Zhao Shuqing lifted her arm and glanced at the cat hair clinging to her jacket. She knew Lin Feng was turned off by it. With a smile, she said, “How about I take a quick shower and change clothes before hugging you?”
Lin Feng wanted a hug right then and there. After a moment’s thought, she said reluctantly, “Just change your clothes. You don’t need to shower.”
Right now, she wanted to kiss Zhao Shuqing.
Lin Feng trailed behind Zhao Shuqing like a little shadow while she changed. The moment Zhao Shuqing slipped into her pajamas, Lin Feng couldn’t hold back any longer. She pounced, planting a kiss on Zhao Shuqing’s cheek.
“I missed you,” Lin Feng murmured softly.
Zhao Shuqing smiled and pulled her into an embrace, closing her eyes. “I missed you too.”
Lin Feng’s heart soared. She knew Zhao Shuqing was reserved by nature—Lin Feng was always the bold one, tossing out lines like “I miss you, love you, wife, muah!” Zhao Shuqing only reciprocated once in a dozen times. Hearing her say “I missed you too” so proactively today filled Lin Feng with joy.
She nuzzled Zhao Shuqing’s soft cheek and tugged discreetly at the hem of her shirt. “Kiss me.”
Zhao Shuqing hesitated for just a second before leaning in without reservation.
The warmth of their lips and tongues sent a thrill through Lin Feng. She arched her tail, trying to draw closer. Zhao Shuqing’s hand rested on her waist, gently caressing the fish scales on her lower abdomen.
For some reason, Group Leader Liu’s words about the live body experiment flashed through Zhao Shuqing’s mind again.
The nature of the experiment was all too clear.
She couldn’t help imagining Lin Feng’s belly slightly rounded, nurturing their child. She’d heard human babies started kicking around five months. She wondered about mermaid gestation periods—were they the same as humans, ten months?
She did want a child someday. But not like this, forced upon Lin Feng.
Zhao Shuqing stroked the soft abdomen in her arms. Lin Feng didn’t know why she kept touching the same spot. Breathing lightly, she looked up at Zhao Shuqing, her eyes tinged with a faint red.
“Zhao Shuqing…”
Lin Feng rubbed her nose against Zhao Shuqing’s. In a low voice, she whispered, “Touch somewhere else.”
Don’t keep rubbing my belly—other places itch too…
Zhao Shuqing caught her meaning. She scooped Lin Feng up—tail and all—and tossed her onto the bed. Leaning over, she kissed her again.
Lin Feng hooked her arms around Zhao Shuqing’s neck, rubbing her tail against Zhao Shuqing’s leg. As their kisses grew heated and messy, Lin Feng felt someone lifting her tail. She lay back on the bed, cracking her eyes open. There was Zhao Shuqing, cradling her shimmering blue tail in one arm, her other hand pressing against Lin Feng’s abdomen. Tilting her head, Zhao Shuqing brushed her lips over the scales at the tip of the tail.
Lin Feng felt her blood rushing like fire, her breaths coming heavier.
Zhao Shuqing sensed her gaze and lifted her eyelids, shooting Lin Feng a smoldering look brimming with desire. Lin Feng’s waist went weak.
“Zhao Shuqing…”
Lin Feng watched, transfixed, as the woman before her extended her tongue. She knew exactly how soft that tongue was. When it flicked over her fish scales, it was like an electric jolt. Lin Feng gripped the pillow tight, gasping for air.
“Don’t… go in there. The scales aren’t clean…”
Her voice was hoarse, almost a sob, as she tried to stop Zhao Shuqing. But today, Zhao Shuqing was unusually fervent. She kissed upward from the tail’s tip, and Lin Feng’s vision exploded like fireworks, stars bursting everywhere.
The usually silent Zhao Shuqing lavished kisses on Lin Feng’s tail, then slipped her tongue into the slight gap between the parted scales.
“Mmm…”
Lin Feng’s world went dark. Her mind blanked out…
Night had fallen.
Zhao Shuqing slipped from the bed and parted the curtains just a crack. The sky outside was pitch black. Only then did she realize neither of them had eaten.
She wore a simple white sundress that bared her smooth back and shoulders. Glancing back at Lin Feng, who lay limp on the bed, she padded over barefoot.
Lin Feng was asleep, tears still glistening at the corners of her eyes. Her slender brows were furrowed tight as she curled around a pillow.
Zhao Shuqing’s gaze darkened. She’d gone a bit too far today. Lin Feng rarely cried in bed—she was usually enthusiastic, parting her scales eagerly for Zhao Shuqing’s touch. Moments like this, when she was pushed to tears, were few and far between.
She knew she’d lost control.
Especially thinking about Lin Feng being used as a specimen for a live body experiment. She couldn’t stand it.
Lin Feng wasn’t just a mermaid. She had emotions, joys and sorrows. She shouldn’t be reduced to a lab subject.
Zhao Shuqing’s eyes settled on Lin Feng’s cheek, where a faint tear track lingered. Her heart softened. She leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to it.
Lin Feng’s lashes fluttered. She slowly opened her eyes, sensing someone behind her. Turning her head, she met Zhao Shuqing’s gaze with sleepy daze, her reddened eyes making her look utterly pitiful.
“Awake?” Zhao Shuqing took Lin Feng’s hand and touched her forehead to hers. “Hungry? It’s dark out. Let’s order something simple. Anything you’re craving?”
Lin Feng blinked sleepily, pondering for a bit before murmuring, “I want porridge.”
Zhao Shuqing hummed in agreement. “Fish fillet porridge it is, then. Want to nap more, or get up and shower?”
Lin Feng felt sticky all over—sweat and more. She had a touch of OCD about cleanliness. She’d only crashed from exhaustion earlier; now, with a bit of energy back, she craved a bath.
“Shower.” Lin Feng sat up, her tail twitching involuntarily. She stared at it, then turned to Zhao Shuqing with a wronged pout, eyes full of accusation.
Zhao Shuqing scratched her cheek awkwardly and took the initiative, scooping Lin Feng into her arms and carrying her to the bathroom.
After rinsing clean, Lin Feng leaned against Zhao Shuqing in the tub, yawning, her body utterly relaxed.
The foldable tub was small. Lin Feng had used it alone once when she first arrived, but now with two of them, it was even snugger. Her tail draped over the edge while Zhao Shuqing held her, using the handheld shower to rinse every inch.
Lin Feng rested her head on Zhao Shuqing’s shoulder, tilting her head back with her eyes blissfully half-closed.
Once the tail was clean, Zhao Shuqing shut off the water and settled in for a soak, cradling the person in her arms. The bathroom was quiet, filled only with their breaths and the occasional drip of water.
“Lin Feng.”
Zhao Shuqing toyed with Lin Feng’s palm and nails, asking casually, “Do you ever want to go back to the ocean?”
Lin Feng made a puzzled noise. “Hm?”
Zhao Shuqing met her eyes, her arms around Lin Feng’s slender waist in the cramped tub. Softly, she said, “I mean… I don’t want you to miss home.”
She’d asked Lin Feng this before. Back then, Lin Feng had said wherever Zhao Shuqing was, that’s where she’d be. The ocean held few family left anyway—no point going back. Better to stay with Zhao Shuqing.
Hearing the question again today puzzled Lin Feng.
She looked at Zhao Shuqing uncomprehendingly. “Didn’t I make myself clear last time?”
Zhao Shuqing regarded her calmly.
Thinking she hadn’t gotten the point, Lin Feng turned and hugged her tight, eyes closed. “I don’t miss home. I won’t go to the ocean. I just want to stay by your side. Nowhere else.”
Zhao Shuqing’s heart clenched. She held her closer. “So, wherever I go, you’ll follow?”
Lin Feng nodded vigorously.
“Good.”
Zhao Shuqing tightened her embrace.
If it ever came to them trying a live body experiment on Lin Feng, Zhao Shuqing would fight tooth and nail to whisk her away. They’d find some seaside hideaway, live a life the research institute could never track.
Zhao Shuqing had figured that after her blowup at the laboratory, Xu Tang would come looking for her soon. Strangely, days had passed with no word from that side. Instead, Shen Qingming called.
He’d recently moved into the nursing home, in a private single room with nurses and caregivers. His self-sufficiency made life there quite comfortable.
Zhao Shuqing had seen him off when he moved, but afterward, she’d been too wrapped up with Lin Feng to visit.
When the call came, she braced herself, assuming Teacher Shen was calling to chew her out.
“Shuqing, there’s something I’d like to ask if you’d do,” Shen Qingming cut straight to it, no small talk. “An old friend invited me to give a lecture abroad, but as you know, I’m not as spry as I used to be. It’s tricky from the nursing home. Their topic’s on marine biology—perfect for you.”
Zhao Shuqing blinked in surprise. She hadn’t breathed a word about returning to the Marine Group since hitting a wall with Xu Tang. She’d resigned herself to staying at the oceanarium with Lin Feng forever. She hadn’t expected Teacher Shen to line up a lecture opportunity for her.
She sat up straight, cradling the phone. “What’s the topic? I don’t lecture much—unsure if I’m up to it.”
Shen Qingming chuckled. “I’ll send you their materials. Take a look and get back to me. It’s next month—no rush.”
Zhao Shuqing nodded. “Got it, Teacher. I’ll check it out.”
After hanging up, she eagerly pulled up Shen Qingming’s file and pored over it from start to finish. Lin Feng even returned from work and slipped into her pool before Zhao Shuqing noticed.
It was a public outreach event on marine biology. Though nonprofit, it was sizable—a big deal for protocol-loving foreigners.
Zhao Shuqing felt a spark of excitement.
She scanned the screen, noting the date over a month out—plenty of prep time.
But if she went abroad, what about Lin Feng?
Twisting around, she spotted Lin Feng draped over the pool’s edge, yawning lazily. Looking sleepy, she pillowed her head on her arms to doze off—until Zhao Shuqing intervened.
“Don’t sleep in the water.” Zhao Shuqing stood and approached, draping a white bath towel over her. Frowning, she added, “It’s chilly out. You’ll catch a cold snoozing by the pool.”
It was late summer edging into early fall, with big day-night swings. The room had AC but wasn’t on yet. Zhao Shuqing bundled her up, lifted her from the pool, and settled her on a lounge chair. She dried Lin Feng’s tail too.
Lin Feng sprawled on the chair, letting Zhao Shuqing towel her tail while yawning nonstop.
“What’d you do yesterday to be this wiped out?” Zhao Shuqing gave her butt a light pat. Rising, she said, “I’ll grab a blanket. Don’t sleep yet.”
Seeing Lin Feng on the verge of nodding off, Zhao Shuqing sighed and opened the wardrobe for a thicker blanket. Her hand brushed something square.
Taking a closer look, Zhao Shuqing raised a brow slightly.
Well, wasn’t this the small box she’d meant to open last time but never got around to?
