Chapter 33 Mermaid (End)
Zhang Jingshu tried her best to control her anger and wanted to scold Cheng Shuinan severely. Even if he could come and go freely, he should not meet Cheng Qingyuan alone.
It is precisely because I care that I worry too much.
She turned her head away, deliberately avoiding looking at him.
The hand he held in his palm became sticky. Even after it turned into a human body, the water did not disappear immediately. Some of it still covered the surface of his body, as if he was covered in water.
He bent down and looked at her from below. Zhang Jingshu looked a little fierce as she was holding her breath, so he only dared to hook her hand and shake it gently a few times.
No matter how angry Zhang Jingshu was, it would disappear when she saw his face, but she was still very worried. After all, he was the one who had imprisoned him, and his cruelty was unmatched by ordinary people. What if he did something to hurt him again?
She held his face and forced him to look at her: "Next time something happens, tell me the first time."
Cheng Shuinan let her squeeze her cheeks together and nodded, his voice a vague "hmm".
"Now, can you tell me why you came to see him?" Zhang Jingshu released her hand and glanced at Cheng Qingyuan, who lay on the ground. His face was not good, as if he had been strangled and lacked oxygen. "And... why is he lying on the ground?"
At first, Cheng Shuinan was hesitant and unwilling to tell the truth. He had never had firm principles in front of Zhang Jingshu, but she threatened him with a few words and made him say everything. Perhaps he was worried that she would think that he was more dangerous, so he pretended to be aggrieved and sad.
After all, Cheng Qingyuan was his father, yet he was able to strangle him without batting an eyelid. If it weren't for that phone call, he would have succeeded.
Even now, he still has no regrets, but just feels sorry. If he could have taken action earlier, he would not have to stand in the cramped little house with Zhang Jingshu and tell her everything.
If possible, he still hopes that he will be pure and beautiful in Zhang Jingshu's heart, just like the mermaid in the fairy tale who would rather hurt herself than let others get hurt.
Unfortunately, he is not, at least not now.
After hearing what Cheng Shuinan said, Zhang Jingshu finally understood why she had been itching inexplicably lately, and why she occasionally leaked fluid. Could it be that she had been assimilated into the mermaid's genes? It was incredible.
Will she turn into a fish?
How would she explain it to her parents then? Would she really have to live in the ocean with Cheng Shuinan? Oh my god, she just wanted to build a house by the sea. The ocean belonged to Cheng Shuinan, but she still wanted to go shopping and amusement parks occasionally and have dinner with family and friends...
Zhang Jingshu was lost in thought when she felt the cold air blowing in her face. The air was icy cold, with a hint of the damp ocean scent. Cheng Shuinan straightened up at some point and moved closer to her. He was still lowered, but this time his cheek was obviously closer to her.
"Can you please leave first? I'll come find you after I finish dealing with things here..." His eyes seemed to be filled with tears, and his long eyelashes seemed to be stained with water. His delicate and gentle voice pleaded, "Don't be afraid of me, don't abandon me... I will find a way to maintain your physical condition. Can we continue to live like before?"
Zhang Jingshu was stunned for a moment, seemingly still recovering from the news that she would turn into a fish. Then, her mind buzzed – solve it? How was he going to solve it?
Recalling what Cheng Shuinanfang had just said, whether it is to maintain the human body for a longer time, or humans invaded by mermaid genes, they all need sweet dream fragrance, and Zhihe Biological Company, which produces sweet dream fragrance, no longer sells it to the outside world.
Only one bottle left.
Obviously they can't use it.
So what Cheng Shuinan meant was...
Zhang Jingshu didn't even think about it: "No."
The well-maintained facial expression collapsed in an instant. Cheng Shuinan didn't seem to expect her to answer like this. Almost immediately, his eyes were filled with tears. He pinched her hand, forcibly squeezed it into her fingers, and clasped her hand tightly. Then he asked in a voice that was trying hard to control the trembling: "Then what do you want to do? Tell me, Zhang Jingshu."
After learning that his existence would make her an alien, she cruelly abandoned him, right? Perhaps this was the best choice for Zhang Jingshu. She was originally human, so how could she tolerate the mermaid she had casually rescued, who not only harbored dangerous genes but also posed a threat to her.
Cheng Shuinan really wanted to tell her in an understanding way that it was okay, no problem, and that he would allow her to do whatever she wanted, even if she abandoned him.
If it were him in the past, he would certainly make this choice.
But now, after getting Zhang Jingshu, how could he possibly let her go cruelly?
Cheng Shuinan's expression showed a torn entanglement, struggle, and grief, which finally turned into a crazy obsession. Zhang Jingshu's five fingers were squeezed between his fingers, and the increasingly heavy force made her feel a stinging pain.
Zhang Jingshu didn't understand why his emotions suddenly fluctuated so dramatically. Looking at his expression, it was as if the world had collapsed. She said "be gentle" and decided to give up the idea of giving him a surprise. After all, he looked very bad. After she rejected his proposal, her whole face turned pale in an instant.
She said: "I have bought the ownership of Yeguanghai and contacted a construction company to build a small house on the beach. We will live there later..."
Cheng Shuinan's pupils suddenly dilated.
Ownership of the Luminous Sea?
Zhang Jingshu looked at Cheng Shuinan's suddenly frozen expression with satisfaction. His scattered eyes slowly focused on her, brightening at a speed visible to the naked eye. He was afraid that he was hallucinating: "Really?"
"...What about your job? Don't you want to live in human society? It's prosperous here, full of new things..."
"It's not like I'll never come back." Zhang Jingshu was silent for a moment, "If I hadn't turned into a mermaid."
Wouldn’t it be nice to become a mermaid? He thought to himself.
That way, they would be of the same kind, and there would be no need to worry about her getting tired of him and abandoning him one day because of their racial differences.
He didn't dare say such words, it was too selfish. He should stop thinking like this, but he couldn't control it.
However, no matter what form it takes, returning to the ocean clearly has more benefits than disadvantages.
He felt like he was soaking in a honey pot at this moment, and he wanted to ask again and again whether it was true. Perhaps he felt that this was too annoying, so he pursed his lips and only a "hmm" sound came out of his throat, but he couldn't restrain his joy.
The small house that held his childhood memories held the few fond memories Cheng Shuinan had, and at that moment, they merged with Zhang Jingshu's. Across the river of time, the faint scent of orange and iris intertwined, and Cheng Shuinan placed a restrained kiss on Zhang Jingshu's lips.
"Just the two of us?" he asked.
Zhang Jingshu nodded: "Just you and me."
Cheng Shuinan smiled and hooked his fingers around hers, refusing to let go.
…
Since he saw his mother's body, Cheng Shuinan naturally would not let it go. He discussed with Zhang Jingshu and decided to take Lian's body to the sea, sink it to the bottom of the sea, and return it to the place where she originally grew up.
When she was leaving with Lian in her arms, she was stopped. Cheng Qingyuan's driver broke in and looked at Zhang Jingshu in surprise.
The driver was tall and strong, wearing a pair of black sunglasses. He looked very tough. Just when Cheng Shuinan was ready to fight him, the driver ran around them and came to Cheng Qingyuan's body, sniffed his breath, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhang Jingshu pulled Cheng Shuinan: "Let's go quickly."
The driver suddenly said, "I hope you don't blame the gentleman. He's been ill since his wife passed away. The doctor diagnosed him with schizophrenia, and his condition has been getting worse recently. I've seen him talking to his wife several times."
Cheng Shuinan paused slightly, his expression unclear.
His breathing obviously paused for a moment, and then he felt Zhang Jingshu's gentle palm on his arm, which brought him back to his frenzied mood. He did not respond and wanted to leave quickly.
Zhang Jingshu turned around and asked: "What do you mean by that?"
The driver was slightly stunned: "I didn't mean anything else, I just wanted to tell him that the gentleman is indeed sick."
"So? If he's sick, he should go to the hospital. If his condition is too serious, he should stay in the mental hospital and not come out," Zhang Jingshu said solemnly, "Just because he's sick, can he escape the fact that he hurt Cheng Shuinan? Since he's sick, why doesn't he lock himself up in the warehouse?"
The driver fell silent.
Zhang Jingshu pulled Cheng Shuinan and said, "Let's go. Don't talk to them anymore."
Cheng Shuinan curled his lips and hummed, then was dragged out of the house by her. She walked in a hurry and it was obvious that she was angry. He staggered, but a sweet smile was on his face.
Without any delay, Zhang Jingshu left Cheng Qingyuan's community and drove to Yeguanghai. After leaving the freezer, the lotus' body did not undergo any changes. She was quietly held in Cheng Shuinan's arms, as if she was just asleep.
After all, the Nightlight Sea is not the sea area where mermaids live. Their sea area is farther away from the human coast. For convenience, Zhang Jingshu went to the business area of the Nightlight Sea. Recently, because of the corpse incident, the Nightlight Sea is no longer open to the public.
She rented a yacht, wrapped Lian's fish tail in a blanket, and they boarded the yacht at night and sailed towards the center of the ocean.
The driver once complained that Zhang Jingshu's aimless request made him feel very embarrassed, but money shut him up. The price Zhang Jingshu offered was twice the usual price, not to mention that he had not received any business for a long time recently.
Zhang Jingshu’s request was simple: to sail as far as possible to the center of the ocean.
He thought it would take a long time, but within just one night, he received a new request.
"Turn right ahead, there's a small island. Just drop us off."
The driver couldn't help but feel curious. "There's an island up ahead? I've never heard of it, and it doesn't show up on the navigation. Is it undeveloped? It's best not to go to some random island; it's very dangerous. Are you going sightseeing? I can recommend an island with complete facilities. It's definitely better than this island that just appeared out of nowhere."
Zhang Jingshu interrupted him: "No, thank you. Just drop us off when you get to the front."
Driver: "Okay, leave me your phone number and contact me on your way back."
Zhang Jingshu agreed. She originally wanted to rent a yacht, but she didn't know how to drive, and the driver couldn't stay here waiting for her, so she had to let him go back first.
As they boarded the nameless island, the fog thickened. Zhang Jingshu tugged at Cheng Shuinan's clothes and followed him forward: "Are you sure this is the place? It's so foggy, I can't see anything clearly."
"It's here," Cheng Shuinan said, "My intuition guides me. I smell the scent of mermaids, very strong."
The entire island was shrouded in fog, and Zhang Jingshu could not see anything clearly. She walked forward closely following Cheng Shuinan, feeling the temperature around her gradually rising. This feeling was already very obvious on the yacht. The splashes of water from the waves hitting the rocks felt cold when they fell on her ankles.
The down jacket made her feel hot all over. She stopped, took off the jacket and put it on her arm. A large sea of purple flowers appeared in front of her, like fluttering butterflies. Cheng Shuinan stopped.
He placed Lian in the sea of flowers and said, "Mother, I am taking you home."
Zhang Jingshu did not disturb him and stood alone in the sea of irises. The purple flowers were blown by the sea breeze and the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers. At this time, she finally felt that she might be becoming abnormal.
Even if it is the cheapest koi, and even if the seller repeatedly assures you that it is easy to keep, various problems will always arise when an inexperienced person buys it home and keeps it in a carefully prepared fish tank.
If any of the conditions, such as water quality, water temperature, and oxygen concentration, do not meet the standards, those happy fish will become unhappy at some point, and when you go to watch them again, you will find that they have left.
At first, Zhang Jingshu didn’t quite understand why mermaids who left the sea could only live in water, but couldn’t survive long in human society. Only after arriving here did she experience it firsthand.
The air was fresh and moist, without any smell of pollutants. The city where she lived was always filled with all kinds of messy smells, but the smell here was very clean, making her want to take a deep breath.
Every pore of the skin is opening as wide as possible to absorb the moisture that can provide them with nutrients.
Zhang Jingshu took off her shoes and socks and walked barefoot on the ground warmed by the sun. There were a few round pebbles occasionally, and she stepped on them carefully. When she found a large stone that was relatively dry, she avoided the sticky places, sat down, and put her feet in the water.
The temperature was cool, and the water rippled around her feet.
Gazing at the boundless ocean, my heart feels peaceful and sad.
Life here doesn't seem bad, but she still can't accept that she might lose her legs. Although the fishtail is also very beautiful, she can only admire Cheng Shuinan's. If it were her, it would be awkward to think about it.
Fortunately, at the moment, she just felt a little itchy on her skin, and no scales grew. Just as she was sitting on the reef in a daze, Cheng Shuinan walked towards her. His face did not look too good. Before Zhang Jingshu could ask, he had already opened his arms and carried her down, his eyes glancing obscurely at the wet marks beside the reef.
Then he returned to his mermaid form, his sticky and wet fish tail hooked around her ankles, and Zhang Jingshu was covered with the mucus from his body.
"What's wrong?" Zhang Jingshu asked.
Cheng Shuinan pointed to the reef and said, "There's the scent of mermaids. Don't get close."
Zhang Jingshu was helpless: "I didn't touch it, I just sat next to it."
Cheng Shuinan muttered softly: "Even next to it is not okay."
Perhaps it was the ocean, his face tanned with a healthy rosy glow. His tail clung to her ankles, his grip on her waist firm and strong. Zhang Jingshu gave up struggling, letting him smear his scent all over her like a captive prey. He held her for a long moment before finally letting go.
"Zhang Jingshu... do you want to go to the bottom of the sea with me?" Cheng Shuinan hooked her hand with a hint of anticipation.
Zhang Jingshu opened her eyes wide: "Under the sea? Although I can swim, I still need equipment to dive. I will suffocate down there..."
Cheng Shuinan's mermaid-shaped palm was not much different from a human's, the only difference being that it felt slightly cool and moist. He lightly touched the area behind Zhang Jingshu's ear, where water stains appeared. He twisted it slightly with his fingertips and sniffed it under his nose. He then curled his lips, his eyes filled with satisfaction and intense joy.
He put his cheek against hers and said with a smile: "Zhang Jingshu, your body has changed. Don't you feel it? There will probably be scales..."
The body in my arms suddenly stiffened.
Cheng Shuinan knew what she was afraid of. Hiding his frustration, he gently bit the flesh behind her ear and rubbed it with his sharp teeth. Tasting the mucus that belonged to Zhang Jingshu, he narrowed his eyes in satisfaction and said soothingly, "...Don't worry, you won't turn into a mermaid. Your body will just undergo some minor changes."
Zhang Jingshu raised an eyebrow: "Are you sure?"
Cheng Shuinan buried his head in her neck and laughed: "If my genes were that powerful, humans would have become extinct long ago!"
Zhang Jingshu thought about it and felt that what he said was right.
Furthermore, Cheng Qingyuan had been facing the mermaid all day, yet his physical form hadn't changed. It was probably like a virus invading the body, but the body's antibodies couldn't fight it off, resulting in cold symptoms.
However, this symptom is irreversible when the mermaid gene enters and invades the body.
Zhang Jingshu breathed a sigh of relief. The problem that had been bothering her was finally solved. "Then I'll give it a try. I'm curious about what the seabed looks like..."
Cheng Shuinan hugged her: "Yeah. I'm curious too."
Zhang Jingshu had no experience in diving and was very nervous at the beginning. Cheng Shuinan's presence gave her a sense of security. He held Lian in his arms and had no hands free to hold Zhang Jingshu's, so he let her hold his hair.
The curly hair soaked in the water was as thick and strong as seaweed. Zhang Jingshu really grabbed his long hair and was taken under the sea with her eyes closed. Her legs began to kick subconsciously. Sensing her uneasiness, the fish's tail gently touched her ankles, and then the wide tail fin wrapped around her legs.
Cheng Shuinan comforted him, "Don't be afraid, I'm right next to you. If you feel uncomfortable, I will take you away from here immediately."
Zhang Jingshu closed her eyes tightly, not daring to speak or open them.
Although her body did not feel any discomfort, the pressure in her ears seemed to be affected, as if they were stuffed into a sponge. The dense pressure fixed her inside and she could not move at all.
Just when she felt uncomfortable and wanted to leave the seabed immediately, salty sea water suddenly seeped into her mouth. She barely opened her eyes, but there was no soreness in her eyes as she had imagined. It was as if she was on land. She gradually opened her eyes.
Cheng Shuinan's face enlarged in front of him.
His lips moved closer, prying open her lips without her realizing it, and the sea water sneaked in through this gap.
His pupils were not pure black at the bottom of the sea, but had a light dark blue hue, as if he had hidden a precious sapphire. Finally, their true colors were revealed on this day. Zhang Jingshu observed his eyeballs, and then her sight was attracted by the scenery behind him.
He placed the lotus in the jade-colored coral reef.
Corals that are as plump as flower buds form a vast coral sea. The jade-colored corals look like exquisitely carved jade. Next to them are corals of various shapes and colors, and small fish of various colors swim among them.
It's so beautiful here.
Zhang Jingshu was stunned.
Cheng Shuinan's tail swayed with the direction of the waves. He left her lips, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and stared at her with dissatisfaction. It was Zhang Jingshu's first time to see the coral reefs on the seabed. It was normal for her to be fascinated, but it was also his first time to see these things. Although they were beautiful, nothing could shake Zhang Jingshu's attraction to him.
Even the ocean that I had been looking forward to seeing for more than ten years was not available.
Cheng Shuinan pursed his lips, waited for a while, raised his hands and held her face.
"Zhang Jingshu, does it look good?" he asked.
Zhang Jingshu nodded.
Cheng Shuinan lowered his eyes and stared at her lips: "Have you seen enough?"
"Ah..." Zhang Jingshu didn't understand what he meant.
"If you've seen enough, look at me," Cheng Shuinan extended his lips over, and Zhang Jingshu tasted the sweet and fishy blood flowing into her mouth.
She tilted her head back to avoid Cheng Shuinan's sticky kiss. Cheng Shuinan realized her resistance and left, staring at her sadly, and wrapped her legs around her. Zhang Jingshu was almost pressed against his chest.
Cold and slippery.
Zhang Jingshu reached out and touched the corner of his mouth: "What did you do just now? Is this your blood?"
Cheng Shuinan hummed, "It can make you feel less uncomfortable."
Zhang Jingshu sipped the taste and realized belatedly that the first kiss was caused by him biting the tip of her tongue, and the blood mixed with the liquid on the surface of her tongue entered her throat. The sweet and fishy blood flowed into her body, and the pressure from the ocean seemed to be relieved a lot.
This is not a deep sea where there is no sunlight.
Still in the shallow sea area, looking up you can see bright beams of light hitting the sea surface, just like a scene in a movie.
"Just put your mother there?"
Lian lay quietly in the coral sea.
It's like lying in a huge flower bud.
Cheng Shuinan nodded: "Mermaids rely on nutrients from the ocean to grow and reproduce. After death, they will naturally turn into nutrients to provide energy to the ocean."
When a whale falls, its flesh, blood, and bones turn into nutrients, becoming an oasis in the ocean.
Mermaids are no exception.
Every living thing that grows in the ocean is no exception.
This is where they grew up and where they will eventually be reunited.
Fallen leaves return to their roots.
There are many strange marine creatures living in the coral reefs. Zhang Jingshu is most afraid of mollusks. Soft things often emerge from the beautiful coral reefs, and she will immediately hug Cheng Shuinan tightly.
Cheng Shuinan found a clump of clean-looking corals, and came to the ocean. When he came into contact with the sea water, he exuded the breath of a predator, cold, fierce, and powerful. As he approached, the small fish that moved freely in the corals fled frantically, and those slimy and disgusting-looking "bugs" also immediately abandoned their habitats and fled at a high speed, fearing that they would be torn into pieces and thrown into the mouth of the ocean overlord, and then suffer the torture of its sharp teeth.
"They are very afraid of you." Zhang Jingshu said casually.
Cheng Shuinan held her hand and sat on the top of the coral. The coral he found was shaped like a mushroom-shaped bouquet with a semicircular top. He sat next to Zhang Jingshu with his tail hanging down, naturally sticking to the side of Zhang Jingshu's leg.
"They are timid." He observed her expression and found that she showed no fear. He exhaled and inserted his fingers into her fingers and held them tightly.
Zhang Jingshu had long been accustomed to his clingy intimacy. Fortunately, she didn't dislike overly clingy boyfriends and even took pride in his clinginess. Sitting on the coral reef, observing the schools of fish, they were avoided by the school, creating a quiet and empty space among the thousands of fish.
Zhang Jingshu turned her head and looked over. Cheng Shuinan was looking at her with the corners of his lips raised in a beautiful smile, his sharp teeth half exposed.
She thought to herself that if she didn't know his character, she would be a little scared.
Zhang Jingshu touched his teeth and was bitten.
She stared at him calmly, "Let go, it hurts."
Cheng Shuinan opened his mouth, and her fingers escaped from inside. When she brought them to her eyes, two deep marks appeared on her fingertips. Zhang Jingshu rubbed them, and the color returned to normal. She put her hand down nonchalantly.
The two sat until the light on the sea surface disappeared and the seabed returned to darkness. Cheng Shuinan held Zhang Jingshu and swam towards the sea surface. Before leaving, Zhang Jingshu found a small purple flower on the seabed, picked it, placed it next to Lian, and then left.
The waves were surging at night. As soon as they came out of the sea, they saw a yacht approaching. Zhang Jingshu vaguely felt something and hugged Cheng Shuinan's arm. Cheng Shuinan returned her reassuring look.
Cheng Qingyuan drove a motorboat and followed closely behind.
The first question he asked when they met was a heartbreaking one: "Where did you hide the lotus?"
Cheng Shuinan stretched out his hand, embraced Zhang Jingshu who was about to step forward, blocked her behind him, and said lightly: "Mother has returned to the ocean of her thoughts. She will sleep here and will no longer have to endure pain for you."
"If you want to find it, go to the bottom of the sea."
Cheng Shuinan picked up Zhang Jingshu and helped her sit on the rocks on the shore. He followed closely and sat beside her, watching Cheng Qingyuan dive into the sea quietly.
Zhang Jingshu asked worriedly, "How did you tell him? What if he takes your mother's body out?"
"No," Cheng Shuinan shook his head, "He can't go that deep."
Zhang Jingshu: "But how can I do that?"
Cheng Shuinan smiled and pointed to his mouth. The tip of his tongue had been bitten by him and had not yet healed. "It's because of my blood... If you can kiss me more often, you can go to a deeper ocean in the future."
His slightly expectant look reminded Zhang Jingshu of a puppy eagerly waiting for its owner to feed it. She reached out to cover his mouth, blocking his words, and jumped off the reef: "I'm hungry, don't sit here, I brought a barbecue grill, come and cook!"
Cheng Shuinan responded and followed her.
Huge waves surged on the sea.
The island is quiet and beautiful.
…
At night, there was a beautiful mermaid sitting on the reef, with her huge black tail like shooting stars scattered all over the sky, singing to her beloved girl.
The singing is melodious and beautiful.
When humans heard the mermaid's singing, they were like fishermen crossing the sea on a boat who were bewitched. They slowly deviated from their planned route and approached the source of the sound.
He threw himself into the mermaid's arms without knowing the danger or regret.
The surging waves are mixed with the sound of falling into the sea water, white foam is rolling up from the fish tail, there is bright moonlight above the head, and a mermaid successfully gets the response of her lover with her singing on this night.
They were entangled in the water.
The water surged violently.
…
Cheng Shuinan grabbed the beam of light, splitting the darkness and bringing him to the light of the world.
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