The room was very quiet.
Lin Feng stared calmly at the door, watching the shadow in the crack. Someone was standing outside, but they had not knocked.
The clownfish in the fish tank blew a bubble, then sensed something and quickly darted behind the fake rock.
The person outside stood there for five minutes before finally speaking.
“Lin Feng, I know you’re in there.”
It was Xu Tang’s voice.
Xu Tang wore a white blouse and black wide-leg pants, with a simple square shoulder bag and ordinary little leather shoes. Anyone who saw her would think she was just an average office worker.
Only Lin Feng knew how dangerous she truly was.
Xu Tang seemed to realize Lin Feng had no intention of opening the door. She knew the passcode to Zhao Shuqing’s room, but unlocking it would send a notification to Zhao Shuqing’s side. For now, she did not want Zhao Shuqing to know about this.
She spoke to Lin Feng inside. “I know I can’t hide this from you, and I don’t plan to. After all, you and I are the only ones of our kind.”
Lin Feng snapped angrily from inside. “Who the hell is ‘one of your kind’?”
Xu Tang laughed, staring at the door. “Whether you admit it or not, you have to accept it. This plan started the moment you were fished out of the water. I advise you to stop struggling.”
Lin Feng ignored her.
Xu Tang paused, then continued. “I remember your tail is almost healed, right?”
Lin Feng froze, glaring fixedly at the door. “What do you want?”
“It’s not what I want—it’s what you want.” Xu Tang’s tone softened as she addressed Lin Feng. “I don’t want Zhao Shuqing to know you can grow legs. That’s the biggest secret of our entire race. If you can’t keep it hidden, I’ll have to find another way to injure you this time.”
Lin Feng burned with anger. She recalled that day when her wound had healed and she’d excitedly grown legs to find Zhao Shuqing, only to be stopped by Xu Tang.
The pain of her tail being torn brought a pallor to Lin Feng’s face. She knew Xu Tang was ruthless—she would follow through on her threats.
This time, she might even chop off Lin Feng’s tail entirely, ensuring she could never have legs again.
Xu Tang sensed the shift in emotion inside and chuckled softly. She reached out and stroked the doorframe. “Don’t worry. As long as you do what we ask and stay disguised as a mere fish, I won’t hurt you.”
Xu Tang added, “Not only will I not hurt you, I can promise I won’t harm Zhao Shuqing either.”
Lin Feng hesitated before asking, “Can I trust you?”
“Of course.” Xu Tang’s smile was gentle. “She’s someone I care about too. Why would I ever hurt her?”
Lin Feng bristled at the words, jealousy flaring as she shot back. “Zhao Shuqing is mine!”
Xu Tang raised an eyebrow and smiled noncommittally.
The laugh grated on Lin Feng’s ears. Fortunately, Xu Tang seemed to have said everything she wanted. She turned to leave.
“Wait!”
Lin Feng suddenly called out to her. “Does it have to be Gu Yao? Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell her everything?”
Xu Tang thought for two seconds before replying softly. “I can’t stop you, but I must warn you: if you really tell her everything, Zhao Shuqing won’t look at you the same way anymore.”
“In her eyes, you’d be a freak—a murderer of humans.” Xu Tang pressed her. “Would Zhao Shuqing still love someone like that?”
Lin Feng fell silent. She knew that if the truth ever came out, it would be the day she and Zhao Shuqing parted forever.
Xu Tang left after that. Lin Feng sat in her chair, lost in a daze for a long time.
She loved Zhao Shuqing, and Zhao Shuqing loved her. That much was certain.
If she remained a mermaid and Zhao Shuqing kept treating her like a harmless pet, perhaps they really could be together forever.
Mermaids lived for five hundred years. Even if Zhao Shuqing lived a long human life, it would only be a century at most—seventy years with Lin Feng.
Seventy years was a lifetime for a human, but for a mermaid, it was merely a seventh of her life.
Lin Feng stared at the clownfish hiding behind the fake rock. She had no idea what to do.
Loving someone meant telling her everything without reservation. But what if it concerned her entire race?
How would Zhao Shuqing see her then?
How would she view a mermaid who had deceived the entire world…
Zhao Shuqing ordered a strangely flavored grilled fish at the shop, selecting the plumpest Qingjiang fish. She had the staff prepare it and pack it to go.
Gu Yao paid the bill, glancing nervously toward the door, eagerly awaiting Xu Tang’s arrival.
Zhao Shuqing munched on sunflower seeds and remarked, “Hey, Gu Yao, you really like my Senior Sister that much? She’s not even the prettiest one at our Research Institute.”
Gu Yao shot her a sideways glance. “What do you know? Xu Tang has that intellectual beauty—mature and smart. Even if she’s not the prettiest, she’s the most beautiful.”
Got it.
Gu Yao was a sapiosexual—the smarter, the better.
Zhao Shuqing shook her head with a wry smile. Just then, she spotted Xu Tang entering in a black-and-white outfit. She kicked Gu Yao under the table to signal her arrival.
Xu Tang noticed the two sitting there and smiled faintly before walking over.
Zhao Shuqing had planned to greet her with Gu Yao, but when she turned, she saw Gu Yao’s face flushed red, clutching her skirt so tightly it might tear. Zhao Shuqing patted her hand and whispered, “What’s wrong? No need to be that nervous, right?”
Gu Yao looked at her pleadingly. “Shuqing, don’t leave. Stay with me. Wuwu, I’m dying of nerves here!”
Zhao Shuqing pulled a face. “What’s the point of me sticking around for your date? Be the third wheel? Lin Feng’s waiting for me to bring back grilled fish. I can’t stay.”
Gu Yao wailed. “You ditch friends for your girl!”
Before Zhao Shuqing could retort, Xu Tang approached and asked curiously, “What are you doing here?”
Zhao Shuqing quickly replied, “Oh, I tried the grilled fish here last time—it was pretty good. Lin Feng hasn’t had it, so I came to grab one for her.”
Right on cue, the server brought over the packed fish. Zhao Shuqing picked it up and said to the pair, “My fish is ready. I’ll head out—you two enjoy.”
Xu Tang smiled warmly, as if she didn’t mind Zhao Shuqing knowing at all. Gu Yao, however, stared longingly, clearly wanting her to stay.
As Zhao Shuqing turned to leave, Xu Tang suddenly called out to her.
“The Joint Laboratory is almost ready. In another half month, it’ll be operational.” Xu Tang told Zhao Shuqing, “Lin Feng’s injury should be healed by then. Bring her over for a visit. She’ll be going there often afterward.”
Zhao Shuqing’s smile froze on her face. She looked at Xu Tang with complicated eyes. She knew the Mermaid Dual Female Plan was inevitable. As a mere researcher, she could do nothing to stop it. Xu Tang was giving her a heads-up to explain things to Lin Feng and prepare them both.
“…Got it.” Zhao Shuqing nodded to Xu Tang and left with the fish.
Gu Yao glanced nervously at Xu Tang, then hurriedly sat once Xu Tang did. She didn’t dare look up, stammering, “G-Group Leader Xu, I ordered a four-pound fish, same flavor as last time. D-Do you want to see the menu for anything else? We can order more.”
Xu Tang took in Gu Yao’s nervous demeanor and curved her lips in a smile. “You put on makeup today?”
Gu Yao trembled slightly and turned to her. “Y-Yes. If you think it looks bad, Group Leader Xu, I won’t next time…”
“No.” Xu Tang said gently. “You look great today.”
Gu Yao’s mind went blank. The server pouring water finally snapped her out of it a bit. She grabbed the glass and gulped it down to cover her fluster.
Xu Tang nodded to the server and ordered a side dish. Then she told Gu Yao, “Last time, I saw you really liked their salt-crisp chicken, so I ordered some for you.”
Gu Yao blushed. “Thank you, Group Leader Xu.”
Xu Tang smiled. “No need to be so formal.” She continued, “Calling me Group Leader Xu is too distant. We’ll be seeing a lot of each other. If you don’t mind, just call me Xu Tang from now on.”
“Wouldn’t calling you by name be rude?” Gu Yao asked, nervous yet hopeful. “How about Little Tang Sis? Is that okay?”
Xu Tang considered it and nodded. “Of course.”
Her eyes crinkled with laughter. “You can call me whatever you like.”
Zhao Shuqing returned home with the grilled fish, her mind weighed down by Xu Tang’s final words.
The Joint Laboratory was ready. In half a month at most, the Mermaid Dual Female Plan would begin in earnest. That meant Lin Feng’s carefree days were ending. During the trials, she would provide varying numbers of eggs for research.
She wondered how far the project would go. In the worst case, reproductive isolation between humans and mermaids would prevent viable embryos, and the experiment would fail.
But if it succeeded?
Would Xu Tang force Lin Feng to carry the child?
Zhao Shuqing’s thoughts were a jumble. She returned home without noticing Lin Feng’s gaze. She casually set the takeout on the table and said to Lin Feng, “Dinner’s here. I’ll cook some rice, and we can eat soon.”
Lin Feng frowned, watching Zhao Shuqing enter the kitchen. She clutched the blanket beneath her tightly and squeezed her eyes shut in agony.
She couldn’t say it.
Lin Feng knew that telling Zhao Shuqing would ruin their chances of ever being together.
She couldn’t say it. Absolutely not…
After setting the rice cooker, Zhao Shuqing took a shower. By the time she finished, the rice was done. The two sat around the table, but neither had much appetite, each lost in their own worries and barely eating.
Zhao Shuqing was surprised to see Lin Feng picking at her food. Lin Feng usually loved eating, but today she showed little interest in the grilled fish.
“What’s wrong? Don’t like the taste from this place? You hardly touched it.” Zhao Shuqing asked casually while clearing the dishes.
Lin Feng shook her head and murmured, “No, it’s delicious.”
Zhao Shuqing looked at Lin Feng, paused, then set down the dishes. She sat beside her and took Lin Feng’s hand. Lin Feng looked up in confusion, and Zhao Shuqing met her eyes. “Lin Feng, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Lin Feng’s heart clenched, but she feigned calm. “What is it?”
“The Joint Laboratory is ready.” Zhao Shuqing said softly. “Once your injury heals, we’ll have to go there for experiments.”
