Who is in Chapter 24?
Tao Xingyou's blind date came very quickly. She only mentioned it before dinner on Sunday night, but they actually arranged to meet on Tuesday afternoon on Monday night.
The man said he was back on vacation and had a lot of free time, so he let the woman choose a time to meet. Tao Xingyou happened to be free on Tuesday afternoon, so she didn't want to wait until the weekend and decided to meet him whenever she was free.
Luo Qingyan received the message Monday night before going to bed. She was on vacation and was only accompanying her cousin, so it didn't matter if she was in a hurry. It would be more comfortable to finish things as soon as possible.
The next morning, she told her grandmother about the plan. Her cousin had informed her late the day before, and her grandmother was already resting, so she waited until today to tell her.
Grandma was naturally happy. She pulled Luo Qingyan aside and gave her a lot of instructions. She even gave Luo Qingyan dinner money, insisting that Luo Qingyan accept it. She said it was on behalf of Tao Xingyou because they had agreed to give it to her last night.
Luo Qingyan knew her grandmother's personality well. She accepted the money and even said that she would refund any overpayment or make up any underpayment. This made her grandmother even happier, and she gave her a few more instructions.
After lunch, Luo Qingyan did not take a nap and went straight out the door.
She told her grandmother she was going to buy some things. Her grandmother knew that young people always had to prepare things for blind dates, so she didn't ask any questions and just told her to be careful on the road. Actually, she was going to deliver lunch to the little male fish. Taking advantage of this excuse to go out, she could spend more time with him.
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"Xiaomei, are you hungry?" Luo Qingyan went straight to the bathroom as soon as she got home. "I brought you Yangzhou fried rice, lemon chicken drumsticks, and seaweed and egg drop soup today."
"Okay, no rush, take your time." The little merman sat upright in the bathtub, the small table was open, and the iPad was placed to the side; he was ready to eat.
Luo Qingyan moved swiftly, putting down the takeout bag with one hand and taking off her shoulder bag with the other. Then she quickly opened the takeout bag and placed the food box on the small table. During this time, she glanced at the little merman: "I've noticed that you don't seem to be addicted to the internet. Every time I come, you turn off your iPad and put it aside. You never seem to be reluctant to leave it."
"Internet addiction?" The little merman opened the lids of the boxes placed on the small table one by one, and was a little puzzled when he heard this word.
"Haven't you seen this word online?" After taking the box, Luo Qingyan handed the chopsticks and spoon to the little male fish. "It seems that this word hasn't been used much in recent years... Oh, I know, it's probably because everyone is glued to their phones these days, so, hehe, big brother, don't talk about second brother."
"Does 'internet addiction' mean being addicted to playing on your phone and surfing the internet?"
"Wow, you understand quickly, that's really smart."
"I think I've heard this word before, but I didn't realize it when you mentioned it just now."
"You have bad memories too, don't you?" Luo Qingyan's tone was teasing.
“Of course, everyone has times when their memory isn’t good.” The little merman didn’t seem to mind at all.
"Alright, alright, go ahead and eat, it's getting late."
"Mmm." The little merman picked up a spoon and ate the fried rice.
"It's okay, as long as there's food, that's good enough." The little merman said, scooping up another spoonful of fried rice. "It's delicious."
“I’m thinking I should move here sooner rather than later, otherwise it will always be inconvenient and I’ll be worried.”
"Okay!" The little merman's eyes sparkled.
“Sigh… but things are not as simple as they seem. I don’t know how to tell Grandma.” Luo Qingyan frowned slightly. “I came back because I wanted to spend more time with Grandma, and she was especially worried about me after hearing about the case of a woman living alone being robbed in her home.”
"I'm here with you, you're not alone."
"Did I tell Grandma that there's another you here?" Luo Qingyan smiled helplessly, then paused, "Actually... you are indeed an excuse, perhaps we can talk about it from another angle."
The little male fish picked up a piece of lemon chicken leg with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth and chewed, his eyes fixed on Luo Qingyan.
“I’ll think about it some more. Anyway, I’ll definitely be staying with my grandma this week, so you can make do with it.” Luo Qingyan stretched her arms to the sides, twisted her neck, and moved her body. “Oh, right, I’m going to accompany my sister to a blind date later, so I won’t be back for dinner, and I probably won’t have time to come over tonight.”
"A blind date?" The little merman was about to drink his soup when he suddenly stopped what he was doing.
“Blind dates are… wait, let me check how it’s defined on Baidu Baike.” Luo Qingyan said as she got up to get her bag from the cabinet next to her.
"I know about blind dates," the little merman said, stopping Luo Qingyan's actions.
“Oh right, arranged marriages have existed since ancient times, you should know that.” Luo Qingyan immediately sat back down on the low chair. “Do mermaids go on arranged marriages?”
"No," the little male merman said calmly, then picked up the soup bowl and sipped the soup slowly.
Would you look down on blind dates as a form of dating?
"No, each species has its own way of doing things, all for the purpose of reproduction and survival."
"Yes, that's right." Luo Qingyan nodded, pondered for a moment, and then the light in her eyes dimmed. "Then what is the purpose of procreation?"
The little male fish sensed the change in Luo Qingyan's emotions. He put down the soup bowl in his hand and slowly said, "I don't know why, but the laws of nature are like water constantly circulating, the earth constantly changing, and the sun, moon, stars, and constellations shifting."
Luo Qingyan let out a soft breath and leaned back slightly: "Yes, I don't know why, it's just the law of nature."
Then came a silence. The silence in the bathroom was particularly noticeable, perhaps because of the small space, the monochromatic color scheme, or the fact that everything was laid out clearly without many small details.
The little male merman continued to eat slowly, his movements gentle, and even the sounds he made were very soft.
Silence and soft voices.
It seems that one can feel the flow of time.
After a short while, Luo Qingyan shook his head, then stood up: "Eat slowly, and throw your trash in the bin after you're done. I'll put your dinner in a thermos, so eat whenever you're hungry. I'm going to rest in the bedroom for a bit, and then I'll leave soon."
"Do you also go on blind dates?" The little merman swallowed the food in his mouth and didn't pick up any more.
Luo Qingyan stopped in her tracks and thought for a moment: "Can you answer one question for me first?"
"Okay, go ahead and ask."
"Will mermaids grow old alone? That is, without a partner, without offspring, living alone and then dying. It has to be a voluntary choice, a life they choose themselves, not forced, at least not finding someone they love, not settling, so they would rather be alone, better to be single than settle for less."
"That's how mermaids are. They must truly love each other to form a contract and have offspring. Otherwise, they can live alone or with a mermaid of similar nature."
"Mermaids with similar personalities? Aren't they family? What if the mermaids living together suddenly find a mermaid they love? Wouldn't the remaining mermaids then be left without companions?"
"Mermaids will live alone after they grow up. The ocean is very, very large, and we can explore it on our own. As for mermaids living together, if they choose to live with their kind, there are usually not just two people, but four or five, and sometimes as many as a dozen or twenty. If a mermaid finds true love during this time, we will be happy for them, which is a good thing."
"It sounds like true love among mermaids is indeed rare and something to celebrate, but if that's the case, won't the number of mermaid offspring decrease? What if they become an endangered species?"
"Mermaids have long lifespans, and they have their own methods."
"Do they produce a large number of offspring? Like other fish, they lay eggs or give birth to a huge number of fry."
The little merman pursed his lips: "That's one way to understand it."
“The more difficult it is, the more precious it becomes!” The little male merman’s voice was soft yet weighty. “Life is inherently heavy and comes at a price, but… a period of peace makes it easy to overlook this.”
Luo Qingyan's expression shifted slightly: "Yes, often we only realize the importance of something when we are about to lose it. And just knowing the principle is not enough; you must experience it firsthand. Unfortunately, by then it's too late."
"Then let's hold on to what we have." As the little merman spoke, the ringtone of a message came from Luo Qingyan's bag on the nearby cabinet.
"Yes, that's right, hold on to what you have." Luo Qingyan's voice was tinged with melancholy. Just as she finished speaking, her phone rang. She took out her phone and saw that it was her cousin Tao Xingyou calling, so she went to her bedroom to answer the call.
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"Sis, I sent you a few photos. Can you help me see which one suits me best?" Tao Xingyou's voice was quite busy. "I can't decide. My brain is about to explode."
"Okay, let me see." Luo Qingyan switched to the WeChat chat window to look at the photos. "Hmm... January, March, April, and June are all quite suitable. You can choose the one you like best!"
Tao Xingyou: "Ah! So many options? I can't choose... Help..."
Luo Qingyan: "Then let's go with one! Is one the first outfit you put together?"
Tao Xingyou: "Yes, but I think it's more refreshing at midnight."
Luo Qingyan: "Then let's go with three. If you like one, I'll say one and you won't consider three."
Tao Xingyou: "But actually, number four is also very nice, and the skirt is one I like..."
Luo Qingyan: "It's three. Anyway, if you asked me, I'd choose three. But my suggestion is just someone else's suggestion. I still think you should choose the one you like the most."
Tao Xingyou was silent for a few seconds: "Okay, then I'll choose number three. Sis, how are your preparations going? I'll come pick you up in half an hour?"
Luo Qingyan's mind raced: "I, I'll go to your place, and then we can go to the coffee shop we agreed on. It's closer to your house there."
Tao Xingyou: "Okay! Then come and take a look at my outfit today. I'm sure I'll be struggling to choose accessories, so you can come and give me some advice."
Luo Qingyan: "Okay, I'll set off in a bit."
-
After hanging up the phone, Luo Qingyan prepared to say goodbye to the little male fish before setting off.
"Xiaomei, I'm going to my sister's place first!" Luo Qingyan stood at the bathroom door, not intending to go in.
"Okay." The little merman was still eating, but he had almost finished. Seeing the person at the door turn to leave, he called out to them, "You haven't answered my question yet!"
Luo Qingyan had almost forgotten about this, but the little merman's mention of it immediately reminded her: "Oh, blind dates, right? I won't go. I don't like that kind of thing. Blind dates have very clear purposes: dating, marriage, having children. I... in short, they're not suitable for me. Besides, who goes on blind dates when they're about to die? Isn't that just wasting other people's time? That's my answer, I'm leaving now, bye!"
"Okay, be careful on the road." The little male merman called out goodbye, as Luo Qingyan had already walked towards his doorstep.
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Afterwards, Luo Qingyan went to Tao Xingyou's house, where Tao Xingyou was still struggling with choosing accessories and shoes.
She understood that her cousin was taking the blind date seriously and wanted to look her best for her date, so she didn't rush her and instead offered her advice as carefully as possible.
With some advice, Tao Xingyou's hesitation lessened considerably, and she quickly chose her accessories and shoes. The two then set off a little earlier than planned.
-
The journey was smooth, and we soon arrived at the agreed-upon coffee shop.
The other party arrived earlier; they've already arrived.
When Luo Qingyan saw the two people opposite her, she was puzzled for a moment because one of them looked familiar, but she couldn't remember who it was.
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