The woman in a long dress walked slowly along the beach, her slender figure appearing solitary and forlorn as she gazed at the distant sea.
But that was only how it seemed on the surface.
Liao Tingyan stared at the horizon and thought: I wonder what Aunt Zhou will cook today. I saw her buy cuttlefish this morning—probably for stew. But honestly, grilled cuttlefish tastes way better.
So frustrating! If she hadn’t just arrived in this world and couldn’t easily break character, she would’ve straight-up demanded spicy stir-fried cuttlefish!
A heavy rain had fallen the night before, accompanied by howling winds that lasted until dawn. Now, scattered along the shore were small fish, shrimp, and shells washed up by the waves.
Lost in thoughts of lunch, Liao Tingyan wandered farther down the coast.
Then, behind a reef, she spotted a mermaid.
A mermaid?
Why would there be a mermaid in this world?
Do mermaids even exist? Liao Tingyan stumbled back several steps in shock before remembering—if she could transmigrate into this world, then the existence of mermaids shouldn’t be that strange, right?
She crept closer and realized the mermaid seemed lifeless, completely motionless. The scales on its tail had nearly dried out, their peacock-feather hues of teal and blue now dulled without the glimmer of water. Had the storm last night washed it ashore?
Liao Tingyan mentally compared the mermaid to a beached dolphin and debated whether to call for help. With the caution of observing a dangerous creature, she inched forward and quickly brushed a hand over the fish tail.
Liao Tingyan: “!” I just touched a mermaid’s tail! That’s it—this transmigration was worth it.
When the mermaid remained still after a few more pats, her courage grew. She moved to the side to examine its face. The mermaid’s seaweed-like hair, tangled with strands of kelp, obscured its features. Carefully, she pushed aside the dark locks.
It really was a mermaid—and a strikingly handsome male one at that. With a face like that, it had to be a good mermaid. Since it was already dead, there was no need to report it. Best to let it return to the sea in peace.
Liao Tingyan indulged her curiosity, running her fingers through its hair, over its caudal fin, and across its chest. Once satisfied, she began dragging it toward the water. Her current body wasn’t as strong as her original one, and the mermaid’s size made the task difficult. She had to pause twice to rest. To get a better grip, she ended up hugging the mermaid’s arm, pressing its icy chest against hers—further confirmation that it was indeed dead.
What a shame.
Finally reaching the water, she wondered if it was deep enough when suddenly, the “dead” mermaid twitched in her grasp. A sharp pain shot through her hand as the mermaid abruptly plunged into the sea, yanking her along with it. Before she could react, she was pulled underwater in the mermaid’s grip.
…
The mermaid had been awakened by the touches. He felt the burning pain of dehydration, especially along his tail, where the sea wind had scraped like knives against the dried-out scales. The storm the previous night had hurled him ashore, knocking him unconscious—longer than he’d ever expected.
Though accustomed to swimming through tempests, this was the first time he’d been unlucky enough to end up stranded on land.He didn’t open his eyes because he sensed an unfamiliar breath nearby—a human. Instantly, killing intent surged within him, but he lacked the strength to act, so he remained still, biding his time.
The human cautiously touched his tail, then moved to his hair, even brushing a finger over his ear fin. Their nervous, restrained breathing was loud in his ears. A weak human. The mermaid flexed his clawed fingers, considering whether to kill them outright—his nails could easily slit their throat or tear open their belly.
But he never expected this human to carry him back into the sea. Humans who encountered mermaids always captured them, and those taken never met a good end. He knew this well.
Yet this human—small, thin, their gaze devoid of greed—lightly touched his hair and tail like curious little fish in the sea, inexplicably cooling the boiling rage in his heart.
His scorching tail met the cool seawater, and the relief was instant. In that moment, the mermaid dove into the water, dragging the human down with him.
His intention had been to drown them, so he held them tightly, pressing them beneath the surface.
They seemed terrified, eyes wide as they stared at him, their white dress billowing underwater, bubbles escaping their lips.
...
Liao Tingyan’s mouth released a stream of bubbles as she felt death approaching. Fuck this , she thought. Is this mermaid fishing or hunting? Did he fake being stranded? Pretty face, but what a shameless bastard!
There’s a murderous fish here! Someone do something!
The ocean was the mermaid’s domain. Killing her would be effortless. Liao Tingyan, who had transmigrated just days ago, hadn’t even had time to enjoy her seaside villa, spend her fortune, or savor the life of a wealthy woman. Fury surged through her. Thrashing wildly, she grabbed the mermaid’s dark, seaweed-like hair, ignored his furious glare, and bit his face—only to choke on seawater herself.
Before passing out, she screamed internally: If I die, I curse you to stay single forever, you sly mermaid pretty boy!
Maybe her curse worked—she woke up alive, drenched and sneezing on a desolate shore. Blinking in confusion, she looked around. Where the hell is this?
It seemed to be an island. A tiny one at that—she circled its edge in just over ten minutes. So now it’s survival mode? She examined her delicate hands. This isn’t survival—it’s a death sentence.
She immediately flopped onto the sand.
So tired. Should’ve just died earlier.
Not long after, someone splashed water on her.
Liao Tingyan sat up and spotted the pretty-faced mermaid in the shallows. He held a round-bellied fish, squeezing it to shoot water at her through its mouth.
Liao Tingyan: “…” You bastard. She grabbed a handful of sand and threw it toward the mermaid, but the wind scattered it halfway. The short-tempered, fair-faced mermaid sneered at the sight.
Liao Tingyan: "..." Lesson learned. Next time I encounter strange creatures, I should call the police immediately. Dealing with them privately never ends well.
And enough already! Stop splashing! Are you addicted to spraying water or what?! Apologize to that round fish in your hand!
Liao Tingyan scrambled to her feet, took two angry steps forward, then stopped warily. Was this bastard trying to lure her closer to drown her again? This cunning mermaid couldn't be trusted.
The mermaid seemed to guess her thoughts from her expression, letting out a derisive snort before lifting his arm and throwing another arm-length fish at Liao Tingyan. She didn't dodge in time and was knocked onto the sand with a yelp. Getting up, she stared incredulously at the still-flopping fish on her body, then glared at the mermaid—what the hell, you're using fish this big as weapons?!
Why not just throw rocks instead?
Furious, Liao Tingyan grabbed the fish with both hands and hurled it back. Unfortunately, her aim was off, and it only landed in the shallows. The moment the fish hit the water, it tried to swim away, but the mermaid swiftly snatched it back.
He seemed annoyed too, frowning at her before coldly flinging the fish onto the sand with a loud smack. This time, Liao Tingyan dodged. She looked at the fish by her feet, hands on her hips, thinking, Your aim's not so great this time. Go ahead, try again—see if you can hit me now!
The mermaid caught her provocation and gave her a complicated look, his face practically screaming, "Is this person an idiot?""
With a flick of his peacock-blue tail, he vanished into the sea like an arrow.
The moment he left, Liao Tingyan crouched down, sitting on the sand to catch her breath. She eyed the unlucky fish gasping beside her. Hmm, this looked like a type she'd eaten before—Aunt Zhou had bought some just the other day. They were pretty expensive, if she remembered right, with tender flesh and few bones. They were even good raw... Wait. Raw? Eat?
Liao Tingyan finally realized what was off. Right, if the mermaid wanted to hit her, why use fish instead of rocks? Could it be... these weren't meant as weapons, but as food?
Under the dead-eyed stare of the unfortunate fish, the truth finally dawned on her. She grabbed her hair in bewilderment—hold on, wasn't that scheming, hot-tempered mermaid trying to drown her? Why would he bring her food?
She thought he'd abandoned her there, but he returned quickly, stopping in the same spot as before, keeping his distance—him in the water, her on the shore.
The mermaid glanced at the untouched fish by her feet, then tossed another one beside her.
Liao Tingyan hesitated. "Is this for me to eat?"
She realized the mermaid couldn't speak, though he seemed to understand her. He snorted through his nose before tossing several more small fish her way.
Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. Liao Tingyan inched closer and called out, "Can you take me back?!"
"Ow!" A seashell smacked her forehead. When she looked up again, the mermaid was gone.Liao Tingyan grabbed the shell, clutching her forehead as she yelled, "Ah—" So frustrating, what was this fish up to?
Then she noticed the shell contained a perfectly round pearl—not the shell's original one, but a clean, beautiful shell with a pearl deliberately placed inside, glowing with a soft pink hue.
Liao Tingyan: "..." Mermaids were truly incomprehensible.
By evening, Liao Tingyan sat by the shore, feeling unbearably hungry and thirsty. The raw fish beside her reeked of brine, and she couldn’t bring herself to eat it. There was nothing else edible on the island either.
As she watched the pink and turquoise hues of the sunset, a Mermaid leaped from the sea. His peacock blue fish tail shimmered under the last rays of sunlight, so dreamlike it seemed like a scene from a legend. Liao Tingyan was stunned for a long moment, her heart swelling with awe—it was breathtaking.
Then the Mermaid swam closer and splashed water in her face to snap her out of it.
He noticed the untouched fish at her feet and frowned, pointing at it imperiously. His demeanor was so domineering, like some ancient ancestor issuing commands. Though he didn’t speak, Liao Tingyan could practically hear him say: Eat it, damn it.
Maybe it was the earlier spectacle or just her nature, but she couldn’t stay tense for long before relaxing again. Suddenly, Liao Tingyan lifted her dried skirt and waded into the water, slowly approaching the Mermaid.
The Mermaid didn’t move. He leaned against a rock, watching her with an air of indifference, as if this weakling posed no threat.
Liao Tingyan drew near. "I think you’re a good fish."
The Mermaid scoffed down at her. "Tch."
Though he couldn’t speak, that scoff was impressively expressive.
Suddenly, Liao Tingyan grabbed his arm and burst into tears. "I want to go back! I’m starving! Waaahhh! Save me!"
The Mermaid clearly hadn’t expected her to start wailing. He tried to slip away into the water, but Liao Tingyan clung to his tail. "Take me back, Fish Bro, please! Or are you just gonna leave me here to starve? Waaahhh! I wanna go back!"
Perhaps annoyed by her noise, the Mermaid glared at her for a while before finally scooping her up in his arms and diving into the sea.
Liao Tingyan held her breath, wondering if he was trying to drown her for being loud or actually planning to take her back.
The Mermaid didn’t swim too deep. Through the water, Liao Tingyan saw his face—pale skin and long, seaweed-like hair, like some enchanting water spirit.
Soon, she couldn’t hold her breath any longer and tugged at his hair. The Mermaid immediately adjusted his grip and propelled them both to the surface.
Liao Tingyan gasped for air. "Hah—" She panted heavily, relieved she’d guessed right. He wasn’t trying to drown her—he really meant to take her back.
In the deepening night, she was carried by a Mermaid through the vast ocean. No land was in sight, only a sky full of stars. Her sole lifeline was this silent Mermaid. The innate human fear of the sea made her cling tightly to him—first his waist, then his neck when she grew tired. She held on desperately, terrified he might abandon her halfway.His massive tail swayed in the water, occasionally brushing lightly against her legs, making her unable to resist looking down. The fins that had been closed on the shore now spread open in the water, creating an ethereal beauty.
Mermaids were truly beautiful.
She had no sense of time, only noticing the stars in the night sky growing brighter. Just as she was nearly falling asleep in the water, she finally spotted the familiar beach. He had really brought her back.
Liao Tingyan felt her strength return as she rushed toward the shore from the water. Once she reached land, she glanced back. The mermaid was in the dark waters, and when he noticed her looking, he dove beneath the surface. His tail flicked against the sea under the moonlight, sending up a spray of water.
Clutching a smooth, round pearl in her hand, Liao Tingyan decided to forgive this mermaid.
Perhaps they would never meet again.
...But that was impossible.
Later, she installed a surveillance camera under a reef by the shore, thinking she would know if the mermaid came near again.
Within just two days of setting it up, she spotted him on the monitor. His face pressed close to the camera as if he knew what it was. With his sharp fingers, he tapped the screen—knock, knock, knock—like he was knocking on a door.
Through the monitor, Liao Tingyan felt as though they were making eye contact. The mermaid dropped a shell in front of the camera, inside of which was another perfectly round pearl.
Liao Tingyan: "...?" What are you doing?
The mermaid returned every couple of days, lingering near the camera before leaving something behind—pearls, rubies, sapphires, even a gold necklace. Where was he getting these? From sunken ships in the sea? Liao Tingyan couldn’t help but wonder. After some time, he left a small box.
Unable to resist her curiosity about its contents, she finally went to inspect the items the mermaid had deliberately left there.
But the moment she bent down, the mermaid surged from the water and yanked her into the sea.
As she fell, Liao Tingyan cursed inwardly. Tricked into the water again! Those "gifts" had been bait all along!
But it was too late to realize now.
Held in the mermaid’s arms as they swam, she caught a glimpse of his proud, triumphant smile.
After carrying her through the water for a while, he deposited her back on the shore, leaving her utterly confused about his intentions.
This happened several more times, but Liao Tingyan wasn’t afraid anymore—she even found it amusing. She learned to swim, taught by the mermaid—though "taught" might be too generous. It was more like he was teasing her.
Once she could swim, the ocean became a whole new playground, the underwater world suddenly vivid and clear. The seafloor teemed with strange creatures, and even the shallows resembled an underwater forest. Chasing after a school of colorful fish, Liao Tingyan suddenly spotted a massive fish over a meter long approaching in the distance. Panicked, she swam back and hid behind the mermaid.
He glanced at her, seemingly mocking her cowardice. Unfazed, she nudged him forward to investigate. The mermaid, who had been lazily drifting, suddenly darted ahead. He caught the large fish and dragged it back for Liao Tingyan to examine to her heart’s content.He was like a ferocious predator in the ocean depths. Ordinary small fish didn’t fear him, but some dangerous large fish would flee at the sight of him.
Once, Liao Tingyan got carried away with play and swam away from the mermaid alone, venturing into the deep-sea zone. There, she spotted a shark and was utterly terrified, frozen in place as she watched the shark charge toward her menacingly.
That was the first time she heard the mermaid make a sound. His voice was completely different from a human’s—a strange, piercing shriek that made her head spin. The shark charging at her fared even worse, writhing in agony in the water as if struck by some special attack.
The mermaid swiftly swam over, his face filled with anger. His sharp fingers tore open the shark’s belly, blood diffusing through the water and soon staining a large patch of the sea red.
Liao Tingyan was carried away from that area by the mermaid, still dazed. The mermaid let out an angry cry at her, as if scolding her.
After that, whenever she went swimming in the sea, the mermaid would follow behind her. If she tried to swim toward the deep-sea zone, he would grab her leg and pull her back.
Liao Tingyan wasn’t sure what exactly was going on between her and this mermaid. She didn’t dare think too deeply about it—because if she did, it would mean she was in an interspecies romance.
She reflected on it and realized her tastes had never been this extreme before. No matter how she looked at it, it wasn’t her fault—it was the mermaid’s. If he were human, then she’d just be into a regular person.
She learned that the mermaid’s name was Jiao. At least, that’s what she assumed. When she asked for his name, the sound he made was something like “jiao.” Out of personal preference, Liao Tingyan decided to call him “Jiao.”
Jiaojiao—pfft, hahahaha! It was just too funny!
On a summer evening, Liao Tingyan, dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, carried a small stool, brushes, and other supplies to the beach to clean the mermaid. After getting familiar with him, she had to clean him periodically. If the gaps between his scales weren’t cleaned, small aquatic plants and various parasites would grow there. The crevices between his fingers and the remnants of flesh and blood from hunting in his claws also needed regular cleaning.
The most important part was his hair. The first time Liao Tingyan washed the mermaid’s hair, she found a small fish, a shrimp, and a starfish in it.
A starfish? Seriously?
Liao Tingyan: “…” Your body could practically sustain its own ecosystem!
She used unscented pet shampoo to wash him. Afterward, she braided his long hair into a single plait, then laughed as she scrubbed the gaps in his tail. “Rapunzel, hahahaha!”
The mermaid lounged lazily, squeezing a plump little fish to squirt water at her. Liao Tingyan was prepared this time and retaliated with a water gun.
Liao Tingyan: “A new storm has arrived! Pshhhh pshhhh!”
Mermaid: “…”
At night by the sea, the mermaid sang for her.
He was a very proud mermaid who rarely made sounds. He only sang for her when he was exceptionally, exceptionally happy. At those times, his voice was gentler than moonlight, more beautiful than any music in the world.
As he sang, she leaned in to kiss him and whispered, “I must have loved you in another world too.”
Otherwise, how could she have fallen for him so easily?
(End of the Mermaid Short Story)
OpenNovel