Every morning, the whale’s calls became a punctual alarm clock. As soon as Shu Tang opened her window, she saw Zhen Zhen spraying water from the sea surface, much like a timed fountain at sea;
When Shu Tang was on the rocks, she just had to shout “Zhen Zhen” towards the ocean, and magically, a sperm whale would appear. To this day, she still doesn’t understand how Zhen Zhen recognizes its own name.
The feeding problem was also easily solved: Every afternoon, Zhen Zhen would bring a deep-sea fish in its mouth.
Not only was the feeding automated, but it also hunted for its owner.
Shu Tang fell into deep thought:
Because she realized, Zhen Zhen’s behavior was very much like making an offering.
Shu Tang looked at the mermaid.
She belatedly realized that there were no large creatures in the nearby waters. Besides Zhen Zhen, she had seen no other sharks or similar fish.
It wasn’t that there were no other fish; more likely, this area of the sea was the mermaid’s “territory”.
Shu Tang glanced at the mermaid, who was squinting in the sun.
Indeed, a boss is a boss. Even having lost his memory and become a mermaid, he still managed to dominate the top of the food chain in the sea.
Regarding the new pet, Shu Tang was very satisfied.
The mermaid was satisfied as well.
Because of Zhen Zhen’s particularly large size, Shu Tang would no longer think of creating a little home for any other creature in the house;
Moreover, Zhen Zhen can hunt for herself, so Shu Tang doesn’t need to hold meat and feed the turtle while cooing “turtle, turtle” every day.
The “turtle crisis” was thus smoothly resolved.
Shu Tang knew that the mermaid was slowly recalling past events, and the mermaid knew that she knew.
They understood each other without words.
But neither of them brought up the matter and lived as before.
Shu Tang no longer fretted about a future that hadn’t happened, yet she began to express her love openly. And she felt a strange protectiveness toward the mermaid, knowing about some aspects of the mermaid’s past.
She felt her courage gradually growing, as if she would no longer fear facing storms in the future.
But it wasn’t because she had grown rapidly in a very short time.
—It was because she could feel at every moment that she was loved.
Bathed in love, she felt happy, her sleep quality improved, and even her temper got better.
Coincidentally, the mermaid felt the same way.
…
Time quickly moved to the last day of June.
In mid-June, Chen Sheng received a call from a senior academician, rushed to Yan City, and brought back some very good news.
By chance, researchers found a semi-transparent crystal in a nest of pollutants. After years of research, they were surprised to find that a new substance extracted from the crystals had excellent therapeutic effects on psychic outbreaks.
On this discovery, the research institute developed a new treatment for psychic outbreaks. In May of this year, secret clinical trials were successful.
This was a breakthrough across eras.
Originally, due to internal strife within the federation, many did not wish for Chen to awaken, so the news was kept tightly under wraps, not reaching South Island City until early June.
However, the old academician owed a big favor to the great chief.
So, quite naturally, despite pressure from all sides, the old academician made a call to Chen Sheng.
According to the research institute’s results, if the veteran returned to Yan City and entered the institute for treatment, his psychic outbreaks could soon be cured.
The side effects brought about by the psychic outbreaks, such as amnesia and neuralgia, would also be effectively alleviated.
Chen Sheng was thrilled.
But this great news could not yet be made public.
Chen Sheng believed that the veteran was now lucid and had regained some memories. As a former secretary, he decided to inform the veteran first.
Thus, on the last day of June, while the mermaid went out to hunt at sea, he encountered several large exploration ships lingering outside his territory.
The mermaid paused, watching Chen Sheng descend from the cabin onto the sea’s surface.
Chen Sheng looked extremely excited, and spoke very rapidly about what had happened: “…Great Leader, as long as you return to Yan City, we will definitely push forward with the treatment this time. You have nothing to worry about.”
It is known that ten years ago, the Founding Hero had to retire, partly due to mutations caused by pollutants; another reason was the severe psychic disturbances induced. This disease would gradually make him lose his memory, become deranged, and even force him to confine himself.
Now, there is a new treatment for psychic disturbances. As long as the mermaid goes to Yan City for treatment, once he recovers, he will be able to communicate normally with people, retain his past memories, and possess a strong psyche.
Whether rejoining the freedom fighters or making other plans, all seemed effortless.
They had been waiting for this day for a full ten years.
But after Chen Sheng excitedly finished speaking, he realized that the mermaid on the sea surface was remarkably calm.
“His” long hair dripped water downwards, but his gaze did not change at all.
Chen Sheng was stunned.
There was no excitement, no agitation, not even a hint of surprise.
After a long moment, Chen Sheng handed over a thermos, “Great Leader, this is the pumpkin soup you used to love. Wouldn’t you like to take it back and try it? Maybe you could consider it, this opportunity is rare, don’t you want to come back?”
Even the thermos was thoughtfully enclosed in a waterproof bag.
In those fragmented memories, Zhu Yan always sent his secretary to buy pumpkin soup, not because he liked it, but merely because someone suggested that it could neutralize stomach acid when suffering from stomach ailments.
The mermaid turned his head and with a flick of his tail, disappeared into the ocean, swimming towards the forbidden area.
On the ship, someone loudly called out “Great Leader,” wanting to drive the boat into the mermaid’s territory to follow him. At that moment, the beast turned its head to glance at them from the sea.
That look startled Chen Sheng.
It was a gaze completely alien and completely feral.
Full of warning and threat.
If it were not for Chen Sheng leading them, perhaps the moment they entered the mermaid’s territory, the boat would have been torn to shreds.
Chen Sheng immediately stopped them, “Don’t follow!”
The sky darkened once again.
The waves beat against the hull of the ship.
They had never considered one thing:
—Perhaps the mermaid of today had never thought about returning to their old ways.
*
When the mermaid returned, Shu Tang was gardening inside the Bastille.
She had ordered a batch of seeds online, planning to grow some cherry tomatoes and such in the abandoned building.
The forbidden area was really spacious, and the federal supply of fruits and vegetables was pitifully scarce, with only a little available in the supermarkets of South Island City, and none of it fresh.
Shu Tang felt that the mermaid, having been confined in the forbidden area for so many years, probably hadn’t tasted these seasonal vegetables for a long time.
So, she decided to plant some cherry tomatoes in the lair of this ferocious beast.
She even considered raising some chickens to make tomato and egg stir-fry.
However, the mermaid intensely disliked the chickens, making it clear: if Shu Tang raised chicks, “he” would feed them all to Zhen Zhen.
For a moment, Shu Tang couldn’t tell whether the chickens or Zhen Zhen were more pitiful, so she reluctantly gave up on the idea.
Now, this desolate forbidden land was brimming with signs of life—Shu Tang’s cushions sunning on the beach, her rocking chair under the blue rose trellis, and even a pot for soup.
Not far away, there were holes appearing in the ground.
The mermaid checked the number of holes and found that Shu Tang had dug three that morning.
Although this lair of the ferocious beast had completely turned into a den for cats, the mermaid still liked it here.
“He” did not want to leave, nor did he want to change the status quo.
So, the mermaid watched Shu Tang, who after digging for a while, started to lie down and sleep. After watching her for a while, the mermaid simply picked up the hard-working Shu Tang and carried her away.
Shu Tang did not notice the mermaid’s unusual behavior today and thought the mermaid wanted to take her hunting; she struggled symbolically before hanging limply in the mermaid’s hand like a plastic bag.
—Until Shu Tang saw a brand-new search and rescue boat moored on the sea.
She saw the big sign on it, “South Island Base.”
Her first reaction: How harsh.
The mermaid had looted it from Chen Sheng.
To say it was looted was not quite right, because when he took it, the soldier had actively unlocked the chains, so it should be considered a gift from Chen Sheng.
Hearing Shu Tang ask about the origin of the boat, perhaps because he was facing her, the gloomy aura around the creature dissipated, and he even told Shu Tang that it was a gift.
Shu Tang didn’t believe it.
She thought to herself: “What, buying eggs comes with a cruise?”
Shu Tang felt that her psychological resilience was improving; at least when she turned her head to look at the Bastille prison, it didn’t seem like such a big deal.
Shu Tang thought the mermaid was taking her out to play, so she went directly into the Bastille to pack.
Based on her previous experience, she brought enough fresh water, medicine, and a lot of snacks.
Shu Tang remembered they also had a pet, so she asked upstairs:
“Little Rose, should we take Zhen Zhen with us when we go out?”
Soon after, when Shu Tang went downstairs, she saw Zhen Zhen surfacing in the distance.
Shu Tang felt like it was a family going on a spring outing—dad, mom, and a dog.
Though Zhen Zhen was a sperm whale, not a dog, it was nearly as smart. Close enough.
This time out at sea, the mermaid didn’t personally drag the lifeboat towards the deep sea but had Zhen Zhen do the heavy lifting instead.
Shu Tang looked at the irresponsible mermaid:
“How could you let Zhen Zhen tow, it’s still so small.”
Zhen Zhen seemed to understand and was quite pleased.
After all, Zhen Zhen didn’t dare to resist the fierce mermaid.
It happily spouted a jet of water, creating a small downpour that hit Shu Tang right on the head.
Shu Tang: “…”
Even though the mermaid got wet too, he immediately let out a pleasant laugh and lazily flicked the water off his tail. Watching her, he couldn’t stop laughing.
Worried about getting sprayed again by Zhen Zhen, Shu Tang ran under a shelter, toweling her hair like a ruffled cat.
She approached the mermaid, “Little Rose, can you and Zhen Zhen negotiate to keep the spraying further away from me next time?”
The mermaid pretended not to hear and continued to lazily flick his tail.
Shu Tang felt the mermaid’s expression seemed to say: “Beg me.”
Since Shu Tang learned of the mermaid’s identity, her emotions fluctuated with gain and loss, but the mermaid’s gloom and unease gradually disappeared, and his temperament improved, with his whole demeanor shifting towards a feline approach.
But for some reason, Shu Tang really liked the mermaid this way.
So, she leaned in and kissed the mermaid.
—The mermaid really fell for it.
Shu Tang didn’t know how the mermaid communicated (or fixed things), but after the mermaid’s trip to the sea, whenever Zhen Zhen sprayed water, it would immediately scurry far away.
Turning back to see the mermaid lazily sunbathing, Shu Tang suddenly felt like it was her kiss that turned this deep-sea tyrant into someone who could do such foolish things.
She didn’t think this trend was good.
At least, she felt that he was becoming quite spoiled.
But still, following her heart, she suddenly leaned in and pecked the mermaid several times.
The mermaid, while enjoying the moment and flicking his tail, pulled her closer by the waist and naturally took the towel to start drying her hair.
Just like any pair of partners familiar with each other.
Shu Tang lay beside him basking in the sun for a while before turning her head to look at the fish.
She had a hunch that the mermaid was hiding something from her.