Chapter 133

On the day they went to the hospital, Lin Feng seemed perfectly fine, but Zhao Shuqing looked a bit off. She was visibly flustered, her entire demeanor jittery. Even inside the hospital, she remained tense, her fingers ice-cold while her palms were slick with sweat.

“There, there,” Lin Feng said, turning the tables to comfort her. “You don’t need to worry. Dr. Luo said this is just a simple little procedure, right? Why are you so nervous?”

Zhao Shuqing’s heart was racing wildly. She gripped Lin Feng’s hand and said, “I’m scared something might go wrong.”

Lin Feng gazed at her and leaned in for a hug.

“What are you afraid of?” Lin Feng rested her head on Zhao Shuqing’s shoulder, her voice soft and soothing. “It’s only a checkup. Trust me—everything will be fine.”

Zhao Shuqing’s heart still pounded, her grip on Lin Feng’s hand trembling slightly.

Dr. Luo approached and saw the two of them all lovey-dovey. She assumed it was Lin Feng who was nervous and came over to reassure her. “It’s okay. The procedure is minor and painless. Your vitals are excellent, so there’s no need to worry too much.”

Lin Feng turned to Zhao Shuqing. “Hear that? The doctor says I’m fine.”

Only then did Dr. Luo realize the nervous one was someone else entirely.

“You two have such a sweet relationship,” Dr. Luo said with a smile. “Most people are indifferent about this sort of thing—maybe they’ll hold a bag or something for their partner. It’s rare to see someone more anxious than the patient herself.”

Lin Feng chimed in, “See? Even Dr. Luo is teasing you.”

Dr. Luo quickly clarified, “Not at all. It’s a good thing when a couple gets along so well.”

At first, Dr. Luo had been a bit concerned about taking on a mermaid patient—would it be dangerous? But after interacting with Lin Feng, she found this mermaid nothing like the ferocious creatures from her preconceptions. Lin Feng was clever, spirited, and even a little adorable. No wonder Chen Huijun had asked her to help out.

Today, Dr. Luo had cleared her entire schedule of surgeries and appointments just to personally examine Lin Feng. After all, a pregnant mermaid was probably the only one of her kind in the world.

Once Lin Feng had calmed Zhao Shuqing down, Dr. Luo had a nurse bring her a cup of hot water. Then she led Lin Feng into the procedure room.

“Relax. We’ll start by locating the babies,” Dr. Luo said as she slipped on gloves. She ran the ultrasound over Lin Feng first to check on the two little fish. They were developing beautifully.

Twins were usually competitive, vying for nutrients from the mother, which often resulted in one being larger and the other smaller. In the worst cases, the stronger one would outright devour the weaker, absorbing it as fuel.

But Lin Feng’s two little fish were well-behaved. They were almost exactly the same size, with no disparity, and according to Lin Feng, they rarely stirred in her belly—obedient to an astonishing degree.

“They’re definitely two good babies,” Dr. Luo said warmly once she’d pinpointed their positions. “Don’t be nervous. We’re starting now.”

After more than an hour of examination and treatment, Lin Feng finally emerged from the room at the end of the corridor.

Zhao Shuqing jumped up and hurried over. She scanned Lin Feng from head to toe for a long while, then cupped her face to check her temperature. Finding everything in order, she finally relaxed.

Dr. Luo watched the pair from nearby. Once their affectionate moment ended, she spoke up. “The lab results will take three days. For now, sit and observe for an hour. If there’s no issue, you can head home. I’ll notify you when the results are in.”

Zhao Shuqing nodded eagerly. “Thank you, Doctor.”

Dr. Luo nodded and went off to tend to her other duties. Zhao Shuqing helped Lin Feng to a chair and sat her down.

“It didn’t hurt at all,” Lin Feng told her. “Just a weird sensation—hard to describe. Anyway, it’s done. We can go home soon.”

“Okay,” Zhao Shuqing said. “What do you want to eat? We can pick something up on the way.”

“I want hotpot,” Lin Feng said, rubbing her belly.

The recent checkup must have woken the two little fish. No sooner had she spoken than Lin Feng felt a light kick against her palm through her skin. She couldn’t tell which twin it was, but it seemed to approve of their mother’s choice.

“See?” Lin Feng said delightedly to Zhao Shuqing. “The little fish want it too.”

“Okay,” Zhao Shuqing murmured, leaning in to kiss Lin Feng’s forehead tenderly. “Whatever you want.”

After the hour of observation, they left the hospital. The results weren’t in yet, but Zhao Shuqing inexplicably felt at ease. Whatever was growing inside Lin Feng, she had already accepted it with joy.

She hoped the results would be good.

Lin Feng didn’t want to draw attention on the way out, so she’d worn a hat, mask, and scarf, topped off with a black down jacket that reached her ankles. She was bundled up tight.

Even the hotpot restaurant owner didn’t suspect a thing.

Not entirely comfortable with Lin Feng eating in the main area, Zhao Shuqing booked a private room for extra safety.

Once inside, Lin Feng shed her “disguise.” She touched the light-colored hair sprouting at her crown and asked worriedly, “It’s getting more obvious, isn’t it?”

Her hair hadn’t grown much longer, but the pale roots were visible at the top of her head—easy to spot without a hat.

Lin Feng tugged at a strand. “Maybe I should tie it up. That way no one would see.”

Zhao Shuqing, who had been perusing the menu, laughed. “If you cover the top, won’t the back of your head show? What’s the difference?”

Lin Feng paused, then touched the nape of her neck. Sure enough, pale roots were emerging there too. She let out an “Ah!” of shock.

Zhao Shuqing couldn’t help but chuckle. She ordered Lin Feng’s favorite vegetables and seafood, then handed over the phone. “See what else you want.”

Lin Feng glanced at it and added a few items. Once done, she looked anxiously at Zhao Shuqing. “Do you still have money?”

Zhao Shuqing blinked. “?”

Lin Feng explained, “I eat so much every day, no medical insurance for the checkups, and you just bought that cat tree. Do you still have money left?”

Zhao Shuqing hadn’t expected Lin Feng to worry about insurance. She shook her head with a wry smile. “Don’t worry. I’ve got enough for hotpot, at least.”

Reassured, Lin Feng relaxed—but still ordered only half portions.

Zhao Shuqing was strapped for cash these days, and Lin Feng didn’t contribute while eating for three. From now on, she’d have to restrain herself. After all, there were little fish to feed.

When the food arrived, Zhao Shuqing realized how stingy Lin Feng had been with the half portions. She sneakily added more dishes while Lin Feng wasn’t looking, letting her eat until her belly was round and full.

Satisfied and with two cups of milk tea in hand, the pair strolled down the winter street under warm sunlight.

The familiar scenery lined the roads. Lin Feng pointed across the way. “I sang to you by that river.” Then to the garden: “We watched people do square dancing there.” And to a secluded park corner: “And we… mmph.”

Zhao Shuqing clapped a hand over her mouth to stop anything too embarrassing.

“You can look, but don’t say it so loud,” Zhao Shuqing warned. “Especially about the little park. No one can know.”

Lin Feng blinked and nodded obediently.

When Zhao Shuqing released her, Lin Feng said smugly, “You started it that time.”

Zhao Shuqing glanced at the passersby, then tugged her behind the flower bed into a small grove.

Soft lips tasted of sweet milk tea. Zhao Shuqing cradled Lin Feng’s face and kissed her for a while, then licked her lips with the tip of her tongue. “Too sweet. Next time, half sugar?”

Lin Feng disagreed, mumbling, “It’s not sweet at all.”

Zhao Shuqing dipped her head again, capturing her lips as they hid behind the bushes.

The little fish was lying—it was plenty sweet.

Just a greenery strip away, people hurried by. Lin Feng felt shy and pushed gently at Zhao Shuqing, whispering, “Someone might see.”

Her soft voice tickled Zhao Shuqing’s heart. She stole another kiss, then took Lin Feng’s hand. “Shall we walk along the riverbank?”

Back by the shimmering water, Lin Feng felt an urge to dive in. But she couldn’t now—she couldn’t shift back to mermaid form until the little fish were born.

It wasn’t such a bad thing, though.

At least she could sit beside Zhao Shuqing, basking in the sun together.

“What for dinner?” Lin Feng asked, fishing for conversation.

Zhao Shuqing held her hand and rattled off a few dish names. Lin Feng fell quiet, resting her head on Zhao Shuqing’s shoulder without moving. By the time Zhao Shuqing noticed, Lin Feng had dozed off.

Warm golden sunlight gilded her cheeks and lashes, tinting Lin Feng’s face with platinum.

River light sparkled brightly. The only sounds were the wind and her companion’s faint breaths.

In that moment, Zhao Shuqing’s mind wandered far. But gazing at Lin Feng’s sleeping face, she thought life could pause right here forever.

Not wanting to disturb her, Zhao Shuqing held still. She quietly pulled out her phone to record a short video and snap a perfectly angled photo, which she set as her wallpaper—for daily viewing.

Lin Feng slept soundly but woke quickly, stirring after half an hour with little hums.

The sun had dipped westward, making the river even more dazzling.

She rubbed her eyes, sat up, stretched lazily, and rubbed her waist. “I fell asleep—why didn’t you wake me?”

“No rush to get home,” Zhao Shuqing said, massaging her waist. She leaned in to kiss Lin Feng’s pink earlobe and whispered, “I heard you snoring.”

Lin Feng blinked. “?”

Lin Feng: “Impossible. I never snore.”

Zhao Shuqing nodded solemnly, teasing. “Really. Snoring and drooling. I got proof—look.”

She pretended to show the phone.

Terrified, Lin Feng refused to look. When she saw no drool or snoring in the photo, she punched Zhao Shuqing playfully a few times.

Bad woman.

They meandered home. Lin Feng headed upstairs for a rest, but Dr. Luo had said no baths for three days. She washed her face, changed into loose pajamas, and emerged from the bathroom.

She gathered her dirty clothes to take to the laundry room on the first floor, just as Zhao Shuqing had taught her: check all pockets, separate lights from darks into different baskets.

As she finished sorting and turned to leave, Pumpkin dropped from above with a splat onto the floor. Mouth full of something shiny, the cat sauntered toward her with narrowed eyes.

Lin Feng yelped, “Ah!”

Zhao Shuqing rushed out at the scream. The culprit cat had already dropped its prize and fled. “Are you okay? Did it scare you?”

Shaken, Lin Feng threw herself into Zhao Shuqing’s arms and pointed at the shiny object on the floor.

Zhao Shuqing held her close and glanced over—then couldn’t look away. She recognized it instantly: a Research Institute aluminum ID badge, emblazoned with two familiar characters—Gu Yao.