Lin Feng’s voice was ethereal. As she sat beside Zhao Shuqing, her song seemed to pierce straight into the listener’s soul.
Her colleagues, who had just been ordering takeout, were instantly captivated by the melody. They stopped chatting and turned their heads to look.
Zhao Shuqing hadn’t expected Lin Feng to burst into song like that.
Perhaps it was because she was in a good mood today.
Or maybe the moonlight created a sense of peace and comfort.
In any case, Lin Feng held Zhao Shuqing’s hand and hummed softly. Unlike the bright, ringing tones from their time by the riverbank, this ethereal tune felt like a lullaby, slow and soothing, tugging gently at the heartstrings.
Zhao Shuqing’s heart clenched as she listened.
She felt certain she’d heard this unfamiliar melody somewhere before, but she couldn’t place it.
Lin Feng had her eyes closed, chin slightly raised, exposing the elegant curve of her pale, beautiful neck. Moonlight danced across the surface of the ecological pool, bathing both of them in its glow.
Her colleagues hurriedly pulled out their phones to record the moment. The entire laboratory fell silent, filled only with Lin Feng’s song under the moonlight.
When the melody finally faded, Lin Feng turned to Zhao Shuqing. Her blue eyes sparkled, as if silently asking whether she’d sung well.
Before Zhao Shuqing could respond, her colleagues erupted into enthusiastic applause. “That was beautiful, Lin Feng!” one shouted.
Lin Feng jumped in surprise. She glanced at the cheering humans in the distance, then looked cautiously at Zhao Shuqing.
Zhao Shuqing smiled at her. “You sang beautifully.”
Delighted, Lin Feng released Zhao Shuqing’s hand and dove into the pool, vanishing beneath the surface.
Seeing that Lin Feng wanted to rest, Zhao Shuqing didn’t disturb her. She packed away the medicines, grabbed some research materials, and headed back to her dormitory. She planned to use this free time to finish her paper.
When Zhao Shuqing returned to the dorm, Gu Yao still wasn’t back from next door. Zhao Shuqing raised an eyebrow, thinking those two might actually have something going.
After casually feeding the cat, Zhao Shuqing dove into organizing her materials. She worked busily until she glanced up and realized it was already past midnight. She quickly washed up and went to bed, unaware that she’d wake up trending online the next morning.
Merperson Song#
Merperson Debut#
Merperson and Keeper#
Several hot search terms dominated the top spots, with the first one leading by far. Clicking it open revealed a video posted by the oceanarium’s official account. In the clip, Lin Feng and Zhao Shuqing sat side by side by the ecological pool under the moonlight. Lin Feng tilted back her pale, lovely neck and sang toward the moon overhead.
Her body seemed coated in frost, her blue tail shimmering like a piece of flawless glass under the light.
The song in the video was enchanting and flowing, sung by a mermaid whose graceful form evoked the elves of legend.
【Oh my god, is that a merperson’s song? If I were a sailor, I’d be totally hooked.】
【Lin Feng is so beautiful. How can such a stunning creature exist in this world?】
【I’m so jealous of her keeper. Used to dream of raising a panda; now I want a merperson.】
【Wake up—whether it’s pandas or merpeople, you need a PhD to be a keeper.】
【……】
The moment Zhao Shuqing stepped into the laboratory, she felt eyes on her from all directions. She looked around curiously. “What’s going on? Why is everyone staring at me?”
Soon, her colleagues crowded around, shoving phones in her face to show her the trending videos.
Zhao Shuqing’s eyes widened as she stared at her screen. It was her first time ever trending.
“Is it okay to share Lin Feng’s appearance like this so quickly?” Zhao Shuqing asked worriedly after watching the video. After all, they’d only recently been kidnapped.
Ye Xun waved it off with a smile. “No worries. Those foreign operatives have been caught. Besides, once isolation ends, Lin Feng will head to the oceanarium to face visitors anyway. A little public exposure is good for her—and it’ll drive traffic to the oceanarium.”
Though their research funding came from the state, part of it was tied to the oceanarium’s revenue. Every sea expedition brought back new specimens to enrich the collections, so the institute was generous with grants.
Hearing that the operatives were in custody eased Zhao Shuqing’s mind. She watched the video of herself and Lin Feng sitting together, and her heart softened.
They actually looked pretty good as a pair.
Zhao Shuqing startled herself with the sudden thought. She quickly handed the phone back and got to work.
After a week of isolation observation and checkups, Lin Feng’s health had fully recovered. Following discussions with Ye Xun and the others, they decided to transfer her during the oceanarium’s Monday closure.
The announcement of Lin Feng’s arrival at the oceanarium had generated buzz worldwide. Some countries even loudly claimed the merperson was fake, dismissing videos and data outright.
The research institute’s response? Believe it or not.
On Monday, Zhao Shuqing arrived at the laboratory early. Xu Tang and Ye Xun had beaten her there. They greeted her as she entered. Zhao Shuqing nodded to Ye Xun before turning to Xu Tang with curiosity. “Senior Sister, what brings you here?”
She hadn’t seen Xu Tang or Gu Yao since that weekend group dinner.
Gu Yao had been pulling all-nighters on the Double Cisgender Plan, sometimes even sleeping at the lab. Zhao Shuqing had been busy too and hadn’t wanted to bother her. Still, she worried about her friend’s budding romance and wondered about the progress.
Gu Yao always changed the subject, though, so Zhao Shuqing hadn’t pushed.
Now, with Xu Tang right there, Zhao Shuqing couldn’t resist her gossiping urge. She wanted to know what had happened after she’d left that night.
“Senior Sister.”
Zhao Shuqing pulled Xu Tang aside quietly. “So… how are things with you and Gu Yao?”
Xu Tang feigned ignorance. “Things with what?”
Zhao Shuqing pressed on. “Nothing, just… after I left that night, did Gu Yao say anything to you? Did she upset you?”
Xu Tang kept her usual calm expression. “Nope. We finished eating and went home.”
Zhao Shuqing blinked. “Huh?”
Xu Tang eyed her. “What else did you think we might do after dinner?”
The question carried a risky edge. Zhao Shuqing hurried to clarify. “Nothing! I was just asking casually.”
Xu Tang shot her a sidelong glance before turning toward the prepared water tank by the ecological pool. “Worry less about this nonsense in the future. Time to get to work.”
Zhao Shuqing rubbed her nose awkwardly and followed Xu Tang to help out.
Lin Feng was quite upset at being returned to the cramped water tank. The ecological pool wasn’t huge, but it beat this box by far. Zhao Shuqing spent a long time soothing her before she understood this was just a “move” to an even bigger pool.
They transported Lin Feng—fish and water together—to the oceanarium. Zhao Shuqing could have handled it alone, but the curator, department heads, and even a couple of media reps were there. It needed some fanfare.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly. Zhao Shuqing watched as they wheeled the tank into the oceanarium’s work area, right in front of a vast ocean pool. Heavy iron bars separated the enclosures.
During operating hours, the marine life could roam freely. At closing, staff locked up select creatures to prevent damage in their absence.
Harmless small fish and shrimp didn’t get this treatment, so there were only about a dozen such pools for now.
Once they released Lin Feng into the pool, she splashed around a bit to adjust. Then she looked up at Zhao Shuqing, calling her name softly and nervously.
“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Zhao Shuqing stroked her head. “I’m right here. I’ll stay with you the whole time.”
Lin Feng watched her anxiously. Luckily, the bigwigs snapped their photos and left. Xu Tang, as the lead, had to accompany them and glanced back at Zhao Shuqing and Lin Feng before departing.
With everyone gone, Zhao Shuqing joined the oceanarium staff to help Lin Feng adjust and meet her new “colleagues.”
Dressed in a rubber wetsuit on the edge, Zhao Shuqing drew Lin Feng’s curious gaze at her all-black getup. Lin Feng draped herself over Zhao Shuqing’s lap, watching as she fitted on her fins and strapped on the oxygen tank. Zhao Shuqing chuckled and patted her cheek. “I’ll dive with you in a bit.”
Diving was no challenge for Zhao Shuqing. Geared up, she slipped into the water. Lin Feng startled when she plunged right in—humans were fragile in her mind, prone to drowning without her protection.
But this time, Zhao Shuqing seemed fine.
After adjusting underwater, Lin Feng circled her tensely, fearing she’d suffocate. Soon, though, Lin Feng realized the black suit let Zhao Shuqing breathe easily and relaxed.
Zhao Shuqing beckoned Lin Feng to follow into the deep zone, teeming with marine life. Lin Feng flicked her tail and swam after her. The two glided through the water—one black, one blue—like a pair of merpeople.
Perhaps driven by instinct, Lin Feng was mesmerized by the creatures ahead once they reached the depths. Her eyes widened in wonder as she glanced at Zhao Shuqing.
Zhao Shuqing blew a stream of bubbles and waved, signaling her to play freely.
Lin Feng hesitated, inching forward. Seeing no objection, she shot off like an undersea current, darting into a school of lazily milling fish.
Through her mask, Zhao Shuqing watched Lin Feng weave among them. The little fish clustered around the newcomer, swirling curiously as if inspecting her.
Lin Feng thrashed her tail freely, reveling in the open water.
Free.
Beautiful.
In the quiet depths, Zhao Shuqing seemed to hear the fish school’s cheers—and her own heart pounding wildly.
It had happened so many times.
Every time she saw Lin Feng, Zhao Shuqing’s pulse raced beyond control. She loved the dependent look in Lin Feng’s eyes, the way she orbited around her.
She loved her features, her grace.
Loved how she sat beside her, singing just for her.
Perhaps she had truly fallen for this beautiful mermaid.
