The Merman I Picked Up Is Too Delicious - Chapter 37

Luo Qingyan knew today was bound to be turbulent. Since Fang Tang and Huo Bowen had already stirred up conflict, she might as well seize the opportunity to resolve the matter once and for all, sparing herself future troubles.

But she wouldn’t meet Fang Tang alone for a chat, Liu Yimiao had to be present, and the more people, the better. As an innocent party caught in the crossfire, she had nothing to fear. If things had to escalate before being settled, so be it.

The three of them went to a lounge.

Luo Qingyan’s expression was unreadable, Liu Yimiao looked worried, and Fang Tang appeared deeply melancholic.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” Luo Qingyan got straight to the point, her gaze fixed on Fang Tang.

Fang Tang, still lost in her sorrow, was caught off guard by the question. She paused briefly before putting on an expression of profound grievance.

“Hey, let’s take it slow,” Liu Yimiao quickly interjected, trying to ease the tension.

“Is this about Huo Bowen? Something from today or before?” Luo Qingyan turned to Liu Yimiao, her tone anything but gentle.

“Um… yes,” Liu Yimiao replied, glancing awkwardly at Fang Tang. “Let’s take it step by step.”

“Then you go first. Tell her what you told me before dinner, the details others are aware of.” Luo Qingyan directed this at Liu Yimiao. She refused to be passive or waste time on emotional venting that solved nothing. By taking charge, she ensured the conversation stayed on track.

Liu Yimiao hadn’t expected this. She subtly signaled Luo Qingyan with her eyes, but Luo Qingyan responded with a look that said, “It’s fine.” Reluctantly, Liu Yimiao began speaking. This time, however, she rephrased some parts and adjusted her descriptions, but in the end, she managed to convey the situation clearly.

Noticing Fang Tang furrow her brows, Luo Qingyan immediately asked, “What she said doesn’t match my experience. What about you?”

Fang Tang lowered her gaze to the floor, interlacing her fingers over her abdomen, slowly twisting them. “Some parts are accurate, but, some aren’t.”

“Are you going to share your version of the truth?” Luo Qingyan pressed.

Fang Tang didn’t respond, continuing to stare at the ground.

“Should I go first, then you?”

Still, Fang Tang remained silent.

“Then I’ll share my side of the story first, and you’ll follow. Is that acceptable?” Luo Qingyan’s tone sharpened. She needed a definite agreement to prevent any unexpected deviations later.

Fang Tang glanced up at Luo Qingyan. “Fine.”

With confirmation, Luo Qingyan began: “My experience is straightforward. The teacher asked me to perform ballet for the cultural festival, then later mentioned that a solo might seem too plain, so Huo Bowen and I were paired up, he on piano, me dancing. Beyond rehearsals, I had no other interactions with him.”

“If this involves Fang Tang, it’s only because I accidentally witnessed her confessing to Huo Bowen. But that’s between the two of you, it has nothing to do with me. I didn’t eavesdrop on purpose, and I had no interest in spreading it. I never mentioned it to anyone.”

“Huo Bowen expressed interest in me. To avoid a blunt rejection, I told him I wouldn’t date in high school. I don’t know if that caused a misunderstanding, but I made it clear I have no romantic feelings for him.”

“Didn’t you confess to him?” Fang Tang suddenly burst out, her voice agitated.

“Confession? When? Who said that?” Luo Qingyan’s eyes sharpened. “How come I didn’t know about it? There’s no such thing.”

“Huo Bowen told me!” Fang Tang was visibly angry. “He said that after I, after you saw me confessing, you were afraid I’d steal him away, so you confessed to him yourself. You cut in halfway to snatch him!”

“I’ve never confessed to him. What do you mean, cutting in halfway to snatch him? I’m not even close to him.” Luo Qingyan felt utterly baffled. “Please don’t get worked up. Can you tell me your side of the story, the truth as you experienced it?”

“The truth is, I confessed to him and he said he needed time to think it over. But you knew I liked him, and right after I confessed, while he was still thinking, you suddenly confessed to him!” Fang Tang was still agitated. “You took advantage of the time you spent rehearsing together, all those moments alone, so… so…”

Luo Qingyan was full of helplessness. She waited quietly for Fang Tang to finish before speaking. “So what? I never confessed to him. I’ve never had the kind of feelings for him that you’re talking about.”

“Are you denying what happened back then just to save face now?”

“Let’s bring Huo Bowen here and confront him face to face.” Luo Qingyan laughed in exasperation, almost curious about what Huo Bowen would say.

“Fine, let’s bring him! Everything I said is the truth!”

“Don’t argue, don’t argue, let’s all calm down.” Liu Yimiao, sensing the situation was getting out of hand, quickly tried to soothe them. “Fang Tang, think about it. Everyone says Huo Bowen likes Luo Qingyan. If Luo Qingyan really confessed to him, shouldn’t they be together? But they’re not, so there must be some misunderstanding.”

“Huo Bowen only had a slight crush on her, not enough to start a relationship!” Fang Tang glared angrily at Luo Qingyan. “And it was because she made the first move that, afterward, she didn’t even cherish him and broke his heart!”

“I’m truly suffering for no reason.” Luo Qingyan sighed but remained relatively calm. “Why don’t we call the other classmates? Surely someone knows something about the truth and can act as a witness. For instance, who spread these rumors to the others? I’ve never said anything to anyone. Since everyone’s here today, let’s clear things up.”

“Is it really necessary to call everyone?” Liu Yimiao worried. “Today is Fan Shuxin’s wedding. If everyone suddenly gets caught up in this, it won’t look good.”

“If we can resolve the misunderstanding from back then, it would be a happy occasion.” Luo Qingyan tilted her head slightly. “But if you all think it’s inappropriate, then let’s just find Huo Bowen. In any case, we have to get to the bottom of this.”

“Exactly, clearing up the old misunderstanding would be a good thing!” Liu Yimiao said, reaching for her phone. “How about I ask Fan Shuxin? This is her event, after all. Let’s see what she thinks.”

Before Liu Yimiao could dial, a knock suddenly sounded at the door. She immediately stopped and called out as she walked toward the door, “Who is it?”

“It’s me.” Huo Bowen’s voice came from outside.

What a coincidence!

Liu Yimiao promptly opened the door and found Huo Bowen standing there with two other classmates, one male and one female. She immediately waved them in. “Perfect, everyone come in. Today, we’re going to clear up the misunderstanding between the three of them from back then.”

Then, Liu Yimiao proceeded to recount the situation to everyone.

This was requested by Luo Qingyan, because firstly, Fang Tang was too agitated to speak properly, and secondly, Liu Yimiao was an outsider, less emotionally involved and relatively objective.

After the explanation, everyone turned their gaze to Huo Bowen.

Meeting their eyes, Huo Bowen slightly raised his chin. “I never said Luo Qingyan confessed to me. It’s just that she might have had a little, affection for me. But since we were still in high school back then, we had to focus on our studies, so… well…”

“You did say she confessed to you, that she really enjoyed being alone with you.”

“When did I ever say I liked you? I was just trying to let you down gently.”

Fang Tang and Luo Qingyan spoke at the same time.

Huo Bowen looked at both of them, his brows furrowed tightly. “I’m sure I never mentioned a confession. It was more like an unspoken understanding. And what I meant was that when she and I rehearsed together, we both felt very comfortable.”

“That was your feeling. I was just rehearsing, just completing the task assigned by the teacher,” Luo Qingyan interjected. “If my refusal back then was too subtle and led to misunderstandings, then, well, it’s not my fault. It was just a misunderstanding. At least now, it’s cleared up.”

“Are you embarrassed now? That wasn’t your reaction back then,” Huo Bowen said, his eyes filled with sorrow.

“Have you always been this narcissistic?” Luo Qingyan rolled her eyes. “Wait, I want to ask a very important question. Logically, this matter should only involve the three of us, right? So, who spread it and let the whole class know? I definitely never told anyone. I always thought it was because I caught Fang Tang confessing to Huo Bowen, and they felt awkward about it. High school students are still in that awkward phase, so everyone assumed. But now it seems that’s not the case!”

“Wasn’t it you who spread it?” Fang Tang asked, confused and angry. “You did it to embarrass me and steal Huo Bowen!”

“He’s not some prize money, why would I want to ‘steal’ him? So, you didn’t spread it either? If you didn’t, then there’s only one person left.” Luo Qingyan turned to Huo Bowen. “I can guarantee I never told anyone. You can ask any of our classmates.”

“Of course I didn’t say anything!” Fang Tang turned her face away, biting her lip. “Why would I spread something like that?”

“I… I didn’t say it directly either. I, only confided in a few close friends about my personal troubles. I can assure you, I never mentioned either of you,” Huo Bowen said, his tone full of helplessness and sorrow. “Maybe, someone guessed, or maybe there was a misunderstanding. That part is my fault, but I swear I never said anything bad about either of you. I only talked about my own troubles. I never expected someone to spread it!”

“So, it was you who leaked it!” Luo Qingyan’s tone was icy. She was being this direct to make everyone realize Huo Bowen’s words couldn’t be trusted, but at the same time, she tried to be a bit more magnanimous. “Of course, the main issue is that the story got twisted, leading to misunderstandings. It’s not really anyone’s fault, people interpret things differently. No wonder reading comprehension has been a part of language exams from elementary school all the way to high school.”

“Hahaha, exactly, it’s all a misunderstanding,” Liu Yimiao quickly chimed in with a laugh. “No one did it on purpose. It was just a series of misunderstandings. Now that it’s cleared up, everything should be fine!”

“Then what was the meaning of that last gathering?” Fang Tang first glanced at Huo Bowen, then at Luo Qingyan. “He said he talked with you, you two… you two… Now he’s clearly pursuing me, so there can’t be anything else, right?”

“I’m only pursuing you, and we haven’t officially confirmed our relationship,” Huo Bowen suddenly interjected. “You’ve never given me a clear response. If I decide to stop pursuing you, that’s acceptable, isn’t it?”

“Huo Bowen, what do you mean by that! How have I not given you a response? You…” Fang Tang’s eyes instantly reddened with anger. After saying a few more words, she couldn’t hold back her tears and ran off, covering her mouth.

“Go after her, quick!” Liu Yimiao immediately pushed Huo Bowen. “Didn’t you say you were pursuing her? We finally cleared up the misunderstanding, don’t mess it up again.”

Huo Bowen looked at Luo Qingyan.

“Why are you looking at me? This is between the two of you. Please don’t drag me into it again,” Luo Qingyan said, turning to the other three. “I’m counting on everyone to spread the correct version this time. Let’s make sure there are no more misunderstandings.”

“Oh, come on! Luo Qingyan isn’t interested in you! Stop being so self-absorbed!” Liu Yimiao gave Huo Bowen another push. “If you’re not going after Fang Tang, we will, okay?”

Huo Bowen wrinkled his nose, then turned and hurried after Fang Tang.

“What a mess this is!” Liu Yimiao exclaimed, throwing his head back in exasperation.

“Huo Bowen insisted on coming to clarify things with you all, and I guess it’s settled now,” another female student chimed in, glancing at the open door. “From here on, it’s between the two of them.”

“It’s good that the misunderstanding is cleared up. Bowen never meant for things to turn out like this,” a male student added with a forced smile.

“Enough of this gloomy talk! The after-party is about to start. Let’s go have some fun!” Liu Yimiao tugged Luo Qingyan toward the door. “My dear, you’ve suffered enough. I’ll make sure everyone knows the truth. Cheer up!”

“Thank you,” Luo Qingyan sighed. “This is so frustrating. I almost feel like going home.”

“Don’t! If you go home now, you’ll just feel worse. Let’s go dance, have a drink, and lift our spirits before heading back!”

“You’re right,” Luo Qingyan replied, though her complaint was just offhand. Of course, she couldn’t leave, what if rumors started flying again?

Dancing, she loved dancing. Dancing always made her feel better.