RAM Chapter 20

At the break of dawn, the light of the rising sun softly illuminated the calm ocean surface, creating gentle ripples. Hai San’er stretched lazily, pushing himself up from bed. He had been on land for too long and decided to head into the sea while the coastline was still quiet. Beside him, Lu Xie was sound asleep, and Hai San’er thought it best not to wake him. Having mastered the art of opening and closing doors, Hai San’er figured he could leave quietly on his own.

Dressing carefully to avoid making noise, he tiptoed to the bedside and gazed at Lu Xie for a long while. Watching wasn’t enough—he leaned down and planted a quick, stealthy kiss on Lu Xie before sneaking out of the room.

Downstairs, Hai San’er turned on the lights and rummaged through a cookie tin to find the key. Just as he was about to open the door, the landline phone rang unexpectedly, startling him. His first instinct was to hide, but remembering what Lu Xie had taught him, he mustered the courage to pick up the receiver.

“Ah Xie,” a man’s unfamiliar voice came through before Hai San’er could speak. Lu Xie had mentioned that he wasn’t the only one who might call, so Hai San’er stayed silent, waiting for the caller to continue.

“It’s me, Lu Hui.”

Lu Hui?

Hai San’er didn’t recognize the name but felt obligated to respond after the man introduced himself. However, Lu Hui hurried on, leaving Hai San’er no chance to speak.

“There’s a war breaking out here. The former boss got caught up in it and can’t protect himself. As for the mermaid business, it’s unlikely to pan out. I’ll figure out a way to come back soon, and we can discuss finding another buyer in person.”

Mermaid business?

How did Lu Hui know about mermaids? Before Hai San’er could ask, the call ended abruptly, leaving only a disconnected tone in the receiver.

“Hello? Hello? I’m Hai San’er.”

He called into the phone for a while but got no response. Examining the device, he realized Lu Xie had only taught him how to answer calls, not how to redial. Sighing, he put the receiver down and decided to return to the sea first.

After locking the door and sliding the key back through the door gap, Hai San’er jogged to the rocks by the shore. He placed his clothes in their usual spot, ensured no one was around, and dove gracefully into the water, disappearing beneath the waves.

When Lu Xie woke, the spot next to him was already empty. The sunlight streamed through the window, casting an orange glow onto the floor.

“Where’s the fish?” Lu Xie muttered, ruffling his messy hair. “San’er?”

No response came. Groggy, Lu Xie shuffled downstairs in his slippers. The lights were still on, and the key lay less than half a meter from the door gap.

Did he go out?

Impressive. Lu Xie had only taught Hai San’er how to use a key yesterday, and he was already letting himself out today.

After quickly washing up, Lu Xie opened the door, and from behind the rocks emerged a familiar figure. Hai San’er’s face beamed with a bright smile, his wet hair dripping seawater. Despite his disheveled appearance, he radiated joy, practically bounding over to Lu Xie.

“You went back to the sea at the crack of dawn. Have you been on land too long? Feeling uncomfortable?” Lu Xie asked, noting the extended time Hai San’er had spent ashore.

Hai San’er clasped his hands behind his back, a mysterious look on his face. His demeanor clearly indicated he was hiding something. Curious, Lu Xie asked, “What are you hiding?”

“Look!” Hai San’er revealed his hands like he was presenting a treasure, holding a pristine white seashell. It turned out he had gone into the sea so early just for this.

Lu Xie raised an eyebrow at the shell. “Just one? Not much meat on that.”

“It’s not for eating.” Hai San’er cradled the shell protectively, as if afraid Lu Xie might gobble it up. “This is a deep-sea spirit’s home. When the baby grows to a certain stage, it can live inside this shell.”

He gently knocked on the shell, which slowly opened to reveal a pearl. The pearl shimmered, its surface glowing faintly, as if it were breathing.

Initially, Lu Xie dismissed the notion that the pearl could turn into a mermaid, but as the pearl began to display subtle signs of life, his skepticism wavered. Whether or not it would transform, one thing was certain: this pearl was alive, deserving of careful treatment.

“When will it turn into a mermaid?” he asked.

Hai San’er pried open Lu Xie’s fingers and placed the shell in his palm. “The baby will not only transform into a mermaid inside but also grow during its seedling stage relying on this shell. The shell will protect it. As for exactly when it will transform, I’m not sure, but it should be soon.”

A baby mermaid grows with the protection of a shell? What about Hai San’er? Just as Lu Xie was about to ask, Hai San’er covered his hands with both of his own.

“Let’s put it in the fish tank.”

“What does it eat?”

The pearl had been in Hai San’er’s pouch, relying on him for nourishment. Now that it was separated, how was it supposed to grow? Surely, it wouldn’t eat buttered bread slices or pumpkin and taro buns?

“It eats whatever sea spirits eat.”

Lu Xie understood now—the pearl could develop with the shell’s help without needing to return to Hai San’er’s pouch.

“So, it’s like raising a turtle?”

“It’s not a turtle, it’s a mermaid, a little mermaid.”

“Then a turtle might’ve been better.”

Though his words were dismissive, Lu Xie still went to town, bought fish food and a cylindrical fish tank, and collected rocks, shells, and seaweed from the shore to set up a suitable habitat. He even asked Hai San’er to catch a few innocent little fish to add to the tank.

“That should do it, right?” Lu Xie set up the tank on the rooftop under a sunshade, placing it in a spot shielded from wind and sun. “Better than raising fish—less hassle with water changes.”

Hai San’er was delighted with the new home Lu Xie had prepared for the baby. He knew Lu Xie truly cared for him and the baby.

Although Hai San’er couldn’t pinpoint the exact day the pearl would transform into a mermaid, he had mentioned earlier that the pearl would grow after sensing “love.” It had already reached a certain stage and was now developing with the help of the shell. Lu Xie estimated that it would become a little mermaid once it absorbed enough nutrients from the shell.

If that’s the case, it’s manageable.

Every morning, the first thing Lu Xie did was change the pearl’s water. He fed it fish food several times a day, but he began to doubt Hai San’er’s claims when he never saw the sea spirit eat. The shell hadn’t moved an inch since the day he put it in the tank. Was it even alive?

“Are you sure the spirit is alive?”

If it were alive, shouldn’t it open up to eat the fish food? And if it were dead, the pearl should at least emerge from the shell. But then again, the pearl didn’t have a mouth to eat.

“Of course, it’s alive.” Hai San’er lay in the large fish tank, sipping a drink, his tail fin flicking lazily.

Lu Xie fished the shell out of the water, rubbing it, but it remained firmly shut. “I think you’re lying to me. Ever since that day, I haven’t seen it open once.”

“You need to be more patient. Sea spirits and the baby are both very timid sea creatures. If you’re too aggressive, you’ll scare them. You have to be gentle when touching it.”

Lu Xie thought he was already gentle enough, but he tried again, restraining his strength even more. He gently stroked the shell, but it didn’t budge.

“See? It doesn’t move. If it doesn’t move, it’s a turtle. I’ve been saying all along—it’s a turtle.”

Hai San’er, annoyed, set his drink aside, took the shell from Lu Xie’s hand, and pouted. “It can hear you. If it feels like you don’t like it, of course, it won’t open.”

Demonstrating, Hai San’er pressed the shell against his cheek, gently rubbing it while whispering lovingly, “Baby.”

Had Lu Xie not seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it. But the shell slowly opened.

“See?” Hai San’er smugly raised an eyebrow at Lu Xie. He placed the sea spirit back into the water, and the pearl rolled out of the shell. Instead of sinking, it floated on the surface, creating ripples.

Although reluctant to admit it, Lu Xie was curious. He lightly touched the pearl with his finger. The moment his fingertip made contact, the water’s ripples stilled, and the pearl froze.

Lu Xie awkwardly held his hand above the water, unsure whether to pull it back. Hai San’er mouthed to him, “Be gentle.”

Gentle, gentle.

Lu Xie, who had never been gentle in his life, tried to mimic Hai San’er’s soft demeanor. He leaned closer to the fish tank, stroking the pearl as delicately as he could. After a long while, the pearl finally responded, nudging his finger. The touch was faint but distinct.

“I…” Lu Xie was flustered and incoherent. “It moved… Did you see that? It just nudged me!”

Hai San’er, much calmer, cradled the pearl in his hand and introduced Lu Xie to it in a tender, affectionate tone. “This is Daddy.”

Lu Xie stared at the pearl in Hai San’er’s palm, his chest tightening. He felt a strange sense of restraint, like a new father seeing his baby for the first time. He didn’t know where to place his hands and feet, absurdly half-expecting the pearl to call him “Daddy.”

After a long pause, he snapped out of it. It was just a pearl—not even a mermaid yet. The whole situation was ridiculous. Had Hai San’er’s foolishness rubbed off on him?

Hai San’er’s indulgent voice interrupted his thoughts. “And I’m also Daddy.”