The group walked back toward the homestay, drenched in rain.
The rain was so heavy, with fierce winds sweeping the sea and dark clouds pressing down like a city about to fall. Just looking at it was frightening. Several girls in the class were from inland areas, seeing the sea for the first time, and also facing the terrifying side of nature for the first time. All of them were so scared their faces turned pale.
The small white cars they took on the way there were mostly empty, but on the return trip they were packed to the brim. Every car was full of people. Their class chartered one small white car, everyone squeezing in and urging the owner to take them back to the homestay.
The owner was very thoughtful. He pulled out several disposable towels from the onboard storage box and laughed as he handed them out. “Students, where are you all from?”
After confirming that no one had fallen into the sea and that Shen Shi had simply been mistaken, Yu Ting finally let go of the heavy stone in his heart and had the mood to chat with the driver. “The capital. We’re here for a graduation trip.”
“The capital? Lots of good universities there,” the driver didn’t ask further. “I saw a few of your female classmates got so scared their faces turned white. Our Bibo Sea is like this, once summer comes, the weather changes fast. Often it’s sunny in the morning, and by noon it starts pouring rain.”
“Last year there was a nationwide ranking of the most ‘unpredictable’ seas, and our Bibo Sea took first place. Don’t be afraid. Go back, eat lunch, rest a bit. By the afternoon the rain will stop. Then you can come join the bonfire party by the sea, lively stuff.”
What the driver said piqued the girls’ interest. They asked, “A bonfire party? What time does it start?”
“As soon as it gets dark. There’ll also be fishermen selling seafood along the shore, and the food stalls will open too. Don’t worry, guaranteed you’ll eat well and have fun!”
After that, the atmosphere lightened up.
Young people were all interested in socializing and entertainment-oriented gatherings. A few girls even planned not to rest in the afternoon and instead go to clothing shops in town to buy some ethnically styled outfits to wear.
Yu Ting wasn’t interested in that. He started searching for information about Black Rock Village, planning to further research the ‘exotic beast’ legends before going to the museum.
Jiang Jun glanced at it by chance and sighed. “How old are you already, still believing this kind of nonsense? Science accounts have said it before—‘exotic beasts’ were just ancient marine creatures that hadn’t fully evolved. That giant salamander, the one with a human-like face, its history is so long, and in ancient times wasn’t it also hailed as a water monster? The exotic beast bones displayed in the museum, I reasonably suspect, are marine creatures just like giant salamanders. They probably couldn’t adapt to climate changes, went extinct, and only then were called ‘exotic beasts’ by later generations.”
“Mm,” Yu Ting nodded, very supportive. “You’re right. But it doesn’t stop me from taking another look.”
Jiang Jun snorted and grabbed a towel, tossing it at him.
The Black Rock Village Museum’s webpage was clean and straightforward, one could even say ordinary.
Unlike other museums with many directories, Black Rock Village Museum had only two sections: “About Us” and “Exhibitions.”
“About Us” talked about the history of Black Rock Village, as well as the histories of several farming-and-scholar families that once lived there. Finally, it covered the establishment and development of the Black Rock Village Museum, utterly unremarkable, enough to make readers want to yawn.
“Exhibitions,” however, were different. The click count at the bottom right of the page had already exceeded a million. In the information age, people were filled with curiosity about legends of ‘exotic beasts’ and ‘demons and spirits.’ The Black Rock Village Museum brazenly displayed so-called ‘exotic beast’ bones, how could that not attract enthusiasts from all over the world.
“Chenlia Exhibition” page was very long; every antique on display had high-definition images, with a brief introduction beside it. However, the ‘Exotic Beast’ was in the Hall’s Treasure section and photography and loud conversation were not permitted, so the image was replaced by a big “?” with only the description beside it.
Yu Ting wasn’t particularly disappointed. Just as he was about to put his phone away, a cold male voice sounded beside him.
“Don’t move.”
Yu Ting froze, only then realizing that Shen Shi was also looking at his phone. He read very quickly, almost ten lines at a glance. Yu Ting silently held the phone up until Shen Shi finished reading the ‘Exotic Beast’ page, then shook his sore arm and asked hesitantly, “What’s going on? You’re interested in exotic beasts too now?”
Shen Shi sat by the window, lazily lowering his gaze, not sure what he was thinking about, and casually hummed in response.
Jiang Jun, who had been closely following their conversation, couldn’t hold it in anymore. “No, seriously, how old are you two? Isn’t this childish? After all these years, how did I never notice you still have chuunibyou hearts?”
“Get lost, what chuunibyou heart. Men are boys until death. I just like looking at this kind of random stuff. Are you going to the museum tomorrow or not? If you are, stop talking nonsense.”
Jiang Jun swallowed his anger and nodded.
It wasn’t that he was interested in the museum; he was simply bored. This trip to Tiannan City hadn’t had a single activity that interested him. aside from sightseeing, it was all sightseeing. He didn’t even know when it would end.
Letting out a slow yawn, Jiang Jun planned to ask Shen Shi for a piece of paper. When he turned his head, he saw that Shen Shi’s phone screen was showing a museum promotional video.
A huge “?” flashed on it, with ‘Exotic Beast Bones’ written above in standard script.
Jiang Jun: “……”
Shen Shi seemed to sense something, put down his phone, and glanced at him. “What is it?”
How would Jiang Jun dare to have anything? He stiffly shook his head. “…Nothing. You continue.”
Too lazy to deal with him, seeing that he really had nothing to say, Shen Shi lowered his head again to watch the promotional video.
He watched carefully. Dim daylight flowed across his face like water, vividly illuminating his dark, inky eyelids. After watching for quite a while, Shen Shi finally closed his phone, his fingertips tapping lightly on his thigh.
A very obvious thinking gesture.
Jiang Jun: “…………”
You two traitors who have betrayed materialism.
Wake up already!
Back at the homestay, once the news about a bonfire party on the beach that night was shared, the boys and girls staying behind all showed interest and responded enthusiastically.
This graduation trip lasted a week. Today was already the third day, and the day after tomorrow they would take a bus to the neighboring Qiyang City, where they would spend two days.
Tiannan City had beautiful scenery, but few entertainment facilities. Qiyang City lacked neither food nor entertainment, and was also one of last year’s “Top Ten Most Beautiful Cities in the Country,” with a big reputation.
With a bonfire party at night, the girls were full of excitement and temporarily reconciled as before. Led by the class monitor and the arts committee member, they went together to a nearby specialty street to buy clothes, beach shoes, small accessories, and so on. The boys each returned to their rooms to take afternoon naps.
The living room on the first floor quickly emptied.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, torrential rain poured down. The sky was dark and heavy, black clouds like ink-soaked masses hanging low on the horizon, rain falling in sheets with a loud crash.
The salty, damp sea breeze blew head-on, slapping against the windows, pounding them with “bang bang” sounds.
Shen Shi brewed a cup of coffee, a laptop resting on his knees as he focused on searching for information.
If someone were beside him, they would be able to see the words he typed into the search bar.
—“Top Ten Strange Marine Creatures”
—“Humanoid Creatures in the Ocean”
—“Will people die in the sea?”
—“Longest human breath-holding time”
At the very end, in the faint glow reflected from the screen, he lowered his gaze. His long fingers pressed the keyboard as he searched the final question.
—“Do mermaids really exist”
……
The weather by the sea was indeed like a child’s face.
By a little past four in the afternoon, the dark clouds had completely dispersed, and the sky was filled with sunset.
The evening glow reddened half the sky, scattering waves of golden light. The setting sun was crimson, and the vast, boundless sea was also illuminated into shimmering ripples. The seawater rose and fell, the waves ceaseless.
As the sun gradually sank below the horizon, night fully fell.
There were more and more tourists by the sea, voices noisy and bustling.
The tents that had been set up early were lit, and the food stalls displayed fresh seafood, fruits and vegetables, and drinks.
The bonfire party finally began. Young men and women sat around the crackling fire, wearing bohemian long dresses and floral shirts, facing the gentle sea breeze, chatting and laughing freely.
The warm orange bonfire light illuminated everyone’s faces. People had come from all over the country. A musical talent held a guitar and softly hummed a tune.
The class monitor gently tucked away stray hair blown loose around her face. She sat with a straight posture, her knees slightly drawn together. Her floral dress swayed gently, the hem brushing against the thigh of the person beside her.
Before sitting down, she unobtrusively switched places with Yu Ting, who had been sitting next to Shen Shi.
The ocean, the bonfire, light music, and the ambiguous and romantic atmosphere breeding in the air were the best environment for sparks to fly between men and women.
Graduation was coming soon; she didn’t want to miss this last chance.
Once they truly entered society, she and Shen Shi might never see each other again in their lifetimes.
“…Sorry,” she said softly, her voice gentle. Her boneless, delicate hands pressed down on her skirt as she slightly lowered her head, presenting her most tender side. “The wind is too strong. My skirt is too long.”
“Oh, it’s fine.”
A strange male voice suddenly sounded. The class monitor’s smile froze as she instantly raised her head. A young man in a green floral shirt was looking at her, smiling brightly as he naturally took out his phone. “Hey, beautiful, can I add you on WeChat?”
Class monitor: “……”
Who are you?
At this moment, outside the beach at the vehicle rental area.
The attendant was explaining to Shen Shi how to ride this four-wheeled electric vehicle. He had a cigarette in his mouth, chattering on as he smoothly took Shen Shi’s rental fee and handed him the keys.
“Handsome, you rented it for twenty-four hours. You have to return it on time tomorrow night at this hour, otherwise it’s five yuan for every ten minutes late.”
Shen Shi took the keys. “Got it.”
The rental attendant had been working by the sea for so many years, and it was the first time he had seen such a handsome young man. He couldn’t help but look a few more times, suspecting he might be some kind of celebrity and even wanting an autograph.
Before he could speak, Shen Shi had already neatly gotten on the vehicle and twisted the handle, driving forward.
“Hey—” the attendant hurriedly called out, but after noticing where Shen Shi was heading, he shut his mouth again.
Wasn’t that Dayujiao?
Dayujiao closed at seven. What was this kid going over there for so late at night?
……
Shen Shi drove the four-wheeled electric vehicle. The back seat could hold two people, and there was a glass windscreen in front. The two headlights were very bright, making them especially convenient on the dim uphill road.
His brows were lowered, a trace of irritation flashing through his dark eyes.
Because of one moment of blurred vision, instead of catching up on sleep in his room late at night, he had come to this pitch-black place to investigate. He didn’t even know when he had become so serious about things.
Annoyed though he was, Shen Shi glanced at the sky. The night was dark and heavy, clouds piled up and slowly drifting with the evening breeze. Tonight’s moon was exceptionally bright, hanging high on the horizon like a flawless luminous pearl.
Shadows of trees lined both sides of the road.
Branches rustled in the sea wind, and from deeper within came occasional strange sounds, as if animals had been startled by the electric vehicle.
After riding for a full half hour, Shen Shi finally arrived at the Dayujiao Scenic Area.
Dayujiao was enclosed by fencing and already closed; outsiders were not allowed to enter.
Nearby surveillance cameras were aimed at the fence, their indicator lights showing they were operating.
Shen Shi got off the vehicle, expressionless. From a distance he looked at the turbulent, roaring waves of Dayujiao, then walked into the woods and quietly climbed over from a corner.
Tonight, for convenience, he was wearing an ordinary T-shirt and long pants. The black T-shirt was blown tight against his body by the wind. He bent at the waist, his waist and abdomen lean and powerful. Supporting himself on the railing, he lightly leapt and cleared it.
There were no surveillance cameras inside the Dayujiao scenic area. Along the way, aside from the sound of waves and wind, there was nothing else.
Shen Shi walked forward along Dayujiao. After passing the steepest uphill stretch, there came a long downhill road. Streetlights lined both sides, their light dim and occasionally flickering, illuminating the whirling little insects.
In such a long trek, Shen Shi’s mood gradually calmed.
He was clearly aware of what he was doing now, so when he discovered a mysterious beach, he did not hesitate much. With skill and courage, he nimbly crossed the fence and entered the beach.
Moonlight quietly poured over the land.
The sea here was calm, without tides or waves. The surface gently rippled with the night breeze, shimmering under the moonlight: boundless, tranquil, and serene.
The color of the sand was normal, still golden fine sand. Stepping on it felt very soft. Along the shore, at intervals, there were jagged reefs. Their surfaces were smooth, the sides facing the sea worn flat by erosion.
A gust of wind blew past, and the seawater slapped against the shore with a rush.
Shen Shi quietly watched the sea, one hand in his pocket. The water continued to surge tolerantly; everything was normal.
His expression was indifferent. He calmly lowered his gaze, preparing to leave.
Rocks could not possibly float up from the sea.
Nor could any other creatures appear.
He had been subtly influenced by Yu Ting and thus had such an absurd association.
The hour hand had already pointed to nine.
It was time to go back.
He turned around, just about to leave, when suddenly there came the sound of water breaking behind him—
……
The calm sea surface had been broken at some point.
Mist rose and spread.
Moist water vapor hazily shrouded the deep sea surface, and a figure slowly emerged.
Moonlight softly poured over Him. He swam over swiftly and gracefully. Curled, dense black long hair gently floated, droplets sliding down the strands and scattering over his snow-white, slender back. Like a bewitching fairy from a fairy tale, breathtakingly beautiful, just a single side profile was enough to set hearts trembling.
Time and space seemed to twist with his appearance.
Large swathes of water mist blocking vision grew thicker. This stretch of sea became eerily silent, like a fallen realm.
The swiftly swimming figure seemed to sense something. Within the mist, he slowly turned his head and looked toward Shen Shi.
He was extremely beautiful and captivating. His eyes shimmered with brilliance, the pupils suffused with a magnificent, mysterious deep violet. Long lashes covered His eyelids; with a gentle blink, they were like violet gemstones refracting dazzling colors under sunlight.
His hair was inky black like thick ink, yet his skin was snow-white like snow. His ears were pointed, nearly transparent, peeking out from seaweed-like luxuriant strands of hair, like an elf unacquainted with the world, pure yet bewitching, a blend of two contradictory temperaments. He floated quietly on the surface of the water, gazing at Shen Shi.
Time seemed to pause for a long while, but in truth it was only an instant.
He glanced at Shen Shi and swam through the flowing seawater.
A moment later, he swam back again, looking curiously at the motionless figure on the beach, nearly petrified.
Like observation, yet also like a simple stare.
……
Ye Ran tilted his head.
Looking at the strange human on the beach.
He felt that this human could see him, yet the human neither screamed nor showed a frightened expression, completely different from the humans who had seen him in the sea before, making him unable to help but feel a bit curious.
He flicked his fishtail beneath the sea surface and lightly swam toward the shore.
The human remained motionless, his gaze calm to the point of indifference, dark and heavy as he looked at him from above, as if looking at a small underling.
He was the best-looking human Ye Ran had ever seen.
Just very fierce. Ye Ran was an outlier among the merfolk: very timid, and he didn’t like eating people. When other merfolk lured sailors on the sea surface, he lay on reefs sleeping in.
Because he was too out of place, when the merfolk migrated they didn’t tell him. By the time he woke up from a nap, he had become a lonely little mermaid.
But this stretch of sea was very comfortable, the water warm, full of small fish, and his favorite oysters, so living here alone, Ye Ran was very happy.
But now, the happy little mermaid had encountered a big problem.
Hidden beneath the reef by the shore was his dinner for tonight, a net bag of oysters he had racked his brains to find.
He liked oysters the most, the meat tender and soft. But that human stood behind the reef, the aura emanating from his body terrifying, as if he could pull out a fish-killing knife from behind at any second.
Ye Ran didn’t want to give up tonight’s dinner. His beautiful, soft eyes peeked above the sea surface, watery as he looked at the human, hoping he would hurry and leave.
The human, however, looked at him coldly, his eyes very dark, unmoved.
…So fierce!
Taking one last look at the reef’s position, Ye Ran steeled himself and prepared to leave.
Just as he flicked his tail and the seawater rippled, the human on the shore moved—
The human stepped back two paces and turned to walk toward another reef.
The two reefs weren’t far apart, only a few meters.
Ye Ran quietly poked his head out of the water, glanced at the human who had voluntarily retreated, then quickly swam to the shore. His soft, slender ten fingers flipped over the fine sand, retrieving the net bag of oysters, then he took out a hard sea stone.
After confirming that the human wouldn’t come disturb him while he ate, Ye Ran straightened up slightly. Large swathes of inky-cloud-like black hair naturally fell down. With lowered eyes, he clumsily used the stone to smash open the oysters.
The oyster shells were very hard.
The stone had existed for a long time; after being smashed twice, it shattered.
The little mermaid was momentarily stunned, then found another stone and, on the flat surface of the reef, smashed down hard. The oyster was completely unharmed, he hadn’t even knocked off any dirt.
Ye Ran wasn’t discouraged and tried again. For some reason, today’s oysters were especially tenacious. The little mermaid’s stomach was empty with hunger, and he thought dejectedly that he should have known better than to nap in the afternoon.
Footsteps sounded in the air.
He immediately put down the oysters and turned his head warily.
That fierce human was walking toward him. The sea breeze lifted his jet-black hair; his facial features were extremely handsome, his eye sockets deep, his expression calm.
The little mermaid hurriedly dropped his dinner and uneasily hid beneath the water.
The human didn’t look at him. He walked to the reef and picked up the oyster Ye Ran hadn’t pried open.
Lowering his gaze to examine it for a moment, the human took a military knife from his pocket, deftly pried open the oyster shell, removed the fresh, plump oyster meat intact, and neatly placed it back into the shell.
Ye Ran’s eyes widened; his pointed ears trembled.
He smelled the freshness of the oyster meat, and his stomach grew even hungrier.
The human didn’t eat it, however, but tossed the oyster into the sea. He used great force, throwing it right near Ye Ran.
With a “thump,” Ye Ran jumped in fright, his ears trembling again. After a moment, his moist eyes fixed on the human. Tentatively, he picked up the oyster. The pried-open shell was easy to open; the little mermaid swallowed, craving, and obediently ate the oyster meat.
As the delicious oyster meat entered his mouth, his little tail beneath the water wagged joyfully, stirring ripples.
A second oyster was thrown over.
Then the third, the fourth, the fifth…
The entire net bag of oysters was pried open by the human.
Shen Shi squatted on the reef. Heat raised a thin sheen of sweat on his body; when the wind blew, his clothes clung tightly to him.
He looked at his palms smeared with mud, fell silent for a moment, stepped down from the reef, and squatted by the sea to wash his hands.
Everything that happened tonight felt like a dream.
His reaction was as if he were bewitched, he had actually pried open oysters for a mermaid.
The mud on his fingertips was hard to wash away. Waves roared. Shen Shi casually lifted his eyelids; above the sea surface there was nothing. That dreamlike figure had already disappeared, like a dream woven by moonlight.
He lowered his eyes lightly, looking at the tranquil sea. His mind was in chaos, at one moment surfacing words like “mermaid,” “jiaoren,” “materialism,” and at another moment complete blankness, leaving only the thick mist over the sea and that slender, supple figure.
…Too absurd.
He thought.
Mermaids.
Whether in the East or the West, in any ancient texts where mermaids or jiaoren appeared, this creature was described as “ferocious,” “bloody,” “bewitching.”
Such creatures were humanity’s natural enemies.
Existences that should be eradicated.
Shen Shi stopped moving, staring heavily at the seawater.
The next second, the clamorous, chaotic thoughts were shattered by the sound of water breaking—
Seawater spread in layers around his fingertips as a figure broke the surface. Dense, cloud-like curls clung to his shoulders and back. He lifted his head; long lashes were adorned with tiny droplets of water. His lips were warm, soft, and moist red as he looked at him clearly and quietly.
Moonlight was like a silver veil, delicately and gently enveloping him.
The little mermaid raised his hand. Transparent droplets rolled off his pale, soft skin. Large amounts of seawater slid down with his movement. In his cupped palms, he held a shucked oyster, the white oyster meat trembling softly, offered to Shen Shi.
The black-haired, violet-eyed little mermaid looked at him clumsily yet obediently, like feeding a young one in his clan that couldn’t hunt. He opened his mouth, and a hazy, soft voice sounded haltingly.
“You… eat…”
The human squatting by the sea was quiet, motionless, his expression indistinct.
Ye Ran felt uneasy. Looking at the human, he timidly drew his hand back.
At that moment, the human moved, pinching the oyster meat from the little mermaid’s palm and putting it into his mouth.
The texture was indeed tender and firm, the juices abundant.
The little mermaid couldn’t help but curve his eyes. Like a dream beneath the tranquil moonlight, facing the human, he lightly drifted backward and floated back to the sea surface.
He looked once more at the human on the shore.
His silver long tail gently swayed, flicking up a spray of crystalline droplets. He turned around and swam toward the direction of the moon.
……
Today he met a very good human.
He wondered whether the Prince destined to him would be this good?
Time waits for no one.
His breeding season was about to arrive.
Tomorrow he must find a Prince ovo.
