Side Story 3: Mermaid

A woman in a long dress walked slowly along the beach. Her silhouette appeared fragile, and as she gazed at the sea, there was a sense of solitude and loneliness about her.

However, that was merely how she appeared on the outside.

Liao Tingyan looked at the distant horizon and thought: I wonder what dishes Auntie Zhou will make today. This morning I saw her buying squid, probably for soup, but honestly, grilled squid tastes better.

How frustrating! If I hadn't just arrived in this world recently, if I could change my character setting so easily, I would have directly requested spicy squid!

Last night there had been a heavy downpour, with fierce winds that didn't stop until morning. Now the shore was littered with tiny fish, shrimp, and small shells—all washed up by last night's waves.

Thinking about lunch, Liao Tingyan walked farther and farther along the coastline.

Then, behind a reef, she saw a mermaid.

A mermaid?

Why would there be a mermaid in this world?

Do mermaids exist? Liao Tingyan backed away several steps in shock before realizing—since she could transmigrate to this world, perhaps the existence of mermaids wasn't so strange after all.

She moved closer and discovered that the mermaid appeared to be dead, completely motionless. The scales on its tail were nearly dried out, displaying colors like a peacock's feathers—turquoise with hints of blue. Under proper lighting, they would surely look spectacular, though now they appeared dull from dehydration.

Perhaps it had been washed ashore by last night's massive waves?

Liao Tingyan mentally compared the mermaid to a beached dolphin, considering whether she should report this to authorities. With the cautious attitude of observing a dangerous creature, she slowly approached and quickly touched the fishtail.

I touched a mermaid's tail! All right, this transmigration was worth it.

After touching the mermaid twice with no response, her courage gradually increased. She moved to the side to see the mermaid's face. Its seaweed-like black hair covered its features, tangled with some water plants. Liao Tingyan couldn't see clearly and carefully pushed aside the pitch-black long hair.

It truly was a mermaid, with the handsome face of a man. With such looks, it must be a good mermaid. Since it was already dead, perhaps she shouldn't report it and instead let it return to the sea in peace.

Liao Tingyan touched its hair, tail fin, and chest, satisfying her curiosity before trying to drag it toward the sea. Her current body was slightly weaker than before, making it difficult to move such a large mermaid. She rested twice during the process. To move it more effectively, she had to hold the mermaid's arms and press its chest against her own. The cold temperature further confirmed that this was indeed a dead mermaid.

What a pity.

She finally reached the sea, wondering if the water was deep enough when suddenly the "dead" mermaid moved in her hands. She felt a sharp pain as the mermaid plunged into the sea. Liao Tingyan was pulled in by a hand and dragged into the water by the mermaid before she could even react.

...

The mermaid had awakened from being touched. He felt the burning pain of dehydration across his body, especially on his fish tail, where the sea breeze cut like knives against his dried scales. He had been pounded to shore by last night's storm and had unexpectedly fainted for so long.

He was accustomed to swimming in great storms but had never been so unlucky as to be thrown onto land.

He kept his eyes closed, sensing an unfamiliar breath nearby—a human. Murderous intent instantly surged within him, but lacking strength, he could only lie quietly in ambush.

The human cautiously touched his tail, then moved his hair, and touched his ear fins. Her nervous, suppressed breathing was crystal clear to his ears. A very weak human. The mermaid slightly moved his hand with its sharp claws, considering whether to simply kill this human. His fingers could easily slash her throat or tear open her stomach.

But he never expected that this human would carry him back to the sea. Typically when humans encountered mermaids, they captured them. Any mermaid taken away never met a good fate—this he knew well.

Yet this small, thin human looked at him without greed, gently touching his hair and tail like curious little fish that approached him in the ocean. The murderous intent boiling inside him inexplicably subsided somewhat.

His burning tail touched seawater, and the cool water instantly brought relief. At that moment, the mermaid leaped into the sea, pulling the human down with him.

At that instant, he intended to drag this human into the sea to drown her, so he gripped her tightly and pressed her underwater.

She seemed frightened, her eyes wide open staring at him, her white dress floating in the water, bubbles escaping from her mouth.

...

Liao Tingyan's mouth released several bubbles as she felt herself dying. She mentally cursed—was this mermaid fishing or hunting? Had he been deliberately lying there? With such a pretty face, how could he do something so shameless?

There's a fish killing people here! Won't someone do something about this?

The sea was the mermaid's territory; he could kill her effortlessly. Liao Tingyan thought about how she had transmigrated just days ago, not yet having enjoyed that seaside villa or spent her considerable savings, never experiencing what being wealthy felt like. She instantly became furious, struggling wildly and grabbing the mermaid's seaweed-like black hair, ignoring his raging pretty face, and bit his face—only to choke herself half to death.

Before losing consciousness, Liao Tingyan shouted in her mind: If I die! I curse you to never find a wife! You crafty, pretty-faced mermaid!

Perhaps her curse worked because she discovered she hadn't died. She woke up on a desolate shore, soaking wet, and sneezed. Looking around in confusion: Where the hell am I?

This seemed to be an island, a very small one at that—walking around its perimeter took her only about fifteen minutes. So was this supposed to be a desert island survival situation? She glanced at her delicate hands. This wasn't desert island survival; this was a death sentence.

She immediately lay down on the beach.

Too exhausting. Might as well have died and gone back.

She hadn't been lying there long when someone sprayed her with water.

Liao Tingyan sat up and saw the pretty-faced mermaid not far off in the sea. He held a round-bellied fish that squirted water through its mouth toward her when he squeezed its belly.

Damn you.

She grabbed a handful of sand and threw it toward the mermaid, but the sand didn't travel far, being blown away halfway by the wind. Seeing this, the temperamental pretty-faced mermaid displayed a mocking expression.

I've learned my lesson. Next time I encounter strange creatures, I should immediately report it. Handling things privately leads to no good outcome.

And enough already! What are you spraying? Are you addicted to spraying water?! Apologize to the round fish in your hand!

Liao Tingyan stood up and walked a few angry steps toward the sea, then cautiously stopped. Was this fellow trying to lure her over to drown her again? This devious bastard of a mermaid couldn't be trusted.

The mermaid seemed to guess her thoughts from her expression and let out a scoffing laugh. Then he raised his hand and threw another fish—this one as long as an arm—toward Liao Tingyan. She had no time to dodge and was knocked onto the beach with a yelp. She stood up, looking at the live fish still flapping its tail on her body, and glared at the mermaid in disbelief. Are you seriously using such a big fish as a weapon to hit me?!

Why not just use a rock?

Liao Tingyan was furious. She grabbed the fish with both hands and threw it back, but her aim was poor, and it only reached the shallow water. The large fish, back in the water, was about to escape when the mermaid swiftly caught it.

He also seemed somewhat annoyed, frowning as he looked at Liao Tingyan, then coldly throwing the fish back onto the beach with a loud slap. This time Liao Tingyan dodged it. She looked at the fish by her feet, hands on hips, thinking: Your aim isn't so great this time. Go ahead and throw again, let's see if you can hit me!

The mermaid recognized her challenge and displayed a complex expression that clearly said: Is this person an idiot?

With a flick of his peacock-blue fishtail in the water, he disappeared into the sea like an arrow.

Once he left, Liao Tingyan crouched down. She sat on the beach catching her breath, looking at the equally gasping unfortunate fish beside her. Hmm, this looked like a fish she had eaten before, the kind Auntie Zhou bought a few days ago. She remembered it was quite expensive, with good meat and few bones. It even had a unique flavor when eaten raw... Wait, raw? Eat?

Liao Tingyan finally realized what seemed off. Yes, if the mermaid wanted to hit her, why use a fish instead of a rock? Could it be that this wasn't meant to hit her but was brought for her to eat?

Being stared at by the unfortunate fish's dead eye, Liao Tingyan finally understood, then grabbed her hair in bewilderment. No, wait—wasn't that treacherous, hot-tempered mermaid trying to drown me? Why would he give me food?

She thought the mermaid would leave her alone on the island, but he returned quickly, staying at the same spot, maintaining distance between them—one in the water, one on shore.

The mermaid looked at the untouched fish by her feet and threw another one beside her.

Liao Tingyan hesitantly asked: "For me to eat?"

She discovered the mermaid couldn't speak, though he seemed to understand her words, snorting once before throwing several more small fish at her.

Perhaps he wasn't so bad after all. Liao Tingyan moved a bit closer and shouted: "Can you take me back?"

"Ow!" She was hit on the forehead by a shell. Looking up, she saw the mermaid had swum away again.

Liao Tingyan grabbed the shell, rubbing her forehead and shouting: "Ah—" So infuriating, what is this fish doing?

Then she discovered a round pearl inside the shell. It wasn't the shell's original pearl but a clean, beautiful shell specifically holding a pearl that shimmered with a gentle light pink luster.

What are you doing?

By evening, Liao Tingyan sat by the sea feeling hungry and thirsty, but she couldn't bring herself to eat the raw fish with their fishy smell. The island had little else edible.

She gazed at the pink and turquoise sunset on the horizon and saw a mermaid leap from the sea. His peacock-blue fishtail gleamed brilliantly under the last rays of light, incredibly dreamlike. The scene was like something from a legend, leaving Liao Tingyan stunned for quite a while, her heart filled with emotion—how beautiful.

Then the mermaid approached and sprayed her with water to wake her from her daze.

He noticed the untouched fish by her feet and frowned, pointing at them. His manner was extremely lordly, like an ancestor pointing out the state of the world. Though he didn't speak, Liao Tingyan felt he was saying: Eat what I gave you.

Perhaps because of the scene she'd just witnessed, or maybe due to her nature, as she couldn't remain tense for long, Liao Tingyan suddenly lifted her dried dress and walked into the sea, slowly approaching the mermaid.

The mermaid didn't move. He leaned against a reef, watching her as if this weakling wasn't worth his concern.

Liao Tingyan moved closer. "I think you're a good fish."

The mermaid looked down at her: "Hmph."

Though he couldn't speak, that snort was truly quintessential.

Liao Tingyan suddenly grabbed the mermaid's arm and began wailing: "I want to go back! I'm starving! Waaaaaaaaah! Help me!"

The mermaid, not expecting her sudden outburst, was about to dive away when Liao Tingyan hugged his tail. "Take me back, fish-bro, please! Or are you going to leave me here to starve?! Waaaaaah! I want to go home!"

Whether annoyed by her noise or not, the mermaid glared at her for a while, then finally picked her up in his arms and plunged into the sea.

Liao Tingyan held her breath, wondering if he was drowning her because she was noisy or if he had decided to take her home.

The mermaid didn't swim deep. Liao Tingyan saw his face underwater—pale skin and seaweed-like long hair floating—truly like a bewitching water sprite.

Soon she felt she couldn't hold her breath any longer and tugged at the mermaid's hair. He then carried her to the surface.

"Haaaah—" She gasped for air, realizing she had bet correctly—he wasn't trying to drown her but genuinely taking her back.

In the darkening night, she was carried by a mermaid, swimming in the vast ocean. Land was nowhere in sight, with countless stars overhead. Her only support was a mermaid who couldn't speak. Humans' innate fear of the ocean made her cling tightly to the mermaid's waist, switching to his neck when tired, desperately holding on, afraid of being abandoned midway.

His massive fishtail moved through the water, occasionally lightly brushing against her legs. She couldn't help looking down. The tail fins that were closed onshore spread open in the water, displaying an especially dreamlike beauty.

Mermaids are truly beautiful.

She lost track of time, aware only that the stars in the night sky grew increasingly bright. Nearly falling asleep in the water, she finally saw the familiar beach. He had brought her back.

Liao Tingyan felt energized again and rushed from the water to the shore. Once ashore, she turned to look. The mermaid was in the dark water and, seeing her look back, dove under. His tail slapped the surface in the moonlight, splashing water.

Liao Tingyan, clutching a round pearl, decided to forgive this mermaid.

Perhaps they would never meet again.

...but not meeting again was impossible.

Later, she installed a camera under a reef by the sea, thinking that if the mermaid approached again, she would know.

Just two days after installation, she saw the mermaid on the monitor. His face peered into the camera as if knowing what it was. Facing the screen, he tapped the monitor with his sharp fingers, knock-knock-knock, like knocking on a door.

Through the monitor, Liao Tingyan felt as if they made eye contact. The mermaid dropped a shell in front of the camera, containing another round pearl.

What are you doing?

The mermaid came every couple of days, lingering in front of the camera, leaving something behind—pearls, rubies, sapphires, even gold necklaces. Where did he get these? Perhaps from sunken ships? Liao Tingyan couldn't help but wonder. After some time, the mermaid left a box.

Liao Tingyan wondered what was inside, and eventually couldn't resist rushing to the camera to check the items the mermaid had specifically left there.

As a result, just as she bent down, the mermaid sprang from the water and pulled her in.

As she fell, Liao Tingyan mentally cursed. Tricked into the sea by this mermaid again! Those items he deliberately left were "bait"!

Unfortunately, she realized too late.

Liao Tingyan was held by the mermaid as they swam, noticing the proud and pleased smile on his face.

He carried her through the water for a while before placing her back on shore, making his intentions completely bewildering.

This happened several more times. Liao Tingyan was no longer afraid; she found it rather interesting. She learned to swim—taught by the mermaid, though "teaching" might not be the right word; it was more like him deliberately teasing her.

After learning to swim, she felt the sea had become a unique playground, the underwater world suddenly clear. The seabed hosted countless strange creatures; even in shallow waters, it resembled an underwater forest. Liao Tingyan swam after a school of colorful small fish for a while, then noticed a large fish over a meter long approaching. Immediately frightened, she swam back, hiding behind the mermaid.

The mermaid turned to glance at her, seemingly contemptuous of her timidity. Liao Tingyan didn't care; she hid behind him, pushing him forward to look. The previously lazy mermaid suddenly darted out, caught the fish, and dragged it back for Liao Tingyan to get a good look.

He was like a ferocious predator of the deep; ordinary small fish weren't afraid of him, but dangerous large fish fled at the sight of him.

Once, Liao Tingyan got carried away and swam away from the mermaid into deeper waters. There she saw a shark and was terrified, frozen in place as the shark approached fiercely.

That was the first time she heard the mermaid make a sound. His voice was completely different from a human's—a peculiar, high-pitched screech. Liao Tingyan's head spun from hearing it, but the shark charging toward her fared worse, immediately writhing in pain in the water as if suffering a sonic attack.

The mermaid swam over rapidly, his face angry, sharp fingers tearing open the shark's belly. Blood diffused through the water, quickly dyeing a large area red.

The mermaid carried Liao Tingyan away from that part of the sea. Still somewhat dazed, she heard the mermaid angrily call out, seemingly scolding her.

Later, whenever she went swimming, the mermaid followed behind her. If she tried to swim toward deep waters, he would grab her leg and pull her back.

Liao Tingyan didn't know exactly what was happening between her and this mermaid. She dared not think too much about it—thinking would mean acknowledging cross-species dating.

Reflecting, she felt her tastes hadn't been this extreme before. No matter how she thought about it, it wasn't her problem but the mermaid's fault. If he weren't so captivating, she would have maintained proper human standards.

She learned that the mermaid's name was Jiao. Probably. When she asked his name, he made a sound similar to "jiao." Out of personal preference, Liao Tingyan arbitrarily called him "Jiao."

Jiao-jiao! It's super funny!

On a summer evening, Liao Tingyan wore a t-shirt and shorts, carrying a small stool, brushes, and other items to the beach to clean the mermaid's body. After becoming familiar with him, she had to clean him regularly. The crevices between his scales needed cleaning, or they would grow small seaweed and various parasitic plants. The gaps between his fingers and claws also required regular cleaning to remove blood and flesh residue from hunting.

Most important was his hair. The first time Liao Tingyan washed the mermaid's hair, she found a small fish, a shrimp, and a starfish.

A starfish?

You've practically got an entire ecosystem growing on you!

She used unscented pet shampoo to wash him, then braided his long hair into a single plait. While scrubbing the crevices of his fish tail, she laughed, "Rapunzel!"

The mermaid sat lazily, squeezing a plump little fish to spray her with water. Liao Tingyan was prepared and raised her water gun to spray back.

"A new storm has arrived! Spray spray spray spray spray!"

The mermaid remained silent, giving her a look.

By the seaside at night, the mermaid sang for her.

He was a very proud mermaid who rarely made sounds. He sang for her only when very, very happy. At those times, his singing was gentler than moonlight, more melodious than any music in the world.

Amid his singing, she turned to kiss him, softly telling him: "I must have liked you in other worlds too."

Otherwise, how could she have been so easily enchanted by him?

---

End of The Mermaid Side Story

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