The Last Song of the Tianjin Mermaid

The sun dipped low over the Bohai Sea, casting a golden glow over the bustling city of Tianjin. The salty breeze carried the scent of the ocean, mingling with the smog of the city. In the heart of the city, beneath the towering structures, there was a place where the sea and the land kissed—a place where the mermaid's lament would echo through the night.

Chapter 1: The Lure of the City

In the depths of the Bohai Sea, a mermaid named Liya swam gracefully through the water. Her scales shimmered with the colors of the sea, and her voice was as sweet as the coral reefs she called home. Liya had always been a guardian of the sea, but her heart belonged to a human, a young man named Zhen, who worked in the city.

Zhen was a dreamer, a painter who sought inspiration in the vibrant colors of the city. Liya would swim to the surface, her form blending seamlessly with the waves, to watch him paint under the moon. Their love was forbidden, for humans and mermaids were not meant to mix, but their hearts were bound together by an invisible thread.

One day, Zhen left the city to seek his fortune, promising to return soon. Liya waited for him by the shore, her heart heavy with worry. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. The tides of the sea carried her lament to the city, but Zhen did not return.

Chapter 2: The Betrayal

As time passed, Liya's despair grew. She began to hear whispers of a woman, a human named Jing, who had taken Zhen's heart away. Liya's love turned to anger, and she vowed to save her love from Jing's clutches. She transformed into her human form, her scales slipping away to reveal the woman she truly was.

Liya made her way to the city, her heart pounding with determination. She found Jing in Zhen's small apartment, painting a portrait of him. The woman turned, her eyes filled with sorrow, as she recognized the mermaid who had once loved him.

"Zhen is mine," Jing said, her voice trembling. "He chose me over you."

Liya's eyes blazed with anger. "He chose you over his own soul. He is yours, but his heart is mine."

Chapter 3: The Confrontation

Jing, feeling threatened, tried to push Liya away, but the mermaid was not to be deterred. They fought, their strength unmatched by any other. The walls of the apartment shook with their struggle, and the paint on the canvas splattered in a wild dance.

As the battle raged, Liya's heart ached for Zhen. She saw him in her mind's eye, his eyes filled with pain and confusion. She knew that he had been deceived, that Jing had used her love for him to gain his trust.

"Zhen, I am here for you," Liya called out, her voice breaking through the chaos.

Zhen's eyes snapped open, and he saw Liya standing before him. He rushed to her, his hands reaching out, but Jing stepped in front of him, her face twisted with fear.

"No, Zhen, you must not go with her. She is a monster!"

Liya's heart shattered at the lie. She turned to leave, her love for Zhen too broken to mend. As she swam away, the tides of the sea whispered her lament, a song of lost love and unfulfilled dreams.

Chapter 4: The Lament

Liya returned to the sea, her heart heavy with sorrow. She sang her lament, a song that would echo through the ages. The sea creatures listened, their eyes filled with empathy, as she poured out her pain.

"The ocean is vast, but my heart is empty," she sang. "The city is bright, but my love is gone."

The mermaid's lament reached the ears of the gods, who were moved by her sorrow. They decreed that the city of Tianjin would be forever linked to the sea, that the tides would rise and fall with the rhythm of her song.

Chapter 5: The Legacy

Years passed, and the legend of the Tianjin Mermaid grew. People spoke of her, of the love that was lost and the sorrow that remained. They would gather by the sea, listening to the tides, and they would hear the faint whisper of her lament.

Zhen never forgot Liya, and he painted her image in every one of his works. His art became famous, and the story of the mermaid and the human spread far and wide.

In the end, Liya's love was a reminder that true love can transcend even the deepest divides. Her lament became a part of the city, a testament to the power of love and the enduring spirit of a mermaid's heart.