The Merman I Picked Up Is Too Delicious - Chapter 34

The little merman left on the second day after contacting the land mermaid agency. Before leaving, he said he didn’t know how long it would take to return, but he would definitely come back.

Luo Qingyan accepted everything with remarkable calmness and continued to live her life peacefully afterward.

One day, two days, three days…

Subjectively, she believed the days were no different. She could easily adapt to life without the little merman. After all, before moving to Hefeng Pavilion, they hadn’t spent every day together. Even when they met, their time was never very long, and their relationship was, at best, ordinary.

She still lived with her grandmother as usual, doing what needed to be done.

Besides, he had only been gone for a few days.

But slowly, she began to feel an inexplicable emptiness in her heart.

Perhaps it was because they hadn’t been in contact.

The little merman had taken the phone she gave him, but since his departure, all communication between them had ceased. She didn’t know when he had arrived at the land mermaid agency or how he was faring there.

Logically, they should have been in touch. From the little merman’s perspective, arriving at a new place and proactively updating her to ease her worries would have been the natural thing to do. And from her side, worrying about the little merman traveling alone and reaching out to check on him would have been equally reasonable.

Yet, the little merman hadn’t contacted her, and she hadn’t contacted him either.

She didn’t know why he hadn’t reached out, but she was clear about her own reasons.

First, the little merman had told her that the land mermaid agency would pick him up at the entrance of the residential complex. The walk from home to the entrance took only a few minutes, so it was unlikely anything had gone wrong.

Second, he had gone to a secretive place. Since he had always been tight-lipped about it, she saw no need to initiate contact, as it might come across as prying, something she had no intention of doing.

Lastly, she wanted him to be the one to reach out first. This was the most important reason.

So, no matter how unaccustomed she felt, as long as he didn’t contact her, she wouldn’t make the first move.

People are like that sometimes, unreasonably stubborn.

…

Saturday was the day for their trip to the aquarium.

Getting out for a change of scenery was a good way to lift her spirits, and Luo Qingyan was quite looking forward to it.

At 9:25 a.m., the car picking up Luo Qingyan arrived five minutes earlier than expected.

“Sis, you’ve got flowers!” Tao Xingyou exclaimed as soon as Luo Qingyan got into the car. Twisting around from the passenger seat to face Luo Qingyan in the back, she added, “The bouquet on the back seat is for you. It’s not from Zhuang Zhenglang, it’s from Situ Lu. He’s so thoughtful!”

Tao Xingyou then proudly showed off her own bouquet to Luo Qingyan.

“How beautiful,” Luo Qingyan said politely, picking up the bouquet to smell it before offering Situ Lu a courteous smile. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Situ Lu replied with a smile. “While waiting at the entrance of the complex, I happened to see a flower cart passing by. The blooms looked so lovely, and I thought you might like them, so I bought some.”

“This is what you call considerate. This is what you call gentle and attentive. This is what you call high emotional intelligence,” Tao Xingyou praised Situ Lu while casting a meaningful glance at Zhuang Zhenglang. “Sigh… Why can’t my boyfriend learn a thing or two? And they’ve been childhood friends.”

Zhuang Zhenglang thought for a moment. “I’ve bought you flowers too, and more than once.”

“Is that how you compare things?” Tao Xingyou shifted the bouquet from her left arm to her right, then leaned back in her seat, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. “You need to understand the meaning behind it with your heart. This will help you in your work too!”

Zhuang Zhenglang stared ahead with a serious expression, pondered for two seconds, then gave up. “Why don’t you just tell me? Consider it teaching me!”

Tao Xingyou hugged the bouquet tightly and sighed. “I really think you’re incredibly lucky to be with me. Not only do you have a beautiful and adorable girlfriend, but you also have a life mentor who helps you improve.”

“Yes, indeed, I’m very fortunate,” Zhuang Zhenglang replied immediately. “Please teach me!”

“Actually, I already mentioned it earlier, being considerate, gentle, thoughtful, and emotionally intelligent. Situ Lu also said it just now, he bought them because he thought we’d like them. You need to create surprises! You need to touch people’s hearts!”

“I didn’t come across any flower sellers when I went out.”

“Do you think if someone says a flower cart happened to pass by, it means the cart passed right in front of you? What if it was across the street? You need to be observant and alert! And do you really believe that if you encountered a flower seller, you would take the initiative to buy flowers?”

“Probably?”

“What if it wasn’t flowers but fruit?”

“Do you want to eat fruit?”

“I’m teaching you! It’s about mindset, this is the difference in mindset, understand?”

“Oh.”

While Tao Xingyou and Zhuang Zhenglang bickered in the front seats, Luo Qingyan and Situ Lu exchanged a smile in the back.

“That’s just how he is very straightforward, says whatever’s on his mind, no beating around the bush,” Situ Lu leaned slightly toward Luo Qingyan and whispered.

“My sister is also straightforward, though she sometimes talks a bit more,” Luo Qingyan tilted his head slightly. “It’s good. Both of them speak their minds, so there’s no misunderstanding or unnecessary tension.”

The journey was lively and bustling, and they soon arrived at the aquarium.

On a weekend, the aquarium was packed with crowds. Even before entering, people could be seen everywhere, and inside, it was even more crowded.

Fortunately, Tao Xingyou had done her research beforehand and led the other three on a relatively less popular route, avoiding the largest crowds and allowing everyone to enjoy the marine scenery properly.

The aquarium had a unique environment. Walking through the narrow passageways, the ground was the only solid surface, the left, right, and upper sides were all transparent windows, with the world of fish on the other side. It felt as if they were surrounded by water and fish.

Humans rarely get to venture into the ocean, so aquariums are the easiest place for people to experience the underwater world.

The azure seawater, illuminated by light, appeared crystal clear. The surface rippled continuously, but the depths remained calm. Schools of fish swam by freely, tracing graceful arcs. The artificial scenery took on a sense of realism in the vibrant water, seeming to stretch endlessly.

The passageways where people walked were dimly lit, and the shimmering reflections from the water were clearly visible, creating a dreamy atmosphere, like flowing water dancing on the ground, moonlight falling into the night, or fireflies fluttering through the mountains. Being in such a place made one feel the vastness of nature and brought a sense of tranquility.

Seeing these diverse fish, Luo Qingyan naturally thought of the little merman. Indeed, merfolk should stay in the vast ocean, swimming freely without constraints. No matter how good the land is, it can never compare to the sea.

What is the little merman doing now? How would a merman adapt to human life? How well has he adjusted? Will he get used to life on land? He…

“Do you think there might be another world beneath the sea, one beyond human imagination?”

A voice snapped Luo Qingyan out of her thoughts. It was Situ Lu who had spoken to her. After hearing the question clearly, she glanced at him before turning her gaze back to the school of fish in the water. “Perhaps there is. After all, the ocean is so vast, with many places humans cannot reach.”

“If such a world exists, do you think it would be filled with terrifying prehistoric giants or something as fantastical as alien creatures?”

“Hmm…” Luo Qingyan drew out her response, appearing thoughtful. “Or perhaps, as you initially said, it would be something beyond human imagination.”

“Exactly! Something humans can’t even imagine. Or maybe someone has imagined it, but no one believes them, like SpongeBob and his friends.”

“Haha.” Luo Qingyan chuckled softly, instinctively raising a hand to cover her mouth and nose. “That possibility is quite adorable.”

“What are you talking about that’s so amusing?” Tao Xingyou suddenly leaned in beside Luo Qingyan, raising an eyebrow.

“Discussing whether the real underwater world might be SpongeBob and his friends,” Luo Qingyan replied immediately.

“You find that amusing too, don’t you?”

Following Tao Xingyou’s gaze, Luo Qingyan said, “It’s probably imitating the nest-building of narrow-fronted pufferfish.”

“Narrow-fronted pufferfish?” Tao Xingyou looked puzzled. “What’s that?”

“A type of small fish, about ten centimeters long. They use their bodies to gather fine sand and slowly carve out these beautiful patterns,” Luo Qingyan explained. “This is their nest, built solely by a male narrow-fronted pufferfish over about a week. After attracting a female to mate and lay eggs, the female leaves, and the male takes care of everything afterward.”

“This pattern is a nest?” Tao Xingyou stepped closer in disbelief. “How could anyone live in this? Oh, wait, not people, fish.”

“The nest is mainly for incubating the eggs. The eggs are buried in the fine sand in the center, with higher edges and a lower middle to reduce the impact of ocean currents.”

“Wow! How do you know so much, sis?”

“I…” Luo Qingyan paused. “I watch underwater documentaries! Other creatures in nature are fascinating!” She did occasionally watch animal documentaries, but this particular fact was something the little merman had told her.

Afterward, the group headed to the jellyfish exhibit.

The walkways in the jellyfish exhibit were dimly lit, making the jellyfish displays stand out more prominently.

There were many species of jellyfish, colorful yet transparent, each one resembling a delicate gauze flower blooming in the water. Their movements were incredibly graceful, especially those with long tentacles and oral arms, more dreamlike than any swirling skirt.

They were so beautiful they seemed otherworldly.

Jellyfish have no hearts, and their body structures are simple. All their actions are instinctual reactions, no joy, no sorrow. They live in a purer way, perhaps.

One could imagine that the little merman, living in the ocean, witnessed such wondrous sights every day. No wonder he could face everything about humans with such profound calmness.

“What are you thinking about?” Situ Lu’s gentle voice sounded beside her.

Luo Qingyan politely turned her head to glance at the other person before continuing to watch the drifting jellyfish. “Hmm… It’s just that I suddenly find life so miraculous. Jellyfish have such simple structures, no emotions, no thinking ability in the traditional sense, yet they’ve existed for hundreds of millions of years, truly witnessing the passage of time and transformation of the world.”

“The greatest truths are the simplest, perhaps what’s simple is truly the best.”

Luo Qingyan’s eyes trembled slightly.

The little merman had said something similar before.

“Sis, it’s about time! We can go see the whale sharks in the largest pavilion now!” Tao Xingyou’s voice carried excitement.

“Alright.” Luo Qingyan nodded, she wanted to see more marine creatures too.