Chapter 110

The hot comment had drawn a massive crowd, with everyone chiming in with their own takes.

【Mermaids are murderers! If she didn’t eat humans, where would she have gotten those memories from?】

【And emotions are such a tricky thing—who’s to say if they’re faking it or if it’s real?】

【I’ve always thought mermaids are all killers. They eat humans for their own purposes, so they should be executed on the spot. I have no idea why anyone would spare them.】

But not everyone agreed.

【What if the deaths were accidental? Couldn’t the mermaid gain memories and emotions by eating the bodies? And the girl in the video didn’t do anything wrong. Is it fair to condemn all mermaids because of that?】

【Some people think mermaids deserve to die, but others might want a mermaid like that to replace their loved one and keep living.】

【If I were a mother, I couldn’t just watch my daughter die. Even if a mermaid ate her, I’d want her to stay by my side.】

Discussions like these filled the comment section, and more than a few had devolved into full-blown arguments.

【You’re joking, right? Mermaids eat people! Aren’t you scared to keep a monster like that close?】

【But no one’s actually seen a mermaid eat someone, have they? Lin Feng meets tourists all the time, and she hasn’t eaten anyone.】

【Lin Feng’s different from those killers. She’s a wild mermaid. Besides, who knows if she’ll eat someone until it happens?】

【I don’t think Lin Feng would. She seems nice, and in the video, she was so well-behaved. Mermaids must have different personalities, right? Not all of them are impossible to communicate with.】

【Communicate? You might as well hope for a brown bear to pull a rickshaw.】

Zhao Shuqing watched the comments erupt into chaos below. The video looped back to the start, and even with the volume turned low, she could still hear the two mothers’ hoarse, desperate screams.

A mermaid with full memories and emotions—was she family, or a murderer?

Zhao Shuqing closed her phone and handed it back in silence. Ye Xun studied her face for a moment before speaking. “Zhao Shuqing, what do you think? Do mermaids… all deserve to die?”

Ye Xun’s question left Zhao Shuqing quiet for a few seconds. She met her gaze evenly. “And what about you? Do you think mermaids deserve to die?”

“I think anyone who does wrong things deserves to die,” Ye Xun said. “Don’t people say ‘when in Rome, do as the Romans do’? Mermaids come into human society, so they have to follow human rules. Those who kill get punished accordingly, and those who don’t…”

She trailed off there.

Besides Lin Feng, were there any mermaids who didn’t kill?

Both women fell silent. Ye Xun knew she’d probably asked a stupid question. After a long pause, she sighed softly. “I miss Lin Feng. She’s a good mermaid.”

Zhao Shuqing glanced up at her before speaking. “I have something to ask of you.”

Ye Xun agreed readily. “Just say it. If I can help, I will.”

“Before Lin Feng left the oceanarium, Xu Tang had someone perform surgery on her. I want to know what kind of surgery,” Zhao Shuqing said. “Videos, documents, photos—any records will do. I want to see what Xu Tang did to her.”

“Huh?” Ye Xun blinked in surprise, her expression caught between speaking and holding back. After a moment, she asked, “You don’t know what Xu Tang did?”

Zhao Shuqing frowned in confusion. “Should I?”

Ye Xun rubbed her chin thoughtfully for a bit before replying. “You don’t really need to look at the files. After the mermaid scandal blew up, the Marine Group was disbanded, but I know about the surgery records anyway.” She paused. “Lin Feng was supposed to undergo two procedures as part of the plan.”

“One was chip implantation, but it failed.”

“The other… was oocyte embryo transplant.”

Zhao Shuqing froze at the words.

“Oocyte embryo?” She shot to her feet. “What did you transplant into her?”

Ye Xun looked up at her and explained. “That day, Group Leader Xu sent people to take Lin Feng out of the oceanarium and implant experimentally successful oocytes into her body. They were supposed to monitor the embryo implantation, but she ran off, so we don’t have the detailed follow-up data.”

Suddenly, it clicked for Zhao Shuqing. Back in Country F, Lin Feng had always complained of feeling unwell, vomiting in the middle of the night or early mornings. Later, the nausea stopped, but her tastes changed dramatically—she started dousing everything in vinegar and heaps of tomato sauce, things she’d never touched before.

So, the signs had been there even then?

Zhao Shuqing had been too distraught at the time to connect Lin Feng’s discomfort to pregnancy. Now, hearing it spelled out, she felt completely dazed.

Lin Feng had been pregnant and Zhao Shuqing had abandoned her abroad. How heartbroken must she have been?

“Impossible,” Zhao Shuqing said urgently. “The Double Cisgender Plan isn’t mature yet. Lin Feng and I aren’t even the same species. Even if the embryo took academically, it wouldn’t necessarily implant.”

Ye Xun watched Zhao Shuqing’s face and blinked. “Zhao Shuqing, did you just think of something?”

Zhao Shuqing had thought of plenty.

Regret flooded her—her coldness toward Lin Feng back then, leaving without a word. She wished she’d treated her better.

Seeing her like this, Ye Xun assumed disbelief and pulled up photos of the files on her phone, handing it over to dash any remaining hopes.

“If everything went smoothly, Lin Feng should be about three months along now,” Ye Xun said. “Who knows if it’s one or two.”

Zhao Shuqing jerked her head up from the screen. “What?”

Ye Xun explained. “They transplanted two embryos. If she’s lucky, both might have implanted.”

Zhao Shuqing’s mind buzzed.

Pregnant wasn’t bad enough—twins were possible.

She collapsed back into her chair, staring blankly ahead.

She’d made a colossal mistake…

Ye Xun kept her eyes on Zhao Shuqing, understanding the emotional rollercoaster all too well. Who wouldn’t break down learning they were having a child with a mermaid? She tried to comfort her. “It’s okay, Shuqing. This was just an accident. If you really can’t accept it, you can still induce when Lin Feng gets back.”

“No…”

“What?”

Zhao Shuqing looked up at her. “If she’s really pregnant, that’s our child. I have to protect it.”

“That’s not realistic.” Ye Xun sighed. “If Lin Feng’s carrying some little monster, would you still protect it? And given the situation now, it’s probably best if Lin Feng doesn’t come back.”

Zhao Shuqing fell silent again.

She was right—the situation was dire. Everywhere, people were hunting mermaids disguised as humans. Lin Feng really shouldn’t surface.

On one hand, she desperately wanted to confirm if Lin Feng was pregnant. On the other, the shore was too dangerous for her to come back.

The conflicting thoughts tore at Zhao Shuqing’s mind, so much so that she didn’t even notice Ye Xun leaving.

The empty room was deathly quiet, not even a whisper of wind.

Sunlight streamed in through the balcony glass, warming her face. She looked up at the branches outside—winter had stripped the leaves, leaving only gray-white twigs jutting out starkly.

Winter had already arrived.

Zhao Shuqing gazed at those barren branches and murmured, “It must be… so cold in the sea.”

December brought colder mornings with each passing day.

The Marine Group had disbanded, the Mermaid Plan shelved. Even construction on the Mermaid Pavilion, built specially for Lin Feng, had halted.

Mermaids were no longer enchanting sprites—they were synonymous with murderers.

Pumpkin lazily lifted a paw, grooming her fur. Winter had plumped her up another notch.

Zhao Shuqing crouched on the floor, tempting her with a treat stick. “Come on, Little Fatty. Time to come home with me.”

Pumpkin ignored her, licking herself leisurely. Once satisfied, she twisted around, butt in the air and tail flicking, before leaping onto Wen Xiaoying’s wardrobe with a loud thunk.

Wen Xiaoying stood behind Zhao Shuqing, smiling wryly. “It’s fine. She’s had too many owners lately and might be wary of you. Keep her a couple days, and she’ll warm up.”

Zhao Shuqing stood, sighing helplessly at Little Fatty perched on the wardrobe, squinting down at her.

Wen Xiaoying watched Zhao Shuqing’s back, hesitating before whispering, “Sorry, Shuqing. You asked me to look after Lin Feng, and I failed. She got caught and ran away on my watch.”

Zhao Shuqing turned and shook her head gently. “It’s not your fault. You’re just an ordinary person.”

The mermaid scheme had been airtight—they wanted offspring, so no matter who watched Lin Feng, Wen Xiaoying or otherwise, they’d have dragged her off for experiments.

All they could be grateful for was Lin Feng’s quick escape, sparing her worse torment.

The apology didn’t ease Wen Xiaoying’s guilt; her eyes reddened. “If only Lin Feng were still here. How did things turn into this mess?”

Zhao Shuqing lowered her gaze in silence. How could she not wish the same?

She took Pumpkin from Wen Xiaoying’s rental in the airline box. Little Fatty seemed used to moving by now, lying quietly as Zhao Shuqing carried her to the car.

Wen Xiaoying had stocked up on cans, treats, and even prepped portions of cat food. Reluctant to see her plump charge go, she packed it all up for Zhao Shuqing.

On the drive back, Zhao Shuqing passed the park where she and Lin Feng had strolled aimlessly and the hotpot restaurant they frequented.

The place was packed as always. Zhao Shuqing hesitated, then turned the wheel without thinking, pulling into a parking spot out front. Once parked, she blinked in surprise. Only when she saw the crowds streaming in and out did she realize it was lunchtime.

Under the winter sun, everyone wore bright smiles. She spotted the owner working the entrance—he used to slip Lin Feng a plate of snacks each visit, looking out for the girl in the wheelchair.

But today, that girl was gone. Only Zhao Shuqing remained.

She sat in the car for a long while before glancing down at Pumpkin, dozing in the airline box. After a moment, she unbuckled her seatbelt and headed into the hotpot restaurant for lunch.