The Merman I Picked Up Is Too Delicious - Chapter 42

During the National Day Golden Week, Luo Qingyan and the Little Merman rarely went out, spending most of their time at home.

The outside world was crowded and noisy everywhere, and Luo Qingyan now preferred tranquility.

Over the past few days, the two had been reading, playing chess, dancing, watching movies, and experimenting with cooking at home. Each day brought something new to do, and they were content and at ease.

One afternoon, they baked some cakes together, planning to enjoy afternoon tea while watching a movie. Before the movie started, the Little Merman went out to take out the trash, while Luo Qingyan brought the cakes and tea to the living room and selected a film.

As the Little Merman closed the door behind him with the trash in hand, the elevator arrived just then, and an unfamiliar woman in gray stepped out. She noticed the Little Merman, and he sensed something unusual about her, but he minded his own business, walking straight into the elevator without a sideways glance, heading downstairs to dispose of the trash.

The woman from the elevator had initially noticed the Little Merman simply because he was strikingly handsome and hard to miss. But when she found the doorplate, she was looking for, she stood in surprise for a while before finally ringing the doorbell.

“You’re back so soon? Why didn’t you just open the door yourself?” Luo Qingyan’s voice came from the other side of the door. When she opened it, she was instantly taken aback. “Gao… Gaodi? What brings you here?”

“I missed you!” Xu Gaodi quickly flashed a smile. “Who was that handsome guy who just went out? Is he your boyfriend?”

Luo Qingyan froze for a second, caught off guard by one surprise after another. She smiled faintly. “Yes, he’s my boyfriend. We just made it official a few days ago! Come on in!”

“Wow, you’re something else!” Luo Qingyan fetched a pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet for Xu Gaodi. “Back then, I might have had a crush on him, but we weren’t dating. We only made it official a few days ago! We haven’t been in touch much lately, you said you were busy, so, I thought I’d wait to tell you until things were a bit more stable!”

“Did you come back to G City just because of this handsome guy?” Xu Gaodi asked, slipping on the slippers and taking a few steps to test them out. “When did you meet him? You never mentioned him before.”

“Hmm, pretty much. Maybe it was just meant to be.”

“That’s wonderful! A beauty like you deserves a handsome guy! I was so worried you’d end up with someone, not quite as good-looking.”

“You know I’m all about looks,” Luo Qingyan said, pulling Xu Gaodi toward the living room. She suddenly noticed that her friend was only carrying a single-shoulder bag. “You don’t have any luggage? Why didn’t you let me know you were coming? I could’ve picked you up!”

“I decided on a whim. I bought a plane ticket early this morning and just came. A spontaneous trip!” Xu Gaodi’s expression was somewhat complicated. She nudged Luo Qingyan’s shoulder with her own. “I missed you! You know how I am.”

“Your dark circles are so heavy. Have you been staying up late?” Luo Qingyan grabbed Xu Gaodi’s arm and guided her to sit on the sofa. “Sit down first, have some cake. I’ll go make you a cup of chrysanthemum tea.”

“Okay.” Xu Gaodi sat down woodenly, reaching for a piece of cake. When she noticed the two cups of tea on the table, her eyes dimmed slightly. “Am I interrupting you and your boyfriend?”

“Not at all! Just this morning, we were saying how bored we were. It’s perfect timing that you’re here.” With that, Luo Qingyan headed into the kitchen.

Just now, when Xu Gaodi was looking at the cake, she casually picked up her phone from the dining table. She figured that Little Merman, having returned and heard the commotion inside, was hesitant to come in. So, she decided to send him a message, telling him to come back naturally.

Luckily, because of her concern, she had insisted that Little Merman always carry his phone whenever he went out, and he had firmly adhered to this rule.

Sure enough, not long after she sent the message, the front door opened.

Luo Qingyan happened to be coming out of the kitchen with freshly brewed tea. She glanced toward the door and said, “You’re back! Let me introduce you to my good friend, Xu Gaodi. You must have run into her when you went out earlier, right?”

“Mm, hello,” Little Merman greeted first before changing his shoes.

“This is my boyfriend, Yun Jian,” Luo Qingyan said, carrying the tea over to Xu Gaodi and introducing Little Merman to her.

“Hello!” Xu Gaodi stood up and waved in greeting.

“Sit down! Make yourself at home!” Luo Qingyan placed the tea on the coffee table and pulled Xu Gaodi down to sit with her. “How about we watch a movie together first? I found a niche, high-rated drama film, and the reviews say it’s super exciting!”

“Great! It’s been a while since I last watched a movie!” Xu Gaodi picked up her teacup with a satisfied expression. “Food, drinks, and entertainment, coming to see you really is the ultimate happiness.”

“Happiness doesn’t stop there. We’ll have a great dinner tonight and then sleep over together!” Luo Qingyan picked up the remote and started the movie.

“The two of us?” Xu Gaodi was puzzled, thinking Luo Qingyan’s boyfriend was still there, but before she could ask, Luo Qingyan continued speaking.

“During lunch, his friend invited him to a dinner gathering tonight. He turned it down because he wanted to spend time with me, but now… let him go! His friend talked to him on the phone for quite a while and even said he could join after having dinner with his girlfriend.” Luo Qingyan glanced at Little Merman and spoke very naturally. “I told him to go, but he refused. Now it’s perfect, having him here would just get in our way.”

“Alright, understood.” Little Merman grasped Luo Qingyan’s meaning and calmly responded.

“Then it’s settled! Let’s watch the movie!” As the opening credits ended, Luo Qingyan immediately directed everyone’s attention to the TV screen.

After that, the three of them leisurely watched the movie.

…

By the time the movie ended, it was already 5 p.m.

Little Merman, being very considerate, said he was going to his friend’s gathering and left first. After all, during the movie, he had already messaged his friend to confirm he would attend.

Luo Qingyan saw her boyfriend off at the door. She was a little worried, but Little Merman reassured her.

It was only later that she found out the Land Merman Agency had provided Little Merman with an apartment in Hefeng Court, a request he had made himself. She had originally planned to have him stay at a nearby hotel for the night, but this turned out even better: not only was it convenient and safe, but they were actually living in the same neighborhood.

After seeing Little Merman off, Luo Qingyan returned to the living room. “Gaodi, what do you feel like eating tonight? City G has plenty of delicious food. Should we head out early and explore?”

Xu Gaodi was holding her cup, sipping water. Earlier, after finishing her tea, she had asked for hot water and had been drinking plain hot water ever since. Holding the cup, she seemed somewhat listless. After a pause, she finally spoke, “Can we… not go out?”

“Sure, let’s order takeout.” In fact, Luo Qingyan had sensed something was off from the very beginning, which was why she had urged the little merman to leave quickly.

Xu Gaodi was an extremely outgoing person, fond of flamboyant and eye-catching styles in both clothing and appearance. But today, her spirits were noticeably low. If she had decided to visit Luo Qingyan on a whim, she should have been brimming with excitement, eager to surprise her. Instead, there was a forced cheerfulness in their interaction, and Xu Gaodi was dressed entirely in gray, something about it just didn’t feel right.

“Mm, okay.” Xu Gaodi placed her cup on the coffee table, lowering her head as her expression betrayed a deep, suppressed sorrow.

Noticing the change, Luo Qingyan walked over and sat beside her on the sofa. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Xu Gaodi turned to look at her, tears welling in her eyes. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words came out.

“What is it? Don’t cry, don’t cry!” Luo Qingyan quickly reached for a few tissues from the box on the coffee table and handed them to Xu Gaodi.

Taking the tissues, Xu Gaodi burst into tears. “Qingyan… I… I… My grandmother passed away.”

Luo Qingyan’s eyes widened abruptly, her pupils trembling as a sharp pang struck her heart. She immediately embraced Xu Gaodi, her voice trembling slightly. “When? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

Luo Qingyan had met Xu Gaodi’s grandmother, a kind and gentle elderly woman. Xu Gaodi had been raised by her grandmother, who doted on her immensely, and the bond between them was incredibly deep.

Losing her grandmother must have been devastating for Xu Gaodi. Luo Qingyan understood that she probably hadn’t mentioned it earlier because she didn’t want to worry her while she was far away in another city. But, overwhelmed by grief and unable to bear it alone, Xu Gaodi had impulsively come to find her.

The thought made Luo Qingyan’s heart ache intensely.

When Luo Qingyan had lost her own loved one, Xu Gaodi had been by her side, comforting and guiding her patiently through the pain, helping her return to a normal life with unwavering care. Now, when her friend needed her the most, she hadn’t been there, she hadn’t even known. It was only because Xu Gaodi couldn’t hold back any longer and came to her that she suddenly learned of it.

Tears streamed down Luo Qingyan’s face uncontrollably, falling in silence.

Xu Gaodi held onto Luo Qingyan and cried for a long time before gradually calming down. When she noticed Luo Qingyan’s tear-streaked face, she hurriedly handed her a tissue. “Qingyan, don’t cry! I… I just couldn’t hold it in… I was overthinking things! Actually, my grandmother passed away peacefully. She although she was ill, she left in her sleep. Before she passed, we had a proper farewell. There were no regrets.”

“Mm, I’m fine.” Luo Qingyan wiped her tears with a tissue, forcing a smile. “I just felt your sorrow, that’s all! Losing a loved one, it’s hard not to… It’s really hard to control your emotions… I understand.”

“I… I thought the worst of the grief had passed, but then…” Xu Gaodi’s voice was still choked with sobs. “After the burial, when everyone gathered for a meal, the atmosphere of sorrow was slowly fading. I know some emotions don’t need to be shown all the time. What’s gone is gone, and everything will eventually pass… But… but…”

Luo Qingyan reached out and wrapped an arm around Xu Gaodi, gently patting her back in a comforting gesture.

Xu Gaodi took a moment to collect himself before speaking again. “I… I suddenly broke down like this because of a family gathering yesterday. I saw everyone enjoying themselves, heard all the laughter and cheer I know everyone has their own lives to live, and it’s good that they can move past the grief and continue happily. But… but… in that moment, I just felt so terribly, terribly awful…”

“I understand how you feel. The contrast between the lively atmosphere and the absence of a loved one can be overwhelming…” A tear traced its way down Luo Qingyan’s cheek. She knew all too well that profound sense of life’s fragility and insignificance.

The world is vast, humanity numerous, everyone moves forward along their own life paths. Yet any life can vanish at any moment, leaving no mark on the world. All lives will eventually fade into the long river of time. When one insignificant life disappears, it’s quickly forgotten, as if it never existed at all.

“I didn’t want to affect everyone’s happy mood, so I tried hard to hide my emotions. I thought I could handle it, that I could move on. But, when night fell, I that pain suddenly erupted. It was so overwhelming, like being swallowed whole. I simply couldn’t cope.” Xu Gaodi broke down in tears once more.

“Grandma’s illness came so suddenly, I didn’t have time to process it. Before this, I never imagined Grandma would pass away, never considered what the world would be like without her. I just took for granted those moments when she loved me. Then suddenly, it just… For me, it was all too abrupt. I was completely stunned, at a loss. Even after all these days, I still can’t accept it. Why? Why? It feels like something massive is crashing down on me, pressing me down, crushing me so hard I can’t breathe! It’s unbearable! truly unbearable!” As he spoke, Xu Gaodi’s words dissolved into sobs.

Luo Qingyan’s eyes grew even more moist. She patted his back gently, her voice soft and comforting. “Cry. Let it all out. It’ll help to release these feelings.”