The Merman I Picked Up Is Too Delicious - Chapter 4

Luo Qingyan was ill, cancer, with a very slim chance of recovery.

She had witnessed many people pass away from illness, relatives, friends, colleagues, each suffering unbearably, stripped of dignity. Even the strongest individuals would break down and weep; even the most optimistic would plead for death.

Death was an unstoppable cataclysm, inescapable.

While bravely fighting illness was admirable, everyone had the right to their own choices.

What joy was there in life? Birth and death were both part of existence.

She didn’t want to endure undignified suffering for that tiny chance of survival. Since she was ill, pain before death was inevitable. She would rather freely savor her remaining days, endure the suffering, and then face death.

Hadn’t there been cases where people diagnosed with cancer let go of everything to live joyfully, only to have the cancer vanish?

She tried to face death calmly while holding onto a sliver of hope for a miracle.

That was why, when an extraordinary little merman appeared before her, aside from shock and fear, a faint thrill stirred within her. She wanted to believe in the unbelievable; she needed the unbelievable to exist. She needed something extraordinary to ripple through the stagnant waters of her life and breathe vitality into it.

Now, this little merman she had just met a day ago was asking if she was sick. She keenly felt his otherworldliness, and her hope for a miracle surged.

But she didn’t let her guard down. She didn’t want to face disappointment, hope ignited and then extinguished was terrifying. Suppressing her excitement, she leaned slightly to the right, resting her arm on the chair’s armrest, feigning nonchalance: “Yes, I’m sick.” A very serious illness, incurable. I’m dying. You mermaids are so miraculous, do you have a way to cure it?”

The little merman placed his hands on the edge of the bathtub, his upper body still, but his tail fin twitched slightly. He lowered his gaze in thought for a moment, then looked up, his eyes filled with complex emotions. “There is a way, but it cannot be forced.”

“There’s a way?” Luo Qingyan raised an eyebrow, yet she dared not believe it, once again restraining her excitement. “Do you understand how far human medicine has advanced? I have cancer, it’s currently incurable in medicine.”

“If you brought antibiotics back a thousand years, people then would find it incomprehensible, miraculous beyond belief,” the little merman slightly lifted his chin. “Mobile phones that transmit sound over thousands of miles, televisions that hold countless things, planes that carry people into the sky, they wouldn’t understand any of it. They would all be miracles.”

“You know quite a lot. How come you didn’t know about sandwiches?” Luo Qingyan propped her chin on her hand and smiled lightly. “It sounds like mermaid civilization is even more advanced than humans. Then, what injured you? There isn’t some huge conspiracy behind this, is there?”

The little merman lowered his chin. “Different civilizations have their own strengths. Sandwiches are too trivial. I’m not a human expert. If I had to say, ice cream is more famous.”

“Then let me treat you to ice cream!” Luo Qingyan’s smile widened. “I originally planned to treat you to a feast today, but my sister and uncle came, so I just brought you some bread. You must be hungry, right? Is there any other human food you’d like to try?”

“I can’t think of anything right now, anything is fine.” The little merman’s eyes sparkled, radiating anticipation.

“It’s late-night snack time now, let’s have barbecue! I guarantee it’ll blow your mind! We can have ice cream tomorrow.” Luo Qingyan said, taking out her phone from her crossbody bag to order barbecue. “Do you prefer meat or vegetables? I can order more of what you like. Uh… do you prefer fish or seaweed?”

“Anything is fine.” The little merman looked obedient.

“Do you want to look at pictures? You can choose what interests you from the photos.”

“I’m not familiar with human food, you decide.”

“Then I’ll order what I think is delicious for you to try. I have standards when it comes to food, whatever I choose definitely has its merits.”

“Okay.”

…

Five minutes later, Luo Qingyan put down her phone: “The delivery is ordered. The restaurant will prepare the food, and a delivery person will bring it to our home. It’ll take about forty minutes, so be patient.”

“Mm.” The little merman had been quiet all along and had no problem continuing to wait.

After placing the order, Luo Qingyan mostly calmed down, though she couldn’t control her racing heartbeat. A seed of hope was stirring within her, and her gaze returned to the little merman: “How did you sense that I was sick? You said there’s a way to cure it, what is it?”

The little merman fell silent, hesitating.

“Can’t you say? Is it a mermaid secret?” Luo Qingyan let out a helpless sigh, then smiled, doing her best to appear relaxed. “I’m about to die anyway, what else can I do? I’m someone who repays kindness and won’t do anything to harm mermaids. Besides, I’m your savior, right? I don’t want anything valuable anymore, I want to live. Otherwise, even if you gave me something valuable, I wouldn’t be around to enjoy it!”

The little merman looked at Luo Qingyan, quietly watching her. After five or six seconds, he slowly spoke: “Human nature is unstable, with too many chaotic desires. One moment, a person may be good, the next, they may turn bad. You saved me, and I will repay you. If you truly want to know the method, I can tell you. However, mermaids and humans are similar yet vastly different. Mermaids have lived peacefully for so long because we have our own set of rules that cannot be violated by others. Moreover, while such a method exists, not everyone can achieve it.”

Luo Qingyan sensed the little merman’s seriousness and nodded earnestly: “I understand. I want to know.”

The little merman’s eyes flickered: “If a human and a mermaid form a contract, the human will share the mermaid’s lifespan. However, the contract requires both parties to be willing and genuinely in love. Otherwise, the contract cannot be formed. Forcing it is useless and may even lead to backlash.”

“Ah?” Luo Qingyan was genuinely astonished, her mouth hanging open in disbelief. This was so fairy-tale-like? Forming a contract, genuine love, backlash. She even wondered if he was telling her a legendary story. It was too fantastical.

“Many humans believe in true love. Don’t you?” The little merman wasn’t surprised by Luo Qingyan’s reaction; he remained calm. “Although, as time passes, those who believe in true love come to realize that real love is different from the love they imagined. A mermaid’s true love is also different from what humans understand, it’s not just about hormonal secretions. It involves deeper emotions and complex spiritual bonds.”

The little merman didn’t find true love laughable; instead, he was utterly sincere, which inexplicably struck Luo Qingyan with a sense of awe, as if she had encountered something entirely new. Indeed, the existence of the little merman was already fantastical, so it was only natural that he would bring more fantastical things along with him.

“I believe what you said,” Luo Qingyan spoke softly, her eyes swirling with indescribable emotions. “So, are there precedents of humans and mermaids falling in love?”

“Yes, but not many.”

“How long do mermaids live?” Luo Qingyan didn’t want the atmosphere to be too serious and said in a joking tone, “If mermaids only reach adulthood at three hundred years old, wouldn’t humans be getting a great deal?”

“The oldest mermaid I know of is over seventeen hundred years old. Mermaids perceive the world differently from humans. To become a mermaid, one must give up many things unique to humans.”

“I see.” Luo Qingyan brushed the hair beside her ear and revealed a bright smile. “Then, how can I make you fall in love with me? I quite like you, after all.”

The little merman’s ears suddenly turned red, and he lowered his gaze to the floor. “You should focus on helping me recover from my injuries first…”

“Contracts are sacred to us mermaids!” The little merman abruptly turned his face away, his lips pursed. “If you don’t believe it, then forget it.”

“I believe you! I absolutely don’t mean to disrespect your culture! I’m sorry, I was shallow, suspicious, and overly defensive.” Luo Qingyan quickly apologized, clasping her hands together. “Let’s do as you say, first, help you recover from your injuries. I’ll do my very best, okay?”

The little merman’s expression still didn’t look particularly happy, and he avoided Luo Qingyan’s gaze, but his tail fin twitched slightly.

Luo Qingyan felt that the little merman’s tail was somewhat similar to a puppy’s wagging tail. After her apology, he probably wasn’t too angry. She added, “You know how complicated human nature can be, so it’s only natural to be cautious. You understand, right? Please calm down a bit. I’ll step outside for a while and come back when the food delivery arrives.”

With that, she stood up and left the bathroom, taking Chestnut, who had been obediently squatting beside her, with her.

…

Luo Qingyan first prepared some dog food for Chestnut, then went to sit by the window in the living room, quietly gazing at the night scenery outside.

She took a deep breath.

When she was first diagnosed with cancer, she felt as if the world had turned dark and chaotic. Weak and unsteady, she sat in the hospital for a very, very long time.

Hospitals are places that amplify human emotions. Her fear grew from within, pressing down on her heavily.

The smell of disinfectant was unpleasant, carrying a strange sense of indifference, as if it could isolate human warmth. The beeping of machines was icy cold, each sound like a countdown to death, making her heart tremble with fear. The people coming and going no longer seemed human, they were like hollow shells dragging long, dark shadows.

She felt as if she had been abandoned in a frozen wasteland, cold to the bone, her entire body stiff and immobile. She couldn’t move, couldn’t call for help, and could only wait alone for death to arrive.

Death is not distant; humans can die any day. There will always be such a day, sooner or later. Suddenly, it felt as if life didn’t hold much meaning. No matter how one lives, it’s still just one lifetime. Whether long or short, it makes no difference.

People need something to hold onto in this world, and her anchor, her parents had passed away, leaving her grandmother as her only close relative. Over the years, she had worked tirelessly, saving enough to ensure her grandmother’s comfort in old age. Her grandmother still had her aunt to rely on and could live well.

Her anchor, was gone.

Perhaps it was time to leave.

But later, when she returned home, she couldn’t hold back her tears. She cried for a long, long time, unable to stop until her eyes were swollen.

As long as one lives, emotions and desires persist. The will to survive is an innate human instinct.

Though she was unwilling to endure painful treatments for a slim chance of recovery and had tried hard to convince herself to accept death calmly, deep down, she never truly wanted to die.

Now, she had encountered a magical little merman, and the hope of life had suddenly appeared before her eyes, unbelievable.

True love? The little merman was so handsome, exactly her type. She would do her best to make him fall in love with her.

Just as she made up her mind, suddenly, the power went out.

Everything was plunged into dark, deathly silence.