Chapter 1: Mermaid on the Highway

In the summer of 2005, Yan Jingxing returned to his hometown with his uncle.

The place was called Baiyue Town, backed by green mountains and facing the sea, with a port and fishing village along the coast. It was a typical seaside town.

Baiyue Town wasn't far from Jinjiang City. If you drove from the city center, the journey would take about three and a half hours, and there were buses and coaches running back and forth.

If he had only gone back to visit relatives or escape the heat for a while, he probably would have been happy. He could occasionally get away from the city and enjoy a leisurely rural life, and then he could share some stories with his classmates.

Unfortunately, Yan Jingxing had actually gone there to settle down. His uncle had already found a school for him to transfer to, and he had left in such a hurry that he didn't even have time to say goodbye to his high school friends. He couldn't help but feel a little resentful.

Yan Jingxing's parents lived abroad all year round and saw each other only once or twice a year. Since he was in the fourth grade of elementary school, he had been living with his uncle, Yan Yongzhi.

Currently, due to a job transfer, Yan Yongzhi moved from a city school to a town, and Yan Jingxing had to go with him.

...

The car was driving smoothly on the highway, and the inside of the carriage trembled slightly and rhythmically.

The man sitting in the driver's seat held the steering wheel and looked relaxed. The radio was playing old songs from Hong Kong and Taiwan, and he hummed along softly and out of tune. The warm summer breeze blew into the open car window with a "whooshing" sound;

The teenager sitting in the co-pilot's seat rested his chin on one hand and looked bored as he watched the monotonous highway scenery fly by outside the window.

After a period of silence without anyone speaking, Yan Jingxing couldn't help but bring up the topic that he had mentioned several times before.

"Uncle, I've actually said before that I could stay in the city. I can take care of myself. When you were working overtime, I wasn't..."

"That was temporary, it's not the same. You're still a minor, how can you not be with your guardian?"

Yan Yongzhi's finger tapped on the steering wheel as he observed the rearview mirror and comforted him casually:

"You don't have to be too sad. There are pleasures in the city and beauty in the countryside. Baiyue Town is where your dad and I grew up as children, and there are actually quite a few fun things to do in the town."

"Really? Like what?"

"Well, let me think about it. I remember when we were kids, there were markets and temple fairs in the town during festivals. I don't know if they still exist now. Because it's close to the sea, you can always run down to the shore to play, fish, swim, and so on."

"What else?"

"Well, there are several islands near the town. Some of them are tourist attractions, while others are places for worshipping Buddha. You can take the ferry to them on weekends, and when I have time, I'll take you around the island. When your dad and I were young, we often sneaked onto the ferry and spent the whole day on the island, and sometimes we almost couldn't come back..."

At this point, Uncle Yan suddenly realized that he shouldn't say such things to a child because it sets a bad example, so he stopped talking.

"That sounds pretty good. Will you come with me, Uncle?"

"Of course. I said when I have time."

"When will you have time?"

"Well...," Uncle Yan hesitated for a moment before telling the truth. "I just started my new job, so there will definitely be a period of time when I'm busy. I haven't even prepared my lesson plans yet."

"That's pretty much a waste of time."

Yan Jingxing pouted and leaned back lazily.

"You're not the only one who just transferred schools. Go and get to know your new classmates and make friends with them. In addition, you haven't studied much in a while, so don't let your grades slip. You can think about playing later..."

He no longer listened to his uncle's babbling as he curled up in his seat. He had wanted to sleep all the way to their destination, but he couldn't seem to fall asleep, so he continued to stare out the window at the scenery outside.

However, as he gradually emptied his mind, sleepiness naturally came over him. His upper and lower eyelids began to fight each other.

Meanwhile, ethereal singing faintly drifted from the distance. Graceful and ethereal, as clear as a mountain lake, it belonged to the pure and melodious voice of a girl.

In a haze, he initially thought it was the sound coming from a radio. Soon, Yan Jingxing realized that the voice was sometimes distant and sometimes near, clearly not originating from his surroundings.

But... singing?

This was inside a car traveling on a highway. Where could the singing possibly come from?

Suddenly, his entire consciousness woke up, and he subconsciously widened his eyes, gazing into the distance.

—What was that?

It seemed like a person...

He thought he might have been mistaken.

The scenery around the highway rapidly passed by the edge of his vision. Beside the guardrail was a cliff, and beneath the cliff lay the azure sea, with waves of white foam rising and breaking into countless water splashes on the dark rocks.

He grabbed the seatbelt on him, making an effort to turn his head and look back.

—There was a slender figure, seemingly from the depths of the sea, sitting quietly on a giant reef.

The figure leaned against the sky, with long hair resembling seaweed, and the brilliant sunlight shining on her, sparkling like fragmented gold.

She was singing an unknown ancient ballad, her clear and pleasant voice lingering in the air above the highway.

In a fleeting glance, the car had already swiftly left its original location, and the figure on the reef disappeared from sight.

However, he couldn't help but widen his eyes, feeling that this scene was unforgettable.

It was such a marvelous sight.

That person was just like the mermaids in fairy tales...

"Uncle, did you hear that sound just now?"

He turned around, unable to resist asking.

"Huh? What sound?"

His uncle, who was humming along with the music on the radio, seemed to have completely overlooked what had just happened.

"The singing, someone was singing."

"Singing?"

Yan Yongzhi reached out to turn off the radio and listened carefully for a moment.

"I didn't hear anything. What's wrong?"

"...Never mind, it's nothing."

Even though he said "never mind," his heart was still pounding uncontrollably.

The scene from just now was deeply imprinted in his mind, causing an inexplicable surge of excitement in Yan Jingxing's innermost being.

At this moment, he saw a building not far ahead on the highway.

"Uncle, I think there's a rest area up ahead."

"Ah... yeah. What's the matter?"

"I need to pee."

"Urgent?"

"Yeah, can't hold it anymore."

"Alright, I'll stop here for a while."

The car slowly entered the lane leading to the rest area from the highway.

"I'll smoke a cigarette. If you want to go, go ahead."

Yan Yongzhi turned off the engine, propped open the car door, and was about to say a few more words when he saw Yan Jingxing impatiently jumping out of the car and running towards the direction of the sea.

"You're about to reach the town. Don't run too far!"

"Okay—!"

Without looking back, the young man shouted in response.

"This kid..."

Yan Yongzhi lit a cigarette with a lighter, looking at his nephew's back with some confusion.

"He was just moping around a moment ago. Why is he suddenly so excited?"

...

"Hu... hu..."

As if driven by a strong premonition, he couldn't cool down his boiling thoughts.

Amidst the chaotic thoughts, Yan Jingxing had already left the rest area, spreading his arms and legs, running on the hillside by the shore, overgrown with wild grass.

He couldn't distinguish the specific direction, just putting all his strength into moving forward.

The fresh scent emitted by the vegetation mixed with the salty sea breeze brushing across his cheeks; beneath his feet was soft soil, like a vast and thick carpet extending endlessly.

The high-hanging sun generously poured down intense radiance, falling on his hair and shoulders. As Yan Jingxing ran, feeling the heat all over his body, he also experienced a sensation of dizziness.

Before long, he began to feel exhausted, sweat dripping down from his forehead.

After exerting all his strength in a mad dash, in what seemed like minutes, the young man's steps gradually slowed. Finally, he was exhausted, supporting his knees and panting heavily.

While taking deep breaths, Yan Jingxing turned his head, and the rest area was nowhere to be seen.

Next to him was the winding road built along the mountainside, with occasional cars speeding by.

"What am I doing..."

In fact, that fleeting glimpse earlier wasn't enough for him to determine the specific location of the "mermaid" and the reef. At the speed of the car, perhaps the distance between her and him was even farther than he imagined.

He straightened his body, shaded his forehead with his hand, walked to the edge of the cliff, and gazed into the distance:

The serpentine road, towering and steep mountains, and the vast sea stretching as far as the eye could see at the end of the field of vision.

At the horizon was the "line between sea and sky," where everything met, a vast expanse of white.

Apart from that, there was nothing.

The continuous sound of the sea tide echoed in his ears, and white waves kept rolling onto the shore, leaving moist traces on the muddy bank.

Yan Jingxing let out a sigh, putting his hand down.

"Let's go back; otherwise, I'll get scolded."

He was about to turn back, but at that moment—

"Drip, drip..."

He heard faint footsteps behind him, and the sound of water droplets.

Yan Jingxing suddenly turned his head and saw a girl standing behind him. He hadn't noticed her approach at all.

He was a bit startled.

She looked like she had just climbed out of the sea, slender and frail beneath the deep blue one-piece swimsuit. Her wet hair, long like seaweed, hung down to her waist and curled slightly.

The girl's bangs were impressive, long enough to cover her eyes. Despite that, Yan Jingxing could still feel her gaze piercing through the cover of her hair, staring at him intently.

This person... was she the same as the one he had just seen... that silhouette?

Although there was no evidence, Yan Jingxing had already believed in his own judgment.

He couldn't help but swallow his saliva.

Compared to the inexplicable excitement he felt when he heard the song in the car, he now suddenly felt a bit scared, and even the sunlight falling on him at this moment didn't seem so warm.

Why isn't she saying anything?

Yan Jingxing confronted her, staring at her silently, feeling uncomfortable all over.

Why is she staring at me like this?

Could it be... she's not a mermaid at all, but a drowned ghost, climbing ashore to seek revenge?

No, speaking of which, there are those monsters in myths that attract sailors with their songs, causing ships to run aground and sink. They look like mermaids, aren't they from some kind of mythology...

Yan Jingxing was lost in his wild thoughts and couldn't help taking a step back.

"You... um, excuse me, who are you...?"

He mustered the courage to ask stutteringly.

The girl in the swimsuit did not answer.

Cold droplets dripped continuously from her hair and body, spreading the wet marks on the ground.

At this moment, she seemed to realize that it was inconvenient to be observed like this, so she used her fingers to lift her hair, allowing Yan Jingxing to see her face clearly.

Perhaps due to being in the water for a long time, the girl's skin appeared pale. However...

She looks really good, he thought.

Like the actresses who glow on television advertisements, she was now a real person in front of him.

Compared to the people on the screen, she obviously had a hint of youthful innocence on her face, appearing to be close to his age.

The girl's eyes reflected his figure like crystal balls of ink, and her thin lips lacked a hint of color, slightly trembling.

Yan Jingxing couldn't help but swallow his saliva again.

For some reason, his emotions seemed to... become more tense after seeing her face.

At this moment, the corner of the girl's lips suddenly lifted into a brilliant smile.

Then, she stepped toward him.

"Wait, wait..."

Before he could react, she was already in front of him, grabbing his hand and forcibly stuffing something into his palm.

"What is this..."

Yan Jingxing was surprised, quickly opening his hand.

Several seashells and pebbles lay quietly in the palm, all adorned with beautiful colors or patterns.

"Gifts."

The girl spoke. Her voice was as clear as rippling water, with the same clear and wonderful tone as the song he heard in the car. This confirmed Yan Jingxing's belief that she was the "mermaid" he had seen on the reef.

"Gifts?"

He found himself unable to do anything other than repeat what she said, looking completely foolish.

"Yeah. I brought them from the sea."

"You... are you a mermaid?"

"No, well..."

The long-haired girl seemed to recall something and answered him with a smile.

"I'm the green-haired water monster."

"Huh?"

"One day, a water monster will crawl ashore from the depths of the sea."

"..."

Uh, what does that mean? Yan Jingxing was utterly confused.

"By the way, are you a tourist? Where are you going? Are you going to Baiyue Town? Just passing through? Do you plan to stay there?"

She showed no intention of explaining, firing off a series of questions like a string of firecrackers.

"Uh, yes, I'm going to Baiyue Town..."

"That's great. Baiyue Town is a beautiful place, although there's nothing special... Well, that's it. Consider this seashell as a souvenir for your trip."

Yan Jingxing completely couldn't understand her words, but she was already preparing to leave.

The girl turned around, shaking her wet hair, and under the sunlight, it sparkled. She took big strides toward the sea.

"Wait, wait..."

Before he could shout to stop her, she had already made a few nimble jumps, flipping over the reef. Then—

"..."

She jumped off the cliff edge like that.

Yan Jingxing hurriedly ran over, grabbing a nearby stone for support, cautiously leaning over and looking down.

A figure emerged from the water and swam forward. The slender figure moved as agile as a real fish and soon disappeared into the splashing waves.

Yan Jingxing stood on the edge of the cliff, staring blankly, his mind filled with various thoughts. After a long while, he remembered that his uncle was still waiting for him at the rest area, silently cursing, he quickly ran back along the same path.

However, that mermaid who sang on the cliff had already left an indelible impression on his heart like a storm, her figure sweeping through the heart of the fourteen-year-old boy.

—This was his first encounter with the girl named Ji Chunzao.

At that time, he had no idea that their second encounter would come so quickly and unexpectedly.