RAM Chapter 30

The sea was calm and serene, and the fishing boat floated undisturbed on the water. Even now, Lu Xie still feared the water. He chose to sit at the center of the small boat.

After they had drifted far from the shore, Lu Hui turned off the engine. He stood at the bow, took a cigarette out of his pocket, and lit it. As the sea breeze blew past, the thin white smoke was immediately scattered.

“Haah.” Lu Hui exhaled deeply and then walked over to sit beside Lu Xie. “Want one?”

Every time he went out on the boat, Lu Xie was filled with fear, and this time was no different. In addition to being afraid of the water, he was even more afraid that Lu Hui would discover Hai San’er’s existence. He was in no mood, so he refused the cigarette that Lu Hui offered.

“Did nearly drowning scare you this much?”

People like them, who grew up by the sea, might not be exceptional swimmers, but nine out of ten could swim at least a little. Getting a mouthful of water was nothing new, so Lu Hui didn’t expect Lu Xie to be left with such a strong psychological scar.

Lu Xie hugged his arms tightly, trying to make himself as small as possible, seeking the maximum sense of security. “I almost didn’t make it.”

In the face of nature, humans were powerless. Whether it was the waves or the storms, they were forces that no human could fight off with their bare hands. Every time Lu Xie thought back to his near-drowning experience, he felt as if he had stepped right into the gates of death. If it hadn’t been for Hai San’er…

Lu Hui extended his arm over the railing, flicking the ash off his cigarette. “I shouldn’t have asked you to come with me.”

Thinking about Hai San’er’s usual work of cleaning up the sea, Lu Xie instinctively stopped him as he saw Lu Hui’s action.

“Ge, don’t flick your ash into the sea.”

It’s always like this—only when it directly concerns him, dowes he start to empathize. Without Hai San’er’s existence, Lu Xie probably would have been just like Lu Hui.

“You know why I’m so sure that mermaids exist?” Lu Hui didn’t give Lu Xie any time to think. “I’ve seen one.”

Lu Xie felt his blood freeze for a moment. Seen one? Which mermaid had Lu Hui seen?

Lu Hui continued, “The photo the boss showed.”

When Lu Xie heard it was just a photo, he let out a silent sigh of relief. He glanced over the fishing boat, his gaze eventually landing on the distant horizon. “Ge, it’s already the modern age. Photos can be faked too.”

Lu Hui didn’t argue. Instead, as if he hadn’t heard what Lu Xie said, he spoke again, “I also heard that mermaids are very trusting, easy to deceive, and will rescue humans caught in storms. Do you think that if one of us drowned, a mermaid would save us?”

Lu Xie clenched his fists, the veins on the back of his hands standing out. He turned his head, forcing himself to keep his expression under control, and studied Lu Hui’s face with a scrutinizing gaze.

He didn’t know when it had started, but the sky, which had been clear earlier, had grown overcast. The air pressure was lowering, and the humidity was rising. Lu Hui suddenly grinned, “I’m just kidding. Even if mermaids do exist, they have no reason to save us. We’re not family.”

Lu Xie’s frozen expression finally relaxed a little. Lu Hui, however, suddenly added, “Ah Xie, we’ve grown up together, shared everything, and talked about everything. Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out. If there’s any benefit, I’ll be the first to think of you. I’d never harm you.”

For a brief moment, Lu Xie felt guilty towards Lu Hui. There were no secrets between them. If it weren’t for Lu Hui’s obsession with catching a mermaid, Lu Xie probably would have confessed about Hai San’er long ago.

“Alright, looks like a big storm’s coming. Let’s head back.”

As the boat neared the shore, the rain started pouring down in torrents, like beans falling from a bag. The sea surface was pocked with countless holes, only for the water to cover them up again in the blink of an eye. In the distance, the dark clouds were closing in, heavy and ominous, as if the sky were about to collapse. The sight was so overwhelming that it left one too afraid to even breathe.

Lu Xie suddenly felt a sense of the apocalypse. We need to leave. If we don’t leave tonight, we might never get away. He lifted his eyes to the direction of the dock, where the lights were just barely visible. Despite the gloomy atmosphere, they still emitted a persistent glow.

“The rain’s getting heavy, let’s hurry back.” Lu Hui ran towards the small shop without looking back.

Lu Xie answered and glanced back at the sea, making sure Hai San’er hadn’t foolishly followed them. Only then did he feel at ease to turn back.

Back at the shop, the clock on the TV showed they had been out for half the day. Lu Xie hadn’t prepared food for both of them while they were on the sea, so now they were both starving, their stomachs pressed against their backs.

“Let’s get something to eat.” Lu Xie suggested. It was getting late, and after eating and resting for a while, it would be time for the cargo ship to depart.

Lu Hui brushed the rainwater off his clothes. “Yeah, I’ll go upstairs and take a shower and change.”

As Lu Hui went upstairs, Lu Xie stood in the hallway for a long time, listening to the sound of Lu Hui’s footsteps above, the door opening, then the sound of water running. Only then did he head to the kitchen.

Lu Xie took out some food and also retrieved a packet of powder from the cabinet. If he put in the right amount, Lu Hui would likely sleep through the whole trip, and by the time he woke up, they would be at their destination. But Lu Xie couldn’t stay with him for the whole trip. The ship was filled with all kinds of people, and Lu Hui would be in danger if he fell asleep. He just needed him to stay unconscious until the ship departed; he didn’t need to put in too much.

Everything ready, Lu Hui came downstairs just as he finished his shower. Seeing him, Lu Xie brought out the food from the kitchen. “Ge, it’s ready.”

“You’re wet too. Don’t you want to take a quick shower and change? Even though it’s hot, you might catch a cold.”

Seeing that Lu Hui had already sat down at the table, Lu Xie hesitated for a moment. He stayed where he was, not moving.

Lu Hui smiled and teased, “You’re so helpless. Don’t worry, I won’t eat everything while you’re gone. Go on.”

Lu Xie forced a nervous smile. Not wanting to refuse again, he went upstairs. But instead of showering, he just dried his hair quickly, changed his clothes, and came back downstairs.

As he rounded the corner, Lu Xie heard the TV. He lifted his chin and glanced down the stairs. Lu Hui was sitting at the table, his arm resting on it as he watched the TV.

“Ge.”

“Coming, let’s eat.” Lu Hui eagerly grabbed his chopsticks and started shoveling food into his mouth. “I was going to check if there was any news on the TV, but the signal’s gone. I had to pop in a DVD. Why did you even buy an animated movie? I thought it was some new action film, but when I opened it, it turned out to be a mermaid cartoon.”

Lu Xie froze for a moment, tapping his chopsticks lightly on the table. He quickly came up with an excuse. “That’s probably the music store owner’s mistake. I didn’t even check it.”

Lu Hui didn’t respond. He opened a can of beer and poured some for both of them. “Want some?”

Since there was business to attend to later, Lu Xie didn’t want to drink. But Lu Hui said, “We haven’t sat down together and had a drink in ages. It’s been so long since we’ve had a drink together. I feel like we’re growing apart.”

It had been a while since Lu Xie and Lu Hui had spent time together like this. If it weren’t for Hai San’er, Lu Xie probably wouldn’t have thought of leaving Lu Hui. Even if he was seeking a peaceful life, he would have wanted Lu Hui with him.

Lu Hui clinked his glass against Lu Xie’s and downed it in one go. Lu Xie had no choice but to follow suit and finished his drink in one gulp.

“I know,” Lu Hui continued. “You probably think I’m crazy, willing to risk my life for money. But it’s not just any money. We could work our whole lives and never make that much, and we could spend our entire lives and still not go through it all. Anyway, it’s just one life, and if we win, the second half of our lives will be whatever we want. We won’t have to work for any boss, and we won’t have to worry about anyone’s opinion.”

Lu Xie understood. That might be a sum of money that couldn’t be measured. For Lu Hui, mermaids were

likely just a means to make money, but for Lu Xie, they meant something else entirely.

“Ah Xie,” Lu Hui added. “With money, you can do whatever you want and forget all your worries.”

Who doesn’t want endless money? Lu Xie wanted it too, but more than that, he wanted Hai San’er, Zhenzhu, and Lu Hui to be safe. He might never make that much money in his lifetime, but he would only ever have these three people as his family. Family meant more than money.

Lu Xie lifted his glass and poured himself another drink. He slammed it down on the table. Before he could speak, the dizziness hit, and Lu Hui’s figure started to blur. What was going on? Was the beer that strong? Before he could make sense of it, the next moment, he lost consciousness.

The sound of crashing waves filled his ears. Lu Xie groggily opened his eyes. The sky was pitch black, and he couldn’t see any stars. Heavy rain was splashing across his face. Was he… by the sea?

He tried to push himself up from the rocks, but his hands were tightly bound behind him. Panicked, he screamed, “Ge? Lu Hui!”

“Stop shouting, keep your voice down.” Lu Hui, holding an umbrella, didn’t even look at him. His gaze was fixed on the rolling sea, his eyes filled with anticipation. “In a moment, I’ll let you see the mermaid.”

“Ge! You’re crazy! I’ll die!”

Hearing Lu Xie’s desperate scream, Lu Hui finally glanced at him. “How long are you going to lie to me? You’ve seen the mermaid, so why pretend you haven’t? When I saw that man, something felt off. We’ve always been loners, with no friends around. How could you bring a stranger home in such a short time?”

Lu Xie swallowed nervously. Even now, he wouldn’t admit it. “He’s not a mermaid.”

“Last night, you got up in the middle of the night, near the sea. I saw it with my own eyes. How could it be fake?” Lu Hui scoffed. “Are you trying to keep him all to yourself?”

“What are you saying?” Lu Hui thought that of him?

Lu Hui smirked. “Admit it, he’s a mermaid.”

Lu Xie opened his mouth but couldn’t speak.

“And you drugged me, Lu Xie. After everything I’ve done for you, you used the same trick I taught you on me? You’ve really hurt my feelings.”

The effects of the drug hadn’t worn off yet. The throbbing in Lu Xie’s temples was unbearable. “I just wanted to get the boat to take you away. You wouldn’t leave, and I didn’t have any other way.”

“You didn’t have any other way?” Lu Hui’s face twisted in anger. “You should have been on my side from the beginning and told me where the mermaid was!”

“Not possible! I won’t let you hurt him. He’s not a commodity, and we have no right to sell him.”

The smile on Lu Hui’s face was chilling. He didn’t listen to anything Lu Xie said. He tied one end of the rope to a coconut tree on the shore, then kicked Lu Xie into the water.

“Ugh…” Lu Xie’s scream was immediately drowned out by the waves. Before the water engulfed his head, he vaguely heard Lu Hui’s voice.

“That mermaid will definitely come to save you, Ah Xie. Once I catch him, I’ll forgive you.”