Qi You is a seasoned angler. One second, he is night fishing through the wee hours; the next, he has transmigrated, gear and all, to the shore of an unfamiliar lake.
He has no time to be surprised. He can only marvel at the quality of the water:
With water this clean, the fish must be excellent too!
So he promptly decides to keep fishing
Until a gigantic shadow bursts out of the water. Qi You stares at that face, dumbfounded.
Holy crap.
What the hell is that?
A merman?!
*
Qi You realizes he has transmigrated.
What's more, he's become a cannon-fodder character in a book. He doesn't even have a System, just a rough outline of the plot.
Facing the beautiful merman before him, Qi You swallows hard and decides to put the plot aside for now.
First, he needs to get his treasure into some water. What is he supposed to do with him all dried out?
At first, Qi You worries that this thing is so big he won't fit at home. But when he opens the front door, he's dumbfounded again.
His home is full of merman-related documents and equipment.
…He isn't involved in anything illegal, is he?
*
Ga'er is the crown prince of the merman tribe. Three years ago, he was captured and used for research, but finally escaped thanks to the tribe's all-out rescue efforts.
They settled him in a remote lake. As a saltwater fish, being kept in fresh water is uncomfortable, but at least it helps him avoid certain dangers…
But nobody told him there'd be an angler here!
And Ga'er recognizes the man who caught him.
He seems to be the mad researcher who vowed to catch a hundred merfolk. His people specifically warned him to be on guard.
But…looking at the man's slightly clumsy movements, and especially how he doesn't even know mermen need seawater, Ga'er finds himself doubting the accuracy of his people's information for the first time.
He soon has no time to think about any of that.
His breeding season is approaching.
*
After catching a merman, Qi You is at his wit's end.
For one thing, he's never raised a merman before. For another, every night the merman stays underwater blowing bubbles, making gurgling noises that keep Qi You awake.
The merman is gorgeous, but has a terrible temper and never speaks.
Once he's finally gotten a little used to Qi You, Qi You tentatively asks, "What's your name?"
The merman: "…Ga'er."
Qi You falls silent, turns around, grabs a handful of fish food, and tosses it into the tank. Irritated, he says, "You're so high-maintenance. Now I have to give you extra food too."
Ga'er: "…"
Ignoring the merman's expression, Qi You goes to touch his tail like he usually does, but Ga'er, pushed past his limit, yanks him into the water
"…Human, are you even a professional?"
Ga'er pins him against his own waist, his voice strained.
"Touching a merman's tail means you're courting him."
[Bonus Scenes]
1.
[Search: What should I do if the merman I bought keeps making noises?]
[Answer: It's a sign he's about to enter his breeding season!]
Qi You suddenly understands. "So should I find you a female merman?"
Ga'er: "…Don't go causing trouble for my people."
Qi You: "Then how will you have little fish babies? I was counting on becoming a grandpa!"
Ga'er: "How? Come here and touch my tail…I’ll teach you."
2.
One day, Qi You comes back from fishing to find the merman gone from the tank. His heart lurches, and he immediately searches every corner of the house, but can't find him anywhere.
…Could he really have left?
A sudden heaviness fills Qi You's heart. He gets up in a huff, but just then, a pair of arms wrap around his waist.
Warm, damp breath brushes his cheek, and Qi You goes rigid.
Ga'er stands behind him, his tongue grazing the corner of his eye.
"Your tears are salty."
"Sweetheart…you seem to have become unable to live without me."
[Reader's Guide]
1. This story features a poker-faced, secretly passionate merman gong x a snarky cannon-fodder angler shou.
It's a lighthearted, sweet romance. The gong can turn into a human, so he has two forms.
2. More tropes may be added…
2026.6.23
Theme: Fish by the rules, starting with you and me.
