The Merman I Picked Up Is Too Delicious - Chapter 9

Luo Qingyan ignored Huo Bowen trailing behind her, pretending not to notice as she continued walking forward on her own.

When they reached a slightly wider corridor, Huo Bowen suddenly quickened his pace.

“Luo Qingyan.” Huo Bowen’s voice came from behind.

Hearing her name called, Luo Qingyan had no choice but to stop. She turned around with a hint of confusion on her face. “Hmm?”

“I heard you’ll be staying in City G for a while.” Huo Bowen stared into Luo Qingyan’s eyes. “Are you planning to settle in City G?”

“I’ll be here for some time, but my plans after that are uncertain.” Luo Qingyan’s expression remained neutral. She vaguely sensed something off about his demeanor and thus didn’t want to say too much.

“Do you have a boyfriend now?”

“Huh?”

“Do you remember when I said I liked you before? That was true, not a joke.”

“Oh.”

“After seeing you again, I realized I still feel moved. I genuinely like you, this feeling hasn’t faded no matter how much time has passed. No one else can replace you, no matter what.”

“Oh…”

“What about you? I remember back then you… you said high school students shouldn’t think about these things. But what about now? We’re not high school students anymore, we’re mature adults. We’re both single, right?”

Luo Qingyan frowned slightly. Could this behavior of his really be called mature? In her eyes, they were merely classmates. Perhaps due to their collaboration in school performances back then, they had more interactions, but it was still just interactions between classmates. His current demeanor made it seem as if they had shared feelings but missed their chance, only to reunite after a long separation.

She felt inwardly frustrated but made an effort to remain polite on the surface. “Thank you for your affection, but I don’t have any romantic feelings for you.”

“Are you still bothered by what Fang Tang said and did back then?”

“I didn’t like her actions at the time, but that has nothing to do with my feelings toward you. Whether she was involved or not, I have no feelings for you. Please don’t flatter yourself.”

“Is that so?” A somewhat strange, dejected expression crossed Huo Bowen’s face, followed by a forced smile. “Then, can you give me a chance? I want to pursue you.”

“I already have someone I like.” Luo Qingyan decisively used another man to shut him down. Even though she disliked doing this, she knew it was an effective tactic against men. She felt exasperated. In her memory, Huo Bowen was a quiet person. She had no idea what he had been through over the years to become so peculiar and melodramatic, as if he were acting in a TV drama.

“You really are still bothered…”

Luo Qingyan nearly couldn’t hold back an eye roll. So, Huo Bowen was such a narcissistic person. Just as she was about to say something unpleasant, someone suddenly arrived.

“Qingyan!” Fan Shuxin bounced over to Luo Qingyan’s side. After waving at Huo Bowen, she turned to Luo Qingyan. “Qingyan, I’m getting married next month, I’m inviting you!” With that, she opened her crossbody bag, took out an invitation, and handed it to Luo Qingyan.

“Congratulations!” Luo Qingyan accepted the invitation. “Yimiao told me that you and your partner are a match made in heaven, the envy of everyone!”

“Oh, Yimiao is exaggerating.” Fan Shuxin blushed slightly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “You must come, okay?”

“Alright, I’ll be there.”

“Well, I’ll let you two chat. I’m heading to the private room.”

“I should head back too, I just came out for some fresh air.” Luo Qingyan didn’t look at Huo Bowen, turning to walk back with Fan Shuxin.

“Oh, sure.” Fan Shuxin smiled and linked arms with Luo Qingyan.

Huo Bowen said nothing, made no move to stop them, and silently followed behind.

Luo Qingyan wanted nothing to do with Huo Bowen, but returning to the private room together inevitably drew attention. Even with Fan Shuxin there, it couldn’t completely curb some people’s curiosity.

“How come you’re all coming back together?” someone called out just as a song in the room was ending.

“Ran into each other in the hallway, so we came back together,” Fan Shuxin answered first, walking toward the center of the room to draw everyone’s focus. “I’m late, do I need to be punished with a song?”

“Of course!” Liu Yimiao shoved the microphone into Fan Shuxin’s hands and headed toward the song selection screen.

Suddenly, the next song began to play.

Hearing the familiar intro, everyone froze.

It was a pop song adapted from a classical piece, the very same piece Luo Qingyan and Huo Bowen had performed together during their high school cultural festival.

Fan Shuxin nudged Liu Yimiao with her elbow. Liu Yimiao caught on immediately, strode to the song selection screen, and hit pause.

“Fan Shuxin’s singing a penalty song, everyone give her a chance!” Liu Yimiao said loudly with deliberate cheer, hoping to ease the tension. “Fan Shuxin, what do you want to sing? Want me to join you?”

“Sure, let’s do it together!” Fan Shuxin laughed as she walked toward the song selection screen.

“That last song sounded so familiar, wasn’t that the one Qingyan and Bowen performed back in the day?” Fang Tang suddenly spoke up, her voice brimming with amusement. “Feels like it just pulled us right back to high school!”

Fang Tang’s comment was clearly meant to lighten the mood, so someone else chimed in, “Seems like a lifetime ago! High school was over ten years back, hard to believe.”

“Didn’t really think about it until you mentioned it, but yeah, it’s been more than ten years,” another person added. “Haha, maybe it’s because some of us haven’t changed much, so it still feels like we’re all young!”

“And some have gotten even prettier, like Qingyan. That ballet solo she did at the cultural festival back then captivated countless boys!” Fang Tang’s voice grew even more teasing, laced with a hint of playful envy. “Hey, Qingyan, are you still dancing?”

Luo Qingyan didn’t take the compliment as one, she felt offended. To her, it seemed like Fang Tang was deliberately steering the conversation toward her to embarrass her, and she didn’t appreciate it at all. Lifting her chin slightly, she showed no trace of timidity and replied in a light, joking tone, “I injured my back, so I don’t dance anymore. Looks like I charmed you back then too, huh? Hey, did you request that song earlier?”

Fang Tang’s smile stiffened instantly, though in the dim lighting of the room, it wasn’t obvious unless you looked closely. Her voice remained cheerful: “I was captivated too, you were so beautiful! But no, I didn’t request that song.”

“Really?” Luo Qingyan tilted her head slightly. “What a shame. I was feeling a bit nostalgic and wanted to hear it.”

“Then let’s play it,” Huo Bowen interjected abruptly.

“What, you’re going to sing it?” a guy immediately teased.

“I can’t sing it, but I know the melody,” Huo Bowen said, glancing around at the others. “Who requested it? Whoever did must know how to sing it, right?”

No one answered.

You can request songs anonymously via phone, and this one was anonymously requested, maybe it was even bumped to the top of the queue last minute.

“I’ll sing it, I know this one!” Liu Yimiao, noticing the awkward atmosphere, quickly tried to lighten the mood. “Everyone, listen up, the mic hog is coming online!”

“Didn’t Huo Bowen say he wanted to sing?” Fang Tang’s expression darkened, her voice low. “Even if he can’t sing, he’s insisting on it. Seems like he’s the one who misses that performance the most. Hey, Qingyan, what do you think of him?”

“Nothing to think,” Luo Qingyan replied bluntly.

Fang Tang was a bit surprised but assumed Luo Qingyan was just putting up a front. She pressed further, “What if he wants to pursue you? After all, we’re all in G City now, anything’s possible.”

“Don’t make baseless assumptions. I already like someone.”

“Really?” Fang Tang didn’t buy this common excuse and snorted dismissively. “A beauty like you must be into some super handsome guy, right?”

“Yes, I’m shallow, I only like good-looking people.” Luo Qingyan raised an eyebrow slightly. “He’s exceptionally handsome, the pinnacle of my aesthetic standards, so he’s incredibly hard to chase. I’m working on it!”

“Aren’t you exaggerating? Now I’m curious, do you have a photo?”

“A photo?” A smile suddenly bloomed on Luo Qingyan’s lips, spreading to her eyes, softening her entire expression. “Oh, right. I’ve never taken one of him.”

“This…” A sly glint flashed in Fang Tang’s eyes. “You’re not making up a fictional person, are you? A beauty like you must get pursued by so many people, maybe you’re just using this as a defense mechanism?”

“I do get pursued quite a bit, but most people are reasonable. Once I turn them down, they usually leave me alone.” Luo Qingyan’s words were also meant for Huo Bowen, hoping he’d take the hint.

“Oh… Well, next month at Fan Shuxin’s wedding, bring this super handsome guy along. I’m way too curious about someone you praise so highly.”

As Fang Tang spoke, Luo Qingyan’s phone rang. She pulled it out while listening to the other girl. “I haven’t caught him yet, and besides, he’s got a unique personality, he wouldn’t come even if invited. Oh! What a coincidence, he’s calling me now. I’ll take this outside; you all carry on.” With that, Luo Qingyan stepped out of the private room.

The caller, of course, wasn’t the handsome guy she was supposedly chasing, it was a delivery person. But it gave her the perfect excuse to leave, not just the room for a moment, but the entire gathering.

Some people were two-faced, and she didn’t want to waste her time on them.

Shortly after, Luo Qingyan bid her classmates farewell and left the party, using the excuse that the handsome guy needed her help with something urgent.

She couldn’t care less what others thought. Fang Tang’s hostility was practically oozing out, and anyone with eyes could see her departure was justified. If they wanted to label her as someone who prioritized romance over friendship, so be it.

Leaving the KTV, it was still early. Luo Qingyan decided to stop by a restaurant to pick up some delicious food to bring back for her little merman.

At lunch, she’d had some particularly tasty Peking duck and realized she’d forgotten about this dish that could win over taste buds worldwide. Her little merman would probably love it too, and she was determined to let him try it. Since she had time now, why wait? She’d go grab a portion to take home.

However, when she arrived at the restaurant, she discovered that Peking duck was only available during specific time slots, as it was best enjoyed freshly roasted. It was already past lunchtime and not yet dinnertime, so she couldn’t buy any for the moment. Going to other restaurants wouldn’t guarantee the same delicious taste.

In the end, she decided to head home first and have the Peking duck delivered later, once it was available during the designated hours.

Luo Qingyan took a taxi home. As soon as she stepped out of the car, she spotted the package left at her doorstep.

Her neighbors were all familiar faces, and it was common for everyone to leave less valuable packages by their doors, as things rarely went missing. This time, however, Luo Qingyan’s purchase was quite bulky, and she struggled to move everything inside.

“Xiaomei, I’m back!” The first thing she did upon entering was greet the little merman. She picked up Chestnut, who was happily wagging and bouncing around her legs, and headed toward the bathroom.

“Did you buy something heavy?” the little merman asked, placing his tablet on the stool beside the bathtub.

“Yes! They’re all very useful things, and they’re for you,” Luo Qingyan replied. After making sure the little merman was safe and sound, she set Chestnut down. “I’ll go unpack them now. Wait for me a moment.”

“Okay.”

It took Luo Qingyan some time to unwrap everything. Once she finished, she washed her hands and wheeled the items into the bathroom.

“Ta-da!” she announced cheerfully as she pushed a wheeled chair into the bathroom. “This kind of chair can glide, so it’ll be much easier to move you around if needed. But let’s avoid the pond in the yard unless it’s absolutely necessary. Even if we cover you with a bedsheet, it’s still not safe enough. What if a neighbor sees you?”

“Mm, I’m perfectly fine staying in the bathtub,” the little merman replied, eyeing the new items with interest.

“And this!” Luo Qingyan picked up a small tray from the chair and walked over to the bathtub. “It’s a special tray for the bathtub. Just place it here, and it’s ready to use. It even slides! This way, it’ll be more convenient for you to eat or use your iPad.”

The little merman watched attentively as Luo Qingyan placed the tray on the bathtub and demonstrated how it slid back and forth. His face lit up with delight. “This is great, so convenient. Humans have always been amazing at inventing clever little gadgets!”

“There’s one more little gadget,” Luo Qingyan said, turning around to grab a star-shaped lamp from the chair. She placed it on the ledge at one end of the bathtub. “It’s a small night light. Just press it to turn it on. The light is soft, perfect for nighttime. This way, the bathroom will have some light without drawing attention from outside.”

These items were all ordered yesterday morning. G City was a fairly developed area, so next-day delivery was no problem. She hadn’t anticipated the power outage when buying the lamp, she simply thought a small night light would be energy-efficient and bought one on a whim.

She turned on the night light, and a warm glow emanated from it. Even in the daytime, the star-shaped lamp looked quite beautiful.

“Pretty nice, right?” Luo Qingyan stared at the star lamp, her eyes shimmering slightly.

“Yes, it’s lovely,” the little merman replied, first looking at the lamp and then at Luo Qingyan. He tilted his head gently. “You seem a little upset.”

Luo Qingyan’s eyes flickered. Without looking at him, she lifted her head and let out a soft sigh. “I suddenly feel like dancing!”