I Woke Up To Find Myself Being Kept By A Mermaid – CH55

Chapter 55

Ever since leaving the Western Sea Breeding Center, Ruan Chen had almost forgotten what it was like to spend his initial days inside that transparent room.

Seeing the familiar sights in the human breeding chamber gave him a sudden sense of a lifetime away.

In reality, however, less than four months had passed.

“Where is that human?” Vincent was the first to ask curiously.

From what the merman director had said, they all expected to enter and see a human punching the glass and throwing a tantrum, just like Ruan Chen used to do.

To their surprise, the breeding chamber was completely quiet, and they couldn’t even spot where the human was at first glance.

Ruan Chen also recalled his own ferocious demeanor when he first woke up in front of these mermen, and his ears turned a bit red.

The merman director gestured for them to draw closer. “He’s hiding. He flipped the clam bed completely upside down and has been hiding inside lately. We didn’t dare to move it, out of fear that it might scare him again.”

This room wasn’t the double cubicle Ruan Chen and Joshua had initially stayed in; it was an individual chamber with a slightly larger space.

In the middle, the familiar-looking clam bed was, as the director said, overturned on the floor, leaving only a tiny crack.

Vincent couldn’t resist leaning forward to tap on the glass.

The tap did more harm than good. With a sharp clack, the clam bed completely sealed itself shut, leaving not even a sliver of a gap.

Ruan Chen glared at him.

Noticing Ruan Chen’s displeasure, Lux reached out and pulled Vincent back a bit. “Don’t scare him.”

Vincent: “…”

Vincent: “I… I didn’t do it on purpose. I just wanted to see if he would react…”

Out of everyone present, only Ruan Chen knew how terrifying it felt to wake up and face this situation.

He looked up at Lux. “Let me go in and talk to him?”

Two humans staying together shouldn’t cause any problems.

Lux pondered for a moment, nodded in agreement, and signaled the director to open the chamber. The machinery outside the door dried the moisture off Ruan Chen’s body and sent him into the room.

“You guys step back. With so many fish crowding around here, he won’t be willing to come out and talk to me!” Ruan Chen poked his head out, waving his small claws to drive the other mermen away.

Lux was still a bit uneasy, but seeing the resolute look in his eyes, he could only retreat along with Vincent, finding a secluded spot to conceal their figures.

Once they were all safely hidden, Ruan Chen walked gently toward the side of the clam bed.

He thought about it and simply sat down right on the floor.

Ruan Chen had always been utterly terrible at comforting others; usually, he could only talk tough, so he didn’t know how to begin for a moment.

But the mermen were still pinning all their hopes on him.

He hesitated for a long time before squeezing out a sentence: “Um… Hello, excuse me…”

He had barely finished the sentence when the clam bed was suddenly shoved upward.

A small, thin face and a pair of alert yet pleasantly surprised dark eyes were revealed.

So thin.

He could tell it was a round face, but because he was entirely too thin, his sharp chin was fully visible, making his large eyes look a bit prominent.

The other party’s gaze swept over him from top to bottom before stating with certainty, “You’re not a merman.”

Ruan Chen immediately retracted the small gills behind his ears. “Right, I’m not a merman. And the other mermen aren’t here. Look, it’s just the two of us here.”

“…” The round-faced youth fell silent for a few seconds. “I heard you talking to them. They’re just hiding behind that barrier over there.”

He wore a facial expression that practically said, Do you take me for an idiot?

The smile froze on Ruan Chen’s face.

Embarrassed, he said, “They don’t mean you any harm. These mermen like humans very much, they won’t hurt you.”

The round-faced youth pouted. “I know that, but what does them liking me or not have to do with me?”

His tone was exceptionally aggressive.

Recalling that he had been exactly the same way when he first woke up, Ruan Chen didn’t get angry with him. “You haven’t eaten for days, they’re very worried about you.”

“Oh, so you came to speak on their behalf?” The round-faced youth narrowed his eyes. “Have you been bought out by them? I saw it just now—you’re that golden merman’s lackey, aren’t you?”

The scent of gunpowder grew even heavier.

“You… you’re the lackey!” Can’t you just talk properly?

The little patience Ruan Chen possessed began to dwindle.

The round-faced youth sneered. “Shorty, standing next to that merman, you don’t even reach his tail. If you’re not a lackey, what are you?”

“Shorty” precisely stepped on Ruan Chen’s landmine.

Seeing his punch-evoking attitude, Ruan Chen finally couldn’t resist rolling up his sleeves. “You’re already as skinny as a monkey. I can pin you down with a single finger. Who are you trying to scare by refusing to eat?”

The moment the youth heard the words “skinny monkey,” the corners of his mouth crashed downward.

The mermen secretly spectating from the side didn’t know what was happening; they only knew that the two humans—whose combined value could buy out four breeding centers—exchanged rapid “meow meow ow ow” calls for a few minutes, then stared at each other in a tense standoff for a few seconds.

Immediately after, the newly awakened human threw the bed aside and lunged toward Ruan Chen, who was sitting on the floor.

In the blink of an eye, the two beings worth over a hundred million Blue Star coins started brawling.

A succession of “meow ooow ooow” sounds filled the room.

Before anyone else could react, Lux had already charged to the door first. “Ruan Ruan!”

The merman researchers and the director scrambled to follow.

“Meow ow!” Ruan Chen had already pinned the round-faced youth to the ground, but the latter refused to submit, twisting his head to bite him.

Vincent’s optical computer suddenly activated its voice translation function, popping into view.

Ruan Chen: “Li Meng, you’ve got a cute name, but it’s a pity it’s attached to such a mouth.”

The youth named Li Meng gritted his teeth. “Your name has ‘Ruan’ in it too! Why don’t you just call yourself Ruan Ruan? You’ve got the nerve to talk about me?”

“…” Ruan Chen thought to himself, I’m going to kill you.

But he didn’t get his wish.

Lux had the researchers open the chamber door. Ruan Chen felt his feet lift off the ground as the merman scooped him out by his arms.

Free from the restraint, Li Meng first raised his head fiercely, prepared to unleash his fury, but his spine turned cold the moment he ran into the merman’s pale gold eyes.

He already lacked strength from not eating, and right then and there, his legs went soft, causing him to slump onto the floor.

Lux kept his face taut.

Gathering Ruan Chen into his embrace, he carefully inspected him from top to bottom. “Ruan Ruan, are you hurt anywhere?”

Seeing his worried-sick expression, Ruan Chen patted the merman’s forearm and raised his chin with a huff. “No. With that tiny bit of subpar martial arts he has, it’s his good luck if he can even touch me.”

The words had barely left his mouth when a tiny voice carried out from the glass room: “So you really are called Ruan Ruan?”

Ruan Chen: “.”

He turned around. Li Meng had already scrambled up from the floor.

Being awakened from stasis had deteriorated his physical functions, and his refusal to eat made the recent scuffle leave him feeling dizzy and spellbound.

He forced himself not to collapse in front of Ruan Chen, but his stumbling steps and pale lips exposed his physical state.

“Tch,” Li Meng muttered, a single sentence instantly dispelling Ruan Chen’s trace of soft-heartedness. “If you can’t win a fight, you hide in your big merman brother’s arms. What kind of ability is that?”

Ruan Chen braced his arms. “Let me back in, I absolutely have to teach him a—”

“Be good, don’t listen to him.” Lux pressed him against his chest, rubbing Ruan Chen’s nape. “Ruan Ruan’s skills are so formidable, don’t stoop to this kid’s level.”

The word “kid” successfully pleased Ruan Chen.

Feeling comfortable from the petting, he narrowed his eyes. “Fine then, he really does talk like an elementary school brat.”

After speaking, he turned back around, prepared to flip Li Meng the middle finger.

However, he discovered that Li Meng was curled up by the side of the clam bed, looking as though he lacked the strength to even lift the bed back up.

The youth was gazing toward their side.

To be precise, he was looking at Ruan Chen.

His eyes, which had been exceptionally arrogant just a moment ago, were staring unblinkingly, his rims a bit red.

His lips were also pressed very tightly.

Ruan Chen could actually see a shred of envy clearly on his face. He looked just like a puppy that had accidentally bitten its owner—unable to swallow his pride to sue for peace, he could only look over while the other turned around and wasn’t paying attention.

Those dark eyes explicitly wrote that he didn’t want him to leave.

Detecting Ruan Chen’s gaze, Li Meng swiftly retracted his previous expression. To cover it up, he contorted his face, turned his head away, and stayed completely motionless with his back to them.

Ruan Chen didn’t get to steal another few looks before he was carried away by Lux.

The brawling incident just now had clearly made him very displeased.

Facing the merman director, Lux didn’t show much expression, and his tone was much colder: “I assumed that by asking my partner to help, you would have at least cleared up the level of danger.”

“About that…” The director wiped away a nonexistent cold sweat. “We are truly terribly sorry, Admiral Lux. This human really didn’t display such strong aggression over the past few days.”

“Yes, we thought he was just very timid, because he refused to even come out from under the bed,” a researcher chimed in.

Oh, so he acts tough but cracks easily.

Ruan Chen listened to their explanations with a taut face.

Wait, he wasn’t the soft one! He was just a tiny bit smaller in stature than a merman.

Ruan Chen raised his head and asked Lux, “Do I really look that easy to bully?”

With such an incident happening to his partner right under his nose, Lux smoothed down his black hair tenderly. “No one on this planet can bully you.”

That’s more like it.

Ruan Chen rubbed affectionately against his hand, following his lead.

Coaxed by the merman, his mood improved considerably. He said to the director, “That kid is called Li Meng, he told me just now.”

Hearing this, Lux’s movements paused slightly, and he looked down at the crown of Ruan Chen’s head.

The director repeatedly thanked him and expressed his apologies once more: “We are deeply sorry. It is our dereliction of duty that such a thing occurred.”

“It’s fine,” Ruan Chen waved his hand. “I didn’t lose out either. I was even worried that my joint lock would twist his arm.”

To be honest, the final expression and gaze Li Meng had worn kept lingering before Ruan Chen’s eyes.

After these few minutes, he had also calmed down.

Waiting until the director and other mermen left, Ruan Chen looked up to seek Lux’s opinion: “Lux.”

The merman leaned down slightly. “Hmm?”

“Don’t be too angry, I’m actually fine.” Seeking a favor from the other party, he softened his tone.

Lux blinked his eyelashes. “So?”

Ruan Chen opened his pair of dark eyes wide. “That kid can’t beat me anyway. I want to try one more time. After all… I promised them, so I can’t just leave him be. In case he truly throws a tantrum and starves to death, it would be quite pitiful.”

Lux fell silent for a few seconds.

“Okay? I promise I’ll stay safe.” Ruan Chen swayed his arm.

This was his first time acting spoiled toward him.

How could Lux ever withstand him looking this way? His eyes darkened, and his mouth had already agreed: “Alright.”

The corners of Ruan Chen’s mouth curved up. “Then I’ll—”

“But you have to tell me one thing first.” Lux leaned close to his ear again, his voice low.

Ruan Chen froze. “What?”

Lux smiled. “What is your name?”

Ruan Chen went rigid. “…”

He was caught in an agonized dilemma over how the hell he was supposed to explain that his name carried a character homophonic to “Ruan (soft)” while he himself had absolutely nothing to do with being soft.

Lux watched the expressions of the human in his arms shift through several phases before finally pursing his lips as if facing death: “If I tell you, you are absolutely not allowed to laugh at me.”

Lux promised: “I absolutely won’t laugh at you.”

“…” Ruan Chen said, “My surname is Ruan.”

Lux raised an eyebrow. “You are truly called Ruan…”

“I’m not called Ruan Ruan!” Ruan Chen bristled on the spot. “I knew you would say that!”

Lux suppressed a laugh. “Alright, alright, alright, I won’t say it. What is your full name?”

“…Ruan Chen.” He kept his face taut. “It’s not the ‘Ruan (soft)’ you’re talking about. The pronunciation is the same, but the character is different. It has absolutely nothing to do with being soft, and I am not soft at all!”

“Ruan Chen,” Lux repeated.

His voice was very low, like a murmur.

Ruan Chen’s words of frantic explanation choked instantly in his throat. “You…”

Lux gently rolled his name on his lips a few more times, pure joy visibly surfacing in the depths of his eyes.

His intonation was ambiguous, and his gaze was exceptionally tender.

This manner didn’t resemble reading a name, but rather holding onto some precious treasure—careful, cautious, and deeply affectionate.

The tips of Ruan Chen’s ears flushed red instantly. “Can you stop reading it like that…”

“Reading it how?” Lux feigned ignorance.

His voice was naturally deep, and by deliberately slowing his cadence, it made one’s ears feel completely numb.

Ruan Chen’s face also grew hot. “Enunciate clearly, can you do that? You’re reading it in such a mushy way… anyone who didn’t know would think…”

Would think he was saying some sweet nothings.

Lux let out a low chuckle. “Your name is so beautiful, why didn’t you tell me before?”

“Wasn’t it because you started calling me Ruan Ruan right from the start?” Ruan Chen pushed his face away, then lowered his eyes. “Is my name really beautiful?”

“It is,” Lux said. “What does this ‘Ruan’ mean?”

“It doesn’t mean anything, it’s just a surname.” Being praised by him, Ruan Chen felt very satisfied in his heart. “It’s because my father’s surname is Ruan, so I took his surname too. Isn’t it like that for you mermen?”

“No,” Lux said. “Laying eggs is very arduous for humans, so we all take the surname of… what you humans call the mother.”

“For example, my surname, Dorian, is taken from my other human father.”

“…I see.” Mentioning laying eggs made Ruan Chen’s gaze drift a bit.

In the past, he wouldn’t have cared, but now that his relationship with Lux was different, his mindset had also grown a bit subtle.

“Then what should I call you in the future?” Lux’s voice broke his thoughts. “Ruan Chen? Chenchen?”

He curled the corners of his mouth, saying on purpose, “Or… Ruan Ruan?”

“…” Knowing he was teasing him, Ruan Chen’s heart still raced.

He couldn’t always let this merman tease him until his face flushed and his heart pounded.

Five seconds passed, and Ruan Chen said in a tiny voice, “Just call me Ruan Ruan.”

Lux was taken aback.

Ruan Chen said rapidly, “Just consider it a nickname you gave me.”
“In the future, no other humans or mermen are allowed to call me that. Only you can.”

After he spoke, he caught sight of Lux’s fish tail swaying out of the corner of his eye.

This was a signal emitted when a merman was exceptionally excited and joyful.

“Ruan Ruan…”

Stepping out of the chamber, Ruan Chen’s lips were a bit red, and the Lux following beside him wore a thoroughly gratified, placated demeanor.

“I’ll be right outside. If he hits you again, just run out the door.” Lux picked Ruan Chen up and set him by the door.

Ruan Chen adjusted his mindset. “Got it, I won’t fight him.”

He was just a kid with a cold face but a warm heart. After figuring it out, he didn’t feel angry at all anymore, finding it a bit amusing instead.

“Hey, Li Meng.” Ruan Chen walked straight to his side this time, poking his shoulder.

The latter twisted his head away, ignoring him.

Ruan Chen let out a hiss.

Getting cocky now, are we?

He intentionally used reverse psychology. “I saw it all just now, stop pretending. Your eyes practically have ‘I can’t bear to let you go’ written all over them.”

“Who can’t bear to let you go?” Li Meng indeed took the bait, turning around in defensive fury.

Ruan Chen thought to himself that after staying with Lux for so long, if there was one thing he had picked up, it was that he was quite adept at being a rascal.

He scoffed, “Whoever was secretly staring at me from the corner just now is the one. Your rims are all red, you’re not about to cry, are you?”

“I’ll cry on your head!” Li Meng was thoroughly mortified. “Who wanted you back? Why didn’t you keep hiding in your big merman husband’s arms begging for a hug?”

Merman… husband!

Ruan Chen charred on the spot. “W-what?”

“What?” Li Meng sneered. “Am I wrong? With the way you guys throw glances at each other, isn’t he your husband?”

“…” Ruan Chen felt the crushing weight of Lux’s gaze from outside the glass.

Denying it felt wrong, but admitting it felt wrong too.

Seeing his expression, Li Meng’s eyes darted around, and he patted his shoulder. “Oh come on, don’t worry. What era is it? I won’t discriminate against you just because you’re dating a several-hundred-year-old old monster. A May-December romance, I understand completely.”

Ruan Chen: “???”

What the actual fuck???

To prevent any further issues, Vincent had turned on the voice translation function.

The other mermen outside the glass simultaneously turned their heads mechanically, facing Lux—the several-hundred-year-old old monster.

Then, they swiftly stared straight ahead after the latter swept a cold, indifferent glance over them.

“What’s wrong?” Li Meng looked completely bewildered. “Am I wrong? They talk all day in front of me about how mermen have long lifespans and can live for four to five hundred years.”

Following his finger, Ruan Chen and Lux turned back at the same time.

Four death glares locked onto the merman director in perfect unison.

The director: “…”

“No, I’m wronged! I just wanted to introduce the advantages of us mermen to him, trying to make him like us a bit more…”

Ruan Chen felt utterly hopeless about this brat who drew maximum aggro the moment he opened his mouth.

He tried to explain, smoothing things over for Lux along the way: “He isn’t old. In a merman’s age, he is just a… youth.”

“Oh,” Li Meng raised an eyebrow. “Defending him quite a bit, aren’t you? So you admit he’s your husband?”

Click here to download the full novel (PDF & EPUB)