RAM Chapter 18

“Eh?”

The mermaid’s mind still couldn’t process the meaning of Lu Xie’s scolding. Before he could figure it out, Lu Xie had already turned around and headed toward the small shop.

Just moments ago, Lu Xie was urgently calling his name, yet now he was ignoring him completely. His mood had changed faster than flipping a book. Hai San’er didn’t dare linger, afraid Lu Xie might leave him behind, so he hurried to catch up.

“Are you still mad?” Hai San’er trailed after Lu Xie like a persistent shadow. He felt that Lu Xie seemed even angrier now. Considering Lu Xie hadn’t cooled off from before, wasn’t this just adding fuel to the fire? Hai San’er clutched the two gold coins he had found, uncertain if they’d be enough to calm Lu Xie down.

Lu Xie tossed his things onto the side with a clatter, ignoring Hai San’er entirely. He turned on the TV, picking a random drama to watch. It happened to be a melodramatic family soap opera. Onscreen, a son was trying to please his mother by massaging her shoulders while sweet-talking her. The mother’s face lit up immediately with joy.

Although Lu Xie was stewing in his irritation and paid little attention to the plot, Hai San’er watched with great interest, even taking it as gospel. Mimicking the drama, he walked behind Lu Xie and grabbed his shoulders, beginning to massage them.

Lu Xie, lost in his thoughts, jumped at the sudden touch. He instinctively flinched, but when he tilted his head back and saw Hai San’er, the guarded look in his eyes softened. Still, he frowned and feigned impatience. “What are you doing?”

“Don’t be mad.” Hai San’er leaned closer to Lu Xie’s cheek, earnestly kneading his shoulders while gently rocking them. “Don’t be mad, don’t be mad.”

The mermaid’s strength was ridiculous. Lu Xie felt dizzy from the vigorous shaking and raised a hand to stop him. “Alright, alright, that’s enough.”

“No, it’s not alright,” Hai San’er insisted. “You didn’t say you’re not mad.”

Lu Xie felt stuck. The whole situation was maddening—having been forcibly kissed by a mermaid. Forgiving Hai San’er felt absurd, but not forgiving him didn’t seem feasible either. He couldn’t kick the mermaid out, and he worried Hai San’er might just run off with someone else. But if he forgave him, how could he swallow his pride?

Seeing Lu Xie remain silent, Hai San’er dug out the two gold coins from his pocket. “Here, these are for you.”

Lu Xie laughed at the sight of the coins. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

If it were anyone else, Lu Xie might have lost his temper. But he knew the mermaid wasn’t trying to buy him off with money.

“Well…you seem to like them. And since you’re mad, I didn’t know how to cheer you up, so I found these to try.”

Hai San’er was incredibly earnest. He didn’t understand the value of gold coins, he simply wanted Lu Xie to be happy. If Lu Xie had liked coral instead, Hai San’er would have fetched him a pile of it.

Lu Xie raised an eyebrow, took the coins, and finally looked less serious. A faint smile curved his lips as he rubbed the intricate patterns on the coins. He appreciated how much Hai San’er cared about his feelings.

“You’re like a hunting dog…or maybe a hunting fish.”

Hai San’er didn’t understand the remark. As long as Lu Xie wasn’t angry, he didn’t care. He threw his arms around Lu Xie’s neck and, in a burst of enthusiasm, kissed his cheek. One kiss wasn’t enough. He started nuzzling Lu Xie’s face with his own.

Lu Xie’s face was squished out of shape. His expression darkened as he grabbed Hai San’er’s arm. “Can you not push your luck?”

Hai San’er didn’t understand what “pushing your luck” meant, but he could tell Lu Xie wasn’t mad anymore. He plopped down onto the recliner, throwing his whole weight onto Lu Xie, refusing to budge.

Hai San’er’s waterfall-like hair draped all over Lu Xie’s face. Annoyed, Lu Xie pushed the strands aside, but the mermaid’s strength was overwhelming. Frustrated, he poked Hai San’er’s forehead. “Let me see your head.”

At Lu Xie’s words, Hai San’er reluctantly let go and obediently sat in front of him, blinking expectantly.

In just one day, the scar on Hai San’er’s head had completely healed without leaving a trace. The speed of recovery shocked Lu Xie. His own leg wound, aggravated by the heat, had gotten inflamed several times before finally scabbing over.

“Is it better now?” Hai San’er tilted his head back and forth.

Lu Xie turned his face away. He couldn’t resist teasing. “Of course it’s healed quickly. Your brain wasn’t working well to begin with. That knock probably scrambled it further, wiping out the little intelligence you had left.”

Hai San’er, who had been smug moments ago, froze. Lu Xie’s words thoroughly frightened him.

Later, as Lu Xie prepared to shut the door and head to bed, Hai San’er anxiously followed, mumbling, “Is my brain broken? What happens if it’s broken?”

“You’ll die,” Lu Xie casually lied. “Are you going back to the sea?”

Since the wound on his head had healed, Lu Xie saw no reason to keep the mermaid around. His place was small, and Hai San’er was clearly more comfortable in the water.

Hearing this, Hai San’er solemnly placed a pearl in Lu Xie’s hand, his expression one of utter sorrow. “I’ll go back, but you have to take care of our baby.”

“Off you go, then.” Lu Xie stuffed the pearl into his pocket and, with a cold indifference, rolled down the shutter.

Hai San’er stepped out, and with a loud clang, the door closed behind him. Tears streamed down his face. He had wanted to say a proper goodbye but decided it was better this way. Lu Xie wouldn’t have to feel sad.

Returning to the ocean, Hai San’er chose a spot among a coral reef to lie down. If he was going to die, he wanted it to be a beautiful death. He crossed his hands over his abdomen and waited quietly.

How long would it take? Would it happen tonight or tomorrow morning? Would it hurt?

Hai San’er sighed, thinking of Lu Xie. Would Lu Xie miss him? Hopefully not for too long. And their child—Lu Xie would have a hard time raising it alone.

Back at home, Lu Xie was lying in bed, exhausted but finally relaxed. He remembered the pearl Hai San’er had given him, dug it out of his pocket, and inspected it under the lamp.

It was beautifully translucent, glowing faintly under the light. Despite claiming it as his baby, the mermaid had so easily handed it over.

With a yawn, Lu Xie placed the pearl in a velvet box from his bedside drawer before drifting off to sleep.

The next morning, Lu Xie was woken by loud knocking. Groggy, he opened the door to find a haggard Hai San’er, who blurted out, “Why am I not dead?”

Still half-asleep, Lu Xie was baffled. “Huh?”

“You said I’d die,” Hai San’er explained anxiously. “Why am I still alive?”

Lu Xie finally realized what had happened and couldn’t help but laugh. Only a mermaid would believe such nonsense.

“You…you really believed that?”

Seeing Hai San’er’s red-rimmed eyes, Lu Xie knew he’d been crying. Before he could tease him further, Hai San’er threw himself onto Lu Xie, sobbing loudly.

“I was so scared! I thought I’d never see you or our baby again!”

What kind of dramatic performance was this?

Lu Xie pried open Hai San’er’s arm for a look and nearly burst into tears himself. Tsk, this mermaid wasn’t great at throwing tantrums—couldn’t even get angry properly. All he seemed to know how to do was sniffle and cry.

“Where’s the baby?”

“Upstairs in the room. Go get it yourself. Stop leaving it with me all the time. If you lose it again, you’ll just cry about it later.”

Lose it? How could he call it “losing”? Lu Xie had a responsibility to take care of the baby, too.

Hai San’er didn’t bother arguing with Lu Xie. He dashed upstairs, and as soon as he entered the room, his eyes landed on the pearl carefully placed in a velvet box. The box’s soft material cradled the tiny pearl snugly. Hai San’er felt a wave of satisfaction—Lu Xie did love him and the baby after all!

He bolted downstairs and threw himself straight into Lu Xie’s arms, sobbing with overwhelming emotion.

“Lu Xie, you do love the baby! You even know to keep it safe like this.”

A suffocating force hit him head-on as Hai San’er hugged him tightly enough to choke. Lu Xie wanted to explain—it wasn’t about love. Pearls, being round objects, had a habit of rolling all over the place if not secured. If that happened, Hai San’er would end up crying and asking him to find it. And where would he even start looking?

What a self-deluded, sentimental fish.