Chapter 88

Zhao Shuqing had known Xu Tang since middle school. Back then, Xu Tang was still Shen Qingming’s student, several years older than her.

Xu Tang was not one for hobbies in her everyday life. She was much like Zhao Shuqing in that regard—a person with minimal material desires. Her greatest pleasures were probably immersing herself in the laboratory or heading out to sea on research vessels. Sometimes, when things got busy, Zhao Shuqing wouldn’t see her for a whole month.

Xu Tang had never been the type to chase quick success or personal gain. She showed little interest in most things. So why had she suddenly declared that Gu Yao would become the youngest gene scientist?

What benefits could a mere operator like Gu Yao possibly bring her?

The more Zhao Shuqing thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. She couldn’t help connecting it to recent events around her, especially those involving that little girl named Yao Jiajia.

It was clear that Yao Yue adored her daughter. Her social media feeds were filled with videos posted every few days, chronicling Yao Jiajia’s rehabilitation progress. Zhao Shuqing always clicked on them: today it was Yao Jiajia learning to use a spoon, tomorrow she recognized words, and the next day she could use chopsticks on her own.

Unlike the first time they’d met, Yao Jiajia was starting to resemble a normal child.

What kind of scientific breakthrough could restore health to a vegetative-state child—and in such a short time?

Zhao Shuqing found it impossible to comprehend, yet the evidence was undeniable.

After her outburst, Gu Yao burst into tears again. Zhao Shuqing watched her friend sob over the breakup, her heart aching. She pulled out the last of her tissues and gently wiped Gu Yao’s tears, saying helplessly, “If you really don’t want to break up, I can call Senior Sister for you?”

“No.” Gu Yao shook her head. “I never want to see her again for the rest of my life.”

Zhao Shuqing fell silent.

Fine, then.

Romance was exhausting. Luckily, her Little Fish was too simple-minded for all these emotional complications, or Zhao Shuqing would have worried herself to death.

Just as Zhao Shuqing was comforting Gu Yao, she sensed a gaze from above. She looked up and saw Lin Feng sprawled on the walkway overhead, peering down at her with those big, resentful eyes, as if she’d suffered some terrible grievance.

For some reason, Zhao Shuqing felt a pang of guilt, like she’d been caught feeding stray cats downstairs while her house pet watched from the window.

Lin Feng’s eyes silently accused her: You’re cheating on me with another fish behind my back!

Zhao Shuqing swallowed hard.

She suddenly felt very guilty.

But she couldn’t ignore Gu Yao—they’d been friends for years. Zhao Shuqing averted her gaze and said to her, “Let’s head upstairs first. Have you eaten? Want to come to my place and eat together?”

Gu Yao had no appetite. She shook her head through her sniffles.

“That’s fine too. Just drink plenty of water when you get home, take a shower, and get some early sleep.” Zhao Shuqing spoke faster, grabbing the roast duck she’d bought and hustling Gu Yao up the stairs.

Finally rid of her guest, Zhao Shuqing opened the door to find Lin Feng sitting on the bed, staring at her with an expression ready to interrogate.

“What were you and Gu Yao doing downstairs?” Lin Feng asked, her tone unhappy.

Zhao Shuqing felt a twinge of guilt, but then she realized there was nothing to feel guilty about—she hadn’t done anything wrong.

“Gu Yao was crying, so I was comforting her.” Zhao Shuqing unpacked the roast duck and explained to Lin Feng, “She broke up with Xu Tang and was upset. It’s not over the line to console her, right?”

“Broke up?” Lin Feng’s ears perked up instantly. She slipped into the kitchen, wrapped her arms around Zhao Shuqing’s waist from behind, and gossiped eagerly, “Why did they break up?”

“Probably personality clash.” Zhao Shuqing replied.

Personality clash?

The term was vague. Lin Feng couldn’t quite grasp what it meant in full. From her perspective, Gu Yao clearly adored Xu Tang. Could two people split up when one loved the other so much?

If she loved Zhao Shuqing that much, would Zhao Shuqing ever want to break up with her?

The thought terrified Lin Feng. She clutched Zhao Shuqing’s clothes tightly and asked, “Will we clash personalities too?”

In her eyes, she and Xu Tang were both mermaids, while Zhao Shuqing and Gu Yao were both humans. The situations seemed identical.

Zhao Shuqing paused, set down what she was holding, and turned to look at her, chuckling in confusion. “Why would you suddenly ask that? Our situation is different from theirs.”

“How is it different?” Lin Feng pressed anxiously. “It’s exactly the same.”

Zhao Shuqing’s expression grew serious. She kept her smile but asked, “The same how? Do you know something?”

Lin Feng quickly shifted her gaze to the roast duck, changing the subject stiffly. “Is the roast duck ready? I want to eat.”

“Not yet.” Zhao Shuqing cupped her face and turned it toward her own, leaning down to ask, “Tell me first. Do you know something?”

Little Fish’s eyes darted away as she stammered, “I-I don’t know anything.”

That didn’t look like someone who knew nothing.

Zhao Shuqing suddenly recalled Lin Feng’s first reaction upon learning about Gu Yao and Xu Tang’s relationship: “She’s been tricked.” At the time, Zhao Shuqing had been baffled—how was dating a scam? Xu Tang wanted for nothing; it wasn’t some con artist’s ploy.

But now, with Lin Feng saying “it’s exactly the same,” Zhao Shuqing’s suspicions deepened.

Exactly the same…

In what way?

Gender?

Or… species?

If it was species, then who matched with whom?

Zhao Shuqing’s gaze darkened as her mind raced. Clear clues surfaced, but she hesitated to confirm them. She lowered her head and looked at Lin Feng. “You know I don’t like being lied to.”

Lin Feng went rigid.

Zhao Shuqing continued, “Will you tell me the truth? I’m only asking once.”

Lin Feng was terrified. She lifted her eyes to meet Zhao Shuqing’s, wrestling inwardly for a long moment before whispering, “Xu Tang is the one who injured my tail. So… she’s not a good person.”

Zhao Shuqing blinked in shock. “On the boat that time?”

Lin Feng nodded slightly and leaned her head against Zhao Shuqing’s chest. “She dragged me aboard and injured my tail when no one was looking. I remember it.”

Though she’d been bound by chains in the ocean before—leaving scars mostly from the seabed—once hauled onto the ship, Xu Tang had feared her transforming into human form and ruining the plan. So she’d simply crippled Lin Feng’s tail.

Back then, Lin Feng couldn’t speak. The pain had left her helpless, and she’d been tossed into the onboard tank until she met Zhao Shuqing.

Thankfully, mermaids healed quickly. The deep wound had eventually mended.

Hearing this for the first time, Zhao Shuqing frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Lin Feng’s ears twitched as she hung her head. “I was scared…”

Not just of Xu Tang, but of everything on land.

She was different from Xu Tang’s group—destined to be discarded. If anything went wrong, humans would kill her, and even other mermaids wouldn’t spare her.

How could she not be afraid?

Zhao Shuqing wrapped her arms around Lin Feng’s waist, soothing her. “Don’t be scared. I’m here now. No one will ever hurt you again.”

Lin Feng’s lashes trembled as she hugged back.

Because of the breakup, Gu Yao took three days off. No one at the laboratory looked kindly on her anyway, so it was a chance to rest—and to figure out her next steps.

“Or maybe I should just quit?”

The words tumbled out of Gu Yao’s mouth. “Does the oceanarium need anyone? I could keep Lin Feng company, play with her in the water all day, take pretty photos of her.”

Zhao Shuqing ignored her and hung laundry as she said, “With your delicate build, you couldn’t lift a feed bag at the oceanarium, let alone care for Lin Feng. Stick to your genetics work—everyone has their expertise.”

Gu Yao bristled. “You spend all your time in the lab too. Why can you do it and I can’t? What makes me worse than you?”

Zhao Shuqing laughed. “Missy, you haven’t seen me hauling hundreds of pounds of fish after a sea trip. You think all those big and small fish in the lab swam in from the ocean on their own?”

“Fish aren’t that heavy, are they?” Gu Yao said.

Zhao Shuqing ruffled Lin Feng’s hair and prompted her, “My Little Fish, tell your Older Sister Gu Yao how big the fish in the sea really are.”

Lin Feng spread her arms wide. “This—big!”

Gu Yao despaired. She realized she probably couldn’t even lift the fish.

Seeing Gu Yao bow her head, Lin Feng thought she didn’t believe her and chattered on like a nagging kitten, describing the massive fish she’d seen. Zhao Shuqing hung clothes on the balcony, chiming in occasionally.

Lunch was boiled fish cooked by Zhao Shuqing, with minimal spice. Gu Yao still needed a pile of dried chilies to dip into, while Lin Feng stuck her tongue out everywhere from the heat.

After the meal, Zhao Shuqing and Gu Yao cleared the dishes together in the kitchen.

“You’re really not planning to stay at the lab?” Zhao Shuqing scrubbed a bowl. “Why quit a good job over someone who doesn’t love you back?”

“Honestly, I haven’t decided.” Gu Yao sighed, taking the rinsed bowl from Zhao Shuqing, wiping it dry, and setting it aside. “Everyone hates me now, and I don’t want to work in the same group as Xu Tang. But I love this job—it’s what I’m good at, and experiments relax me without all the pointless socializing.”

Gu Yao looked miserable. “I just don’t know what to do…”

Zhao Shuqing washed the last bowl and handed it over. “Don’t overthink it. Go back after your break. The people at your lab are decent—no need to ditch your career over a breakup.”

Gu Yao realized she had a point. Her job was great—why throw it away for Xu Tang?

Besides, Xu Tang was with the Marine Group, a different specialty. Once this project ended, they might never collaborate again. No reason to quit.

“Alright, I’ll do as you say.” Gu Yao told Zhao Shuqing. “But there’s one thing I need to mention.”

Zhao Shuqing raised an eyebrow, signaling her to go on.

“Your and Lin Feng’s eggs have successfully fused two now, and the research phase is wrapping up,” Gu Yao said. “The follow-up comparisons will be in simulated environments. Since it’s mermaids, even a healthy offspring can’t be allowed to develop fully—we’ll terminate at seven weeks max.”

She looked at Zhao Shuqing. “What do you think? It’s your child with Lin Feng, after all.”

Zhao Shuqing leaned against the fridge, silent for a long moment. Then she said to Gu Yao, “The Mermaid Dual-Female Plan is just an experiment, not for real application. Destroying them before viability and keeping only the data is the safest approach right now.”

Zhao Shuqing added, “We can’t keep that kind of monster.”