The visitor fell silent for a long time before letting out a long sigh.
“Shen Qingming, whom we’ve nurtured for twenty years… in the end, is he unreliable too?”
“Human hearts are too hard to fathom.”
Xu Tang said, “For a while before his death, he resisted us fiercely and wanted to spill all our secrets. I had no choice but to keep him confined to the hospital.”
“You killed him?”
“No.” Xu Tang looked up. “It was his own choice. He wanted to integrate into the mermaid genome, so I granted his wish.”
Xu Tang spoke softly. “He’s retired now. He’s handed all his projects and research over to me. We won’t need him anymore. When the timing is right, we’ll arrange for Shen Qingming to ‘pass away from illness.'”
The visitor nodded and asked, “This new human—is she your next target?”
“She’s a member of the Genome Group, focused mainly on the Double Female Experiment,” Xu Tang replied. “Once the experiment succeeds, she can help us produce new clan members.”
“Is she reliable?”
Xu Tang hesitated for a moment before answering, “I’m testing her right now, nurturing her gradually. When she’s ready to stand on her own, she might come to understand us.”
After a few seconds of silence, the visitor said to Xu Tang, “The mermaids’ plan is advancing slowly. We need enough humans to help us rebuild our home.”
Xu Tang nodded. “I understand.”
The visitor added, “Newborn mermaids are vital to us. I hope your plan proceeds smoothly.”
Xu Tang replied calmly, “Everything is going well so far.”
During the lunchtime break at the oceanarium, Lin Feng showed off her new skill to everyone—using chopsticks.
Wen Xiaoying played along enthusiastically, exclaiming “Wow!” while clapping her hands. “Lin Feng, you’re incredible! You must be the first mermaid ever to use chopsticks.”
Lin Feng turned to Zhao Shuqing with smug pride, her face beaming with a clear “Aren’t I amazing?” expression.
Zhao Shuqing felt helpless. She added more rice to Lin Feng’s bowl and said, “Fine, then from now on, you’ll eat by yourself. No more picking food for you.”
Lin Feng’s smile vanished in an instant.
“Bad person.” Lin Feng tapped her with the chopsticks.
Zhao Shuqing effortlessly dodged by tilting her head aside. Without pausing, she opened the takeout container with a series of clacking sounds and set the freshly arrived pickled fish right in front of Lin Feng. “Throw those chopsticks, and you’ll pick them up yourself.”
Lin Feng was furious. She refused to retrieve any dropped chopsticks, so instead she snatched Zhao Shuqing’s pair.
Zhao Shuqing shook her head in exasperation. She stood up, picked the chopsticks off the floor, rinsed and dried them thoroughly, then returned to the small dining table beside the pool.
Wen Xiaoying watched their perfectly synchronized routine and laughed. She said to Zhao Shuqing, “Shuqing, tomorrow’s the park closure. You and Lin Feng should rest up at home. She’s been working hard lately.”
Zhao Shuqing nodded. “Sure. Are you all off tomorrow too?”
Wen Xiaoying replied, “Closure day means the park gates are shut, not that we get a break. We still have to deep-clean the tanks. No rest for us.”
The post-closure workload was immense—sometimes it took a full day just to keep up. Wen Xiaoying grumbled a little before heading off to eat.
Once the others had left, Zhao Shuqing turned to Lin Feng. “No throwing chopsticks next time.”
Lin Feng spat out a fish bone and gave a reluctant “Oh.”
A while back, Lin Feng had suddenly declared she wanted to learn chopsticks. Zhao Shuqing saw no harm in it and taught her, figuring that once her Little Fish mastered the skill, she could feed herself. That way, Zhao Shuqing wouldn’t have to stuff Lin Feng full before enjoying her own meal.
She didn’t mind feeding Lin Feng, of course, but if Lin Feng wanted to learn, Zhao Shuqing was happy to teach.
Lin Feng proved quick on the uptake. At first, she fumbled awkwardly—even ordinary chopsticks were tricky. She kept misjudging her strength, snapping them with a crack whenever she gripped too hard.
After breaking six pairs of bamboo chopsticks and four stainless steel ones, Lin Feng finally got the hang of it.
She still wasn’t entirely smooth, but that didn’t stop her from bragging.
Lin Feng picked up a piece of pickled fish and placed it in Zhao Shuqing’s bowl. Her tail slapped happily against the floor as she said, “You eat.”
Zhao Shuqing shot her a sidelong glance and couldn’t suppress a laugh.
Her Little Fish was just too adorable.
After lunch, Lin Feng wanted a nap. Midday crowds were light anyway, and all the visitors knew her schedule synced with the staff’s: on duty at 2 p.m., off at 4 p.m., never overtime.
Lin Feng’s room featured a custom-made recliner, longer than standard to accommodate her lengthy tail.
Zhao Shuqing shook out a fuzzy blanket and draped it over Lin Feng’s midsection.
To keep her from catching a chill.
Lin Feng was already drowsy from the meal. She settled onto the recliner and drifted off quickly. Zhao Shuqing never napped, so she sat nearby to keep watch. Every so often, she tidied up some papers, planning to publish a few more articles on mermaid care and habits in her spare time.
Zhao Shuqing pondered seriously whether to include Lin Feng’s fondness for hotpot and milk tea.
It was such a dilemma.
Lin Feng slept deeply—as long as Zhao Shuqing stayed close, she felt utterly secure. There was no trace of the unease small creatures often felt far from home. Sometimes Zhao Shuqing wondered if Lin Feng was truly indifferent to her homeland or simply so carefree by nature.
In the dim light, the room filled only with the gentle murmur of circulating water and the soft tapping of Zhao Shuqing’s keyboard. Thankfully, Lin Feng slept soundly and wasn’t disturbed.
Around 1:30, Zhao Shuqing finished compiling her notes. She planned to swing by the laboratory soon for some experimental materials—she’d been away from her workbench too long and needed to get back into the swing of things.
She stretched lazily, working out the kinks, when her eyes landed on a stainless steel cabinet not far away.
Ever since Lin Feng learned the room was hers alone, she’d been eager to decorate her little sanctuary. The oceanarium had spared no expense, providing whatever she needed. The cabinet was one of the new additions.
Zhao Shuqing walked over for a closer look and ran her hand along it.
The stainless steel cabinet felt sturdy. She opened it casually. It was a wardrobe, filled with the clothes Lin Feng wore before entering the water. Zhao Shuqing picked up a shirt and sniffed it—still fresh with laundry detergent.
She raised an eyebrow, about to close the door, when she spotted a small box tucked in the bottom corner.
The box was squarely shaped and compact. It felt light in her hand.
Zhao Shuqing had never seen Lin Feng use it before, though it seemed vaguely familiar. She couldn’t quite place where she’d encountered it.
It looked like a jewelry box.
She gave it a discreet shake. Something inside jingled faintly—like a cup or similar item. But she couldn’t fathom why Lin Feng would keep a cup in a jewelry box.
Just as she moved to peek inside, Lin Feng stirred with a sleepy hum.
Zhao Shuqing startled and hurriedly set the box back, slamming the cabinet door shut.
Lin Feng’s internal clock was impeccable. She rubbed her eyes and mumbled from her pillow, “Zhao Shuqing, what time is it…?”
Feeling guilty, Zhao Shuqing hurried over. “The alarm hasn’t gone off yet. Go back to sleep.”
Lin Feng glanced back at her and blinked. “Not sleepy anymore.”
It was nearly time anyway, so Zhao Shuqing let it go.
Lin Feng yawned and sat up, extending her arms expectantly. Zhao Shuqing bent down, scooped up her Little Fish, and carried her to the bathroom across the room.
She supervised Lin Feng’s teeth-brushing and face-washing, then combed out her hair. The freshly awakened mermaid felt limp and pliant in her arms, soft as kelp without a bone in sight.
Zhao Shuqing couldn’t resist leaning down for a quick peck on her cheek.
Lin Feng was still groggy and low-energy. She felt the light kiss and twisted around to eye the culprit.
As Zhao Shuqing combed her hair, she gently turned Lin Feng’s head back. “Don’t twist. I’m not done yet.”
Lin Feng started to obey, then whipped back around. She enunciated clearly, “You. Kissed. Me.”
Zhao Shuqing replied breezily, “So? I kissed you. What’s the big deal?”
Lin Feng twisted fully toward her and hooked her arms around Zhao Shuqing’s shoulders. “Then I want to kiss you back.”
She was utterly serious, her actions deliberate. She cupped Zhao Shuqing’s face and leaned in, her soft tongue lapping at her lips like an eager puppy.
Zhao Shuqing laughed until her eyes crinkled. She wrapped an arm around Lin Feng’s waist, hoisted her effortlessly onto the sink, and let her kiss away. “Kiss properly. If it’s no good, you don’t get to go out.”
Lin Feng shot her a glance and redoubled her efforts, her little tongue darting forward to slip into Zhao Shuqing’s mouth.
Zhao Shuqing gripped Lin Feng’s slender waist, letting her lavish kisses while her free hand roamed mischievously over the scales of her great tail. Lin Feng let out a needy whine and shot Zhao Shuqing a plaintive look. “Don’t… touch randomly.”
“Not random at all.” Zhao Shuqing gave her bottom a playful pat. “Keep kissing.”
Lin Feng gave her a wounded glance, her ears flushed red, but she obeyed. She looped her arms around Zhao Shuqing’s neck, pulling her in for a deeper kiss.
Her tail swished gently, quivering as it brushed against Zhao Shuqing’s legs—tickling her calves and stirring something deeper.
If Wen Xiaoying hadn’t called from outside, Zhao Shuqing wouldn’t have minded prolonging their steamy interlude in the cramped bathroom.
Zhao Shuqing parted from Lin Feng’s lips, pressing her thumb to the cherry-plump swell and rubbing gently.
“Tomorrow’s closure. A day off.”
She smiled softly. “Want to go out and play?”
Lin Feng’s tail flicked. Still flushed with desire, she rested her head on Zhao Shuqing’s shoulder and murmured, “Yeah. But you said my tail’s too big. Can’t go out.”
Ever since coming ashore, Lin Feng’s world had shrunk drastically. She stayed either glued to Zhao Shuqing’s side or confined to the oceanarium. Venturing out required elaborate disguises to hide her true form and avoid panic.
For Lin Feng, the restrictions felt suffocating. She’d once roamed the Pacific Ocean freely; now she was limited to a glass tank or a bathtub.
Without Zhao Shuqing’s company, she probably would have fled long ago.
Zhao Shuqing’s heart softened at the sight. She pressed her forehead to Lin Feng’s and whispered, “Don’t worry. This time, I’ll drive us out for some fun.”
