Chapter 15 Mermaid 15
Zhang Jingshu fell asleep after taking the medicine, the quilt pulling her head over her, sweating profusely. Even a sick person can't sleep well, having bizarre dreams and waking up with a splitting headache. She raised her hands to press on her solar plexus, curling up into a ball. The sound of something heavy falling came from the kitchen.
She covered her ears.
So noisy...
Zhang Jingshu realized belatedly that the voice came from Cheng Shuinan. She dragged her tired body to sit up and walked out the door in her slippers. There were water marks everywhere on the ground and her brows were slightly furrowed.
She followed the sound to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, steam rose from a pot of clear noodle soup. Cheng Shuinan stood in front of the pot, struggling to pick up the fallen iron basin by holding onto the countertop. His tail was stretched straight, his broad tail fin spread out on the ground like a piece of wet, rich silk, his ventral fins pressed against his sides.
His black hair was thick and curly. The most common look Zhang Jingshu had seen of Cheng Shuinan was when he was sinking in the water with his fish tail coiled behind him and swaying. At this moment, he used his tail to support his upper body, and the whole fish suddenly rose taller, with his black hair covering his broad back.
Zhang Jingshu was a little unaccustomed to this. Especially when Cheng Shuinan, staring intently at the pot, had a blank expression on his face, his slightly red lips pursed, his ear fins slightly retracted, and his serious demeanor made him seem a bit unattainable. It was at this moment, without the gratitude and nervousness he felt in her presence, that she suddenly realized he was a mermaid, and a mermaid with sharp teeth.
Cheng Shuinan used his sharp teeth to tear open the sausage packaging, broke off half of it, put it on the chopping board, and cut it into slices with a kitchen knife in one hand. Then he put them in the steaming pot.
Zhang Jingshu coughed twice deliberately.
Cheng Shuinan turned around suddenly.
Zhang Jingshu smiled awkwardly: "...Did I scare you?"
Cheng Shuinan nodded, then shook his head: "Did I wake you up?"
Zhang Jingshu dragged a chair over and sat down, resting her hands on the backrest and resting her chin on it. Her cheeks were still red and her eyes were unclear. She hummed vaguely and raised her eyes, meeting Cheng Shuinan's concerned gaze. Her heart warmed, and she raised her chin slightly, pointing at the bubbling pot.
"No, it's just that the noodles you made are so delicious that I'm hungry."
Cheng Shuinan turned around and turned off the fire.
Bring a generous bowl of noodles to the table.
The noodles were cooked in a clear broth with a few spinach leaves and sausage floating in it, and the aroma was very fragrant. Zhang Jingshu hadn't eaten much all day, so her stomach was empty, so she picked up the bowl and started eating.
Cheng Shuinan sat opposite: "How does it taste?"
Zhang Jingshu couldn't free her words, so she gave him a thumbs-up, puffed out her cheeks and mumbled praise: "It smells so good!"
Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her eyes became bright in the rising steam of the noodles. Perhaps she had no strength left, so she half-lay on the table.
Cheng Shuinan asked tentatively: "Zhang Jingshu... Then, I will cook from now on?"
He had never felt such a strong desire.
He wants to stay.
In the past, he didn't understand why his mother gave up the ocean where she was born and came to the human world. Now, he vaguely understands his mother's persistence.
If it were Zhang Jingshu, he would be willing to give up the ocean he longed for in his dreams.
Cheng Shuinan stared at Zhang Jingshu nervously, his hands clasped together beneath the table. Yuwei, however, wasn't as nervous as he was. As if possessing a mind of its own, it slowly and silently approached Zhang Jingshu's outstretched legs, its tail fin barely touching them before withdrawing.
Zhang Jingshu: "Okay."
Cheng Shuinan curled his lips and promised solemnly: "I will study hard. Tomorrow, what do you want to eat?"
Zhang Jingshu held her face up and said, "Since you asked me that, I can't think of anything right now. I'll just do what you know how to do." She took a sip of the noodle soup and praised sincerely, "Is this your first time making noodles? It tastes really good!"
She drank it all, and Cheng Shuinan hurriedly took the empty bowl and jumped to the sink to wash it clean.
Seeing his walking posture, Zhang Jingshu's hazy mind vaguely thought of something, like a shooting star that disappeared in an instant. She turned and walked back to the bedroom. The moment she lay down on the quilt, she thought of it -
He should buy a fluffy blanket and put it on the ground, so his fish tail won’t feel pain when it touches the ground.
Then I thought: Cheng Shuinan’s cooking is so delicious. She hasn’t had a home-cooked meal for a long time, and usually eats takeout. I originally thought she was a poor mermaid who was hurt and needed care, but unexpectedly, she turned into a snail girl?
I can’t think about it anymore, my head hurts like it’s exploding…
On the other side, Cheng Shuinan cleaned up the kitchen and found a thick quilt to spread on the ground. He lay down and rolled back and forth on the quilt a few times, absorbing all the moisture on his body. Touching his still slightly wet fishtail, Cheng Shuinan pursed his lips and felt lost.
He then walked to the bathroom, picked up a hair dryer, and turned it to high setting, blowing it towards him. The scorching heat swept away the water covering his body. For a mermaid, this was tantamount to self-harm. While they wouldn't die out of water like other fish, they still suffered greatly from a lack of water, much like throwing a human into a sealed, oxygen-deprived room.
However, the tightness in his chest could not compare to the pain of not being able to get close to Zhang Jingshu.
After confirming again and again that his body was dry, he turned off the hair dryer. He nervously came to Zhang Jingshu's bedroom, slowly approached her, and touched Zhang Jingshu's frown. The video scene replayed in his mind. His pale and dry fingers touched her eyebrows and rubbed them carefully with force.
The psychology of a sick person is very fragile. Zhang Jingshu felt her torn head being gently pressed in a daze. The comfortable force made her hum unconsciously, as if she was back in her childhood, lying in her mother's gentle arms.
When I opened my eyes, it was indeed Cheng Shuinan.
There was a feeling of sadness in his eyes.
Zhang Jingshu: "Aren't you tired of standing?"
Cheng Shuinan: "I'm not tired, just sleep... I saw online that getting a massage when you're sick can make you feel much better."
"It's very comfortable," Zhang Jingshu lifted the quilt, leaned out her upper body, and placed her fingers on his arm. It wasn't as cold as she had imagined, but rather dry. Without thinking much, she pulled his arm and led him to the bed, "... Sit down, don't stand, your tail will hurt."
Cheng Shuinan staggered and fell onto the soft bed.
Her cheeks suddenly turned red.
Zhang Jingshu pressed her burning forehead against the cool fish's tail, carefully holding the hard, blade-like scales close, fearing they might injure her if she wasn't careful. Her arms pinned the ventral fins, and she dared not move.
Cheng Shuinan stiffened.
Zhang Jingshu blinked: "Are you tired?"
Cheng Shuinan's brain didn't react: "...Huh?"
Zhang Jingshu frowned: "My head hurts, won't you rub it for me?"
Cheng Shuinan quickly placed his hand on her forehead. The part of her tail where she was pressing against him felt like it was touching a scorching stove. An unfamiliar feeling washed over him, and an inexplicable liquid seemed to flow into his chest. This liquid made his brain stop thinking, and he only knew to mechanically press Zhang Jingshu's forehead.
Zhang Jingshu's brain was probably confused by the temperature. At this moment, her mind was full of -
I can finally touch Cheng Shuinan’s fish scales to my heart’s content!
She deliberately placed her palm on the fish's tail. There was no sticky liquid as she had imagined. It was as if the water had been dried out by the wind. Without the lubrication of the water, the scales became hard. She touched it tentatively for a while and then withdrew her hand.
Muttering dissatisfiedly: "Cheng Shuinan, you are short of water..."
Cheng Shuinan bent down: "What?"
Zhang Jingshu: "There's no more liquid. It doesn't feel comfortable to touch."
"Isn't it good to have no liquid? It will wet your bed."
"...So what? I like it."
Cheng Shuinan's fishtail swayed gently, and the corners of his lips curled up uncontrollably: "Then, then I won't blow it anymore."
…
Zhang Jingshu was once again glad that she did not give up the mermaid because of fear. Taking him home was the best thing she had done in her life of more than 20 years.
As far as she could remember, no one had ever comforted her gently when she was sick, or even cooked a bowl of hot noodles for her. Even if the noodles didn't taste good, at that time, the touch in her heart was enough to turn the bland noodles into the most delicious food in the world. What's more, Cheng Shuinan's cooking skills were very good.
She seemed to still be able to smell the lingering fragrance of the noodles.
Perhaps it was because Cheng Shuinan was by her side that what was originally just a trivial cold for Zhang Jingshu turned into a "serious illness" that made it difficult for her to even move. She huddled weakly in the warm quilt, with her forehead resting against Cheng Shuinan's crotch.
Cheng Shuinan's hands gradually found the feeling and pressed gently on her temples.
Zhang Jingshu squinted her eyes comfortably.
Cheng Shuinan's gentle attitude made her want to take further action.
She remembered something that had once envied her, something that still bothered her to this day.
Once, Gu Xinyi fell ill and was hospitalized. Zhao Jing was in another city and couldn't come back, and Gu Linan was on a business trip. They asked Zhang Jingshu to take care of Gu Xinyi. She stayed with Gu Xinyi in the hospital and received an IV drip until midnight. Gu Linan, who was on a business trip, suddenly appeared in the ward.
Gu Linan expressed his gratitude again and again and walked to the bedside. Gu Xinyi, who had woken up, threw herself into Gu Linan's arms and called "Dad" aggrievedly.
Upon learning that his daughter was ill, Gu Linan put down his work and returned to Qingcheng overnight. Gu Xinyi was held in Gu Linan's arms. The man hummed an unknown song in a gentle tone. The person in his arms was his most important treasure.
Zhang Jingshu's father would never be like this.
No one has ever treated her as the most important treasure and loved her.
From childhood to adulthood, she only has herself.
With a hint of expectation, Zhang Jingshu lowered her voice: "...Cheng Shuinan, sing a song for me."
Cheng Shuinan lowered his head.
Zhang Jingshu's eyes were filled with mist and her cheeks were flushed. She always spoke in a gentle tone, but this was the first time she showed such a fragile and pleading expression.
Cheng Shuinan has never sung a song.
He hadn't heard any good songs either.
But he couldn't refuse.
The mermaid's voice, like the gurgling of a stream, played a beautiful melody, a melody Zhang Jingshu had never heard before, and it didn't even sound like a song. It felt like it touched her soul.
He hummed casually.
Zhang Jingshu closed her eyes and listened attentively.
"What song is this? I haven't heard it before."
Cheng Shuinan shook his head: "I don't know either, I just hummed it."
"It sounds so good even if you just hum it casually."
Cheng Shuinan blushed, as if he really enjoyed hearing her praise. He hummed without any modesty: "Mermaids are born to sing. Although I haven't heard any songs, I seem to hear familiar tunes deep in my memory... Unfortunately, I can't remember clearly..."
"Just hum it, I like to listen to it."
The fact that Cheng Shuinan obeyed her in everything greatly pleased the sick Zhang Jingshu. Even the pain in her body seemed to be relieved. She gradually closed her eyes and fell asleep in his gentle melody.
This is the first time that someone has taken good care of me when I am sick.
No, not a human, but a mermaid.
The bedside light in the bedroom glows a warm yellow.
Cheng Shuinan's body was in a state of dehydration, his lips were dry and chapped, his cheeks were pale and bloodless, but his eyebrows were filled with a shy smile. His fishtail was carefully placed against Zhang Jingshu's cheek, and her shallow breath sprayed on his fishtail.
Itchy.
The tune of the hummed song changed.
At this time, he had no idea that mermaids would naturally hum love songs when they matured. That was a memory engraved in their blood.
Cheng Shuinan kept humming with his tender young voice.
The fish scales under the waist and abdomen had already changed, becoming darker and darker, and slightly open.
This is a sign of impending maturity.
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