The Mermaid and Her Keeper (GL) - Chapter 52

There weren’t many places nearby to wander around, so Zhao Shuqing pushed Lin Feng to a nearby park. In front of the park stretched a long riverbank.

Lin Feng loved water and seemed quite satisfied with the location. Zhao Shuqing avoided the dancing grannies at the square and found a quiet, secluded corner for the two of them to settle down.

“From here, you can see the river,” Lin Feng said, craning her neck eagerly. “I want to go over there.”

Zhao Shuqing followed Lin Feng’s gaze and saw she was pointing at the embankment, the closest spot to the water.

It was a lively evening with many people out enjoying the breeze. Zhao Shuqing, squatting by Lin Feng’s wheelchair and adjusting her blanket, shook her head. “There are too many people. Let’s wait until it’s quieter before we go.”

Lin Feng wasn’t thrilled and let out a reluctant “Oh,” staring longingly at the water like she might jump in at any moment.

The two sat side by side. Zhao Shuqing took out a pair of earphones and gave one to Lin Feng. They watched the moonlight and listened to music together. It was Lin Feng’s first time listening to songs. She held the phone, selecting track after track until she found a tune she liked.

The park bustled with dog walkers, dancing seniors, and parents strolling with their kids by the riverbank.

With nothing pressing to do back home, Zhao Shuqing sat deep in her own thoughts. She glanced at Lin Feng, who was engrossed in the music, her face glowing with excitement as she scrolled through the playlist.

“Lin Feng,” Zhao Shuqing asked softly, her hand resting on the armrest of the wheelchair, “do you have any family?”

Lin Feng looked up at her, thought for a moment, and replied, “I think I do.”

What did she mean by “I think I do”?

“Why do you say that?” Zhao Shuqing’s curiosity grew. “Your parents, siblings, or other bl00d relatives—don’t you have any of them?”

Lin Feng stayed silent for a long while before lowering her head. “They’re all gone.”

Hearing this, Zhao Shuqing fell quiet.

It seemed she’d asked something she shouldn’t have.

“It’s okay,” Zhao Shuqing said, trying to comfort Lin Feng. “My parents passed away when I was little. We’re kind of the same.”

Lin Feng turned to look at her, her deep blue eyes filled with an almost pitying expression as she gently clutched the blanket on her lap.

She knew Zhao Shuqing had misunderstood.

What Lin Feng meant by “gone” wasn’t the same as Zhao Shuqing’s understanding.

In the mermaid world, bl00d ties didn’t hold much importance. Who one’s parents or siblings were wasn’t significant. Unlike humans, mermaids didn’t define relationships through bloodlines; they only cared about whether two individuals could reproduce together.

Lin Feng’s parents had long left the deep sea, and she had no idea what they had become or where they were now.

She had no concept of “hometown” or “family,” so she didn’t know how to console the person beside her.

“I…”

Lin Feng thought for a moment. With nothing valuable to offer Zhao Shuqing—not even money—she decided to say, “I can sing for you.”

Zhao Shuqing looked at her with interest and nodded gently. “Sure, sing the song you sang the other night before bed. I really liked it.”

Lin Feng nodded, took off her earphone, held it in her hand, and began to hum softly.

Her soothing, melodic voice quickly drew attention. Even without lyrics, the ethereal tune captivated many passersby, who paused to listen.

Lin Feng didn’t care about the attention, but Zhao Shuqing became anxious. Noticing some people had started filming, she hurriedly wheeled Lin Feng away.

They left the park and followed the riverbank until they found a spot where no one else was around. Zhao Shuqing finally stopped the wheelchair.

Lin Feng lowered her head, looking a bit hurt. “Was my singing bad?”

“No, not at all!” Zhao Shuqing quickly explained, feeling embarrassed. “I just didn’t want you to attract too much attention. It might make things difficult for us later when we go out.”

“Later?” Lin Feng caught onto the word and looked up at her. “When is later?”

Zhao Shuqing froze, unsure how to respond.

Lin Feng pressed on. “Can we go out together often in the future? I like being with you.”

Zhao Shuqing was stunned by her straightforwardness, her face heating up.

“Don’t say such things carelessly,” Zhao Shuqing muttered, turning her head away to avoid Lin Feng’s gaze. “I’ve told you before, you can’t talk like that when we’re outside.”

“I’m not saying it carelessly,” Lin Feng said matter-of-factly. “It’s just us here.”

So it didn’t count as careless talk.

Zhao Shuqing sighed at Lin Feng’s logic, feeling the heat rise to her ears. She could only nod helplessly. “Alright, alright. Since it’s just the two of us, it doesn’t count.”

Hearing this, Lin Feng smiled and lightly tugged on Zhao Shuqing’s pinky finger. Looking up at her, she asked, “Can you give me a kiss?”

Zhao Shuqing stared at her in silence.

Seeing no response, Lin Feng’s smile faded.

“Never mind if you don’t want to…” she mumbled, disappointment clear in her voice.

Zhao Shuqing always rejected her. Now, being outside, she’d surely refuse again.

Lin Feng felt a little heartbroken. She’d even sung for Zhao Shuqing, yet the stingy woman wouldn’t even give her a kiss.

Was it because she wasn’t attractive enough?

But her singing was so good!

Lin Feng turned her head away, avoiding looking at her. She wanted to tell Zhao Shuqing that it was time to go home, but before she could, she felt the person in front of her gently cup her cheeks. The next moment, a familiar kiss landed on her lips.

Lin Feng nervously gripped the blanket. She could see Zhao Shuqing’s lightly trembling eyelashes, and at this close range, she even noticed faint dark circles under her eyes.

Zhao Shuqing opened her eyes, slightly releasing Lin Feng’s lips, and softly said, “Close your eyes.”

Lin Feng smiled happily. “Alright.”

As soon as she closed her eyes, Lin Feng felt Zhao Shuqing’s kiss again. She sensed her warmth, smelled the faint lemon scent of her body wash, and caught a trace of sweetness in her mouth.

Their tongues entwined, and Lin Feng’s breathing quickened. She reached out to place a hand on Zhao Shuqing’s shoulder, as if trying to stand up, but Zhao Shuqing pressed her back into the wheelchair.

When Lin Feng tried to move her tail, Zhao Shuqing’s hand shifted from her waist to her lower abdomen, pressing firmly.

“Ah…”

Lin Feng’s tail curled up. She clutched Zhao Shuqing’s wrist, but Zhao Shuqing remained unexpectedly assertive. Her kisses and touches grew more intense, causing the scales on Lin Feng’s lower abdomen to become moist, even staining the blanket.

“Shuqing,” Lin Feng gasped, her reddened eyes looking up at her. In a low voice, she said, “I want more.”

Zhao Shuqing didn’t respond. She simply crouched in front of the wheelchair, gently pulling back the soiled blanket.

Lin Feng’s face flushed as she was stared at. She covered her eyes, feeling at a loss.

The breeze by the lake brushed against Zhao Shuqing’s long hair, which flowed behind her.

Just as Lin Feng was wondering what to do, she peeked through her fingers to see Zhao Shuqing lowering her head, planting a kiss on the damp scales of her lower abdomen…

Gu Yao lay on her desk, daydreaming and occasionally sighing.

She glanced at the time on her phone. It was already midnight. Why hadn’t Zhao Shuqing come home yet?

Gu Yao was hungry but didn’t know what to eat. She opened and closed the food delivery app several times, scrolling through the endless list of restaurants but still couldn’t decide.

Maybe she should check the fridge.

Gu Yao got up from her desk and glanced at Guazi, who was lying on the bed with its belly up, fast asleep. She sighed again.

If only she were a carefree little cat like Guazi, she thought.

At least she wouldn’t have to agonize over what to eat.

With another long sigh, Gu Yao walked into the tiny kitchen to forage. Her fridge was nearly empty, containing only drinks and face masks. Not even a single tomato. Defeated, she decided to go back to the delivery app.

Just as she opened it again, she heard a noise at the door. Gu Yao immediately jumped up and ran to open it. She saw Zhao Shuqing pushing Lin Feng in a wheelchair, about to enter.

“Shuqing!” Gu Yao greeted them excitedly, rushing out to ask, “Where were you two? It’s midnight already. Why are you so late?”

Zhao Shuqing’s cheeks flushed slightly, and Lin Feng avoided meeting Gu Yao’s gaze. Feeling awkward, Zhao Shuqing quickly wheeled Lin Feng inside and asked, “Do you need something?”

“Ah? Well, it’s not super urgent, but I do have something to talk about,” Gu Yao stammered.

Zhao Shuqing turned on the light, bent down to lift Lin Feng out of the wheelchair, and said, “I’ll come find you in a bit. Let me help her take a bath first.”

Gu Yao blinked in surprise. Watching their intimate interaction, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. But before she could think too much about it, Zhao Shuqing carried Lin Feng into the bathroom, and the sound of running water soon followed.

Gu Yao sighed. “I’ll close the door for you. I just ordered barbecue. I’ll come back when it arrives,” she called out, helpfully shutting the door behind her.

In the bathroom, Lin Feng eagerly pulled Zhao Shuqing closer. Her tail coiled tightly around Zhao Shuqing, rubbing against her as her breath grew warmer.

“More…”

In the misty steam, Zhao Shuqing cupped Lin Feng’s face and kissed her again, lifting her by the hips to press her against the bathroom wall. Both were soaked from head to toe.

Meanwhile, Gu Yao sat at the doorstep, waiting aimlessly for her delivery. Guazi had woken up, now lazily sitting at her feet, licking its fur. Occasionally, it stretched and glanced at Zhao Shuqing’s door with narrowed eyes.

Soon, the delivery driver arrived with the barbecue, just as Zhao Shuqing opened the door.

Gu Yao, holding the food, noticed Zhao Shuqing’s damp hair and the faint redness on her cheeks, as though from a hot bath.

“Where’s Lin Feng?” Gu Yao asked, lifting the bag. “I got barbecue. Let’s all eat together.”

“She’s exhausted today. After her bath, she got really sleepy, so I let her rest,” Zhao Shuqing replied nonchalantly.

“That’s a shame. I ordered a lot,” Gu Yao said with a hint of regret. After a moment, she added, “But it’s fine. If she wants some tomorrow, I’ll order it again. By the way, why were you out so late? It’s almost 1 a.m.! You may not need rest, but Lin Feng does.”

Zhao Shuqing bent down to pick up Guazi, stepping into Gu Yao’s room as she smiled. “We went out for hotpot and then took a walk in the park. That’s why we got back so late.”

“Really?” Gu Yao eyed her skeptically. But knowing it wasn’t her business, she let it go and closed the door.

“Shuqing, I need your advice on something,” Gu Yao said, sitting down and cracking open a bottle of soda with a hiss.

Zhao Shuqing, sitting in a chair and petting Guazi, tilted her head slightly. “What’s the matter? You need my opinion?”

Gu Yao sighed, leaning back. “Tomorrow, I’m supposed to report to your senior. Do you think I should go or not?”