo Qingyan watched as the little merman used a ride-hailing app on his phone. She had taught him how to use it just the day before, and he had already become quite adept with the device, so the process went smoothly.

He even handled the communication with the driver. Watching someone else do it was one thing, but doing it himself was another, it was important for him to try it out. The driver was an older woman who didn’t ask too many questions or stare, which put them at ease.

Although the ride went smoothly, their troubles began as soon as they got out of the car.

Luo Qingyan knew of an elevator lobby in the mall that was tucked away in a remote corner, far from the main entrances and usually deserted. She led the little merman straight there.

Even though they had entered the mall through the entrance closest to that elevator, they still had to walk some distance. No matter how few people were in the mall, it was impossible to go completely unnoticed.

Passersby couldn’t help but glance their way, some even stopping to look back, while others whispered and pulled out their phones to take pictures.

The little merman’s striking physique and hair color, combined with his attempts to stay inconspicuous, made people suspect he was a celebrity. But there was no helping it, if he didn’t try to hide, his long silver hair would attract even more attention.

Luo Qingyan instructed him to pull his bucket hat as low as possible. She walked on the outer side, closer to the crowd, doing her best to shield him while quickening their pace.

There was no way to stop people from staring, but at least they made it to the elevator lobby without incident.

When they arrived, Luo Qingyan felt relieved that her choice had been correct, the elevator was indeed empty. But as soon as they stepped inside, her relief turned to regret.

The moment the elevator doors closed, Luo Qingyan staggered a few steps, and the little merman quickly reached out to steady her.

“I’m fine,” she said, though her head felt dizzy. She waved her hand dismissively. “Press the button for the dessert shop. It’s on the top floor.”

“You don’t look well,” the little merman said, pressing the door-close button but hesitating to select the floor. “Do you need to go home and rest?”

“It’s alright, we can rest at the dessert shop instead.” Luo Qingyan leaned against the elevator wall. “I might have caught a chill earlier in the park, and then rushing here made me a bit dizzy. I just need to sit for a while.”

Since Luo Qingyan said so, the little merman pressed the floor button.

The elevator began its slow ascent.

Unexpectedly, just a few seconds into the ascent, the entire elevator suddenly shook violently before coming to a complete stop.

Luo Qingyan realized the elevator had malfunctioned, but the abrupt jolt during operation was genuinely frightening. Already feeling dizzy, she nearly lost her balance.

The little merman steadied Luo Qingyan once more, sensing the fear in the person he held. Though he didn’t fully understand elevators, he knew it was dangerous for the metal box enclosing them to be suspended mid-air. He quickly tried to think of a solution. “Don’t be afraid. I can pry the elevator doors open.”

“Don’t act recklessly!” Luo Qingyan grabbed the little merman’s arm, but her anxiety worsened her physical discomfort, making her voice unusually weak. “Press the alarm button. Someone will come to rescue us.”

Since taking the elevator was a daily necessity, Luo Qingyan had previously explained safety precautions to the little merman, and he had also researched the topic online. He knew about the alarm button but was only familiar with theoretical knowledge.

“How long will it take for them to arrive?” the little merman asked as he pressed the button. “You’re not feeling well at all.”

“Let’s wait. It shouldn’t take too long.”

“The button isn’t working!” the little merman exclaimed anxiously.

Luo Qingyan glanced up at the control panel. “Maybe just the intercom and alarm system are broken. The alarm button is still lit, so let’s wait. Don’t do anything rash. If the elevator is stuck between floors, forcing the doors open could make things worse.”

Seeing Luo Qingyan’s pale face, the little merman frowned worriedly. He lowered his voice and said, “I can sense the situation outside. The elevator isn’t stuck between floors. I can pretend to pry the doors open with my hands while actually using water to force them. I know elevator doors can be pried open.”

“Don’t act recklessly. Just wait quietly!” Luo Qingyan, already uncomfortable from speaking too much, grew increasingly frustrated as the little merman ignored her instructions. Her discomfort and worry made her snap angrily.

The little merman immediately deflated. “Alright.”

However, after waiting for a while, there was still no sign of movement outside. This was definitely abnormal, most likely, the alarm system was completely broken, and no one had noticed the elevator malfunction.

“Try calling for help, though there might be no signal,” Luo Qingyan suggested. In the cramped, enclosed space, her dizziness hadn’t subsided. Though she didn’t think it was a serious issue, she didn’t dare act impulsively. She couldn’t afford to worsen her condition, if she fainted or lost consciousness, the little merman would have to handle everything alone, and that was unacceptable. It was safer to let him take charge for now.

“If the call doesn’t go through, press the…”

Before Luo Qingyan could finish her sentence, the elevator lights suddenly went out, plunging them into complete darkness. Already struggling with one crisis, the sudden onset of another made it hard to maintain composure, and she couldn’t help but let out a startled cry.

However, it was that scream filled with fear that made the little merman boy stop overthinking. He immediately walked to the elevator door, pretending to pry it open with his hands while secretly manipulating moisture to force the door open.

Worried, he didn’t want to drag out the act for too long. In about ten seconds, he managed to open the elevator door. He then turned around to carry Luo Qingyan out of the elevator as quickly as possible.

Luo Qingyan’s first reaction upon seeing the light from outside the elevator was, of course, relief, she was finally saved. But then she realized that the person inside had opened the elevator door, and worry instantly washed over her again. Now, not only did she have to deal with the aftermath of getting out, but she also needed to contact the mall management afterward to ensure that no surveillance footage was leaked and no information related to the little merman boy was disclosed.

The little merman boy currently had no household registration, so it was crucial to keep him out of the public eye. Dealing with such an accident in a public place made protecting him particularly challenging, as too many details had to be considered.

Of course, accidents were just accidents, no one could have predicted this, and there was no one to blame. Besides, the little merman boy had acted out of concern for her.

Fortunately, everything turned out fine in the end, with neither of them harmed. The only people who noticed them afterward were the mall’s cleaning staff, making the follow-up relatively straightforward to handle.

…

After resting for a while in the staff lounge, Luo Qingyan felt much better. The first thing she did upon recovering was to ask the little merman boy to leave and go home, assuring him that she could handle the rest alone.

She knew that if she were still unwell, even if she got angry, the little merman boy wouldn’t leave. That’s why she waited until she had fully recovered before speaking up. Yet, to her surprise, he was still unwilling to go.

“I’ve already explained it to you, you don’t have a household registration, so the fewer people who see you, the better!” Luo Qingyan’s tone carried a hint of anger. “Later, I still need to deal with the mall’s surveillance footage. Although opening the elevator door might seem justifiable on the surface, there’s no telling if some nosy person might make an issue out of it. We must take precautions.”

The little merman boy lowered his head slightly, a look of guilt on his face. “Then, can I wait here for you?”

“No!” Luo Qingyan said firmly. “Mall management isn’t someone you can just meet on a whim, who knows how long the discussions will take? Besides, the later it gets, the more crowded the mall becomes. You saw how much attention you attracted when we came today. We really can’t afford any more accidents. You’ve always been hiding! Why is it that now, of all times…”

The little merman boy still wanted to insist on staying, but he understood that his presence would only cause more trouble, so he hesitated.

“The biggest help you can give me is to go home safely!” Luo Qingyan continued, appealing to both his emotions and reason. “To be honest, I’m also worried about you going home alone, but I believe in you, I know you can do it. Please!”

The little merman boy could sense that staying would only make things harder for Luo Qingyan. He didn’t want to upset her further, so he nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll make it home safely.”

After that, the two parted ways.

While Luo Qingyan was handling matters at the mall, the little merman boy successfully made his way home alone.

He sent Luo Qingyan a photo confirming his arrival, which instantly put her mind at ease. Feeling relieved, she found the subsequent tasks somewhat easier to manage.

By the time she finished handling everything, it was already late. She hurried home but ended up stuck in the evening rush hour traffic. It wasn’t until after 7 p.m. that she finally arrived back home.

The evening had grown late, and the house was dimly lit, with only the bathroom area illuminated.

The atmosphere felt off.

After all, something unpleasant had happened earlier that day, a jumble of annoyances that had inevitably soured the mood. It would take time to ease the tension.

The little merman was quietly staying in the bathroom. The water in the bathtub hadn’t been drained. Being a merman, he still felt a deep attachment to water. Even though his tail had transformed into legs, he would occasionally sit by the tub and let his hands drift through the water, just as he was doing now.

Luo Qingyan had intended to go into the bathroom to talk to him, but her phone rang, it was Tao Xingyou. She stepped into the living room to take the call.

“Hey, sis, have you had dinner yet?” Tao Xingyou’s sweet voice came through as soon as the call connected.

“Not yet, I’ll eat soon,” Luo Qingyan replied, feeling a bit tired as she settled onto the sofa.

Tao Xingyou continued, “Alright, I’ll keep it short. We’ve made plans to go to the aquarium this weekend, is that okay? They have this huge viewing window where you can see whale sharks, it’s absolutely breathtaking and dreamy!”

A couple of days ago, Tao Xingyou and Zhuang Zhenglang had officially become a couple, and they wanted to invite Luo Qingyan and Situ Lu, who had accompanied them on their blind date, to spend a day out together. At first, they hadn’t decided where to go, but after brainstorming ideas, Luo Qingyan, who didn’t mind either way, left the decision to Tao Xingyou and the others.

Luo Qingyan agreed, “Sure, no problem.”

Tao Xingyou said, “Great! We’ll pick up Situ Lu first on Saturday morning, then come get you around 9:30 so you can rest a bit longer. Oh, you’re at Grandma’s place, right?”

Luo Qingyan had previously hinted to her cousin and aunt that she might move back to Hefeng Pavilion. It was better to give them a heads-up rather than suddenly relocating, which would seem odd.

Luo Qingyan confirmed, “Yes, at Grandma’s.”

Tao Xingyou replied cheerfully, “Okay then! That’s settled. Hurry up and have your dinner, sis. You always remind me to eat on time, so don’t forget yourself!”

Luo Qingyan smiled faintly, “Alright, something came up today, but I’ll eat right away.”

Tao Xingyou said, “Okay, I won’t keep you from your meal then. Bye!”

Luo Qingyan: “Bye!”

After hanging up, Luo Qingyan immediately headed to the bathroom.

“It’s getting late. Let’s keep dinner simple tonight, I’ll make us some noodles,” she said, standing at the bathroom doorway without entering. She thought sharing a meal might help lighten the mood, so she decided to address other matters afterward.

“Are you going out with… them?” the little merman suddenly asked.

Sensing the complexity in his tone, not just sadness but something more, Luo Qingyan chose her words carefully and simply nodded, “Yes.”

The little merman’s eyes dimmed slightly. After a moment of silence, he withdrew his hand from the water and rested it on the edge of the bathtub. “I… I’ll contact the merfolk’s land-based organization as soon as possible. I’ll go there and make sure not to cause you any trouble.”

In an instant, Luo Qingyan felt a tightness in her chest, overwhelmed by a wave of sorrow. She thought for a while before finally sighing, “I’m sorry. I don’t have the ability to handle all kinds of unexpected situations, so, yes, you’d be better off with help from your own kind.”

“I’m the one who should apologize. I…” The little merman had so much he wanted to say but didn’t know how to express it. In the end, he also let out a soft sigh. “I’ll contact them tonight.”