Shapeshifters - Chapter 4
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Registered on 2006-11-28
Status: Offline (Small/Medium/Large) #9 Posted on 2006-12-25 22:49 Data/Message
Two beautiful women living upstairs (6)
I opened the drawer where Shui Sheng kept his pornographic films, randomly took out a stack and threw it on the table, wanting to see what his taste was like. I picked one and put it on. But just a few minutes later, before we even got to the climax, there was a knock on the door.
I was startled, wondering if I had turned the volume up too loud and disturbed the neighbors. That seemed like a bad influence and would damage Shui Sheng's reputation. What if they thought there were two people in my house...? I hurriedly turned off the DVD player, pretending to be busy, and got up to open the door. When I opened the door, it was Su Ying!
She flashed a charming smile: "I saw your light was on, and since I had nothing else to do, I thought I'd come over and chat. Are you free?"
I was about to agree immediately when I remembered the pile of pornographic films and magazines on the table—a staggering number. If she saw them, my reputation would be ruined. As I pondered this, a look of hesitation unconsciously crossed my face. Su Ying glanced at me and said calmly, "Are you busy? Then I won't bother you any longer."
It's rare for a beautiful woman to initiate a chat with me, how could I possibly refuse like this? That's definitely not my style. I quickly said, "You've misunderstood. I just moved in and my place is a complete mess. I'd be too embarrassed to let a girl in."
"Why don't we go upstairs and sit at your place for a while?" I suggested.
So we went to Su Ying's room again. As soon as we entered, there was a huge aquarium with many colorful saltwater fish swimming freely.
The colors of saltwater fish are truly breathtaking, a testament to the wonders of nature; even the most talented painter couldn't capture them. However, keeping saltwater fish requires far more care than keeping other types of fish, with water temperature, alkalinity, and so on, especially in such a large tank. Therefore, I secretly concluded that Su Ying was a very patient person.
We sat down on the sofa facing each other, and she casually turned on the TV. We quickly started chatting, rambling on and on. Perhaps because she had filmed several commercials, her exposure to society was much broader than that of other college students her age, and she was quite knowledgeable about media. You'd never guess she was still a student. Moreover, her conversation jumped around quite a bit, from advertising to religion, then to the issue of idols. I tried to stay engaged, responding to whatever she said, but she always seemed to have the upper hand. I soon started to feel like I was falling behind, and a sense of premature aging crept into my heart.
Finally, as if she had tired of talking, she smiled and said, "I'll go get some drinks," and got up to go into the kitchen. I sighed, looked around, and considered whether I should find an excuse to leave; continuing like this was taking a toll on my spirits. Just then, my eyes were drawn to the books on Su Ying's bookshelf.
I doubt you'd see these on the shelves of an average girl. Most girls' bookshelves are filled with romance novels or classics, even the most bookish ones with nearsightedness...
"Do you particularly like books about mysteries?" I asked Su Ying, who was walking out of the kitchen with a Coke. Following her finger, I saw books like "The 49 Greatest Mysteries of the World," "The Crop Circles," and "The Bermuda Triangle."
“Yes!” Su Ying exclaimed excitedly. “I’ve loved these kinds of books since I was a child, especially those about the sea.”
As I continued reading, I came across a series of enormous books, including "Encyclopedia of Ocean Knowledge" and "Illustrated Guide to Marine Life." The majority of the books were about the ocean; some were popular science books introducing giant octopuses, deep-sea creatures, shark habits, and jellyfish classification; others were purely legends and secrets; and still others were myths, such as sea monsters, mermaids, giant sea serpents, and ghost ships.
"That's impressive," I exclaimed. "I never knew you were an oceanographer."
“No.” Su Ying shook her head, pulled out a copy of “The Lost Atlantis” from the bookshelf and flipped through it. “In today’s terms, I can only be considered a fan of the ocean. In my opinion, no one in this world can be considered a true oceanographer. Humanity can only understand a very small part of the ocean right now.”
"Oh." I was a little skeptical of her argument, but I had to admit that the ocean was indeed full of unknowns and remained a mysterious symbol for humankind.
"Do you know about the sunken Atlantis?" she asked me, looking up at me.
"I know," I said, omitting the second half of the sentence, "I've seen that animated film."
"Do you believe this theory? In fact, the inhabitants of Atlantis are still living well underwater. They have evolved into true underwater people."
I thought for a moment, not wanting to spoil her mood, and said with a smile, "Maybe."
Su Ying smiled and said, "I believe you."
I noticed a certain persistence in her gaze as she stared at me, which I couldn't help but find amusing. Although I've experienced many incomprehensible and unbelievable events, I know very well that many unknown events hold countless possibilities, and the final answer is often unexpected. Truly strange events often happen around us without our noticing, not in those distant and baseless legends. Watching Su Ying's theoretical account of these mysterious events, I realized she was still, after all, a child, with her endearingly naive side.
Su Ying had clearly found a topic she liked and started talking to me about the ocean.
Do you know about sirens?
"I know, the legendary siren who lured sailors to jump into the sea with her singing, right?"
"I guess they are inhabitants of the sea, and the sailors who jumped into the sea must have been invited to their underwater kingdom. This could mean that underwater people existed thousands of years ago. Legends usually have some basis, don't they?"
I think she really has a talent for writing novels.
Hmm. Maybe.
"I think Ruliang is just an excuse that those people made up for themselves because they couldn't find mermaids."
"Hmm, maybe."
"Don't you think jellyfish are the most beautiful creatures in the world? Many people think so."
"Maybe."
Do you think there might be submerged underwater cities in the Chinese seas?
"Probably."
"There must be. There are trench-like formations along the Chinese coast. There must be people living underwater."
"Sea...sea people..." I was already at a loss for words. It sounded like a primary school student's conversation.
"The underwater people, there are many things that science can't explain right now, and I think the underwater people are the undiscovered link. Aren't there many problems with the evolutionary tree according to the theory of evolution, with gaps or incomplete connections? Adding the underwater people might make it complete."
Before I could answer, I was amazed by her unusual and broad knowledge.
"Starting with amphibians, don't you think there are two possible evolutionary paths? Why insist on going ashore?"
Since I didn't respond, judging from the way she looked at me, I guessed she had doubts about my academic qualifications.
"That's related to the respiratory system, isn't it?" I replied, trying to sound calm. "Because the demand for oxygen increases..."
"So you assumed from the beginning that living on land is a more advanced form of life than living underwater?" She actually seemed a little displeased.