Chapter 83

Zhao Shuqing stared quietly at the small box, sensing a Pandora’s box vibe from it. It held Lin Feng’s little secrets—ones she didn’t want Zhao Shuqing to know. Opening it might unleash a chain of events.

But then Zhao Shuqing thought, what secrets could a silly little fish like her possibly have?

Lin Feng spent her days blissfully happy and carefree. Ever since she’d been fished out of the ocean, she had stuck by Zhao Shuqing’s side without a single day apart. Yet now Zhao Shuqing had discovered that her little fish was hiding something.

Whether it was her sudden urge to make money or this box, both seemed to whisper that Lin Feng had secrets she didn’t want to share with Zhao Shuqing.

What could they be?

Zhao Shuqing clutched the blanket and sank into thought.

Maybe she should just take a peek inside?

She shook her head. Lin Feng was several years older than her in physiological age, so she deserved her privacy. Still, curiosity gnawed at Zhao Shuqing. What kind of privacy did a fish even need?

A quick glance probably wouldn’t hurt, right?

Torn, Zhao Shuqing reached out anyway, her hand settling on the latch of the small box.

It wasn’t even locked—just a simple metal clasp that gave way with a flick. When Zhao Shuqing peered inside, she instantly recognized the contents as her own “lost” items.

The cup she’d used for ages, the frayed toothbrush, the spoon sticker, and various small trinkets that had mysteriously vanished after she’d used them.

All of them were crammed into this little box, looking like a pile of trash not yet discarded.

With a thud, Zhao Shuqing heard something heavy hit the floor behind her. She turned to see Lin Feng sitting on the ground, staring at her in panic, eyes wide with helplessness.

She’d been caught.

That was Lin Feng’s first thought.

Seeing Lin Feng’s extreme reaction, Zhao Shuqing glanced back at the “trash” in the box and asked, “Why are my things in your possession?”

Lin Feng was so nervous she started stammering. “I-I d-don’t know.”

You don’t know?

She couldn’t even lie properly.

Zhao Shuqing set the blanket aside, picked up the box of odds and ends, and walked over. She squatted in front of Lin Feng, who was slumped on the floor, and gave the box a shake. The cup and spoon clinked crisply inside.

“Are you stealing my stuff?” Zhao Shuqing asked deliberately.

“I didn’t steal,” Lin Feng looked up and explained, tilting her head back. “These are all things you didn’t want.”

Zhao Shuqing shot back, “Who said I didn’t want them?”

She picked up the worn-out cup. “This cup isn’t broken—it’s just a bit old. It’s still perfectly usable.” She continued, “I never threw it away, so how can you call it something I didn’t want?”

Lin Feng watched her anxiously. Listening to Zhao Shuqing’s words, the little fish felt guiltier by the second.

“And this toothbrush.” Zhao Shuqing held up her toothbrush and said to Lin Feng, “Something that dirty—why would you take it?”

Lin Feng opened her mouth and squeezed out two words: “Not dirty.”

Zhao Shuqing paused, then said, “Even if it’s not dirty, you can’t take it.”

Lin Feng hung her head, looking utterly aggrieved—like she’d suffered the greatest injustice. It tugged at the heartstrings.

Zhao Shuqing stood up and told her, “I’m confiscating these things.”

As she turned to leave, she felt someone tugging at her pant leg. Looking down, she saw Lin Feng clutching her pants with one hand. The mermaid lifted her head, those big blue eyes locking onto Zhao Shuqing’s, red-rimmed as she pleaded, “Don’t take them. I collected those with so much effort. They’re all things you didn’t want…”

Lin Feng’s voice grew smaller and more pitiful, her face on the verge of tears. Zhao Shuqing’s heart twisted with a mix of sourness and sweetness. After a long moment, she squatted back down, placed the box in Lin Feng’s arms, and scooped her up from the floor.

Lin Feng hugged her box tightly, eyeing Zhao Shuqing warily.

Amused, Zhao Shuqing chuckled helplessly. “I’m not robbing you. What would I do with a bunch of junk?”

She settled Lin Feng onto the lounge chair, then finally heard the little fish mutter under her breath, “It’s not junk…”

Those were her treasures.

Zhao Shuqing laughed despite herself, draping a fuzzy blanket over her. She tried to put the box away, but Lin Feng clutched it like her life depended on it, as if Zhao Shuqing might go back on her word. Zhao Shuqing felt exasperated, wondering if all little animals had this hoarding quirk—collecting human discards.

Seeing how tense Lin Feng was, she thought for a moment, then slipped the black hair tie from her wrist. She flipped open the box’s lid and dropped it inside right in front of Lin Feng.

“See?” Zhao Shuqing said. “I’m giving you something of mine now. You can trust I won’t throw your stuff away, right?”

Lin Feng’s gaze fixed on the hair tie, her eyes lighting up faintly.

She’d been eyeing that hair tie for ages.

Zhao Shuqing lived a solitary life with few desires. She wore her work uniform year-round, her home furnished sparsely. She ate at the cafeteria or ordered takeout—until Lin Feng arrived and prompted her to cook.

Her bathroom held barely any cosmetics; lipstick expired on the shelf, and she used the same hair tie until it snapped, so she kept identical spares in the cabinet.

Lin Feng loved the one on Zhao Shuqing’s wrist most of all. Worn daily, it carried Zhao Shuqing’s scent.

She adored it.

Clutching her box carefully, Lin Feng looked up at Zhao Shuqing and murmured hesitantly, “Thank you.”

Zhao Shuqing rubbed her cheek. This fish picked up her discards and still thanked her.

So adorable.

Watching Lin Feng cradle the box like a treasure, Zhao Shuqing wondered if she should tell her about the upcoming trip abroad. She would go—it was a rare chance, especially for someone like her with nothing much going on.

Her only worry was Lin Feng.

Could such a dim-witted little fish really manage alone at the oceanarium?

Zhao Shuqing had completely forgotten how Lin Feng had beaten every creature there senseless after arriving. In her mind, her little fish was just soft, silly, and clingy—nothing like the ocean overlord she’d once been.

She tucked the blanket around Lin Feng and went back to her tasks. At five sharp, she clocked out, wheeled Lin Feng home.

Pushing the wheelchair through the door, Zhao Shuqing noticed she was still gripping the box tight. Puzzled, she asked, “Why not leave it by the pool? Why bring it home?”

Lin Feng’s ears twitched. She whispered, “There’s more at home.”

Zhao Shuqing blinked. “?”

When she saw Lin Feng rummaging behind the bathtub like she was digging through trash, pulling out a pile of items, Zhao Shuqing was dumbfounded.

She always skipped those hard-to-reach cleaning spots. Lin Feng was clean and loved baths, so Zhao Shuqing let her handle the balcony after soaking. It had been ages since she’d cleaned there herself.

Now, staring at the heap, her head throbbed.

A used tissue, a gray towel she’d sworn she’d thrown out, a long-lost silk scarf, even her phone charger.

No wonder her things kept disappearing. A thief had infiltrated her home.

Lin Feng stuffed her “treasures” (aka garbage) into the box wholesale. Zhao Shuqing’s gaze turned icy.

She couldn’t fathom if this fish had real cleanliness OCD or not. How could she hoard such filthy stuff?

“Don’t stuff that towel in—it’s got a smell,” Zhao Shuqing snatched her towel back swiftly. While Lin Feng was distracted, she tossed the tissues and such into the trash. As Lin Feng reached to retrieve them, Zhao Shuqing smacked the back of her hand with a sharp slap.

Lin Feng winced and pulled her hand back instinctively.

Zhao Shuqing scolded her. “I won’t stop you from collecting things, but no more picking up used stuff.”

Lin Feng rubbed her reddened hand, looking baffled. “Didn’t you say you were giving them to me?”

Zhao Shuqing retorted, “Don’t twist my words. That’s all garbage.”

Lin Feng stubbornly insisted, “It’s not.”

These were treasures she’d worked hard to gather.

Zhao Shuqing’s head ached. She squatted before Lin Feng and rummaged through the box. Thinking she was about to toss more, Lin Feng hugged it and twisted away.

Lin Feng huffed at her, cheeks puffed. “You’re so mean.”

Me, mean?

Helpless, Zhao Shuqing said, “Scarves, keychains, cups, spoons, bowls—those are fine to collect. But toothbrushes and towels? They’re filthy and need to go.”

Lin Feng protested, “I washed them clean.” Worried Zhao Shuqing wouldn’t believe her, she added, “Washed them several times.”

Zhao Shuqing said sternly, “Doesn’t matter. They’re going.”

Ignoring Lin Feng’s protests, Zhao Shuqing chucked the towels, toothbrushes, and the like. Lin Feng cried heartbrokenly. To soothe her, Zhao Shuqing promised other gifts.

“I don’t want those…”

Lin Feng’s eyes brimmed with tears as she clutched her dwindled treasures and wailed, “Those don’t have your scent.”

Zhao Shuqing sighed, pulling her into an embrace. “Which is more important—things or me? You’d rather cling to dead objects than get closer to me?”

Lin Feng looked up blankly from her arms.

Zhao Shuqing’s ears flushed pink. She leaned down, kissed Lin Feng’s cheek, and cooed softly, “Tonight, I’ll stay with you.”

Lin Feng’s eyes sparkled, but she didn’t reply right away. Instead, she counted the remaining items in her box, then looked up. “Five times.”

Zhao Shuqing: “…”

What a big ask from the little fish.

Zhao Shuqing coughed lightly, helpless. “Fine, but don’t use them all in one day.”

Lin Feng pursed her lips, hooking her arms around Zhao Shuqing’s shoulders. “I can handle it.”

Zhao Shuqing gave her a sidelong glance and patted her slim waist. “Think I don’t know what you can take? Two times max today—you’ve got an early morning tomorrow.”

Lin Feng considered it. Two would do; Zhao Shuqing always kept her word, and she trusted her not to welch.

In the end, Zhao Shuqing was right. After the second round, Lin Feng couldn’t take any more. Her tail twitched and spasmed, her whole body limp in Zhao Shuqing’s arms. Her arms dangled uselessly, her pale hair splayed without energy.

Zhao Shuqing supported Lin Feng’s soft waist and took the chance to nip her earlobe. Lin Feng let out a low whimper.

Like a wronged little animal.

“Three left,” Zhao Shuqing whispered devilishly in her ear. “I’ll save them for next time.”

Lin Feng felt even more aggrieved.