RAM Extra 8

“How did this happen?” Hai San’er had just finished a performance when a coworker informed him that Lu Xie was waiting outside for him. Without even changing his clothes, Hai San’er ran out to meet him.

Lu Xie’s expression was serious. After glancing around to ensure no one else was present, he pulled something from his pocket. The moment Hai San’er saw it, his face changed drastically—it was the armlet Lu Xie had made for Zhenzhu last year.

“How is this with you? Where’s Zhenzhu?”

A few words couldn’t explain the situation, and this was not the place for discussion with so many people around. Hai San’er quickly changed clothes and followed Lu Xie into the car.

“I saw it at a second-hand shop,” Lu Xie explained. “I asked the shop owner about it, and he said a young man had brought it in recently to sell. The man even asked the owner to hold onto it for a while because he wanted to buy it back.”

“A young man?” Hai San’er pressed. “Was it Zhenzhu?”

Lu Xie shook his head. “Zhenzhu, like you, has distinctive features. At first, I thought it was him too, but after speaking with the shop owner, it was clear the young man wasn’t Zhenzhu.”

“He was a tan-skinned, stocky young man with short hair. From his accent, he didn’t seem to be local.”

Hai San’er instinctively clenched his fists and exchanged a meaningful look with Lu Xie. There were only two possibilities for someone to have Zhenzhu’s armlet: either Zhenzhu had been captured by humans, or he had voluntarily given it to someone. The former seemed unlikely—capturing a mermaid in the ocean required advanced equipment, and it would have caused a commotion. The latter possibility was that Zhenzhu had chosen a human as his mate.

In a low voice, Hai San’er said, “Zhenzhu’s breeding season is approaching.”

Lu Xie remained silent and pressed down on the accelerator, speeding toward their home.

Even though time was critical, they had to wait until nightfall to head out to sea. The ocean at night was eerily quiet, and the two of them silently stared at the waters outside the cockpit, each praying that nothing had happened to Zhenzhu.

As the boat neared a small island, they heard a whale’s call, signaling that Zhenzhu was nearby. They stopped the boat some distance away and Hai San’er carried Lu Xie toward the shore.

They had come in such haste that they hadn’t prepared anything. Lu Xie shone a flashlight around the dark island, and the faint beam revealed two figures on the shore. When the light passed over them again, Lu Xie saw the scene more clearly. His throat tightened, and his grip on Hai San’er’s shoulder grew stronger.

Zhenzhu was injured, and beside him was a human boy.

At that moment, Lu Xie’s mind filled with murderous intent. He didn’t care what relationship the boy had with Zhenzhu—no human who had seen a mermaid could be trusted.

Sensing the pressure on his shoulder, Hai San’er turned to meet Lu Xie’s gaze. The flashlight’s dim light cast a sinister shadow over Lu Xie’s face, making him look terrifying. It had been a long time since Hai San’er had seen Lu Xie like this. He knew what Lu Xie was thinking, but no matter what, they couldn’t threaten another human just to protect Zhenzhu. With a look, he urged Lu Xie to calm down.

Zhenzhu, distracted by the pain from the wound on his waist, only then noticed Lu Xie and Hai San’er’s arrival.

Yan Hui, who had been sitting in a daze, jumped up at the commotion. People? A glimmer of hope crossed his mind—he could leave now and wouldn’t have to stay with this fish anymore. But… the mermaid was injured. If there were people here, would the mermaid be in danger?

Seeing Yan Hui’s conflicted expression, Zhenzhu assumed he was only thinking about leaving. Unexpectedly, Yan Hui seemed concerned about him. Zhenzhu softly warned, “Those are my dads. You’d better not say anything reckless. Don’t let them know I got hurt because of you.”

Yan Hui felt something catch in his throat. His heart was in turmoil. Knowing Zhenzhu’s dads were here meant he didn’t have to worry about the mermaid anymore. But… what about himself? Was he doomed?

“Dad… Dad…” Zhenzhu mustered all his strength. Even so, his voice was weak. “Why are you here?”

Once ashore, Lu Xie ignored everything else and hurried to check Zhenzhu’s injury. A mermaid’s healing ability should have been rapid, but the wound on Zhenzhu’s waist hadn’t even scabbed over, and blood continued to flow, staining the surrounding seawater red.

Hai San’er and Lu Xie examined the wound. “It’s deep,” Hai San’er remarked.

The severity of the wound was beyond their expectations. Lu Xie’s long-dormant instincts as a bounty hunter kicked in. He turned to look at the young human boy huddling behind them. Most likely, this had something to do with him.

But now wasn’t the time to question how Zhenzhu had been injured. They needed to get him home to recover. Lu Xie touched Zhenzhu’s forehead. “Dad will take you back. Can you still swim? Let’s get to the boat.”

Under the cover of darkness, it was the perfect time to send Yan Hui back to shore. Zhenzhu didn’t refuse.

As Zhenzhu glanced at the young human boy, Hai San’er sighed inwardly and spoke up. “Kid, come with us.”

For a moment, Yan Hui thought he would be abandoned on the island. He stared blankly at the silver-haired man with the gentle voice. The man’s calm words eased his panic, and he followed them into the water, swimming toward the speedboat hidden in the night.

Once on the boat, Lu Xie carried Zhenzhu out of the water. He was considering where to place him when, the moment Zhenzhu left the water, his fins transformed into legs, and the scales on his legs faded away.

“Ah!” Yan Hui cried out in shock. He had spent so much time with this mermaid and had no idea they could grow legs. If he could grow legs, why hadn’t he gone ashore to buy food himself?

In contrast to Yan Hui’s outburst, Lu Xie and Hai San’er remained calm on the surface, though their emotions churned internally.

Lu Xie clenched his fist tightly, suppressing the urge to throw the shouting human boy back into the sea. He looked at Zhenzhu’s wound again, reminding himself that the priority was to stop the bleeding.

Yan Hui stood awkwardly to the side, watching Zhenzhu’s two dads work busily. The one Zhenzhu called “Dad” rummaged through the storage area, finally pulling out a medical kit.

“Dad will disinfect your wound, Zhenzhu. Hold still,” the scarred, stern-faced man said. Despite his fierce appearance, he spoke to Zhenzhu with unparalleled gentleness.

Yan Hui thought of his own parents. They weren’t as doting as Zhenzhu’s dads, but they were still good to him. He glanced enviously at Zhenzhu as the gentle, beautiful man stroked Zhenzhu’s face and asked softly, “Baobao, are you pregnant?”

Yan Hui thought he must have misheard. His eyes widened. What… what did he just say?