Stop Thinking Chapter 39: Extra 2: “Little Fry” 1

Chapter 39: Extra 2: “Little Fry” 1

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

With Ruan Yu’s four years of university education coming to an end, the capital city was about to enter its hottest season of the year. Graduates in the field of mental healing have limited options for employment. Most will enter various medical institutions, while a small minority with exceptional academic performance will be hired by research institutes to conduct cutting-edge research in the field of mental healing.

Starting from the baby Ruan Yu era, he has been visiting the research institute two or three times a month, assisting in experiments related to mental and sonic waves. Although these were safe experiments with no harm to the body, the tiny little fry, clad in an experimental gown, curled up in Shen Jingya’s arms, clearly afraid to enter the laboratory but obediently cooperating with tears in his eyes. The researchers couldn’t help but love him dearly. Each time before and after collecting data, someone would dip into their pockets to buy snacks and toys to comfort the little fry.

Because of this, Ruan Yu has always had a good impression of the research institute and its staff. He felt that the researchers, walking around in white coats, exude the brilliance of intelligence, gentleness, and kindness. As he grew older, he gradually developed an aspiration to engage in research work.

Being able to work at a research institute after graduation was a wish fulfilled for Ruan Yu.

In addition, the holographic healing sphere with a fish tail shape developed by the research institute a few years ago has already been mass-produced due to its good feedback and healing effects. The sales were booming, and demand exceeded supply. Ruan Yu doesn’t have much concept of money. Seeing the profits rolling into his account, he remained unperturbed. Compared to this, he was more interested in breaking into the internal planning and development process of the new version of the holographic sphere at the research institute, hoping they would draw the chubby cartoon fry a bit thinner…

In short, before formally graduating and entering the research institute to work, Ruan Yu still had a completely free period of time. The current temperature was also suitable, so he planed to use this time to accomplish a major event in his life—

As for how many, it’s not something Ruan Yu could decide. The breeding pattern of mermaids was different from that of most mammals on ancient Earth. A female or sub-male typically gives birth to one to five fish eggs randomly after conception, which hatch into fry.

To keep the fish eggs in a warm environment, the mating heat of mermaids becomes more frequent as the temperature rises. This tendency is even more pronounced in mermaids who have not yet given birth.

Ruan Yu vaguely felt that the last mating heat hadn’t been long ago, and the next one was about to begin. The construction of the little fry nest was about to begin again. Ruan Yu skillfully rummaged through Gu Xiuhan’s wardrobe.

Gu Xiuhan has stored some old clothes specifically for Ruan Yu to build his nest. The just-right wear and tear made the fabric soft and rough, giving a feeling of easy temperature and scent accumulation. Having mastered advanced nest-building techniques through repeated collapses, Ruan Yu deftly folded, rolled, and pated the old clothes, then stacked them up like bricks.

Thinking that in a few months, there will be little fry to play with him, Ruan Yu wagged his tail happily, humming softly while nest-building.

When it comes to the matter of breeding fry, Ruan Yu has always been straightforward—by nature, his focus was on the result of conception rather than the process. Therefore, while he appeared innocent, his lips, pink and soft, readily spilled suggestive words, which would coax Gu Xiuhan into saying he’s no longer that young anymore, the season was right, and since he’s free before starting work, it’s a good time to make use of it.

Ruan Yu had thought about it seriously; he wanted offspring.

Connected to his bloodline, the chubby fry born of him would probably be like him in his childhood, loving to stick to people, clumsily swaying short round tails, mischievously playing water fights, and eagerly calling out “dad” with childish voices… Just imagining it, Ruan Yu felt as happy as if he were soaking in warm seawater, warm all over.

“…So, can you not take that medicine next time?” Ruan Yu lowered his head, lifted his clothes as if hungry, rubbed his belly, his voice soft but clear, “I want to have a little fry with you.”

Gu Xiuhan was drawn to look down. Ruan Yu was lifting his clothes, and his slightly rounded belly, due to his sitting posture, was as smooth and white as lychee flesh. When pressed with five slender fingers, it would give in slightly, but it’s not fat; it’s just the right amount of flesh.

Thoughts uncontrollably drifted to the wet and hot marsh…

In stark contrast to Ruan Yu, who was fantasizing about familial bliss and mental health.

“Um… okay,” Ruan Yu realizes he has said something a bit too suggestive to human ears again, his face turning red. He playfully smacks Gu Xiuhan’s leg with his tail, “Don’t let your thoughts wander too much.”

If you don’t understand Ruan Yu well enough, it’s hard not to suspect that he’s actually a bad guy pretending to be foolish, toying with people with his innocent and beautiful face, seducing them into a frenzy, making them reveal a silly and anxious look, then blaming them for being so weird and dirty-minded.

And at this moment, the nest-building Ruan Yu was just the same. Seriously and actively constructing a place where he and Gu Xiuhan will do something, he was still humming cheerfully.

From Gu Xiuhan’s perspective, this scene was indescribably subtle. The scorching breath brushed against the back of the neck, startling Ruan Yu. He looks up anxiously, not knowing how he has aroused Gu Xiuhan this time, as he hasn’t said a word.

Soon, he was silenced by bites and nips, then pressed and teased back.

Nesting behavior was essentially to construct a place with higher comfort in the harsh natural environment, to hatch fish eggs, and to prevent delicate females and sub-males from being harmed during intense mating. For Ruan Yu, who already lived in a comfortable environment, it had no practical significance; it’s just instinctual drive.

Less than a week after this mating heat, Ruan Yu successfully sensed the changes. Mermaids can receive the “already pregnant” signal very early in pregnancy, difficult to describe, but it’s instinctual knowledge. Unlike humans, mermaids don’t experience many adverse reactions during pregnancy. The most obvious discomfort comes from the gradual swelling and hardening of the fish eggs inside the pregnancy sac, causing mild acidity and bloating in the abdomen. Additionally, due to the significantly increased nutritional needs, pregnant mermaids were prone to feeling hungry but have small appetites, so they end up eating many small meals each day.

Gu Xiuhan was quite interested in the pregnant state of the little mermaid, to the extent that it’s almost overwhelming for Ruan Yu to handle. The clingy trait, contrary to his cold and aloof appearance, hasn’t cooled down even after four years of courtship; it’s only getting stronger.

Because in Gu Xiuhan’s eyes, Ruan Yu was adorable in different ways at different stages of their relationship. It’s like fishing: always fresh and exciting. For example, Ruan Yu in the expectant father stage was different from before. He’s more alluring and more delicate.

Fish eggs were much smaller than human fetuses, so Ruan Yu’s belly doesn’t protrude much. It’s easy for him to pass it off as just having gained weight recently. Apart from the belly, there were some other minor changes during mermaid pregnancy.

For example, the skin. Due to the increased eating frequency, Ruan Yu’s subcutaneous fat tends to increase, although it’s just a thin layer, it’s noticeable. His skin took on a rich, oily feeling. Pinching his cheeks lightly felt like pinching a small clump of pearl powder. When rubbing his fingers, they felt slippery, but upon closer inspection, it’s clear that nothing was left behind, it’s just the residue from his soft and smooth cheeks.

Perhaps because of this, even though there’s a smart, temperature-regulating blanket specifically for warming his belly, when Ruan Yu felt uncomfortable and wanted warmth, Gu Xiuhan still preferred to use his palms to warm him. Initially, it may seem affectionate, with the husband being considerate to warm his wife’s belly, but who knows why his hands always end up hidden under the blanket. The mechanical arm emitted a faint, uniform humming noise, muffled by the fabric. Ruan Yu’s cheeks blushed brightly as he struggled to kick off the blanket, but unable to resist, he curled up his knees, repeating this motion, looking unbearable.

Besides these physiological changes, Ruan Yu’s personality has also become more delicate than before, becoming more demanding and difficult to please, repeatedly bossing Gu Xiuhan around. It’s probably an instinctual drive to test whether the male could be a qualified caregiver. Additionally, although mermaids don’t experience severe pregnancy symptoms, it’s uncomfortable enough for the pampered little fry. Unfortunately, due to the inevitable physiological changes, all he could do was tease his spouse a bit to find some balance.

Ruan Yu was responsible for these changes himself—this realization ignited some of Gu Xiuhan’s more unpleasant instincts as a male animal. The result was that he immediately complemented the pregnant little fry who was both delicate and demanding.

Originally, Ruan Yu was just hungry and lazy to move, instructing Gu Xiuhan to bring dinner to the bedroom, but inexplicably, it turned into being fed. Gu Xiuhan scooped up Ruan Yu, placing him on his lap, his left arm encircling Ruan Yu’s slender back, while his right hand scooped up a spoonful of tender fish meat soaked in creamy soup from the bowl. The rounded edge of the porcelain spoon deliberately scraped against his red lips.

“Ruan Ruan, open up.”

Ruan Yu wanted to refuse being fed but hesitated for a moment, then obediently accepted the spoon. The spoon was too big, he couldn’t swallow it all in one go, and a few drops of milky soup spilled from the corner of his mouth. Ruan Yu instinctively licked it away with his tongue.

“Is it delicious?” Gu Xiuhan’s black pupils narrowed slightly as he waited, staring at Ruan Yu like a predator waiting to pounce.

Although his face remained the same handsome and aloof, his spiritual presence has become extremely sharp, interpreting the four words “appearances are deceiving” vividly.

“Not really,” Ruan Yu says with a red face, “it’s fishy.”

It’s a good thing he can read minds; otherwise, who knows how much advantage he would take of this pseudo-serious guy!

“Besides, I… I have hands, I don’t need you to feed… I can drink it myself.” Ruan Yu tried to grab the bowl.

“Baby,” Gu Xiuhan frowns slightly, moving the utensils out of Ruan Yu’s reach, speaking methodically, “I have to take care of you meticulously throughout the entire pregnancy.”

“Gu Xiuhan, are you really taking care of me or…”

Or is this finally an excuse to be sick… Poor little fish was scared and helpless, too afraid to be demanding anymore. But in the end, he still let Gu Xiuhan feed him the soup spoon by spoon. While drinking, he’s still touched by Gu Xiuhan’s touch on his belly, checking if he’s overeaten, then helping with digestion…

The situation persisted until the fish eggs were successfully delivered. The fully developed fish eggs were still much smaller in volume than human fetuses, and the outer shell of the fish eggs was leathery and flexible when delivered, only hardening rapidly after being removed from the mother’s environment. This meant the mother did not have to endure the extreme pain associated with childbirth, and the risk of delivery was lower compared to most mammals.

However, low risk was not zero risk. Shen Jingya and Gu Rong began preparing a series of related matters half a month in advance. Medical robots and medical pods were arranged early, and the research team at the institute, which tracked Ruan Yu’s health status year-round, was also on standby.

It was Shen Jingya who suggested that Ruan Yu go to the research institute. Mermaids were an extremely rare race, and currently available medical robots and medical pods lacked sufficient treatment data for mermaids. In case of any emergency, the research institute was much more reliable than them. Ruan Yu obediently agreed, even moving into the intensive care unit of the research institute three days earlier than Shen Jingya suggested. He let Shen Jingya’s anxiety infect him, and in the days leading up to the birth, no matter how much Gu Xiuhan tried to comfort him, his face remained tense. He even memorized the short instructions for mermaid egg laying over and over again, reciting them fluently.

Result…

One morning, when Ruan Yu, who was sleeping deeply and soundly, opened his sleepy eyes, he felt something unusual under the covers, causing him to furrow his brows in confusion. There were solid, round objects that were making his belly uncomfortable. Ruan Yu, still half asleep, reached out curiously. One, two…

Suddenly, Ruan Yu’s eyes widened, and he sat up, lifting the covers and peering inside like a child, tilting his head cautiously. In the warm and fragrant bed after a night’s sleep, two round fish eggs had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. Each was just the size of Ruan Yu’s palm. Upon exposure to oxygen, their shells quickly hardened, becoming pearl-white all over with a soft and radiant glow.

At first glance, they looked like two giant pearls.

“…Ah.” Ruan Yu was startled, pulling his legs closer to his body, and in that moment, another fish egg rolled out from the oversized hospital gown.

Three in total.

Being able to hatch three little frys was exactly what Ruan Yu had hoped for. Ruan Yu knew he had always had good sleep quality; he could sleep like a log within thirty seconds of closing his eyes, often not even waking up during thunderstorms. Gu Xiuhan teased him about this and secretly gave him a nickname.

Even though he knew Gu Xiuhan only found him adorable, but… What kind of species was a “sleeping fish” anyway?! How could someone in their thirties still be childish enough to give their own husband a nickname?!

That day, Ruan Yu was so annoyed by Gu Xiuhan that he couldn’t sleep for a minute, and once he fell asleep, he snored loudly. Gu Xiuhan recorded it and played it repeatedly, savoring it…

It was really an embarrassing past.

In short, no matter how well he thought he slept, Ruan Yu never expected to lay eggs in his sleep. If Gu Xiuhan found out about this, he would definitely laugh at him. Ruan Yu was pondering seriously about what to do with the three newly laid eggs when the half-open hospital door was pushed open.

Gu Xiuhan walked in carrying a breakfast tray, and with just one glance, he spotted the three fish eggs.

Before Gu Xiuhan could react, Ruan Yu preemptively stuttered, “These eggs, I… um…”

I fell asleep and laid them.

No, saying it like that would be too stupid.

Ruan Yu’s stupid brain was severely blocked, and after stuttering for a moment, he adhered to the principle of speaking less to make fewer mistakes. With his eyelids fluttering, he stared at Gu Xiuhan with a condemning and suspicious look, as if to say, Did you secretly put these eggs in my bed?

 

 

 

 

 

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