RAM Chapter 29

The next day, the seaside town returned to its usual calm. Aside from a few buildings that had been destroyed in the explosion, everything else seemed just like before. The TV signal was disrupted, and the radio kept reassuring everyone that the explosion was just an accident, that the war would not spread to their country, and that the public should not panic.

Some of the panicked people, unwilling to leave their hometown, chose to trust the local government. Others, with a stronger sense of crisis, still decided to take their families and flee to safer places.

Lu Xie and Lu Hui were both aware of the situation outside. The explosion from yesterday might have just been a test. Perhaps they could remain safe for a few more days, but their country was no longer peaceful, and they needed to leave as soon as possible.

However, Lu Hui was still fixated on the mermaid and even went out on a fishing boat to search for it. Unfortunately, not only did they fail to find the mermaid, but there wasn’t even any fish near the shore. The entire area seemed eerily silent, as if the sea had died.

“How could this be? How come there aren’t even any fish?”

Lu Xie remained silent, his gaze fixed on the sea. The water was still a clear blue, but the sea creatures were few and far between. He was surprised—Hai San’er really had such incredible abilities.

“This is ridiculous.” Lu Hui muttered, “Maybe the explosion scared all the fish away. Let’s go further out and see.”

But whether nearshore or far offshore, they couldn’t find what Lu Hui was looking for. They returned empty-handed.

Lu Hui, now in a bad mood, noticed that Lu Xie seemed to be relieved. He frowned.

“What’s wrong with you? Don’t you care about finding the mermaid? You don’t seem to be putting in any effort.”

Could he really care? Lu Xie knew that mermaids existed in this world, and he hoped Hai San’er and Zhenzhu would run as far away as possible, never to be discovered by humans. But he couldn’t tell Lu Hui the truth.

“Brother, it’s too dangerous. We’re at risk of dying at any moment.”

Lu Hui laughed, “Ah Xie, when have we not been risking our lives? What mission have we been on that wasn’t dangerous? Once we pull off this job, we’ll be out for good. Why are you getting cold feet now, of all times?”

Lu Xie was at a loss for words. Lu Hui was right. If he hadn’t spent so much time with Hai San’er recently, he would have been just as enthusiastic as Lu Hui about finding the mermaid. But now, it was different. He had made a promise to Hai San’er, and he wanted him alive to meet him. He couldn’t afford to risk everything for a mermaid.

For the past few days, Lu Xie had felt that Lu Hui was becoming obsessed with finding the mermaid. He’d spent whole days on the sea, and even though he was exhausted, he couldn’t sleep at night for worrying about Hai San’er. He had no choice but to go up to the rooftop to get some fresh air.

The weather here was hot year-round, with no clear distinction between spring, summer, autumn, or winter. The only difference was that the sea breeze at night was a little cooler and wetter than during the day.

There was no boat passing by, and the sea was calm, almost eerily so. Even the sound of the waves had fallen silent. Lu Xie absentmindedly ran his fingers along the edge of the bathtub, thinking back to when he first saw Hai San’er. At first, he thought he was just a crazy creature who only knew how to run around naked. Later, after realizing he was a mermaid, he viewed him as a tool for making money. Back then, he was just as obsessed as Lu Hui, worrying that someone would find out about the mermaid and ruin his chance to make a profit. Later still, when he saw Hai San’er suffering in the fish tank and witnessed the birth of little Zhenzhu, the three of them had spent a peaceful, quiet time together.

But beautiful things are always fleeting. Lu Xie thought Zhenzhu hadn’t grown much, and the special bathtub he’d prepared for Hai San’er had hardly been used before everything changed.

He had been worried about Hai San’er during the storms, fearing he’d be scared. But to his surprise, despite looking timid, Hai San’er seemed unaffected by the cold winds and enjoyed them.

Lu Xie mimicked Hai San’er’s usual posture and sat in the bathtub. He tilted his head back, trying to block out the night sky with his hand, though he could still catch glimpses of the stars between his fingers. So this was what it felt like to look at the sky from the bathtub.

The sound of the waves gently lapping against the shore was soft at first, but as Lu Xie’s awareness faded, the waves grew increasingly urgent, crashing one after another.

Was a boat coming?

Lu Xie instinctively opened his eyes and stood up. He didn’t see any boats on the water, but the waves began to crash over each other in succession, rolling and shimmering under the moonlight. It was a familiar feeling—something was about to leap out of the water.

Suddenly, ripples appeared on the surface of the sea, and the next moment, a familiar figure leapt out. Under the moonlight, it looked like a sea spirit—long hair flowing like a waterfall, body shimmering with a crystal-like glow. Then, as quickly as it appeared, the figure vanished back into the water.

Hai San’er?

Lu Xie felt as though someone had grabbed his throat. He wanted to call out but couldn’t make a sound. His throat was dry and scratchy, each swallow of saliva feeling like a knife cutting him.

Why had Hai San’er come back? Hadn’t he told him to wait? And where was Zhenzhu?

A dozen questions flooded Lu Xie’s mind, but he didn’t have time to think. He rushed downstairs, carefully controlling the force as he opened the door. The rolling shutter made a loud noise, but he glanced back and confirmed that Lu Hui hadn’t woken up. There was no one at his bedroom window, so he dashed toward the rocks.

“San’er?” Lu Xie didn’t care about the water now; he leaned over the sea, calling Hai San’er’s name softly.

The water rippled, and bubbles popped up to the surface. Suddenly, a familiar, delicate face emerged from the water.

“Lu Xie.”

“Why did you come back? I told you to wait for me!”

Hai San’er’s voice trembled as he clung to the rocks, “There are still fish that haven’t left…”

Lu Xie was a little frustrated. Even though Hai San’er had a duty to protect the sea creatures, he had done enough. He shouldn’t be taking this risk.

“What about Zhenzhu? You didn’t bring him back?”

“I left him with the sea spirits and the little turtle,” Hai San’er explained softly.

“But he’s so small…”

Hai San’er stretched out his hand to Lu Xie, his voice full of concern, “I was worried about you. I promised to wait for you, but you never showed up. Lu Xie, I was really worried about you.”

Words of reproach rose in Lu Xie’s throat but were swallowed back. Something inside him felt like it had been struck hard.

“My brother refuses to leave. He’s gone mad…”

Hai San’er understood how important Lu Hui was to Lu Xie, and since he was Lu Xie’s brother, it was his responsibility to try and save him.

“I can take both of you with me.”

“You can’t appear in front of him.”

“Why not?” Hai San’er didn’t understand.

Lu Xie grasped Hai San’er’s hand firmly, “He’s staying here because he knows about the mermaids. He’ll never leave. He wants to find the mermaid. Humans are dangerous—if you appear in front of him, you may never see the sun again.”

Hai San’er didn’t understand the full extent of the danger, but he knew it wasn’t good. He stood up and embraced Lu Xie, his voice soft against his cheek, “Lu Xie, you won’t put me in danger.”

Lu Xie hugged Hai San’er tightly. He knew he couldn’t have it all. He couldn’t just think about escaping with his brother. He had to think about Hai San’er and Zhenzhu. Hai San’er trusted him so much, and he couldn’t let him fall into danger.

“Tomorrow night, there will be a cargo ship leaving port. Whether my brother wants to come or not, I’ll knock him out and tie him up on the ship. Then I’ll come with you. We’ll never see him again.” Lu Xie felt Hai San’er’s cheek gently rubbing against his, the simplest touch made all the difference.

After a long while, Lu Xie finally released Hai San’er. “He’s at home. You can’t come up tonight.”

Hai San’er nodded in understanding. “We’ll meet tomorrow night.”

“Don’t stay too close to the shore tonight. Be careful.”

After watching Hai San’er leave, Lu Xie took a deep breath and went back inside. He quietly locked the shop door, then headed upstairs. When he reached Lu Hui’s door, he paused for a moment and looked up at the stairs leading to the top floor. The door to the balcony was swaying in the wind. He had been so anxious earlier that he couldn’t remember if there was a door to the rooftop.

He wasn’t sure, but he wanted to check

if Lu Hui was still in his room. Holding his breath, he gently opened the door. He could see the shape of Lu Hui on the bed, his deep breathing confirming he was still asleep.

Lu Xie quietly closed the door and went back to his own room. He lay down, facing the window, listening to the sound of the waves, feeling as if Hai San’er was speaking to him. Tomorrow, it would all end. He dreamed of moving to a new place, living quietly with Hai San’er and Zhenzhu.

The next day, Lu Xie got up earlier than Lu Hui. Before it was fully light, he went to the dock to ask about the ticket prices. After the first explosion, tickets had become scarce, and the prices had skyrocketed. Now, they were outrageous.

He didn’t bargain and paid the deposit. The rest would be settled when he got Lu Hui on the boat tonight. He also bought a few things from a shop still open, then returned to the store, where Lu Hui had just woken up.

“Where have you been?”

Lu Xie raised the bag he was holding. “Just bought some stuff in town. You refuse to leave, but you still have to eat, right?”

Lu Hui didn’t answer, but his gaze was more probing. He casually grabbed something to eat from the bag and, as he munched, asked without thinking, “I’ve been meaning to ask you, why did you buy a bathtub? And why put it on the top floor?”

Lu Xie’s heart sank. He didn’t want Lu Hui to notice anything related to Hai San’er.

“Just been lazy to go out. When I have nothing to do, I take a bath. What? You want to use it?” Lu Xie quickly thought of a reason to deflect.

Lu Hui nodded but didn’t press the issue further. After eating, he suggested going back to the sea. This time, Lu Xie didn’t resist.