RAM Chapter 33

The juvenile whale chose a deserted beach. Hai San’er took Lu Xie and swam back to the shore. Lu Xie gazed out at the vast, endless sea, thinking of what Hai San’er had just said. As long as Zhenzhu saw the Pisces constellation, it meant a year had passed. Every year at this time, they could meet with Zhenzhu on the small island.

“What you just said about the Pisces constellation, is it true?” This was the first time Lu Xie had heard the name “Pisces.” Animals didn’t have calendars or clocks. He was worried that Zhenzhu might not know the time, and he feared Hai San’er was lying to him.

Hai San’er looked sincerely into Lu Xie’s eyes. “Mermaids can’t tell time as precisely as humans, but they are more sensitive to the changing of the seasons. And I wouldn’t lie to you.”

That made sense. Hai San’er wouldn’t lie. Lu Xie’s anxiety finally eased. He pulled off his clothes and wrung out the water. He glanced at Hai San’er, who was stark naked. He had gotten used to it by now, but now that they were in a completely new country, a big city, with Hai San’er dressed so scantily, he worried that before they even found a place to stay, Hai San’er might already be arrested by the police for indecency.

Lu Xie turned around and looked at the city behind them. In the distance, there were a few houses. He told Hai San’er to wait and went over to negotiate with one of the residents. He casually made up a story, saying that their clothes had been stolen while swimming, and they needed to buy new ones. The kind homeowner gave Lu Xie a set of clothes they didn’t wear much.

Lu Xie returned with the clothes and handed them to Hai San’er. “Put these on, then we’ll go find a hotel.”

The clothes fit well. Hai San’er quickly put them on and jogged to catch up with Lu Xie. “What’s a hotel?”

“A place to stay.”

“But aren’t we staying in a house? Why do we need to go to a hotel?” Hai San’er didn’t understand.

Lu Xie stuffed the bag of gold coins into his pocket. In an unfamiliar place, it wasn’t safe to carry the money around like that. He needed to figure out a way to store it securely.

“We don’t have a house right now. A hotel is a place that temporarily rents rooms to us.”

Hai San’er was shocked. “We don’t have a house? How is that possible?”

“Did you think when we came to a new place, there would be a house exactly like the one before, waiting for us free of charge?”

“So that’s not how it works?”

Hai San’er tilted his head, still confused. “What does free mean?”

“Free means you don’t have to pay for it. It’s given to you without any cost.”

Hai San’er gasped. “So you mean, the place we’re going to stay at isn’t free? We have to pay?”

Rather than stressing over hiding the money, Lu Xie decided it was safer to just spend it. Spending the money would resolve the issue of their documentation. Once they became legal citizens, they could get legitimate jobs.

Lu Xie patted Hai San’er on the shoulder, satisfied. “You’re starting to understand. Good, you’re making progress.”

They bought clean clothes and daily necessities from a street vendor. Because they didn’t have any identification, Lu Xie had no choice but to take Hai San’er to stay in a small hotel in the red-light district. Under the pink lights, the entire hotel was filled with a suggestive, sultry atmosphere. People in revealing clothes in the alleyways stared at them with intense, suggestive looks.

Hai San’er was the type to follow anyone who called him, and Lu Xie had to pull him back when he was about to go after one of them. Hai San’er pointed to a streetwalker in the shadows. “He called me.”

“Do you know him? Just ignore it and follow me,” Lu Xie said as he dragged Hai San’er along. Once they were away from the crowd, Lu Xie whispered, “Did you forget what I told you? Not all humans are good people.”

Hai San’er thought of Lu Hui.

“Don’t trust anyone easily, understand?”

Hai San’er nodded seriously. Being human was indeed difficult. Back in the sea, he trusted whatever his companions said, and he never lied to the fish.

Seeing Hai San’er nodding earnestly, Lu Xie continued his lesson, “You’re already half a qualified human.”

“Why half?” Hai San’er had always thought he was a full human. He didn’t realize he was still only half one.

“You know how to use utensils, you understand how to dress, how to eat, and live. You’ve mastered half of it, so you’re half human. You still have a lot to learn.”

Being human was indeed hard.

When they entered the small hotel, Lu Xie asked the old lady at the front desk for the room key. Both of them were tired and hungry, but the priority was to eat and get some good rest. Recently, Lu Xie had been able to nap on the whale’s back, but Hai San’er hadn’t closed his eyes at all.

“San’er, go take a shower. I’ll wait for the delivery.”

After Hai San’er went into the bathroom, Lu Xie, out of habit, checked the door lock, then walked around the room to make sure there were no cameras. Being human was not so easy. The world was dangerous and full of hidden threats, but for now, Lu Xie didn’t want to burden Hai San’er with the harsh reality.

When Hai San’er finished his shower, the food arrived. Lu Xie locked the door and told Hai San’er to eat first. He also repeatedly reminded him not to open the door for anyone. Then, he grabbed his toiletries and clean clothes and went into the bathroom.

His clothes were wet and dry, wet and dry, and besides the mud, there was also the lingering smell of seawater. Lu Xie felt like he was about to be pickled by the sea. He was finally able to take a nice shower, and after eating, he planned to sleep until morning. This area was on the outskirts, a red-light district. There were plenty of people who could get official documents. As long as they had money, he and Hai San’er could get their documents sorted. With proper identification, everything else could come later.

After making their plans, Lu Xie had just finished his shower. As he came out of the bathroom, the food on the table hadn’t been touched. Hai San’er was standing by the window, looking up at the night sky. His hair was half-dried by the evening breeze, and the soft strands swayed gently in the air.

“What are you looking at? Didn’t I tell you to eat first?”

Hai San’er, who had looked a bit sad before, immediately broke into a smile when he heard Lu Xie’s voice. He ran over to Lu Xie’s side. “I wanted to wait for you to eat together.”

The takeout food was much tastier than what Lu Xie usually cooked, but Hai San’er, probably because he had just turned human, wasn’t quite used to it. Plus, he was exhausted and his appetite wasn’t great, so he didn’t eat much.

Lu Xie didn’t force him. He ate a few bites himself, and then they both brushed their teeth and lay down in bed.

They were both extremely tired but couldn’t fall asleep right away. Hai San’er tossed and turned beside Lu Xie, and for once, Lu Xie didn’t scold him.

“Is it hard to get used to being human?”

I guess so, Hai San’er sighed. After becoming human, he wasn’t as excited or thrilled as he had imagined. Instead, he felt more confused. He instinctively hugged Lu Xie’s arm and pressed himself close, speaking softly, “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do from now on.”

It wasn’t just Hai San’er—Lu Xie himself had needed time to adjust to this new environment. He pulled his arm free and held Hai San’er’s hand, their fingers entwining. He needed to talk with Hai San’er about the future, to discuss concrete plans and make sure Hai San’er had a clear image and a sense of security.

“I told you, we need to find someone to help us get identification. Having money makes things easier. Fortunately, we still have the gold coins Zhenzhu found. The paper money we brought here is useless, just a bunch of worthless paper, especially with the war devaluing currencies. But gold coins are different—they have a fixed value.”

Hai San’er, always curious, rested his chin on Lu Xie’s shoulder. “What’s identification?”

“Identification is… something that has your name, your age, your birthdate, your registered residence—basically something that proves who you are.”

Hai San’er looked up with confusion. He already had a name, but what was age?

“What’s age?”

“It’s how old you are, how many years you’ve lived.” Lu Xie paused for a moment. He still didn’t know how old Hai San’er was. Did Hai San’er even remember?

A second later, Hai San’er asked, “So how old am I?”

Just as expected.

Lu Xie smiled helplessly. “If you were just born, like Zhenzhu, you’d be one year old. A year equals one year. Today is your first day as a human.”

Hai San’er understood Lu Xie’s example. “So I’m one year old?”

“No, you’re eighteen.”

Hai San’er blinked in confusion. “Why? According to you, I should be one year old.”

“Because if you were one, you wouldn’t pass the review.”

“Huh?” Hai San’er tilted his head, looking completely puzzled.

This was something that couldn’t be easily explained to Hai San’er right now. Lu Xie chuckled awkwardly, “I said you’re eighteen, so you’re eighteen. Eighteen is just right. You’re an adult now.”

“Okay then, I want to be an adult!”

As they talked, Hai San’er’s mood clearly lifted. Life with others was indeed complicated and full of hardship, but Lu Xie wanted to give Hai San’er the best experience possible, so he wouldn’t regret his choice now.

“Lu Xie, I want to kiss you.”

Lu Xie turned to face Hai San’er’s pleading eyes. Feeling both helpless and amused, he sighed. “When it comes to people, the most important thing is to be subtle about such things—you don’t need to announce them beforehand.”

“Don’t I?” Hai San’er feared that if he kissed without asking first, Lu Xie might hit him. He hesitated, then leaned in close. In a swift motion, he brushed his lips against Lu Xie’s, moving so quickly that even he didn’t get a chance to taste the moment. Surprisingly, Lu Xie didn’t strike back.

Hai San’er mustered up his courage again, this time not pulling away. Their lips gently pressed together, and his tongue followed the crease of Lu Xie’s mouth. Not only did Lu Xie not resist, he even leaned back slightly, giving Hai San’er more space. Emboldened, Hai San’er grew bolder, pressing his whole body against Lu Xie. He kissed and nibbled until, finally tired out, he panted heavily and rested his head on Lu Xie’s shoulder.

He heard a heartbeat—his own or Lu Xie’s—and the cries of an unfamiliar woman, loud and despairing yet strangely… satisfying.

Hai San’er propped himself up, looking down at Lu Xie from above. “What’s that noise?”

A hint of awkwardness flashed across Lu Xie’s face before he forced a smile. They were in a motel—the kind in a red-light district. What other sounds could there be?

Seeing that Hai San’er was grown up now, Lu Xie decided not to beat around the bush. “Actually… motels are not just for temporary housing. They’re also the most common places humans choose for mating.”

So that’s how it is, thought Hai San’er. Humans sure have a lot of rules. But I’m one of them now. Since Lu Xie brought me to this motel, we should probably mate too.

“Lu Xie, let’s mate.”