Chapter 14 Anything is Possible

It's perfectly normal to ask people who have tried new foods which one tastes better.

Luo Qingyan bought both chocolate and vanilla flavors because she thought they were both delicious, but she chose vanilla mainly because she felt it tasted better at that moment. She never expected that the little merman would give her the vanilla ice cream after receiving her answer.

"I thought you wanted me to recommend something to you!"

"Don't you want vanilla? Then have chocolate." The little merman said calmly.

“It’s not that I don’t want to eat.” Luo Qingyan shook her head slightly. “I just want you to choose what you want to try.”

“They are all new to me, and I can try them all, so I’ll let you eat the one you prefer.”

"Ice cream is delicious, but it's not good to eat too much. Why don't you try a bite of both of these and then choose your favorite?" Luo Qingyan held up the two ice creams in her hand to the little male merman.

"I'll have the chocolate!" the little merman said, reaching for the chocolate ice cream. "I know many humans don't like eating things that others have eaten."

"Alright! Let's not dawdle any longer. Ice cream doesn't taste good when it melts." Luo Qingyan handed the chocolate ice cream to the little merman. "If you like ice cream, I'll buy you other flavors next time."

"Okay." The little merman took the ice cream, took a small bite, and then his eyes lit up with surprise. "It's cool and soft, melts in my mouth, and is so delicious!"

"That's the magic of ice cream." Luo Qingyan also took a bite of ice cream. "The first bite of ice cream is the happiest thing ever. It's like finally lying in bed after a long day. It's all worth it!"

"Mmm!" The little merman loved the ice cream so much that he kept eating it. "Eating delicious food is such a happy thing!"

“Yes, high-sugar, high-calorie foods like ice cream and hamburgers stimulate dopamine secretion, relieve anxiety, and make people feel happy! Hey, let’s eat hamburgers and drink cola next time! There’s also milk tea, cake, pizza… There are so many delicious things, just thinking about them makes me happy!” In the past, Luo Qingyan rarely touched these kinds of foods in order to maintain her figure and health.

It was unexpected that she, who had been eating healthy food and exercising regularly, would end up with a terminal illness.

Maybe the work was just too tiring!

"Hmm, the food you recommended is all delicious." The little merman, eating ice cream, smiled broadly. Suddenly, he remembered something and turned his head to look at the teacup on the stool. "Um... what kind of tea is this? It smells like flowers."

"This is jasmine tea," Luo Qingyan explained. "It does contain jasmine flowers, so it has a floral fragrance. Hey, do mermaids know the scent of flowers even in the sea?"

"The sea is very vast, and the coastline is... colorful. Moreover, human ships often sail on the sea, bringing many... new things."

"I have seen many humans, but I do not know any of them."

Don't you like humans?

"It's not a matter of liking or disliking; to me, humans are the same as other living beings."

"It's different, isn't it?" Luo Qingyan drawled. "Mermaids can fall in love with humans, but they can't fall in love with other creatures, right?"

"If you put it that way, there is a difference."

Do you have someone you like? Do you have a mermaid you like?

The sudden question made the little merman's eyes widen and his head tilt slightly.

Luo Qingyan continued, "I'm single now, so I can pursue you freely, but... what if you already have a mermaid you like? Wouldn't all my efforts be in vain?"

The little male merman thought about it seriously for a while, then shook his head.

"You don't have a mermaid or a human you like!" Luo Qingyan's lips immediately lit up with a smile. "Then I can pursue you without worry. Hey! Do you think you could possibly fall for me? Seriously, like a mermaid's true love?"

The little merman's gaze didn't waver: "Do you think you'd fall in love with me? The kind of genuine human affection?"

"Yes, of course," Luo Qingyan replied without hesitation. "Anything is possible! You're very interesting, and I'm really growing to like you more and more!"

This time, the little merman's gaze flickered, and he looked down at the ice cream in his hand: "Yes, anything is possible."

"If you put it that way, then I'll take your answer as yes?"

The little merman didn't answer. He silently finished his ice cream, then his gaze shifted to the teacup: "May I try some jasmine tea?"

Luo Qingyan hadn't finished her ice cream yet when she reached out and touched the teacup: "That's fine, but this tea is cold. I'll get you a hot one."

"Does tea always have to be drunk hot?"

"Not really, it depends on the type. At least this hot one tastes better."

"Then I'll try it next time you drink it!"

"That's fine too. Alternating between hot and cold isn't good for your stomach, and if you're not suited to drinking tea at night, it might cause more trouble."

"Is it not suitable to drink tea at night?"

"Jasmine flowers are fine, but the main problem is that tea contains caffeine, which can keep the brain in an excited state, making it difficult for people to fall asleep."

"Oh, I see. Won't you have trouble sleeping after drinking it?"

“I drink coffee and tea every day when I work, so… I’m used to it and have developed a tolerance, so I don’t have trouble sleeping. If you haven’t tried it before, you shouldn’t try drinking it before bed.”

"That's interesting. Can I just drink the jasmine tea?"

"Okay... your thought process is really cute." Luo Qingyan chuckled. "Do you want to drink now?"

The little merman shook his head: "No, I'll drink it next time. I was just curious."

"Okay, let's drink it tomorrow! It's getting late, I should probably get ready to wash up and rest." After finishing her ice cream, Luo Qingyan stood up and called over Chestnut.

"Okay, see you tomorrow." The little merman touched the chestnut and waved goodbye to it.

"Hey! Chestnut was so well-behaved when we were eating ice cream. It only flailed around a couple of times and then sat there quietly." A hint of doubt flashed in Luo Qingyan's eyes. "It used to flail around for ages. Could it be that it's become more obedient because it's been spending so much time with you? Or can you communicate with dogs?"

The little merman smiled slightly: "Perhaps!"

"Heh! The mysterious mermaid is back online." Luo Qingyan chuckled, then turned and casually waved his hand. "That's all for now, goodnight."

"Goodnight." The little merman's voice was soft, but then he suddenly remembered something and raised his voice, "What kind of flower do you like?"

"Huh?" Luo Qingyan stopped and turned around. "Why did you suddenly think of asking this? Is it because of jasmine tea?"

"Yes. And I know that humans really like flowers."

"Hmm... seeing flowers can definitely improve your mood. But I don't think I have any particular favorite flowers. What about you?"

"I haven't seen many flowers, but the ones that have left a deep impression on me are water lilies, roses, butterfly peas, sweet peas, irises, and the all-purpose flower. They are all very beautiful!"

Luo Qingyan paused for two seconds: "Some of the flowers you mentioned, I've never even heard of. You're more knowledgeable than me, at least when it comes to flowers."

"I only learned about them by chance, it just so happened that I knew them."

"Heh, quite modest." As Luo Qingyan said this, Chestnut jumped onto her lap twice. She bent down and patted Chestnut's head. "Alright, it's time to rest today. Let's play again tomorrow!"

Then, the man and the dog left the bathroom.

-

Luo Qingyan slept well and got up early the next day.

I finished washing up, and it wasn't even seven o'clock yet.

As she went downstairs to the living room, Chestnut, hearing the noise, came running to greet her, wagging its tail.

Strangely, Chestnut actually ran out of the bathroom. Could it be that Chestnut woke up early this morning and, finding no one to play with, went to bother the little male merman?

Luo Qingyan picked up the chestnuts and quietly walked towards the bathroom.

When I got to the bathroom door, I found that the little male merman in the bathtub had already woken up and seemed to have been awake for a while.

"Good morning." Luo Qingyan forced a smile and greeted him first.

"Good morning." The little merman smiled slightly.

"Um...did you wake up on your own or did Chestnut wake you up?" Luo Qingyan unconsciously rubbed Chestnut's head as he spoke.

"I woke up around the same time as it. I vaguely heard its 'tap-tap-tap' footsteps, and when I opened my eyes, it was right in front of me." The little merman's smile remained unchanged, showing no sign of anger.

"It's good that it didn't wake you up. You two are really harmonious." Luo Qingyan's expression softened. "I'll go make breakfast!"

"good."

-

Today's breakfast is black rice and red date porridge, boiled eggs, fried sausages, and steamed sweet potatoes.

The black rice and red date porridge was cooked in the rice cooker last night using the timer function; the eggs were boiled in the egg cooker for six or seven minutes; the small sausages were scored and baked in the air fryer for eight minutes; the sweet potatoes were quite large, so they needed to be steamed for a little longer, about twenty minutes.

Luo Qingyan had just finished her work in the kitchen when Chestnut came to find her, carrying a toy ball. Since there was still some time to wait, she took Chestnut to play in the courtyard.

-

The sun is shining brightly outside, and the air is fresh, making it a perfect place to play.

Chestnut gets incredibly excited when she plays, never seems to get tired, and gets happier the more she plays. Luo Qingyan quite enjoys playing with Chestnut, so she lets Chestnut run wild and joins in the fun for a while.

Time passed by unnoticed.

What interrupted the game was a bubble that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

The bubbles were colorful and beautiful in the sunlight. But for some reason, they kept floating in front of Luo Qingyan, following her no matter whether she moved backward or to the side.

"What kind of bubble is this? It's so strange!" Luo Qingyan looked around in confusion. "How can there be a bubble? And there's only one."

Suddenly, she thought of something and reached out to poke the bubble. The bubble didn't dodge and was popped by her finger.

"There's a burnt smell in the kitchen." The little male merman's voice came through the air as the bubble burst.

Luo Qingyan's first reaction was surprise; so the bubbles were the mermaid's communication device! Her second reaction was panic; the water in the pot for steaming sweet potatoes must have boiled dry!

A hurried figure rushed into the house and headed for the kitchen.