Lin Feng’s righteous indignation left Zhao Shuqing both amused and exasperated, but she still found the air conditioner remote and turned it on with a beep.
“You can use it freely. I’ll cover the electricity bill for this room,” Zhao Shuqing said as she placed the remote in Lin Feng’s palm. Feeling the icy chill of her fingers, she instinctively gripped them tighter. “Your hands are freezing.”
Lin Feng trembled slightly at the touch, lowered her head to gaze at their clasped hands, and hesitated for a long moment before nodding gently. “Got it.”
With the air conditioner humming to life, the room warmed up in no time.
Zhao Shuqing busied herself making up the bed and folding blankets. Fortunately, the homestay was well-stocked with bedding and linens, so the ones she had bought seemed superfluous. Lin Feng trailed behind her the whole way, watching attentively as she laid the thick quilt on the bed and tucked the blanket into the cabinet. She even ducked into the bathroom to cram the newly bought, unopened bottles and jars onto the shelves.
Warm air blowing steadily and fresh toiletries in place, the room no longer felt so stark and chilly.
By the time Zhao Shuqing finished, she had worked up a sweat. She glanced at Lin Feng, who stood a short distance away staring fixedly at her, and beckoned with a wave. “Come here. I’ve got something for you.”
Lin Feng hesitated before taking two tentative steps forward. “What is it?”
“New clothes I just bought.” Zhao Shuqing pulled out the skirts and jackets. “I’ll hang these in the closet for you. I’ll take the pajamas and underwear home to wash and dry them before bringing everything back. These outer layers and skirts are ready to wear right away.”
As Zhao Shuqing gave these instructions to Lin Feng and swung open the closet door, she froze at the sight of the plaid scarf hanging inside.
Lin Feng had crossed the ocean with nothing but the clothes on her back and this one plaid scarf.
The scarf hung wrinkled from the hanger, looking as if it had soaked in water for ages and been laundered countless times. It had faded considerably from its original vibrancy, but it was still unmistakably the one they had bought together.
Lin Feng spotted it too and hurried over. “I forgot to toss that out.”
Zhao Shuqing quickly shut the closet door. As she turned, Lin Feng came rushing up without stopping, so she spread her arms and pulled her into a tight embrace.
Lin Feng’s soft body absorbed most of the impact. Zhao Shuqing’s back thudded dully against the closet door while her arms locked firmly around Lin Feng’s waist, drawing their bodies flush together.
Zhao Shuqing kept her arms looped around Lin Feng’s waist, resting her chin on her shoulder as she murmured leisurely, “I’ve kept that scarf too.”
Lin Feng’s nose filled with Zhao Shuqing’s familiar scent—a smell nothing special on its own, yet one that inexplicably soothed her soul. In that moment, all her prior worries and troubles melted away, leaving only the two of them in the entire world.
Breathing in Zhao Shuqing’s scent, Lin Feng felt a sour prickle at the bridge of her nose. In a muffled, stuffy voice, she muttered lowly, “What does that have to do with me…”
“Yes, yes, of course.” Zhao Shuqing knew Lin Feng wouldn’t get over her pique so easily. She cooed softly, “It has plenty to do with me. I wore it every single day after coming back home. You must have caught glimpses of it on the sly, haven’t you?”
Lin Feng raised her head. “I didn’t spy on you.”
She had only dashed straight to lurk beneath the dormitory building the moment she came ashore, leaped into a flower bed when she nearly got spotted by Zhao Shuqing on the road, hidden behind seaside rocks, and burrowed into neighborhood junk piles. How could any of that count as “spying”?
Zhao Shuqing burst out laughing. “Fine, fine. I was the one spying on you—squatting outside your door every day to watch. Happy now?”
Lin Feng puffed out her cheeks and wriggled free from the embrace.
From then on, no matter how Zhao Shuqing tried to strike up a conversation, Lin Feng responded with cool indifference. Yet every time Zhao Shuqing turned back around, she could feel Lin Feng’s eyes on her.
In short, it was a mix of joy and sorrow.
“Everything’s pretty much sorted now. I’ll bring the clean clothes once they’re done.” Zhao Shuqing stood in the doorway, clutching the undergarments she had bought for Lin Feng. “Keep the air conditioner on. It’s too cold out there—catching a cold would be no good.”
Zhao Shuqing’s gaze drifted to Lin Feng’s slightly rounded belly, and she added, “You need to start getting more nutrition these days too.”
Ye Xun had mentioned implanting two embryos in Lin Feng, though it was still unclear if one or both had taken. At just three months along, her belly was already showing noticeably, which made Zhao Shuqing suspect twins.
Regardless of whether it was one or two, a trip to the hospital for an ultrasound was essential.
On top of that, ever since learning about the pregnancy, Zhao Shuqing had puzzled over Lin Feng’s inability to shift between her mermaid and human forms during that period. Perhaps the babies in her belly were the reason she couldn’t change at will.
Either way, the hospital was a must.
Lin Feng noticed her gaze lingering on her stomach, and her expression shifted subtly. Without a word, she slammed the door shut with a bang.
Zhao Shuqing wasn’t upset. On her way back, she mulled over which hospital might handle an ultrasound for a mermaid.
Tensions between mermaids and humans were only escalating, making any mermaid in human society a target—especially Lin Feng, the first one to appear publicly. Plenty of people, Xiao Qi included, would remember her face.
Going out would require a disguise, at the very least to cover that striking pale long hair of hers.
Zhao Shuqing had considered reaching out to Yue Jiuchu, but she wasn’t sure where the military stood. Handing over Lin Feng’s whereabouts rashly could be too risky, so she decided to scout out a small obstetrics clinic on her own. Size didn’t matter as long as they could run an ultrasound.
Zhao Shuqing immediately started scrolling through her old classmates’ contacts. Many had switched from marine biology—some pursued graduate studies in other fields, others changed careers entirely. After messaging several, she finally secured the contact for an obstetrician at a modest hospital in a suburban county town.
The place wasn’t large, but it had few rules and could even check the baby’s gender—ideal for someone like Zhao Shuqing seeking a discreet ultrasound.
That left only the matter of coaxing Lin Feng to the hospital.
That evening, Zhao Shuqing splurged on a whole box of four durians.
She wasn’t fond of them herself, but when she had ordered a cake for delivery at noon, the shop had sent a durian daifuku by mistake. Lin Feng had never tried one before; her eyes lit up the instant she tasted it. She hadn’t said a word, but Zhao Shuqing could tell she loved it.
If she liked it that much, then buy it.
As Zhao Shuqing hauled the box into the elevator, she bumped into Xiao Qi, who was just back from school.
Xiao Qi craned her neck to peer at the box by Zhao Shuqing’s feet, then squatted down to poke it and sniff. “Whoa, it stinks!”
Xiao Qi’s mother gave her a light pat on the head. “Mind your manners—that’s durian.” She turned to Zhao Shuqing with a puzzled frown. “You like durian? You bought a ton. It’s not cheap this time of year, especially in winter.”
“It’s fine,” Zhao Shuqing replied with a smile. “Not all of it is for me, anyway.”
Xiao Qi’s mother blinked. “For the lady in Room 1707?”
Zhao Shuqing didn’t deny it and nodded.
Xiao Qi was dying to see what a durian looked like up close and trailed after Zhao Shuqing all the way home. Thoughtfully, she offered, “Sister, want some help? I can carry that for you.”
Zhao Shuqing chuckled and handed her the bag of apples. “Here, hold these apples then. They’re not heavy.”
Xiao Qi beamed with delight and bounced along beside her. Her mother glanced in the direction of Room 1707 and called out, “Be back before dinner.”
“Got it, Mom!” Xiao Qi replied cheerfully.
When the pair reached the door of Room 1707, Xiao Qi knocked and called inside, “Sister! Open up—we brought you some fruit!”
Zhao Shuqing, box in arms, chimed in, “No strangers here. Come on, let us in.”
Lin Feng took a long time to answer, but she finally cracked the door open.
Her gaze immediately fixed warily on Xiao Qi.
Xiao Qi tilted her head up to study Lin Feng’s face. Her eyes went wide, and she whipped around to Zhao Shuqing in astonishment. “It’s a mermaid!”
“Shh,” Zhao Shuqing hushed her. “Don’t shout. Let’s head inside first.”
This wasn’t Xiao Qi’s first encounter with Lin Feng, but it was the first time she remembered it clearly while sitting there. Without fussing, she perched obediently on the sofa and stared at Lin Feng with her big, bright eyes shining like little bulbs. After looking her fill, she said, “You’re different out of the water.”
Lin Feng bowed her head, weighing whether to make Xiao Qi forget what she had seen.
Her situation was too delicate right now—one more person who knew meant one more risk.
Just as Lin Feng started to meet Xiao Qi’s eyes, Zhao Shuqing emerged from the kitchen with a plate of durian.
“I stashed the rest in the freezer unopened,” she said, setting two plates on the table. She had caught Lin Feng on the verge of locking eyes with Xiao Qi and knew exactly what she had in mind.
While Xiao Qi was distracted by the durian, Zhao Shuqing gave Lin Feng’s clothing a subtle tug, motioning her over.
Lin Feng followed, puzzled, into the kitchen and looked up at her. “What is it?”
Zhao Shuqing smiled and took hold of Lin Feng’s hand. Before she could react, something was slipped into her palm. Glancing down, she saw it was a piece of fruit candy.
The familiar wrapper and flavor sent Lin Feng into a brief daze, transporting her back to their days at the oceanarium. Zhao Shuqing had always kept these on hand for her.
“Your old favorite—peach-flavored candy. I spotted it at the fruit shop and grabbed some,” Zhao Shuqing said softly. “Not sure if you still like it these days.”
Lin Feng stared down at the candy in her hand. The packaging had changed a bit—deeper colors, sleeker and more transparent—but it was unmistakably the same as before.
She clutched the candy tightly and murmured, “Why do you keep buying random stuff like this? Didn’t you say you were broke…”
“I’ve still got a little left,” Zhao Shuqing whispered. “As long as you like it.”
Lin Feng glanced up at her, crinkling the wrapper in her fist. “What’s the deal with Xiao Qi? She’ll remember what I look like. I can’t just meet people right now.”
Zhao Shuqing nodded. “I get it. I’ll talk to her in a bit and sort it out. But you can’t hole up inside forever, can you?”
She reached out and twirled a lock of Lin Feng’s pale long hair between her fingers. “After dinner, how about I dye your hair for you?” Smiling, she asked, “What color would you like?”
