Picked Up an Amnesiac Little Mermaid - Chapter 2

The private beach wasn’t far from the villa. She looked down at the blue-haired girl still sprawled on the sand.

Gu Yunyue said, “Get up, I’ll take you back.”

Yu Huai shook her head vigorously, instinctively trying to flick her tail before suddenly realizing something was wrong. Turning back, she saw that the tail with its blue metallic sheen had transformed into two hideous legs.

Not a single scale remained.

The mermaid couldn’t accept this reality!

Yu Huai’s eyes widened in horror. When her fingers touched those tender, pale legs, she recoiled as if burned by hot iron.

Oh heavens, her tail was gone!

Yu Huai alternated between staring at the awful legs and Gu Yunyue, unable to muster any strength. Even the simple act of pushing herself up to sit proved impossible.

Her arms gave out, and she collapsed ungracefully onto the sand, eyes reddening with grievance as she fought back tears.

“Ah—”

Yu Huai gritted her teeth and whispered weakly, “Could you… help me up? I… don’t know how to walk.”

What was wrong with this human? When encountering a noble mermaid, shouldn’t she immediately scoop her up?

Accustomed to human adoration in the interstellar era, this fish couldn’t bear such indignity.

The struggling girl couldn’t even manage to stand. Her flawless, semi-transparent pale legs completely captured Gu Yunyue’s attention. The waves lapping at them left faint red marks.

These legs were more beautiful than those of celebrities who insured theirs for millions.

Gu Yunyue lifted Yu Huai with one arm, surprised. “You’re so light.”

Like a feather.

Yu Huai nuzzled Gu Yunyue’s cheek with her long hair, quite taken with the beautiful woman she’d rescued. “What’s your name?”

Gu Yunyue pressed her lips into a line. “Gu as in ‘affectionate gaze,’ Yun as in ‘sea of clouds,’ Yue as in ‘moon.'”

No sooner had she spoken than the gauze-clad girl in her arms clung tightly to her. Gu Yunyue felt the warmth where their skin touched, inhaled the girl’s unique, pleasant scent.

The thighs beneath her hands were soft yet springy, as if never used before.

The girl smiled radiantly, rubbing against Gu Yunyue’s shoulder. “A lovely name, just like Miss Gu herself—so beautiful.”

Unaccustomed to such closeness, Gu Yunyue instinctively pushed Yu Huai away. “Stop clinging to me.”

Yu Huai blinked. “My surname is Yu, like the word for ‘mermaid.’ My given name is Huai, as in ‘pagoda flower.'”

She gently grasped Gu Yunyue’s hand, hoping to see appreciation for her name in the other’s eyes.

Stranded on land with no way back to the sea, she could go nowhere without this person.

Gu Yunyue nodded. “I see.”

The hungry little fish nuzzled her again.

Entering the villa through the back door, Gu Yunyue deposited the mysterious girl on the sofa. “Stay here. Don’t get any clever ideas.”

“Don’t think you can waltz in and seduce me.”

How could a simple fish understand Gu Yunyue’s convoluted thoughts?

Yu Huai said self-consciously, “My legs are ugly, and I can’t walk. Will you abandon me?”

Those beautiful, smooth legs—straight and slender—would put the finest mutton-fat jade to shame. From the jade-like feet to the calves to the thighs, all the way up to the semi-transparent, water-repellent gauze skirt, every inch radiated unconscious allure.

Gu Yunyue took a blanket from the coat rack and tossed it over Yu Huai. “Your legs aren’t ugly.”

Walking barefoot into the bathroom, she added, “I won’t abandon you.”

…

After her shower, Gu Yunyue slipped into a silk camisole dress. The mirror reflected her pale skin, her fingertips trembling slightly upon closer inspection.

Her delicate collarbones appeared even more pronounced beneath the spaghetti straps, her long black hair cascading down her back, carrying the faint scent of peony shampoo.

Chief Assistant said, “President Gu, the rescue team has arrived.”

Applying vibrant red lipstick to her pale lips, Gu Yunyue’s entire demeanor instantly became formidable, unapproachable, making one forgets she’d just survived a shipwreck.

“I’ll be right there.”

The assistant followed behind, “President Gu, who is the young lady on the sofa?”

Having seen numerous celebrities around Gu Yunyue—willowy ingenues, bubbly sweethearts, countless femme fatales—none possessed Yu Huai’s unadorned beauty, her eyes crystalline like aquamarine gems.

Gu Yunyue sighed, shaking her head. “Don’t know. Found her on the beach.”

The rescue team in the conference room immediately bombarded Gu Yunyue with questions upon her arrival.

Meanwhile, the assistant turned to Yu Huai. “Miss, the rescue team needs to register your identification details.”

Yu Huai instinctively tried to flick her tail—only to find it gone. A wave of melancholy hit her. “I don’t have an ID card.”

She shrank back fearfully, “I only remember my name. Nothing else.”

The little mermaid was on the verge of tears. She’d woken in unfamiliar waters, her beautiful tail marred by hideous, unhealable wounds. After saving the drowning human, instead of having her tail worshipped, it had vanished entirely.

The assistant softened her tone, “Do you have any family or friends?”

Normally decisive in the workplace, she found herself speaking gently to this azure-haired girl, afraid of startling the ethereal beauty.

Yu Huai shook her head blankly. “No parents. No friends.”

Fish hatch from eggs—what parents would they have?

The pitiful mermaid clutched the peony-scented blanket tighter.

“After waking up, Miss Gu saved me. She’s the only person I know.”

The assistant said, “…Excuse me?”

Amnesia?

Had President Gu stumbled upon some incredible fortune, finding this amnesiac girl?

…

After the rescue team departed, Gu Yunyue lit a cigarette by the floor-to-ceiling windows. “Any progress?”

The assistant shook her head helplessly. “Couldn’t get anything. Perhaps trauma from the shipwreck caused memory loss.”

Gu Yunyue elegantly tapped ash into a crystal tray. Her lotus-hued dress accentuated her statuesque figure, her winged scapulae seeming ready to take flight. Her loosely pinned-up hair emphasized her delicate jawline and graceful neck.

Gu Yunyue said, “Prepare a wheelchair and some clothes for Yu Huai’s measurements.”

The assistant said, “I’ll arrange it immediately.”

Exhaling a plume of smoke, Gu Yunyue ordered, “Investigate Yu Huai’s background. Email me the findings before sunset.”

A girl like Yu Huai, lacking survival skills—if not deliberately acting—must have been raised in captivity, groomed to be sold as some rich man’s pet when mature enough.

The assistant said, “Understood.”

Gu Yunyue rarely visited the seaside villa. Even during this business trip to City D, she hadn’t chosen to stay here. Had she not inexplicably washed ashore, she wouldn’t have set foot in this place for many years to come.

Gu Yunyue suffered from thalassophobia—so severe that just the smell of seawater could make her nauseous and give her headaches.

The cigarette burned down to the filter, and with a wince of pain, Gu Yunyue flicked it away.

“Miss Gu, I’m hungry…” Yu Huai pursed her lips and spoke timidly, “Do you have any food? I can pay.”

Her tears turned into pearls, each worth a fortune.

Having shed her thin gauze garment, Yu Huai now wore a comfortable fishtail dress. Sitting in her wheelchair, she revealed a section of smooth, fair ankle.

Timidly maneuvering her wheelchair closer to Gu Yunyue, Yu Huai said, “I’d like some fish. A few fish would be enough.”

Well, a few sharks would suffice.

Her mermaid clan didn’t eat much.

Gu Yunyue put away her cigarettes and popped a piece of gum into her mouth. “I’ve already called the restaurant to deliver.”

Soon, a lavish seafood feast was spread across the dining table.

Lobsters longer than an arm, abalones the size of wrists, freshly slaughtered squid sashimi, and bright-red steamed Hong Kong grouper—the entire table was filled with the rich aroma of seafood.

Yu Huai’s stomach, burning with hunger, gurgled loudly as she eagerly reached for the giant lobster.

With a crisp crunch, she cleanly bit through the entire lobster tail—shell and all.

The tender, springy meat, drenched in garlic sauce, was incredibly flavorful.

Gu Yunyue said, “…”

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

Gu Yunyue’s expression shifted from calm to slightly horrified. “Is there a chance… you’re supposed to remove the shell before eating lobster?”

Yu Huai asked, “Am I?”

This was how fish ate.

Gu Yunyue watched in disbelief as Yu Huai stuffed the lobster head into her mouth.

The giant lobster died with its eyes wide open.

The seafood porridge in Gu Yunyue’s hands suddenly seemed bland.

Yu Huai then picked up the Hong Kong grouper by its tail and dangled the entire steamed, oil-drizzled fish into her mouth.

Not a single scrap remained.

Gu Yunyue silently took a few sips of her porridge before speaking with mixed emotions, “Take your time. Don’t choke.”

What kind of hardships had this poor girl endured…

For the first time in her twenty-some years of life, Gu Yunyue peeled shrimp for someone, using a fork to place the lobster tail meat onto Yu Huai’s plate.

“Don’t eat the shells. They’re bad for your digestion.”

Yu Huai nodded shyly. “Okay.”

This lifesaver was not only beautiful but also kind.

Though she was a disabled (tailless) clownfish and no longer as pretty, being taken care of wouldn’t be a problem!

Gu Yunyue watched as the entire table was cleared. “Are you full?”

Yu Huai wiped her mouth. “Almost.”

Not full—just almost.

Gu Yunyue didn’t press further. “A doctor will come tomorrow for a checkup. There’s a typhoon warning tonight, so don’t go outside.”

…

An hour later.

Gu Yunyue sat alone in the study. The seaside villa’s study had a large floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the roaring ocean, where white-capped waves relentlessly crashed against the rocks. The sky had suddenly darkened.

A sharp pain shot through the back of Gu Yunyue’s head. Even through the thick glass, the suffocating scent of the sea seemed to reach her. Cold sweat dripped from her forehead onto the desk like rain—

Her nails dug deep into the leather armrests of the sofa, her eyes bloodshot with pain.

It hurt. Her head hurt so much.

Gu Yunyue curled up in her chair, her hair disheveled, her fingernails leaving a bloody scratch on her neck.

Five years ago, during a storm, she and her parents were caught in an explosion on a cruise ship. Her parents died instantly, sinking into the sea, while she nearly drowned.

Since then, whenever she came into contact with rain or seawater, bone-deep fear would overwhelm her.

Ding dong.

A new email notification popped up. Gu Yunyue opened her bloodshot eyes and shakily clicked on the inbox.

Her assistant’s message read: “Apologies, President Gu. After cross-referencing hundreds of thousands of people with the same name, we found no information on Yu Huai.”

Gu Yunyue frowned. “Keep searching.”

Outside, towering waves—two meters high—crashed mercilessly against the shore. Dark clouds blotted out the last traces of light.

Though the villa was built in a safe zone, it felt as if the waves might swallow it whole.

Her headache peaked, her consciousness fading—until she heard an ethereal song.

The voice was soft, yet every syllable rang clear, piercing through her mind and dispelling all pain.

The melody flowed like a gentle stream, softening Gu Yunyue’s frayed nerves.

Her fingers, pressed against her temples, froze. “The pain… is gone?”

She hadn’t even taken her medication yet.

The half-hour song passed in an instant—the first time her agony had ever been soothed.

……

Next door, the well-fed little fish hummed cheerfully.

In the interstellar world, a mermaid’s song could cure mental turmoil and soothe the soul.

She murmured, “Back home, even a million-star credits wouldn’t guarantee a chance to hear us sing. I wonder who the lucky listener is this time.”

The “lucky” Gu Yunyue pushed open the door, her eyes red. “Were you the one singing?”