The Mermaid and Her Keeper (GL) - Chapter 25

Lin Feng slept straight through and only woke up lazily in the afternoon.

The water tank wasn’t very big. When she sat up and started looking around, she saw Zhao Shuqing standing nearby talking to a woman in a research institute uniform. Lin Feng blew out a stream of bubbles, catching Zhao Shuqing’s attention.

“That should be fine for now. Please go ahead and make the arrangements,” Zhao Shuqing said to her colleague, then turned and walked over.

Lin Feng took the initiative to climb out of the water tank, resting her chin on her two arms and looked curiously at Zhao Shuqing approaching her. “Zhao Shuqing.”

“Yeah, it’s me.” Zhao Shuqing came closer and touched Lin Feng’s cheek. After soaking all day, her body temperature had dropped, and now her skin felt cool, like a chilled little cake.

Lin Feng rubbed Zhao Shuqing’s palm gently. “Zhao Shuqing…”

Zhao Shuqing smiled and looked at her upper body, hesitating for a moment. “I prepared a gift for you. I don’t know if you’ll like it.”

Before setting off, she had stopped at the service area supermarket. The supermarket had everything, and after a long search, Zhao Shuqing picked out a swimsuit. She didn’t really understand why a service area would have swimsuits, but at least she got one.

It was a bikini, very sexy. Zhao Shuqing chose a light purple color that would complement Lin Feng’s fair skin.

“We’re almost there. There will be a lot of people coming to see you,” Zhao Shuqing said, leaning over the tank to talk to Lin Feng. “It’s fine for you not to wear clothes around me, but in front of so many people, you can’t go without anything.”

Lin Feng held the swimsuit and looked at her blankly.

Zhao Shuqing waved her hand helplessly, and Lin Feng swam over.

“Turn around,” Zhao Shuqing instructed.

Lin Feng turned around, not understanding, and showed her back. Zhao Shuqing looked at her smooth shoulders and pale back and was reminded of the scale Lin Feng had shown her last night. She cleared her throat softly and began to help her put on the swimsuit.

The swimsuit was simple—just two pieces of fabric and some strings. After a quick look, Zhao Shuqing helped her put it on. She tied a pretty bow on Lin Feng’s back, and when her fingers accidentally brushed against Lin Feng’s skin, Lin Feng glanced back at her.

“Sorry,” Zhao Shuqing pulled back her hand and took a step back. “Turn around so I can see.”

Lin Feng obediently turned back, placing her hands on the tank edge and quietly letting Zhao Shuqing look.

It was simple but okay.

The main thing was Lin Feng looked good—pretty and bright. She really looked very human in the swimsuit.

“Looks good,” Zhao Shuqing said with a smile.

Lin Feng saw her smile and unconsciously smiled back.

Just then, the car slowly stopped, signaling they had arrived.

As the car door opened, sunlight poured in. Lin Feng looked nervous at the unfamiliar surroundings. Zhao Shuqing bent down, gently touched her head, and softly reassured her, “It’s okay. I’m with you.”

There were about three times more media than before, and the event was held in the square in front of the research institute. Everyone was very concerned about the mermaid’s health. This time, Xu Tang didn’t act as the spokesperson but let Zhao Shuqing go on stage, since she would often appear at events like this in the future.

Facing countless cameras, Zhao Shuqing was indeed nervous. Even though Xu Tang had briefed her earlier, she still felt a bit anxious once she started speaking.

She answered everyone’s questions one by one. Lin Feng was surrounded by people and looked uneasy, furrowing her brows. But no one got too close, and with Zhao Shuqing by her side, she seemed less agitated.

After a short Q&A, Zhao Shuqing took Lin Feng and left.

Lin Feng wanted to follow Zhao Shuqing instead of sitting in the tank being pushed around. Zhao Shuqing noticed and told a colleague a few things before letting Lin Feng out.

As soon as Lin Feng climbed out of the tank, she reached to pull at her swimsuit. Zhao Shuqing quickly held her hand and gently shook her head. “You can’t take it off.”

Lin Feng frowned. She felt uncomfortable and uneasy.

Just then, Xu Tang approached.

Lin Feng stiffened the moment she saw her and tried to hide herself, avoiding Xu Tang’s gaze. Zhao Shuqing found it strange. When Lin Feng was with her, she wasn’t arrogant or domineering. She could kill a wild boar barehanded and even fight without hesitation, so why was she so afraid of Xu Tang?

After all, Xu Tang only pulled her out of the water—was that really so scary?

Xu Tang glanced at Lin Feng, then walked over to Zhao Shuqing. “You did well just now. We’ll take care of Lin Feng for now. Come with me to the office to see the teacher. He’s very worried about you.”

Zhao Shuqing looked at Lin Feng but still told Xu Tang, “Senior sister, I’d rather settle Lin Feng first. I’ll go see the teacher in a bit.”

Xu Tang paused for a moment, then nodded gently. “Alright, I’ll go with you.”

The two of them escorted Lin Feng into the research institute. Along the way, many people came over to stare at this rare mermaid. Lin Feng sat upright in a slightly smaller water tank, not daring to move. It wasn’t until the hatch opened and a large pool of blue seawater was revealed that Lin Feng’s eyes lit up.

“Remember I told you about the aquarium?” Zhao Shuqing half-crouched down and spoke to her. “This will be your new home. At first, you need to be in isolation for a while to get used to it. After that, you can move around freely. I’ll be with you the whole time. There might be some basic check-ups, but don’t be afraid.”

Zhao Shuqing said softly, “I’ll be here with you.”

Lin Feng’s blue eyes looked at her, and after a long moment, she nodded.

After the staff placed Lin Feng into a large ecological pool about the size of a swimming pool, Zhao Shuqing went with Xu Tang to meet their advisor.

Zhao Shuqing’s advisor was the top figure in marine science, Shen Qingming. Professor Shen was in his sixties, with many students under him. The most promising were Xu Tang and Zhao Shuqing. The Pacific Ocean project they just returned from was also led by these two.

Knock, knock, knock—

Xu Tang knocked on the office door, and an elderly voice said, “Come in.”

They pushed the door open together. Shen Qingming looked up, smiled, and stood up. “Shuqing, you’re back! Come in, come in. No injuries, right? I was worried when I heard about the accident. Luckily, you’re safe.”

Shen Qingming’s hair was mostly white, but his spirit was still strong for a man in his sixties. He had devoted his life to studying mermaids and was famous for witnessing one himself when he was younger, which caused quite a sensation back then.

Unfortunately, his genetic tests were not good—he would never have children. So, he never started a family and instead treated the institute as his home, and his students as his children.

Zhao Shuqing respected her advisor and stood as she answered, “It was indeed dangerous, but I’m safe. I came back unharmed.”

Shen Qingming invited them to sit and personally poured tea for them. He listened quietly as they talked about the ocean trip—mostly Zhao Shuqing speaking, with Xu Tang occasionally adding a few words. When Zhao Shuqing showed him photos of Lin Feng, Shen Qingming pushed up his reading glasses and looked closely.

He touched Lin Feng’s photo taken on the ship, his cloudy eyes seeming deep in thought. After a long while, he smiled softly. “Good, very good. This is truly wonderful.”

Zhao Shuqing added, “For now, we’ll keep her in isolation for observation. Once we’re sure she’s fine, we’ll let her move freely.”

Shen Qingming nodded, then looked at Xu Tang. “About the issues with this expedition team, I’ve already submitted the report. The punishment should be decided within a couple of days.”

Xu Tang nodded quietly.

Zhao Shuqing was momentarily stunned, then realized he was talking about Sun Chengzhou’s sudden death on the ship.

“Professor, Sun Chengzhou’s death has nothing to do with Xu Tang,” Zhao Shuqing frowned as she explained, “It was clearly his own fault. Besides, it was those foreign agents he contacted who betrayed us. Otherwise, those people wouldn’t have come to capture Lin Feng.”

Shen Qingming pressed his palm down, signaling her to stop.

“I included this in the report. The higher-ups will make their judgment,” Shen Qingming told Zhao Shuqing. “You should take advantage of Lin Feng’s isolation period to write your paper. Try to publish it soon—this will be the world’s first research paper on mermaids.”

Zhao Shuqing glanced at Xu Tang and reluctantly nodded. “Alright, I’ll write it when I get back.”

Afterwards, Shen Qingming didn’t keep her and said he wanted to talk with Xu Tang alone. Zhao Shuqing left but stood by the door to listen. No matter how she pressed her ear, she couldn’t hear anything, so she quietly slipped away.

She planned to return to her dorm first to change into cleaner clothes. It was just the end of work hours, so maybe she’d meet some friends to grab a bite.

As for Lin Feng, she’d visit her after eating.

Thinking this, Zhao Shuqing headed back to her dorm.

Zhao Shuqing had no parents since childhood. Shen Qingming had been her benefactor through school. She was smart and did well academically, smoothly finishing her PhD under his guidance. So to her, Shen Qingming was more family than just a teacher.

The single dorm room at the institute was small but enough for one person. Zhao Shuqing rummaged through her clothes, smelled them, found no bad odors, and changed. She planned to clean up the dorm well after dinner. It had been more than a month since anyone stayed here—definitely time for a thorough cleaning.

Tomorrow, she also planned to buy a new computer and phone and get some candy for Lin Feng, who liked sweets.

As she thought this, Zhao Shuqing changed into casual clothes and was about to leave when she heard an “Eh!” Turning her head, she saw the door next to hers open. Standing there was someone in the institute uniform, surprised to see her.

“Shuqing? You’re back?”

Zhao Shuqing smiled and greeted her. “Gu Yao.”

Gu Yao happily jumped over, looking at Zhao Shuqing in jeans and a white T-shirt with surprise. “I heard you were kidnapped. I thought I’d never see you again.”

“Bad luck charm,” Zhao Shuqing playfully tapped her and pretended to scold, “I finally came back safely. Don’t you owe me hot pot?”

“Sure!” Gu Yao didn’t refuse and smiled. “You have no idea, I missed you so much this past month.”

“Did you really miss me?”

“Mostly, I just want you to take your cat back.”

Gu Yao sighed. “That cat eats so much, I’m almost broke because of it.”