Wanwan sat on the edge of the bed for a while until the buzzing and pain in her head gradually subsided before slowly standing up.
The moon rose at this moment, hanging on the branches outside the window. The cool moonlight shone through the window and cast squares of light on the ground, like snowflakes. Just looking at it made you feel cool.
Every now and then, a small bird would linger by the window, leaving a tiny black silhouette on the branch. After it flew away, the branch would sway back and forth, adding a unique flavor to the night.
The largest bird Wanwan saw when she was in Hailan Village was a seagull. Its white wings were so bright under the sun that it was hard to open her eyes. It was rare to see so many kinds of forest birds.
It had been a long time since I had seen whales. It felt like just yesterday that I watched whales with Lin Yang'er and Xiao Qi.
Human lifespan is so short; compared to three hundred years, sixteen years is but a fleeting moment.
Her parents' urging still echoed in her ears. Wanwan got up, grabbed her clothes, and went straight to Wan Suizhou's study.
The moonlight was perfect, and the courtyard was brightly lit. The dark bushes rustled in the night breeze, as if they were whispering secrets.
Wanwan arrived at the study door, her steps pierced by the moonlight fragmented by the leaves. The sixteen-year-old girl cast a slender, graceful shadow on the door.
The lights were on in Wan Suizhou's room, and the orange light cast two figures inside, indicating that Wan Yuechi was still asking questions.
A mist welled up in her crescent-shaped eyes.
"Is Wanwan outside?" Wan Suizhou suddenly asked from inside the house. Wanwan quickly raised her hand to wipe the corner of her eye.
Wan Yuechi came over and opened the door. His tall and elegant figure appeared in the doorway. Under the moonlight, his gentle and refined demeanor made him seem like a gentleman who had stepped out of an ink painting.
"Wanwan, it really is you! Why are you so late?" Wan Yuechi said, quickly stepping aside to make way for Wanwan. "Come in, it's cold outside. Hey, what are you doing here..."
Wan Yuechi saw two streaks of tears on Wanwan's face, shimmering with a silvery halo under the moonlight, and her jade-like skin seemed to possess an air of holiness under the shimmering silver light.
A bad feeling flashed through Wan Yuechi's mind. He stood on the door frame, motionless for a long time.
Seeing something amiss, Wan Suizhou stepped forward as well.
When Wanwan saw her grandfather and brother, a wave of reluctance welled up in her heart, turning into two lines of clear tears. The moment they flowed down her cheeks, they immediately turned into several white pearls, tinkling and falling to the ground, making a pleasant and clear sound, shining even brighter in the quiet night.
Wan Suizhou's white eyebrows twitched, and Wan Yuechi stood frozen in place, an eerie silence falling between the three of them.
“This is…” Wan Yuechi slowly began. He had read about the characteristics of merfolk in a book. Seeing his sister’s tears turn into pearls, he had some guesses in his mind. He was greatly surprised, and at the same time, his ominous premonition grew stronger.
“Grandpa, brother.” Wanwan broke the silence again. “Wanwan was originally a member of the mermaid clan, a three-hundred-year-old mermaid. She came ashore this time to gain experience in the world. Now that her experience is over, Wanwan is sixteen years old. It is time for her to leave you and return to the mermaid clan.”
Wan Yuechi's ominous premonition was confirmed.
He had long known that his sister was somehow connected to someone of unknown origin, and over the years he had gotten to know her, he had sensed that she was not an ordinary person, but whether she was a normal human being or not was no longer important.
He always treated Wanwan as his own younger sister.
Unfortunately, Wanwan is not a human; she was born to belong to the sea.
"Is Wanwan leaving?" Countless words of pleas to keep her rushed into my mind, but in the end, only a few words came out that were completely opposite to what I had in mind.
Wan Yuechi's back was taut, and a layer of frost settled in his eyes, which appeared even clearer under the moonlight, like the moon reflected in cold water.
Wanwan nodded and said nothing more.
Wan Suizhou, who had been silent all along, came up, tugged at Wanwan's collar, and lovingly touched her cheek. His rough, aged skin brushed against Wanwan's face, and she looked up, meeting her grandfather's loving gaze.
Wan Suizhou has a head of silver hair, and more than ten years have left deep marks on his face. His eyes are no longer as clear as they were a few years ago.
"Then I wish Wanwan a safe journey," Wan Suizhou said with a smile, his tone relaxed, as if Wanwan was just going out to visit someone.
Wanwan glanced at her second brother beside her, then at her grandfather, and then tightened her buttons, as if she had made a great decision. Her eyes suddenly became firm. "Grandpa, brother, Wanwan won't bother Auntie anymore. If she asks, you can tell her the truth or say that I went back to my hometown. What Wanwan is most worried about is that Auntie is overworking. Please ask her to hire a few more people so that she doesn't hurt herself. Please say goodbye to eldest brother for Wanwan. Wanwan will come back to see you as soon as she has dealt with the merfolk matters."
As if deliberately avoiding the pain of parting, Wanwan finished speaking and turned to run towards the place closest to the sea.
The night wind brushed against her cheeks, causing a slight pain. After running a long distance, she turned back and saw two figures, one old and one young, standing in the bright courtyard, looking like clay sculptures.
Only when she could no longer see him did Wanwan quicken her pace and run towards the sea.
Gradually, the wind carried a salty, fishy smell, and the cries of seagulls could be heard.
Wanwan had arrived at the beach, where three familiar figures stood in the moonlight. One of them was her parents, whom she had seen in her dream, and the other was her master, Lan Xuerong.
"Wanwan!" Xunying saw her and immediately opened her arms to give her a bear hug, but Baili Jin grabbed her arm from behind.
“Wanwan has just left the human world and needs time to adapt.” Baili Jin explained to Xunying as if he were educating a child.
"Oh," Xunying replied nonchalantly, as if throwing a tantrum. "But Wanwan probably doesn't really want to go back either, she has a childhood betrothal on the shore."
Yes! And Brother Xiao too! What Wanwan is most worried about is still not figuring out Shen Yuheng's identity!
Lan Xuerong's brows twitched upon hearing this. She strolled over and looked at Wanwan with a hint of regret in her eyes. "Wanwan, your master and your parents have calculated that your childhood betrothed has a shallow fate and is facing a major misfortune. You should let him go as soon as possible."
Xun Ying and Bai Li Jin looked at Wanwan with difficulty, both of them with complicated expressions.
Wanwan bit her lip. "Do your parents also want Wanwan to give up on him?"
Xun Ying and Baili Jin were stumped by the question and exchanged a glance.
“If Wanwan knew he was safe, she could go back more easily. But now that she knows he is in trouble, she can only ask her parents to forgive her for being unfilial. Wanwan will not go back. Wanwan is going to find him.”
Just as determined as when they came, they turned and ran back to the shore.
"Wanwan!" the three exclaimed in unison.
"Bring some human snacks back for Mom when you come back!"
Baili Jin and Lan Xuerong looked silently at Xun Ying, who was earnestly shouting at Wanwan's retreating figure, their expressions complex.
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