Chapter 32 It's getting cold.
Logically, with the little male merman's tail transforming into legs, many things should have become much easier, and Luo Qingyan should have had less to worry about. However, she not only didn't feel any relief, but instead found herself even more troubled and stressed.
On the surface, everything seemed the same, and she didn't have to worry about many things. However, the little male merman had undergone some subtle changes, changes that were closely related to her, and it was hard for her not to notice them.
For example, her partner has started to be more attentive to her emotions. Previously, her partner could sense her emotions, usually simple ones like happiness or unhappiness, and would directly ask about them. But now, her partner can sense a wider range of emotions and won't express them verbally. If it's a negative emotion, they will subtly try to guide her emotionally.
For example, the other person starts to enjoy initiating conversations about things related to humans. Their reasoning is that since their fishtail has become legs, they'll definitely need to live like humans, and therefore need to learn more about them. However, even though they could easily find that information online, they still prefer to chat with her, and always ask questions that are somewhat related to her.
For example, when they weren't seeing each other, he contacted her more often. Sometimes he would ask about her life, sometimes he would share what he ate and how he felt each day, and sometimes he would send her new knowledge. Crucially, he would ask her every day if she was coming to Hefengting.
It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what's wrong with such subtle changes. If handled poorly, it can seem like making a mountain out of a molehill, failing to solve the problem and potentially leading to an awkward situation.
That's weird.
She originally planned to move in as soon as possible, but the more she spent with the little male merman whose fishtail had turned into legs, the more awkward she felt, and gradually developed an avoidance mentality, so she put the move on hold.
She tried to break free from the strange atmosphere, but it wasn't easy.
After much thought, she realized it was because the little merman from before had a fishtail, making him appear more like a small animal in her eyes. Now, without a tail and with legs, he looked completely human—a normal adult male. Therefore, she could no longer deal with him easily. She had indeed developed some kind of affection for him, which she couldn't avoid, so she could only avoid him.
The reason she avoided him was that the little merman seemed to be walking towards her, but when she tested his feelings, he stayed put. Unable to discern his emotions, she naturally didn't want to unilaterally get involved any further.
The two are currently in an extremely awkward and complicated situation. Although they have both been testing each other, there's a persistent feeling that they're not quite on the same page, and they don't know where the problem lies. They want to clarify things but don't know how.
There's nothing we can do but let nature take its course.
-
After the young male merman's health improved, he prepared to contact the merman's organization on land. To make things go more smoothly, he suggested that Luo Qingyan first show him the outside human world.
The request was reasonable, and Luo Qingyan agreed. She specifically chose a weekday to take the little male fish out, where there would be fewer people out for leisure.
The night before going out, there is something very important to do: to confirm what the little merman will wear.
Clothes were fine, but after the little male merman's tail turned into legs, Luo Qingyan immediately bought some everyday full-body clothes. At the time, she thought that if she had to go out, she would have to have something to wear, and the more low-key the better.
A gray shirt and black casual pants—the most ordinary clothes imaginable—looked incredibly striking on the young merman. He was a natural clothes hanger; broad shoulders, a slim waist, and long legs. Any clothes or pants he wore looked good on him, let alone a figure-flattering shirt. He could easily walk the runway.
The clothes were already quite ordinary, so there was no way to be more understated. The only solution was to focus on the hair. The little merman's long, flowing silver hair was quite striking, making it a real headache to style.
Luo Qingyan tried tying up the little male merman's hair so that it would be smaller and less eye-catching.
Try tying your hair into a low ponytail first. The area is smaller, but the sheer volume of hair makes it stand out even more.
Next, try tying up the top half of your hair, leaving the bottom half loose. It looks great, giving off a mix of traditional Chinese and rock/roll vibes. Unfortunately, looking good isn't always a good thing; it means attracting attention and being less discreet.
Luo Qingyan thought about it seriously for a while, and suddenly realized that she could wear a hat. She happened to have a fisherman's hat and a baseball cap that were suitable for the little male merman.
His hair was still half-up, which made him look more low-key from the front, and the lower position made it easier to wear a hat. Both styles of hats looked good on the little merman, but the bucket hat had the advantage of providing more coverage, so he ultimately chose the bucket hat.
After much effort, we finally achieved something. Although it's still not exactly low-key, we've done our best. It should be fine as long as we avoid crowded places.
-
The next day was a cloudy day.
Luo Qingyan arrived at Hefengting from her grandmother's house. When she entered the house, the little male fish was already ready. She checked on the little male fish again and emphasized some precautions for going out before the two of them went out together.
The moment I stepped out of my house, the process of adapting to teaching outside began.
"You've read the elevator manual, right?" Standing in the elevator lobby, Luo Qingyan wasn't in a hurry to press the elevator button. She looked at the little male merman and said, "Now try to operate it independently."
“Okay.” The little merman stepped forward and pressed the down button. “We’re going downstairs now. We should press the down button below.”
“Uh…” Luo Qingyan forced a smile of approval, “That’s right, but there’s no need to say it. It’s just the two of us now, so it’s fine. If there are other people around, it will attract attention if we say it.”
"Okay, I understand."
The elevator arrived, and the two entered. Then, the little male fish pressed the button for the first floor and also pressed the close button.
“I know you can press the close button, or you can leave it pressed and the elevator will close automatically. Some shopping malls and hospitals even have elevator attendants.” After pressing the button, the little merman stood next to Luo Qingyan, leaned slightly to the side, and spoke softly, “Now that it’s just the two of us, can we talk?”
“You can, but you really don’t need to tell me everything. I know you’ve learned a lot.” Luo Qingyan smiled helplessly. “Besides, there are surveillance cameras in elevators, and almost every public place has surveillance cameras. You have to be extra careful.”
"Okay, I understand."
-
After leaving the residential area, Luo Qingyan asked Xiao Nanyu to try hailing a taxi on the roadside.
The little male merman had said that once they contacted the merman organization on land, everything would be arranged. But Luo Qingyan was worried about unforeseen circumstances, so she told the little male merman to carry cash with him whenever he went out, and of course, to teach him how to use cash.
The taxi ride went smoothly, but after getting in, the driver glanced at the two people in the back seat several times in the rearview mirror and tried to chat with them more.
Luo Qingyan patted the little male merman's arm, signaling him not to respond, while she gave the driver the most concise reply. The driver had seen too many passengers before and naturally understood what she meant, so he didn't say anything more, but his eyes kept glancing at the two people in the back in the rearview mirror, unable to suppress his curiosity.
Upon arriving at her destination, Luo Qingyan didn't let the little male fish pay. She paid in cash and told the little male fish to just watch and remember the steps before hurriedly getting out of the taxi.
The first public place the two visited was a park.
On a weekday during lunch break, there were very few people in the park, so the two of them could take a leisurely stroll.
-
"The park is really comfortable." The little merman's eyes kept looking around, everything was new and exciting. "It looks beautiful in the video, but it doesn't feel real."
“Yes, the most beautiful scenery is what you see and feel with your own eyes.” After arriving at the park, Luo Qingyan’s tense nerves relaxed a lot. She opened her arms and took a deep breath. “The breath of nature can make people feel refreshed.”
Is there a pet park here?
"What?" Luo Qingyan suddenly turned her head to look at the little male merman, her outstretched hands frozen in mid-air.
The little male merman didn't expect Luo Qingyan's reaction to be so sudden. His eyes widened a little, and his pupils moved slightly: "I... thought of Chestnut. You said there is a pet park in the park where dogs can play freely."
"Oh, this park... I don't think there's a petting zoo." Luo Qingyan naturally thought of what happened last time. She shook her hands and then withdrew them.
"So, next time we're going to a park with a petting zoo? We can bring chestnuts with us."
"You really are always thinking about chestnuts," Luo Qingyan said, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Is it just because of chestnuts?"
"Yes, it's been a long time since I've seen Chestnut. I want to play outside with it too," the little male merman said sincerely.
"You want to too? So you brought this up because last time I took the puppies to the pet park with Pudding's owner?" Luo Qingyan pressed further.
"Um."
"Huh? Just one 'huh'?"
"Then... is there anything else I should say?"
Luo Qingyan was quite annoyed. She thought for several seconds and finally decided to be more direct: "Don't you think you're jealous?"
"Is this what jealousy is?"
Luo Qingyan was speechless and wanted to roll her eyes. Sure enough, it was the same again; the two of them just couldn't connect. The other person asked with such sincerity that if she continued, it would sound like she was giving a lecture, making any attempt at flirting or playful banter impossible. Besides, the other person was so sincere; there wasn't a hint of jealousy. It would only make her seem like she was just being presumptuous.
"I don't know, never mind." Luo Qingyan kept his eyes fixed ahead and quickened his pace.
"I'll try to understand things better in the future. Would you like to rest for a while? The lake over there is beautiful, and there are chairs by the lake where you can rest."
The other person started trying to please her again, but it felt very awkward. She took a deep breath to calm herself down, otherwise the other person would keep trying to please her: "Let's walk a little further, there's a place selling desserts and snacks up ahead."
"Okay." The little merman nodded and continued to follow Luo Qingyan. As long as the other party was willing to respond to him, he could feel at ease.
-
The two walked in silence for a while, until they reached the place that Luo Qingyan had mentioned selling desserts and snacks.
Where there is food, people will naturally gather. Luo Qingyan was worried that the little male fish would attract attention if he went to crowded places, so she tried to avoid those places as much as possible. When she reached the fork in the road, she walked in the quiet direction.
"Aren't you going to buy something to eat?" the little merman called out to Luo Qingyan.
"There are too many people over there, and it's noisy and chaotic," Luo Qingyan explained simply, but then asked, "Do you want to eat?"
The little merman glanced at the commotion and then said, "I want to eat ice cream, do you want some?"
Luo Qingyan didn't actually want ice cream that much, but then she suddenly thought of something: "What flavor do you want?"
“Vanilla,” the little merman replied readily.
Just as she had expected, Luo Qingyan's lips curled up: "Okay, buy it!"
Afterwards, Luo Qingyan bought ice cream, while the little male merman watched and learned from him. It had been getting cooler lately, and the ice cream shop wasn't crowded, so the two quickly bought their ice cream and left to eat it in a less crowded area.
The two went to a bench next to a flower bed and sat down.
"How was it? Was the vanilla ice cream delicious?" Luo Qingyan looked at the little merman. "We agreed last time that I would let you try other flavors of ice cream later, but the weather turned cold and I didn't let you try them. Luckily, you remembered today."
"It's delicious! Compared to chocolate, it's pure sweetness and a milky flavor." The little merman smiled. "Ice cream is also great on a cool day!"
“I used to like eating ice cream when it was cold, and my mom would always scold me for it. I would argue that I was healthy and not afraid of the cold.” Luo Qingyan looked at the ice cream in her hand and thought of the past. “As I grew up, I understood the elders’ thoughts more and more. It’s past the White Dew and almost the Autumn Equinox. Eating ice cream is indeed cold.”
As soon as Luo Qingyan finished speaking, a gust of cold wind blew by, and she couldn't help but shiver: "I just said I felt cold and here comes a cold wind, how fitting."
She was smiling, but when she looked up into the distance, her smile faded: "It's getting cold, it should snow soon. In City A, it snows heavily in winter, covering everything in a beautiful white blanket. City G is in the south, it might not snow there, I wonder if it will snow this year."
As she spoke, her brow furrowed slightly.
"I... probably won't be able to wait any longer."
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