Chapter 31
For easier communication, MuMu connected with the streamer “Yi Yi’s Mermaid Yi Yi.”
“Are you nervous, streamer?” Yi Yi looked at the masked streamer’s video feed. “Your neck is so stiff, relax, my livestream is very calming.”
MuMu sat up straight: “Okay.”
I can’t turn my neck!
Although MuMu was wearing a mask, it wasn’t prepared for the livestream at all.
After transforming into a human, its blue short hair had become long black hair, and the pearl hair ornaments were still clipped in.
If the viewers saw them, and if it somehow reached Wen Ming…
I can’t turn my neck, even if I get a stiff neck, I can’t turn it!
Yi Yi became even more curious: “The comments are saying you’re eating dried fish? Mermaid snacks?”
“Haha, what are you talking about!?” MuMu discreetly stuffed the dried fish into its pocket and chuckled awkwardly. “Humans eat dried fish too, right? Like milk, for pro- pro-tein!”
“Protein?”
“…Yes.” Damn milk! Not only lactose intolerance, but even its nutritional content is hard to remember!
Yi Yi quickly changed the subject: “Streamer, I’ve always dreamed of connecting with you and exchanging mermaid care tips.”
“Mermaid… care?”
“You understand mermaids so well, even their language, you must have put a lot of effort into raising them.”
Yi Yi pointed the camera at her mermaid: “I’m a pet streamer, I spend most of my time with mermaids, and there’s a lot of skill involved in raising them!”
MuMu nodded vaguely: “You’ve raised it beautifully.”
[Yi Yi, the undisputed most beautiful mermaid!]
[Indeed beautiful, but not the most beautiful. My boss’s mermaid is just as stunning.]
[So many contrarians, no picture, no proof. /Shrug/]
[It’s true, but my boss is terrifying, I don’t dare share the pictures from his StarNet Circle.]
Yi Yi explained: “Yi Yi has had previous owners, I adopted it.”
MuMu carefully examined the mermaid’s ears, seeing no ear holes from tags, and nodded, its calm demeanor as if saying “I’m familiar with this.”
Yi Yi asked curiously: “Did you adopt your mermaid too?”
MuMu hesitated: “Sort of.”
I adopted myself.
“Then we have even more in common! Does yours demolish the house too?”
“I…” MuMu was reluctant to admit it. “Is there a connection between adoption and demolition?”
“It’s been through different living environments, it lacks security, so it acts out to get my attention.”
Yi Yi zoomed in on the mermaid: “Like now, my attention isn’t on it, see what it’s doing—”
The mermaid had hooked a roll of toilet paper with its claw and was tearing at it with its teeth, scattering paper everywhere.
It then dunked the toilet paper into the pool, and within a minute, the room was a mess.
[Help, I can’t call Yi Yi a little princess anymore.]
[Exceptionally talented at demolition, achieving maximum destruction with minimal force. /Impressive/]
[My blood pressure is rising.]
[Mermaids are the bane of every household!]
“I must defend mermaids.”
MuMu said seriously: “Most mermaids aren’t intentionally destructive, they’re just not used to human things, sometimes they have good intentions but cause trouble.”
[Why the sudden serious tone?]
[As if he’s defending himself, kind of scary.]
[Is the masked streamer shocked by Yi Yi’s demolition? This level of destruction wouldn’t even make the ‘Top Ten Mermaid Demolishers’ list.]
[I heard there’s a mermaid that pulled down an entire set of curtains!]
[Oh my god, which mermaid owner is so unlucky…]
“Good intentions but causing trouble?” Yi Yi pondered. “Then my Yi Yi is also…”
“No, this one is different, it’s definitely doing it on purpose.”
MuMu listened to the mermaid’s cries from the other end of the connection—
“Awoo!” Haha, look at this mess!
“Awoo~” Legged one, try and stop me, you can’t do anything to me~
“Its demolition has nothing to do with insecurity,” MuMu said bluntly. “It’s just being a little shit.”
Yi Yi was speechless.
[I’m sorry, I couldn’t help but laugh.]
[If you like it so much, why don’t you adopt it!]
[No, it’s more fun watching someone else deal with it. /Wink/]
[Did Yi Yi demolish its previous owner’s mermaid room so badly that it had to be put up for adoption? /Covering mouth and laughing/]
“My wording was inappropriate, I didn’t mean anything bad by it!”
Seeing her silence, MuMu quickly added: “It’s just playful, lively!”
Yi Yi burst out laughing: “It’s okay, I like mermaids that challenge me, it makes life more interesting!”
MuMu also grinned: “Right! Destructive mermaids are so cute!”
“But most humans in the interstellar world disagree with us,” Yi Yi added. “They hate destructive mermaids.”
MuMu: oTATo
I’ll never demolish anything again!
“That’s all for today’s livestream, goodbye.” MuMu’s neck was stiff, and it waved at the camera.
“Ending so soon?” Yi Yi said, touched. “Did you connect with me because you saw my private message? Thank you, you’re so good to your fans!”
MuMu didn’t reply, continuing to wave.
The masked streamer’s expression was unreadable, but beneath the mask, his face was contorted.
As soon as the livestream ended, MuMu cried out in pain, rotating its neck: “Little Butler, did I receive any private messages?”
“Your account has received 99+ messages from 99+ users. View them?”
MuMu groaned: “I can’t read.”
“I can read them aloud. Estimated time: 5 days and 5 hours.”
MuMu took out a dried fish and chewed on it: “…Are there any important ones?”
“You’ve received spokesperson offers from seven companies and one collaboration invitation. Accept?”
“Spokesperson? What does that mean?”
“Advertising for products, like recommending them during your livestream.”
MuMu, who had single-handedly boosted Wen Corporation’s fish food sales, waved its hands repeatedly:
“No, I watched Big Tiger’s sales pitch, I don’t know how to do that, even if I recommended something, sales wouldn’t increase!”
“?” The home butler’s loading circle spun for a moment. “A spokesperson’s image would be printed on the product packaging.”
MuMu grabbed a bag of unopened mermaid snacks, took a screenshot of its livestream, and projected it onto the packaging.
Its masked face filled the packaging like a sticker photo.
“That looks strange!”
MuMu tore open the bag, and the picture of its masked face was torn off, as if the mask had been removed.
It touched its legs, a sense of unease washing over it: “Is… is this auspicious?”
“Forget it.” MuMu decisively refused. “Are there any messages from people I know?”
The home butler sifted through the messages and read two aloud.
Xiao Yu: After a thorough pest control treatment, my mermaid hasn’t had any sudden outbursts, Masked God, you’re amazing!
The gifts you’re receiving could circle the planet three times, I’m so lucky to be one of your first viewers!
Big Tiger’s Men’s Fashion: I’ve been playing with my mermaid every day now, and its temperament is much more stable, thanks!
(P.S. I noticed you wear the same outfit every livestream, if you need any men’s clothing, just ask, I’ll sponsor you)
“…Can’t I wear the same outfit every time?” MuMu asked, confused. “We can use the same scales our entire lives.”
The home butler scanned MuMu’s dark gray uniform: “Human clothes need to be washed.”
“I can do that!”
MuMu quickly took off its clothes: “I’ve seen Master use the washing machine, just put the clothes in, right?”
The home butler said gravely: “After the milk incident, your access to electrical appliances has been revoked.”
“What!?”
MuMu bristled, stomping its feet: “Stingy Master, if you won’t let me wash my clothes, I’ll wear yours!”
It stealthily snuck into Wen Ming’s closet.
Opening the wardrobe, it was filled with identical dark, depressing suits.
“So clean.”
MuMu, afraid of dirtying the clothes, rubbed its hands against its body before taking one out.
It put on the suit jacket, the fabric hanging loosely.
“Why is it so drafty?”
MuMu muttered, walking to the full-length mirror. The reflection looked like it was wearing a sack.
The suit, tailored to fit Wen Ming perfectly, was too big for it, the hem reaching its thighs.
The home butler’s camera focused on the exposed skin at the neckline, its red indicator light flashing:
“This attire will be deemed inappropriate by the platform moderators, resulting in a channel ban.”
“Inappropriate…”
Just as it was about to protest, MuMu heard the faint sound of an airship outside.
Its human hearing wasn’t as sensitive as its mermaid hearing, so it paused, listening intently. The front door was already opening…
“Beep, welcome home.”
The home butler automatically activated its greeting function and rolled out of the closet.
MuMu’s eyes widened in alarm: Master’s back!
It took off the jacket, hung it back in the wardrobe, and just as it finished, Wen Ming’s footsteps echoed in the corridor, drawing closer…
No time to get back to the mermaid room!
MuMu frantically tried to transform, forgetting that it was still standing.
Unable to maintain its balance on its new tail, it swayed and fell.
MuMu instinctively grabbed the full-length mirror for support, and both the mirror and the mermaid crashed to the floor.
“Bang!”
“Awoo!” I just decided not to demolish anything!
MuMu carefully opened its eyes. The mirror was beneath it, undamaged.
“Phew—” Good quality.
Footsteps, following the sound of the crash, were heading straight for the closet and stopped at the door.
Despite having just knocked over a full-length mirror, MuMu wasn’t worried at all.
Wen Ming’s consistent gentleness had made it spoiled.
It was certain that Wen Ming wouldn’t scold it, but would check for injuries as usual.
“Awoo.” Sorry, I accidentally…?
MuMu looked up at Wen Ming, its apology cut short…
“Mr. Wen, here’s the custom-made ear stud you ordered.” The jewelry store attendant presented a small box. “Please confirm.”
A diamond ear stud lay inside the box, its solitaire design sparkling under the spotlight.
Remembering MuMu’s fascination with the shiny cufflink, Wen Ming smiled faintly and took the box: “Thank you.”
The attendant, seeing his expression, knew it was a gift for someone special:
“Choosing a diamond, you must think this person is the most radiant in the crowd.”
“?” Covered in scales, it certainly is the most radiant in a crowd.
Wen Ming didn’t deny it, glancing at the advertisement on the bottom of the box:
‘A symbol of a new chapter in life.’
“You dare hit me!?”
“You deserve it, you scumbag!”
“Oh my god, someone break it up!”
A fight had broken out in the mall, people brawling chaotically.
They were even using their mental seascapes to attack each other.
【—】
Wen Ming’s mental seascape, barely maintained by medication, was instantly thrown into turmoil by the external energy, like the ocean’s surface in the eye of a storm.
“I apologize, I hope they haven’t ruined your mood.” The attendant noticed Wen Ming’s pale face and asked in surprise, “Are you alright? I’ll call for medical assistance!”
When the attendant looked up after opening her optical brain, he was gone…
In the mall, two men were grappling with each other, using both mental seascapes and fists, a fight to the death.
The people trying to break it up couldn’t separate them.
Faint energy particles drifted through the air.
Compared to the mental seascape energy released by the two fighters, these particles were hundreds of times less dense.
But the pressure they carried was chilling.
Like seabirds suddenly fleeing in terror, a glimpse of a colossal beast lurking in the depths, its vast, dark eyes fixated on you—
【。】
The people pulling them apart suddenly felt their grip loosen, easily separating the two fighters.
“?”
They looked down in surprise. The fighters had not only completely withdrawn their mental seascapes, but had also fainted, foaming at the mouth.
…
MuMu stared at Wen Ming in the doorway of the closet in disbelief.
Cold sweat trickled down his forehead, following the bulging veins. His turbulent energy was a sign of his deteriorating mental seascape.
How did Master become like this!?
Although it had heard that work could be exhausting, it shouldn’t be this severe!
“Growl!” What did that company do to you!?
MuMu was furious, wanting to rush to Wen Ming’s workplace and slap the company’s boss with its tail.
“MuMu.”
Wen Ming walked towards it, his steps unsteady: “Don’t stay in dangerous places.”
MuMu obediently slid down from the full-length mirror.
Wen Ming swayed, half-kneeling beside MuMu, bracing himself with his hands.
“Gasp!” MuMu was startled and hugged him, releasing its maximum soothing ability.
The soothing droplets quickly calmed some of the energy, but only “some.”
The remaining 99% of the energy, ignited by the soothing, surged out of his mental seascape.
“Crack!” The mirror shattered instantly from the energy blast.
Wen Ming, using all his strength to suppress his mental seascape, could only press his cheek against the little mermaid’s worried face:
“Thank you, MuMu, I feel much better.”
“Woo.” You’re lying.
MuMu’s nose twitched, following the scent of blood, and it saw that Wen Ming’s hand was resting on the shards of glass.
“Woo, woo.” Your hand is bleeding.
MuMu’s eyelids twitched nervously, and it looked up, seeing blood trickling from the corner of Wen Ming’s mouth.
Worse than the thunderstorm incident…
It tried to wipe the blood away, its hand trembling, missing his mouth and touching his tense jaw instead.
Wen Ming placed the small box containing the ear stud in MuMu’s hand: “Good MuMu, go back to the mermaid room.”
It stubbornly refused: “Hmph.” No.
“Beep beep!”
A pair of mechanical arms extended from behind MuMu, gripping its waist and tail.
The home butler pulled the mermaid back: “Mermaid restraint device activated.”
MuMu watched helplessly as Wen Ming moved further away.
It would do anything for its master, but it couldn’t ease his pain.
Tears welled up in its eyes but refused to fall, and MuMu howled at Wen Ming:
“Awoo!”
How do you know if you don’t try? I’m sure I soothed you successfully once!
MuMu desperately tried to recall the details of the thunderstorm incident.
It had only been a brief moment, but it was certain that a powerful surge of soothing energy had emanated from its body.
How had it done it?
Transforming into hunting form → Severing the home butler’s mechanical arms → Destroying Wen Ming’s door lock → Rushing towards Wen Ming
One of these steps must be the key!
MuMu extended its claws, aiming for the mechanical arm around its waist:
“Awoo!” I’ll try “severing the mechanical arms” first!
Home butler: ?
Not the arms again 😭