Chapter 32 Mermaid 32

Zhang Jingshu received the contract and smiled unconcealedly.

Zhang Yuanhe: "Can you tell Dad what you think? Do you want to take over Lianzhu to build it better and wait for the day when it will rise again, or do you have other ideas?"

Zhang Jingshu was silent for a moment. To be honest, her major was not related to economics, and she knew nothing about running a company, and she had no interest in it at all.

Jang Won Hyuk: "Even though Lianzhu Company was plagued by negative news, I still decided to use my spare funds to acquire it. I regretted the decision a little bit after making it, but looking at your expression now, it was the right decision..."

"I'm more interested in the Luminous Sea."

Zhang Jingshu felt the need to tell Zhang Yuanhe about her thoughts. After a moment's thought, she said, "I've seen the Nightlight Sea. It's a very beautiful place."

“We can develop tourism.”

"No, Dad, I mean that apart from the developed areas, the rest of the land should be preserved as it is. The beauty of the Luminous Sea is untouched by human intervention. If possible, building a small house nearby would be a wonderful way to live."

"With your boyfriend?" Zhang Yuanhe seemed thoughtful.

Zhang Jingshu admitted: "Yes, with him."

She was born with money, which most people pursue throughout their lives, so her material desires are not very high, even too low.

When she was in elementary school, the topic of her composition was "What do I want to be when I grow up?" Other children wanted to be heroes, princesses, astronauts, and scientists, but she wrote, "I hope to be someone my parents like."

Growing up in a family where her parents' relationship was hypocritical and broken, she spent more than twenty years searching for love.

To be needed and to seek a sense of value.

It's all because she doubted her own existence.

As for now, it seems that nothing can be more important than letting Cheng Shuinan return to the sea.

"I'll assign an experienced person to manage Lianzhu Company. As for other matters, you don't need to worry about them..." Zhang Yuanhe took out a card and handed it to Zhang Jingshu. "Here's the money Dad saved for you. Do whatever you want to do. Dad will always be your strongest support. As for the house, have you found a construction company? Do you want my help?"

"I'll tell Dad if I need to."

…

Zhang Jingshu was already thinking about what kind of sea view house she would build. It could be a large European-style villa, a Chinese-style courtyard house, or a simple bungalow. She decided to treat this as a surprise.

If she told Cheng Shuinan this, she would feel that it lacked interest and seemed very dull.

Her idea of living with Cheng Shuinan in the Nightlight Sea was a major event concerning their future. She should carefully create a sweet atmosphere on a certain day and treat it as a surprise finale. Cheng Shuinan would definitely like it. Who knows, she might see him so surprised and shy that he would make a fish tail in front of her and look at her with dependence in his eyes.

It was as if she was his whole world.

After returning home, the two of them were hiding their own things, and their moods were completely different.

Zhang Jingshu had already finished her meal, but for the sake of confidentiality, she still ate the small bread baked by Cheng Shuinan. The quality of this bread was very different from his previous ones. The bread seemed a little mushy and she needed to pinch off the skin before she could eat it.

Zhang Jingshu was thinking about something and remembered that the group leader said that the yard for stray animals could no longer accommodate any more animals. Lianzhu Company had a large pearl processing factory, which actually seemed to be a place where mermaids were imprisoned. Some of the space here could be used to accommodate stray animals.

She held her chin with one hand, raised the bread to her lips, and looked in a good mood, with the corners of her mouth raised high.

Cheng Shuinan stared at her intently. When he saw her smile, he did not squeeze in next to her as usual, but sat quietly, feeling a dull pain in his chest that he could not vent.

This mood continued until before going to bed. Zhang Jingshu seemed to sense his low mood and took the initiative to hold his face and kissed him.

"Why are you unhappy?"

Cheng Shuinan almost drowned in her gentle questioning. His dark eyes, filled with her shadow, gradually became filled with a thick black. He put his lips close to hers, smelling the sweet scent of oranges and the faint smell of sea water. His voice rang out as usual: "Zhang Jingshu, I want to kiss you."

Their lips were only a few millimeters apart, and Zhang Jingshu could feel the mermaid's cool breath on her cheeks. Her light-colored hairs trembled, and her eyelashes blinked uncontrollably. She looked into Cheng Shuinan's alluring eyes, without opening her mouth, but squeezed out a "hmm" sound from her throat.

Cheng Shuinan hugged her waist and pushed her back.

…

Cheng Shuinan left her lips. The soft prickles on the surface of his tongue had a hypnotic effect, and she fell into a deep sleep. He knelt beside her, his eyes fixed on her beautiful face.

Further down, he used his fingers to unbutton his clothes.

Zhang Jingshu was sleeping peacefully, her chest rising and falling slightly, her skin tight and fair, and the lingering scent like the aroma of aphrodisiac medicine. At this moment, when it was exposed before his eyes without any cover, he actually felt that fate was playing a trick on him.

The skin hidden on her waist and abdomen showed traces of being wet.

It had a distinct fishy smell. It looked as if fish scales were growing here… He lowered his eyelashes, unable to describe his feelings at the moment.

He then checked other parts of her body. In addition to her waist and abdomen, there were also some spots behind her ears. The problem there was even worse. Not only was there liquid, but there were also a few scattered, not-so-obvious particles. If this continued for a long time, scales might grow.

Cheng Shuinan remained kneeling, not knowing how to react. When he came to his senses, a few pearls had fallen on the bed, next to her body. He wiped away the tears from the side of his face with the back of his hand.

Lying on the bed, he put his arms around the sleeping Zhang Jingshu, curled up in her arms and took a deep breath, as if he was suffocating himself. He shrank further into Zhang Jingshu's arms, and then, remembering what Cheng Qingyuan said, he suddenly let go of his hands and stepped back.

Looking at Zhang Jingshu’s sleeping face from a distance.

The tears could no longer be stopped from falling.

If he continued to stay here, her body would become abnormal until she died. Leaving her side did not seem so difficult to accept.

Early in the morning, Cheng Shuinan prepared a hearty breakfast for Zhang Jingshu. He held his chin and looked at her quietly, his eyes dark and his emotions indistinguishable. Before she left home, he hugged her and even clung to her and kissed her for a long time, and then watched her leave.

Cheng Shuinan went to the address left by Cheng Qingyuan.

…

"You're here." Cheng Qingyuan sat leisurely on the sofa. The fabric covering the sofa was a little old and the wall was peeling. Everything in the room showed that this was an old house from a long time ago.

Even the door creaked.

It is Cheng Shuinan’s childhood home.

Cheng Shuinan suppressed the surging emotions of anger, unwillingness, and doubt, but none of these were as important as the sweet dream fragrance. He walked over and stretched out his hand: "I'm here, give me the sweet dream fragrance."

Cheng Qingyuan: "Don't be anxious, don't you want to talk to me? Do you still remember this place? This is our..."

"Shut up, you don't deserve it!" Cheng Shuinan's eyes suddenly turned red.

Cheng Qingyuan still had a gentle smile on his face, but his eyes were cold. He looked at his son, who looked somewhat like him, without any emotion. He was his and Lian's child. Thinking of Lian, he tried hard to control his facial expression so that he would appear to be a kind father in Cheng Shuinan's eyes.

"I'm not worthy. Back then, I was blinded by the benefits, but later... I regretted it..."

Cheng Shuinan tilted his head and stared at the bare windowsill, where there should have been flowers and plants that his mother carefully cared for, and a few irises with flowers that looked like fluttering butterflies, a light purple. Now there was nothing.

"What exactly is your purpose?"

"Just a father's concern."

Cheng Shuinan didn't believe it and looked angry.

At this moment, all the gentleness on his face faded away, and his beautiful face finally looked like a deep-sea predator. His pupils were pitch black, and his eyes were filled with a chilling coldness.

Even every strand of hair seemed to have turned into a sharp weapon.

The old house smells bad, and the walls are filled with the odor of decay. On the TV cabinet is a family photo, which was taken by Cheng Qingyuan for his family with a camera. The happy smiles of the family of three are frozen on the photo paper. As time goes by, it turns yellow, but even if it is placed in a frame, you can still see the traces of time left on it.

Cheng Shuinan is like a cub of a ferocious beast, showing his sharp claws only when in danger. In fact, it is just a trick to scare away danger and has no killing power at all.

Cheng Qingyuan ignored his threats and walked over to the photo frame. He stared at the woman with a gentle smile. After a long pause, he said, "You really don't believe what I say. I also want to be a caring father... But Nannan, if you were me, would you be able to raise you as your dearest son without distraction?"

The doors and windows were closed tightly, and the wind blowing in from all directions made the house buzz.

The hand covering Lian's cheek left and gradually pressed on the boy's face in the middle. There were two deep scratches in the middle of the thin photo paper, tearing the little boy's face into pieces.

This shows her disgust towards boys.

The black curtain, removed before the play began, fell from Cheng Qingyuan's face. He walked to the bedroom door, pushed it open, and walked in lightly. The room where the big bed once stood was now occupied by a huge transparent freezer.

The woman lying inside, her face uneroded by time, is still soft and beautiful, as if she is just sleeping, like Snow White in the fairy tale waiting to be kissed by the prince. Her lower body is a silver fishtail, dotted with gorgeous shooting stars.

Beside her was a transparent bottle containing a light red liquid.

Cheng Shuinan couldn't believe what he saw.

He opened his mouth, his voice almost hoarse: "Mother..."

Cheng Qingyuan sat down next to the freezer, his gaze resting on her face through the transparent glass as he spoke softly, "I was indeed blinded by profit at first, but that was also because I wanted you to live a good life, not live with me in this tiny house. Lian is a mermaid, and this tiny house can't even fit a bigger bathtub. She has the most beautiful fish tail, but every time she has to curl up in this small, cramped place. I just want her to live a good life..."

After the original wish was fulfilled and the benefits of money were tasted, the heart that just wanted to make the family live a good life gradually expanded and became crazy.

Cheng Qingyuan, who was busy with his career, unknowingly used Lian as a tool to make money. Lian obviously noticed it and became depressed. The relationship between the two gradually became colder. However, a turning point appeared -

Lian is pregnant.

As the two rejoiced, Lian slowly began to feel the changes in her body. As life began to grow in her womb, her body, having been away from the sea for so long, began to dry out and wither. Like a fish starving for water, it will struggle desperately at first, and Lian was no exception.

Cheng Qingyuan hid the regret and anger in his eyes: "A mermaid's gestation period only takes one month, just thirty days, and I saw her health getting worse and worse... Nannan, you grew up relying on the nutrients of the lotus. Your birth was at the cost of the lotus's perseverance and health..."

Cheng Shuinan staggered back half a step, clenching his hands tightly at his sides. Even with his nail clippers digging into his flesh, he couldn't get rid of his grief. In his memory, his mother always had a pale face, and it turned out that it was caused by him.

If he hadn't existed...would my mother still be alive and healthy now?

The devil's voice echoed in the room: "Nannan, your mother almost gave her life for you. If it weren't for giving birth to you, how could her body be worn out... You want to repay your mother, you should help her, right?"

The lotus in the freezer had a soft and beautiful sleeping face, but the paleness of her body still exposed her current condition.

Cheng Shuinan lowered his eyelashes: "She is dead."

Cheng Qingyuan: "Dead? No, no, Lian is not dead, she just fell asleep. Do you see the white solid inside? This is a drug developed by the X Research Institute that can freeze the body..."

A hundred years ago, the X Research Institute was forced to terminate its project due to lack of funds, and all of its research results were eventually acquired by other companies, which is now the Zhihe Biotechnology Company.

"I saw my mother die in front of me."

"So what? Now I've found a way to save her," Cheng Qingyuan said. "You think I captured those mermaids for the pearls? You've really misunderstood me. Now I just want Lian to come back to me. I've tried all sorts of methods, even going so far as to find someone who had contact with the X Research Institute. I spent a lot of money before they were willing to reveal it..."

Cheng Qingyuan looked at his son beside him.

He has a face that is no less beautiful than Lian's. He used to be an ignorant and pitiful mermaid, scarred, kind and innocent, but also stubborn, which made him grit his teeth and refuse to shed a tear no matter how he was beaten or scolded. As a result, now, after only being with Zhang Jingshu for a few days, he can shed pearly tears.

If Lian were still alive, he would be a good father.

But now, it's impossible.

"Only after a mature mermaid's tears turn into pearls will the fluids in his body become filled with magical properties... Nannan, Dad didn't want to hurt you at first. I tried to use the blood of other mermaids, but it was useless. I guess, maybe only you can do it, since you and Lian are blood relatives..."

"Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for your mother?" Cheng Qingyuan pleaded, his eyes full of hope.

Cheng Shuinan felt like he couldn't breathe. His face was pale, almost sickly. As Cheng Qingyuan finished speaking, his whole body trembled violently, and his dark eyes revealed confusion and deep sadness.

His chest felt as if it had been dug out. He slowly raised his eyes, and saw undisguised disgust and hatred in Cheng Qingyuan's eyes.

It was as if... he shouldn't exist in this world.

Yes, Cheng Qingyuan was extremely cruel to himself. Cheng Shuinan used to be unable to understand why his father treated him more and more coldly.

He thought of his mother, lying weakly in the bathtub, listless and always asleep.

It turned out that she had once been healthy and lively, but that was before he was born.

His face became increasingly gloomy, his lusterless eyes looked as if they were splashed with black ink, his fingertips were tightly curled up, and his fishtail had transformed at some point, the strong and beautiful tail stretched tightly against the ground, without the cover of the carpet, and even the flesh hidden inside the bent part of the tail was crying out in pain.

What hurts the most is his heart.

He opened his mouth and said in a hoarse voice: "You locked me up in the cell because my birth hurt my mother's body..."

Of course, it's not just that. Cheng Qingyuan once truly loved his son, but all of this was nothing compared to the interests. He wanted Lian to be reborn, which required a large sum of money, and the mermaid's pearl was his tool for making a profit.

At the beginning, he was unable to trap a large number of mermaids, so he could only turn his attention to Cheng Shuinan. Later, as he inflicted more and more pain on him, the bond between the two gradually broke down.

Cheng Qingyuan's initial guilt and self-blame turned into indifference.

But he would not say these out loud. He admitted that he was selfish and despicable. What he had to do now was to break Cheng Shuinan's mentality and make him give up his life voluntarily.

"Yes, I love your mother very much, but it was because of your birth that she was deprived of her life. I... Nannan, don't blame Dad for blaming you..."

"Look at your mother. She loves you very much, but now she can only lie in the cold freezer. You feel sorry for her, right? Please save her..."

The veins on Cheng Shuinan's fair neck were brimming with blue. He kept his eyes down, looking at his mother who was clearly lifeless in the freezer.

In her final moments, all she wanted to do was take him back to the ocean.

The dark warehouse disrupted his memory, and the missing scenes slowly appeared in his mind -

Although Lian and Cheng Qingyuan often quarrel, they love each other very much.

In the last moments of Lian's life, she didn't want to take him away and never come back, but she knew that her life was about to end, and she keenly noticed the abnormality of Cheng Qingyuan during that period. She was worried that after her death, Cheng Shuinan would be angered, so she wanted to take him to a safe place.

The wind outside the window grew louder, filling the entire room with a humming sound.

Cheng Shuinan used his fish tail to press against the ground, closed his eyes tightly, and crystal tears overflowed from his eye sockets. He did not wipe them away, letting the tears slide down and turn into pearls, making a crisp sound when hitting the ground.

The impact seemed to hit the heart, and the opened crack revealed the sad, helpless and painful appearance of the mermaid when she was young and adolescence.

He was silent for a moment, then slowly walked to Cheng Qingyuan's side, lowering his eyes to look down at his old father who was sitting beside the bed.

"If there is any possibility, I certainly want my mother back." He sighed softly.

Cheng Qingyuan showed a look of joy.

Cheng Shuinan observed his expression calmly. The cold aura was like a deep sea where sunlight could not penetrate, gloomy, deep and dark.

"Can Sweet Dream Fragrance heal Zhang Jingshu's condition?"

Cheng Qingyuan answered honestly, "Of course you can. She's only been with you for a short time, and the mermaid's genes have little impact. All it takes is a bottle of Sweet Dreams fragrance to eliminate all traces of you on her body, and she'll become a healthy person."

"There's only one bottle." Cheng Shuinan stared at the small red bottle and asked in a low voice: "If my death can successfully wake up my mother, how will you live in human society without Sweet Dreams Fragrance? Or will you take my mother back to the ocean..."

Perhaps knowing that Cheng Shuinan was about to die, Cheng Qingyuan was happy to tell him the results of his experiment at this time.

Cheng Shuinan has always been gentle and simple, like the mermaid representing kindness in fairy tales, or like a little lamb trapped in a fence, with a softness all over his body.

Cheng Qingyuan said, "Ocean? How is that possible? Nannan has never been to the ocean, so of course she doesn't know how boring it is there, and how it can't compare to the colorful human world. Besides, I have money now, and Lian will definitely live here with me..."

"As for the sweet dream fragrance, I have already researched its formula. Although the sweet dream fragrance I developed is not as effective as the one sold by Zhihe, it is still very useful."

"You are really amazing. You can even create sweet dream fragrance." Cheng Shuinan slowly approached Cheng Qingyuan, his eyes dark and lifeless.

Cheng Qingyuan looked at the pale red potion next to Lian: "It's not difficult, but the method is too bloody. It requires human blood to suppress the mermaid's genes... The two suppress each other and are interdependent."

"Nannan, don't hesitate. You want Lian to come back, right? Daddy will help you realize it. Be prepared. It won't hurt..."

Cheng Shuinan nodded.

——Realize? Realize what?

The atmosphere suddenly became quiet and silent. The dripping sound of the water covering the mermaid's body falling to the ground sounded like a deadly drumbeat.

Even the soft and harmless lambs have two faces. In front of their loved ones, they carefully retract their strong horns and transform into objects to please their loved ones. However, when faced with threats, even the most harmless creatures will fight back.

Furthermore, mermaids are not a kind species. They live in the deep sea where food is scarce, and their nests are in places where sunlight cannot reach. Unlike humans, they do not live in groups, but each occupies a territory and will fight for territory, food, and females.

Some people may be bewitched by the mermaid's overly handsome appearance, but as soon as he opens his mouth and reveals his fangs, they will discover that his gorgeous appearance hides a ferocious and evil heart.

Cheng Qingyuan obviously made such a mistake.

He waited for Cheng Shuinan to show a tearful expression after hearing what he said. He only needed to pretend to comfort him for a few words before taking his life.

He was constructing the whole process of the crime in his mind when suddenly the world spun around and his back hit the ground hard, causing his head to feel slightly numb. He closed his eyes several times before his vision became clear again.

Then, Cheng Qingyuan saw Cheng Shuinan slowly bending down, his dark eyes staring at him dimly, his pupils so clear that they could clearly print out his terrified and shocked face at the moment. The hand on his neck was cold and sticky, and the touch that did not belong to human skin made Cheng Qingyuan subconsciously show fear when facing Cheng Shuinan.

"Nannan...I'm your father..."

Cheng Shuinan pursed his lips, his thin eyelashes made him look soft and beautiful, and his overly pale lips gradually returned to color.

The father who was tall and strong when he was a child now looked so thin and old in his palm.

After meeting Cheng Qingyuan, he called him "Father" for the first time.

He slowly tightened his fingers, with an unknown emotion in his eyes.

"Help me too, I don't want to leave her."

The huge difference in strength left Cheng Qingyuan with no energy to resist. He could only gasp for air and squeeze out the words from his confined throat: "No... No..."

Cheng Shuinan said calmly: "Mother has passed away. She left here ten years ago. You should take her back to the sea and bury her bones."

"Since you haven't done what you did, I'll take Mother back to the sea. As for Father...if you truly feel you've wronged me, please help me. I don't want to leave Zhang Jingshu's side."

"I want to stay in human society and stay with her forever."

The usually gentle and soft face was inevitably stained with a bit of crazy paranoia.

Cheng Qingyuan thought he was going to die here, but suddenly a bell rang in the living room.

Cheng Shuinan froze and slowly frowned.

Cheng Qingyuan's face turned red, he took a deep breath, and then fainted.

Cheng Shuinan stood up straight and went to the living room.

After answering the phone, the expression on his face suddenly changed into a gentle smile: "Zhang Jingshu, I'll be home soon."

After Zhang Jingshu became the boss, she thought she didn't need to punch in at work because she would just sit for a while and then leave the company. She booked a restaurant and bought flowers, but when she returned home, she couldn't find any trace of Cheng Shuinan. He didn't answer her phone calls, and she sent him many messages but he didn't reply.

I panicked for a moment and ran to the property management to ask to see the surveillance footage.

Of course, the property management company couldn't let the owner check the surveillance footage at will. Zhang Jingshu lied that her child was missing, and only after much persuasion did the property management company let her check it.

Then she discovered that Cheng Qingyuan had come to her house a day ago.

Her sixth sense told her that Cheng Shuinan must be looking for Cheng Qingyuan. The moment the phone was connected, she heard Cheng Shuinan's voice that he was safe and sound, and her heart finally settled down.

"Cheng Shuinan, where are you now?"

There was silence for a while.

Zhang Jingshu sensed something was wrong and asked directly, "Are you with Cheng Qingyuan?"

There was still silence on the other side, and finally a low, stuttering voice rang out: "No, yes, I'll be back soon. What do you want to eat?"

"Don't change the subject," Zhang Jingshu's tone darkened. "Cheng Shuinan, tell me the truth, where are you now?"

Zhang Jingshu seemed to have grasped his hesitation at the moment: "Don't lie."

"I'm at Cheng Qingyuan's house." Cheng Shuinan decided to tell the truth.

Zhang Jingshu's heart immediately began to beat again: "He's with you?"

Cheng Shuinan quickly explained: "I'm safe now, don't worry, I came... to find him to solve some problems, you wait for me at home, I will be back soon."

"No, Cheng Shuinan, I need to go find you. I won't be able to leave you. Tell me your address and I'll come right over."

Cheng Shuinan pursed his lips, reluctantly told the address, and added a request: "Can you wait for me downstairs?"

Zhang Jingshu was very efficient. She had already taken the elevator and was pressing the floor number while holding the phone: "Cheng Shuinan, you are hiding something from me."

"Okay then... I'll wait for you in the room." The brave ventral fins instantly wilted, folding down to the sides of the slippery fish tail, just like its owner. In a slightly shy tone, he asked, "When you come over, could you bring me a pair of pants?"

He took a breath, staring at the cloth on the ground that was torn into pieces by the sudden change of the fish tail, "My pants are torn."

Sounds like a kid who made a mistake.

Zhang Jingshu replied "OK" and pressed the new floor number: "Wait for me."

"Okay." Cheng Shuinan looked around and sat on the sofa.

…

Zhang Jingshu repeatedly confirmed Cheng Shuinan's safety, and when she learned that Cheng Qingyuan had fainted, she felt relieved and went to Cheng Qingyuan's community. This was an old community with incomplete facilities. Even the building facades looked gray from the outside.

She found the location Cheng Shuinan mentioned.

From a distance, she could see Cheng Shuinan half sticking out of the window and waving at her.

Seeing that he was not hurt at all, Zhang Jingshu could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

When she came to the room, the floor was stained with mermaid slime. She walked around it carefully to avoid slipping. Cheng Shuinan quickly put his arm over her, and the shiny black fish tail turned into white legs in an instant.

Zhang Jingshu looked over subconsciously, then looked away, her cheeks turning red. She pushed the bag containing her pants to his chest, her tone a little bad, and she was still angry that he came to Cheng Qingyuan without saying a word.

"Put your pants on."

Cheng Shuinan pursed his lips and hummed in a muffled voice.

Zhang Jingshu waited patiently for him to finish packing.

Perhaps it was because he failed to accomplish what he wanted to do, or perhaps it was because his rationality that had disappeared after seeing Zhang Jingshu slowly returned. The emotions that surged up at this moment were more of grievance and uneasiness. He put on his pants in a hurry, without even fixing his waist belt, and rubbed against Zhang Jingshu and hooked her with his little finger.

"Don't be mad at me, okay?"

Cheng Shuinan bent down, staring up at Zhang Jingshu's overly cold expression. He didn't know what to do to calm her down, so he could only rely on the feeling in his heart and slowly wrapped her whole hand in his palm. His tone was obviously flattering: "I was wrong. I shouldn't have come here without notifying you. Will you forgive me?"