Chapter 15 The Sounds Heard

Indeed, the water in the steamer had boiled dry. Luo Qingyan quickly turned off the heat, moved the pot away from the hot stove, and placed it on the cold stove next to it.

Fortunately, the water had just boiled dry, so the pot wasn't burned black, and the sweet potatoes didn't taste burnt.

The little male merman was quite impressive. I don't know if he had a sensitive nose or ears, but even though the kitchen and bathroom weren't close together, he was able to tell me about the burning smell before things got worse.

Could it be that the other party has precognitive abilities?

That would be so interesting!

After tidying up the kitchen and preparing dog food for Chestnut, Luo Qingyan went to the bathroom with breakfast and curiosity.

-

"Breakfast is here." Luo Qingyan first placed the tray on the stool, and then put the bowls one by one on the table by the bathtub, introducing them as she did so, "Today's breakfast is black rice and red date porridge, boiled eggs, fried sausages, and steamed sweet potatoes. Luckily you reminded me that there was a burnt smell in the kitchen, so the steamed sweet potatoes were spared from disaster."

"It's nothing, just a small favor." The little merman's voice was filled with laughter. "It smells so good, you're really amazing."

"I just boiled it for a bit, there's no special technique involved, it's just the natural aroma of the food." Luo Qingyan sat down on the low chair. "When I turned off the heat, the water had just boiled away, and there wasn't a burnt smell yet. How did you detect that?"

“Mermaids have more acute senses than humans. The sounds and smells in the kitchen have changed, and you were playing with Chestnut outside, so I guess you just forgot for a moment.”

"I was quite surprised when I saw the bubble! It was the only one that stayed right in front of me." Luo Qingyan spoke of the bubble with great interest. "Do mermaids also use bubbles to communicate in the sea? How fast are they? What if they burst halfway through?"

"Yes, we use bubbles to deliver messages. Delivering messages in the sea is different from delivering them on land; it's quite fast and they don't burst as easily."

"Let's eat first, and chat while we eat." Luo Qingyan scooped a spoonful of porridge. "How did the sound get into the bubbles? Did the bubbles appear as you talked? Like the little fish blowing bubbles!"

The little merman picked up a sausage with a fork: "Hmm...more or less."

"Bubbles coming out of your mouth?"

"No, it's the water around us that's condensed into bubbles."

"What if there's no water nearby?"

"On land, there is water in the soil, plants, and air."

"Wow, a master of water extraction! This is the nth time I've been amazed at how amazing mermaids are, their senses are so much better than..." Luo Qingyan exclaimed, then suddenly realized something and froze.

"What's wrong with you?" The little merman, who was about to eat the last bite of his sausage, noticed Luo Qingyan's strange behavior.

Luo Qingyan put the spoon back into the bowl, looking distressed: "You can hear the sounds from the kitchen, you can hear the sounds from the yard, so can you also hear the sounds from the second floor?"

The little merman thought for a moment, as if considering whether he should hear it, and finally he nodded honestly: "Yes."

"Heh...heh...heh..." Luo Qingyan gave a bitter laugh, his heart filled with despair. He shook his head as he picked up a fork, gripped it tightly in a fist, and then thrust it down hard, stabbing a sausage with it.

She sings in the shower, and last night she was in a good mood and particularly carefree. Although she's a dancer and has a good ear for music, she's tone-deaf and really doesn't sing well; she's very aware of this. I just hope her voice isn't too loud, especially with the sound of water; perhaps the little merman couldn't hear her, or if he did, it would be very faint.

No, that's not all!

Such sensitive hearing and smell...

It's like she has no privacy at all! It's terrifying!

Why didn't you say so sooner! Why didn't you tell me sooner...?

"Why are you just forking it and not eating?" The little merman asked this question with a mixture of innocence and caution, because he was genuinely curious about Luo Qingyan's behavior and also sensed that the atmosphere had become strange.

"Eat...of course I'll eat." Luo Qingyan picked up his fork and took a bite out of half of the sausage.

What's done is done, so why dwell on it? It's just needless worry!

Besides, Luo Qingyan hadn't done anything wrong; she was completely innocent! She didn't know the little male merman's senses were so sharp. Moreover, this was her home, and she could do whatever she wanted. She hadn't even held the other party accountable for eavesdropping on her private matters yet!

Actually, the little male merman has a rather detached view of the world. He understands that humans are diverse, and her behavior is, in his eyes, just normal behavior for an ordinary person. On a larger scale, we're all animals, and each animal is different; it doesn't matter.

The other person didn't look at her strangely. It's not too late to know now; she can just be more careful in the future.

There are still too many unknowns about the little male merman, and she needs to try to know more, otherwise she will feel like the enemy is in the dark while she is in the light.

After finishing a grilled sausage, Luo Qingyan put down his fork, picked up a sweet potato, and began peeling it: "Just how many more amazing things do you have that I don't know about? Do you really have to keep it all a secret? I'm your savior, after all!"

The little male merman was eating porridge with a small spoon when he paused slightly. "There are so many differences between mermen and humans, very... subtle. I'm not sure which level counts as impressive."

"No, it's just that humans are particularly fond of strength, so they think... impressive."

"Other animals also admire strength, whether it's for leadership or reproduction, they all have to choose the strong, right? What, do mermaids like the weak? Then they just happen to like humans!"

"That's not what I meant..."

"What does that mean?" Luo Qingyan deliberately put on an earnest and inquisitive expression.

The little male merman opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but he had reservations.

"Alright, alright, let's eat." Luo Qingyan peeled off most of the sweet potato skin and took a small bite. "I'm going to their house over there today. I'll definitely need to prepare beforehand, at least I need to carefully check all the functions of the bathtub. Also, I'd like to move you over first. I'll stay here with Grandma for two days after Grandma and Auntie come back from their trip, and then I'll move over. Don't worry, I'll prepare the food, and I'll also go over during that time."

“Okay, I’m fine.” The little merman picked up a sweet potato and started peeling it, looking completely calm.

"That's good. I'll head out after breakfast. Lunch will be takeout again. Today we'll have burgers and Coke! Burgers and Coke are pretty famous, right?"

"Yes, I know." The little merman paused for a moment and then said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Luo Qingyan originally wanted to say "It's nothing", but when the words were on the tip of her tongue, she suddenly wanted to tease the little male merman: "When you feel that humans are working hard, it's not enough to just say it. You have to express your gratitude in a practical way."

The little merman thought for two seconds: "Money?"

Luo Qingyan's eyes drooped: "Money is enough for me now. More...it feels even more tragic to have so much money but not have the life to enjoy it...I now regard money as dirt. Hey! Do you know the saying, 'Money is like dirt, but benevolence and righteousness are worth a thousand pieces of gold'? Benevolence, love, and justice, you understand?"

“I understand… but forming a contract isn’t something I can do just because I want to.”

"You have to think about it, right? Do you want to?"

"I...I'll try..."

The little merman had already peeled the sweet potato in his hand, and he silently lowered his eyes to eat it.

Just then, Chestnut trotted happily into the bathroom. Although it had already eaten breakfast, it was still excited to see food and immediately started thrashing around.

Luo Qingyan suppressed a smile: "Chestnut has already finished breakfast, let's focus on eating our breakfast too!"

"Um."

-

After breakfast, Luo Qingyan took a taxi to the house where she lived with her parents.

She stayed at home during the Spring Festival this year, so the house was actually in good condition. She planned to check some key details herself, confirm what needed to be purchased, and then hire a cleaning service to handle the rest of the cleaning.

Familiar streets, an unchanging neighborhood, building lobbies you could navigate with your eyes closed. Enter the elevator, press the floor button, exit, stand at your door, unlock with your fingerprint, open the door, enter, close the door.

After entering the house, Luo Qingyan first took off the crossbody bag from her shoulder and hung it on the coat rack in the entryway. Then she changed into slippers and slowly walked into the house.

The living room for watching TV, the dining room for eating, the kitchen for cooking, the study for working and studying, the bathroom for washing up, the balcony for sunbathing, and the bedroom for sleeping.

Each room carries memories of the past, something we've come to take for granted.

The house is so quiet, there's not a sound at all.

There was no one else at home, so it was quiet, of course. But it wasn't just that kind of quiet; it was...

Luo Qingyan stood blankly at the junction of the living room and the dining room for a long time.

Suddenly, tears streamed down my face.