The Merman I Picked Up Is Too Delicious - Chapter 51.2 [END]

After the little merman left, there was no news from him.

If not for the fact that her illness had truly vanished, Luo Qingyan might have doubted whether the little merman had ever existed.

Life returned to its usual rhythm, eating, sleeping, leisure, entertainment. Day after day, it seemed peaceful on the surface, but gradually, Luo Qingyan began to notice something amiss. Apart from missing the little merman and feeling sad, she started overthinking.

For instance, she told her family and friends that the little merman had gone abroad for work and would be away for a long time.

At first, when her family asked questions about the little merman or their relationship, she could answer normally. Fabricating reassuring lies wasn’t difficult. But as time passed, the more she answered and fabricated, the stranger and more uncomfortable she felt. It was as if everything was her delusion, she had invented a person who didn’t exist and fabricated experiences that never happened.

Doubting oneself is terrifying. Even though she had photos with the little merman, items he had used were still in her home, and her friends and family all knew of his existence, she still grew suspicious and panicked. At times, it felt utterly horrifying, as if she had fallen into some bizarre alternate reality.

Luo Qingyan knew she couldn’t go on like this. There was no external threat as she had anticipated, instead, her own overthinking was driving her to the brink of madness.

Only by keeping busy could she avoid these spiraling thoughts. She had originally quit her job and taken a break due to her illness, but now that she was healthy and had rested enough, it was time to return to work.

Naturally, she wouldn’t go back to S City. Aside from the reasons she already had, she wanted to stay in G City and wait for the little merman, what if he came back looking for her? Holding onto hope was always better than nothing.

She found a job as a waitress at a café in G City. It was a niche, creative café with relatively low customer traffic, making the work fairly relaxed, though there were specific requirements regarding the waitstaff’s appearance.

In the past, she had strongly disliked jobs that emphasized appearance. But now, she felt indifferent, living in human society meant adhering to various rules, and being able to secure a job based on what society currently deemed attractive was, in its own way, a peculiar experience.

These days, she needed a job that wasn’t too exhausting but could still enrich her life. Working as a server in a niche café suited her perfectly.

Eating, sleeping, leisure, and now work, work occupied most of her time and truly reduced the frequency of her overthinking.

Finally, it seemed she had returned to a normal life.

Even before parting, Luo Qingyan and the little merman both understood that separation wouldn’t be easy. It was precisely because of this that the little merman had wavered and clung reluctantly.

Yet both knew they loved each other deeply, so neither wanted the other to sacrifice too much or live with regrets. Making certain decisions was painful, but not making them would be even more agonizing.

As long as they understood each other, they could endure any hardship.

Life was never meant to be smooth sailing, sometimes, one must let go to gain something in return.

After more than two months apart, Luo Qingyan gradually stopped worrying incessantly or doubting whether the little merman had ever truly existed. She could tuck the past away in a corner of her heart and focus on living her own life earnestly.

There were still decades ahead, the human world was beautiful and full of richness, and she could take her time to experience it all.

Still, her longing for the little merman never ceased. And inevitably, challenges continued to arise.

The Lunar New Year period was always lively, a time for holidays, relaxation, and family reunions.

In the past, living alone at Hefeng Pavilion had allowed Luo Qingyan to some extent to avoid questions about the little merman. But during the New Year gatherings, certain topics were unavoidable.

For instance, Tao Xingyou would clamor to video call her sister’s boyfriend, especially since the whole family was together and holiday schedules were more flexible, with no time zone differences to worry about.

But a video call was impossible. Luo Qingyan could only explain that the little merman worked in a confidential field, and even she couldn’t contact him freely.

Such excuses, however, could only buy so much time. Eventually, her family would grow suspicious, and she would have to offer a proper explanation. She was already considering whether to say they had broken up or that the little merman had met with an accident.

Perhaps claiming he had passed away was better, after all, she would likely remain single for decades to come, and it would make sense to say she couldn’t forget her love and had chosen to live alone.

Even though she had anticipated many difficulties before parting, facing them alone still proved incredibly tough for Luo Qingyan.

…

On Lantern Festival, as the family gathered for dinner, the little merman was brought up again.

Her family was deeply concerned about when he would return, believing it wasn’t good for a young couple to be separated for so long.

Luo Qingyan simply said his work was unique and beyond his control, and they would probably have to wait a bit longer. On the surface, she managed to brush it off temporarily, but inwardly, she couldn’t suppress her sorrow, not only because she knew it would only get harder to evade such questions, but also because she missed the little merman terribly.

After dinner, while the others chatted, she took Chestnut out for a walk alone.

This winter in G City had been quite cold. It was said that it had snowed a few times late at night, but Luo Qingyan had never seen it.

But it didn’t matter. She now had a healthy body and plenty of time. If she missed the snow this winter, she could always travel north next year to see it.

She was considering changing jobs. Her current position was decent, but too monotonous, and she wasn’t one to settle for a mundane life. She felt she could make some changes to enrich herself further.

Perhaps she could return to the industry she was in before her illness. After all, she had started right after graduating from university, and the experience she had accumulated over the years was a valuable asset. Even though she had left her previous company, many others were still open to her.

Or maybe she could choose a job completely different from what she had done before, something related to pets, plants, or food. Starting from scratch didn’t matter; she could take her time and carefully savor the joys along the way.

She could even start her own business, open a small shop, become a content creator, or offer knowledge-based services. The possibilities were endless; the only limit was her imagination.

Most importantly, she wanted to move to another city. That way, she could avoid certain matters. It wasn’t that she was tired of them, she was just afraid of worrying her family.

Lost in thought as she walked, her grip unconsciously loosened. Chestnut suddenly lunged forward, and the leash slipped from her hand.

“Chestnut!” She snapped back to reality and hurried after him.

But after just a few steps, she froze.

Under a distant streetlight, a figure in a black overcoat was crouched down, stroking the excited Chestnut. Sensing her gaze, the person looked up. It was a face she knew all too well, one she had thought of day and night.

Luo Qingyan couldn’t believe her eyes, wondering if she was hallucinating, and stood there stunned.

“Chestnut, come here.” Yun Jian picked up the leash and led Chestnut in a trot toward Luo Qingyan, finally embracing the dazed woman.

Feeling the other’s warmth, Luo Qingyan finally believed it wasn’t an illusion, but she was still utterly astonished. “You… you’re back?”

“Yes, I’m back.” Yun Jian’s voice was unchanged, still gentle, though now tinged with excitement.

“Why? You? weren’t you…”

“I’ve become a Saint Emissary,” Yun Jian quickly explained, afraid Luo Qingyan would misunderstand. “Being a Saint Emissary isn’t a 24/7 job, it’s a sacred mission that allows for personal time. It’s just that cases like ours are rare, and Saint Emissaries don’t share private matters among themselves, so, I didn’t know many details. In short, I can come ashore now. I can come to see you.”

“Really?” Luo Qingyan’s eyes reddened as she listened, her voice trembling with emotion.

“Really, I’m not lying. You should be able to tell, right?” Hearing the tremor in Luo Qingyan’s voice, Yun Jian released her from the embrace and gazed intently into her face. “Don’t worry, I’ve settled matters over there. This time, I can stay for several days!”

Luo Qingyan bit her lip, holding back tears of joy, and managed a smile. “Only a few days…”

“There will be longer times in the future. Just wait a little more for me. This trip was a bit rushed, I… I missed you, so I hurried over.”

“That’s more like it. Well, come home with me first. Meet my family. I… I almost don’t know how to face them anymore…”

“You said before that you could handle it.” Yun Jian tightened her grip on Luo Qingyan’s hand, their fingers interlacing.

“I can manage it, but, it’s quite difficult! I was even prepared to arrange a tragic yet beautiful ending for you.” Luo Qingyan gave Yun Jian’s hand a firm squeeze, and she felt the tangible reality of his touch.

“That sounds terrifying. Good thing I came back.”

“Yes, good thing you came back.”

“Um… in the future, I mean someday, could we move to live by the sea for a while? That way, when I return, I could see you sooner. Of course, if you prefer to stay in G City, that’s fine too. After all, the anticipation on the journey back is also a precious feeling.”

“Occasionally moving to live by the sea isn’t bad, I can get familiar with the ocean ahead of time. Hmm… depending on my mood!”

“Are you happy now?”

“Happy! And you?”

“Happy!”

…

(The End)