RAM Extra 7

When Yan Hui saw Zhenzhu wake up, he leaped into the water and swam towards the shore, his brow furrowed, and his lips slightly curled upwards. “Why are you just waking up?” The enormous creature suddenly approached him, and Yan Hui, startled, scrambled away in a panic. Unfortunately, he couldn’t exert any strength in his arms and legs, causing him to kick the sand and create several pits in the beach. Sand rose everywhere, and the “sea monster” flapped the air in front of him, clearly displeased.

“What are you doing!” Yan Hui froze on the spot, his hands pressed behind him, staring dumbfounded at the “sea monster” who had half of its body raised out of the water. He trembled all over, unable to form a complete sentence.

“You… you are… what kind of… monster…” Back then, admitting to being a sea monster was just to scare Yan Hui. After all, the word “monster” was harsh. Zhenzhu couldn’t stand being called that. His father always said he was good-looking.

“You’re the monster! I’m a mermaid!” So it’s true… It really is a mermaid… If Yan Hui hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it—there really are mermaids in this world.

There were many legends about mermaids—some say they are innocent and devoted to love, while others claim they are violent and many times stronger than humans, like untamed beasts. Yan Hui cautiously observed the mermaid in front of him. He couldn’t quite gauge his personality, but his large physique alone suggested immense strength. After all, they were in the middle of the sea, on a secluded island, which was the mermaid’s territory.

Yan Hui didn’t know what was going on in his head, but Zhenzhu picked up some waterlogged snacks and muttered, “Good thing they’re waterproof.” Normally, he would complain about these plastic bags, which he saw as ocean trash that only added to his workload. But now, it turned out that even waste could be useful, and it played a key role.

The mermaid casually opened a bag of snacks and started eating. Yan Hui couldn’t figure out the mermaid’s thoughts. He knew he couldn’t escape, so he mustered up the courage to ask, “You… you brought me to this deserted island… what’s your purpose?”

Zhenzhu, with a mouthful of chips, looked at him as if he were a fool, answering through a mouthful of food, “Didn’t you say if you found me, you’d curse me to death?”

Good intentions misunderstood! If not for seeing how pitiful Yan Hui was, he wouldn’t have broken his promise to his dads and taken him to their secret base.

“And!” Zhenzhu swallowed the chips, then corrected Yan Hui’s wording sternly, “This isn’t some deserted island, it’s my secret base with my dads. Others can’t even get here.”

Yan Hui looked at the island again, and indeed, there were many man-made structures. It was clear that people had lived here before. “Dads” meant there were other mermaids around? He looked around, but the sea was calm and there was no sign of other mermaids.

“Then will you let me go back…?” Yan Hui asked cautiously.

To his surprise, the mermaid seemed easy to talk to. He set down the snacks. “I’ll send you back, no problem.”

“Really…” Yan Hui didn’t quite believe it, thinking the mermaid must have some scheme if he let him go so easily.

“Will you come tomorrow?” Without the “sea monster” identity, the mermaid wasn’t sure if Yan Hui would come. If he didn’t come, who would buy him snacks?

“What?” Yan Hui was stunned. After finally escaping from the mermaid’s grasp, he wasn’t about to fall into the trap again. But when he met the mermaid’s eager gaze, the words almost slipped away. Thinking about it, the mermaid hadn’t done anything harmful to him, aside from scaring him and making him buy food. In fact, the mermaid had even helped him when his uncle and aunt found him.

The mermaid said with conviction, “If you don’t come, no one will buy me food.”

In a short time, the mermaid had already eaten several bags of snacks. With his appetite, this wasn’t nearly enough. If it was just buying food, Yan Hui was happy to help.

“Okay.”

The mermaid, who had been a bit sulky, immediately smiled brightly. “Really!” Knowing that Yan Hui didn’t have money, the mermaid handed him a soggy pouch of money. “Here, take the money. Whatever’s left after buying snacks, you can keep.”

Yan Hui was startled. He was an honest person and had never taken advantage of anyone. Even though the mermaid’s appetite was enormous, the large pouch of money would still be enough to buy the snacks and leave plenty behind. He couldn’t bring himself to accept it.

“No…No need…”

The mermaid waved his hand dismissively. “It’s fine, take it. If I need money, I’ll get plenty. I don’t even use money.”

Yan Hui hesitated with the pouch of money, not knowing what to do. After spending more time with the mermaid, his fear had lessened, and after a while, he asked the question that had been bothering him.

“Aren’t you afraid of danger when you get close to the shore?”

Yan Hui might not have known the value of a mermaid, but he was very clear that the mermaids in ocean parks, performing for crowds, had become stars attracting huge numbers of visitors. If it were known that a real mermaid lived in the sea, wouldn’t people go crazy over it?

The mermaid tilted his head. “Of course there’s danger. I’ve been sneaking to the shore behind my dads’ backs. This is a secret between us. You can’t tell anyone, or my dads will be really mad at me.”

Just talking about it wasn’t enough. The mermaid grabbed Yan Hui’s arm, and even though his face was handsome with distinct features, he often made expressions that didn’t quite match his looks. Yan Hui thought the mermaid had a somewhat cold face, but he always acted spoiled.

Our secret…

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone,” Yan Hui said softly.

As soon as he spoke, a pinky finger extended in front of him. The mermaid raised an eyebrow, “Pinky swear.”

Yan Hui was stunned, his mouth open in surprise. “You know how to do a pinky swear?”

“Of course!” It was his dad who taught him. Once you do a pinky swear, the promise can’t be broken. Zhenzhu firmly hooked his pinky around Yan Hui’s, and after a bit of pushing and pulling, Yan Hui reluctantly agreed to the pinky swear. Zhenzhu continued speaking cheerfully, “Now we have a secret, we’re friends.”

“Friends…”

Yan Hui curled his fingers. Since arriving in this strange country, in this unfamiliar city, not only did he have no friends, but not many people were even willing to talk to him. The mermaid in front of him was the first one who was willing to spend time with him.

The mermaid kept his promise and, after the sun completely set, took Yan Hui back to the shore. Before leaving, Yan Hui only took the money for snacks from the pouch.

“Keep the rest of the money, I’m afraid I’ll lose it,” he said.

Zhenzhu didn’t press him, waving at Yan Hui’s back. “See you tomorrow.”

Yan Hui hesitated for a moment, then turned around to wave back. “See you tomorrow.”

Leaving the beach, Yan Hui had nowhere else to go. He reluctantly knocked on his uncle’s door, but not only did they refuse to let him in, they threw his things out and scolded him, telling him to leave.

“Do you think our house is a hotel? You come back at night to sleep, and in the morning, you run off. Get lost, don’t come back!”

Yan Hui didn’t even get a chance to explain. After picking up his things from the ground, he heard the door slam shut. The neighbors whispered among themselves, and the younger children stuck out their tongues at him, mocking him for having no home.

With nowhere to go, Yan Hui used the money from Zhenzhu to find the cheapest inn. The room was tiny, but it was enough to sleep in. Early the next morning, he went to the store to buy snacks for Zhenzhu and came to the beach early.

The mermaid didn’t have a watch, but he was very punctual. When he saw Yan Hui waiting by the shore, he was a little surprised, as Yan Hui had always been late before.

“You’re early today?”

Yan Hui didn’t answer, just handed him the bag. Zhenzhu opened it and clapped his hands in delight. “Puffs!”

“Um…”

Zhenzhu was so focused on the puffs that he didn’t raise his head. “What’s wrong?”

“Yesterday, I used your money to stay at an inn without asking you. I’m sorry.”

The careless mermaid didn’t even notice that the money was missing. He didn’t count it, waving his hand to show it didn’t matter.

Yan Hui, emboldened, asked, “Can I stay with you on the island? I’ll help you buy snacks every day, and you can let me stay on the island?”

“Ah?” Zhenzhu thought he had heard wrong. He looked up at Yan Hui, who was blushing furiously. Wasn’t Yan Hui so adamant about going back yesterday?

Yan Hui understood what Zhenzhu was thinking. He awkwardly explained, “My uncle and aunt kicked me out. I don’t have anywhere to go. If I stay on the shore, I might get caught. I don’t have any documents or money. I won’t take your money. I’ll buy things for you, just give me something to eat.”

Zhenzhu didn’t understand what being “kicked out” meant, but seeing how pitiful Yan Hui was, he immediately felt sympathy. Having someone on the island with him sounded wonderful, especially someone who would buy him snacks.

Without thinking, he agreed, “Okay.”