The Merman I Picked Up Is Too Delicious - Chapter 51.1

“Do you have something to tell me?” Once they returned home, the little merman spoke first, sensing that Luo Qingyan had something on her mind, something related to him.

“Mm, let’s sit down first.” Luo Qingyan nodded, settling onto the sofa without any rush.

The little merman obediently took a seat.

Luo Qingyan took a deep breath to calm herself as much as possible, then turned to look at the little merman beside her and asked seriously, “What’s the situation with the Saint Envoy now? I can sense that you want to become the Saint Envoy, but, there’s resistance. Is it because of me?”

Hearing Luo Qingyan’s question, the little merman’s expression faltered slightly. He thought for a few seconds before replying gravely, “Mm. The Saint Envoy is meant to protect the merfolk, so naturally, they need to stay in the ocean. But we… I… I could actually choose not to become the Saint Envoy.”

“I remember you said you’ve already passed the trial. Do you need to return to the ocean within a set time to become the Saint Envoy?”

“Yes. Once I become the Saint Envoy, I’ll need to start fulfilling my duties.”

“Does forming a contract with me affect your ability to become the Saint Envoy?”

“No, the Saint Envoy can still form contracts.”

“So, the issue is that because I’m human and need to stay on land, you want to stay on land too, but that means you can’t return to the ocean to become the Saint Envoy? And the deadline is getting closer, isn’t it?”

“Mm… pretty much.”

“Where are the differences? Please tell me. I need to know the full truth, all the details.”

The little merman’s brow twitched slightly. “I believe that whether or not I become the Saint Envoy and live on land with you are just choices, not obligations. And right now, I want to choose to live with you.”

Luo Qingyan had spoken with a bit of urgency earlier, but seeing the little merman’s calm yet troubled demeanor, she gradually settled down. “Merfolk only gets one chance to live on land as humans. If you go back to become the Saint Envoy, wouldn’t you be wasting that opportunity?”

“I’ll only know that after becoming the Saint Envoy.” The little merman lowered his gaze, a faint tremor in his eyes. “To be honest, there’s a lot I’m still unclear about.”

“What if I want you to return to the ocean and become the Saint Envoy?” Luo Qingyan said solemnly. “I know you want to become the Saint Envoy in your heart. You worked so hard to pass the trial, and I want you to achieve what you desire.”

“Becoming the Saint Envoy means serving for five hundred years. That would span your entire human lifetime. I… I wouldn’t be able to accompany you.”

“Then after this lifetime, if I go to the ocean, can I be with you?” A flicker of hope shone in Luo Qingyan’s eyes, but it soon dimmed. “Humans live at most a little over a hundred years. I probably only have fifty or sixty years left. I have family and friends. I’m sure I can live a good life.”

The little merman tilted his head slightly, his gaze complex. “Really?”

Luo Qingyan was deeply moved. Some things were understood between them without words, and she decided to speak honestly. “I know I’ll miss you, I’ll feel sorrow and pain, and I’ll have to face many difficulties alone. But at the same time, I also understand that without you, without forming this contract with you, my remaining lifespan would have been short, and I would have had to endure the torment of illness. So, as I am now, I’m already incredibly fortunate.”

“I understand the bond between us, and I would find it hard to adjust without you, but I believe we can manage. With lifespans spanning millennia, a few decades apart are nothing.”

“You must pursue what you truly desire, without regrets. If you compromise because of me, I would feel uneasy too. You knew full well that forming a contract with me might mean giving up your chance to become a Saint, yet you did so without hesitation. Of course, I… I don’t want you to lose yourself because of me. I love you for who you are.”

“We can definitely do this.”

Hearing Luo Qingyan’s words, the little merman fell silent, tears glistening at the corners of his eyes.

“Touched, are you?” Luo Qingyan suddenly raised her voice, her eyes crinkling with a smile as she tried to lighten the heavy atmosphere. “After forming the contract with you, I was deeply moved too, it’s an indescribable feeling. Isn’t this how it should be? You can probably sense my thoughts, right?”

“Mm.” The little merman nodded, reaching out to pull Luo Qingyan into a gentle embrace. “I know you might sense my desires. I’ve tried to hide them, to change, to suppress them, but in the end, perhaps it’s better to speak openly. We can discuss it, so it doesn’t weigh on our hearts.”

“Don’t overthink it. Go back to the sea and become a Saint. Don’t miss this opportunity.” Luo Qingyan held the little merman tightly. “It’s only a few decades. I’ll wait for you, and you wait for me too.”

The little merman held Luo Qingyan quietly for a long moment before finally responding, “Okay.”

…

The little merman’s departure was set for three days later, but on the final day, something unfortunate happened.

That day, Luo Qingyan and the little merman were having lunch on the top floor of a shopping mall.

If nothing went wrong, this would be their last meal together for decades. Luo Qingyan wanted to let the little merman try as many human delicacies as possible, so over the past few days, they had been sampling new foods. For their final meal, they chose a Mexican restaurant.

The little merman loved tacos. He shared that the soft, chewy shells and the rich, layered flavors of the fillings were uniquely delicious. In a way, it was a perfect conclusion to their exploration of human cuisine.

However, as they were heading toward the elevator after lunch, they unexpectedly ran into Huo Bowen.

Luo Qingyan had no intention of acknowledging Huo Bowen. She kept her eyes fixed on the elevator, pretending not to see him. Unfortunately, he had spotted her and wasn’t about to let her slip away.

“Luo Qingyan!” Huo Bowen called out her name directly. He was alone and quickly caught up to them in a few strides.

Luo Qingyan despised people like Huo Bowen. If she had been alone, she would have sought help from mall staff or even called the police if he harassed her. But since she was with the little merman today, she decided to try resolving the situation with words first.

She tightened her grip on the little merman’s arm, giving Huo Bowen a cold, dismissive look.

“Is this the one you like?” Huo Bowen scrutinized the little merman. “I heard Liu Yimiao took a photo of you two. Everyone who saw it said you make a perfect match.”

“We are a perfect match,” Luo Qingyan replied coldly. “And now, he’s not just someone I like, he’s my boyfriend, my beloved.”

Huo Bowen’s expression darkened. “Do you really love him? Are you truly happy?”

“Do you have a mental illness?” Little Merman suddenly spoke, calm and dead serious. “Get treatment as soon as possible, or it’ll only get worse. Suffering yourself is one thing, but don’t harm others.”

Hu Bowen was both angry and confused. “Are you insulting me?”

“I’m just telling the truth.” Little Merman’s expression remained unruffled. “If I recall correctly, it’s called delusional disorder, a serious mental illness.”

Luo Qingyan knew Little Merman sometimes acted unpredictably, but she hadn’t expected him to say something like this. His calm yet dismissive tone was highly likely to provoke Hu Bowen, but it sounded incredibly satisfying.

“Alright, we’ve said our greetings. I don’t want to have too much contact with you. Goodbye.” As Luo Qingyan spoke, she took Little Merman’s hand and started to leave.

Hu Bowen frowned and followed them. “Why don’t you want more contact with me? Why can’t we talk a bit longer? Since we’ve met today, then?”

Little Merman abruptly turned left, pushed open the stairwell door with one hand, and pulled Luo Qingyan inside. Hu Bowen, of course, followed.

“Because there’s nothing to say to you. Your one-sided infatuation is already annoying, and continuing to harass others is just despicable. You deserve to be taught a lesson.” Little Merman fixed Hu Bowen with a sharp gaze. “Please stop this disgraceful behavior.”

Before Hu Bowen could fully utter the word “you,” his eyes bulged as he stumbled backward, slamming hard against the wall. Then, as if embedded in the wall, no matter how he struggled, his back remained stuck. He clawed frantically at his neck, as though something were choking him, though nothing was there. He looked like he’d inexplicably gone mad.

Luo Qingyan was first stunned by Hu Bowen’s bizarre behavior, then seemed to realize something and quietly asked Little Merman beside her, “Did you do this?”

“Since he has delusional disorder, I’m using delusions against him. I checked; there are no cameras in the stairwell.” Little Merman whispered to Luo Qingyan before turning back to Hu Bowen and stepping closer. “You really do have a mental illness, delusional disorder. Get treatment soon, or if you let it go unchecked, you’ll go insane.”

“You…” Hu Bowen was still struggling, trying to speak but unable to, his face turning red with strain.

“That’s enough. Let’s go.” Luo Qingyan tugged at Little Merman. Though she knew he understood limits, she didn’t want to waste any more time here.

“Alright.” Little Merman turned to Luo Qingyan with a gentle look, then shot a cold glare at Hu Bowen. “Stay away from her. No more harassing her, or you’ll go insane immediately.”

With that, he turned and led Luo Qingyan away, acting as if nothing had happened.

…

After leaving the stairwell and the mall, Little Merman wrapped an arm around Luo Qingyan, ready to head home.

“You should go now.” Sensing something off about Little Merman, Luo Qingyan cut straight to the point.

“With someone like that around, I can’t leave with peace of mind.” Little Merman understood what she meant and spoke earnestly. “Let me stay a little longer, okay?”

Luo Qingyan shook her head. “Today it’s Hu Bowen, tomorrow it could be something else. You’ll keep finding reasons to delay. Stick to the original plan and go. I can handle my own problems.”

“What if he realizes I’m not by your side and comes to harass you again?”

“Your handling of the situation earlier felt incredibly satisfying, but it’s not appropriate in the human world. You used abilities that don’t belong to humans, and if this continues, problems will inevitably arise. The Land Mermaid Agency won’t let you get away with this indefinitely, will they?”

“I know my limits.”

“I understand. But this is the human world, full of unforeseen dangers. Even though some people aren’t easy for me to deal with, I’m an adult. I need to face various troubles and solve many problems on my own. You should focus on what you need to do and not worry about me.”

“I see.” The little merman’s eyes trembled slightly. “Are we parting like this?”

“Yes, no more dragging it out.” Luo Qingyan said firmly. “Often, separations come unexpectedly. Go, do what you want to do. Besides, this isn’t a permanent farewell. I’ll wait for you, you wait for me. There will be a day when we meet again.”

“Can I hold you one more time?”

Before the little merman finished speaking, Luo Qingyan had already embraced him, holding him tightly.

The little merman immediately wrapped his arms around Luo Qingyan in return. “I’ll wait for you, you wait for me.”

“Mhm…” Luo Qingyan dared only to respond briefly, afraid that if she said more, she would burst into tears. As soon as the embrace ended, she turned and walked away without looking back.

Just like that, the two parted.