The Mermaid and Her Keeper (GL) - Chapter 42
Lin Feng’s request came so suddenly that Zhao Shuqing didn’t quite catch on at first. But the moment she remembered kissing Lin Feng’s tail fin earlier that day, her face flushed red.
“Stop fooling around,” Zhao Shuqing said, lying on the bed with her eyes closed. “Go to sleep.”
Lin Feng stared at her in disbelief. Sometimes, she really couldn’t understand humans. They could kiss her tail, but not her?
Was she really less important than a tattered tail?
“Zhao Shuqing…”
Lin Feng still wanted to try. She leaned over and whispered, “Just one kiss.”
Zhao Shuqing was starting to sweat. She kept her eyes closed and forced herself to say, “Sleep.”
Lin Feng fell silent.
A few seconds passed. Just when Zhao Shuqing thought Lin Feng had given up, she suddenly felt a hand sneaking its way under the covers. Her eyes flew open in shock.
The moment she opened them, she found herself staring directly into Lin Feng’s eyes—who was now hovering over her.
One of Lin Feng’s hands was supporting her body, while the other had lifted Zhao Shuqing’s shirt, resting on her flat stomach. Even after being caught, Lin Feng didn’t seem embarrassed. She just stared at Zhao Shuqing with her innocent blue eyes and softly called her name, “Zhao Shuqing…”
Right now, Zhao Shuqing absolutely hated her own name. Every time Lin Feng said it, it felt like a death sentence—her heart trembled every time.
Being pinned to the bed didn’t feel great. Zhao Shuqing frowned and reached out to hold Lin Feng’s waist, asking in a low voice, “What are you trying to do?”
Lin Feng looked at the hand on her waist, then looked down at Zhao Shuqing and replied, “Kiss.”
Zhao Shuqing: “…”
She shut her eyes in despair. Clearly, Lin Feng wasn’t going to let her sleep without a kiss.
Defeated, she said, “Fine. Just stop pressing on me. Let me sit up.”
Once Zhao Shuqing agreed, Lin Feng immediately withdrew her hand and obediently sat by her side.
Zhao Shuqing sat up and quickly leaned over to peck Lin Feng’s cheek, then flopped back onto the bed with a thud.
She moved so fast it was like lightning—Lin Feng barely registered what had happened.
That was it??
Lin Feng blinked and looked at Zhao Shuqing, who was trying to fall asleep again. Pouting, she lightly thumped her with a fist. “Zhao Shuqing!”
Zhao Shuqing gave her a sideways glance, sighed, and sat up again. Scratching her head, she looked at Lin Feng and asked, “Are you sure you want me to kiss you?”
Lin Feng nodded.
“Why?” Zhao Shuqing was confused. “You’ve never asked for something this crazy before.”
Lin Feng thought for a moment. Then she leaned in and said, “Because I like you.”
Zhao Shuqing: “…”
Damn. Her heart was about to explode.
But she forced herself to stay calm.
Come on, Zhao Shuqing. She’s just a fish. A talking fish, sure—but still a fish.
Zhao Shuqing took a deep breath and said, “You can’t just say things like that. Kissing isn’t something you do with just anyone, you know? Do you understand?”
“I understand,” Lin Feng said seriously. “Only with you.”
Zhao Shuqing was about to lose it. How could a fish—who could barely talk properly—say something so sweet and direct?
She rubbed her forehead and glanced at Lin Feng. Right now, Lin Feng looked full of anticipation. Her bright blue eyes sparkled like gemstones, locked onto Zhao Shuqing, clearly waiting for that kiss.
Fine. A kiss it is.
After all, Lin Feng was the one who asked for it.
Zhao Shuqing made up her mind, leaned forward, and gently cupped Lin Feng’s face.
Lin Feng’s face was small—one hand could easily hold it. Zhao Shuqing brushed her fingers across her smooth cheek. Her skin was cool, like jade.
Lin Feng tilted her head up slightly, her lips parting just a little. Zhao Shuqing could even see a glimpse of her pink tongue.
Kissing a mermaid didn’t feel as strange as she’d imagined.
Zhao Shuqing softly pressed her lips to Lin Feng’s. At first, they were cool, like kissing porcelain. But soon enough, warmth started to bloom—Lin Feng’s lips became soft, moist, and warm, like they’d been gently heated.
Lin Feng kept her eyes open during the kiss. Her long lashes trembled, which made Zhao Shuqing feel awkward.
“Close your eyes,” Zhao Shuqing whispered.
Lin Feng paused for a second, then obediently shut her eyes.
Zhao Shuqing wrapped her arm around Lin Feng’s waist and kissed her again, holding her lips gently.
Zhao Shuqing had never kissed anyone before, so all she could do was stiffly hold Lin Feng and press a few light kisses to her lips. But even just those few kisses completely blanked her mind.
She had actually kissed a mermaid.
The realization made her feel both giddy and embarrassed. After one last kiss, she quickly pulled away.
Lin Feng opened her eyes again and looked at Zhao Shuqing, whose face was completely red as she avoided her gaze.
Lin Feng licked her lips and placed a hand on Zhao Shuqing’s knee, softly calling her name again, “Zhao Shuqing…”
Please, no more, my little troublemaker.
Zhao Shuqing gave her a helpless glare, yanked the blanket over herself, and lay down with her back to Lin Feng. “You got your kiss. Now go to sleep.”
No matter how much Lin Feng poked or shook her after that, Zhao Shuqing pretended to be asleep.
Eventually, Lin Feng gave up and snuggled against her back, falling asleep in that clingy way of hers.
Hospital Room
Shen Qingming was leaning against the pillow while the live-in housekeeper sat beside him, scooping porridge into a bowl. Just then, the door creaked open.
Xu Tang stood at the doorway, wearing a white trench coat. She glanced at the elderly man lying on the bed and gave the housekeeper a polite nod. “Aunt Liu, how’s the professor doing?”
Last night, Shen Qingming had a sudden asthma attack while working late. Luckily, the housekeeper, Aunt Liu, was still awake and heard the noise. She rushed over, gave him his medication, and called an ambulance right away. He was brought to the hospital in time.
Aunt Liu put down the bowl and spoon, stood up, and said to Xu Tang, “Professor Shen’s doing okay. The doctor said we got here just in time. But he’ll need to stay in the hospital for observation.”
Xu Tang nodded, walked to the bedside, and said gently, “You should take a break. I’ll help him eat.”
Aunt Liu understood that Xu Tang wanted to talk privately with Shen Qingming, so she quietly gathered her things and left the room, closing the door behind her.
“Xu Tang…” Shen Qingming’s voice was weak as he asked, “Why are you here?”
“I came to check on you.” Xu Tang picked up the bowl and stirred the porridge before asking, “What happened? I heard you were still awake past midnight last night.”
Shen Qingming nodded and gave a faint smile. “I’m getting old. Staying up late takes a bigger toll now.”
Xu Tang smiled back and fed him a few spoonfuls before gently asking, “You’ve been uneasy ever since you saw that mermaid. Were you reminded of the past?”
Shen Qingming nodded silently.
More than twenty years ago, he was still in his prime—over forty, unmarried, and fully devoted to academic research. He spent nearly ten months of the year at sea, and it was during that time that he first saw a mermaid.
“She was hiding behind a rock near the shore, watching me,” Shen Qingming’s clouded eyes drifted as he spoke, his voice soft. “She looked exactly the same as she does now—still so beautiful.”
Xu Tang sat quietly, listening.
“At the time, I was the only person nearby. She swam over carrying a child who had a high fever. That was the first time I saw a mermaid.”
The young Shen Qingming had been stunned by the sight of the mermaid. His eyes had then shifted to the child in her arms—a little girl around four or five years old, cheeks flushed with fever and breathing rapidly. It was clear she was sick.
The waters in that area were known for shipwrecks. Just a few days earlier, there had been a violent storm. Shen Qingming figured the mermaid must’ve rescued the child.
The mermaid didn’t have a name back then. Her gem-like blue eyes met his as she gently placed the child into his arms.
“Shu… Qing…”
She said two words. Shen Qingming didn’t even have time to fully process what she meant before she turned and dove back into the ocean. Only then did he snap out of it, holding the child with one hand and hurriedly pulling out his phone with the other, snapping a few photos of her retreating figure.
Those photos became the first visual record of a mermaid ever captured by humans.
Shen Qingming brought the child to a nearby hospital and reported it to the police, but he didn’t mention the mermaid. He simply said he had found the child on the shore. The police ran a household registration search and discovered the girl’s name was Zhao Shuqing, from an ordinary fishing family that had gone missing during the recent storm.
A few days later, authorities confirmed the fishing boat had been lost at sea. Zhao Shuqing was sent to an orphanage.
Shen Qingming wrote a research paper about the incident. He never forgot the child. He supported her education for years. Fortunately, Zhao Shuqing was bright and excelled academically. She earned her master’s degree and later became Shen Qingming’s doctoral student.
“I never thought I’d see her again,” Shen Qingming said softly. “She doesn’t look exactly the same as in the photos, but she’s still just as beautiful.”
Xu Tang quietly stirred the porridge in the bowl, her expression calm. Then she said slowly, “I hope Zhao Shuqing never finds out about this. You want that too, right, Professor?”
Shen Qingming paused. After a long moment, he sighed. “I understand. I promised you I wouldn’t let her find out. But who can guarantee she never will?”
Xu Tang stopped stirring, looked up at him, and said, “As long as we keep it a secret, she’ll never know.”
Shen Qingming shook his head and murmured, “You still don’t understand humans…”
When Zhao Shuqing found out Shen Qingming had been hospitalized, she immediately called Xu Tang. At that moment, Xu Tang was still in the hospital room, so they started a video call. Seeing that Shen Qingming seemed to be in good spirits, they both felt relieved.
Even during the call, Shen Qingming hadn’t forgotten about Zhao Shuqing’s dissertation. He gave her some feedback and asked her to revise it and send it to Xu Tang afterward.
Zhao Shuqing nodded and went back to working on her paper.
When she returned to her room, she saw Lin Feng still hugging her pillow, fast asleep. Shaking her head, Zhao Shuqing couldn’t help but smile. Last night, Lin Feng had clung to her like glue while sleeping, leaving her with a sore back and barely able to turn over.
She set breakfast on the table, walked over, sat by the bed, and gently patted Lin Feng’s backside. “Hey, little troublemaker, time to get up.”
Lin Feng frowned and opened her eyes, then lazily smiled when she saw Zhao Shuqing. She reached out and tugged on the hem of Zhao Shuqing’s shirt, sweetly and softly calling her, “Wife.”
Zhao Shuqing: “…”
This is getting more and more out of hand.