Chapter 97

Every morning and evening, Zhao Shuqing sat by the seaside, waiting. She watched cruise ships pass in the distance, one after another. It had been half a month since her entry had been restricted, and the official response remained the same: no chance of lifting the ban. Local police stopped by every few days to remind her that if her visa expired and she still couldn’t leave, she’d be deported.

Zhao Shuqing gazed at the serene coastline, never imagining she’d end up in such a predicament.

The sun rose and set. Zhao Shuqing waited another full day by the shore.

The sea breeze stung her skin. As the weather grew colder, the temperature swings between morning and evening left her feeling utterly uncomfortable. Dressed in a thin jacket, Zhao Shuqing decided to end her wait for the day. She stood and headed back to the hotel.

As soon as she stepped through the hotel doors, a blonde woman with blue eyes approached her. Gazing at Zhao Shuqing’s cheeks, pale from the wind, she said sympathetically, “Zhao Shuqing, no sign of the person you’re waiting for today?”

Zhao Shuqing nodded slightly.

Camille was a chatty local who’d stayed behind after the conference ended, keeping Zhao Shuqing company. She warmly linked arms with her. “Come on, dear, let’s grab dinner. Look at you, freezing cold like an ice cream cone.”

Zhao Shuqing declined. “Sorry, I want to rest in my room.”

Camille looked at her helplessly. “All right, then. I’m heading to the bar later. Want me to bring anything back?”

“No need.” Zhao Shuqing smiled at her. “Have fun.”

Back in her room, Zhao Shuqing changed clothes and sat on the carpet by the floor-to-ceiling window, knees drawn to her chest, staring calmly at the coast.

She didn’t know when Lin Feng would arrive—or if she would at all.

A flight from home took ten hours. A cruise ship? Half a month to a month. And if something happened along the way, could Lin Feng even make it safely? Even if she did, how would she find Zhao Shuqing?

Zhao Shuqing knew this waiting was pointless. Lin Feng had probably left long ago, and the idea that she’d come looking was just a pipe dream.

But Zhao Shuqing still wanted to see her. At least face-to-face, she could ask why Lin Feng had lied to her.

She didn’t know when she fell asleep. When Zhao Shuqing opened her eyes again, night had fallen, and the room was pitch black. Only the streetlights outside the window provided faint illumination.

She leaned against the window, peering at the street below. It must be early morning now; aside from the lamps, the road was deserted.

Her stomach growled inappropriately.

Zhao Shuqing sighed in resignation and got up to check downstairs for something to eat.

As she left her room, she spotted two figures locked in a passionate kiss at the elevator.

Zhao Shuqing frowned and averted her eyes, walking past out of politeness. From the corner of her vision, though, she glimpsed the woman with long brown hair pinning Camille—the same one who’d greeted her that afternoon—against the wall.

Both seemed tipsy, getting handsy right there in the hallway. Zhao Shuqing quickly pressed the elevator button, slipped inside, and breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

No matter how long she stayed here, she could never get used to foreigners’ open romance. They seemed ready to kiss anywhere, anytime—even roadside.

Out of the elevator, Zhao Shuqing got a free hot coffee from the vending machine nearby. The girl at the front desk was asleep, sprawled over the counter, so Zhao Shuqing headed outside.

A twenty-four-hour convenience store sat around the corner to the left. Sipping her coffee, she walked there. The cold wind sharpened her senses, waking her fully.

She exhaled a puff of hot breath that turned to white mist in the air. Tonight’s temperature might drop to freezing.

After buying biscuits and bread from the convenience store, Zhao Shuqing wasn’t sure where to go next. She sat on a bench by the door, tearing into the bread bite by bite, washing it down with the rest of her coffee.

The bread barely filled her; her stomach still felt empty. Chinese stomachs couldn’t handle this stuff—without rice or noodles, she never felt full.

But for now, Zhao Shuqing had to make do.

At least her bank card hadn’t been frozen yet. Otherwise, she’d be out on the streets.

She stuffed the last bite into her mouth and noticed a group of drunken women stumbling along arm-in-arm in the distance. Not wanting trouble, she stood to leave. Then a loud bang came from behind the convenience store, by the trash bin.

Zhao Shuqing glanced suspiciously, figuring it was a squirrel or crow. But at the bin’s edge, she spotted a coiled blue tail.

Her eyes widened in an instant. She rushed over and shoved the bin aside.

“Meow!”

Two stray cats bolted in fright. Zhao Shuqing peered closer and realized it wasn’t a blue tail at all—just a torn, ragged blue trash bag.

In the days that followed, Zhao Shuqing felt bewitched. Every glimpse of something blue made her rush to check, only to face disappointment each time.

After renewing her stay, a hotel staffer kindly reminded her she’d been there a full month.

Zhao Shuqing pocketed her wallet and nodded slightly.

“Hey!”

Camille appeared, dragging a suitcase, greeting her enthusiastically. “Zhao Shuqing, still no resolution to your situation?”

Zhao Shuqing looked surprised at her and the long-haired brunette beside her, wondering if she was the same woman from that elevator kiss.

Camille caught her glance and laced fingers with her companion, boasting, “We got married! Off for our honeymoon.”

Zhao Shuqing raised an eyebrow. “Congratulations.”

That was fast. Had they even known each other half a month?

Camille didn’t elaborate. Smiling brightly, she had her partner handle checkout, then pulled Zhao Shuqing aside. “Don’t give me that look. I’m not the type to marry on a whim. We dated before, broke up, and she came all this way for me. I realized I still love her, so we tied the knot.”

Zhao Shuqing clarified, “You don’t need to explain. She seems nice.”

Camille’s eyes crinkled with laughter as she bumped her shoulder. “You’re nice too, just no spark between us. The one you’re waiting for still hasn’t shown? It’s been a month now.”

Zhao Shuqing lowered her gaze and murmured an affirmative.

Camille looked at her pityingly. “Poor thing. You weren’t scammed, were you?”

Zhao Shuqing didn’t reply. Luckily, the brunette finished check-out and came over, affectionately tugging Camille along. They waved goodbye to Zhao Shuqing and left the hotel.

Watching their intimate departure, Zhao Shuqing felt a tangle of emotions.

If even a casual foreign friend thought Lin Feng was conning her, did Lin Feng truly care at all?

Zhao Shuqing stared at the overcast sky outside and decided to take a walk. This time, she finally spotted the mermaid she’d been dreaming of day and night.

When Lin Feng came ashore, dawn hadn’t broken. She crawled from the sea, soaked to the bone, with wounds on her arms.

After a month’s arduous journey, she’d ridden an orca’s back to this stretch of water. Dolphin schools had guided her to shore, and now she was on land.

She still wore that blue dress, though seawater had shriveled it, clinging to her like seaweed. It was miserably wet and cold.

In human form, her body temperature normalized to around 36 degrees Celsius.

The transformation let mermaids pass for humans on land but weakened some functions—like now, when Lin Feng felt the chill.

She hadn’t eaten in days. Once ashore, she sat in a spot to rest.

She pondered her next move.

In such a vast city, where could she find Zhao Shuqing?

She’d brought two changes of clothes, but lost them fighting those nasty dolphins in the water. Her arm still bore their bite. If not for her strength, she might not have made it.

Rubbing her stomach, Lin Feng felt the ache again.

Starving, yet she couldn’t eat.

Fish made her retch these days; she could only sip water. She knew she had to find Zhao Shuqing soon.

After a brief rest, Lin Feng stood. She recalled that police helped in tough spots. Domestic or foreign, their job should be the same, right?

She eyed a distant squad car, thinking she could ask for directions.

But Lin Feng overlooked one thing: she didn’t speak the local language.

So, the “helpful” cops took her away—for illegal entry.

As Zhao Shuqing left the hotel, she saw a commotion outside the nearby police station. With nothing better to do, she wandered over to see what was up.

Police tape cordoned off cars at the station entrance. An SUV police cruiser was smashed beyond recognition, hood flipped up, glass shards everywhere. It looked like a major incident.

“What’s going on?” bystanders whispered.

A kindhearted local lady with a purse chimed in. “Heard they nabbed an illegal immigrant woman this morning. She’s some kind of monster—punched the car to bits.”

Zhao Shuqing froze.

“What kind of monster? Like in the movies?” a curious onlooker asked.

“Dunno, never saw it. Spoke some Asian language, no idea what. Light hair, real aggressive.”

“Didn’t they shoot her?”

“No time—she bolted. Who knows where to now.”

Zhao Shuqing couldn’t listen anymore. She slipped from the crowd and searched the nearby streets.

Light hair, violent, smuggled in without knowing the language—everything pointed to Lin Feng.

She’d come. She’d really come for her.

Zhao Shuqing kept it low-key, darting through alleys for any sign.

At last, she stopped at an embankment.

Lin Feng huddled in a crevice among the rocks below, her feet caked in filthy mud, her blue dress a wrinkled mess. Sensing something, she looked up and locked eyes with Zhao Shuqing standing above on the embankment.