Chapter 25

Just then, Cheng Shuinan encountered the couple again.

The store Zhang Jingzhu frequented was on the higher end, considered very high-class in the mall. The girl in the couple entered the store and tried on a winter dress. It looked good on her, but the price was too expensive.

The girl wanted to buy it, but the guy accused her of being a spendthrift.

“Your monthly salary is only so much. I won’t even talk about your makeup. But this time, you’re really going too far. Is this tattered dress made of gold? It’s half of your monthly salary! And it doesn’t even look good on you. It makes you look darker and even more rustic. It’s hideous. Take it off.” The guy was furious.

The girl was so wronged that she started crying: “I like this dress. I’m using my own money to buy it. What’s wrong with that? I didn’t ask you to pay for it. Besides, you said it looked good just now!”

“Please get your facts straight, okay? Our money is for our daily expenses. I’ve been putting up with you, but if you keep spending like this, we’ll just cancel the wedding! I don’t want to marry a spendthrift!”

The girl wiped away her tears fiercely: “If you don’t want to get married, then don’t. I’ve finally seen your true colors. My parents have been warning me. They said you’re useless. You don’t even make as much as my allowance. I don’t need you to manage my money!” She turned to the salesperson and said, “Please wrap up this dress and the one I tried on earlier.”

Finally, the girl raised her chin: “You’re a kept man. You eat my food and use my things. Now, I’m officially informing you, we’re over.”

Cheng Shuinan stood quietly at the door of the fitting room.

The girl walked up to him, pointed at him, and shouted: “Look at the difference between the two of you! I really don’t understand where your confidence comes from. I’ve been pampering you, making you feel like you’re above everyone else. You think I really want to marry you?”

Cheng Shuinan, as a witness to this farce, remained expressionless throughout, but he remembered the words that left a deep impression on him:

Kept man.

Zhang Jingzhu had only asked a few questions, but Cheng Shuinan had spilled the beans. After knowing the reason, she couldn’t help but laugh.

She pulled the car over to the side and turned her head. Her smile spread across her cheeks. “You didn’t want to find a job. You just… well, you were afraid I wouldn’t want you?”

Cheng Shuinan nodded.

Perhaps his emotions were too intense. The reading light in the car was dim and yellow, clearly illuminating the black scales that appeared on his face. They moved gently, very much like a fish breathing underwater.

“I eat your food and use your things. In the eyes of your humans, that’s very useless, isn’t it?”

Zhang Jingzhu threw the question back at him: “Then, do you think you’re useless like this?”

Cheng Shuinan thought carefully and shook his head. He unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned towards Zhang Jingzhu. His dark eyes held a deep dependence and grievance. He restrained the urge to hug Zhang Jingzhu and looked directly into her eyes.

“I like this… I like hugging you every day and following you. But now that I think about it, I’m a little bit of a freeloader…”

She couldn’t bear to see the merman’s self-reproach and grievance. Zhang Jingzhu took his face in her hands and spoke softly: “Where did you get the idea that you’re a freeloader? Compared to that guy just now, he’s stingy and doesn’t even give you the most ‘cheap’ compliment. What’s the point of being with someone like that? But you’re different. You cook delicious food. You compliment me and praise me… And you know, you have something most important that no one else has!”

Cheng Shuinan asked eagerly: “What is it?”

Zhang Jingzhu: “Your heart.”

He had nothing, but he was willing to give Zhang Jingzhu everything he had.

His heart was the most precious thing in the world.

But many people had lost it.

After returning home, to soothe her boyfriend’s anxious little heart, Zhang Jingzhu pulled out all of her assets.

The assets she had deposited in the bank were already quite substantial. Zhang Jingzhu had never touched the money in her bankbook. The annual interest alone was enough for her to live a comfortable life. After organizing it, she discovered that she had more real estate in the city center than she remembered. She also had a residential building near the university town, which she rented out to students.

No wonder she always felt strange about the money coming in every month.

She would inexplicably receive a few payments.

“Look, we don’t lack money. You don’t need to work to support us. If you really want to work, I can help you find a job.”

Cheng Shuinan thought for a moment: “I want… to see you every day…”

Cheng Shuinan had become increasingly bold recently. Perhaps it was because he had been labeled as her boyfriend at the mall, or perhaps it was because Zhang Jingzhu had said he was the most precious thing to her. He still hadn’t come to his senses from the lightheaded feeling. When he returned home and saw Zhang Jingzhu washing up and lying in bed, he didn’t think twice before pressing down on her.

His legs instantly transformed into a fishtail.

Zhang Jingzhu was pinned down by the fishtail. The sticky water instantly covered her entire body.

This shower was better off not taken.

Zhang Jingzhu pushed him away: “You’re too heavy…”

Cheng Shuinan immediately changed his position, curling up and snuggling into her embrace. His thick hair tickled her face.

“Zhang Jingzhu, will you dislike me?”

“No.”

Cheng Shuinan smiled.

Zhang Jingzhu felt a sudden chill on her neck. She looked down and discovered that Cheng Shuinan was putting a string of pearl necklace on her.

The pearls were full and round, with a faint pink glow.

“This is…”

Cheng Shuinan looked carefully. The pearls were on Zhang Jingzhu’s fair neck, like dewdrops resting on a flower. She was lying in bed, completely unguarded, her face calm and gentle, beautiful enough to make his heart race.

“My tears. I promised you, I’ll give you all of them. Now, you have no reason to throw them away anymore.”

He kissed the pearl in the middle, resting on Zhang Jingzhu’s collarbone.

His soft, cool lips touched hers briefly.

Zhang Jingzhu’s body trembled uncontrollably. She touched the pearl with her hand and mumbled: “You really can cry. How did you shed so many tears?”

Cheng Shuinan hugged her.

Zhang Jingzhu felt a tickle on her ear. He leaned in and whispered something.

“Say it again. I didn’t hear you.”

Cheng Shuinan resolutely refused to repeat himself. He used his large fishtail to press down on her legs.

He was saying: Zhang Jingzhu, you have to love me forever.

Otherwise, he really didn’t know what he would do if she abandoned him.

Perhaps his past experiences were just to make him meet Zhang Jingzhu. But after that, he would face an abyss he couldn’t bear.

The winter in Qingcheng was filled with continuous blizzards.

Zhang Jingzhu stood at the window of her office building, holding a cup of coffee. The road was covered with a thick layer of snow. The buses had been notified to stop running. People walking on the snowy roads were like reeds bending in the wind, forced to bend over by the strong wind.

Her phone kept receiving blizzard alerts, urging residents to reduce their outings.

The person who was supposed to buy the pearls said he would come soon, but he hadn’t shown up yet. The sales volume of the pearl necklaces had dropped significantly. Fortunately, the company hadn’t laid anyone off, and their salaries hadn’t been cut.

Many people continued to work there.

They had all received a temporary notice from the company. During the blizzard, they should reduce their outings. If necessary, they could stay at the company for the night and wait for the snow to stop before going home.

The company had a rest room and a tea room. There was a small supermarket nearby, so they wouldn’t lack food.

When she went to work in the morning, Cheng Shuinan had looked at her with reluctance. She had promised him that she would rush home as soon as she got off work. Now, it seemed like she would have to break her promise.

The snow was falling too heavily. Even though she was only a few blocks away, she didn’t dare to risk it.

She pondered how she should tell him.

She opened her messaging app. They were still very in sync. Cheng Shuinan’s message arrived first.

Cheng Shuinan: Zhang Jingzhu, it’s snowing heavily outside. Don’t rush home. Does the company have food?

Zhang Jingzhu felt warmth in her heart. She was still struggling with how to tell him without making him angry. But she was overthinking. He was always concerned about her safety. How could he possibly get angry?

She replied: There’s food. Don’t worry. There’s a small supermarket nearby. I’ll go home when the snow stops.

Cheng Shuinan quickly replied: Instant noodles?

Zhang Jingzhu: Special times, special treatment.

Just then, Zhang Ning walked over: “Who are you chatting with? You’re smiling so sweetly.”

Zhang Jingzhu thought for a moment and answered: “It’s my boyfriend.”

Zhang Ning raised her eyebrows: “I guessed right. You’ve been acting strange these past few days. What kind of person is he? What makes Zhang Dazhao like him?”

“He, well, I can’t explain it. It’s just…” Zhang Jingzhu couldn’t help but smile. It was a very sweet smile. “When I’m with him, I don’t need to think about anything. Just looking at him makes me happy.”

“That good? Introduce him to me sometime. I’ll check him out for you.”

“My boyfriend, he’s kind of shy. I’ll introduce him to you when we have a chance. We just started dating.”

The snow outside showed no sign of stopping. It was getting heavier. There were fewer and fewer pedestrians on the road.

Some people in the office braved the blizzard to go home, but they were quickly driven back by the harsh weather.

“The snow is piled up too thick. The weather forecast said it would be sunny this morning. The road in front of our company was just sprayed with water. The snow immediately turned to ice. You can’t drive. The road is too slippery.”

Zhang Jingzhu rested her chin on her hand and sat at her desk.

She chatted with Cheng Shuinan from time to time.

Zhang Jingzhu: The snow is getting heavier. It’s so annoying. When will I be able to go home?

Cheng Shuinan sent a message a while later: Don’t worry. Did you eat?

Zhang Jingzhu poked the instant noodles in front of her: Not yet. What did you eat at home?

Cheng Shuinan sent a picture of his food.

It was bright, oily buns and tomato and egg stir-fry, as well as a dish Zhang Jingzhu loved, braised pork ribs.

Zhang Jingzhu: It looks so delicious! You must be trying to make me jealous!

Cheng Shuinan sent a voice message. She clicked on it. It was his voice, filled with laughter: “Yeah, I’m trying to make you jealous.”

His voice was so gentle. It should have been a message meant to make her jealous, but Zhang Jingzhu’s ears turned red when she heard it. She quickly turned off the voice message, rubbed her heated cheeks, and picked up a chopstick of instant noodles. The normally delicious flavor tasted bland in her mouth.

All she could think about was the picture Cheng Shuinan had sent.

Zhang Jingzhu sent a voice message: “Cheng Shuinan, you’re responsible. I don’t want to eat instant noodles anymore. Let’s video chat. I want to watch you eat pork ribs and buns. Your buns look so delicious. I can smell them through the screen.”

After a while, her phone dinged.

Zhang Jingzhu clicked on it. It was a voice message from Cheng Shuinan: “You want to eat?”

Zhang Jingzhu: Yeah, yeah.

Cheng Shuinan: What floor are you on?

Zhang Jingzhu: Ah? It’s snowing heavily. The roads aren’t good. I was just saying it casually. Don’t come over…

Cheng Shuinan sent a picture.

It was him, wearing a thick down jacket, standing at the entrance of the Lianzhu company.

Cheng Shuinan: Zhang Jingzhu, dinner is ready.