The Mermaid and Her Keeper (GL) - Chapter 51
Xu Tang widened her eyes in shock. She never imagined Zhao Shuqing’s second request would be like this.
She sat in her chair, staring at Zhao Shuqing for a long time. After five minutes, she finally nodded slightly. “Alright, both of your requests are acceptable. I’ll make the arrangements. For now, take some time to rest and wait for further instructions regarding the experiment.”
Zhao Shuqing didn’t say much. She stood up, nodded slightly at Xu Tang, and left the office.
Xu Tang stared at the door intently, frustration welling up inside her. She brushed aside the strands of hair on her forehead, her expression showing inexplicable annoyance. She didn’t know why she felt this way. Hearing Zhao Shuqing talk about providing genetic material had even made her angry.
Why?
Xu Tang didn’t understand. Why was Zhao Shuqing so good to Lin Feng, even going so far as to want a child with her?
Did she truly love a mermaid?
Xu Tang frowned deeply and murmured, “That’s impossible.”
It must just be her imagination.
When Zhao Shuqing returned to the dormitory, Lin Feng wasn’t there. After searching for a while, she found her in the bathtub.
Lin Feng was curled up in the tub, hugging the small clownfish tank while asleep. Her light-colored hair spread across the bathtub, and her large tail fin draped lazily over the edge, shimmering with a rainbow of colors under the sunlight.
Zhao Shuqing’s approach seemed to wake her. Lin Feng’s thick lashes fluttered slightly before she opened her eyes and looked at Zhao Shuqing. She propped herself up, trying to sit.
“Awake?”
Zhao Shuqing helped her up and, before Lin Feng could react, scooped her into her arms. Lin Feng instinctively wrapped her arms around Zhao Shuqing’s shoulders and asked softly, “Where did you go?”
“I went to the office to deal with some matters.” Zhao Shuqing placed Lin Feng on the bed, tucked her in, and said, “The bathtub is too hard to sleep in comfortably. Rest on the bed for a while. We’ll head to the hospital this afternoon when it’s cooler.”
Lin Feng curled up under the blanket, tugging at Zhao Shuqing’s sleeve. “The hospital?”
Zhao Shuqing nodded, smiling. “Did you forget? You need to take a medicinal bath today.”
After a month of recovery, Lin Feng’s injuries had healed quite well. With plenty of rest and good food, she had even gained some weight. Now, it was time to start her medicinal baths.
Lin Feng, having never heard of such a thing, listened curiously as Zhao Shuqing explained. Once she understood, she yawned lazily.
It’s just another bath, right?
She didn’t mind baths.
Lin Feng grabbed Zhao Shuqing’s hand and said, “Sleep with me.”
Zhao Shuqing shook her head. “I can’t. I still have work to do.”
Lin Feng was insistent. “Sleep with me.”
Zhao Shuqing checked the time. There were still over two hours before their hospital appointment. Though she wasn’t in the habit of napping, she didn’t want to refuse Lin Feng either. After some thought, she nodded, gently pinching Lin Feng’s cheek. “Alright. Let me tidy up the room first. Then we’ll close the curtains and nap together.”
Lin Feng nodded obediently and let go. She watched as Zhao Shuqing cleaned the balcony, placed the clownfish tank on the table, washed her face, changed clothes, and finally drew the curtains. Only then did she lift the blanket and lie down next to Lin Feng.
As soon as Zhao Shuqing got into bed, Lin Feng scooted over eagerly, wrapping her arms around Zhao Shuqing’s waist and humming a soft tune. It sounded like a lullaby.
The melody was gentle and familiar, something Lin Feng had sung to Zhao Shuqing before. But this time, it was slower and more soothing, like a cradle song.
The more Zhao Shuqing listened, the more familiar it felt. It was as if she had heard it somewhere else before.
She looked at Lin Feng, who was resting her head on Zhao Shuqing’s arm, humming with her eyes closed. Zhao Shuqing wanted to ask if this was a song Lin Feng had sung to her in the past. But seeing Lin Feng’s voice grow quieter and her breathing slow as she drifted off to sleep, Zhao Shuqing couldn’t bear to wake her. She gently held Lin Feng in her arms, softly stroking her to keep her calm.
After their nap, Lin Feng was taken to brush her teeth and wash her face.
“This is a new toothbrush I got for you.” Zhao Shuqing rinsed the pink toothbrush in warm water, cooled it with fresh water, then squeezed on some peach-flavored children’s toothpaste. She handed it to Lin Feng, saying, “Brush your teeth by yourself.”
Lin Feng took the toothbrush and started brushing slowly. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed two cups on the sink.
One purple cup held a black toothbrush, while Lin Feng’s orange cup held the pink one.
They don’t match.
As she stood brushing beside Zhao Shuqing, Lin Feng glanced again at the black toothbrush with its bristles sticking out in all directions.
Zhao Shuqing wiped her face and noticed Lin Feng’s gaze. “I’ve got a new toothbrush too. I’ll start using it tomorrow.”
Lin Feng blinked and looked up at her with bright eyes. “You’re not keeping it?”
Zhao Shuqing seemed puzzled. “No, I’m switching to the new one. Why would I keep the old one?”
Lin Feng let out a soft “oh,” gave the old toothbrush one last look, and then shifted her focus back. After Zhao Shuqing left, Lin Feng secretly took the old toothbrush and hid it behind the bathtub.
Later in the afternoon, Lin Feng was grumbling about the medicinal bath.
“It stinks,” she said, wrinkling her nose and clinging to Zhao Shuqing, refusing to get in.
Zhao Shuqing had no choice but to hug her and coax her patiently. “Once it’s done, I’ll help you take a proper bath. Besides, it doesn’t smell bad—it’s just a herbal scent.”
Lin Feng stubbornly shook her head. “It stinks. I’m not getting in.”
The greenish bathwater looked awful. What do they take her for? A dead fish?
Seeing the staff prepare the bath, Zhao Shuqing offered, “If you behave and take the bath, I’ll take you out for hotpot afterward. How about that?”
Lin Feng was about to refuse again when she heard the word “hotpot.” Her ears perked up as she turned to Zhao Shuqing. “Hotpot tonight?”
“As long as you soak in the bath obediently, I’ll take you out for hotpot afterward,” Zhao Shuqing promised with a smile.
Wen Xiaoying, standing nearby, chimed in, “That’s right, Lin Feng. Just two hours, and then you can go out.”
Lin Feng looked at the green bathwater with great reluctance. But when she saw Zhao Shuqing’s expectant eyes, she hesitated for several minutes before nodding slightly and agreeing to soak for two hours.
Zhao Shuqing rolled up her sleeves, carefully helped Lin Feng into the bath, and, with Wen Xiaoying’s help, gently lowered her tail into the water.
“Does it hurt?” Zhao Shuqing asked Lin Feng gently.
Lin Feng shook her head, reached out to touch Zhao Shuqing’s face, and said, “I want to eat spicy hotpot.”
Wen Xiaoying burst into laughter, and Zhao Shuqing helplessly nodded, smiling at Lin Feng, “Alright, we’ll go eat after the soak.”
Worried Lin Feng might get bored during the medicinal bath, Zhao Shuqing brought her some picture books. But Lin Feng seemed uninterested in what she called “childish” stories, except for The Little Mermaid.
The hospital ward also received a few more sick sea creatures, including a century-old sea turtle brought in for choking while eating. It was now lying in the pool, receiving an IV drip.
Lin Feng leaned lazily against Zhao Shuqing, her eyes occasionally glancing toward the old turtle.
“What are you looking at?” Zhao Shuqing asked.
Lin Feng whispered to Zhao Shuqing, “It’s talking to me.”
Zhao Shuqing raised an eyebrow. “What did it say?”
Lin Feng’s eyes curved with laughter. “I’m not telling you.”
Zhao Shuqing gave her a side glance and lightly pinched her waist.
After soaking in the medicinal bath and taking a shower, Lin Feng, who had a cleanliness obsession, carefully cleaned off every bit of medicinal residue hidden under her scales. By the time they finished with the follow-up medication and bandaging, it was already dark outside.
Wen Xiaoying said her goodbyes and left, while Zhao Shuqing wheeled Lin Feng out of the hospital, saying, “There’s a hotpot place nearby. Let’s head over; hopefully, there are still seats available at this hour.”
Near the university town, there were plenty of eateries. On the roadside, some students were running small stalls. Lin Feng, who rarely went out, sat in her wheelchair, dazzled by the lively sights.
Under the neon lights, everyone seemed to be glowing.
It was nothing like where Lin Feng used to live. There, you could barely catch any sunlight during the day, and at night, it was pitch dark, not a speck of light in sight. Unlike the human world, where it was bustling both day and night.
Lin Feng liked it here.
She loved the liveliness and the sight of strangers smiling. When passersby noticed her in the wheelchair, they kindly made way. Zhao Shuqing had given her a mask and a hat, making her look like a patient fresh out of the hospital. At the hotpot restaurant entrance, a staff member even opened the door for them.
The restaurant was crowded, but considering Lin Feng’s wheelchair, the owner thoughtfully arranged a private room and even offered two complimentary drinks.
Lin Feng sipped on her cola. It was sweet but fizzy enough to make her head feel funny, so she put it down and said to Zhao Shuqing, “I want milk tea.”
Zhao Shuqing, busy adding tripe to the hotpot, glanced at her and sighed, “You’ve been spoiled by Gu Yao.”
Despite the comment, Zhao Shuqing pulled out her phone and ordered delivery. Knowing Lin Feng’s love for mango pomelo sago, she ordered two cups just in case one wasn’t enough. She casually ordered herself an iced coffee.
The hotpot bubbled away, and after two quick dips, the tripe was ready. Zhao Shuqing picked some up for Lin Feng and had already prepared her dipping sauce.
Lin Feng eagerly took a bite, then frowned. “It’s not spicy.”
“It’s a tomato base,” Zhao Shuqing said matter-of-factly. “Of course, it’s not spicy.”
Lin Feng got upset.
Tomatoes were red, just like spicy broth. How could it not be spicy? She had been tricked!
Seeing that both pots were red, Lin Feng had assumed they were both spicy. She didn’t expect one of them to be a fraud. It tasted fine, but she wanted spicy food.
“I want the spicy one,” Lin Feng protested.
“You can’t handle spicy food,” Zhao Shuqing replied.
Lin Feng pouted, visibly upset. But since she couldn’t use chopsticks, she could only fidget with her spoon in frustration. Eventually, Zhao Shuqing gave in, sighed, and poured her a cup of warm water. She scooped up a piece of tripe from the spicy pot, dipped it in sauce, and fed it to Lin Feng herself.
“Huff… huff…”
Watching Lin Feng’s eyes redden from the spice, Zhao Shuqing tilted her head and asked, “Want more?”
Sweating profusely but determined, Lin Feng nodded stubbornly. “Yes.”
Such a foolhardy little thing.
Zhao Shuqing shook her head. She could tell Lin Feng was very strong-willed—once she set her mind to something, she wouldn’t back down.
When the milk tea arrived, it was a lifesaver for Lin Feng. After drinking half a cup of the cold drink, her face finally regained some color. Zhao Shuqing continued to accompany her, occasionally stepping out to grab extra sauces or side dishes.
At home, Lin Feng didn’t have this luxury. The variety here was much better, and ordering through the tablet meant everything was delivered right to their table. It was way more convenient than eating at home.
When Zhao Shuqing paid the bill, she glanced at the menu and noticed that Lin Feng had only eaten seafood. Feeling the pinch, she paid anyway and wheeled Lin Feng out of the restaurant.
“Shall we head home now?”
As the night breeze brushed past, Zhao Shuqing tucked the blanket and hat snugly around Lin Feng. She gently rubbed her lips, still red from the spice, and smiled, “Or shall we take a stroll while the streets are quiet?”
Lin Feng’s eyes lit up, clutching her half-finished milk tea. “Where are we going to stroll?”