Zhao Shuqing had always been a law-abiding citizen since she was a child. She never imagined that she’d end up having to explain to her wife that pretty much everything in the human world required money.
“You have no money—how did you get the door code for Room 1707?” Zhao Shuqing asked her, puzzled.
Although it was a vacation rental, the owner always came by after each stay to clean and change the code, making it convenient for the next guests. The code usually didn’t change unless there were new visitors.
Lin Feng thought for a moment before explaining.
“I overheard you chatting with someone,” Lin Feng said. “When I learned you were renting a place here, I figured I should stay next door. So I stopped her when she was heading downstairs and asked the landlord to rent me the other room on this floor.”
Lin Feng added regretfully, “The room right next to yours was already taken, though. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had to ask someone to draw that dreamcatcher for me.”
Zhao Shuqing’s eyelid twitched. She asked again, “And what about food? How do you handle meals…?”
Lin Feng replied candidly, “I just eat and leave.”
Zhao Shuqing frowned in confusion. “Doesn’t the owner ask for money?”
“She does,” Lin Feng told her. “But I look her in the eye, tell her I have no money, and she lets me go.” She added, “All those owners have been really nice. They’ve never asked me for money.”
The more Zhao Shuqing heard, the more off it sounded. How could any owner just let someone walk away after hearing “I have no money”?
Even if one or two were kind-hearted enough to take pity on Lin Feng, it couldn’t be everyone.
“Lin Feng,” Zhao Shuqing leaned in and asked, “Why don’t they take your money? You really just say you have none, and they let you leave?”
Lin Feng nodded. “I have no reason to lie to you.”
That made sense. Lin Feng had no motive to deceive her, so if she said it was just one sentence, it probably was.
Zhao Shuqing suddenly thought of Xiao Qi. Back then, when she’d asked if Xiao Qi remembered what Lin Feng had said, the girl had racked her brain but come up empty—yet she’d insisted with total conviction that whatever Lin Feng said was right, and she’d do exactly as told.
It sounded just like the sirens from the stories, the ones who could control minds.
Zhao Shuqing pondered seriously for a moment before saying to Lin Feng, “How about you try it on me?”
Lin Feng tilted her head. “Try what?”
“Try controlling my mind,” Zhao Shuqing said. “Like making me forget I saw you today.”
Lin Feng paused, clearly baffled by Zhao Shuqing’s intent, but figuring it wasn’t anything malicious, she stared straight into Zhao Shuqing’s eyes. The instant their gazes met, Zhao Shuqing felt as if those sea-blue eyes had turned into swirling vortices, drawing in all her attention.
“You will forget that you saw me today,” Lin Feng’s voice echoed in Zhao Shuqing’s ears, ethereal and distant. Her lips moved as she continued, “You didn’t see me, and you didn’t make me breakfast.”
Buzz—
Zhao Shuqing’s mind felt like it had been struck by something. In the next second, she snapped back to awareness.
She clutched her head and glanced at the empty dining table. Lin Feng, who had been sitting there just a moment ago, was gone.
Outside the window, the sun was rising slowly, its orange rays spilling in from the balcony and gilding the living room in gold.
Rubbing her throbbing temples, Zhao Shuqing checked the time. It had been just past five, still dark, when she’d been talking to Lin Feng. Now it was seven-thirty—over two hours had vanished in an instant.
She still remembered what Lin Feng had said to her, but losing that chunk of time left her heart racing with unease.
Zhao Shuqing had previously seen Lin Feng as just a silly little fish. Clearly, it was time to revise that opinion a bit.
Lin Feng’s discarded clothes were still in the bathroom, and the bedding was rumpled just as it had been when she’d gotten up. Aside from Zhao Shuqing, there was no one else in the apartment. Little Fish must have gone home.
It was a shame, but at least Lin Feng had come over out of concern for her.
Zhao Shuqing wasn’t sure how she’d gotten the door code, but it wasn’t a big deal. She tidied up a little, cut some fruit for Lin Feng, and took it next door.
This time, Lin Feng didn’t shut her out.
“These are leftovers from yesterday. I washed them up—if you like them, I can buy more,” Zhao Shuqing said from the doorway. Seeing Lin Feng in her pajamas peeking through the cracked-open door, she smiled. “Did you leave this morning without saying goodbye?”
Lin Feng gave her a complicated look and whispered, “How do you still remember?”
Zhao Shuqing had no idea why, but she beamed back at her. “No clue. Maybe we’re just too close. We can try it again later.”
Lin Feng gripped the edge of the door, racking her brain for what had gone wrong.
Zhao Shuqing watched the pondering little fish with delight and asked cheerfully, “I’m heading out to buy groceries soon. Anything you need?”
Lin Feng opened her mouth to reply, but the neighboring door swung open.
Xiao Qi and her mother appeared. Xiao Qi had her backpack on, a scarf around her neck, and clutched a fried dough stick. She looked wilted and unhappy, clearly on her way to school.
“Sister Zhao,” Xiao Qi greeted her with a wave of the dough stick. “Good morning.”
“Morning!” Zhao Shuqing smiled at her. “Off to school?”
“Yeah.” Xiao Qi’s sharp eyes spotted the open door to Room 1707. Her eyes widened. “Is that the sister?”
Zhao Shuqing glanced at Lin Feng, then back at Xiao Qi, and nodded. “Want to say hi?”
Lin Feng looked stunned and moved to close the door, but Zhao Shuqing jammed her foot in to stop her.
Xiao Qi shrank back, though. Gripping her dough stick, she glanced at her mother’s unhappy face. Remembering how her mom had drilled it into her over the past few days not to play with the lady from 1707 and to stay away if she saw her, Xiao Qi said timidly, “No thanks, I gotta go to school. Bye, sister.”
Xiao Qi’s mother gave them a quick smile and led her daughter to the elevator.
Once they were gone, Zhao Shuqing turned to Lin Feng with a grin. “Are you shy?”
Lin Feng was not pleased. She kicked Zhao Shuqing’s knee and tried to slam the door. Zhao Shuqing hissed in pain but still managed to hand over the fruit. Feeling the chill wafting from Lin Feng’s room, she added, “I’ll grab you a blanket later and show you how to turn on the AC.”
Little Fish snatched the fruit without a word and shoved Zhao Shuqing out. She accepted the quilt Zhao Shuqing brought later but still wouldn’t let her inside.
Zhao Shuqing shook her head at the firmly shut door and decided to call the rental owner to book Room 1707 as well.
Lin Feng might be a tough little fish, but she couldn’t just not pay. It would be a hassle to sort out later.
The owner didn’t seem to remember renting out 1707. She took Zhao Shuqing’s payment and gave her the code. Eyeing the string of numbers, Zhao Shuqing raised an eyebrow.
She thought the sun looked especially nice today.
With Lin Feng’s door code in hand, Zhao Shuqing started planning what else to get her.
Little Fish loved baths, so toiletries were a must. Spare clothes too—she’d need plenty. The quilt wasn’t enough for warmth; a couple more blankets would help.
Snacks were essential in case Little Fish woke up hungry at night.
Meals could be hand-delivered daily. Zhao Shuqing was unemployed now anyway, with nothing better to do than cook and look after Lin Feng.
Decision made, she headed straight to the supermarket. She bought two thick blankets, some loose-fitting clothes and skirts that wouldn’t require precise sizing, insulated cotton boots and loungewear, and a full set of toiletries. The trunk was packed.
Zhao Shuqing admired her haul with satisfaction, patted the trunk lid, and called it good for shopping today.
“Lin Feng, oh Lin Feng~”
She stood at Lin Feng’s door, laden with bags. “I got you some stuff. Open up and take it in—you don’t want to freeze in there.”
The door clicked open. Lin Feng stared at the three or four bags of various sizes, her eyes going wide. After a long moment, she mumbled, “I don’t want them.”
“How could you not?” Zhao Shuqing said. “I already bought them—they’re not returnable. I have all this stuff at home already. These were specially for you. If you don’t take them, they’ll just end up trashed on the street.”
Zhao Shuqing pretended to sigh mournfully at her purchases. “They’re not cheap, you know. I’m out of a job and broke now. It’d be such a waste if you didn’t take them.”
Lin Feng hesitated at the mention of money spent, then opened the door wider. “Why did you pay for things?”
The implication was clear: I’ve been eating, drinking, and staying here without spending a dime.
Zhao Shuqing chuckled. “People earn money to support their families. We can’t keep mooching off others, right?”
Lin Feng frowned deeply, eyeing the bedding, and finally muttered, “Fine then. You bought them, and we can’t just throw them out…”
Predictable—Little Fish was a softie at heart.
Zhao Shuqing’s gaze drifted to Lin Feng’s slightly rounded belly. Pregnant women shouldn’t lift heavy things, so she instructed, “I’ll handle moving stuff from now on. Just call me if you need anything.”
Lin Feng looked up and caught her staring at the bump. Her expression shifted; she turned sideways, hiding behind the door. “Bring the stuff in and go. I can manage.”
It was the first time Zhao Shuqing had stepped foot in Lin Feng’s little apartment after dropping off the bags.
The place was small, much like her own: a one-bedroom with a living room, kitchen, and bathroom. But it was freezing. The AC was there but unused, and the curtains were drawn, making the room dim even in broad daylight.
“Why not turn on the AC?” Zhao Shuqing set the bags on the table and turned to Lin Feng. “Where’s the remote? I’ll show you how.”
Lin Feng hurried over, alarmed. “We can’t use electricity.”
Zhao Shuqing blinked. “Why not?”
Lin Feng gave her a look reserved for the terminally dense. “Because I have no money, obviously.”
It was so logical. And so righteous.
