Chapter 154

Zhao Shuqing had never seen Xu Tang’s tail before. She knew that every mermaid’s tail was slightly different in color—some were silver-white, others blue or even red—but she never imagined Xu Tang’s would be a dull gray-black.

More than the tail itself, though, Zhao Shuqing was fixated on the deep gashes that exposed bone along its length. Most had been treated, but some that Gu Yao probably hadn’t known how to handle were left with the pale flesh flipped open, looking utterly horrifying.

“This is…” Zhao Shuqing’s pupils trembled as she blurted out involuntarily, “How did it end up like this? Aren’t you one of the mermaid leaders?”

Xu Tang remained as calm and composed as ever. She folded her hands over her abdomen and looked up at the woman before her. “You’ve probably heard by now that there’s been a schism among the mermaids. A group of us were forced to leave the cruise ship.”

Forced might have been putting it mildly, judging by Xu Tang’s condition—it clearly hadn’t been an easy departure.

Xu Tang caught the meaning in Zhao Shuqing’s eyes and gave a soft smile. “After spending so long in human society, it’s easy to lose track of whether you’re a person or a fish. They wanted to build a brand-new nation, and since I disagreed, they kicked me out. I probably won’t ever be going back.”

Hearing this woman brush off such a monumental event so casually left Zhao Shuqing with deeply mixed feelings.

On one hand, she still remembered the injuries Lin Feng had suffered at this woman’s hands. On the other, Xu Tang in this state seemed genuinely pitiable. In the end, all the mermaids had ever wanted was to survive. They hadn’t committed any true crimes—their only mistake had been their methods.

If peaceful coexistence had been possible from the start, none of the later tragedies would have happened.

But what was done was done. Regrets wouldn’t change anything now. Zhao Shuqing tore her gaze away from the tail and shot Gu Yao a fierce glare. She grabbed her friend’s wrist and yanked her out of the room.

“Tell me the truth—what exactly is going on between you two?”

At the apartment door, Zhao Shuqing crossed her arms and fixed Gu Yao with a stern look, ready to lay into her.

Gu Yao nervously scratched the back of her head, then decided honesty was the best policy.

“That time I got into a fight with the folks at the laboratory and twisted my ankle on the way home? That’s when I found Xu Tang hiding in the stairwell. I thought about calling the cops, but she was hurt so bad—covered in blood, with even deeper wounds on her tail than now. I figured she was done for, so…”

“So you brought her home?”

Seeing Gu Yao nod, Zhao Shuqing was so furious that she paced back and forth in place twice before whirling on her. “No matter what, we should call the police first.”

The moment Gu Yao heard that Zhao Shuqing hadn’t reported it yet, she jumped up and clutched her wrist. “No, no, no—let’s talk this out! Xu Tang’s already been abandoned by her own kind. Reporting her now would just be kicking her when she’s down!”

Zhao Shuqing shot back, “Even if it’s kicking her when she’s down, it’s still better than watching you get played for a fool.”

Gu Yao was hopping mad, desperate to explain that she wasn’t the one being played—Xu Tang had been unconscious, and Gu Yao had carried her home herself. But Zhao Shuqing was resolute. She pulled out her phone and dialed. Gu Yao’s eyes turned red-rimmed.

Half an hour later, Yue Jiuchu arrived.

She wasn’t in her military uniform today, opting instead for black casual clothes paired with black boots and a leather jacket. She looked sharp and cool.

Of course, her expression darkened the instant she saw Xu Tang.

Yue Jiuchu silently took in Xu Tang and her massive gray-black tail, then glanced at Gu Yao—who was shrinking behind Zhao Shuqing like a scolded child. She rubbed her temples with a headache and let out a sigh.

In the end, Yue Jiuchu called for an ambulance. The paramedics arrived first, loading the severely injured Xu Tang onto a stretcher and taking her away.

Xu Tang must have been in serious pain; even small movements left her face deathly pale. Zhao Shuqing had no idea how Gu Yao had managed to care for her these past few days—or how she’d dared leave her alone at home.

Gu Yao watched helplessly as the ambulance hauled Xu Tang away. She even asked Yue Jiuchu, “Where are you taking her? Can I come along?”

Yue Jiuchu gave her an up-and-down look and replied with a beaming smile, “There are indeed some questions we need to ask you.”

Gu Yao: “…”

Watching both of them get carted off, Zhao Shuqing thought it over and decided to drive after them. Gu Yao was her friend, after all—she needed to make sure everything turned out okay. It cost her the entire afternoon, but she finally got the full story sorted out.

Originally, Xu Tang had planned to hand over the Immortality Enzyme as a last resort, in exchange for a safe haven. But not all the mermaids agreed—many thought foreign developed nations offered better prospects than their own country. So they opted for a bidding war, partnering with whoever gave the best deal.

That approach wasn’t unreasonable on its face. But once aboard the cruise ship, Xu Tang learned they intended to tamper with the core technology of the miraculous Immortality Enzyme, ensuring only they could control it. She objected vehemently. The argument escalated, and in the end, the majority of mermaids decided to deceive everyone and forcibly booted her off the ship.

After falling into the water and sustaining injuries, Xu Tang barely escaped with her life. She swam to shore, hid away to recover her wounds in secret, and somehow ended up in Gu Yao’s apartment building. She rested in the stairwell for a few days before Gu Yao discovered her and brought her home.

Watching Xu Tang—pale-faced but speaking with clear logic—Zhao Shuqing strongly suspected the mermaid was playing the victim to win Gu Yao’s sympathy.

By the time the ordeal wrapped up, night had fallen. Gu Yao wanted to stay overnight for “observation,” but Zhao Shuqing warned Yue Jiuchu not to go too hard on her. Yue Jiuchu gave her a meaningful smile but made no promises, shooing her out.

Zhao Shuqing didn’t get home until after 11 p.m. She’d left Lin Feng a message about working late. Seeing only the living room light glowing dimly in the villa, she assumed Lin Feng had fallen asleep.

But the moment she pushed open the door, she spotted a figure sitting on the sofa with their back to her. The TV murmured softly with a nature documentary. Hearing the sound, the figure turned, draping herself over the back of the sofa to peer at Zhao Shuqing. “You’re back.”

Zhao Shuqing froze, struck by the guilty feeling of a teenager caught sneaking in after curfew by her wife. Her heart tightened instinctively, and she sniffed herself for any trace of another mermaid’s scent.

Oblivious, Lin Feng yawned and rose to approach her. “The aunties have all turned in. I was worried you’d be super late, so I waited here. You…”

Suddenly, Lin Feng halted and fixed her gaze on Zhao Shuqing. Zhao Shuqing’s heart skipped; she took an involuntary step back and hurried to explain. “There was a lot going on at the laboratory today. You know it’s just me and Gu Yao left now, so we…”

Halfway through, Zhao Shuqing caught Lin Feng’s expression. Those sea-blue eyes flickered slightly as Lin Feng clutched the blanket on her shoulders, staring intently. She was listening very seriously to Zhao Shuqing’s lie.

“…Sorry.” Zhao Shuqing stepped forward, taking Lin Feng’s hand. “I didn’t mean to lie. I just didn’t want you worrying.”

Lin Feng wrinkled her nose. Softly, she asked, “You ran into Xu Tang?”

Zhao Shuqing nodded and recounted the entire day’s events honestly. When she finished, she lifted Lin Feng’s cool fingertips to her lips and kissed them. In a low voice, she said, “The military’s handling it now. You don’t need to worry too much.”

Lin Feng’s pupils shifted faintly. After a long pause, she asked, “Xu Tang… got abandoned by the mermaids too?”

Zhao Shuqing considered it. “You could say that. Her injuries are pretty severe—the doctors say it’s not looking good.”

“Will she die?” Lin Feng pressed.

“I don’t know,” Zhao Shuqing admitted truthfully. “Her condition’s complicated. I have no idea if she’ll pull through, but her days ahead won’t be easy, that’s for sure.”

Lin Feng bowed her head, lost in thought.

“Enough of that.” Zhao Shuqing rubbed her cheek and shrugged off her jacket. “I’m going to take a shower, then we can hit the hay. It’s late.”

In the shower, Zhao Shuqing scrubbed extra thoroughly, washing away every faint mermaid scent she couldn’t even detect herself. She emerged from the bathroom smelling sweetly of lily body wash, only to find Lin Feng already in bed.

All that scrubbing for nothing. Zhao Shuqing sniffed her arm, sighed helplessly, and slipped under the covers. She pulled her wife into her arms and drifted off—unaware that Lin Feng lay awake all night.

The next morning, Lin Feng rose early and headed upstairs to check on Older Sister and Younger Sister.

The little fishes had grown so well lately, plump and rosy from the nannies’ care. Their tiny arms and hands were adorably chubby, like little rolled-up hams, and they smelled sweetly of milk. The moment they saw Lin Feng, they burst into giggles.

Lin Feng picked up a bottle and fed Younger Sister. The baby nestled in her arms, big eyes unblinking as she stared up, sucking vigorously with puffed cheeks.

Younger Sister’s eyes were pitch-black, just like Zhao Shuqing’s—inky depths that sparkled with light. Lin Feng saw her own reflection in them and leaned down to kiss the baby’s forehead.

“Hmm… mm…”

Without realizing, Older Sister—who was lying nearby with her head tilted—spotted Lin Feng kissing her sister. She huffed and kicked her stubby legs, reaching out jealously. She clearly wanted a kiss too.

Older Sister huffed and puffed in envy, her little face turning red, but she couldn’t budge an inch. Just as tears seemed imminent, Zhao Shuqing pushed open the door.

“I figured you’d be here.” Yawning, Zhao Shuqing walked over and scooped up the fussing Older Sister. She patted the baby’s back soothingly. “I could hear a little piggy oinking the second I walked in. Let me see—which piggy is it? Oh, it’s not a piggy, it’s a little fish!”

Older Sister might not have understood a word, but seeing Zhao Shuqing smile made her grin back, eyes squinting into happy slits.

“Are you heading out today?” Lin Feng asked. She’d finished feeding Younger Sister and now held her against her shoulder, gently patting her back while glancing at Zhao Shuqing.

“Hm? Oh, yeah, probably.” Zhao Shuqing paused to process—Lin Feng was asking about going to see Yue Jiuchu. After all, Gu Yao was her friend; they weren’t ride-or-die, but they’d been through thick and thin. Zhao Shuqing had to check on her.

Lin Feng looked up at her with those beautiful eyes. “Can I come with you?”