The Rules for Raising a Siren

Xu Junyan closed his eyes and opened them again, and he'd turned from a person into a fish.

He closed and opened them once more, and a crooked shopkeeper had fished him out and put him up for sale at a street stall.

He wasn't fed well or cared for properly. Like a cabbage with no parents, he was about to wither in the field.

He fought to stay alive day after day, until he closed and opened his eyes again and came face-to-face with the archenemy he'd bullied in high school.

Calling him an archenemy was a stretch. When Xu Junyan had been human, he'd been the only one bullying the other guy.

The man and the fish stared at each other for a long moment. Then the man spoke. "You look just like him."

Xu Junyan thought, Holy crap. Come on, man, you can recognize me even after I've turned into this?

Fortunately, after taking him home, his archenemy never paid him any attention again.

He went from getting a bag of fish food for five yuan to eating the luxurious fifty-yuan-a-bag kind.

Xu Junyan pursed his lips as he munched on imported fish food. "Imported stuff really is different."

After eating his fill, Xu Junyan had a lot more energy than before.

Every night, he showed off his singing voice in the fish tank.

Xu Junyan: "Hey, I take a bite of fish food, then a gulp of water. Eating's great, sleeping's sweet. I go to bed at eight in the morning, then sing at eight at night, boom, bada-bap..."

He even added a perfect tongue roll at the end.

The next day, Lan Ning showed up at work with dark circles under his eyes to register with a colleague: "I heard the fish I bought rapping last night."

Psychologist: This is it. The famous neurosurgical prodigy from Nanlin University is about to go off the deep end.

"You heard it?"

"That's not important." Lan Ning suddenly looked up. "That fish is Xu Junyan. His voice, the sound of him singing, I remember it perfectly."

The psychologist's heart sank again. Xu Junyan, whom Lan Ning was talking about, had been dead for five years. Someone who'd been dead for five years wouldn't be around anymore, whether as a fish or even a ghost.

But Lan Ning believed that fish was Xu Junyan. He believed it.

Lan Ning quietly listened to the fish talk, until it started calling his name over and over.

Lan Ning, Lan Ning, tell Zhang San to give me more fish food. I'm still hungry.

The water needs changing, Lan Ning.

Lan Ning, my tail's a little itchy. Tell Zhang San to scratch it for me.

Lan Ning, have you forgotten me? Actually, I'm Xu Junyan. I, Xu Junyan, turned into a fish!

You probably can't hear me. I used to bully you a lot and even make you cry. Lan Ning, do you hate me?

Lan Ning breathed out and said coolly, "I do."

Xu Junyan let out a frightened yelp and darted into the rockery. Damn it, how can he hear me?

In high school, everyone thought Xu Junyan bullied Lan Ning, and even Xu Junyan himself thought so. But Lan Ning knew those had been the happiest days of his twenty-five years.

He was no longer beaten and humiliated by Dong Yu. He could eat his fill. He could use the phone Xu Junyan bought for him. He had enough money to pay for his grandmother's treatment.

He was like a fledgling sheltered under the wings of someone named Xu Junyan. All he had to do was put up with Xu Junyan saying the opposite of what he meant. He'd call him a country bumpkin while buying him ice cream.

When Dong Yu humiliated him, Xu Junyan would hit back without hesitation.

When Lan Ning asked why he did that, Xu Junyan would say, "You're my lackey now. If he insults you, he's picking a fight with me."

He refused to admit he was helping Lan Ning. He thought Lan Ning was his dog, and when someone bullied your dog, it made you look bad.

Xu Junyan was more arrogant and conceited than anyone, more brash and willful than anyone.

Lan Ning knew Xu Junyan could be awful, but he was also adorable. Lan Ning thought they would go on being happy together forever.

Until one day, Xu Junyan disappeared.

Lan Ning received one last transfer of 1,256 yuan. As he tried to figure out why Xu Junyan had suddenly sent him money, the police came to ask him to identify an unclaimed body.

There was also a phone with Lan Ning's photo as its wallpaper.

Lan Ning's world went dark again. Xu Junyan had been like a shooting star, bringing a burst of laughter and joy before disappearing from his world forever.

[Content warning: The viewpoint is only for the convenience of writing. Readers with strong character allegiances, proceed with caution. I don't take sides. There are countless good stories out there. If this one isn't for you, move on. Wishing you a good time.]

Theme: I will be a ray of light in your life.