The Merman I Picked Up Is Too Delicious - Chapter 40

Luo Qingyan had that peculiar dream again, the same one she’d experienced before.

Though aware she was dreaming, the dream felt incredibly real, as if it were truly happening. There were no specific events, yet she felt everything intensely. The world in the dream differed from reality, her perceptions shifted, and what she saw was unlike the waking world.

Long yet serene.

Someone was with her, shadowing her every step, intimate yet unrestrained.

An unbelievable dream.

Upon waking, she couldn’t quite recall the details, but the lingering feeling was as pleasant as the day’s weather, warm and sunny.

Luo Qingyan had stayed overnight at Hefeng Pavilion because she couldn’t rest easy leaving the little merman alone there.

Even though she knew he had trained at the Land Merman Institute, she still felt the need to remind him of countless things, worried he might not understand. No matter how much she cautioned him, she couldn’t shake her unease, so she ended up staying over, just in case anything happened, she could resolve it quickly.

This morning, upon waking, Luo Qingyan thought she caught the scent of food.

At first, she dismissed it as her imagination, perhaps she was just too hungry, or maybe the aroma was drifting over from a neighbor’s breakfast. But when she stepped out of the bedroom, she discovered that the little merman had prepared a meal.

“You… you learned how to cook?” Luo Qingyan stared at the lavish spread on the table, utterly astonished. There were mushroom and ham congee, vegetable rolls, and thin pancakes, each dish appealing in color, aroma, and taste.

“Yes, I picked up a few simple dishes.” The little merman brought over the final dish, a steamed egg custard, and set it on the table. “You used to cook for me, and now I can cook for you. Give it a try!”

“You’re being modest. I could smell it from the bedroom.” Luo Qingyan moved to pull out a chair, but the little merman her to it, holding it out for her.

“You even learned these manners?” Luo Qingyan chuckled as she sat down. “No need to go to such trouble. Let’s keep it casual, I can manage these things myself.”

“Alright. I’ll do what you like and avoid what you don’t.” The little merman pulled out his own chair and sat as well. “Please taste it. If it doesn’t suit your palate, I can adjust it.”

“It looks delicious already.” Luo Qingyan picked up her chopsticks and first tried a piece of the thin pancake. After a few bites, her eyes lit up as she looked at the little merman. “I’m not as good with words as you are, but it’s truly delicious.”

“Is the seasoning, right? How’s the texture from the frying?”

“It’s perfect, every detail just right. With such professional talk, how could it not be delicious?” After finishing the pancake, Luo Qingyan picked up a vegetable roll and took a bite. “This is delicious too, so good it makes me wonder if you went to culinary school instead of the Land Merman Institute.”

“I’m glad you like it.” The little merman smiled contentedly.

“You should eat too! It’s really delicious. Try it yourself, and you’ll see I’m not lying.”

“I know. Of course, you wouldn’t lie to me.” The little merman also picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.

“You trust me that much?” Luo Qingyan placed the half-eaten vegetable roll back in her bowl. “I certainly wouldn’t lie about it being delicious, but as for other things, well, that’s not necessarily true.”

“White lies, I understand. They’re harmless.” The little merman replied with serene composure.

“Hah, as expected, mermaids are still mermaids, so open-minded in their thinking!” Luo Qingyan picked up her spoon and took a sip of the porridge. “This porridge is so rich and fragrant, even better than the ones sold at porridge shops. I’m starting to look forward to the other dishes you’ll make. Can you cook lunch and dinner?”

“Of course. What would you like to eat?” The little merman was also sipping his porridge.

“You suddenly asking me that, I don’t really know right now. You mentioned you’ve learned some simple dishes, what can you make? Just cook what you’ve learned!”

“I’ve mastered the basics of cooking and can adapt from there. Tell me what you’d like, and I’ll find a recipe to follow. Or we could go grocery shopping together, maybe seeing the ingredients will help you decide what you want.”

“Go grocery shopping together? Now that’s a human way of living!” Luo Qingyan scooped up another spoonful of porridge and suddenly remembered something. “Hey, do mermaids dream like humans do? I remember hearing that fish don’t dream.”

“Mermaids dream, just like humans.”

“Let me tell you about this really strange dream I had last night, it was different from a normal human dream. But… I don’t know how to describe it; it’s an indescribable feeling.” Luo Qingyan set her spoon back in the bowl and stirred it slowly. “Hmm… It felt like I knew I was dreaming, yet it was incredibly vivid, and nothing specific happened, it was all about sensations. Oh! And there was someone beside me. I didn’t know who it was, but it felt intimate. Thinking about it now, could it have been a version of me from a parallel universe? Ah, do you know about parallel universes?”

After speaking, Luo Qingyan turned her attention to the little merman and noticed his expression had turned somewhat odd. He seemed calm, but his eyes were subtly shifting, as if caught between surprise, joy, and worry, with an inexplicable gravity. He was lost in thought, silent and contemplative.

“What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you’ve had dreams like that too?” Luo Qingyan laughed as she spoke. “Even though it’s hard to explain, the dream was quite comforting. Could it mean some good luck is coming my way? This is the second time I’ve had a dream like this. It feels…”

“Second time?” The little merman’s eyelashes fluttered abruptly, and his eyes widened. “When was the first time?”

Startled by his unusual reaction, Luo Qingyan felt a vague sense of foreboding. “Is this dream something special?”

Sensing her worry, the little merman quickly explained, “No, well, yes, it is special, but not… not in a bad way like you’re thinking.”

“Really? It feels like you’re just comforting me.” Luo Qingyan wasn’t easily convinced. “If it’s something related to mermaids… or some secret part, you can keep it to yourself, but please don’t hide everything from me. If something bad is going to happen, at least let me be prepared. I don’t want to be left in the dark.”

“No! It’s really not something bad!” The little merman knew that his past secrecy had eroded her trust, and he grew a bit anxious. “It is related to me but, there’s absolutely no danger, really, I promise, please believe me.”

“Alright, alright, I get it, another secret you can’t share.” Luo Qingyan took a deep breath and went back to eating her breakfast. “Let’s finish breakfast first. It won’t taste as good once it’s cold.”

The little merman held his spoon but didn’t continue eating, lost in thought with downcast eyes. After a moment, he looked up and spoke slowly: “I came ashore accidentally because of a trial.”

“A trial?” Luo Qingyan abruptly raised her head, sensing the merman was about to share something important with her.

Seeing Luo Qingyan willing to listen, the little merman began explaining gradually: “Mermaids have existed for tens of thousands of years, so naturally we possess some crucial things. That’s why we have Holy Envoys – to ensure these important things are passed down and our mermaid race continues to exist.”

“Mermaids do possess some abilities humans find miraculous, but now that humans are exploring the ocean more and more, Holy Envoys can no longer just protect everything in the sea. We must also understand humans, guard against them, and coexist with them.”

“One must pass trials to become a Holy Envoy. During my trial period, I encountered conflicts between humans and marine creatures… I accidentally got involved… But humans didn’t discover me, so there won’t be any terrifying situations like being hunted. Anyway, I got injured later and was forced to stay inside a pearl to come ashore.”

“However, after reaching the land mermaid agency, I learned that my forced landing was also part of the trial, including my subsequent interactions with you. To become a Holy Envoy, one must have the ability to handle various situations. I… passed this part. These are the happy things I mentioned to you before.”

Luo Qingyan certainly remembered when the little merman said he couldn’t directly share the happy news but still wanted to share the joy with her. Now, she naturally had questions: “Weren’t you not allowed to say it before? Why can you tell me now? And what does this have to do with my dreams?”

“These are secrets that shouldn’t be casually told to humans, but I’m telling you because I trust you, believe you’re a good person who won’t harm mermaids.” The little merman looked serious. “I can tell you all the secrets, so that dream isn’t anything… nothing harmful at all, please rest assured.”

“Since you’ve shared such important secrets with me, of course I feel relieved, but…” Luo Qingyan rested her chin on her hand. “When we talked about that dream earlier, your expression was unusual, and why did you seem evasive? That dream isn’t simple, is it?”

The little merman pursed his lips, understanding he needed to explain or Luo Qingyan wouldn’t let it go: “That dream could be explained as related to mermaids indeed special has some connection.”

“Can I understand that I’m being influenced by you?” Seeing his hesitation, Luo Qingyan took over the conversation with a slight smile. “Is this how mermaids dream?”

The little merman lowered his eyes, appearing to silently acknowledge.

“Alright, I get the general idea. Anyway, there’s no danger, you trust me, knowing this is enough.” Luo Qingyan picked up her chopsticks to get a vegetable roll. “Let’s eat, we need to go to the supermarket early after finishing.”

“Okay.” The little merman continued eating but absentmindedly. After slowly drinking a few spoonfuls of porridge, he couldn’t help speaking again: “When… when was the first time you had that kind of dream?”

Luo Qingyan originally wanted to inquire further about the dream-related matters, but as the words reached her lips, she suddenly changed her mind and answered normally: “It was when I had food poisoning and went to the hospital, that was the first time I had such a dream. When I woke up, I was already in the hospital.”

Hearing Luo Qingyan’s words, the little merman fell into thought. He pondered for a long while before speaking solemnly: “I… may I pursue you?”

“Ah?” Luo Qingyan had been continuing her breakfast while the little merman was thinking, and the question came so abruptly that she nearly choked on her food. “You do know what ‘pursuing’ means among humans, right?”

“I know,” the little merman said earnestly. “The usual human sequence is pursuing, dating, and then marriage.”

Luo Qingyan set down her chopsticks and spoke seriously: “Yes, for most people, that’s the order. But emotionally, I hope the premise of pursuing is affection. You should like me before pursuing me. Otherwise, if it’s for some other purpose… it’s unnecessary. Besides, feelings of liking can be momentary impulses that fade after a while. For you, I hope it’s not just a fleeting liking, after all, I don’t want hope to appear only to vanish. I can’t handle that kind of turmoil.”

“I understand. I do like you, and I want to deepen that liking, to turn it into love, genuine love.”

“Really?” Luo Qingyan couldn’t help but shake her head slightly and let out a soft laugh. “Why do you suddenly want to pursue me? Why this sudden thought?”

The little merman’s gaze shifted slightly, his voice calm and sincere: “It wasn’t sudden, I… I gradually realized it. I… I don’t want you to die.”

Luo Qingyan froze for a moment, feeling as though her mind went blank for an instant before something wondrous seeped in and filled it. Then, she chuckled softly: “Your words sound a bit strange, but, well, is this a confession?”

“Yes,” the little merman replied with certainty.

“So straightforward, such a strange confession. Who would have thought words like these could be a confession?” Luo Qingyan’s eyes and brows were full of laughter. After a pause, she said seriously, “But it’s sincere enough. I like it.”

“Then, may I pursue you?”

“Pursuing is too slow.” Luo Qingyan stared directly into the little merman’s eyes, her gaze shimmering. “Just be my boyfriend directly.”