Lin Feng paused for just a moment after hearing Zhao Shuqing’s words, then quickly nodded, accepting the reality.
From the instant she had come ashore, she had known exactly what lay ahead.
Seeing the dejected look on Lin Feng’s face, Zhao Shuqing reached out and pulled her into an embrace, holding her close as she murmured reassurances. “It’s okay. I’ll go with you. We can take a look at the laboratory, and if you don’t like it, we can always come back.”
Lin Feng wrapped her arms around Zhao Shuqing in return, burying her face in the crook of her neck. Her voice came out muffled and sulky. “I don’t like anywhere but here.”
Zhao Shuqing’s heart warmed at her words. She couldn’t help but hold Lin Feng even tighter. Lin Feng sat in her lap, letting out little aggrieved hums. Zhao Shuqing leaned down, pressing kisses to her while coaxing her gently. Lin Feng’s eyes shimmered faintly, filled with nothing but the woman before her.
The Joint Laboratory was nearly ready. A few days later, Xu Tang sent someone to notify Zhao Shuqing to bring Lin Feng over for a tour and get acquainted with the environment ahead of time.
When they stepped out, Lin Feng reluctantly donned a hat and mask. She wore one of the dresses Zhao Shuqing had bought her but scarcely touched, then draped a blanket over herself before Zhao Shuqing wheeled her out the door.
The temperature had risen again that day, so Zhao Shuqing took care to stick to the tree-shaded paths along the road, worried that Lin Feng might feel uncomfortable in the sun.
But no matter how thoughtfully she cared for her, Lin Feng’s mood remained low. Ever since the previous evening, she had seemed utterly listless—even refusing kisses. She looked just like a fish left out too long in the sun, all dried up and wilted.
Zhao Shuqing watched her with heartache but had no easy solution. After all, she was just an ordinary researcher. She couldn’t very well run away with Lin Feng, could she?
At least, not right now…
Lin Feng sensed Zhao Shuqing’s mood and tilted her head under the brim of her hat to look up at her. Their gazes met.
Zhao Shuqing forced a small smile. “What’s wrong?”
“You don’t look too happy,” Lin Feng said calmly, her blue eyes fixed on Zhao Shuqing. “Are you unhappy?”
“…”
Zhao Shuqing gazed at her, hesitating as if unsure what to say. After a long moment, she shook her head gently. Spotting the office building not far ahead, she told Lin Feng, “We’re almost there.”
The Joint Laboratory occupied a vast space, taking up nearly an entire floor of the building.
As a national priority project, the Mermaid Project had been approved with generous funding. The whole floor was divided into three sections: one side for the Genome Group’s labs, the other for the Marine Group’s labs, and a connected area in the middle transformed into an ecological pool.
This ecological pool was far larger than the one in the Oceanarium’s lab. Beyond the essential artificial rocks, seaweed, and corals, it featured a constant-temperature system that kept the water at a steady 27 degrees Celsius, adjustable at will. The air humidity was high as well, fully simulating an oceanic climate. It was clearly custom-built for Lin Feng.
Under a staff member’s guidance, Zhao Shuqing toured the ecological pool. Lin Feng, seated in her wheelchair, gave the pool a cursory glance, showing no interest whatsoever.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?” Zhao Shuqing dipped a hand into the water and asked her. “Isn’t this way bigger than the bathtub at home? Why don’t you seem interested at all?”
“I don’t like it,” Lin Feng said unhappily, leaning back against her chair. “I want to go home.”
Lin Feng’s resistant attitude made it clear she had no intention of staying there. The accompanying staff kept their distance, as Lin Feng disliked strangers, and they made no move to approach.
Just as Lin Feng spoke, everyone turned to look. Zhao Shuqing lifted her head as well, her eyes meeting those of Xu Tang, who had just walked in.
“Senior Sister,” Zhao Shuqing greeted, rising from the edge of the pool.
Xu Tang nodded and approached, casually resting a hand on the armrest of Lin Feng’s wheelchair. “How’s the tour going? Satisfied with the laboratory? If anything’s missing, just say the word—we can add it now.”
Lin Feng felt Xu Tang’s presence behind her and clutched her blanket tightly, her face darkening as she itched to whip around and bite her.
But she had to hold back.
Zhao Shuqing noticed Xu Tang’s hand on the wheelchair armrest, and her expression shifted slightly. She called out to Xu Tang, “Senior Sister, don’t touch Lin Feng. She doesn’t like you.”
Xu Tang glanced sideways at the person in the wheelchair and tilted her head. “Really? Even after all this time, she still hates me?”
Lin Feng looked up and shot her a fierce glare.
Knowing Lin Feng’s temper, Zhao Shuqing feared they might come to blows if things escalated. Xu Tang was slender—getting hurt would be a problem. She hurried over, smoothly inserting herself between them. “Senior Sister, I have something to discuss with you, actually.”
Xu Tang didn’t mind and followed Zhao Shuqing aside, arms crossed. “Go ahead. What is it?”
Zhao Shuqing glanced back at Lin Feng, who was staring daggers at them, looking ready to catch them in the act. Trapped in her wheelchair and unable to move easily, she could only glare, which inexplicably made Zhao Shuqing feel guilty.
It was strange.
It felt just like sneaking around behind her wife’s back.
Zhao Shuqing cleared her throat softly and turned back to Xu Tang. “I want to know about the upcoming work, especially anything involving the mermaid. Senior Sister, you know I don’t want her to suffer.”
Xu Tang gave her a faint look and considered for a moment before replying, “I know what you’re worried about. The plans are mostly set. Your part is to supervise Lin Feng taking her medication on schedule.”
Zhao Shuqing asked, “What medication?”
Xu Tang smiled. “The mermaid ovulation drug, naturally.”
She explained, “Mermaids are different from humans. They can release over a hundred ova at once. Normally, their estrus period is in March or April, but it’s September now—long past that. So we need the drug to induce ovulation first. Once the timing’s right, we’ll extract all hundred-plus ova in one go.”
Zhao Shuqing was familiar with mermaid physiology from her studies and knew the basics of what Xu Tang described. But hearing it applied directly to extracting Lin Feng’s mermaid ova made something feel off.
“Senior Sister,” Zhao Shuqing suddenly asked, “before anyone had captured a mermaid, where did all this data come from?”
Xu Tang froze at that.
Zhao Shuqing looked at her. “I remember Teacher publishing a paper on mermaid ovulation cycles once. Thinking back, it puzzles me—how did he know?”
Shen Qingming had only glimpsed a mermaid from afar before diving into research. In the years that followed, he published a flurry of papers. Some dismissed them as fantasy, while others believed he was filling gaps in mermaid lore.
But how had Shen Qingming known such details?
He had never captured one.
Xu Tang’s eyes darkened. After a long pause, she asked Zhao Shuqing, “What? You think Teacher’s findings are wrong?”
Zhao Shuqing waved her hands hastily. “No, I’m just curious.” Then, as if struck by a thought, she asked, “By the way, Senior Sister, is Teacher still in the hospital? When will his illness improve?”
“I don’t know,” Xu Tang replied flatly. “I’ve been busy lately. I’ll visit when I have time.”
Zhao Shuqing was taken aback, realizing her question had been disrespectful toward Teacher. It was natural for Xu Tang to be annoyed.
Yet the doubt lingered like a crack in her mind. Shen Qingming had never truly seen a mermaid—where had all that knowledge come from?
Before Zhao Shuqing could puzzle it out, Xu Tang gathered everyone for a brief meeting to outline the next steps. As a member of the Marine Group, Zhao Shuqing’s sole primary task was ensuring Lin Feng took her medication.
She would receive the drugs in a couple of days.
Wheeling Lin Feng back home, Zhao Shuqing unlocked the door while asking, “What would you like for dinner tonight?”
The moment they entered, Lin Feng couldn’t stand her outfit any longer. She stripped it all off in a heap and dashed toward the bathtub, turning on the water as she called out from inside, “Porridge.”
Lately, Lin Feng had been eating more and could voice preferences. Fortunately, she was considerate, sticking to dishes Zhao Shuqing knew how to make.
Watching Lin Feng fill the tub and play on her own, Zhao Shuqing headed to the kitchen to prepare the porridge. She set it to simmer, then turned to the fish slices in the fridge, picking out the bones. A knock sounded at the door.
Zhao Shuqing glanced toward it, wiped her hands, and went to answer.
“Ta-da!”
Wen Xiaoying stood there, holding a bag from the supermarket. She grinned excitedly at Zhao Shuqing. “Look what I brought for Lin Feng!”
Lin Feng poked her head out from the bathtub, eyed Wen Xiaoying, and ducked back in.
She wasn’t familiar with Wen Xiaoying yet.
Wen Xiaoying felt a pang at Lin Feng’s aloofness, wondering what made her different from Gu Yao. They were both strangers, yet Lin Feng got along with Gu Yao but gave her the cold shoulder.
Zhao Shuqing took the bag and peered inside, puzzled by the abundance of fish. “Why’d you buy so much fish?”
“I didn’t buy it—the Curator did,” Wen Xiaoying explained with a smile. “She heard you took Lin Feng to see the Joint Laboratory, so she had me bring some fish over. She asked if Lin Feng’s injuries are almost healed and when she’ll return to the Oceanarium.”
So that was the reason for the visit.
It seemed not just Xu Tang’s team—the Oceanarium staff were keeping tabs on Lin Feng’s recovery too.
From hospital stay to discharge, and now her time at Zhao Shuqing’s home, Lin Feng’s tail had healed well enough for her to scamper and jump around the house without a hint of injury.
Word of Lin Feng’s lab visit must have spread, prompting the Curator to send Wen Xiaoying to inquire when she might return.
“The Oceanarium?”
Before Zhao Shuqing could respond, Lin Feng poked her head out from the balcony doorway, peering curiously at Wen Xiaoying. “Can I go back to the Oceanarium now?”
Wen Xiaoying’s eyes lit up at Lin Feng addressing her directly. She stepped forward eagerly. “Of course! We’re all looking forward to your return.”
Lin Feng felt a surge of excitement. The Oceanarium’s pools were vastly larger than the bathtub, teeming with all sorts of fish. She still remembered those dolphins in the hallway spitting at her during her confinement—she hadn’t paid them back yet.
Revenge is a dish best served cold—even if it takes three months.
This time, Lin Feng would reclaim everything that belonged to her.
