RAM Chapter 8

The air was tense, almost crackling, as Lu Xie and the mermaid exchanged a heated argument. Moments ago, they’d been at each other’s throats—now, the mermaid stood ankle-deep in the water, his shimmering tail suddenly manifesting, throwing both their rhythms off-kilter. For a creature of legend, even he hadn’t expected to slip back into the water so impulsively. Still, the little “baby” was back, thanks to Lu Xie. Perhaps it was best to let things cool down for now.

“This time, I’ll let it slide…” The mermaid extended a hand towards Lu Xie, only for Lu to instinctively take a step back, survival instincts kicking in.

“Give me the baby,” the mermaid huffed, clearly displeased.

Lu Xie stared wide-eyed, his memory suddenly dredging up images of that stormy night at sea. What had once been blurry and fragmented—the flicker of scales, the suggestion of a tail—now came into full focus.

The night air was cool, the sea breeze brushing against his face, waves lapping rhythmically at the shore. Under the silver moonlight, the mermaid’s tail gleamed like it had been dusted with diamonds, each droplet catching the light as it slid down his scales. The tail flared in a riot of color as it flicked the air, its movements so mesmerizing Lu Xie had to squint. The sheer size of it was imposing, the mermaid towering over him by at least a head. For the first time, Lu Xie felt dwarfed—an almost oppressive sense of being looked down on by this… aquatic lunatic.

“Lu Xie, what’s wrong? Why aren’t you saying anything?” The mermaid’s deep brown eyes glimmered, his usual confidence faltering. Was Lu Xie so shocked by his true form? But he’d told Lu Xie before—hadn’t he?—that he was a mermaid.

“You’re… really a mermaid?” Lu Xie’s voice wavered, tinged with skepticism. How could anyone believe this? A mermaid—straight out of a children’s fairy tale—was standing right in front of him, flesh, scales, and all.

Yet, some things could only be explained by the existence of a mermaid: saving him during the storm, retrieving gold coins from the depths of the ocean.

The mermaid pursed his lips, an expression of mild annoyance marring his majestic features. “I told you I’m a mermaid. Did you not believe me this whole time?”

Judging by Lu Xie’s complex expression, it was clear he hadn’t. The mermaid sighed inwardly. All that trust, wasted! He’d come clean after their second meeting, told Lu everything, and yet…

Lu Xie clenched his fists, the pearl in his palm creaking under the pressure. Even with the mermaid’s transformation happening right before his eyes, doubt gnawed at him. It had to be some sort of elaborate magic trick.

“Hey, careful!” The mermaid grabbed Lu’s arm, prying open his fingers to rescue their “baby” from its precarious fate. Without hesitation, he slipped the pearl under the protective flap beneath his scales near his tail. “You’re going to hurt it,” he muttered with a mix of exasperation and tenderness.

Their baby. A pearl. Lu Xie’s thoughts spiraled back to the ridiculous tales Lu Hui had spun—about mermaids producing pearls. And yet here it was, true as daylight. But how? From where? Under what conditions? How many? The details eluded him, as did the reality of it all.

The rumors were half-truths at best, but one thing was undeniable—mermaids were real.

“I’ve been on land all day,” the mermaid announced, glancing at the shoreline. “I need to return to the sea. By the way, did you get that Little Mermaid DVD I asked for?”

Lu Xie blinked in disbelief. A tall, muscular mermaid asking for a Little Mermaid DVD? He rubbed his tired eyes. “Not yet. A few more days.”

A few more days? Watching The Little Mermaid had turned into a whole saga. If only Lu Xie hadn’t left that day, he’d have finished it by now.

Lu Xie found himself watching the mermaid retreat towards the water. For the first time, it struck him as eerily similar to seeing someone off at the end of a date—except instead of a front door, there was the endless, slumbering sea. He stayed uncharacteristically quiet as the mermaid hesitated, glanced back at him once, then twice, before finally leaping gracefully into the waves.

The dark water rippled as his figure vanished beneath the surface, leaving Lu Xie staring at the empty horizon. Only the gentle rhythm of the waves on his feet reminded him it wasn’t all a dream.

Looking down, Lu Xie noticed his phone half-buried in the wet sand. He retrieved it, only to find it waterlogged and unresponsive. He clenched his teeth. He needed answers. Unfortunately, his phone wouldn’t let him call Lu Hui to interrogate him about this whole mess.

What the hell?

Had he been sleepwalking this entire time? A vivid hallucination? The sheer absurdity of it all made his temples throb. Overwhelmed by exhaustion, Lu Xie muttered to himself, “Sleep. Just sleep. Maybe I’ll wake up, and this will all have been a ridiculous dream.”

But that night, sleep offered little solace. His dreams were plagued by scenes from the storm—the blurry figure in his memory now sharp and vivid: the mermaid, entwined with him in the chaos.

When morning came, he was greeted by a loud, impatient voice.

“Lu Xie! LU XIE!”

Scrambling to the window, he spotted him—it—the mermaid. Or rather, the oversized golden lump standing on his doorstep, dripping wet and completely unbothered by the lack of attire.

“You couldn’t even bother to grab some seaweed?” Lu Xie barked, tossing him a set of dried clothes. The mermaid clumsily dressed himself, then plopped onto the couch, flipping through TV channels with uncanny ease.

Lu Xie crossed his arms, watching in disbelief. This fish is way too comfortable. Before long, he snatched the remote, shutting the TV off.

“Hey!”

“Enough. I have questions.”

The mermaid pouted, mildly annoyed but obediently folded his hands in his lap.

“You’re really a mermaid?”

“Didn’t you just see?”

“Why me?” Lu Xie pressed, voice tight. “Of all the people, why did you stick to me?”

The mermaid tilted his head, as though the answer was obvious. “We mated. And now we have a baby.”

Lu Xie’s blood pressure spiked. “That’s not what I’m asking—why did you save me during the storm?”

“You don’t remember me, do you?” The mermaid’s lips curved into a slight pout. “But we mated. You’re my partner. Isn’t it natural for me to find you?”

Lu Xie pinched the bridge of his nose. This fish was hopeless.

Lu Xie felt his blood pressure rising, but then he thought about it. Expecting a primitive fish to explain things logically was unrealistic. Given how clueless the mermaid seemed, running around naked, it was probably just a coincidence.

“And where’s your ‘baby’?” Lu Xie asked, testing the waters.

The mermaid opened his palm to show him. “Our baby.”

Ignoring the mermaid’s phrasing, Lu Xie asked, “Just this one?”

“Yep!”

Mermaids only produced one pearl in their lifetime, making it incredibly precious.

But Lu Xie misunderstood. He thought this was not only a low-yield species but also one of poor quality. The mermaid’s dim-witted behavior confirmed his suspicions—there wasn’t much to work with here.

Seeing Lu Xie lost in thought, the mermaid grew restless. After waiting for a while with no further questions, he couldn’t hold back. “Can I watch TV now?”

“Go ahead.”

Lu Xie got up and plugged the TV back in before heading to the bathroom to wash up. Splashing water onto his face, he stared at his reflection. A mermaid… He’d have to have a serious talk with Lu Hui. Until they found the right buyer, no one else could discover its existence.

After a quick wash, Lu Xie wiped his face and walked back out. From the living room, the sound of the TV drifted in.

“Your Majesty!”

Right after that, he heard the mermaid mimic the TV, imitating the same tone. “Your Majesty!”

“Huh?”

Lu Xie walked out to see what was happening. On the screen, a character was bowing to a king. He turned to look at the mermaid—and there he was, kneeling on the lounge chair, bowing deeply in Lu Xie’s direction.

Lu Xie let out a cold laugh. He couldn’t help but wonder, Is this thing really worth any money? With intelligence like this, what’s there to research?