The Heroine Fell Deeply For Her [Quick Transmigration] 111

Chapter 111: I Love Slacking Off Part 31

It was common knowledge that Teacher Zang, who had voluntarily transferred from Kelei Star, had a girlfriend.

Her girlfriend loved dyeing her hair.

People usually only saw her from behind, occasionally catching a glimpse of her face, a face that was hard to forget.

But what left a deeper impression was her hair color, cycling through the rainbow and sometimes even sporting a two-toned yin-yang style.

That was when everyone realized someone could look good even with a red and green yin-yang hairstyle.

Callista wanted to clarify that this wasn’t her doing, it was a beautiful misunderstanding.

While she had been enthusiastic about changing her hair color recently, it was still within reasonable limits.

Finding the hair dye amusing, Callista brought some back, and the other Mermaids, seeing the spray-on dye for the first time, experimented with each other.

One day, while Callista was napping on the island, a few young Mermaids dyed her hair while she slept.

In her rush to go ashore, she hadn’t noticed, and by the time she saw her reflection in the window, it was too late.

Callista stared at the window, her pupils trembling, then she rushed to the kitchen.

Tao Ning, who was setting the cooking program, was caught off guard by the warm body pressing against her back, a strand of red and green hair dangling before her eyes.

Callista said, “Why didn’t you tell me I looked so strange today?”

Would the Mermaid explode if she thought it was Callista’s new hobby?

Thinking of this possibility, Tao Ning: “…”

Callista, to come ashore, had been frequenting the coast, which didn’t escape the notice of the Deep Sea Research Institute staff, who were impressed by her platinum blonde hair.

Knowing this, to avoid being recognized, Callista bought a large variety of hair dyes, using a different color every day.

Tao Ning suspected she simply enjoyed playing with it, the Mermaid having found a new amusement.

Most hair dyes sold in the Federation were harmless and could be easily washed out with the matching shampoo, but water alone wouldn’t do.

Callista tickled Tao Ning’s nose with her hair: “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Tao Ning carefully chose her words: “Because it looks very creative, so I didn’t…”

“Really?” Callista looked at her hair, the red and green resembling a watermelon, indeed creative, but excessively so.

“It’s too ugly.”

No normal human or Mermaid would dye their hair like this.

The more she looked, the stranger it seemed. Callista stepped back, rushing through the living room and up the stairs to the bathroom.

Soon, she came back down with her platinum blonde hair restored, though the original color wasn’t to her taste.

Returning to her tribe the next day, the other Mermaids told her that the mischievous young ones had been punished, a few scales ripped from their tails.

They even asked if Callista wanted to see the fallen scales, but she quickly waved her hand, declining the offer.

Who would want to see the scales of naughty Mermaids? Her own were much more interesting.

But this incident left a deep impression on the institute staff, a story likely to be passed down for generations.

Later, when Callista grew tired of dyeing her hair, returning to her natural platinum blonde, no one connected the two.

Lita, who loved dyeing her hair, was so ingrained in their minds that it was hard to associate her with the image of a mysterious and elegant Mermaid.

After all, the Lita they knew was…

Callista’s eyes sparkled, pointing at the ice cream truck in the distance: “Ice cream! I want a double scoop!”

“You haven’t finished your fruit platter…” Before she could finish, Tao Ning was dragged towards the ice cream truck.

The robot on the electronic screen, displaying a smiling face, handed Callista a double scoop ice cream, saying in a cheerful mechanical voice, “Thank you for your patronage!”

“You’re welcome.” Callista took a large bite, flattening the top of the ice cream cone.

The colleagues exchanged glances.

“Does that look like her?”

“No, no, I think she would prefer raw fish, cold and aloof, not ice cream.”

“And not a strawberry and vanilla double scoop.”

“And she wouldn’t lift her chin and have someone wipe the ice cream off her face.”

After some discussion, they became even more convinced that Lita wasn’t the Mermaid they had encountered.

“No, definitely not her.”

A Mermaid wouldn’t act so human-like, nor would she be with a human. They must have been mistaken.

The budding suspicion was quickly suppressed, never mentioned again.

It was a fortunate coincidence.

During their free time, Tao Ning and Callista would stroll along the western coast under the moonlight.

As night fell, the western coast became lively. Stalls were set up before sunset, lights illuminating the area, and soon, nearby residents would come out for a walk.

Tao Ning blended in with the crowd, walking on the soft sand, the sea breeze gently blowing through her hair.

The lights from the various stalls illuminated everyone’s faces, all relaxed and carefree.

Callista, fascinated by everything, looked at each stall before running back to pull Tao Ning along.

Tao Ning had visited the barbecue stall mentioned by her colleagues. There was indeed an old man in sunflower sunglasses grilling enthusiastically, his housekeeping robot helping with the sauce.

Finding it interesting, they ordered a few items.

The multitasking housekeeping robot took their order and gestured with its mechanical arm: “Please have a seat.”

They sat down, listening to the waves, waiting for their food.

Callista, while disliking fish, still had many options and ordered quite a bit.

Besides barbecue, they also ordered two servings of fried rice noodles.

Callista had been captivated by the chef skillfully tossing a large wok over a blazing fire, the aroma of the rice noodles wafting towards everyone passing by.

People were always curious about unusual things. Used to food prepared by housekeeping robots, seeing a human chef actually cooking piqued their interest.

This stall was new, having only opened recently, attracting many curious onlookers.

Callista, easily tempted, walked over and held up two fingers, indicating she wanted two servings.

The owner held up three fingers, indicating “OK.”

He continued cooking enthusiastically, his robot working tirelessly beside him.

They reached an understanding without any verbal communication.

On her way back, Callista also saw someone drinking beer and brought two bottles back.

The cold beer bottles, condensation forming on the surface, had a summery vibe.

Tao Ning touched one with her fingertip and asked, “Why do you suddenly want to drink this?”

Callista popped the cap off with a hiss, the sound of fizzing bubbles refreshing: “Never tried it before, wanted to taste it.”

Hearing this, Tao Ning was also tempted.

Since arriving in this world, she hadn’t had a proper meal, let alone leisurely activities like drinking, enjoying the sea breeze, and watching the moon.

Why not? It seemed fitting for the night.

She also grabbed a bottle and opened it, but only drank half, the other half finished by the impatient Callista, who complained of being thirsty.

Tao Ning watched as Callista chugged the beer, unaware that her face was flushed from the alcohol, her eyes slightly glazed over.

A few minutes later, Tao Ning had a drunk Mermaid, her eyes half-closed, only smiling, neither crying nor making a fuss.

Tao Ning pinched her cheek: “Are you drunk?”

Whether human or Mermaid, the first reaction to this question was: “I’m not drunk! Don’t underestimate me!”

Tao Ning chuckled: “Okay, you’re not drunk, but I’m a bit tired, I want to go home.”

Callista sat there silently for a moment, as if processing the information, then nodded: “Alright, let’s go home.”

Tao Ning, finding her incredibly cute, paid the bill and took her home.

It was quite a distance from the western coast, perfect for cycling.

Unexpectedly, bicycles still existed in this era, common on Deep Sea Star, a popular mode of transportation.

Callista, walking unsteadily, even bumping into rocks while swimming, was clearly in no condition to cycle home. Tao Ning had to take her.

At this moment, Tao Ning hadn’t realized she had relaxed too soon.

There was a family of three also renting bikes.

Callista, her face flushed, stood to the side, watching Tao Ning rent a bike. When Tao Ning pushed the bike towards her, she looked at her with teary eyes, a picture of heartbreak.

As if deeply hurt.

Remembering she couldn’t cry in public, she held back her tears.

Callista shook her head: “You have no heart.”

Tao Ning: “?”

Stepping back slowly, Callista continued shaking her head: “After all this time together, this is how you treat me.”

Tao Ning was confused: “…” What did I do?

She had just gone to rent a bike, and now she was being accused of being heartless.

The family of three, sensing drama, started examining the handlebars of their bikes intently, as if they had never seen bicycle handlebars before.

The child, less experienced in pretending, wasn’t as smooth as her parents.

After a moment, she awkwardly pulled out a wet wipe and started cleaning the handlebars, pretending to be a germaphobe.

Before Tao Ning could ask what was wrong, Callista slapped the bike seat dramatically, wailing, “How could you make me ride a bicycle? I’m a Mermaid! I don’t have legs, how can I ride a bike?!”

Tao Ning: “…”

The family of three: “…”

Their shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.

Callista said mournfully, “Are you going to cut my tail in half like they do in TV dramas?”

Tao Ning: “Of course not.”

Callista pressed further, “Do you think it’s strange that I don’t have legs?”

Tao Ning shook her head repeatedly: “Of course not.”

Callista nodded: “Alright, I’ll believe you, but I don’t know how to ride a bicycle.”

Tao Ning, remembering how fast Callista cycled earlier, almost too fast for her to catch up, said helplessly, “You don’t have to pedal, I’ll pedal, I’ll take you home.”

Callista’s emotions subsided. She looked at Tao Ning with teary eyes and asked, “Can I sit sideways?”

Even without her saying it, Tao Ning understood – because Mermaids didn’t have legs, they couldn’t sit sideways.

The family of three’s shoulders shook even harder, the child now wiping the entire bike, almost rubbing off the paint.

Tao Ning: “Of course, get on, let’s go home.”

Callista reluctantly sat sideways on the bike, wrapping her arms around Tao Ning’s waist, closing her eyes as they rode through the night, the sound of waves and the sea breeze in their ears.

She was drunk, but her subconscious knew that as long as Tao Ning was there, she would get home safely.

The next day, Callista woke up, her hair disheveled, and went downstairs, finding Tao Ning busy in the kitchen.

After their activities the night before, Callista, lying in bed, had started crying small pearls. The newly cleaned pearls now covered the pillow, a few even rolling onto the floor, bouncing slightly.

Tao Ning, afraid she had hurt her, rushed to her side, still in her pajamas, and asked, “Why are you crying?”

Callista, tears and pearls falling, sobbed, “I… I want tomato noodles… I’m so tired, and you won’t make me tomato noodles…”

Tao Ning: “…”

So, Tao Ning was fulfilling her promise, making tomato noodles, not with the housekeeping robot, but by hand.

Holding a knife, she took a washed tomato from the water, removed the stem, and cut it into four pieces.

Footsteps approached from behind, and a warm body pressed against her back, a hand reaching out to grab a piece of tomato.

“Mmm, delicious.”

Tao Ning cut another one.

One person cutting, the other sneaking bites.

Callista, staring at the tomatoes, suddenly said, “I want cake, let’s go buy some cake this afternoon.”

There were many cake shops on Deep Sea Star, and Callista’s favorite was near the institute.

One day after work, Tao Ning smelled the aroma, glanced up at the warm-colored sign, and entered the shop.

A while later, she came out with a small box.

After a fight, the leader, rubbing her empty stomach, went to the refrigerator and found the cake.

After eating it, she was amazed. For Callista, a cake that wasn’t too sweet was the best.

After that, they both became regulars at the cake shop.

Tao Ning said, “Sure, it’s a day off, we have time.”

Callista held up two fingers: “I want two, one for this afternoon, and one for tonight.”

The cake shop owner, wearing a yellow floral apron, stood behind the counter, the air filled with a sweet aroma.

Hearing the chime of the wind chimes, she smiled and looked up.

“Welcome… Oh, it’s you! Strawberry cake again?”

Callista was a regular. She smiled at the owner: “Yes, two today.”

“Okay, just a moment.” The owner took two cakes from the display case and packed them.

Callista waited expectantly, trying a new item at the owner’s enthusiastic recommendation.

She liked it and ordered some more, but the owner said it was a new item, still being prepared in the back, and would take a while.

Callista waved her hand generously: “That’s fine, I can wait. My wife also loves your cakes.”

The owner smiled, chatted for a bit, and then went to check on the order.

The shop wasn’t large, so Callista sat down to wait.

She now understood human customs and had no problem socializing, even making a few friends on land.

No one would guess that this woman, fluent in human language, was actually a Mermaid from the deep sea.

Tao Ning, arriving a bit later with coconut water, saw Callista sitting with her back to the door, seemingly on high alert.

She pushed the door open, the wind chimes jingling, but Callista didn’t turn around.

Curious, Tao Ning walked over and couldn’t help but smile.

Tao Ning: “What are you doing?”

Callista said seriously, “Can’t you tell? I’m on guard.”

520 and Tao Ning both looked in the direction of her gaze.

A small cat with heterochromia sat in a wicker basket, a blue bow tie around its neck, its tail neatly placed on its paws.

520 quickly snapped a few photos, admiring them with satisfaction.

It thought that any creature deemed worthy of the Mermaid leader’s vigilance must have a bright future.

The little white cat stared at Callista, neither moving.

It looked only two or three months old, not very plump, probably a stray recently adopted by the owner.

The owner emerged from the back, seeing Callista staring at the cat, assuming she wanted to pet it, and said enthusiastically, “Bai Bai is very friendly, you can pet her if you want.”

Callista: “Pet her?”

No, I don’t want to pet her.

I’m on guard against a surprise attack. Don’t underestimate her, she’ll be a fierce predator when she grows up.

She couldn’t say that out loud, it would sound strange.

Owner: “Yes.”

Heterochromia kitten: “Meow~”

It was still young, its voice soft and delicate.

Callista stared at the fluffy creature, her lips pursed.

Preparing herself mentally, she reached out and petted it, the feeling unexpectedly soft.

Callista’s eyes lit up. She looked at her hand, then at the kitten.

The kitten stood up, stretched, and jumped out of the basket to find its owner.

The owner quickly raised her hands: “No, no, I can’t pet you now, I have to pack the order… Oh, right, your order is ready.”

After leaving the shop, Callista was still staring at her hand, as if reminiscing.

Tao Ning asked, “How did it feel?”

Callista recalled the sensation: “The kitten was soft, it purred, its eyes were like gems, and its fur was smooth, a different kind of smooth than scales.”

Judging by her description, she seemed to like it. Tao Ning: “Do you want to get one?”

Callista thought about it, then shook her head: “No, I only petted it because it’s still a kitten. If it grows as big as Lin’s cat, so heavy that it makes a thud when it lands, I’m afraid it’ll chew on my tail while I’m sleeping.”

Imagining the possibility, Callista shuddered: “Better not.”

Tao Ning burst out laughing.