Chapter 33 It just hung there in mid-air.

The little merman sensed Luo Qingyan's extremely low mood, but he didn't know how to comfort him. After thinking for a moment, he asked softly, "Do you like snow?"

Luo Qingyan, who was originally immersed in sorrow, couldn't help but laugh when she heard this off-topic question. After laughing, her sadness did lessen a bit: "Well, I like snow. I grew up in the south and rarely saw heavy snowfall. Later, when I went to university in the north, I loved watching the snow in winter. The snow falling from the sky and the thick snow on the ground are both very beautiful."

"Then you can go up north to see the snow."

"My body is better off staying in a warm place right now."

"And what if you get better?"

"Unless I form a contract with you, it's impossible for me to suddenly get better."

"I will try my best."

"Really?" Luo Qingyan was surprised for a moment, then smiled and asked, "How do I work hard?"

"I..." The little merman was speechless for a moment, he really didn't know how to say this.

"Alright, that's good enough!" Luo Qingyan looked at the ice cream. "Let's eat ice cream. Even though it's not a hot day, it will still melt."

The two then silently finished their ice cream and continued wandering around the park.

However, after walking around for a while, Luo Qingyan felt increasingly cold, so she suggested going to the mall. There was a nice dessert shop in a nearby mall where they could grab something warm.

The little male merman naturally listened to Luo Qingyan, and the two immediately moved on.

This time, Luo Qingyan watched as the little male fish used a mobile app to hail a ride. She had taught him how to use a mobile phone the day before they left, and the little male fish had recently become quite proficient at using mobile phones, so the operation went very smoothly.

After getting into the car, the little boy talked to the driver. There's always a difference between watching and doing it yourself, so ultimately the little boy had to try it himself. The driver was an older woman who didn't say or look at him much, which was reassuring.

However, while getting a ride went smoothly, things started going wrong after getting off.

-

Luo Qingyan knew that there was an elevator lobby in the mall that was far from the entrance, in a secluded corner, and usually not crowded, so she pulled the little male fish straight to that elevator lobby.

Although the two entered the mall from the entrance closest to the elevator, there was still some distance to walk there, and there were still people in the mall, so it was impossible for them to go completely unnoticed.

Passersby would inevitably glance at it, some even stopped to look back, while others whispered among themselves and took out their phones.

The little merman's physique and hair color make him easily mistaken for a celebrity if he tries to hide it, but there's no way around it; without hiding it, his long silver hair is even more attractive.

Luo Qingyan told the little male merman to pull his fisherman's hat down as low as possible, and she walked on the outer side closest to the crowd to shield herself as much as possible, then quickened her pace.

The stares of others couldn't stop me; at least I made it to the elevator smoothly.

When she arrived, Luo Qingyan was still glad that she had made the right choice. Sure enough, there was no one in the elevator. But after entering the elevator, she was filled with regret.

As soon as Luo Qingyan entered the elevator, she staggered a few steps, and the little male fish quickly supported her.

"It's nothing." Luo Qingyan felt a little dizzy, but she waved her hand. "Just press the elevator button. The dessert shop we're going to is on the top floor."

"You don't look well." The little merman said, pressing the close button but not the floor button. "Do you need to go home and rest?"

"It's okay, it's the same as resting at a dessert shop." Luo Qingyan leaned against the elevator wall. "I might be a little dizzy because I caught a chill in the park earlier and then walked briskly for a while. I'll feel better after sitting for a bit."

Since Luo Qingyan had said so, the little male fish pressed the floor button.

The elevator began to slowly ascend.

Unexpectedly, after only a few seconds of going up, the elevator suddenly shook violently and then stopped going up.

Luo Qingyan understood that the elevator was malfunctioning, but the sudden shaking of the elevator while it was running was really frightening. She was already dizzy, so she almost fell over.

The little merman steadied Luo Qingyan again, sensing the fear in his arms. Although he didn't know much about elevators, he knew that the iron box containing them was suspended in mid-air, and the situation was dire. He quickly tried to think of a solution: "Don't be afraid, I can open the elevator door."

"Don't do anything rash!" Luo Qingyan grabbed the little male merman, but her anxiety aggravated her physical discomfort, and her voice became extremely weak. "Press the alarm button, someone will come to rescue us."

They had to take the elevator to leave their house, and Luo Qingyan had explained the precautions to Xiao Nanyu beforehand. Xiao Nanyu had also researched the relevant information online. He knew about the alarm button, but his knowledge was limited to what he had read.

"How long will it take for them to arrive?" the little merman asked as he pressed the button. "You're not feeling well."

"Wait a bit, it won't be long."

"The button isn't working!" the little merman's voice was very anxious.

Luo Qingyan looked up at the button panel: "It's probably just the communication and alarm system that's broken. The alarm button is lit up. Let's wait and see. Don't make any rash moves. If the elevator happens to be stopped between floors, it will be troublesome for you to open the door."

The little male merman looked at Luo Qingyan's pale face, his brows furrowed. He lowered his head and said softly, "I can sense the situation outside. The elevator is not stopped between floors. I can pretend to pry open the elevator door with my bare hands, but actually use water to open it. I know that elevator doors can be pried open."

"Don't do anything rash, just wait quietly!" Luo Qingyan was already uncomfortable from talking too much, and the little male fish wouldn't listen to her, making her feel both uncomfortable and worried, so she couldn't help but shout irritably.

The little merman immediately looked dejected: "Okay."

However, after waiting for a while, there was still no sound from outside. This was definitely not normal; the alarm system was probably completely broken, and no one had noticed that the elevator was malfunctioning.

"Try calling the police, but there might be no signal." In the cramped, enclosed space, Luo Qingyan's dizziness hadn't lessened. Although she didn't think it was a serious problem, she dared not move rashly. She couldn't allow herself to get seriously injured; if she moved around and fainted or lost consciousness, then the little merman would have to face everything alone, which was absolutely unacceptable. So it was safer for the little merman to handle things for now.

"If the call doesn't go through, press again..."

Before Luo Qingyan could finish speaking, the elevator lights suddenly went out, plunging the surroundings into darkness. When one problem is unresolved and another suddenly arises, it's difficult to control oneself, hence her involuntarily letting out a cry.

However, it was this scream filled with fear that made the little male merman disregard everything else and immediately walk to the elevator door. On the surface, he pried open the door with his hands, but in reality, he secretly manipulated the water vapor to forcibly open the elevator door.

Out of concern, he didn't want to perform for too long, so he opened the elevator door in about ten seconds. He then turned around and hugged Luo Qingyan, carrying her out of the elevator as quickly as possible.

Luo Qingyan's first reaction upon seeing the light shining through the elevator was, of course, joy—she was finally saved. But then she realized that it was someone inside who had opened the elevator doors, and worry instantly washed over her again. Now she not only had to deal with what to do after getting out, but she also had to contact the mall afterwards to prevent the surveillance video from being leaked and to avoid revealing any information related to the little merman.

The little male fish doesn't have a registered residence yet, so he absolutely mustn't be exposed to the public eye. Protecting someone in an accident like this in a public place is no easy task; it requires considering far too many details.

Of course, an accident is an accident, and no one can predict it. No one can be blamed, especially since the little male fish was also worried about her.

Fortunately, they were both unharmed in the end. It was a cleaning worker at the mall who noticed them, and the aftermath was relatively easy to handle.

-

Luo Qingyan felt much better after resting in the staff lounge for a while. The first thing she did after recovering was to send the little male merman home, leaving the rest to her.

She knew that if she was still not feeling well, the little male merman wouldn't leave even if she was angry, so she waited until she felt better before speaking, but she didn't expect him to still be unwilling.

"I've already explained it to you. You don't have a registered residence right now, so the fewer people who have seen you, the better!" Luo Qingyan's tone revealed a hint of anger. "I still have to deal with the mall's surveillance footage later. Although it's reasonable for you to open the elevator door on the surface, there's always the possibility of nosy people. We have to take precautions."

The little male merman lowered his head slightly, a look of guilt on his face: "Then, can I stay here and wait for you?"

"No!" Luo Qingyan said firmly, "You can't just meet with the mall's leaders whenever you want; who knows how long it will take to negotiate. Besides, the later it gets, the more people there will be in the mall. You saw how much attention you received when we came here today. We really can't afford any unexpected events. You've been hiding all along... how can you do this now..."

The little merman still wanted to try to stay, but he knew that staying would only cause trouble, so he hesitated.

"Your safe return home is the biggest help I can receive!" Luo Qingyan continued, appealing to both emotion and reason. "Actually, I was worried about letting you go home alone, but I believe in you, and I'm sure you can do it. Please!"

The little merman sensed that his presence would make things more difficult for Luo Qingyan, and not wanting to upset her, he nodded: "Okay, I will get home safely."

The two then parted ways.

-

While Luo Qingyan was dealing with matters at the mall, the little male fish successfully returned home alone.

The little male fish sent Luo Qingyan a photo of himself arriving home, which instantly put Luo Qingyan at ease. With his mood improved, things went more smoothly afterward.

After finishing her business, it was getting late, so she hurried home. However, she encountered rush hour traffic and got stuck in traffic for quite a while, finally arriving home after 7 p.m.

It was late, and the house was very dark, with only the bathroom light on.

The atmosphere was a bit off.

After all, something really bad happened today, a jumbled mess that was really annoying, so my mood was bound to be bad and I need to calm down slowly.

The little merman stayed quietly in the bathroom. The water in the bathtub hadn't been drained. After all, he was a mermaid and was dependent on water. Even though his fishtail had turned into legs, he would occasionally sit by the bathtub and touch the water with his hands, just like he was doing now.

Luo Qingyan was about to go into the bathroom to talk to the little male fish, but her phone rang. It was Tao Xingyou, so she went to the living room to answer the call.

"Sis, have you had dinner yet?" Tao Xingyou's sweet voice came through the phone as soon as it was answered.

"Not yet, I'll eat in a bit." Luo Qingyan felt a little tired and sat down on the sofa.

Tao Xingyou: "Oh, then I'll make it short. We've made plans. We're going to the aquarium this weekend, is that okay? There's a huge viewing window there where you can see whale sharks. It's so amazing, so dreamy!"

Two days ago, Tao Xingyou and Zhuang Zhenglang confirmed their relationship, so she wanted to invite Luo Qingyan and Situ Lu, who had accompanied them on their blind date, to go out for a day. At first, they didn't decide where to go, so everyone brainstormed. Luo Qingyan didn't care where they went, so she let Tao Xingyou and the others decide.

Luo Qingyan: "Sure, no problem."

Tao Xingyou: "Then we'll pick up Situ Lu first on Saturday morning, and then pick you up around 9:30, so you can rest a little longer. Hey! Are you at Grandma's house?"

Luo Qingyan had hinted to her cousin and aunt that she might move back to Hefengting. It's best to give them a heads-up beforehand, otherwise it would be strange to suddenly move.

Luo Qingyan: "Yes, at my maternal grandmother's house."

Tao Xingyou: "Okay! That's settled then. Sis, hurry up and eat dinner. You told me to remember to eat on time, so remember that too!"

Luo Qingyan: Okay, something came up today, I'll eat right away.

Tao Xingyou: "Okay, then I won't keep you from eating anymore, bye-bye!"

Luo Qingyan: "Bye!"

-

After hanging up the phone, Luo Qingyan immediately got up and went to the bathroom.

"It's getting late, let's just have something simple to eat tonight. I'll go to the kitchen and cook two bowls of noodles." Luo Qingyan stood at the bathroom door, not going in. She thought that eating would ease the tension, so she'd eat first and talk about other things later.

"Are you going out to play with...them?" the little merman suddenly asked.

Luo Qingyan sensed that the little male merman was not only down but also had some complicated emotions. She had to be careful, so she just nodded and said, "Mm."

The little merman's eyes darkened. After a moment of silence, he took his hand out of the water and placed it on the edge of the bathtub: "I... I will contact the merman's organization on land as soon as possible. I... I will go there. I promise I won't cause you any trouble."

In an instant, Luo Qingyan felt her heart tighten, and was struck by a wave of sorrow. She thought for a moment, and finally sighed: "I'm sorry, I don't have enough ability to handle all kinds of unexpected events, so... well, what you need is help from others like you."

"I'm the one who should apologize, I..." The little merman had so much to say, but he didn't know how to say it. In the end, he sighed and said, "I'll contact them tonight."