Chapter 63

Zhao Shuqing’s words stunned Aunt Liu for a moment, but she quickly replied in a cheerful tone over the phone. “Of course! Teacher Shen will definitely be thrilled if you come. When will it be? Tomorrow or the day after?”

“The day after tomorrow,” Zhao Shuqing said. “I still have some work to finish here, so I’ll head over right after dinner that evening to see him.”

“Perfect, perfect. I’ll let Teacher Shen know,” Aunt Liu said with a laugh. “He’ll be over the moon when he hears.”

Zhao Shuqing chatted idly with Aunt Liu for a couple more moments before hanging up.

The instant Aunt Liu ended the call, the smile vanished from her face. She stared at Shen Qingming on the hospital bed and said coldly, “You heard that, right? Your precious disciple is coming to see you the day after tomorrow.”

Shen Qingming’s voice was hoarse and raspy. His condition had deteriorated sharply; he spent every day lying listlessly in bed, too weak even to get up.

The doctors from the hospital only sighed when they examined him, their expressions conveying no hope at all. Shen Qingming knew this might be the last time he would ever see Zhao Shuqing.

“You… you…”

In his gravelly voice, Shen Qingming told Aunt Liu, “You… will face retribution…”

But Aunt Liu just laughed. She sat down in front of the bed and gazed calmly at Shen Qingming. “If retribution comes, it’ll strike you first, Teacher Shen. Everything we’ve done is just to survive—for the good of the entire mermaid race. You’re the one who betrayed humanity first. Even if retribution queues up, you’re at the front of the line.”

Shen Qingming’s eyes widened in shock as he shook his head frantically. “I’m not… I’m not…”

“You know the truth in your own heart,” Aunt Liu replied. She watched his inner turmoil for a moment before standing up. “That mouth of yours only spews nonsense. Heaven knows what you’ll blurt out when Zhao Shuqing gets here.”

With a sigh, she turned back to Shen Qingming. “I’ve looked after you for so many years—I don’t want to see you end up like this. But if you keep talking rubbish, it’ll get you killed sooner or later.”

Shen Qingming stared at her in horror. “No—you can’t…”

“Only someone who’s asleep can’t spout nonsense, don’t you think?” Aunt Liu said.

The next morning, Zhao Shuqing hauled the still-lazy Lin Feng out of bed bright and early. She patted the mermaid’s little bottom and urged her to brush her teeth and wash her face so they could head to the oceanarium sooner.

The curator had called Zhao Shuqing personally the night before. She warned that the expected crowd the next day would be double the first day’s turnout and suggested bringing Lin Feng early. The stylists were all ready, waiting for the mermaid to dive in with her makeup done.

While Lin Feng munched on a bun, Zhao Shuqing combed her hair. When the mermaid let out two big yawns, Zhao Shuqing couldn’t help asking, “Why don’t you just move into the oceanarium? You’d get at least ten extra minutes of sleep that way.”

Lin Feng shook her head and crunched into the bun’s crusty edge. “No.”

Lin Feng’s hair was silky smooth—a few quick strokes of the comb left it neat and gleaming. Seeing that Lin Feng had no appetite, Zhao Shuqing coaxed her to drink more soy milk.

“You don’t like veggie buns? Next time I’ll get you beef ones,” Zhao Shuqing said as she finished off the leftovers. “Or do you prefer kelp buns, maybe?”

“I don’t like kelp,” Lin Feng said, wrinkling her nose. She looked up. “Do you have hotpot-flavored buns?”

Zhao Shuqing closed her eyes. “No.”

“What about grilled fish ones?”

“No.”

“Milk tea flavored?”

“Nope.”

Lin Feng let out a deep sigh, looking utterly dejected.

Zhao Shuqing watched her for a long moment before saying, “Tonight, I’ll try making you some fish-flavored buns. If they don’t taste good, we’ll just buy them from outside again.”

Lin Feng considered it and nodded in compromise.

After dropping Lin Feng off at the oceanarium, Zhao Shuqing found a big crowd waiting for her—the curator and her staff, plus a team of new stylists.

Lin Feng hated being touched by strangers, let alone people she’d never met. In the end, the stylists directed from the sidelines while Zhao Shuqing awkwardly handled the makeover herself.

Luckily, Zhao Shuqing had practiced the day before and caught on fast. Lin Feng’s natural beauty more than made up for Zhao Shuqing’s clumsy technique. Once she slipped into the pretty bikini, no flaws showed at all—and in the water, she sparkled like a mermaid straight out of a fairy tale.

Zhao Shuqing stood in front of the glass, gazing at Lin Feng. She couldn’t resist pulling out her phone to snap a few photos, then set them as her wallpaper with a satisfied smile.

The thought that only she could touch someone as stunning as Lin Feng made Zhao Shuqing’s heart swell with sweetness.

When the doors finally opened, the influx of visitors dwarfed the first day’s crowd. Zhao Shuqing retreated to the office area to watch the monitors, making sure nothing went wrong amid the throng.

The visitors quickly noticed Lin Feng’s new look and buzzed with curiosity about her styling. It even trended online as 【Mermaid Lin Feng Makeover】. Some fans loved the change; others insisted her natural state was the most beautiful.

Zhao Shuqing glanced at it but paid no mind.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened all morning. At noon, she brought Lin Feng’s favorite foods. Once they’d eaten, Lin Feng started fixating on those fish buns Zhao Shuqing had promised that morning. Barely half a day later, and she was already switching whims.

Now she wanted fish hotpot-flavored buns.

Zhao Shuqing couldn’t picture what those would even taste like, but if Lin Feng craved them, she’d make them. Worst case, she’d make a small batch and toss them if they flopped.

By afternoon, the initial excitement had worn off for Lin Feng. She grew bored, perching on a rock to chat with Nemo while ignoring the occasional fish that swam by.

That evening on the way home, Zhao Shuqing tweaked an online recipe for hotpot-flavored buns. She made five and steamed them. When they came out, she tried one—it was surprisingly delicious.

“Tomorrow evening, I’m going to visit my teacher at the hospital,” Zhao Shuqing said. She propped her chin on her hand as she watched Lin Feng devour the steaming hotpot fish buns. “Would you rather stay home alone, or hang out with the other fish at the oceanarium? I’ll pick you up after I see him.”

Lin Feng froze mid-bite. She lifted her blue eyes to meet Zhao Shuqing’s. “Shen Qingming?”

Zhao Shuqing nodded. “You’ve seen him before, right? He’s my teacher. Last time at the hospital, you were so insistent I come home. You forgot?”

How could she forget?

Suddenly, the bun in Lin Feng’s hand lost all appeal.

“Don’t go,” Lin Feng said, frowning at her. “Stay away from him.”

“Why?” Zhao Shuqing stared back, curious. “You keep warning me off my teacher. Do you know him?”

Lin Feng shook her head and murmured, “No.”

She’d only seen him—it didn’t count as knowing.

But back when Lin Feng had been trapped at the ocean floor, she’d heard Shen Qingming’s name all the time. She knew exactly what the man had done. Zhao Shuqing was human, though; she had no idea about his true nature.

“Lin Feng.”

Zhao Shuqing fixed her with a serious look, her dark eyes deep and stern. Lin Feng’s heart clenched; she pursed her lips and glanced away.

She felt guilty.

Zhao Shuqing could tell at a glance that Lin Feng was a lousy liar, but she couldn’t puzzle out what the mermaid was hiding.

Zhao Shuqing wasn’t the type to let questions fester—especially not when they involved her own teacher. She looked at Lin Feng and asked point-blank, “Are you keeping something from me?”

Lin Feng stayed silent for a beat, then shook her head.

“Is it something you can’t say at all? Or just can’t tell me?” Zhao Shuqing pressed. “We’ve grown so close these past days. What could you possibly not share with me?”

Lin Feng clutched her bun and finally looked up at Zhao Shuqing.

“I’m not lying. But I can tell you this: Shen Qingming is trouble.” Lin Feng reached out and gently touched Zhao Shuqing’s eyes. “No matter what happens, I’ll protect you, Zhao Shuqing.”

The words sent an inexplicable wave of unease through Zhao Shuqing. She grabbed Lin Feng’s hand and frowned. “If you really want to protect me, just tell me straight. I hate playing guessing games.”

“I don’t want to end up resenting you over this,” she added.

Lin Feng’s heart tightened.

She didn’t want Zhao Shuqing to resent her. But some truths were too dangerous to voice.

The moment Zhao Shuqing learned everything, there’d be no chance for them anymore—Lin Feng had known that from the start.

Still, she couldn’t bear the thought of resentment. After agonizing over it, she whispered, “Your teacher, Shen Qingming… he lied.”

Zhao Shuqing blinked in confusion. “Lied? How do you know he lied?”

Lin Feng met her gaze, her expression calm yet tinged with pity. “Everything about mermaids—he lied about it all. Tomorrow, you can ask him yourself.”

Assuming Shen Qingming even made it to tomorrow.

Lin Feng’s words that night left Zhao Shuqing deeply unsettled.

She tried to press for more, but Lin Feng clammed up. The mermaid barely touched her buns before curling up in bed, leaving Zhao Shuqing restless all evening. The next day, after delivering Lin Feng to the oceanarium, she took the afternoon off to visit Shen Qingming early.

Things at the oceanarium were running smoothly, but Lin Feng seemed to sense Zhao Shuqing’s departure—her mood was subdued.

Wen Xiaoying asked Zhao Shuqing, puzzled, “Did you two have a fight?”

“No,” Zhao Shuqing said. She stashed Lin Feng’s lunch in the fridge and told Wen Xiaoying, “For lunch, get her an iced milk tea too. I might not make it back until the afternoon.”

Wen Xiaoying patted her chest confidently. “Go take care of it—Lin Feng’s in my hands!”

Zhao Shuqing smiled and headed out.

She arrived at the hospital before nine. The corridors bustled with patients and nurses as she made her familiar way to the room.

The door to the single-patient room stood slightly ajar, voices drifting out. Unlike the crowded multi-bed wards, this hallway was deserted. Zhao Shuqing recognized Aunt Liu’s voice and started to push the door open—then froze.

“Don’t move—stop struggling!”

Through the glass panel beside the door, Zhao Shuqing glimpsed what was happening inside. Aunt Liu had her back turned, syringe in hand as she tried to inject Shen Qingming. He thrashed weakly on the bed in his hospital gown, his hoarse cries ragged with pain as he begged, “No!”

Zhao Shuqing realized what was happening in an instant. She shoved the door open and rushed in, shouting, “What are you doing?!”

Aunt Liu hadn’t expected anyone. She whipped around to see Zhao Shuqing bearing down on her—and in the next second, Zhao Shuqing snatched the syringe from her grasp. Staring at the clear liquid inside, her face darkened. “What’s this?”