Chapter 27
On his way back to the examination room with the doctor, Wen Ming noticed a unfamiliar figure standing by the door.
His brow furrowed in suspicion, and he quickened his pace, overtaking the doctor and reaching the examination room first.
In the treatment area of the Mermaid Center, people in white coats easily inspired trust.
Unable to guess the man’s identity, Wen Ming peered through the gap between the man and the doorframe, checking on the little mermaid inside—
Its face was even paler than when it had been experiencing the intolerance reaction.
Although it was trying to appear fierce, the ripples in the water around it betrayed its trembling fear…
MuMu also saw Wen Ming through the crack in the door and let out a piercing scream.
“*—”
A sound at the very edge of human hearing, making everyone around wince and cover their ears.
“Ow!” The doctor also covered his ears. “Don’t come closer, it’s harmful to hearing… where is it?”
Wen Ming practically burst into the examination room.
His ears rang, and he couldn’t hear anything, but he was certain that MuMu was calling for him.
He roughly shoved past the person blocking the doorway and hugged MuMu.
The mermaid’s sharp cries turned into short sobs, like desperate pleas:
Don’t abandon me, don’t send me back there, please!
Wen Ming felt a pang of helplessness.
MuMu was a mermaid with a lack of security, so he constantly reassured it with his actions:
I won’t abandon you.
The last time he had brought MuMu to the doctor, it had shown clear signs of separation anxiety, but this time, it had been calm, even interacting naturally with other humans.
Wen Ming had been so proud of giving MuMu a sense of security.
But this one person, just by appearing before MuMu, had undone all his efforts…
MuMu clung to Wen Ming’s shoulders, shaking him incessantly, its expression fixed, as if it wouldn’t stop until he responded:
“Awoo? Whoo, whoo?”
You’ll take me home, right? I won’t be sent back to my former master, right?
【—】
Mental seascape energy suddenly surged in the examination room.
From the doorway to the pool, its target: suppressing the mermaid.
MuMu had been suppressed by this energy many times.
Of all its experiences, its former master’s mental seascape had been the strongest, bar none.
When suppressed by others, it could still struggle slightly.
But when targeted by its former master’s energy, it felt like its throat was being constricted, unable to struggle, even its ability to think gradually fading.
He was the one all the mermaids in the lab feared most.
The moment MuMu sensed the energy particles, it looked towards the doorway—
Its former master still had that gentle and polite demeanor.
He casually released a portion of his mental seascape, his absolute confidence cultivated from successfully suppressing countless mermaids.
MuMu knew that defying its former master would not end well. Obediently submitting to the energy was the smart thing to do…
“Growl!”
A dark blue light flickered in its blue eyes, its fingers tensing, claws ready to attack.
Its tail had been injured in the lab, preventing transformation.
But now, its hunting form combined with a surprise attack might be lethal!
“?”
The man, seemingly not expecting a mermaid to directly confront his mental seascape, his smile faltered, and he increased the energy output.
Enough to render a mermaid unconscious from pain.
“Growl…” MuMu faltered, gasping for air in the suffocating energy.
Beneath the water, its tail scales extended, its body hardening like a shield, protecting it from the energy particles.
MuMu’s claws, hidden in the shadows, were poised to strike.
If its “assassination plan” failed and its former master was injured, it would be euthanized for malicious intent;
If it succeeded and its former master died, its best outcome would still be euthanasia.
But the many mermaids in the lab might have a chance to escape.
More importantly…
MuMu stubbornly shielded Wen Ming.
If Master’s damaged mental seascape was affected, it would be disastrous.
I can’t move! I have to fight!
MuMu forced its body to transform into its hunting form.
【—】
A hand suddenly grabbed MuMu, pulling it back until it bumped against Wen Ming’s chest.
“Ugh!”
MuMu’s transformation was interrupted, and it let out a gasp of surprise.
Before it, a wall of water several meters high erupted from the pool, the result of a fierce clash of energy.
“Awoo?” What’s happening?
MuMu was drenched by the falling water. It shook its head and finally saw the situation clearly—
Its former master was holding onto the doorframe, taking a step back.
He had withdrawn all his energy, his eyes narrowed in surprise as he looked at the person behind MuMu:
“Aren’t you supposed to have a damaged mental seascape?”
MuMu’s eyes widened, and it looked back at Wen Ming: “Awoo!” That’s right, aren’t you supposed to have a damaged mental seascape!?
How did you repel my former master’s mental seascape so easily?
That was the mental seascape all the mermaids in the lab feared!
Wen Ming’s expression remained unchanged as he smoothed the little mermaid’s hair:
“If you knew what manners were, you’d introduce yourself first.”
The man at the doorway’s expression shifted several times before he finally chuckled.
“I almost forgot you don’t know me.” He brushed some dust off his lab coat. “You can ask the mermaid, it knows me.”
Wen Ming seemed to understand something, his expression turning cold.
“Professor Yin?” The doctor also returned to the examination room, addressing the man respectfully.
Professor Yin’s smile was impeccable: “Yes, just checking in, you’ve been working hard.”
“You too… what’s this?”
The doctor was startled by the mess in the examination room: “Is everyone alright?”
“My apologies, I activated my mental seascape too abruptly, it might have caused some discomfort for this gentleman, resulting in a slight clash of mental seascapes.” Professor Yin’s tone was apologetic.
Slight…?
The doctor picked up a device, its screen shattered, pieces falling to the floor.
Professor Yin bowed to Wen Ming: “I sincerely apologize for the unpleasant experience. You won’t be responsible for any damages, and the Mermaid Center will cover all your medical expenses today.”
“Whoo!” MuMu’s tail wagged in the water.
Free stuff, today wasn’t all bad… right?
The hand around its waist didn’t loosen, and MuMu squirmed uncomfortably, trying to pry it open, but it was like trying to bend steel.
MuMu patted the hand: “Awoo!” Master, relax!
Wen Ming loosened his grip slightly but still held it close:
“Professor Yin, head of the Mermaid Center.”
“So you know me.” Professor Yin enunciated each word. “It’s an honor.”
The air, no longer filled with energy particles, was now thick with awkwardness.
The doctor, his back cold in the tense atmosphere, spoke up: “Professor Yin, this mermaid actually doesn’t need mental seascape suppression…”
“Doesn’t need it? Is that your subjective judgment?”
Professor Yin’s voice was gentle, but his words were sharp, leaving no room for interruption:
“The premise of treating a mermaid is ensuring the safety of its owner. Just now, the mermaid was clinging to this gentleman and scratching him, it was very dangerous.”
The doctor hesitantly glanced at MuMu and lowered his head: “My apologies, it was my negligence.”
“Doctor, please take care of my mermaid for a moment.” Wen Ming’s voice rescued the doctor.
“Boo?” MuMu looked back and forth between Wen Ming and the doctor, anxiously circling the tank.
“Awoo?” What are you doing? You’re not leaving me here, are you?
“MuMu.”
Wen Ming sighed softly in its ear, his warm breath turning its pointed ears a faint pink:
“Trust me.”
…
MuMu dejectedly retreated to a corner of the tank.
The doctor opened a bag of seaweed snacks: “MuMu, are you hungry? Have something to eat.”
The water rippled, but the mermaid didn’t surface.
“Don’t worry, your master is talking to Professor Yin, he’ll be back to pick you up soon.”
The doctor opened another bag of easily digestible fish paste: “Have a little something even if your stomach is upset, otherwise your beautiful tail will lose its shine.”
“Splash.”
Before the doctor could react, the fish paste was snatched into the water.
“So you like this kind?”
MuMu ate quietly, its attention focused on the surrounding energy.
If its former master released any aggressive mental seascape energy again, it would rush out to protect its master!
On the other side of the door, the tense atmosphere was almost palpable.
“I didn’t expect to see this mermaid again, and I certainly didn’t expect Admiral Wen to be the one who adopted it.”
Professor Yin got straight to the point: “I was its previous owner. Seeing it so well-cared for puts my mind at ease.”
“It doesn’t seem to miss you.”
Wen Ming was a few centimeters taller than Professor Yin, his slightly lowered gaze cold and meaningful.
It was practically saying: So, you didn’t treat it well, did you?
Professor Yin met his gaze calmly: “I rescued many mermaids, so I didn’t spend much time with each one. Plus, mermaids have poor memories, it’s normal for it to forget me.”
This feigned innocence was exactly the same as the anonymous person who had put it up for adoption.
“How many did you rescue?”
Wen Ming asked, feigning curiosity: “So many that you had to tag them with numbers?”
Professor Yin’s pupils constricted, but his expression remained calm as he feigned ignorance: “What numbers?”
Wen Ming: “Two number fives.”
“Ah, that, you misunderstood!” Professor Yin chuckled. “Fifty-five was its name. This little mermaid loved to whine and act coquettishly, so I called it Fifty-Five.”
Wen Ming felt inexplicably annoyed.
Professor Yin noticed his displeasure and continued:
“I remember every mermaid I rescued. Fifty-Five was particularly clingy.
It loved it when I stroked its hair. Its eyes would crinkle into crescents, you must have seen that expression too, so adorable and content.”
Professor Yin even mimed stroking a head, his expression as affectionate as if he were caressing a lover:
“It’s really good at acting spoiled, isn’t it?”
Wen Ming’s annoyance reached its peak.
If the man had been making things up, it wouldn’t have been so bad, but what infuriated Wen Ming was that he was right about every detail.
Its love for being pampered, the sounds it made, the crescent-shaped eyes…
Energy leaked from Wen Ming’s mental seascape.
Professor Yin became alert, ready to retaliate with his own mental seascape.
Although Wen Ming had gained the upper hand in their previous clash, his mental seascape was damaged, and he couldn’t muster that much energy again.
Professor Yin smirked provocatively: You think you can hurt me?
“Bang!”
The examination room door burst open, slammed open by a small figure like a charging bull.
Professor Yin: ?
While he was still stunned, MuMu aimed for his lower body and lashed out with its tail with all its might.
“Awoo!” I sensed your energy, don’t you dare hurt my Master!
Sweep kick!
The tail swipe disrupted Professor Yin’s balance, and he fell face-first towards the floor. He reacted quickly, bracing himself with his hands, narrowly avoiding a face-plant.
“MuMu, you can’t do that.”
Wen Ming walked towards the little mermaid, raising a hand in a gesture of reprimand, and, out of view of the security cameras, kicked Professor Yin’s wrist hard.
“Crack.”
As his face hit the floor, Professor Yin clearly heard the sound of his wrist breaking.
That crazy fish! That lunatic!
He clutched his wrist, his body contorted in pain: How can you use physical attacks against someone guarding against mental seascape attacks!?
Hah, that smackdown was well deserved!!
Thank you for the chapter!