Chapter 69

This idea bubbled up in her mind, and the more Zhao Shuqing thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

Lin Feng had been taking the medication for some time now, and according to the treatment schedule that Xu Tang had outlined for her back then, the egg retrieval should happen any day now.

From what the research indicated, mermaids’ estrus periods lasted only one or two short months between spring and summer. Outside of that window, they showed almost no response at all. Even when Zhao Shuqing was intimate with Lin Feng regularly, it took considerable patience to wait for those scales to slowly part.

But today, a mere casual kiss had opened them right up.

After running through all the possibilities, the only explanation that made sense was that Lin Feng’s estrus had arrived.

Zhao Shuqing glanced at Lin Feng’s back, quietly closed the door, and approached the bedside. She bent down, resting her hands on the edge of the bed as she observed her for a moment before asking softly, “Still feeling uncomfortable?”

Lin Feng lay curled up on the bed, clutching her own tail. At the sound of the voice, she peeked out with one eye.

Her eyes were rimmed red, as if she had just been crying. Those blue irises glistened like dew-kissed glass, and just one look made Zhao Shuqing’s throat tighten with desire.

“If you’re still uncomfortable, just tell me,” Zhao Shuqing murmured, lightly resting her hand on Lin Feng’s waist. “I’ll help you out.”

Lin Feng’s gaze shifted slightly, and then she reached out, wrapping her arms around Zhao Shuqing’s shoulders. Zhao Shuqing responded by pulling her close, cradling her waist and tail.

Zhao Shuqing could feel that Lin Feng’s body temperature had risen noticeably, radiating a warm, plush heat like a freshly caught fish straight from sun-warmed waters. She didn’t even need Lin Feng to tempt her—Zhao Shuqing leaned down and captured her lips first.

Their mouths melded together, bodies pressed flush without a whisper of space between them.

Zhao Shuqing’s hand slid to the small of Lin Feng’s back, tracing downward along the scales there. They were slick and supple, coated in a natural, gelatinous sheen. Wherever her fingers roamed, the scales quivered faintly, and the body in her arms trembled in response.

Lin Feng’s eyes fluttered shut as her mouth parted, her chest heaving. She nuzzled against Zhao Shuqing and murmured, “Don’t… don’t touch there randomly…”

Her tail twitched with pleasure.

It coiled around Zhao Shuqing’s waist of its own accord, rubbing against her legs—seemingly even hungrier for touch than Lin Feng herself.

“But it seems to love it when I do,” Zhao Shuqing whispered to her. “The scales have opened.”

Lin Feng glanced down quickly before jerking her gaze away, burying her flushed face in Zhao Shuqing’s shoulder with mortified embarrassment that nearly brought tears to her eyes.

Hadn’t they already done this once earlier?

Why were they opening again?

Heat pricked at Lin Feng’s eyes. Zhao Shuqing kissed the tip of her reddened ear and stroked her lower back and tail soothingly.

“Let’s take care of this first,” she breathed into Lin Feng’s ear, “then we can sleep.”

The next day was the physical exam, so there was no need to head into work. After silencing her alarm, Zhao Shuqing tucked the covers snugly around Lin Feng instead of waking her. Only then did she get up to wash up.

Things had gotten intense last night. Lin Feng had cried through most of it, her tail going limp and dangling off the bed’s edge. The moment she finally lay down, she had passed out, leaving Zhao Shuqing to gently towel off her drenched tail.

It probably wouldn’t affect the exam, right?

Zhao Shuqing pondered guiltily as she brushed her teeth.

“Mmm…”

Lin Feng stirred. Zhao Shuqing quickly rinsed her mouth and stepped out of the bathroom to find Lin Feng sprawled on the bed, eyes half-open in a sleepy daze. Her long lashes fluttered lazily, as if she hadn’t fully shaken off her dreams.

Zhao Shuqing couldn’t help but chuckle softly as she walked over and sat on the bed’s edge. She stroked Lin Feng’s silky hair and leaned in, her voice tender. “Awake already? It’s still early. Want to sleep a bit more?”

Lin Feng’s eyes drifted toward her, and she rested her head on Zhao Shuqing’s thigh, whining pitifully, “My waist hurts so much…”

Zhao Shuqing’s eyes curved into happy crescents as she laughed. She reached over to knead Lin Feng’s waist, asking considerately, “Here?”

“A little higher up.” Lin Feng nestled into the pillow, directing her as Zhao Shuqing massaged her waist and tail. It helped clear the fog from her mind.

Zhao Shuqing worked Lin Feng’s slender waist—which she could nearly span with both hands—but it held plenty of firm muscle beneath the surface. The elegant mermaid lines felt incredible under her fingers.

All that daily swimming really kept her toned.

Once the waist was done, Zhao Shuqing moved on to the tail. Lin Feng glanced back at her, and Zhao Shuqing paused to ask, “Can I?”

Lin Feng gave her a complicated look. Tail massages… well, whatever. Zhao Shuqing was her chosen mate, after all. A little rubbing was nothing. She could do whatever she wanted—Lin Feng wouldn’t resist anyway.

“Go ahead…” Lin Feng said, settling back down onto the bed.

This wasn’t the first time Zhao Shuqing had examined Lin Feng’s tail up close. She kept it impeccably clean, the scales shimmering with a soft glow, especially the broad fan at the end. Zhao Shuqing kneaded it lovingly, exploring every inch.

So smooth.

So touchable.

Lin Feng felt so comfortable she could have dozed off again for a nap. She nestled into the pillow and started to drift.

Zhao Shuqing leaned down for a quick kiss and decided to let her sleep another hour.

At ten o’clock sharp, Zhao Shuqing brought Lin Feng to the Joint Laboratory.

This wasn’t Lin Feng’s first visit. She rested first by the Ecological Pool, splashing her tail idly in boredom while submerged. Zhao Shuqing stood nearby, discussing the day’s schedule with a researcher.

Lin Feng draped herself over the pool’s edge, watching Zhao Shuqing with a glum expression.

“Lin Feng~”

Gu Yao appeared out of nowhere, beaming as she waved from the side. “Long time no see!”

Lin Feng twisted to look at her, mouth falling open in surprise. “You…”

Zhao Shuqing spotted her too and called out from afar, “Gu Yao.”

Gu Yao waved back enthusiastically.

Zhao Shuqing walked over. “Haven’t you been going home these past few days? Where are you even staying?”

Gu Yao grinned. “Aw, I’ve got a partner now—you don’t need to worry so much. I swing by at lunch to feed Pumpkin every day, so the little girl’s not going hungry.”

“It’s not about Pumpkin; that cat’s too fat to starve anyway.” Zhao Shuqing eyed her with concern. “I’m worried about you. Does dating mean vanishing off the face of the earth? Not even a heads-up to your friend?”

Gu Yao laughed sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to ghost you. Our group’s been slammed lately—the genome project just cracked a big hurdle. I haven’t even showered in three days. Smell me; I reek.”

Zhao Shuqing shoved her away in disgust. “Spare me. You’re just a boy-crazy friend-forgetter.”

Gu Yao burst out laughing.

She later explained that these past few days hadn’t been about romance at all—just nonstop lab work on their research.

“Mermaid eggs aren’t the same as human ones,” Gu Yao told Zhao Shuqing. “We’ve been poring over the literature non-stop. If the exam goes smoothly today, we should get to see some mermaid eggs. I’ve never laid eyes on one before—wonder if they’ll match our hypotheses.”

Zhao Shuqing nodded. “The Teacher’s papers said mermaids are ovoviviparous. If that’s true, do we need to reimplant the eggs into Lin Feng for incubation before extraction?”

Gu Yao shook her head. “But there are cases suggesting they’re viviparous, like humans. Maybe we can fertilize them in a dish instead.”

The two dove deep into discussion, chatting animatedly. Lin Feng couldn’t follow much of it—the jargon sailed right over her head. She just sighed boredly from the pool’s edge.

Her tail felt itchy.

It seemed like it could shift into legs now.

Lin Feng half-buried her face in her arms, recalling the first time she had tried forming legs. Xu Tang had stormed in and shredded her tail. Just recently, she had shown up specifically to warn her against it.

No one onshore ever expected anything from Lin Feng. All she had to do was nothing—play the part of the perfect, compliant mermaid everyone imagined.

She lifted her gaze to Zhao Shuqing, who was chatting vibrantly with Gu Yao, flushed with excitement. A pang twisted in Lin Feng’s chest.

What if reality didn’t match what Zhao Shuqing believed? Would she get angry?

Should she drop a hint?

As Lin Feng mulled it over, the door to the Ecological Pool swung open. Xu Tang entered with a group of researchers in Research Institute uniforms. She locked eyes with Lin Feng from across the room.

Lin Feng scowled from the bank, then quietly slipped underwater.

Zhao Shuqing missed the motion and turned to greet her. “Senior Sister.”

Xu Tang nodded, glancing at Zhao Shuqing before heading to the edge. Spotting the now-hidden Lin Feng, she chuckled. “After all this time, she’s still scared of exams?”

Zhao Shuqing smiled wryly, a touch helpless. “I’ll talk her into cooperating. No worries.”

Xu Tang nodded and turned back. “Assuming no hitches, we can retrieve the eggs today. It’ll require anesthesia—if she resists, you’ll need to hold her steady.”

Zhao Shuqing’s expression turned serious as she nodded. “Got it.”

“Once she’s done, it’ll be your turn.” Xu Tang’s tone softened, and she lowered her voice. “I’m really not keen on that option. It’s rough on the body. No second thoughts about the donor eggs from the gene bank?”

“No need. I’ve made up my mind.” Zhao Shuqing met Xu Tang’s eyes steadily. “The only eggs compatible with Lin Feng are mine.”

Xu Tang studied her deeply for a moment, then gave a slight nod. “Alright, if that’s your call, let’s get things prepped.” She turned to Gu Yao. “Genome Group—preserve the eggs the instant they’re retrieved. They’ll be our key research focus for the next few months.”

Gu Yao nodded. “Understood, Group Leader Xu.”

Before the exam, Xu Tang gathered everyone for a quick team meeting. Zhao Shuqing caught the gist, but she had no hands-on tasks, so she wandered back to the Ecological Pool after and patted the water’s surface to coax Lin Feng out for her checkup.

Lin Feng was thoroughly displeased, gazing at Zhao Shuqing with a woeful pout that made her feel guilty.

Zhao Shuqing dabbed at Lin Feng’s face with a towel and soothed her. “It’s just a basic physical. Nothing to it. I’ll stay right by your side like last time, okay? Don’t be scared.”

Lin Feng’s eyes drooped, long lashes heavy with droplets that made her look like she was weeping.

Truth be told, Zhao Shuqing hated subjecting her to these clinical proddings like some lab specimen. But she was just an ordinary researcher—what choice did she have but to keep Lin Feng here?

“I’m sorry,” Zhao Shuqing said softly, clutching the towel as she gazed at her. “I can’t let you go back to the ocean. You’ll probably have to live in the city for the rest of your life.”

Lin Feng looked up, seeing the furrow in Zhao Shuqing’s brow. Her heart softened, and she leaned in close.

“It’s okay.”

The voice from her embrace continued, “As long as you’re here, it doesn’t matter if I never see the sea again.”