Chapter 15
“Knock, knock.”
Assistant Xu knocked twice as he entered Wen Ming’s office, placing a cup of coffee in front of Dai Rong:
“Madam Dai, will you be waiting for the Admiral here?”
Dai Rong nodded gracefully in thanks, her perfectly styled bun impeccable from every angle: “When will he be back?”
“Soon.” Assistant Xu glanced at his optical brain and amended, “…Hopefully soon.”
Dai Rong took a sip of coffee:
“He’s never been very enthusiastic when I try to discuss his mental seascape treatment with him.”
“The Admiral had an emergency today,” Assistant Xu explained. “His meetings were postponed.”
Steam from the coffee obscured Dai Rong’s expression: “Then I’ll need your cooperation.”
Assistant Xu adjusted his glasses: “?”
“Don’t worry, just a few simple questions.”
Dai Rong asked: “Has Wen Ming’s mental seascape fluctuated recently?”
Assistant Xu recalled: “It’s been very stable lately.”
Not even affected by the thunderstorm?
Surprise flickered across Dai Rong’s face: “Did he acquire another high-grade mermaid for soothing?”
“Another?” Assistant Xu pondered. “As far as I know, the Admiral only has one mermaid.”
Mentioning the mermaid, he became more talkative:
“The Admiral is very attentive to that mermaid. He never used to talk about anything other than work. The company staff all say he’s in much better spirits…”
The coffee cup was placed on the table with deliberate force:
“You mean, Wen Ming’s condition has improved because of a low-grade mermaid’s soothing?”
Wen Ming had inherited her eyes. A slight raise of an eyebrow from either of them could make their demeanor turn sharp.
Assistant Xu straightened up as if facing his superior:
“It’s not about the soothing.
The Admiral never mentioned his mermaid’s soothing ability. When we occasionally talk about mermaid care tips, his expression becomes… lively.”
“Assistant Xu, you might have misunderstood what I’m asking.”
Dai Rong regained her composure: “Since Wen Ming’s birth, I’ve been tirelessly searching for a way to treat his mental seascape. Do you really think the mere presence of a mermaid can cure him?”
Assistant Xu waved his hand: “No, no, a mermaid can’t cure the Admiral, but it’s given him a reason to live.”
“…”
Dai Rong’s lips twitched, suddenly speechless.
In the awkward silence, the office door opened.
One shoulder of Wen Ming’s suit was slightly rumpled, as if something had been leaning against it, a rare sight for him.
Assistant Xu saw his savior and immediately went to greet him: “Admiral! You’re finally back, your mother has been waiting…”
Dai Rong stood up and interrupted: “You must be very busy. Assistant Xu mentioned you have more meetings.”
Assistant Xu gave a dry laugh: “No, it won’t affect your…”
“I won’t disturb your work then.”
Dai Rong spoke to herself, walking past them: “Wen Ming, we’ll talk about the treatment after work. I’ll be waiting for you at your house.”
Wen Ming smoothed the wrinkles on his suit with one hand and said casually:
“Mother, the mermaid at home is a bit shy around strangers.”
Dai Rong understood the implication and said directly: “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything to your mermaid.”
Coming from a noble family, her pride wouldn’t allow her to lie.
“Of course I trust you,” Wen Ming replied. “Just a heads-up, it’s not a docile mermaid, but as long as you don’t harm it, it won’t harm you.”
A mermaid harming someone?
Dai Rong scoffed dismissively: “Anything else?”
Wen Ming paused:
“Its name is MuMu.”
Dai Rong’s first impression upon entering Wen Ming’s house—
Silence.
The interior of this enviable house was like a still life painting, all in muted colors, with harsh brushstrokes.
Just like the owner of the house, cold and distant.
Today, it was even quieter than usual. The home robot didn’t come out to greet her.
Dai Rong walked all the way to the mermaid room without seeing the home butler.
With a puzzled frown, she pushed open the door.
A gentle breeze playfully ruffled the curtains, welcoming the guest into the mermaid room.
The still life painting had come to life.
Like splashes of blue paint, the mermaid room was adorned with touches of blue everywhere.
The curtains were ocean blue, the custom-made cabinet for mermaid supplies was cerulean, the embroidered blanket by the pool was lake blue…
And the most vibrant blue of all belonged to the gradient-colored mermaid in the water.
Dai Rong involuntarily took a step back:
Did I enter the wrong house?
How could this style appear in Wen Ming’s home?
“Beep beep! Welcome.”
The staticky electronic voice broke the “underwater fairytale.” The home butler, its mobility compromised, remained in the mermaid room, awaiting repairs.
Dai Rong could barely recognize the mangled machine as Wen Ming’s home butler.
“This really is Wen Ming’s house…”
“Yawn—”
MuMu stretched and surfaced, sleepy-eyed.
It saw the visitor and retreated indifferently to a corner of the mermaid pool.
Master’s mother, who desperately wanted Master to raise a high-grade mermaid…
Dai Rong walked directly to the window, tracing the seashell pattern on the curtains with her finger.
‘No, a mermaid can’t cure the Admiral, but it’s given him a reason to live.’
Dai Rong felt the truth of those words now.
She stood quietly by the window for a long time, and MuMu couldn’t stand it anymore:
“Hmm!” If you want to open the curtains, just open them. Don’t hesitate for so long, I can sleep later.
Dai Rong, of course, couldn’t understand. She went to the edge of the pool, picked up a piece of seaweed snack, and offered it tentatively:
“MuMu, here, are you hungry?”
“…” MuMu swam to a distance of more than a meter and reached out to take it.
“Awoo, awoo.” Master, just like you, assumes I’m hungry whenever he doesn’t understand what I’m saying.
Dai Rong politely replied: “You’re welcome.”
MuMu blinked and quickly added: “Awoo!” Thank you!
Dai Rong smiled faintly: “A smart mermaid.”
She also had a mermaid at home, but it didn’t offer the same interactive experience as MuMu.
The breeze from the window ruffled the water’s surface, gently lapping against the edge of the pool.
The small blanket by the pool was in a precarious position. A slightly higher splash would soak it.
Dai Rong picked up the blanket and turned to leave…
A force quickly stopped her, tugging at the blanket.
Dai Rong turned around and saw the mermaid gripping a corner of the blanket, pulling hard like in a tug-of-war.
“Growl!” Its attitude towards Dai Rong took a sharp turn as it bared its teeth, a hostile growl rumbling in its throat.
Dai Rong loosened her grip, and the soft blanket slipped from her hand, falling towards the water…
MuMu quickly gathered the blanket into a bundle before it could touch the water.
Then it lifted the bundle high, swimming to the far end of the pool, keeping the blanket dry the entire time.
“Growl…”
Even if I’m a low-grade mermaid, you can’t just snatch my things!
“MuMu, I didn’t mean to take your blanket,” Dai Rong blurted out.
She froze as soon as she said it.
Interacting with this mermaid was surprisingly engaging…
“Awoo!” I don’t believe you, you were trying to take it and now you’re making excuses?
The little mermaid puffed up its cheeks and turned its back to Dai Rong, showing its resolve.
As a researcher, Dai Rong had an “occupational hazard”—she valued efficiency above all else.
When she raised mermaids, there were no unnecessary actions.
If a mermaid was hungry, she fed it; if it was sick, she treated it… Her only interaction with them was during soothing sessions.
Now, she was uncharacteristically making “small talk”:
“MuMu, I really wasn’t trying to take it.”
“Put the blanket back by the pool, it must be tiring holding it up like that.”
“Do you want some seaweed crisps?”
Hearing the rustling of the snack bag, MuMu secretly glanced back, but otherwise only showed Dai Rong its back.
MuMu couldn’t imagine how cool and resolute its back looked right now.
But if it could see from Dai Rong’s perspective—facing the wall, arms raised high… it looked exactly like a child who had done something wrong.
Dai Rong coughed to hide her laughter, took a picture of MuMu’s back with her optical brain, and sent it to Wen Ming:
“Worried I’ll steal its blanket, it’s been holding this pose. [Picture]”
She quickly received a reply: “Explain it clearly, and it will understand.”
Dai Rong: “It can understand human language?”
Wen Ming: “It can sense sincerity.”
“So you can reply instantly.” Dai Rong pressed. “Why didn’t you reply when I asked about your mental seascape?”
One second, two seconds… one minute, no new messages.
Dai Rong sighed softly and turned her attention back to the mermaid pool.
Raising a mermaid was much more interesting than raising a son!
“MuMu,” Dai Rong said sincerely, “The blanket will get wet if it’s left there, that’s why I wanted to move it. I was being presumptuous. Wen Ming must have a reason for leaving it there.”
As she spoke, she observed the mermaid, noticing its tail flick when she mentioned “Wen Ming”…
Dai Rong continued: “Wen Ming gave you the blanket, right?”
MuMu muttered softly towards the wall: It’s our family’s property…
Its reaction confirmed Dai Rong’s thoughts: This mermaid remembered the sound of its master’s name.
“Home butler, connect to my optical brain.”
Dai Rong found a picture and projected it with the home butler:
“MuMu, do you want to see an old picture of Wen Ming?”
Interstellar projection technology was highly advanced. The virtual screen “printed” the image in the air, as if the person in the picture was standing right there.
It was Wen Ming around the age of twenty, in military uniform, his epaulets and badges indicating his rank as Admiral.
Unlike his current indifferent demeanor, the young Wen Ming was full of vigor and spirit.
The mermaid room’s curtains were drawn, making it somewhat dim, but his eyes sparkled with starlight, his burning fighting spirit igniting the small space.
“Quite dazzling, isn’t he?”
Dai Rong smiled, looking at MuMu, who had somehow swam to the edge of the pool:
“Can you still recognize this as your master? Compared to now, he’s like a completely different person.”
MuMu casually placed the small blanket on the edge of the pool, waving its hands at the projection:
“Awoo!” Master, so handsome!
Dai Rong: “But whether then or now, his life hasn’t been as easy as it seems…”
MuMu nodded understandingly:
“Woo…” I know, he’s poor.
Dai Rong: “He’s sick.”
“…?” MuMu’s eyes widened.
He’s sick too!?
