The Merman I Picked Up Is Too Delicious - Chapter 35

Tao Xingyou had done her research and decided to visit the whale sharks during lunchtime when most visitors would be away eating. This way, they could secure the best viewing spots with fewer people around.

Having snacked earlier before entering the aquarium, the group didn’t mind postponing lunch.

As they stepped into the largest exhibition hall, the sight of the massive viewing window left them breathless. With fewer visitors, the open space offered an unobstructed and comfortable view. The other three couldn’t help but feel grateful to Tao Xingyou for her thoughtful planning.

The enormous viewing window seemed to slice open a corner of the ocean, offering a fleeting glimpse into its depths for the tiny land-dwelling humans.

The rays, with their large bodies and habit of gliding close to the window, were particularly eye-catching. Their flat, disc-like forms moved like fluttering skirts. When several swam together, they resembled fabric decorations swaying in the water.

Though few in number, the sharks moved slowly and deliberately, never rushing about. Yet, their formidable reputation made even their leisurely passage captivating and slightly intimidating.

The most abundant were the schools of small fish. Some darted swiftly in long, streamlined formations; others clustered together, drifting in gentle, pulsating masses; and some trailed behind larger fish like tiny tails. They were everywhere, free-spirited, vibrant, and dazzling.

But the true showstopper was the colossal whale shark, the largest fish in the world, stretching over ten meters long. Its horizontal stripes and spots resembled patterns on ancient rocks, evoking a sense of timelessness. In comparison, humans seemed as insignificant as leaves beside an ancient tree.

The swirling schools of fish were a feast for the eyes.

Standing before the giant window, Luo Qingyan gasped in awe. Yet, in an instant, a wave of sorrow washed over her, engulfing her small frame.

This vast aquarium was but a minuscule fragment of the real ocean. These creatures, which should have roamed the boundless seas, were now confined to this limited space.

Especially the whale shark, its immense size made the enclosure feel like a football field to a human. Even with ample food and care, such confinement must be suffocating.

She understood that humanity, as the dominant species, often acted against the laws of nature. But understanding didn’t ease the sadness she felt at that moment.

Helplessness, frustration, loneliness, desolation…

It was overwhelming.

“I took a silhouette of you. If you don’t like it, I can delete it.” Situ Lu suddenly held out his phone to Luo Qingyan. “I was photographing the scenery, but the moment you looked up was so beautiful, I couldn’t resist capturing it.”

In that instant, Luo Qingyan felt as if she had been pulled from the ocean back to solid ground. She studied the photo on the screen, a silhouette, with blue enveloping black, strikingly beautiful. “Mm, it’s really lovely.”

“Sis! How come you haven’t taken any photos?” Tao Xingyou, an avid photographer, had been snapping pictures in every hall, with Zhuang Zhenglang naturally serving as her dedicated photographer.

“I already have one beautiful photo.” Luo Qingyan generously showed Tao Xingyou the picture Situ Lu had taken.

“Wow! Even a silhouette can look this stunning!” Tao Xingyou’s voice was filled with envy.

“I was just capturing the scenery, but the moment she looked up was like a painting, so I took the shot,” Situ Lu explained calmly.

“Could you please take some photos of me and Zhenglang?” Tao Xingyou smiled, “We were afraid of disturbing you while you were watching the fish earlier, so we only took selfies. We’d like some nicer photos together.”

“Of course,” Situ Lu nodded. “Whose phone should we use?”

“Use mine!” Tao Xingyou cheerfully handed over her phone and pulled Zhuang Zhenglang closer to pose for the photos.

Watching her cousin and her boyfriend happily taking pictures, Luo Qingyan felt a sense of calm. She shifted her attention from the fish in the water to the people, keeping her eyes on the trio as they took photos.

After a while, Tao Xingyou and Zhuang Zhenglang finished taking their photos, looking delighted. Then, Tao Xingyou waved at Luo Qingyan and asked, “Sis, do you want to take some photos too?”

“I’m fine, you two go ahead,” Luo Qingyan waved her hand dismissively.

“I don’t need any either,” Situ Lu returned the phone to Tao Xingyou. “Take a look and see if the photos are okay. If not, we can adjust and retake them.”

Tao Xingyou took the phone and exclaimed, “They look great! Let’s go have lunch now, I’m getting a bit hungry.”

“Sure,” the other three chimed in agreement.

With that, the group headed to the restaurant for lunch.

…

It was already past 1 p.m., and the lunch crowd had thinned out. The four of them sat down, ordered their food, and the dishes arrived shortly after. Although they had snacked earlier, they had spent the entire morning exploring and were all hungry, so they ate quietly.

Tao Xingyou started eating slowly but gradually picked up speed. When she took a sip of tea, she drank too hastily and ended up coughing a few times.

“Slow down,” Zhuang Zhenglang quickly handed her a tissue. “No need to rush, we’re not in a hurry.”

“Mermaids?” Luo Qingyan looked up in surprise, her eyes widening. For a moment, an image flashed through her mind of a little merman being forced to work at the aquarium.

“See! My sister wants to watch the mermaid show too,” Tao Xingyou said, tilting her chin toward Zhuang Zhenglang. “We need to hurry.”

“You both like mermaids? Is it because of fairy tales?” Zhuang Zhenglang took a sip of water. “The mermaids here aren’t real, you know.”

“Then why don’t you find a real one?” Tao Xingyou shot him a disdainful look. “The mermaids here are amazing, the performers are super professional, their tails are beautiful and realistic, custom-made, and I heard they cost tens of thousands! Some people even come here specifically for the mermaid show!”

“Alright then, I’ll eat faster,” Zhuang Zhenglang put down his cup and focused on his meal.

“Beautiful mermaid sisters, with their gorgeous tails gliding through the water, don’t you like that?” Tao Xingyou blinked at the two men, then leaned over and nudged Luo Qingyan with her shoulder. “There are mermaid brothers too!”

“There are male mermaids?” Zhuang Zhenglang looked up, surprised.

Tao Xingyou gave him another disdainful look. “How do you think mermaids reproduce? By drinking water like in the Kingdom of Women?”

“Aren’t mermaids from fairy tales? Do we really need to think about reproduction?” Zhuang Zhenglang replied seriously.

“The Little Mermaid in the fairy tale had a father! She was a princess, and her dad was the king, so doesn’t that mean there are male mermaids?”

“Oh, I think I mixed up mermaids with the Sea King.”

“Let’s not get sidetracked. You’ll see how amazing it is once we go! It’s really hard for the performers to swim in those super heavy tails and perform all kinds of movements. They’re incredibly skilled and look so lifelike in the water.”

“Alright, I’ll eat quickly.”

“There’s no need to rush that much. Let’s just go as quickly as we can, and everyone be careful not to choke.”

Luo Qingyan and Situ Lu were already accustomed to listening to the other two banter back and forth—it was especially endearing. They simply nodded along from the side.

After lunch, the four of them hurried to the mermaid performance venue as fast as they could.

The show hadn’t started yet, but as Tao Xingyou had mentioned, the place was packed. The front rows were already full, everyone was very enthusiastic about these fantastical creatures, mermaids.

Fortunately, the venue was spacious, and the viewing window for the performance was large enough that even those in the back could see clearly.

Just as the four of them found their spots, the mermaid performance began.

Accompanied by melodious music, two mermaids descended from the water’s surface, one with a pink-and-white tail, the other with a yellow-and-green tail. The performers were skilled at controlling their movements, swimming with graceful postures. They could even dance underwater and blow bubbles, truly resembling fish.

Gasps of amazement rose from the audience again and again.

“Hmm, it’s already quite realistic,” Luo Qingyan nodded slightly. “It’s just that the waist connection looks a bit abrupt. They should distribute some scales there to make it more natural.”

“Don’t set your standards so high! What you’re talking about is special effects makeup, it takes hours to achieve. Only big-budget movies have the resources for that, and it wouldn’t be practical for underwater performances anyway.”

“Right, we can’t demand that much. Human movement underwater is limited. A real mermaid’s tail would be seamless, a single continuous form, without joints like human legs.”

“Sis, you talk as if you’ve seen a real mermaid before.”

Luo Qingyan flustered for a moment. “Hah! I can imagine it, though. There are plenty of fish tails to use as references. And look, the performers try not to bend their knees while swimming, and they make their feet and tail fins connect as naturally as possible.”

“You know so much about this. I feel like I’m just here for the spectacle,” Tao Xingyou sighed sincerely, then suddenly her eyes lit up. “Hey! The male mermaid is here!”

“You really like the male mermaid,” Zhuang Zhenglang’s voice chimed in from the side.

The male mermaid in the water had long, light golden hair and a blue-and-white tail. Fins were attached to his arms, and he swam with a powerful presence.

Watching the male mermaid, Luo Qingyan couldn’t help but think of the little merman. If it were the little merman, he would surely swim even more naturally. She suddenly felt a strong desire to see the little merman swimming in the water.

“Sis,” Tao Xingyou leaned in close, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I heard mermaids have two, just like snakes.”

Luo Qingyan took a moment to process this, then her eyes widened in shock, her voice barely escaping through gritted teeth. “What are you saying in public?!”

“I just thought of it suddenly…”

“This is a public place.”

“I kept my voice low, no one else heard. Don’t you think that’s an interesting detail?”

“That’s just human imagination. Stop talking nonsense, you silly girl.”

“Okay.” Tao Xingyou shifted her attention back to the mermaid performance, but then she spoke up again. “Sis, do you think mermaids smell fishy?”

“No, they’re perfectly clean!” Luo Qingyan blurted out.

“Are you just brushing me off?” In Tao Xingyou’s eyes, such a quick and definitive answer felt dismissive. She straightened up. “Never mind, let’s just watch the show!”

Luo Qingyan shook her head slightly, telling herself inwardly not to overthink anything and to focus on enjoying the performance.

After the mermaid performance, Luo Qingyan felt unsettled and troubled inside. The rest of the outing passed in a bit of a daze, but fortunately, it concluded smoothly.

Back home, Luo Qingyan chatted with her grandmother about her day out. Although Tao Xingyou and Zhuang Zhenglang hadn’t reached the stage of meeting family yet, her grandmother was naturally curious. So, Luo Qingyan reassured her indirectly with a few words.

Understanding that Luo Qingyan must be tired after a day out, her grandmother only chatted briefly before urging her to rest early.

Luo Qingyan was indeed exhausted and headed to her room. As she climbed the stairs, she suddenly received a WeChat message from Tao Xingyou.

Tao Xingyou: “Sis, Situ Lu asked Zhuang Zhenglang to sound me out about your relationship status. He’s definitely interested in you, what do you think?”

Tao Xingyou: “I think Situ Lu is pretty great. Even though he’s younger than you, he’s mature-minded! And he’s got a lot going for him in other ways too.”

Tao Xingyou: “Of course, it’s totally up to you. If you think you’d like to get to know him better, I can keep my reply vague. If you’re not interested at all, I can help you turn him down directly.”

Luo Qingyan waited until she was back in her room to reply to Tao Xingyou. But just as she typed out, “I’m not interested in that,” she suddenly received another message.

“Did you have fun today?” It was from the little merman.

Given her current physical condition, Luo Qingyan wouldn’t accept anyone’s romantic interest, unless it was a certain special fish.

A slight smile touched her lips as she first finished replying to Tao Xingyou: “I’m not interested. I already like someone.”

Then, she prepared to reply to the little merman, but Tao Xingyou called.

She knew Tao Xingyou must be shocked and eager for gossip. No problem, she could spare a moment for that first!