Chapter 101 Part 1

Rumors about that black mermaid had been spreading like wildfire lately.

Half a year ago, after Lin Feng was hauled up from the sea, research had proven that her body contained many things modern technology couldn’t explain. Moreover, her white blood cells had caused a sensation in the medical world—they could rapidly promote recovery with just a tiny extraction, making them veritable miracle drugs.

Yet such a walking miracle drug had only been discovered once so far, and it was under strict guard by the foreign country that possessed it. Overseas media couldn’t even catch a glimpse, let alone study it.

But now, another black mermaid had appeared along the coastline.

This black mermaid had no owner, which meant whoever caught her would be the next to claim ownership.

How could that fail to excite people?

As the hotel closest to the sighting, nearly every guest had received such a photo. On the back was a police contact number, along with a promise of a hefty reward for anyone who spotted the black mermaid.

In an instant, the entire coastline was swarming with tourists hunting for the black mermaid.

Zhao Shuqing stood behind the floor-to-ceiling curtains, gazing out at the masses of people outside. It looked just like a tourist attraction, packed dense and thick.

“Lin Feng,” Zhao Shuqing said to Lin Feng while keeping her eyes on the crowd. “Should we go out for lunch today?”

After a long moment with no reply, Zhao Shuqing turned her head in confusion. She saw the bulge under the covers and slowly let the curtains fall.

The hotel curtains blocked light exceptionally well. Once drawn, the entire room plunged into dimness, lit only by a single lonely desk lamp that cast flickering shadows across the space.

“Lin Feng?”

Zhao Shuqing walked to the bedside and looked at Little Fish, who had nearly buried half her face in the bedding. She frowned as she sat on the edge of the bed and lifted one corner of the covers.

Lin Feng’s small face emerged. Her brows were slightly furrowed, and her entire complexion was frighteningly pale.

Zhao Shuqing paused. It seemed she hadn’t closely observed Lin Feng’s face in quite some time.

Ever since Lin Feng had transformed into human form, Zhao Shuqing had been deliberately avoiding her—avoiding even eye contact—which meant she rarely got a clear look at her current complexion.

“Urgh…”

Lin Feng let out a low groan. Something seemed lodged in her throat, producing a retching sound. She clutched her stomach and curled up.

“…Little Feng?” Zhao Shuqing frowned and reached out to touch Lin Feng’s pallid cheek. She found her body was very cold, as if chilled through. She hurriedly dragged over her own blanket and tucked it securely around Lin Feng.

The hotel blankets weren’t thick; they felt light and insubstantial even when layered. Seeing Lin Feng burrow her face back into the bedding from the cold, Zhao Shuqing anxiously got up to turn on the air conditioning.

Warm air soon filled the room, quickly heating it up. Lin Feng’s complexion seemed to regain some color.

Just as Zhao Shuqing was about to change clothes and head downstairs to buy medicine, she saw Lin Feng’s eyelashes tremble faintly. She opened her eyes.

“…Zhao Shuqing.”

Lin Feng’s first glance fell on Zhao Shuqing, who was changing clothes. Perplexed, she asked, “Where are you going?”

Zhao Shuqing set down her jacket and sat on the bed’s edge. She rubbed Lin Feng’s cheek; the temperature had risen somewhat, no longer quite so icy.

“You’re sick,” Zhao Shuqing explained gently. “I’m going downstairs to buy some medicine. If you’re still unwell, I’ll call a doctor.”

Lin Feng shook her head. She nuzzled Zhao Shuqing’s palm through the blankets, her blue eyes gazing calmly at her as she smiled softly. “I’m fine. Don’t go.”

It had been so hard for Zhao Shuqing to finally pay attention to her again. Lin Feng didn’t want her discomfort to drive Zhao Shuqing away.

Zhao Shuqing frowned and explained in a low voice, “You’ve been off these past few days. I should really get a doctor for you.”

But Lin Feng shook her head firmly. She threw off the covers and sat up, bringing a wave of warm air as she leaned in for a hug. She rested her head gently on Zhao Shuqing’s shoulder and said contentedly, “No. I’m fine. I don’t want you to leave.”

Zhao Shuqing paused, then reached out to stroke Lin Feng’s back lightly. Discovering once again that she wasn’t wearing underwear, she sighed helplessly.

If she could sneakily remove it herself, she was probably not in serious trouble.

Perhaps these past few days of making her go out and play mysterious tricks had worn on her—especially since Lin Feng was timid. With the wind and rain, it was likely just an ordinary fever or cold.

“How about some medicine, then?” Zhao Shuqing asked, negotiating.

Lin Feng shook her head stubbornly. “I’ll get better on my own. No medicine.”

Zhao Shuqing gave her a look, then finally nodded helplessly. Mermaids had such strong recovery abilities; she was probably fine.

“Get back under the covers first. Don’t catch a chill.” Zhao Shuqing pulled the clinging Lin Feng down and tucked her securely into the bedding. She sat on the bed’s edge, gently stroking her forehead and cheeks. “Want some porridge? I can get some from the Chinese restaurant.”

“Fish fillet porridge,” Lin Feng said.

Zhao Shuqing blinked, suddenly realizing with hindsight that since Lin Feng had come to find her, she hadn’t eaten a proper meal once. It had all been fast food or noodle bowls from the Chinese place.

She had wronged her Little Fish.

“Alright.” Zhao Shuqing spoke tenderly. “I’ll go buy you some porridge.”

Chinese restaurants didn’t usually sell porridge. Zhao Shuqing made several calls and confirmed that one eight kilometers away had fish fillet porridge. She took a cab there, bought it steaming hot, and brought it back. By then, Lin Feng’s appetite had improved markedly.

Her stomach, which had only managed half a fistful before, returned to normal in an instant. She even polished off two full portions.

Zhao Shuqing was astonished. After Lin Feng finished, she couldn’t help asking, “Was it good?”

Lin Feng licked her lips. “Not as good as yours.”

Zhao Shuqing laughed, her brows and eyes softening. “The hotel doesn’t have a kitchen, or I could make some for you.”

It had been so long since Lin Feng had seen Zhao Shuqing smile. These past few days, she had always looked at her with a grim expression. This smile made it feel like they had returned to those earlier times.

“Zhao Shuqing…”

Lin Feng set down her bowl and chopsticks, unable to hold back. “Why did you want me to pretend to be a mermaid? Is there some plan? Can you tell me?”

Lately, Zhao Shuqing hadn’t explained anything. She just had Lin Feng transform into mermaid form, swim to the beach to sing, then dive into the water and resurface at another breakwater. Zhao Shuqing would wash off the black paint from her tail, turning her back into human form to return with her.

They had repeated this several times, drawing ever larger crowds on the shore and attracting more attention.

Lin Feng knew Zhao Shuqing had her reasons for these arrangements, but she wanted to know what she was up to.

Maybe she could help?

Zhao Shuqing fell silent for a moment upon hearing this. She set down what she was holding and asked slowly, “Do you really want to know?”

Lin Feng nodded.

Zhao Shuqing glanced toward the floor-to-ceiling windows blocked by the curtains. Calmly, she said, “I’m waiting for a phone call.”

Waiting for the call begging her to return to the country.

News of the black mermaid was abuzz overseas. It didn’t reach the homeland until two days later.

The entire Marine Group gathered together, staring at the videos hyped up by foreign media and the magnified, blurry image of the black mermaid’s back on the screen.

Everyone was silent, eyes glued to the mermaid without a word.

The news soon moved on. Someone turned off the TV, and the laboratory sank into stillness.

“What do we do?” one team member asked. “Country F has spotted a mermaid too. If we can’t find Lin Feng, we’re really done for.”

More than a month had passed since Lin Feng’s escape. All experiments were on hold. They came to the lab every day but accomplished nothing but idling. Xu Tang avoided them whenever they sought her out, seemingly unconcerned about Lin Feng’s disappearance.

Xu Tang still hadn’t shown up for work today.

The group exchanged uneasy glances. In the end, they pretended to be busy in the lab, killing time until quitting hour. They figured the Mermaid Dual Female Plan team would be disbanded sooner or later.

Meanwhile, Gu Yao saw the news playing on the TV in her room.

The blurry silhouette of the mermaid made Gu Yao’s eyes widen. She lunged toward the television, scrutinizing it intently, focusing on the pale long hair. She was certain it was Lin Feng.

“Thank goodness.” Gu Yao collapsed onto the carpet in front of the TV, exhaling in relief. Her eyes downcast, she murmured, “It’s been so long without word from you. I thought something had happened. Good… good thing you’re alright.”

Otherwise, she would blame herself forever.

At first, she had just been scared—afraid Lin Feng would hurt her—so she had followed orders and taken her to the sea.

But upon reflection, even if mermaids were formidable, how could she safely reach halfway around the world with nothing but a map?

Lin Feng knew nothing. What if she encountered sharks or a whale? Could she truly survive unscathed?

Gu Yao deeply regretted it. If anything happened to Lin Feng, she would never forgive herself.

But thankfully, she seemed fine. And impersonating a black mermaid sounded exactly like something Zhao Shuqing would do. So, the two of them must have met up?

Once they met, surely they could clear up the misunderstanding?

Unlike her…

Gu Yao saw the TV had switched to other news. She stood from the carpet, intending to flop back onto the sofa, but as she rose, the door opened from outside.

Gu Yao looked up and locked eyes with Xu Tang.

Xu Tang wore a coffee-colored trench coat. Her dark pupils calmly assessed Gu Yao as she set down her supermarket bag, slipped off her shoes, and asked, “What do you feel like eating tonight?”

Gu Yao frowned. “You’ve locked me up. Does it matter what I want?” She added, “You’ve never asked what I wanted to eat before.”

Xu Tang paused, glanced up at her. Gu Yao braced for an argument, but Xu Tang did nothing—just acted as if she hadn’t heard, picking up the bag and heading to the kitchen.

“I bought a chicken today,” Xu Tang said. “We’ll simmer chicken soup for dinner.” She opened the fridge, noted the half-empty cola bottle, and added, “Don’t drink the rest of the cola. I’ll make cola chicken wings.”