Chapter 10 Mermaid 10
Zhang Jingshu hadn't come back yet, so Cheng Shuinan lay by the bathtub waiting.
When the door opened, he wished his eyes could penetrate the bathroom door. He listened carefully to Zhang Jingshu's footsteps slowly walking towards the kitchen. He shook his tail anxiously and expectantly. If Zhang Jingshu had not repeatedly told him not to leave the bathtub until he was completely healthy, he would have jumped in front of her long ago.
After waiting for a long time, Cheng Shuinan heard a knock on the door.
The raised back suddenly became like a weed beaten by the wind, shrinking into the water witheringly.
…Someone came to see her.
Cheng Shuinan waited patiently.
The water flowed over his upper body, and his tail rose high, then fell again. Before the splashing water made any sound when it landed on the water, he used his tail to catch it flexibly. After playing for a while out of boredom, he resumed his previous movements, lying on the edge of the bathtub, his eyes fixed on the direction of the living room separated by a door.
The faint sound of conversation came into the bathroom.
Cheng Shuinan's bright eyes widened.
He knew very little about the human world, and his limited childhood did not leave many traces in his memory. What accompanied him for many years were the chains that locked him and the pain inflicted on his body.
The information he had obtained so far left him as confused as a blank sheet of paper.
Therefore, when the news of the pearl necklace, the Lotus Pearl Company, and the slightly intimate voice of "Uncle Cheng" came to him, his flesh and blood suddenly tensed up, and the fish tail that was swaying leisurely in the water seemed to be frozen, and the ripples gradually calmed down.
——Zhang Jingshu got a job at Lianzhu through her father's connections. She called Boss Cheng "Uncle Cheng" just as a courtesy in the business world. Even if there was no interest relationship, it was basic courtesy to call strangers uncle or aunt when they met.
However, Cheng Shuinan's brain could not understand the twists and turns.
He only knew that he might have been cheated.
He had originally thought that leaving the warehouse was escaping the fire pit, but in fact, he had never escaped from the fire pit... Was it really because of the pearl tears that she brought him home? But he had clearly told her that his tears would not turn into pearls. What would she do next?
If the goal is not achieved, send him back, or kill him and throw him into the Nightlight Sea...
Zhang Jingshu went to the bathroom and didn't see Cheng Shuinan. The strange feeling intensified. Normally, whenever she entered the bathroom, she would bump into Cheng Shuinan's wet, dependent, and intimate gaze. But now, the bathroom seemed cold and dull. The water in the bathtub swayed gently, tiny bubbles slowly rose, and her curly black hair fluttered slightly with the water.
Zhang Jingshu approached and realized Cheng Shuinan was huddled beneath the surface. His back was arched, his enormous tail cradled in his arms, the whole "fish" curled up in a ball, his fair shoulders facing her, as if he hadn't heard her come in at all, yet his ear fins were slightly open.
She knew that this action was equivalent to humans pricking up their ears and listening carefully.
Zhang Jingshu squatted beside the bathtub, staring at his skin, which was as smooth as peeled eggs. All the original scars had disappeared, as if they had never existed. Her thoughts suddenly drifted away.
His injuries had almost healed, but the bathtub in the bathroom was the largest available area. He could usually lie in it, but he was restricted in any movements other than lying or sitting.
Just like now, after the injury healed, his tail became bigger, and his chest and back became much stronger. He curled up in it, with his tail pressed tightly against the wall of the bathtub, and his back also pressed against the wall of the bathtub. Not only did he look aggrieved and pitiful, but he also felt visually cramped and tight.
He seemed to have grown up all of a sudden, just like a teenager in adolescence who grows up in the blink of an eye.
Cheng Shuinan has the youthful immaturity of a teenager in both his eyes and body. He should be quite young now. If Zhang Jingshu wants to take him in, will the bathtub still be able to accommodate him when he reaches adulthood?
The best thing to do is to release him back into the sea.
She couldn't give up the right path that should have belonged to him just because of a momentary weakness and the dependence and intimacy in his eyes. He knew nothing and had never seen the sea, but she knew clearly that both the mermaid's personality and appearance were not suitable for survival in the human world.
Zhang Jingshu made up her mind.
But before releasing him back into the sea, she felt that she should take on the responsibility of educating him. After he recovered completely, she would teach him about humans so that he would not trust others easily. Most importantly, he must also learn the skills of hunting.
No rush, he looked young enough, she had plenty of time to prepare.
Cheng Shuinan stared at Zhang Jingshu with tears in his eyes. It was his eyes, which seemed to show that he had suffered a great injustice, that brought her back to her senses.
His brows furrowed slightly, filled with confusion.
He still had his back to her. Perhaps because she was squatting beside him without saying anything, he turned his head impatiently, his eyes wide open, and the emotions hidden in them made Zhang Jingshu stunned.
He seemed to be saying—
Zhang Jingshu, you are a treacherous man who abandoned his wife and children!
Zhang Jingshu's eyes widened as well. She subconsciously held onto the bathtub and opened her mouth to speak, but her throat was blocked. Then she let out a soft laugh. She rubbed her eyes and asked him helplessly, "...What's wrong?"
Cheng Shuinan pursed his lips, his pupils seemed to be covered with a layer of mist. He bent his neck backward, feeling uncomfortable with the movement. The water surface made a rustling sound. He suddenly turned over and poked his head out of the water. His cold and serious face faced Zhang Jingshu's stunned face. His tail straightened slightly, staring down at her for a few seconds, then suddenly sat back down, looking straight ahead.
"Zhang Jingshu... you are..." His eyes held an expression completely opposite to his facial expression, as if he was desperate and helpless after being betrayed by the person he trusted the most, but he still did not give up the last glimmer of hope, hoping for the possibility of nothingness. He said slowly: "Did you rescue me on purpose? But I told you, my tears will not turn into pearls... You can't achieve your goal..."
What is he talking about?
Zhang Jingshu was confused.
Then she thought of a possibility.
"Did you hear my conversation with Zhang Ning?"
Cheng Shuinan hummed sadly, the hope in his eyes was like moonlight blocked by dark clouds, extinguished in an instant, bean-sized tears gathered in his eye sockets, stubbornly refusing to fall, he turned his head abruptly, crystal tears running down his cheeks.
As he said, it did not turn into pearls.
Zhang Jingshu looked at him with amusement, thinking that he was indeed still a young man, crying easily, and his brain was quite sensitive. He had wild thoughts based on a few words from her -
Sigh! She wasn't good at coaxing children, but it was much easier if she imagined him as a pitiful little animal.
Zhang Jingshu touched her pocket. She had the habit of putting tissues in her pocket, so she pulled out a clean tissue with an orange scent.
She squatted in front of him, gently pressed the tissue against his cheek, and wiped away the traces of tears.
Through the tissue, her fingertips suddenly felt the temperature of his face, which was cold, just like the feeling of his fishtail, a little slippery and sticky.
Even though his face didn't secrete any mucus, it felt strange to the touch.
He twisted his fingertips subconsciously.
Cheng Shuinan lowered his head and said nothing, only trembling when her hand pressed on his face. However, he did not refuse, but the emotion in his eyes became more intense.
Zhang Jingshu gently retorted, "You've wronged me. You've put me in the same camp as those people based on just a few words. I'll be angry if you do that."
Cheng Shuinan suddenly raised his eyes, and the light in his eyes became brighter.
He himself may not have noticed that the fish tail submerged under the water quietly rose up, and the broad and soft tail fin swayed around like a happy fish, causing waves on the calm water surface.
Zhang Jingshu asked curiously, "What are you thinking?"
Cheng Shuinan surfaced, his tone gentle and apologetic: "...I heard you talking about the pearl necklace and calling him boss."
Zhang Jingshu looked at him quietly and asked, "Cheng Shuinan, your...the person who hurt your mother and you, do you still remember his name?"
How could Cheng Shuinan forget that person? He would never forget him.
"Cheng Qingyuan."
Zhang Jingshu was stunned.
Sure enough, some things are just so coincidental.
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