Chapter 38

Lin Feng hadn’t expected to run into Xu Tang at a time like this. Her eyes flew wide open, her entire body trembling.

She was furious.

She wanted to bite someone.

Lin Feng would never forget how Xu Tang had injured her. She’d despised this woman from the very beginning, and now she had the nerve to show up right in front of her?

Lin Feng gripped the bedsheet so hard she nearly tore it to shreds, but her weakened body left her too feeble to even sit up. All she could do was lie there, shooting daggers with her eyes.

Xu Tang couldn’t have cared less.

Zhao Shuqing didn’t even have a chance to catch Lin Feng’s glare. She stared at Xu Tang in surprise. “What did you say? Just ask Lin Feng directly?”

Of course—why hadn’t she thought of that herself?

The victim was a mermaid who could speak, after all. Asking her firsthand would reveal the details far more quickly.

Xu Tang strode into the ward. Zhao Shuqing noticed the clownfish in the nearby fish tank—which had been calmly swimming moments before—suddenly thrashing about, churning up waves as if terrified.

By then, Xu Tang had reached Lin Feng’s bedside. She loomed over the mermaid with a superior air.

Lin Feng’s gaze burned with murderous intent, as if she could devour her whole. Yet Xu Tang only smiled in silence.

Meeting Lin Feng’s eyes steadily, she spoke in a tongue no human ear could detect. “You wouldn’t want Shuqing to uncover your little secret, would you?”

Lin Feng froze. Her eyes flicked to Zhao Shuqing, who stood just behind Xu Tang.

Catching the mermaid’s gaze, Zhao Shuqing hurried over and patted her tail soothingly. “It’s all right. I’m right here.”

That’s exactly the problem—you’re here.

Lin Feng shot Xu Tang one last resentful glare. Her lashes quivered as she dropped her eyes.

Feigning the detachment of a mere bystander, Xu Tang asked, “Did the orca hurt you?”

Lin Feng was so incensed she wanted to lash out.

Xu Tang let out a soft chuckle. Glancing back at Zhao Shuqing with an amused glint, she said, “Looks like she really doesn’t like me.”

Zhao Shuqing eyed the pair curiously. The vibe between them felt off. Sure, Lin Feng disliked every human but her, yet this went beyond mere distaste—it was pure venom.

Like the territorial standoff between two of the same species.

How odd.

Zhao Shuqing frowned to herself. Why on earth was she picturing Lin Feng and Xu Tang as rivals battling over turf?

Before she could puzzle it out, Xu Tang leaned down and brushed her fingers against Lin Feng’s cheek and the corner of her mouth.

Zhao Shuqing went rigid. So did Lin Feng.

“Senior Sister, hold on—” Zhao Shuqing started, fearing the mermaid might snap in a panic. She meant to warn Xu Tang not to touch her, but Lin Feng showed no sign of attacking. Instead, she stared at Xu Tang in stunned shock.

Xu Tang traced her thumb along the mermaid’s lip. Lin Feng seethed with rage and revulsion, whipping her head aside—but Xu Tang gently pried her lips apart, exposing the razor-sharp teeth beneath.

“Good thing it was just your tail this time,” Xu Tang murmured to her, the words loaded with warning. “Next time you misbehave, who knows what might get hurt? Isn’t that right, Lin Feng?”

Lin Feng swatted her hand away and lunged to bite, but Zhao Shuqing darted forward and pinned her gently to the bed.

“Easy now, easy,” Zhao Shuqing soothed, positioning herself to block Lin Feng’s view of Xu Tang. Her fingers trailed softly over the mermaid’s cheek—the exact spot Xu Tang had touched—her voice a tender whisper. “I’m here. Be good.”

Lin Feng felt utterly wronged. Her eyes welled up as she spat, “Disgusting!”

Xu Tang snickered from behind Zhao Shuqing.

Lin Feng was so mad she could cry.

A headache throbbed behind Zhao Shuqing’s eyes. She drew Lin Feng into her arms. The mermaid buried her face in Zhao Shuqing’s chest, sobbing as if she’d been deeply wounded.

“Senior Sister,” Zhao Shuqing said, frowning over her shoulder at Xu Tang, who lounged casually nearby. She felt utterly overwhelmed. With a helpless sigh, she added, “Sorry about this. Could you head back for now? I’ll catch up with you later when I have time.”

Xu Tang arched a brow. Her goal for the visit was accomplished. She slanted a final smirk at Lin Feng. “Sure. I’ll leave you to it.”

Once Xu Tang was gone, Zhao Shuqing tilted Lin Feng’s tear-streaked face up. The mermaid looked like a drenched kitten, and Zhao Shuqing couldn’t suppress a wry smile. “Come on, it was just a touch from Senior Sister. Was it really that awful?”

Lin Feng just felt even more aggrieved.

Sobbing, she choked out, “Bad woman!”

It was impossible to tell if she meant Zhao Shuqing or Xu Tang.

In her fury, Lin Feng wolfed down four big steamed buns for breakfast—not leaving a single one for Zhao Shuqing. Luckily, the buns filled her up so much that she barely touched her soy milk, leaving enough for Zhao Shuqing to have a cup and stave off hunger.

Gazing at Lin Feng on the bed, Zhao Shuqing sighed in resignation and went to fetch the doctor for a wound check.

Zhao Shuqing stood by during the exam, clasping Lin Feng’s hand and murmuring reassurances. Thankfully, the care over the past few days had done its work; the injury was mending nicely.

“Shuqing~”

No sooner had the doctor left than Gu Yao breezed in.

She spotted Lin Feng right away and beamed, her eyes crinkling. “Morning, Lin Feng~”

Lin Feng blinked. She remembered this one—Zhao Shuqing’s neighbor.

“Hello,” Lin Feng replied stiffly.

Zhao Shuqing was peeling a peach. Lin Feng was fussy about it: she craved the fruit but hated the skin and preferred only the crispest bites. With a resigned nod, Zhao Shuqing peeled it clean and diced it into tiny chunks.

Glancing up at Gu Yao, she asked, “What brings you here out of the blue?”

“I heard Lin Feng got hurt, so I came to check on her,” Gu Yao explained. Mindful of the mermaid’s aversion to anyone but Zhao Shuqing, she dragged a chair over from the side and sat a full meter from the bed.

Zhao Shuqing finished peeling and sliced the flesh. The knife clinked sharply against the plate.

“You’re too late,” Zhao Shuqing said coolly. “My Senior Sister just left.”

“Huh?” Gu Yao blinked. “When? I didn’t see her.”

Zhao Shuqing checked the clock. “Maybe an hour and a half ago.”

Gu Yao gaped. “And that’s ‘just’ left??”

“Close enough.”

Gu Yao: “…”

She slumped with a sigh, slinging an arm over Zhao Shuqing’s shoulder. “Shuqing, your Senior Sister is impossible to pin down. I’ve been camping under her dormitory every night and never spot her. I was starting to think she had a secret apartment somewhere.”

Zhao Shuqing handled the extra weight without missing a beat, neatly cubing peaches for Lin Feng. She nestled the plate in the mermaid’s lap. “When she’s swamped, Senior Sister crashes at the office nonstop. No wonder you missed her downstairs.”

“But I checked—she’s had barely any work lately and still skips the dorm.” Gu Yao’s face fell. “Shuqing, did you ask her? You know, about whether she really likes someone.”

Zhao Shuqing froze.

Gu Yao narrowed her eyes. “You forgot, didn’t you???”

Zhao Shuqing offered an awkward grin. Guilty as charged.

“Not totally,” she said, watching Lin Feng spear peach bits with a toothpick. Turning to Gu Yao, she continued, “Lin Feng’s incident threw me off track. Tell you what—next time I grab coffee alone with Senior Sister, I’ll pump her for details.”

Gu Yao should have lit up, but she went quiet instead.

At length, she let out a heavy sigh.

“Shuqing, I think I’m out of luck.” Eyes downcast, Gu Yao murmured, “True or not about that crush, she just isn’t into me. You can’t force a melon to be sweet, and I don’t want her resenting me.”

Zhao Shuqing studied her, hesitating. “If that’s how you feel, maybe next time I could set you up with someone else? Another girl?”

Gu Yao shook her head. “Nah. Not in the mood for romance right now. Work’s burying me alive.”

That opened the floodgates. Gu Yao launched into a rant.

“Who even knows the point of this Double Cisgender Plan? We’ve run trials over and over—right on the cusp of success, and they yank the plug to start from scratch. Now they’re talking about smashing through reproductive barriers.” She threw up her hands. “Unless the species are near-identical, conception’s a pipe dream.”

Zhao Shuqing half-listened, tossing in an “mm-hmm” now and then. Gene engineering was Greek to her; Gu Yao’s gripes mostly sailed over her head.

But Gu Yao didn’t need comprehension—just a sounding board.

They chatted by the bed for over half an hour. Lin Feng finished her peaches and stared blankly at Gu Yao’s flapping lips, straining to parse the words.

Seizing a breath between sentences, Zhao Shuqing poured her a cup of water. “You must be parched.”

Gu Yao gulped it down. “Thirsty? Sure—but I loathe our professor even more.”

Lin Feng’s eyes widened a fraction. She eyed Gu Yao’s cup, then swiveled to Zhao Shuqing.

Just two cups sat in the room: Lin Feng’s and Zhao Shuqing’s. Gu Yao had claimed the latter, with neither owner batting an eye. She drained it and set it down.

Gu Yao rose. “Gotta run—half-day off today, and I’ve got supermarket errands. Catch you next time.”

Zhao Shuqing escorted her to the door. “Can’t get away these days. Mind doing me a favor?”

“Name it,” Gu Yao said brightly.

Zhao Shuqing smiled. “Swing by the library for some picture books? I’d like to read to Lin Feng tonight.”

Gu Yao snapped her fingers. “Done. Before lunch.”

Zhao Shuqing grinned as Gu Yao departed, then returned to the room.

Lin Feng propped herself on the pillows, fixing her with an unblinking stare. Zhao Shuqing cocked her head. “What’s with the intense look? Something on your mind?”

Lin Feng averted her eyes and jabbed a finger at the used cup. “Yours.”

“Yeah, that’s mine.” Zhao Shuqing sat on the bed’s edge, baffled. “What about it? You want my cup?”

Lin Feng agonized in silence, then dipped her chin. “Want.”

Zhao Shuqing blinked in surprise. A cup was no big deal—if Lin Feng wanted it, fine by her. Still, the mermaid’s germaphobia nagged at her; Gu Yao had just drunk from it, and while she didn’t care, her little Mermaid Miss might.

“Want me to wash it first?” Zhao Shuqing proposed. “Or get you a brand-new one?”

Lin Feng shook her head with determination. “This one.”

Zhao Shuqing shrugged, bemused but indulgent. With a soft laugh, she said, “All right. It’s yours.”