Chapter 5
“MuMu, it won’t clean your mouth anymore, don’t be afraid.”
MuMu pointed at the home butler, urgently explaining to Wen Ming:
“Awoo!”
Clean this machine first, it has dirty things! The machine is a spy!
Wen Ming listened to the little mermaid’s babbling and calmly said:
“The home butler wasn’t wrong. A combination of reward and punishment.”
“…” MuMu abruptly shut its mouth, sinking into the pool, its hair, the same color as its tail, swirling in the water, confused and dejected.
“If you do something praiseworthy, you should be rewarded.” Wen Ming tore open a package.
Mermaids have a keen sense of smell. Even through the air and water, MuMu smelled something even more fragrant than fish food.
It swam upwards, its eyes peeking above the surface, blinking cautiously.
“MuMu was very good just now, it didn’t splash water outside, just as I said.”
Wen Ming extended his arm into the pool, gently cupping MuMu’s wrist, pulling its hand to the edge, and pouring a handful of freeze-dried shrimp into its palm.
These freeze-dried shrimp were Wen Corporation’s most expensive mermaid snack, made from the type of shrimp mermaids loved most, finely processed, and fragrant even just from the smell.
MuMu’s nose twitched incessantly as it eagerly tried to pull its hand back.
“But…” Wen Ming’s grip on its wrist remained firm. “If you don’t let me apply the medicine, you’ll be punished, and the snacks will be confiscated.”
Knowing the mermaid couldn’t understand human language, Wen Ming gestured for MuMu to bring its tail to the edge of the pool.
MuMu, aware that mermaids shouldn’t understand human language, played dumb, only bringing its tail to Wen Ming’s hand after he repeated the gesture several times…
Wen Ming gently stroked the blue tail along its scales: “Good.”
A mermaid’s body is covered in fine scales from the waist down. The scales in this area feel almost like skin, soft;
The closer to the tail, the larger the scales become, smooth, hard, and fluorescent, covering the entire tail.
The neat rows of scales were disrupted by a small patch of damage.
As if burned by flames, MuMu’s wound was charred black, the surrounding scales curled upwards, revealing glimpses of the flesh beneath…
‘It’s a mermaid rescued by humans. It was already injured.’
Wen Ming applied medicine to the wound, his brow furrowed:
A burn, was it injured in the wild before being rescued? Or could it be…
The tail under his fingertips flinched. Wen Ming turned his head, catching MuMu’s nervous and frightened eyes.
Had someone abused it?
MuMu munched on a freeze-dried shrimp, twitching the tip of its tail:
Itchy!
Wen Ming’s fingertips were calloused. MuMu’s wound was very sensitive, tingling and ticklish, making it instinctively pull back.
The fingers on its tail became even gentler.
Fortunately, the “torment” ended quickly.
Wen Ming capped the ointment: “All done.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a hand reached out, half a handful of freeze-dried shrimp still in its palm.
“?”
Wen Ming was momentarily stunned. The hand moved closer to his mouth, mirroring the way he fed MuMu.
Until now, MuMu had never left any food uneaten.
Even fish food crumbs would be licked clean.
Wen Ming picked up the freeze-dried shrimp package and checked it, puzzled: “It’s not expired. You don’t like shrimp?”
“Awoo ah!”
I haven’t seen you eat anything yet, have a little!
The little mermaid’s nails almost poked Wen Ming’s mouth. He made a difficult guess: “Could it be, you want me to eat…”
MuMu’s eyes brightened, and it swallowed, generously sharing its food.
After all, if its master starved to death, no one would take care of it.
Wen Ming: …
He couldn’t deny he was touched.
“Thank you, MuMu.” He took out a tube of nutrient solution and drank it in front of MuMu. “But this is enough for me.”
Nutrient solution, the “food” that efficiently provides essential nutrients for interstellar humans, costs more than a hundred times the price of ordinary food.
MuMu hadn’t learned this in the laboratory and looked disapproving:
“Woo?”
You have such broad shoulders, and you eat less than my single snack?
Wen Ming pushed MuMu’s hand holding the freeze-dried shrimp back: “You don’t need to give it to me.”
“&*￥%?”
Is our family so poor that we can’t afford a decent meal because of me? Have I made us even poorer!?
MuMu picked out the biggest and best-looking freeze-dried shrimp from its palm and tried to stuff it into Wen Ming’s mouth:
If you don’t eat, I won’t eat either!
Wen Ming had no choice but to accept it, pretending to take a few bites before discreetly tossing the shrimp back into the bag behind his hand.
Such clumsy acting could fool any ordinary mermaid, but not MuMu…
MuMu also threw the freeze-dried shrimp in its hand onto the edge of the pool and bared its teeth at Wen Ming fiercely:
“Growl…” You’re fooling me! I don’t need you to starve yourself to save money to feed me!
The blue mermaid quickly sank into the water, sulking.
This was the first time it had snapped at its new master, and even hiding underwater, it could feel the heavy atmosphere…
“Beep beep!” The home butler’s notification sounded. “A guest has arrived.”
The virtual screen displayed the visitor’s image – an elegant middle-aged woman with a calm demeanor.
It was Wen Ming’s mother, Dai Rong.
As soon as Dai Rong entered, she went straight to the mermaid room: “Did you really buy a mermaid, or were you just giving me lip service?”
She glanced at the calm mermaid pool: “Where’s the mermaid?”
The blue tail was curled up at the bottom of the blue-tiled pool, making it difficult to spot.
Wen Ming called out: “MuMu.”
Whether it was because it heard its name or the voice of a stranger, MuMu popped its head up like a spring bamboo shoot, curiously sizing up Dai Rong—
Her meticulously styled hair, her scrutinizing gaze.
Not a friendly visitor…
MuMu swished its tail, swam to Wen Ming’s side, and gathered the scattered freeze-dried shrimp, keeping a wary eye on Dai Rong the entire time.
As if afraid that its snacks would be snatched away by a stranger, MuMu swallowed the freeze-dried shrimp whole, choked, patted its chest a few times, and even with tears welling up in its eyes, didn’t let down its guard.
Dai Rong: …
Kind of cute.
“Ahem.” Dai Rong composed her expression and said seriously, “How is its soothing ability?”
‘This one’s soothing ability is too weak! Calling it low-grade is being generous.’
MuMu pursed its lips and instinctively retreated behind Wen Ming…
Wen Ming turned sideways, stroking its hair, calming the tense mermaid.
At the same time, a faint soothing energy began to emanate from where they touched.
“You…” Dai Rong’s carefully maintained composure faltered, her voice trembling slightly. “You can be soothed?”
Wen Ming with his peaceful expression, the obediently soothing mermaid—
This scene before her was the sole pursuit of Dai Rong’s research career.
Wen Ming replied calmly: “Yes, only by it.”
“No, since there’s an exception, your mental seascape might have a turning point.”
Dai Rong sensed the density of the soothing energy and continued: “Its soothing ability is too weak, it’s useless for you. Try a high-grade mermaid…”
“Slap!”
The mermaid’s tail slapped the water hard, interrupting Dai Rong.
MuMu pouted and grabbed Wen Ming’s clothes.
A wet handprint appeared on the fabric. MuMu quickly let go, vigorously shaking the water droplets from its hand, then clinging tightly to Wen Ming again.
“Little mermaid, are you asking him for help?”
Dai Rong raised a delicate eyebrow: “It’s your misfortune to be raised by him. He’s naturally emotionally indifferent and can’t possibly develop feelings for a pet.”
She met Wen Ming’s quiet black eyes: “Right?”
Wen Ming lowered his gaze, brushing MuMu’s wet hair away from its forehead and tucking it behind its ear:
“No need to waste Mother’s time.”
When he looked down at the mermaid, he only showed Dai Rong his profile.
But even from the side, Dai Rong could tell that his expression was completely different from his usual one…
The certainty in Dai Rong’s brow dissipated, and she conceded: “Fine, if you don’t want to switch, then raise another high-grade mermaid.”
MuMu splashed the water even harder:
“Woo!”
Where would Master get the money to buy a high-grade mermaid!
For a moment, the only sound in the mermaid room was the splashing of water falling back into the pool.
Dai Rong’s face darkened. She knew her son—
Wen Ming was a man with no will to live.
The worse his mental seascape became, the calmer he seemed.
He wasn’t afraid of death and had little interest in anything in the interstellar world, as if life and death were the same to him.
His impressive military achievements, his outstanding career, accomplishments that anyone would envy, were to Wen Ming, like dust floating in the air.
In Dai Rong’s view, Wen Ming’s current attitude was no different from giving up and waiting for death.
“If this continues, your mental seascape will go haywire!”
Her suppressed, tearful voice didn’t change the situation.
MuMu looked back and forth between them, a sudden realization dawning on it:
A penny can stump a hero!
Master has no money → Can’t buy a high-grade mermaid → Risk of mental seascape going haywire → Master’s mother is sad
MuMu closed its eyes, using all its strength to squeeze the small droplets of soothing energy it was transferring into larger drops.
It was the hope of saving this family! Increase its own value, do its best to save Master!
The little mermaid was bearing too much for this family…
“See, even the mermaid is trying so hard, yet you’re indifferent to your own life.” Dai Rong felt the slightly increased soothing energy. “We’re all trying to save you!”
Wen Ming’s eyes were like a snow-covered field, vast and white:
“Mother, do you really want to save me, or do you want to make up for the regret of not saving Father?”
Dai Rong averted her gaze, her nails digging into her palms without her realizing it…
She took out a special container, collected the energy overflowing from MuMu’s soothing, and spoke rapidly:
“I’ll go back and research this. After I find a mermaid with similar energy properties to this one, we’ll talk about switching mermaids.”
With that, she left without looking back.
The soothing was still ongoing. MuMu continued at its maximum intensity, its face pale.
Just as the medical report had mentioned, its weak body couldn’t handle excessive soothing.
Wen Ming pulled away, interrupting the soothing.
MuMu’s hand was suddenly empty: “Howl?” Continue?
It had only managed to revive a few leaves.
“That’s enough.” Wen Ming handed it a small dried fish. “Thank you, MuMu.”
This was a processed snack with oral cleaning effects. Seeing MuMu munching happily, Wen Ming adjusted the mermaid room to sleep mode:
“Good night.”
As the lights gradually dimmed, Wen Ming noticed MuMu’s gaze—
Clear, intelligent, expressing worry like a human.
“…”
Soon, darkness enveloped Wen Ming, and the “emotional mermaid” seemed like just an illusion.
The next day.
Assistant Xu glanced at his boss’s frozen expression, double-checked the smoothly progressing company projects, and jumped straight to the answer:
“Is it another mermaid-related problem?”
Wen Ming stared absently at the pen in his hand: “It looked at me with a very strange look.”
“A mermaid’s brain activity is simple, their thoughts are straightforward and easy to guess.” Assistant Xu said confidently. “Can you describe the look?”
Wen Ming twirled the pen between his fingers: “Like it saw me as a brother in arms.”
“…Huh?”
Assistant Xu adjusted his glasses and hesitated: “What, what happened at that time?”
Wen Ming selectively recounted the previous night’s events.
Assistant Xu pondered for a moment: “Why don’t you just eat a bite of fish food and show it? Don’t break the little guy’s heart…”
